The morning light filtered through the windows of the inn, casting a warm glow upon the weary adventurers as they gathered for breakfast. Qavitrae, Thindruk, Felrick, Wanda, and Nora, still flush with the triumph of their confrontation with Lady Isolde’s brother the night before, exchanged glances of camaraderie as they broke their fast on hearty porridge and crusty bread.

But as the minutes ticked by, a sense of unease crept over the group. The coachmen, Gunnar and Holtz, were nowhere to be seen, their absence a palpable void in the morning’s proceedings. Wanda and Nora, their suspicions aroused, ventured out to the coach yard, where they found the two men sprawled within their vehicle, dead to the world and reeking of cheap alcohol.

Nora, her patience already tested by the previous night’s revelry, rapped sharply on the coach’s side, rousing Gunnar from his stupor. The bleary-eyed coachman, his face a map of misery and regret, waved halfheartedly at the Blitzball star before slumping back into his drunken slumber. Wanda, her keen mind already calculating the potential delays, mused aloud about the dangers of missing the next coach, her words a thinly veiled threat that seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Back inside the inn, Thindruk, his noble bearing a stark contrast to the coachmen’s sorry state, regaled Lady Isolde with tales of his connections in Altdorf, hinting at the grand balls and eligible bachelors that awaited her in the capital. The young noblewoman hung on his every word, her eyes alight with the promise of romance and adventure, while her handmaid Janna watched on in silent disapproval.

As Wanda and Nora returned with news of the coachmen’s incapacitation, Qavitrae’s elven senses tingled with unease. The road ahead was long and fraught with peril, and every delay only increased the chances of falling victim to the Drakwald’s myriad dangers. Felrick, his keen mind already spinning plans and contingencies, suggested a course of action both practical and mildly underhanded - a bit of subtle coercion to get the coachmen back on their feet and the journey underway.

But before the group could enact their plan, a commotion from the coach yard drew their attention. Gunnar, his face a sickly shade of green, staggered from the coach, making a beeline for the outhouse. The sound of violent retching and groaning filled the air, a testament to the depths of the coachman’s overindulgence. Holtz, barely more coherent than his companion, slouched against the coach, his eyes glazed and his mind clearly elsewhere.

The barkeep, a terse man named Herpin, stomped into the yard, his face a thundercloud of anger. He confronted the sorry pair, demanding payment for a cask of his finest barleywine, a potent brew that had clearly been the catalyst for their current state. Gunnar and Holtz, their coin purses significantly lighter after settling their debt, stumbled through the process of hitching up the horses and preparing for departure, their movements clumsy and uncoordinated.

Finally, the coach rumbled along the muddy Altdorf-Middenheim road, the party’s brief reprieve at the inn already fading into memory. Qavitrae kept a vigilant watch from atop the carriage, her keen senses attuned to any hint of danger lurking in the shadowy forest. Beside her, Felrick fiddled with his bow, his copper eyes scanning the treeline for signs of trouble. Wanda, her whip coiled at her side, and Nora, Blitzball in hand, rounded out the rooftop complement, their wary gazes fixed on the road ahead.

Inside the coach, Thindruk regaled Lady Isolde von Strudeldorf with tales of his noble exploits, his golden beard bobbing with each animated gesture. The young noblewoman listened intently, her eyes alight with the promise of adventure, while her handmaid Janna and bodyguard Marie maintained a watchful presence. Across from them, the enigmatic Bretonnian gambler Felipe Descartes and the studious doctor-in-training Ernst Heidelmann exchanged knowing glances, each harboring secrets of their own.

As the day wore on, the coach’s progress slowed to a crawl, the hangovers of its drivers, Gunnar and Holtz, taking their toll. Nora, her patience wearing thin, lobbed her Blitzball at Gunnar’s head, the projectile bouncing off his skull with a resounding thud. Qavitrae, sensing the growing unrest, regaled the coachmen with tales of military discipline and the dire consequences of shirking one’s duty. Her words seemed to stir something within Holtz, who roused his companion and urged the horses onward with renewed vigor.

But their renewed momentum was short-lived. As the coach rounded a blind bend, a grisly scene unfolded before them. Two figures lay in the road, one prone and unmoving, the other crouched over its fallen companion. As the coach barrelled forward, the crouching figure rose, a guttural snarl escaping its lips as it brandished a bloody knife. The horses, spooked by the sudden movement, reared up in panic, snapping their traces and sending Gunnar flying from his perch.

Chaos erupted as the hideous creature leapt onto the coach, its rotting flesh and green ichor marking it as something far more sinister than a mere bandit. Nora and Wanda sprang into action, blades flashing in the fading light as they engaged the abomination in close combat. Felrick, his bow singing, loosed an arrow that found its mark, sending the creature tumbling from the coach to be crushed beneath the wheels.

