Liber Fanatica IV - Part 1

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Liber Fanatica Volume IV : The Academic’s Handbook

Foreword

his fourth issue of Liber Fanatica explores academia in the Warhammer world. In Places of

Learning you will find two detailed locations to visit in your campaigns: Altdorf University and the Temple of Verena in Wurtbad. The Research and Academia chapter examines the many languages andacademic skills available to characters in WFRP 2

nd edition and offers ideas for using them in play.Thaumaturgy takes a deeper look at magic in the Warhammer world, with new options for spellcastersto optimize rituals, cast counterspells and pursue the secrets of alchemy. Finally, the Astrologychapter details the Warhammer solar system and the influence celestial bodies can exert on acharacter’s life.

T

Liber Fanatica IV introduces several new writers: Rick Wolf, Dan White and James Jester. I am quitecertain you’ll enjoy reading their work. Although James Walkerdine did not write this time around, heremained a key member of the team by once again handling the layout. Henrik Grönberg’s fabulousmaps, which previously were only available from the ‘Cryptic Cartography’ section of the website, arenow featured within the main book. John F. Foody and Robin Low have once again contributed theirexperience and keen eyes for quality control. And last (but certainly not least) Wim van Gruisen

remains a cornerstone of the Liber Fanatica team with his impressive set of contributions andcontinued willingness to assist others.

As WFRP 2nd ed. enters the third year of its production schedule, you might wonder if Liber Fanatica has run its course. With the large number of official supplements being released by Black Industries,fewer and fewer patches of bare ground remain to be covered. Nearly all of the rules gaps between 1st edition and 2nd edition were bridged in Liber Fanatica issues 1-3, and nobody wants endless pages ofnew houserules. We’re running out of ‘how-to’ topics relevant to WFRP, and the official publishers,along with Warpstone, have demonstrated a firm and competent handle on the major setting elements.Where does that leave us?

Well, don’t worry. Liber Fanatica has plenty of Fate Points left. Pre-development for issue 5 is alreadyunderway, and although our pace has slowed since the first year’s releases, we do not intend to retirethis fanzine anytime soon. Official products can not cover every angle within their allotted page

counts. Inspired by the official supplements released thus far, the ‘Ordo Fanatica’ has stockpiledenough ideas to fill issues 5, 6, and beyond! And of course, fresh ideas are constantly generated byinternet forum discussions. There’s much more to come, so drop us a line if you’d like to get involvedin the next issue.

I hope you enjoy reading Liber Fanatica IV as much as I enjoyed working on it!

Jude Hornborg, May 2007Editor, Liber Fanatica IV – The Academic’s Handbook



Liber Fanatica Volume IV : The Academic’s Handbook

Table of Contents

Places of Learning

Altdorf University...............................................................................3

by Rick WolfReligion and Academia.........................................................................10

by Henrik Grönberg, Jude Hornborg and Wim van GruisenThe Abode of the Watchful Owl.........................................................12

by Henrik Grönberg

Research and Academia

Academic Knowledge Skills................................................................23

by Jude HornborgLibrary Research in WFRP ..................................................................25

by Jude HornborgLanguages of the Warhammer World ..................................................33

by Jude Hornborg

Thaumaturgy

Sources of Magic .................................................................................39

by Wim van GruisenAlchemical Formulas...........................................................................45

by Dan White

Counterspells .......................................................................................52

by Wim van Gruisen

Astrology

The Evolution of the Warhammer Solar System ................................55

by Wim van Gruisen

The Mechanics of Planetary Motion ...................................................56

by Wim van GruisenReading the Stars .................................................................................58

by Wim van GruisenThe Natal Chart...................................................................................61

by Wim van GruisenStar Signs and Game Effects ...............................................................62

by James Jester

An Astrologer’s Instruments...............................................................64

by Wim van Gruisen and Jude Hornborg

Credits

Editor/Layout : Jude Hornborg, James WalkerdineFeedback and Proofreading : John F Foody, Robin Low, Jude Hornborg, Henrik Grönberg,Wim van Gruisen, Wayde Zalken, Alfred Nuñez Jr.Maps : Henrik Grönberg

The Liber Fanatica is a compendium of articles dedicated to the Warhammer FantasyRole-Playing Game. Published May 2007.

The work is offered free of charge to all interested parties and is not to be sold in anyform. It may be printed or offered for download if distributed free of charge. All thedocuments comprising the Liber Fanatica, including the cover and contents page, belongtogether and are to be kept that way. Individual articles from this compendium cannot bepublished or distributed separate from the other parts of Liber Fanatica without theexplicit permission of the article’s author.

All original material is copyright to the respective author.

Email the Liber Fanatica guild at [email protected] the Liber Fanatica website at http://www.liberfanatica.net

Disclaimer

This compendium iscompletely unofficialand in no way

endorsed by GamesWorkshop Limited.

Chaos, the Chaosdevice, the Chaos logo,Citadel, Citadel Device,Darkblade, theDouble-Headed/Imperial Eagledevice, 'Eavy Metal,Forge World, GamesWorkshop, GamesWorkshop logo, GoldenDemon, Great Unclean

One, GW, the Hammerof Sigmar logo, HornedRat logo, Keeper ofSecrets, Khemri,Khorne, the Khornelogo, Lord of Change,Nurgle, the Nurglelogo, Skaven, theSkaven symboldevices, Slaanesh, theSlaanesh logo, TombKings, Trio of Warriors,

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Tzeentch logo,Warhammer,Warhammer Online,Warhammer Worldlogo, White Dwarf, theWhite Dwarf logo, andall associated marks,names, races, raceinsignia, characters,vehicles, locations,units, illustrations andimages from theWarhammer world areeither ®, TM and/or ©Copyright GamesWorkshop Ltd 2000-2007, variablyregistered in the UKand other countriesaround the world.Used withoutpermission. Nochallenge to theirstatus intended. AllRights Reserved totheir respectiveowners.

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Liber Fanatica - Volume IV: The Academic

’s Handbook

Places of Learning

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’s Handbook

Altdorf University

by Rick Wolf

he slipped silently over the moonlit cloisteredcourtyard. In two quick bounds she had

reached the twisted and gnarled branches of themeddler tree that stood in its corner. She workedher way up through the tree, with its heavy fruitthat would soon be picked and left to ripen untilalmost rotten by the college servants. As shereached the top, she leapt on to the ancient, nowbrittle tiles that covered the roof of the buildingssurrounding the quadrangle.

The roofs were her domain. Few bothered herhere. The occasional student would clamber up ina fit of drunken bravado and once a year themembers of the Gargoyles’ Society would try andorganise a race across the University without oncesetting foot on the ground but, generally, night andday, the roofs were hers. Hers to play and tohunt. But not tonight.

She scanned the irregular landscape: suddentroughs and valleys made by lower roofs,crevasses where narrow alleys picked their waybetween high blocks, gulfs where there were openspaces down below, steep hillsides of tiling and

pinnacle spires of rock made by towers. She couldsee the clock tower of the Senate House clearly if,to her, meaninglessly, from her vantage. But itwas a closer tower that drew her. One with a

small window through which a golden lightburned.

Inside, Professor Kluft snored gently. The candleon his desk had almost burned down to the stumpand a scattering of papers – his latest research –lay on the desk in front of him. His head lolledgently against the side of the leather backedarmchair.

She glided through the window, left open just acrack, and into the room. The papers on the deskskidded under her paw as she jumped onto theold man. She was so close to his face she couldlick him. She did – very gently on his nose, her

rough tongue brushing against it. The old man’seyelids flickered open.

‘Ah, puss. There you are. Would you like asaucer of milk?’

The University in 2522

The University of Altdorf can claim these days tobe the beating intellectual heart of the Empire. Ithas not always been so and the University ofNuln still tends to view Altdorf as a juniorinstitution. The foundation of the Colleges ofMagic, not as departments of the University itself,but as independent autonomous organisationswas a huge blow to the institution that couldonce have claimed to be the centre for all learningin the capital. There are those within theUniversity who believe that the Colleges of Magicshould be brought within the University’s control,no matter how unlikely that now looks. Most

now recognise that the Colleges of Magic have, infact, brought an extra intellectual dimension tothe University. Many members of each institutionalso have posts or honorary titles within theother, and many students of the Colleges ofMagic are also students of the University,attending its Philosophy and TheoreticalEnchantment and Magick courses.

The climate of radical intellectualism that hasdefined Altdorf University since the acceptance ofthe Colleges of Magic has come under severethreat recently. The definition of acceptableresearch and inquiry has changed dramatically.

Under the tenure of the current Vice-ChancellorAnders Baumwolle, fear of heresy charges hasspread, curtailing the independent spirit of theUniversity body - students and teachers alike.

