Tactics Discussion - The Last Night Of Christopher Friedricksonn

[Kakapo42]

It is the year 2519 of the Imperial Calendar, and on this doomed cold night the man the world knows as Christopher Friedricksonn will meet his end.

For almost two decades the world of men has called you Christopher Friedricksonn, an eccentric nobleman of the eastern provinces of The Empire. You have given sound counsel, made shrewd investments and worked to build up the realm around you as a stern and fair steward of men. You have raised an honest family (of sorts), and most lately you have even once more known true love.

But you have never been able to escape the night.

The night of course knows you by a very different name - Bela of Mordheim, born 1896, murdered 1920, granted terrible redemption and new purpose by the lords of Sylvania. For almost six hundred years you have been a slave of the night, condemned to fear and shun the light of the sun and to endlessly wrestle with an eternal hunger for living blood.

Like a dark room illuminated by the warm glow of a candle, it seemed that had all finally begun to change when you at last settled in the quiet walled town of Rossenheim in the shadow of the World's Edge Mountains. For it was there that you at last met Her - Maria Van Ryder, whose uncanny likeness to the unsurpassed radiant beauty of your long-lost true love in a long-lost former life goes far beyond uncanny coincidence and into the very heart of destiny, whose intuition gleans things about your past and about your character beyond any mundane ken, who finds ways to salve your damned soul and strip your innermost self to its very most vulnerable core with an effortlessness you have only encountered but once in eternity. Maria Van Ryder, whose beauty alone has at long last caused your long-dead heart to finally beat once more.

The closer you grew together the more apparent it became that Maria is indeed at last the resurrection of your one true love, ripped from you so many centuries ago. And the further you descended into passionate love, the more apparent it became that at long last you might finally be able to find lasting peace in your immortal existence, that a worthy life might at long last be yours to enjoy.

But now the night has caught up with you once more.

Your vampiric rivals, jealous of your good fortune and your window to reclaiming your humanity, have conspired to have your carefully nurtured family destroyed. They have abducted your beloved daughter-thrall and her minder, whom you have cherished like a father and a brother for over a century, and trapped them with the morning sun, dooming them to an excruciating death. Worse still, they have made sure that the deaths were conspicuous enough to alert the townsfolk of Rossenheim, already reeling after the mysterious death - by unexplained wasting sickness - of one of their most beloved noble daughters.

At last your masquerade has been laid bare for all to see.

Your mortal rival for the hand of Maria, local Marshal of The Empire Martin Weiss, has banded together with Maria's brother Henry who has freshly returned from crusade. They have collected around them a band of heroes ranging from mystic scholars and holy men to the bereaved suitors of the noble daughter so tragically consumed by your more bestial passions. Now this night they have rallied the entire town to arms, determined to rid themselves of the blight of the living dead once and for all.

Even now they hunt you through the streets of Rossenheim like a lowly dog.

Maria herself is of course a gentle, kind and pure soul, and is horrified to her innermost core at the dark truth of your unnatural existence and the depths to which her very soul has been damned by her tryst with you and the dark baptism that you have bestowed upon her. She has fled in despair, beside herself, and now what remains of both your humanity and hers hangs in the balance by the slimmest of threads.

So it is as you begin to make your stand. If the world is so hell-bent on the destruction of Christopher Freidricksonn, then Bela Von Carstein, who has commanded nations centuries before these angry men were born, shall avenge his death with all the powers of darkness.