The change mirrors that in society at large. Ten years ago it was acceptable for the Emperor toissue a proclamation declaring that mutantsshould be treated with equal rights. These days,particularly after the recent Chaos invasion, suchsentiments would not even be murmuredbetween close friends. Many of the University’sone time leading lights find themselves having tocurb their tongues lest the witch-hunters showundue interest. For some the situation isworsened by the fact that their previouspublished works, written in a more liberal age,might now see them condemned. No scholarshave burnt yet on the bonefires, but several donshave had to give carefully worded retractions oftheir earlier views. Not all escaped the rack andtorture chamber before doing so.

Organisation

In theory, the University sees itself as a state inminiature. Its Chancellor is the ruler, its Mastersthe nobility and its Proctors are the lawenforcers. In detail, the organisation is less clear.

The University is organised into ‘colleges’ but

these are in fact separate departmentsrepresenting different intellectual disciplineswithin the University. Each of the colleges has a

S

Acknowledgement

This article is designed to be compatible with theunofficial background for Altdorf developed byAlfred Nunez, Arne Dam and Roderic d’Arcon intheir article on Altdorf and in Alfred Nunez’salternative conclusion to The Enemy Within campaign, Empire at War . Some of the locationsare taken from these works; apologies for anymisuses.

Both of these documents can be found atwww.strike-to-stun.com and at Alfred Nunez’sown website www.madalfred.darcore.net.

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University Slang and Terms

The University is full of unusual words andterms that do not occur regularly in normallanguage. It is suggested that the GMemploys these liberally whenever uneducatedcharacters interact with University members.GMs may wish to invent their own terms as

well. Odd sounding contractions andacronyms are particularly appropriate.Someone studying Theoretical Magick would,therefore, become a ‘theo-mag’, whilst theSenior Combination Rooms are known as theSCR.

Some common University terms are:

Bumps, the - Annual university boat racingcompetition.

Fresher - anyone recently enrolled at theUniversity.

Inkies - students who have misunderstood the

purpose of university, choosing to studyrather than practise their drinking skills.

Leaguers - members of the student society,the League of Karl-Franz. All young, blue-blooded and obnoxious.

Long Vacation - summer holiday.

Matriculation - ceremony held when joining theUniversity as an undergraduate.

Porters - College servants who run mostaspects of college life.

Proctors - the University’s bowler-hattedpolice.

Quad - the approved term for any courtyardwithin the University, even those without four

sides. Anyone using the word ‘court’ will besneered at for their complete ignorance (courtsare what they call them at Nuln, after all).

Rowers - self-explanatory.

Scouts – college servants responsible forcleaning up after their ‘gentlemen’.

Sigmarzeit Ball - a series of huge formal ballstaking place during Sigmarzeit week.

Sigmarzeit Week - last week of University termbefore the Long Vacation; occurs in followingmonth of Sommerzeit.

Sub-fusc - the clothes required to be wornbeneath academic gowns on important

occasions. Dark grey or navy blue areappropriate colours and a white cravat orclerical bands should be worn round the neck.

Tubs - term by which rowers affectionatelyrefer to their boats.

Master who is the senior academic in charge ofthat college’s administration. In charge of thewhole university is the University Council, a bodycomposed of all of the University’s members(everyone who has graduated from the Universityor accepted a fellowship at it), although inpractice the University Council is comprised of

the active University dons. The figurehead of theUniversity is the Chancellor. The currentChancellor, Claus von Tratternick, was appointedmore for political connections than any interestin the University. Below him is the Vice-Chancellor, who in fact runs the University’sbusiness with the assistance of the Bursar.

The Vice-Chancellor has little real impact on theactual day-to-day running of the University,which is mainly controlled by the proctors andporters. Proctors are in charge of enforcing theUniversity’s rules, ordinances and regulations,many of which are obscure. In theory, any

member of the University who is accused of acrime falls within the proctors’ jurisdiction,although in practice they usually leave matters tothe city watch and content themselves with finingstudents caught without the appropriateacademic gowns (compulsory) and, on variousspecial occasions and feast days, sub-fusc (see‘University Slang and Terms’). Proctors arenoticeable by virtue of their highly unusual hats -stiff felt bowlers. The history behind these hatsis unknown. Proctors’ gowns are dark grey witha red-trimmed hood. Porters are college servantswho act as the University’s gate keepers, guardsand general factotum . The business of keeping

order within the University walls falls mostly tothem. Porters are, for reasons of tradition,exclusively male and many have had militarycareers before joining the university. Almost allhave large moustaches.

Physical Layout

The University is a confusing mess of courtyards,passages and staircases; the product of centuriesof unplanned building. Some quads that wereonce open to the skies now find themselvescrowded by new towers blocking the light. Incertain quads, trees rise dramatically andvertiginously skyward in search of light. Other

quads have been created well above ground level.For those unfamiliar with the University, findingone’s way around can be a daunting experience.Characters without a guide should be prepared tostop and ask for directions regularly. Staircasesare assigned a letter and number foridentification, but these are often not sequential.

There are fortunately some useful features tohelp navigate the University. The twin spires ofthe university chapel are clearly visible fromacross the University. The clock tower of theCouncil House is visible throughout the northernand eastern sections of the University and in thesouth the domed cupola and sundial of the Gate

of Virtue can be seen.

Notable Locations

There are five gates into University: the South,East and West gates and the gates of Humilityand Honour. Additionally, there is one locatedcentrally by the University Chapel - the Gate ofVirtue. At Matriculation, all would-be studentsmust pass through the Gate of Humility withheads bowed and bare-footed, signifying

obedience to their academic masters andwillingness to learn. During their time at theUniversity, students are supposedly free of

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earthly distractions, concentrating instead ontheir studies, hence the centrally placed Gate ofVirtue. The Gate of Virtue is capped with a

cupola and sundial, and notices are pinnedinside its arch. On graduation, students leave by

the Gate of Honour, which by good luck faces theStreet of a Hundred Taverns and the opportunityfor an epic bar crawl.

Ruckusplatz Events

The bustling Ruckusplatz is one of the famoussights of the Empire’s capital. The followingare suggestions to help bring it to life:

Agitator’s Corner

Elsie Weltschmertzer is a woman with acause. Several causes, actually, and she isdetermined to make sure that others get tohear about them.

This encounter could easily be broken up intoa variety of different incidents so that theplayers get used to seeing and hearing FrauWeltschmertzer whenever they pass throughthe Ruckusplatz. Frau Weltschmertzer standson a small wooden box and loudly berates theauthorities on a range of different issues.Passers-by will either increase their speed andhurry past, stop and listen attentively or

heckle loudly. Frau Weltschmertzer starts bydescribing the appalling state of Altdorf’ssewage system, claiming that many outbreaksof disease could be prevented if the sewerswere better maintained in poor areas (this islikely to be met by loud guffaws from somesections of the crowd). Next onWeltschmertzer’s list of priorities is the lack ofaction taken by authorities against theappalling behaviour of the notorious criminalgangs: the Fish and the Hooks (this is actuallyquite unfair, but will be met by generalagreement). Weltschmertzer warms to hertheme by pointing out how Altdorf is overrun

daily by refugees from the eastern Empirecoming to glut themselves on the city’s wealthwhen Altdorf’s poor have suffered more thananyone (all utterly unfair, but whips the crowdinto a frenzy). Finally, Weltschmertzer startstalking about the repressive attitude of theauthorities toward free thought, claiming thatheresy trials and witch hunts have beenconducted to silence intellectual critics of thegovernment. At this stage, the authoritiesintervene. The bowler-hatted proctors step inand bundle Weltschmertzer out while shescreams at the top of her voice that she isbeing repressed, and how the illegitimacy ofthe ruling elite is plain to see.

Profiteers of DoomA wild looking man preaches loudly about howrecent events are clear evidence of theapproaching end of the world, whilst aflagellant whips himself in repentance of hissins. Meanwhile, a pardoner sells indulgencessigned and blessed, he claims, by the Grand

Theogonist of Sigmar himself. He does briskbusiness.

All gates (except Virtue) are closed at 11 o’clockand are not opened again until 5 o’clock in themorning. Theoretically, all students should be

fast asleep between these hours. In practice, ofcourse, this is far from the case. A number ofsmall, unguarded entrances and lower wallsallow students (and players) to climb in and outof the University at night. Occasional patrols byproctors and porters try to catch thoseclambering over the walls.

Innumerable quads are contained within theuniversity complex. Quads vary greatly in size,from ten yards across to the Deer Park, an arealarge enough that a previous Chancellor, a keenhunter, used it to keep a small stock of stags anddeer. The Deer Park includes a wide pond andmany ancient oak trees which – according todeeply unreliable university legend – were onceplanted by Taal himself. Also note worthy arethe Triangular Quad and the Ruckusplatz. The

Triangular Quad is behind the Chapel and GreatHall. A small fountain dedicated to Shaylla playsin one corner, its water reputed to have acurative effect for eye problems. A dovecote islocated at the other end of the Triangular Quad,where Shallya’s white doves are kept. Anunassuming stone bench completes the quad,which is notable for its quiet tranquillity. TheRuckusplatz (‘Commotion Square’), by contrast,is one of the busiest and noisiest in theUniversity. Located just within the Gate of

Honour, this quad is host to a variety oftownsfolk, as well as university members.Business with tradesmen is conducted here at anumber of stalls during the day. In anothercorner of the Ruckusplatz, open air classes areheld which all are free to attend. Nearby isSpeaker’s Corner where preachers, philosophers,poets and those with a grievance to air competefor the attention of the crowds. At night the wideand empty space often appears cold, bleak andthreatening.

The Council House is an ugly block-shapedbuilding, recently remodelled in the classical

style. A large clock tower has been added. TheCouncil House is used for all official universitybusiness, including examinations and graduationceremonies. Given its importance, the building issurprisingly small.

The Chapel is a remarkably modest name for atemple grand enough to put many Cathedrals toshame. This barrel-vaulted building has twospires at either end that soar into the sky, andcan be seen from most of the city. Inside theChapel, light streams through a single, vast rosewindow at the eastern end, and tiny pinpricks ofcandlelight illuminate the rest. Altars to everygod line its walls and the important deities have

their own shrines. Here - at the Empire’s centreof learning - Sigmar is relegated to a side chapel

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while the great altar of Verena has pride of placeunder the main window. Next to Verena’s shrineis one to Morr on one side, and Shallya on theother. The shrine to Shaylla contains a bowl ofwater from the fountain in the Triangular Quadbut is otherwise unadorned. In the chapel ofMorr are two altars: one to Morr Psychopompus

(Guardian and Guide of Souls) and another onthe wall next to Verena’s shrine: Morr the HolyFather and Husband - an unusual aspect of thegod (see sidebar).

Morr the Holy Father and Husband

The aspect of Morr most popular atUniversities is the god’s role as husband toVerena, goddess of knowledge, and father toShallya and Myrmidia, goddesses of thehealing arts and the science of warfare

respectively. This aspect is closely linked withMorr’s role as the god of dreams and seers. Inthis role Morr is the god not just of the dead,but also the secret knowledge of the dead, andhis followers see him as a patron for thosewho seek his guidance to pierce the veil ofsecrecy that covers most of the wisdom of theworld. Many followers also place great faith inthe widespread legends that Morr was oncethe living ruler and teacher of humanity, andthat it was he who first taught mankind towrite.

The spiritual father of those who follow thisaspect of Morr is St. Canavola Sotti, a priest of

Morr, seer and anchorite who lived slightlyover two centuries ago in solitude within aspecially constructed cell in the Great Templein Luccini. St. Canavola teachings arecontained in two great works, Revelations of aDivine Presence and Divine Conversations ,both of which describe his spiritualexperiences. Of the two books, Revelations isthe far more popular work. Conversations is adifficult text, the true meaning of which is amatter of great debate amongst Morritescholars and priests.

Conversations provides the most hotly debated

passages in all St. Canavola’s work:And the Father comes to us; His wounds raw

And fatal, yet still he Lives,The eternal truth, His Province

And His Providence, for those whoGuard, yet seek to pierce, his Cloak.

The meaning of this passage is obscure, yetsome interpretations claim that for the trueand faithful follower of Morr, even the secretknowledge of life and death can be rightlyexplored. Others see this as the rankestheresy.

Behind the Chapel is the Great Hall. Here theUniversity feasts. Dons and masters eat thesweetest delicacies and rarest treats at the High

Table. Students eat expensive food ruined by badcooking. Large portraits of past notables hangbetween heavy oak beams, and are occasionallycovered in dessert after food fights.

Close to the Great Hall are the SeniorCombination Rooms. Here the university’s donsassemble before and after dinner. Excellentsherry, port and brandy are kept on a sidebar.Large, red leather armchairs and foot stools litterthe room. The air is thick with the smell of oldtobacco. Pigeon holes for all the dons line the fulllength of one wall.

Just outside the University to the south is theStarcrown Coffeeshop - a popular haunt withstudents and professors alike. Its cakes areexcellent. Nearby taverns include: the LeapingFrog, a small, friendly taproom and saloon bar,and the Sir Johan Borlase Wahrun which is aslightly characterless inn with private rooms and

accommodation upstairs. Also nearby is the Headof the Reik, a cramped building set over threedifferent floors with dark-panelled walls coveredin memorabilia (mainly sets of painted oars) frompast Boat Races, Bumps and rowingcompetitions.

The area surrounding the University buildings isknown as the University District, characterisedby narrow looping streets and tall tenements.Scholars unable to live within the University itselfcommonly take lodgings in the UniversityDistrict’s decrepit buildings. Due to the makeupof its inhabitants the University District has areputation for being Bohemian and eccentric.

The late-night food seller Gaardies’ on GruenStrasse is a big draw for students.

A separate part of the University - the UniversityBoathouse - is located some distance away at thedocks on the northern bank of the river Reik as itleaves Altdorf. Here, several low warehousescontain the University’s rowing boats. There arevarious types of boats, but the pride of theBoathouse are the eight-man sleek racing boatsused in the annual Boat Race, and in the Bumps.

These boats are always lovingly cared for, butrarely last long. They are designed for speed, notstrength, and are ritually burnt by drunken

rowers after particularly successful races.

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Using the University in Games

Altdorf University might easily figure in anyadventure where characters find themselvesseeking unusual knowledge. Its dons’ andacademics’ knowledge of abstruse informationcould prove a vital resource for characters inneed of clues to solve a mystery. The scholars’quest for enlightenment might also provide thebasis of an adventure where they might act eitheras mentors to or opponents of the PCs. TheUniversity libraries contain a storehouse oflearning that the greatest temples would havedifficulty matching, and the Imperial Museum,housed within the Collegium Historica, containsenough relics of the world’s past to provideadventure hooks for any Games Master.

When characters come looking for a member ofthe University – either for research help orbecause they have tracked him to his lair – theyare likely to encounter difficulties. For one thing,

characters will have no idea where in theUniversity to find anyone’s room. Of course, theporters at the gates will know, but they areunlikely to hand out such information. Theplayers will need to present a very convincingexcuse, and excel on their Fellowship rolls tosucceed here. It should be remembered that theporters are reluctant to allow non-Universitymembers inside. If the players claim to deliversomething to a resident of the university, theporters will suggest - insist - that packages be leftwith them. The porters take a certain delight inundermining the player’s schemes. Of course, ifby chance one of the characters is a member of

Altdorf University, the porters will be far morehelpful. If the characters are not members, theplayers’ best chance is to befriend a student whois. Two such opportunities are presented asencounters below. If the players earn thestudents’ gratitude, the students will be happy torepay the debt with special favours.

Bloody StudentsSomewhere within the University district -perhaps on the Street of a Hundred Taverns - theadventurers come across a group of students.Many of them are dressed in outlandish andexpensive fashions, and another student, still

wearing his academic gown, is being strung upby his legs. He dangles two feet off the groundfrom the overhanging eaves of a half timberbuilding, shouting and screaming at the otherstudents. They all clearly think this is hilarious,with the exception of another student who is alsowearing a gown and is being restrained by twoothers. He has a bloodied nose. The mob ofstudents are members of the League of Karl-Franz, an aristocratic club, whilst the two ingowns are Inkies who actually spend their timestudying. The Leaguers are ‘ragging’ the Inkiesand think it enormous fun. If the playersintervene, the Leaguers switch their attention to

them instead. The student currently suspendedfrom the rope is allowed to drop on his head,concussing him and causing him to bite his

tongue (but earning the gratitude of his friend,Fritz Kopfler). The Leaguers are unarmed and willback off if the players draw weapons. In anyevent, University Proctors turn up shortly. Theystart fining the Leaguers for not wearing gowns,and then berate the Inkies for hurting the imageof the University by becoming involved in such a

disgraceful incident.

One of Our Rowers is Missing The players encounter a group of students clad inmatching hose and lightweight doublets in thearea of the University or the Boat Club. Thestudents are a rowing team about to take part ina race. They are becoming desperate becauseone of their number has not turned up. Lastnight, the missing rower overindulged inprodigious amounts of alcohol and weird-root,and this morning is lying in bed unable to move.

They are sufficiently desperate to ask one of thecharacters to take his place. Anyone with the

skill Row would be appropriate. Particularly

One Over the Eight

The Players attempting to row as part of theteam must test against Row skill (Strength).

Those lacking Row will of course have to testagainst half their Strength. Players shouldthen test against their Agility score to see howwell they manage to integrate with the rest ofthe team. Meanwhile, the GM should make ashow of rolling for the other rowers and theopposing team. In truth, such roles are utterlyunimportant and would make matters far toocomplex.