Rallying to you in your hour of need is the closest and most loyal allies of your coterie, drawn from across the Old World as they sense the distress of their immortal mentor. They comprise the following:

Bela's Inner Circle (Von Carstein Bloodline)

Bela Von Carstein (Christopher Friedricksonn) (YOU!): Level 3 Vampire Lord with Summon Wolves, Aura of Dark Majesty, Wolf Form and Sword of Might

Count Lestat: Level 2 Vampire Count with Walking Death, Blood Drinker and Black Periapt

Count Fanring: Level 2 Vampire Count with Frost Blade

Count Christopher von Lee: Level 2 Vampire Count with Summon Bats and Tomb Blade

Count Oldmann: Level 2 Vampire Count with Call Winds and Sword of Unholy Power

Count Borenaz: Level 2 Vampire Count with Summon Wolves, Sword of Battle and Cursed Book

Count Marsters: Level 2 Vampire Count with Walking Death, Sword of Striking and Casket of Ages

Count Albrecht: Level 2 Vampire Count with Summon Bats, Biting Blade and Book of Arkhan

Count Alucard: Level 2 Vampire Count with Great Weapon, Call Winds and Power Familiar

Count Delacroix: Level 2 Vampire Count with Additional Hand Weapon, Summon Bats and Warrior Familiar

Deliverance of The Night: Black Coach

But 10 followers and your faithful Black Coach. They are all that remains of your coterie now, but will have to be all that is necessary.

Arrayed against you is the following:

The City of Rossenheim

LORDS
Marshal Martin Weiss: Elector Count with Pistol, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Henry Van Ryder: Templar Grand Master with Full Plate Armour, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Antony Van Lekter: Level 4 White Wizard Lord with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Heartwood Stake, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

HEROES
Captain Harker: Battle Standard Bearer with Full Plate Armour, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Abraham Van Hopkins: Warrior Priest with Heavy Armour, Shield, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Iron Stake, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Brother Richard Seward: Warrior Priest with Two-handed Warhammer, Heavy Armour, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Heartwood Stake, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Captain Holmwood: Captain with Pistol, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Captain Morris: Captain with Handgun, Full Plate Armour, Shield, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Holy Water and Flaming Brand, riding Warhorse

Captain Vimes: Captain with Pistol, Full Plate Armour, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

Peter Van Sloan: Level 2 White Battle Wizard with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, Iron Stake, Holy Water and Flaming Brand

CORE
1st Rossenhiem Company of Foot: 20 Halberdiers with Shields and Full Command
- Right Honourable Rossenheim Fencers' Club: 10 Swordsmen
- 1st Rossenheim Company of Fusiliers: 10 Handgunners

1st Rossenheim City Watch: 20 Halberdiers with Shields and Full Command
- City Watch Posse: 10 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches
- Rossenheim Quarreler's Association: 10 Crossbowmen

2nd Rossenheim Company of Foot: 20 Halberdiers with Shields and Full Command
- 2nd Rossenheim Company of Fusiliers: 10 Handgunners
- Rossenheim Mensur Association: 10 Swordsmen

3rd Rossenhiem Company of Foot: 20 Halberdiers with Shields and Full Command
- 3rd Rossenheim Company of Fusiliers: 10 Handgunners
- "Send the fiends whence they came!": 10 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches


1st Rossenheim Reserve Company: 20 Spearmen with Shields and Full Command
- 1st Rossenhiem Reserve Detachment: 10 Crossbowmen
- "They drink our blood!": 10 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches

1st Rossenheim Fusiliers: 16 Handgunners with Full Command and Hochland Long Rifle
- "Cast Out the Undead!": 8 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches
- "Hunt the monsters!": 8 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches

2nd Rossenheim Fusiliers: 16 Handgunners with Full Command and Repeater Handgun
- "Drive them out!": 8 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches
- "Cast out the darkness!": 8 Free Company with Garlic Wreaths Flaming Torches

Rossenheim Gentlemen's Society of Quarrelers: 16 Crossbowmen with Full Command

The Night Watch: 20 Free Company with Light Armour, Full Command, Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches

The Mob: 20 Free Company with Full Command, Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches

The Citizen's Posse: 20 Free Company with Full Command, Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches

Rossenheim Gentlemen's Hunting Society: 7 Huntsmen with Marksman and Hunting Hounds

Knights of the Golden Eagle: 10 Knights of The Inner Circle with Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS

SPECIAL

1st Rossenhiem Old Guards: 20 Greatswords with Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
- 1st Rossenheim Guards Fusiliers: 10 Handgunners
- 2nd Rossenheim Guards Fusiliers: 10 Handgunners

1st Rossenheim Cavalier Squadron: 10 Pistoliers with Marksman with Repeater Handgun

2nd Rossenheim Cavalier Squadron: 10 Pistoliers with Marksman with Repeater Pistol

1st Rossenheim Battery: Great Cannon

2nd Rossenheim Battery: Great Cannon

3rd Rossenheim Guards Battery: Mortar

RARE
"DELIVER US FROM EVIL!": 20 Flagellants with Prophet of Doom, Garlic Wreaths and Flaming Torches

The band of mortals hunting you have allied with the Captain Vimes, commander of the city's garrison, to rally the entire town against you. The city's core garrison of State Troops has been mobilised to hunt you down, and wild posses and mobs of furious citizens march with them, determined to cast out the living dead from their midst.

You know that Martin has taken up his ancestral sword with fearsome magical properties, and carries an ancient family trinket for luck that you have also sensed was enchanted. You can also recall that Henry has been granted the honour of fighting as The Emperor's personal champion on several battles and won a strange and outlandish shield while on crusade in farwaway lands. You can also recall that Captain Morris was renowned for slaying several fearsome beasts with his enormous sword.

Your groveling henchman has informed you that the town banner has been bestowed upon Martin's faithful adjutant and that a prized suit of powerful armour has been removed from the town vaults and put to use in hunting you. Your groveling henchman also informed you that the band of hunters are well versed in the vampire's weaknesses to the power of Sigmar and have taken pains to procure a number of holy relics and items of faith to aid them in their quest. Your groveling henchman was able to learn that there are a range of common magic swords in the hands of the band of hunters, and that the lead Warrior Priest among them wields a hammer of awesome holy power.

Unfortunately that was all your groveling henchman was able to glean before you were forced to end his miserable existence in retaliation for him betraying you by leaking the whereabouts of your sanctuary in the town to your enemies.

You are trapped, of course, within the walled town of Rossenheim, nestled in the pure white snow-laden foothills of the World's Edge Mountains:

Vamp Cit 1.jpg (130.15 KiB) Viewed 628 times

The inner centre of Rossenheim contains the following points of interest:

1. Rossenheim Cathedral
The Rossenheim cityscape is dominated by the massive gothic cathedral at its centre, said to have been blessed by the Grand Theogonist himself centuries ago. The Cathedral bell-tower is the highest point of the town by a very visible margin, reaching high into the night sky. Great lush bushes of blood-crimson roses are kept around the walls of the cathedral and dark stone gargoyles stand watch over its roof.

In addition to acting as a Temple, the powerful blessings of Sigmar bestowed on the Rossenheim Cathedral are anathema to the living dead and will cause any vampire to recoil in fear from its bounds on a failed Fear Test, affecting any Vampire that comes within six paces of its walls even though they are otherwise Immune To Psychology (it's not that they actually fear the Cathedral, merely that the blessing bestowed on its stones burns them and forces them back to a similar effect). Only Bela himself is exempt from this power, for his love for Maria is strong enough to overcome it.

Maria was last seen fleeing to the Cathedral in a state of total hysteria, and in such a state you fear deeply what actions she may take. Any overt use of fell magicks or otherwise blatantly otherworldly and unnatural powers near the Cathedral could see her horrified beyond the edge of all endurance and cause her to take her pure and virtuous soul into her own hands. Should Maria perish the last vestiges of your humanity will perish with her, and you will be truly irredeemably lost, nothing more than an empty hollow beast for all of the long dark night of eternity.

2. Rossenheim Town Hall
Only marginally less magnificent a structure than the cathedral nearby, the Rossenheim Town Hall is a magnificent construction of stone and wattle that is a focal point for the town, and its grand clocktower is an iconic staple of town life.

As the citizens of Rossenheim wake to the alarms of danger and strife this night, they will naturally gather at the safety of the Town Hall. Rossenheim Town Hall functions as a Town Hall for the host of men in all respects.