Failures on the Row test by more than 10%result in the player ‘catching a crab’ - the oargets stuck in the stream of water and isimpossible to pull through properly. Thisresults in the boat losing 5 feet on theopposition.

Failures on the Row test by more than 20%result in the player slipping out of his or herseat. This causes the entire boat to stop and10 feet are lost on the opposition. Asuccessful Agility test is required to get backinto the seat, and a further 10 feet are lost

with each failed roll.Failures on just the Agility test mean that theplayer has rowed well but is completely out ofsync with the rest of the crew - the boat loses2 feet.

Success by 15% on both the Row test and theAgility test will means that the player hasrowed well and found a perfect rhythm withthe other rowers - their boat gains 10 feet onthe opposition.

The race can go on for as long as it seemsamusing, but probably no more than fivedouble tests should be required. The GM

should describe the race in exciting terms andtry to include opportunities for oars clashing,other craft getting in the way, and so on.

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cruel GMs might wish to make the sex of therowing team such that only a character withoutthat skill could take part. Anyone with the Row skill will realise that trying to join a rowing teamon the morning of a race is likely to be a disaster.

• Doctor Rutstein is ambitious. He wants tobecome the Master of his College. ProfessorWinklemann is older, more senior anddislikes Rutstein. The stage is set for one ofthe fiercest academic rivalries the Universityhas seen for years. Already Winklemann hasblocked every move that Rutstein has madeto get onto University or College Boards.Rutstein, meanwhile, used his influence withthe City Council to have a house belonging toWinklemann condemned and demolishedwhilst his rival took a sabbatical year inMiddenheim. What dirt might the players digup if one side decides to hire them to lookinto their rival’s past? Or what if one of theacademics decides to take a more directcourse in dealing with his opponent?

Should a player agree to take part, the race will

be held against another university boat team onthe river Reik where it heads out north of thecity. Rules for playing out boat races areincluded in the side bar ‘One Over the Eight’below. Characters that prove successful will betaken out for a celebration by the teamafterwards. The rowers are likely to becomeembarrassingly drunk after just a few drinks andinitiate many painful drinking games. Thankfullythey pass out fairly quickly. Any character whoraces and proves him or herself game earns thegratitude of the rowers whenever they encounterthe adventurers again.

• The University’s wine cellars are legendary. They are said to extend underneath thewhole University district, and as deep as the

high water levels in Altdorf allow. They areso big in fact, that no-one quite knows howfar they go. There are hidden corners wheremore than just old vintages lie, the collegeservants whisper. If servants sent in searchof the finest crusted ports begin to disappear,the University authorities might hire outsidemuscle to investigate behind the furthestwine-racks.

Adventure Hooks

• Professor Janus Koestler has been part of theUniversity for as long as anyone canremember. So long, in fact, that no-one canquite work out when he joined. He alwaysseems to have been semi-retired and ancientand living quite comfortably in a nice set ofrooms with a decent view of the Ruckusplatz.What is his secret? A tipple of theUniversity’s own vintage every night or abargain with even darker powers?

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Religion and Academia

by Henrik Grönberg, Jude Hornborg and Wim van Gruisen

he temples of the Old World play a majorrole in education, much like churches din medieval Europe. Although universities havbecome the primary institutions of learning,senior faculty posts are often held by clergymembers from across the Warhammer pantheon.Many nobles insist their children receive amonastic education as a matter of tradition.

ide

All temples contain theological texts, includingcanon law, prayer books and accounts of theirgods’ prophets. Shrines and chapels rarelycontain more than a single prayer book, whilelarger temples often house entire libraries ofsecular volumes to complement the religious

texts. The format and subject matter of secularlore varies from one cult to the next. Oraltradition is spiritually important for the cults ofRanald, Taal and Rhya. Lay followers of Ulric andMyrmidia are often illiterate and therefore haveno use for books. Each cult observes a differentepistemological framework and favours academicdisciplines that reflect its patron deity’s divinenature.

The Gods

Handrich: Knowledge provides an edge in dealmaking, especially if you have knowledge that

your trading partner doesn’t, or if you discover

something he’s tried to keep hidden. Gatheringrelevant knowledge is worth a lot of money.

Most secular books in Handrich’s temples arecommerce ledgers. Handrich’s temples may alsocontain philosophical texts about commerce,and descriptions of foreign countries’ tradingcustoms.

Manann: Knowledge is constant and ever-changing, just like the ever-rolling sea. It ispalpable, but also unfathomable.

Manann’s temple libraries contain books aboutAstronomy/Navigation, Nautical Engineering,

Marine Zoology and Strategy/Tactics (Naval).Larger temples may also contain books onHistory and Humanist Philosophy.

Morr: The focus of Morrite academia is the future – in this world and the next. However,knowledge about the afterlife is intended foronly the purest of mind. Mortals are not meantto know too much about the afterlife, as itwould unsettle the careful balance in thisworld.

Morrite temples rarely house more books thanare required for the cult’s funeral ceremonies.

The major temples and abbeys however, boast

large libraries of Science (Anatomy), Astronomy,Genealogy/Heraldry, Magic and Philosophy

texts. Necromantic tomes are kept under lockand key in forbidden libraries.

Myrmidia: Knowledge of battles past is a tool forwinning battles of the future.

Myrmidia’s temples keep historical records ofbattles, theoretical books on Strategy/Tactics,and Engineering texts on weapons and warmachines. One can also find studies about thearmies of the Old World nations and non-human armies. Secret files on the enemies ofhumankind are kept hidden by priests.

Ranald: Knowledge is the forbidden, the hidden,

that which others try to keep from youirrespective of their reasons. Ranalddisseminates information the ruling elitedoesn’t want the masses to know. Knowledge isthe property of everyone, and is not to bemonopolized.

Since Ranald is usually worshipped at smallshrines, his priests are not tasked withmaintaining libraries. Ranaldian priests do,however, often serve as purveyors of proscribedlore. Priests must be convinced that theresearcher is not in league with Chaos beforeproviding assistance. Heretical texts arecommonly available from priests of Ranald – for

a price of course. Chaotic and Necromantictomes are less common, but Ranaldian priestsoften have the means to obtain them.

Shallya: Knowledge for the Shallyans lies inknowing the wills and wants of the heart; theheart of your fellow man, but more importantly,

your own.

Shallyan temple libraries contain books aboutthe Arts, Humanist Philosophy and Science(Medicine). Texts detailing the Chaos GodNurgle are occasionally concealed safely behindhidden panels.

Sigmar: Knowledge is a tool and a weapon of theCult and the Empire; a commodity to beaccumulated, guarded, and controlled. Schoolsand academies are simply the factories in whichthese implements are made and refined for theglory of Sigmar and his Empire.

Sigmarite temple libraries contain books aboutImperial History, Political Philosophy, ImperialLaw and Dwarven Runes. Forbidden librariesare used to safeguard tomes detailing the foesof the Empire: Chaos, Necromancy, Skaven,Greenskins and heresies against Sigmar.

Taal/Rhya: Academia is learning the ways ofnature, and in a wider sense, learning to live in

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symbiosis with the world and finding your placein it.

The sacred places of Taal and Rhya are notusually furnished with books. Priests of thesegods may own texts of Naturalist Philosophy,Druidic Runes and Science (Botany, Zoology),

but these are kept in the priests’ privatequarters.

Ulric: Knowledge is a personal implement; it iswhat makes one survive and thrive. The focusof all learning is personal growth.

Ulrican temples rarely have large, dedicatedlibraries, but volumes covering HumanistPhilosophy and Strategy/Tactics may beshelved in alcoves alongside prayer books.

Verena: Knowledge is truth, and truth is theantithesis of evil. Evil is caused by uncertainty,ignorance, arrogance, fear and prejudice.Consequently, academia is about uncoveringthe many truths of both past and present.

Every Verenan temple includes an impressivelibrary. Subjects range from Arts, History andPhilosophy to Astrology, Law and Science. Whilethe Law section is often predominant inVerenan libraries, some truth can be found inall academic disciplines. As sanctionedcustodians of forbidden lore, the cult of Verenaoften keeps texts about Chaos, Necromancy andheresy in well-protected forbidden libraries.

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12

The Order and Abode of the

Watchful Owl

by Henrik Grönberg

he Orders of Verena are not part of a strict,unified hierarchy as is the case with many

other cults in the Old World. Instead, the Cult ofVerena is more of a federation of independentOrders (although there is a fair amount ofcommunication and exchange between them).

This decentralized structure means that thetemples enjoy significant autonomy in organizingall aspects of their mundane and sacral routines.

Although the cult has many minor temples,monasteries and shrines in small rural

settlements, its presence – to a greater extentthan many other cults – is concentrated in large,urban temples. More information on the cult ofVerena is found in the rulebook p. 180 and p. 187and Sigmar’s Heirs p.41.

The Order of the Watchful Owl is a medium-sizedVerenan Order based in Wurtbad, although theindustrious GM can easily reset it in anothersettlement. It is dedicated to Verena’s aspect asimpartial mediator of conflicts and auditor of thecourts.

The Temple

Erected in the 2270s, towards the end of theImperial era known as the Dark Ages, the Abodeof the Watchful Owl is the temple of the Order. Itfeatures a chapel, library and lodgings for thePriests, but also two meeting rooms, where allkinds of negotiations and debates take placeunder the wakeful auspice of the Verenan Priests.

The temple is located on Wurtbad’s mainthoroughfare, the Heldenweg, on the borderbetween the old harbour district and theadministrative district. Even before constructionwas completed, it became clear that the buildingwas too small. In particular, the clergy wouldhave liked more rooms to accommodate visiting

Priests, and enough space to house theOrphanage of Verena, situated in another part ofWurtbad.

Temple Grounds: A ten-foot cast-iron fencesurrounds the temple grounds, leavingapproximately fifteen yards of open spacebetween the fence and three of the temple walls.Every other bar in the fence is tipped by astylized owl. This open ground, called ‘thegarden’, fills no particular function other thankeeping Wurtbad’s noisy street life at a distance.

Generalities: The temple is a three-storey,rectangular stone structure roughly 30 meterslong, 20 meters wide and 20 meters high. Thearchitecture is classical for a temple dedicated toVerena, symmetrical and imposing with highceilings, large statues and rows of columns. Thefront of the building has a colonnaded facade (G1) and wide stone steps lead up to the archedentrance. Above the colonnades, the followingsentence is engraved upon the façade in foot-high

letters: JURIS IGNORANTIA NOCET . The maxim isin Classical Reikspiel and means “Ignorance ofthe law will hurt you”. The four corners of themansard roof are adorned with gargoyles in theshape of owls. Traditional symbols of Verena arepresent in stone carvings and pictogramsthroughout the building: owls, scales, torches,swords, etc.

The ground floor mainly contains the chapel, twomeeting halls, and guard quarters. The first floorhouses the Priests’ common areas includingkitchens, refectory and a meeting hall. Thesecond floor contains the Priests’ lodgings andthe library.

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Ground floor: The ground floor is the ‘public’floor, housing the meeting halls and the chapel toVerena where citizens pray before appearing incourt, partake in important meetings, andundergo other intellectual trials. Whenever thetemple is open to the public, at least one Initiateis always on hand to answer questions, remind

people to keep their voice down and preventvisitors from entering the private areas. The flooris constructed and decorated to inspire reverencein visitors to the temple, to which an impressive20-feet ceiling height contributes. A grandioseentry hall (G2) ends in an octagonal chapel (G3) housing a large statue of Verena (G4) looking outthrough the temple’s arched entrance. Perchedon the statue’s shoulder is an owl withmarvellously piercing eyes (made of diamonds).

The statue hides a double-edged sword beneathher stony robes, symbolizing the Order’sexclusion from Wurtbad’s judiciary. The entryhall and chapel span two storeys, claiming

portions of the first floor. From the entry hall,corridors lead to the meeting halls and theiradjoining areas.

The smaller room is called the ‘Room ofReconciliation’ (G5) and seats 6-8 people (3-4 oneither side of a rectangular marble table). Thelarger meeting hall is called the ‘Hall of Sincerity’(G6) and accommodates up to twenty peoplearound a circular table of polished slate. Thehalls contain separate seats for the Priests, set ashort but noticeable distance away from thetable. There is no seating for spectators in themeeting halls: what goes on in these rooms is

strictly between the plaintiffs and the servants ofVerena.

Despite the absence of windows (to minimize therisk of eavesdropping and outside distractions) allmeeting halls are ventilated and clearly lit bylamps. The walls are covered by wood panels,sombre tapestries and statuettes. As with the restof the temple, the halls’ furnishings are meant toinspire gravity without drawing attention fromthe matters at hand.

Each of the meeting halls has smallerantechambers (G7) wherein debating parties mayconvene in private (or just leave their coats). The

Priests never enter antechambers occupied byvisitors, and the meeting halls have separateentrances (G8) for the Priests, to distinguish themfrom laypeople.

Before sermons in the chapel, the Priests preparein a robing room (G9), which sometimes isdoubles as a sitting room.

From a reception area (G10) , the public may callon the attention of a Priest or Initiate whoanswers simple queries from the adjoining office(G11) during the hours when the temple is opento the public.

A small room (G12) close by the reception area istraditionally used by the Initiate in charge of the

temple’s chronicles (see ‘Routines’, below). It isalso used at times to receive visitors, especiallythose wanting to peruse said chronicles.

There is a ‘dayroom’ (G13), formerly the office ofthe Arbiter, on the floor. This room is normallyused by the Priests partaking in the debates in

the meeting rooms during daytime, and by theInitiates as a common room at other times.

A common room (G14) and dormitory (G15) forthe guards are located in the southwest corner ofthe floor, together with an office for the captain ofthe guard (G16) .

First Floor: This floor houses the Priests’common areas: kitchen, refectory, and offices.Common visitors are never allowed to enter thisfloor unless accompanied by a Priest.

The private offices of the Curator (F1) and theArbiter (F2) are located in the northwest corner of

this floor. The office now used by the Arbiter wasoriginally that of the Preceptor, but the currentPreceptor is ailing and rarely leaves his quarterson the floor above and has little use for an office.

The Arbiter is served by an Initiate (F3) who alsoserves as a receiving aid to both Priests in theadjoining offices. The Curator is aided by anotherInitiate/clerk (F4), normally the current‘chronicling Initiate’ (see Routines below) whomanages the recent archives of the temple (F5) .

The meeting hall (F6) is used for internal debates,meetings and lectures.

The Master Concierge’s office (F7) is located

between the meeting hall and the kitchen area. Asolid cast-iron door with a Dwarf-made lockprotects the adjoining strong room (F8) , wherearound 500 gc is kept.

The refectory (F9) is the temple’s dining hall, butit also serves as a common room for the lay staffat times when meals are not served here. Theadjoining lounge (F10) is often used as a privatedining room by the senior Priests. The lounge isfurnished with comfortable chairs and a couch. Itis generally understood that Initiates are not touse the lounge, although there is no formal ruleto this effect. The kitchen (F11) is dimensioned toserve more than twenty people at a time, but itspantry (F12) is quite small and supplies have tobe brought up from the larger storage areas inthe basement on a daily basis.

Second floor: This floor is occupied by Priests’quarters and the temple library. The areaslocated along the north and south walls all haveceilings slanting inwards due to the angle of theroof.

The size and furnishing of Priests’accommodations are relative to the position ofthe occupant. Sometimes a Priest, usually anewly appointed one, has to occupy a cell

normally used by Initiates until a (more

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comfortable) Priests’ accommodation is available. The Preceptor’s lodgings (S1) are spacious andairy, with oil paintings and bookshelves housingthe Preceptor’s private collection covering thewalls. A private balcony looks out on the templegrounds and Heldenweg. The Priests (S2) haverather spacious lodgings in the western part of

the temple; most of these quarters even have(private or shared) balconies (the entire flooroften gets unbearably stuffy in summers). Thesequarters also double as study rooms for thePriests (only the Arbiter and the Curator haveseparate offices, located on the first floor). AllPriests’ quarters are reached throughantechambers (S3) . Two rooms at the back of thebuilding (S4) are reserved for guests of quality(one is currently occupied by ErberhardtReitsmann (see the section on ‘Clergy’ below).

The cells of Initiates (S5) are fairly cramped bycomparison. However, all cells contain a lectern

and lamp for writing or studying, and all Initiateshave private cells.

The floor also houses a small dormitory (S6)mainly accommodating visitors of lesser station.

Two studies at the back of the building (S7) aremainly used by Initiates and visitors to studybooks brought from the library.

The library is reached through an anteroom (S8).Here, all visitors must leave their shoes, bags,and cumbersome items before entering thelibrary proper, unless the wrath of the Librarian,normally found in his adjoining office (S9) , fallupon him or her.

The library (S10) is located directly above thechapel and extends more than twenty feetthrough an octagonal ‘rotunda’ or turret on theroof. The library is clearly lit by lamps fastened tothe walls, and tall, narrow window slits in therotunda. Steep stairs lead up to a yard-wide ledgefrom which the bookshelves in the rotunda arereached. The office of the temple’s Librarian islocated to the left of the entrance to the library.

The temple’s collection includes more than 5,000printed books and manuscripts, countless deeds,letters, maps, and other documents.Consequently, every inch of floor and wall space

is covered with bookshelves, lecterns and lockedshowcases holding all kinds of written material.Many books of lesser value are relegated tobookcases located throughout the first andsecond floors. To the contrary, a selection of thetemple’s most rare and expensive books is lockedup in a sturdy cabinet (S11) on the library floor.