3. The White Wolfe Tavern and Inne
The most popular drinking establishment in Rossenheim is the White Wolfe, which has been run by the same family for generations and is named after their own ill-fated hometown, long since lost to civilisation. The White Wolfe is on most nights a bustling hive of talk and merriment, and is a beloved institution of the town.

The White Wolfe functions as a Tavern/Pub for the host of men in all respects.

4. Magnus The Pious
In Hero Square opposite the Town Watch building there stands a great shining bronze statue of Magnus The Pious bestowing a blessing upon the town, surrounded by lush rose bushes.

In addition to functioning as a Monument for the host of men, the statue holds a powerful blessing of Sigmar that will force any vampire within six paces to reel back with pain and revulsion on a failed Fear Test. This is an exception to the normal Immunity to Psychology vampires have (it's not that they actually feel fear around it per se, just that the power of the enchantment sends them scurrying and hissing back for a similar effect).

5. Rossenheim Town Watch
This building used to be the local town barracks before a recent reform by the local Burgomeister. Now it serves as the main meeting point and headquarters for the Town Watch, and is fully furbished and stocked with cosy if modest quarters and facilities for a respectable force of militia.

The Rossenheim Town Watch functions as a City Watch Building for the host of men.

6. Rossenheim Barracks
The barracks house is a recent addition to the city, commissioned by the current Burgomeister as part of a series of reform for the town's standing army of regular State Troops. It is an impressively large and modern construction, with all of the necessary amenities for recruiting, arming, organising and coordinating several regiments of State Troops.

The Rossenheim Barracks functions as a Barracks for the host of men.

7. Rossenheim Stables
The first stop for many a visitor to Rossenheim, the town stables are aging and shabby but can accommodate many horses at once in comfort and safety. This building functions as a Stables for the host of men.

8. Rossenheim Warehouse
The largest storehouse in Rossenheim is located not far from the Town Hall and contains all manner of goods and commodities for trade, ranging from sacks of grain to items of Dwarf craftsmanship.

This building functions as a Warehouse for the host of men, with Dogs of War mercenaries rallying around it and setting forth from it to aid the rest of the town in its hunt for you.


Armed with this knowledge, it now falls to YOU to fight for your fate. You must inflict as much damage and destruction on the host of men hunting for you, while at the same time preserving as many of your coterie as possible. You must also find a way to reach Maria if at all possible, for she holds both your heart and your chance at salvation in her hands.

Be warned, however - your faithful Black Coach must survive the battle so that it might whisk you away to safety before dawn breaks. If you, Bela Von Carstein yourself should fall at any point, you will have lost in ultimate defeat.

Now then is the time for you to comment your plans below. You have your army and all the knowledge that can be given. As the stroke of midnight draws near and the dark clouds part before a great full moon of silver white rising above the steeple of Rossenheim Cathedral, how will you thwart the men who hunt for you and survive to see another moonrise? Christopher Freidricksonn may die this night, but if he is to die then let it be such an ending that mortal men shall rue the day they dared to try and ride down a Von Carstein lord of death!

The blood is the life!

[Alarantalara]

I must have been caught up in my anguish for Maria, for some things I long known to me have escaped my mind.

The raising of the dead shall surely be a part of my plans but corpses do not simply grow on trees. Is there a graveyard or mausoleum attached to the cathedral? Is it possible to reach it for a ready supply of minions and obstacles, or am I limited to the bodies of those who shall die to our righteous fury?

Speaking of minions, how do skeletons and zombies (and dire wolves, since they're also not among the living and some are allies of my loyal vassals) react to the symbols of the church. Do they too recoil, or are they too mindless to be affected?

And finally, the true embarrassment: where is my home? I seem to have forgotten about it in my eager haste to enumerate the places of my enemies. Is it not in town? If so, then this is a raid to recover Maria and thus a far different proposal than if I must escape.