No outsider is allowed to enter the library withoutthe permission of one of the senior Priests.Visitors must at all times be accompanied by aPriest while in the library. Moreover, volumesleaving the library may only be taken to a Priest’sprivate study or elsewhere within the temple;borrowing books otherwise requires the explicitconsent of all senior Priests, and is often thematter of some debate. It is virtually unheard of

for anyone except a Verenan Priest to beentrusted with one of the library’s volumes, aCelestial Wizard being a possible exception.

Basement: The basement, which only covers theeastern parts of the temple, is mainly used as astorage area. The ceiling is approximately 8 feet

high, but people taller than approximately 5’ 8’’should beware the arches supporting the groundfloor. A large open area (B1) is used to storebulky items like furniture. Five small storagerooms (B2) hold charcoal, preserved foodstuffs,grain, wine, and linen/cloth. Locked storage binshold the personal affects of the clergy (B3) thatthey can’t find room for in their private cells. Thebasement is reached through a U-shaped loadingramp (B4) winding down from the floor above.

A flight of stairs lead down from the ground floorto a small anteroom (B5) . Here, one finds oneselfin front of two stout doors made from solid oak,

locked by quality Dwarf-made locks. The doorslead to an octagonal area directly under thechapel above, known as ‘the Vault’ (B6) . It is asecure area where the most holy (and mostexpensive) items of the temple are stored,including some very rare books, holy artefactsand offerings. Noteworthy items are severalgrimoires, an ancient rune stone found almost acentury ago by a Verenan Priest in the Stirhügel,and a collection of love letters written by aranking noble in Wurtbad to one of his maids.

Adjoining Buildings: Two small buildings arelocated behind and to the sides of the temple.

These are 10x15 yards in size and similar in

design to the main building. One is a stable withcoach house and privies. The other buildinghouses the servants’ lodgings, common areas andstores. These buildings face each other across asmall courtyard. There is no direct access fromthese buildings to the temple proper, but thetemple’s back door opens onto the courtyard(only the temple itself is detailed in thisdocument).

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Clergy Generalities: The High Priest of the temple iscalled ‘Preceptor’ and he is nominally the leaderof the Order. However, the day-to-day supervisionof the Order and its temple is divided betweenthree senior Priests called the Arbiter, theCurator and the Librarian. The posts of the

Arbiter and the Curator are reassigned every sixmonths.

The Arbiter supervises debates taking place at thetemple (or elsewhere) under the auspices of theOrder. The Arbiter is normally the public face ofthe Order.

The Curator is mainly responsible for theadministration of the temple and its lay staff, aswell as the relations with other Orders of Verena.

The Curator also acts as the temple’s treasurer.

A third senior Priest is the Librarian , responsiblefor cataloguing, maintaining and enlarging the

library. The senior clergy report to the Preceptor and theother Priests on matters of special importance tothe Order. Important questions, resolutions andpositions are discussed and decided in a collegialmanner by all of the Order’s Priests, andalthough the Preceptor nominally has the finalsay in all matters, this power is rarely exercised.

Attire: The Priests of the Order wear thetraditional white robes of Verena, embroidered onthe breast with an owl clutching a pair of scales.

The robes are hoodless so that nothing may comebetween the Priest’s mind and the world. The

Priests wear medallions around the neck toindicate the Priests’ station within the Order. The

medallions feature an owl, with eyes of beads ofcut glass. The Preceptor wears a goldenmedallion, the Priests wear silver, and theInitiates wear medallions of bronze.

Strictures of the Order

The University is full of unusual words andterms

•

The Priests of the Order are at all times toact in accordance with the Verenan idealsof independence, integrity, and

impartiality.• A Priest of the Order may never refuse to

aid in seeking the peaceful settlement of aconflict if asked to do so.

• Visitors to the temple who do not belongto an Order of Verena must beaccompanied at all times by a Priest of thetemple if entering the private areas of thetemple.

• No one is allowed to reveal the contents ofthe Vault to an individual not a member ofan Order of Verena.

• The Preceptor is elected for life by a simplevote cast by all the Priests of the Order.

•

A candidate is elevated to the rank ofPriest of the Order on a simple vote by thePriests after having served no less thantwo years as an Initiate.

• Smoking is not allowed in the temple dueto the risk of fire.

Current Priests at the Temple: The GM maydecide whether the list of Priests is

comprehensive or whether more should be added.At any given time, several Priests will be onexpeditions, fieldtrips, and visits to othertemples, as is customary with Priests of Verena.Moreover, the aforementioned Orphanage ofVerena is chaired by a Priestess, Petronella Liess,who is not mentioned below because she residesin the Orphanage itself.

The term ‘senior Priest’ does not indicate a formalrank within the Order of Verena, but identifies ahandful of older Priests regarded as theleadership of the temple. In game terms, thePriests at the temple are considered Priests, while

the senior Priests – including the Preceptor – areall Anointed Priests. Consequently, the templeboasts no High Priest.

Eustasius Fuchs (Preceptor): Age 78. Thin greyhair and beard. Limps and walks with greatpain due to severe arthritis. Speaks with a low,dry voice.

Eustasius Fuchs was once known (and feared)as a champion of justice in Wurtbad, a thorn inside of the town courts and mortal enemy ofseveral Lawyers’ Guild members. Todayhowever, the venerable Fuchs is sickly and hasbegun losing his influence on the city’s justice

system. The running of the temple is left to thesenior Priests, as Fuchs’ eyes are too dim toread. He is constantly escorted by an Initiate orPriest when leaving his private chamber.

Heinz Rottlander (Senior Priest and currentCurator): Age 52. Heavyset, with neatly trimmedlight brown hair and beard. Outspoken andproud.

Heinz has a noticeable dislike for the vulgaritiesand misconceptions of the common man – orindeed the clergy of other deities! His is not aquest against injustice, but rather thesuperiority of truth, learning andenlightenment. Heinz is one of the most devoutPriests at the temple, emphasizing theimportance of sermons, prayer and the study ofreligious doctrine. Conflicts between Heinz andKarina are common and they try to avoid eachother as much as possible.

Karina Utdorf (Senior Priestess and currentArbiter): Age 44. Tall but otherwise nondescript.

Karina’s main interest has always been in themore esoteric intellectual pursuits such asphilosophy and logic. She is quiet and contentwith her current position, and is regarded as amentor by many of the Initiates. Karina’sreputation was somewhat soiled a few years

ago, after rumours flourished that she had anaffair with a Celestial Wizard visiting from

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Altdorf. Karina is also an exceptionally skilledcalligrapher, and although this is mostly ahobby for her, she has been asked to scribeimportant documents such as diplomas andletters.

Maximilian Gottoht (Senior Priest and Librarian):

Age 38. Short and portly. Receding hairline andhuge sideburns. Rather taciturn, especially inthe morning.

Maximilian is in charge of the library and keepstrack of all the books, letters, maps andmanuscripts. If you want access to anything inthe library, he is the one you must convince.Maximilian is quite paranoid about allowingoutsiders into the library, and suffers horriblenightmares on the rare occasion when hepermits books to leave the temple. Maximilianwould guard the tomes with his life (and thelives of others, no doubt) if it ever came to that.

Diel Sterne (Priest): Aged 62. Tall, meagre andtopped with an unkempt brush of grey hair.

Aloof, pale and antisocial. If not for his clericalrobes, Diel would be outright untidy ratherthan ‘just’ dishevelled.

Diel’s fascination for astrology began in his youth. In the past decades however, Diel’sadoration for the stars and planets themselveshas come to eclipse his research on how theyaffect the fates and fortunes of this world. Heperceives (and talks to) the celestial bodies ashis friends and children; a quirk which can bequite unnerving.

Erich Murnau (Priest): A fit, youthful man well intohis forties. Thick brown hair and beard.

The adventurous Erich’s main interest isarchaeology and history, especially that ofSylvania. He has organized several expeditionsto that cursed region, and is currently lookingfor ways to convince his colleagues that anexpedition to the ruins of Vanhaldenschlosse inSylvania is worthy of funding. Erich recentlyhelped the Grand Count’s cartographer, SigurtKaplin, create a map of the County of Sylvania,in return for access to the Count’s libraries.

During a past journey, Erich brought backsome very old tomes from Sylvania, a gift from a

destitute and demoralized nobleman somewherenear Leicheberg. These ancient books are nowin the care of temple’s Librarian MaximilianGottoht, who has lately paid keen interest tothem.

Gisela Cloos (Priestess): Tall and well-manicuredwoman in her fifties. Keen eyes and sharptongue.

Gisela has worked as both a barrister and a judge (though not in Wurtbad) and knows allthe tricks of the trade. She often serves as a‘friend of the court’, but tends to make enemiesof the esteemed judges and lawyers through her

witty remarks and defence of the ‘spirit’ ratherthan the ‘letter’ of the law, while protecting theinterests of unrepresented parties. A discrete

but well-placed cough from Gisela is oftenenough to anger even the most composedbarrister. She is a good friend of Karina Utdorf.

Ruggero Giacobbe (Priest): Age 53. Ruggeros’ longdark hair is slowly turning grey, but this hasdone little to reduce his appeal to the women of

Wurtbad. An aging man of Tilean descent, Ruggero cameto Wurtbad fleeing the authorities in his hometown. Ruggero’s particular field of interest islinguistics, and he speaks several languages(including that of flattery).

Over the years, Ruggero has often served as atutor to many of the upper-class children inWurtbad. The Priestess Petronella Liess believesthere is a reason that several of the children inher care have Ruggero’s features, and for their

young mothers – former ‘students’ of Ruggero –to have been sent to convents of Shallya farfrom Wurtbad by their families... SincePetronella (in common with many women) has‘a thing’ for the charming Ruggero, she iscompelling him to pay her attention inexchange for her not making her observationsknown to the other Priests of the Order.

Erberhardt Reitsmann (Priest): Age 38. Beardedand slightly overweight. Composed and gentle.Speaks with the Reikland dialect.

Erberhardt is a visiting Priest of Verena fromAltdorf, currently residing at the temple whilewriting a treatise on Imperial Law. As such,Erberhardt never oversees debates or trials, butspends much time in the temple’s library and

other libraries in Wurtbad. Erberhardt hasbecome good friends with a member of theLawyers’ Guild in Wurtbad, and is often a guestat his home, to the annoyance of certain otherPriests of the Order.

Udo Wegener (Initiate): Age 24. Short blond hair.Sturdy man, clearly of rural upbringing.

Udo’s humble origins and vulgar manners arethe subject of some mockery by his peers, but

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he is good-natured and generally well-liked(partly because he does not mind the morephysically-demanding chores). A farmer’s son,Udo was recommended to the Order of Verenaby his local Priest of Sigmar for reasonsunknown (he still has trouble reading).

Lilian von Schaad (Initiate): Age 23. Long brownhair. Dark brown eyes. Socially adept andambitious. She is also beautiful enough tomake eyes wander in courtrooms, a trait shehas learned to use to her advantage.

Despite her young age, Lilian is already anaccomplished (and callous) lawyer, havinggraduated with honours from the University ofAltdorf little more than a year ago. The Priestsexpect that Lilian will leave the Order to join aLawyer’s Guild in one of The Empire’s majorcities once her training is complete, but sincethey find her useful as a ‘friend of the court’this matter is not discussed openly among

them. Gisela Cloos have strong and ambivalentfeelings towards Lilian, who reminds Gisela ofherself thirty years ago. She is quietlyendeavouring to convince Lilian to join theOrder, despite the mixed feelings many of theother Priests have against the young Initiate.

Otto Vogeler (Initiate): Age 24. Well-kempt andarticulate youth heralding from Averheim.

Otto may seem a dedicated and knowledge-thirsty follower of Verena. However, Otto is themember of a local Cult of Tzeentch, havingnestled himself into the Order of Verena toaccess its knowledge and tomes, especially

those related to Sylvania and its dark heritage.Otto has therefore ‘appointed’ Erich Murnau ashis mentor, and supports his effort to fundanother expedition to Sylvania. He hasfabricated a story about a relative of his beingwilling to finance such a journey, while in truthhe has convinced his cult to invest some of itsfunds in the project.

Konrad Silberg (Initiate): Age 22. Arrogant andconceited. Manages to look well-dressed despitethe plain clerical robes.

The son of a successful lawyer in Nuln, Konradwas sent to the temple with a substantial

donation to learn the basics of law (andmanners). Konrad is far more interested inWurtbad’s night life than the teachings ofVerena - or a career in law for that matter - andfrequently sneaks out at night to enjoy thepleasures of Wurtbad’s Griefweg district.

Although not conditions were stipulated for thedonation, it has caused some bad blood amongthose Priests who thinks the Order should avoidbeing perceived as indebted in any way to anylawyer or Lawyers’ Guild (notably Gisela Cloos).Konrad’s rowdy life has done little to moderatetheir dislike.

Bernt Fischer (Initiate): Age 19. Thin and silentwith feminine features. Timed, almost anxious,temperament.

Bernt is a gentle – but not stupid – soul, alwaysready to help his fellow Verenans. He grew upin the Orphanage of Verena, and for all intentsand purposes he considers Petronella Liess his‘mother’ and will do anything for her. Berntknows little of life outside Wurtbad or indeed,the world beyond the protective atmosphere of

the Order. His major resource as a Verenan ishis ability to listen to the common man, womanor child of Wurtbad.

Other Personnel at the Temple: Many templesuse their Initiates to serve as (cheap) guards andservants. This is not the case at the Temple of theWatchful Owl, which employs lay staff to fill thesefunctions. The members of the lay staff do notbelong to the Order, and have no other part inthe Order’s affairs.

Guards: Five armed guards, under the leadershipof ex-Mercenary Jorg Graue, are employed by

the Order. The guards wear liveries over theirmail shirts displaying the symbol of the Order,and are armed with doubled-edged swords. Theguards are often mistaken for Templars ofVerena, or Bounty Hunters in her service.

One guard is always stationed outside thelibrary, one is always on guard at the door onthe ground floor leading to the private parts ofthe temple, and at least one is always off-dutyin the guards’ room. The remainder act asbodyguards to the Priests when travelling,patrol the ground floor of the temple or rest inthe guards’ dormitory.

Jorg Graue (Captain of the Temple guard): Jorg isalmost 50, but still lean and mean, with eyes assharp as his broad sword. His dialect betrayshis Middenland heritage; and several facialscars hints of the campaigns he took part inbefore being employed by the temple.

Whenever the Order has the need for additionalman-at-arms, they ask Jorg to recommend andinstruct such individuals. These jobs, typicallya few weeks of bodyguarding a travelling Priestof the Order, are better paid and less dangerous(and rarely otherwise unwholesome) comparedwith many other jobs in the trade.Consequently, Jorg often gets beers bought

whenever he has a night on the town.

Servants: The cooking, cleaning and washing,maintenance and minor repairs at the templeare performed by several servants. Four of theselive permanently on the temple grounds: thetalkative cook Beatrice, the silent gardener andstable boy Klaus, the carpenter andOstermarker immigrant Nicholas, and the

young maid Elsy. The servants are supervisedby elderly Master Concierge, Margret Schenk,who in turn reports to the temple’s Curator.

Margret Schenk (Master, or perhaps more fittingly,Mistress Concierge): Age 61. Margret is a

respectable graying lady endowed with theutmost integrity and no sense of humourwhatsoever. Her charge is the management of

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the temple’s mundane routines. In this role sheboth serves and instructs Order’s Initiates, andsees it as her role to bring them down a notchor two. Margret lives in a small but neatapartment across the street from the temple.

The von Marburg Collection

The Order of the Watchful Owl has beenoffered to buy a large collection of booksbelonging to the estate of a recently deceasednobleman, scholar and book collector inWurtbad, Freiherr von Marburg. The von

Marburgs couldn’t care less for the dustytomes, but they realize it has a substantialworth and the Order seems like an obviouspotential buyer. The thing is that Freiherr onmultiple occasions assured the Order that hiscollection would pass to the Order upon hisdeparture, in thanks for many years offriendship and cooperation between him andthe Order. However, the von Marburgs seemsto agree on two points: the Freiherr’s writtenwill has not been found, and there is noevidence that the Freiherr intended hiscollection – or anything else – to pass toanyone but his heir. The main thing his family

can not agree on is just who among them isthe rightful heir to his estate and title. Severalcases are prepared currently prepared bysome of Wurtbad’s most eminent (andexpensive) lawyers.

The Priests are currently divided into threecamps: One faction, led by the LibrarianMaximilian Gottoht supported by ErichMurnau and the Initiate Otto Vogeler, stronglybelieves the temple simply cannot let thisopportunity pass them by. They argue that thetemple should buy the books, no matter thecost. It would evidently have been better ifthey received the collection for free, but surelythey if anyone know the world is full ofinjustice.

Another faction, consisting of an uneasyalliance between Gisela Cloos and HeinzRottlander, believes that Order has a legalright to the collection and a religiousobligation to pursue it, and should ‘take it tothe courts’ in order to have their right to thecollection confirmed. For them, it is a matterof principle: How can their Order advocate therights of others if they cannot even protecttheir own?

A third group, led by Karina Utdorf, thinks theOrder should stay out of the conflictaltogether. The dispute between the heirs islikely to claim the Order’s attention in thecoming months (if not years), and the Ordercannot risk being seen as having an interestin the outcome of the conflict.

Elsy (maid): Elsy is an informant of the Elector

Count’s secret police. This is suspected by thePriests, but they have decided to keep hernonetheless so that the agents of the secretpolice don’t replace her with another, unknown,mole.