[Kakapo42]

The raising of the dead shall surely be a part of my plans but corpses do not simply grow on trees. Is there a graveyard or mausoleum attached to the cathedral? Is it possible to reach it for a ready supply of minions and obstacles, or am I limited to the bodies of those who shall die to our righteous fury?

The angry men who would dare hunt you will be your main source of bodies to reanimate, but there is also a decent sized crypt under the cathedral (be careful around being seen to animate the dead there yourself though) and numerous smaller private mausoleums and unmarked graves dotted beneath the town (especially with all the mysterious exsanguinations happening of late) such that you need not worry too much about raising other undead.

You're no Necrarch or Lichemaster, but nonetheless you didn't get this far in unlife without picking up a trick or two for coaxing zombies out from even the most mundane and well-kept Imperial City.

Speaking of minions, how do skeletons and zombies (and dire wolves, since they're also not among the living and some are allies of my loyal vassals) react to the symbols of the church. Do they too recoil, or are they too mindless to be affected?

The ground hisses and smokes where they tread, and their bones/flesh/fur sears and scolds, but they are mindless enough to be able to fight on through any pain they might have otherwise felt.

And finally, the true embarrassment: where is my home? I seem to have forgotten about it in my eager haste to enumerate the places of my enemies. Is it not in town? If so, then this is a raid to recover Maria and thus a far different proposal than if I must escape.

What was once your home is currently in the process of being doused with holy unguents and razed to the ground by angry townsfolk. There is no place left for you here, and once you've sufficiently decimated the mortal swine hunting for you (and by some black miracle "rescued" Maria) then you will need to leave this town and find a new dwelling place somewhere else (that's why it's important that the Black Coach makes it through the night in one piece - it's your getaway ride). Any of your brethren that survive the battle will exfiltrate the town on their own in much the same way as they infiltrated it to begin with.

The razing of your lair has given enough of a window for you to disappear into the dark cobblestone alleyways, so no-one yet knows exactly where you are and you and your dark comrades have a chance to surprise them with an appearance in the eastern or western part of town at your discretion.

[Kakapo42]

And while I'm at it, the smallest alleyways are at minimum wide enough for a regiment to advance 5-abreast, though doing so will occupy the width of the alley. The main streets are of course larger still.

[Alarantalara]

Without knowing the exact disposition of the enemy forces, I shall be forced to be somewhat conservative, at least initially.

The stables, barracks and warehouse are clearly the highest priorities as they represent the greatest opportunities for the townsfolk to arm themselves and run us over. As such, sending a team of three to each location to destroy those targets shall be the first order of business. The coach shall remain under guard by the last of my loyal vassals near the north edge of town, to the east of the cathedral, and out of direct sight of any cannon. I shall be part of the unit assaulting the stables, as ensuring no horses remain to catch us as we leave shall be essential.

While these assaults are prepared, a horde of summoned bats and wolves shall form near the south end of town but hide among the building and attempt to evade notice.

With the first three targets secured, I expect a heavy response, especially in the open area to the east. Summoned zombies shall block easy paths to my vassals and the wolves and zombies shall attack from behind as the citizens respond. The destroyers of the warehouse shall proceed north to assault the town hall before proceeding north, while those attacking the barracks shall prepare to offer support as needed and cover their retreat. With the conflict concentrated in the south east of the town, I should be clear to proceed to the cathedral while my companions prevent anyone coming from the taverne to interfere. Maria secured, I shall continue east to the coach and north to freedom, while my companions that assaulted the stables retreat to the north directly.

With the destruction of 4 major buildings, I shall feel some satisfaction, and if there is any opportunity to set more fires as we leave, all the better.

With groups of three, we should be able to defeat any single unit we encounter, especially if we keep to the narrower passages where they cannot bring superior numbers to bear. Fires will only be set as we leave areas, both to keep from becoming exposed and to provide distractions for the enemy as they shall surely consider putting out those fires, lest their whole city be destroyed. If any of the corpses we raise happen to include some of the misguided torch wielding militia, they can be put to fire duty as well.