Routines

There are many different duties and taskperformed by the Priests of the Order of theWatchful Owl, with a minimum of time andresources devoted to religious ceremony. Themost important of these tasks are describedbelow. A Priest is required to partake in these

duties depending on his or her position andtalents, according to collegially decided principlesand schedules.

Still, the Priests of the Order have greaterfreedom in managing their own time than manyother Priests. Most of them use thisindependence to pursue their personal interests,whether this means excavating ruins in thecountryside, tutoring the offspring of Wurtbad’swell-to-do, or digesting the tomes of the temple’slibrary. In general, Initiates have less freedomthan the Priests to pursue their individualinterests. Quarrels resulting from perceivedinequalities in the amount of free time (and other

resources) available to individual Priests are notunheard of.

Attending trials as ‘friends of the court’:Contrary to the justice system in many otherparts of The Empire, no Priests of Verena areformally part of the Wurtbad’s judiciary. Thisgives the Order less direct influence over theproceeding and judgments of the courts.However, in the eyes of many Wurtbaders,especially the common folk, this makes the Priestseem more objective and impartial than mayotherwise have been the case.

Even so, the Order of the Watchful Owl does haveaccess to all official trials held in Wurtbad.Although the temple does not have sufficientmanpower to oversee every trial, its Priests areoften present, especially at criminal trials wherethe defendant risks being sentenced to lengthyincarceration or death. The Order is aware of thepower of the various factions in Wurtbad andhow they play out in many trials. The Order hassometimes tried to sway judges and officials byworking behind the scenes to balance thoseinterests using persuasion and leverage. Thismay seem at odds with several Verenan idealsand is not unproblematic. But the Order favours

justice above all else, and can never abide anapparently biased or flawed verdict.

Chronicling: The temple continuouslydocuments significant events within the Order,the Cult of Verena, the town and the world atlarge. Typical events recorded might include:important trials, changes in the clergy,interactions with other temples,accomplishments of the Order’s Priests, and local

events of academic importance. This chronicle isupdated every day, and although the Curator is

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formally responsible for the records, in practiceone of the Initiates is charged with it for a weekat a time. Records are signed by the Curatorwhen the chore is handed over to another Initiateat the beginning of a new week. This chronicle isalways available to the general public, and is areliable source of historical information.

Counselling: Priests of Verena are often used asadvisors, experts and researchers by the wealthy,the civil service or even other cults. Queries maybe as simple as providing a translation of a wordin a letter in Breton, or as complex as partakingin an expedition to a faraway country. ThePriests’ willingness to acquiesce the query, theamount of time and resources spent researchingthe answer, and the exactness of the answer alldepends on the size of donation to the templeaccompanying the query.

Overseeing of Disputes: When a citizen wishes

the Priests’ aid in a dispute, he contacts theArbiter (or rather, the Initiate aiding the arbiter).

The client describes the grievance, the identitiesof the parties involved, and indicates when theywish to visit the temple for mediation. The Arbiterthen decides which Priests and Initiates are tooversee the debate, and these clergymen takecare of the remaining details. Only on the daybefore the debate are visiting parties informedwho the attending Priest will be.

The Priest attending a debate must not talk toany of the visiting parties after nightfall on theday before the debate.

Before a debate is heldat the temple, a shortand solemn ceremonyin honour of Verena isconducted by theassigned Priest. Theassigned Priest mustnot reveal his opinionon the debate unlessasked, and never beforeone hour of debatinghas passed. For thispurpose, Priests alwaysbring an hour-glass to

the meeting hall.

The assigned Priest is usually accompanied byone or two Initiates functioning as scribes andaides during the debate. These Initiates are not toreveal their opinions on the matter beingdiscussed, unless specifically requested by one ofthe parties. Such a request must be approved bythe assigned Priest.

Sermons: Few traditional sermons take place atthe Abode of the Watchful Owl. Instead, thePriests mainly occupy themselves with searchingfor lost tomes of knowledge, musing over esoteric

philosophical dilemmas or mediating real-worlddisputes. Sermons open to the public take placeon the first day of every year (Verena’s most

important holiday), but also on the first day ofevery month and week. During these days, noproceedings are held at the temple. Sermons areled by one of the Priests, and rather than seekingto ‘spread the word of Verena to the masses’, thesermons are thoughtful treatises on some aspectof knowledge, truth or honesty.

Training of Initiates: It is not unusual forstudents, young lawyers and others with aninterest in academia to apply for positions asInitiates at this temple. These applications areusually accepted, even if the individual has nointention of joining the Order’s ranks as a Priest.

The Order believes that its ambitions are served ifthese intellectuals are imbued with the Verenanvirtues of independence, integrity, andimpartiality.

If the Order suspects that a potential Initiatelacks motivation to join its clergy, it is

established through background checks andinterviews that the Initiate will at least fulfil a

year of the training, and that the Initiate will dohis or her best while serving the Order.

Upon being received as an Initiate, the Preceptorappoints one Priest as mentor for the novice. Thechoice of mentor is intended to counterbalancethe Initiate’s previous experiences andpersonality: For instance, a headstrong Initiatewith a degree in law is likely to be assigned amodest mentor with interests in some obscureacademic field.

Initiate training lasts no

less than two years, andsometimes as long asfour years, depending onprior experience,personal qualificationsand whether there areany new opportunitiesfor Initiates during thefinal stages of theirtraining.

At the end of training theInitiate is sent on amission as a practicalexamination of the skills

and virtues learned. The test usually involvesresolving a conflict in some faraway Stirlandvillage, and always requires academic research,diplomacy and self-confidence in variousproportions. To some extent the nature of themission is decided by the Initiate’s qualificationsand personality, but more often it is dictated bythe Order’s needs and external events.

Tutoring: The orphans raised in the Orphanageof Verena are regularly brought to the temple fortutoring by the temple’s Priests. Lessons usuallytake place in the meeting hall on the first floor, orsometimes in the chapel, depending on the

subject of the class. Initiates are regularlyrequired to assist.

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Plot Hooks

Tilting the Scales: The PCs are hired or asked toinvestigate the disappearance of a book from thetemple’s library. Their employer is involved in adispute involving the interpretation of provincialcontract law. The employer insists that materialin the book, written by an accomplished lawyerand Priest of Verena, would support his claims.He only has a few days until the court decides hiscase, and he fears the judges are currentlyinclined to rule in favour of his opponent.

Maximilian, the Order’s Librarian, will at firstrefuse to hear of any disappearances from thelibrary! If and when convinced to compare hisledger with the shelf in question, he admits thatsomething is amiss and asks the PC to do whatthey can to find the book – without alerting theother Priests of the disappearance. It seems oneof the Initiates has been extorted by a mancalling himself ‘Johann’ to remove the book from

the library. The PCs’ investigation will show that Johann is not, as one might assume, hired by theother party to the conflict, but by the lawyer of athird party who’s fortunes very much depend onthe demise of the of the PCs’ employer.

Vice of a Wise: One of the senior Priests at thetemple contacts the PCs to investigate thediscovery of a Priest’s medallion of station in thebed of a murdered prostitute. The owner of themedallion, a local Priest of Verena, has gonemissing. The PCs are asked to conduct theirinquiry discretely and quickly find the missingpriest.

The Priest is hiding in Wurtbad and contacts thePCs by letter, writing that he did indeed visit theprostitute, but had nothing to do with hermurder. He claims that he wasn’t wearing themedallion when he visited her and has no ideahow it ended up in her bed! He begs the PCs toinvestigate the matter, starting with the brothelhe visited.

Clues found at the brothel lead to the Church ofSigmar. The Church is worried that the Temple ofVerena houses tomes of forbidden knowledge inits library, and the murder was an attempt toextort the Priest into handing over these tomes

for burning. Can the PCs clear the Priest’s namewithout angering the powerful Sigmarites?

Hired Swords for Verena: One of the Priests ofthe Order has learned from a prisoner he onceaided, that someone is planning to steal a tomefrom the temple library: ‘Contagion andContamination; An Elucidating Treatise on theOrigins of Plague’ by physician GuntherSchygulla. Soon after this report is received,several of the temple’s guards fall mysteriouslyill, possibly poisoned. Then, a set of keys to thetemple disappears from a Priest’s quarter. ThePCs are hired to ‘illuminate and eliminate’ the

potential threat, and to protect the tome fromtheft in the meantime.

The PCs’ investigation soon points to one of theservants, but he has been framed by an Initiate.

The initiate in turn is being extorted by a cult ofNurgle who wants the tome for their ownpurposes. The initiate has been afflicted with ahorrible disease, and the cult is using the cure asleverage over the poor, young man. The scenario

culminates in an assault on the temple by agroup of cultists and/or hired thugs.

Documents

Liber Fanatica IV - Part 1