Qavitrae, realizing the coach was hurtling towards a steep embankment, lunged for the brake lever, throwing her full weight upon it. The coach shuddered and slowed, coming to a precarious stop at the edge of the drop-off. As the party gathered their wits, Holtz stumbled from the woods, his clothing tattered and his face streaked with blood.

Wanda and Qavitrae, investigating the fallen figures in the road, made a grim discovery. The first, a coachman clad in the livery of the Four Seasons company, had been torn apart, his neck pierced by a crossbow bolt. The second, the hideous creature itself, bore the unmistakable taint of Chaos, its warped flesh and unnatural vitality marking it as a mutant rather than a mere walking corpse.

As Wanda cleaved the mutant’s head from its shoulders with her woodsman’s axe, a chilling howl echoed through the forest - the anguished cry of a wounded beast. Thindruk, emerging from the coach with Lady Isolde and her entourage, urged the party to action. They had to find the horses, to press on to Altdorf before nightfall and the untold horrors it would bring.

With Gunnar leading the way, Qavitrae, Felrick, Wanda, and Nora ventured into the woods, their weapons at the ready and their hearts steeled for whatever twisted monstrosities the Drakwald Forest might yet unleash. The road to Altdorf stretched before them, a ribbon of uncertainty in a darkening world, where the line between the mundane and the malevolent grew ever thinner.

The Enemy Within had bared its fangs, a glimpse of the grim and perilous fate that awaited those who dared to stand against the encroaching shadows. But for Qavitrae, Thindruk, Felrick, Wanda, and Nora, retreat was not an option. Theirs was a path of courage and camaraderie, a beacon of hope in a land besieged by darkness. Together, they would forge ahead, unto the very gates of Altdorf and whatever nightmarish revelations lay beyond.

Session Notes
  • The game session begins with most players logged in, except for Michael. They discuss the game server password, which was previously too obvious and allowed a random person to guess it and log in.
  • The GM reads a recap of the story so far:
    • The party (Qavitrae the wood elf, Thindruk Steelbone the dwarf, Felrick Flappan the gnome bounty hunter, Wanda Hahnemann the bailiff, and Nora Abendroth the former Blitzball champion) embarked from Delberz to answer the Prince of Ostland’s call.
    • Their coach broke down, forcing them to find an inn in the forest. There they encountered various NPCs including a noble lady, her timid companion, a bodyguard, and a foreigner.
    • Thindruk negotiated with the coachmen Gunnar and Holtz for passage. The party intervened to protect Lady von Strüldorf from abduction by her brother Lucas who wanted to force her into marriage.
    • As dawn broke, the party prepared to escort the lady to Altdorf.
  • The party is still at the Coaching Horses Inn the next morning. Gustav the innkeeper rings a bell when breakfast is served around 8am.
  • Qavitrae shares out the 2 gold crowns she was paid, giving each party member 4 shillings. Meals are included with their rooms.
  • At breakfast, the NPCs from the previous night are present except the coachmen Gunnar and Holtz who are sleeping in their coach.
  • Thindruk sits at Lady von Strüldorf’s table, receiving disapproving looks from her and her companions. She is startled but politely greets “Viscount” Thindruk.
  • Lady von Strüldorf explains she is traveling to Altdorf to take up residence in her family’s house there for the social season, seeking a husband of her own choosing against her parents’ wishes.
  • She naively asks Thindruk if he knows any suitable young lords in Altdorf to introduce her to. Her bodyguard Marie subtly rolls her eyes.
  • Thindruk says he knew some bachelors in Altdorf a few years ago and offers to look into it for her. He says he and his companions can provide further assistance if needed, for a fee.
  • Lady von Strüldorf is delighted. Her maid Janna watches Thindruk with a very disapproving look, though he’s unsure if it’s because he’s a dwarf or for other reasons.
  • Thindruk mentions they have business with the Crown Prince of Ostland upon arriving in Altdorf, and Lady von Strüldorf eagerly requests an introduction.
  • It’s unknown if the Crown Prince is a bachelor. Ostland is a distant eastern province that many in the Reikland consider the hinterlands.
  • Nora and Wanda head outside to check on the coach, as it is not parked in the usual spot. They find it inside the coach house with the unmistakable sound of loud snoring coming from within.
  • Peering inside the dimly lit coach house, they see the large red and yellow coach emblazoned with the Four Seasons Coaching Company emblem. The snoring is definitely coming from inside this coach.
  • Nora raps on the side of the coach to wake the drivers, Gunnar and Holtz. Gunnar sits up groggily, waves at them through the window, then slides back down on the bench. It’s clear the drivers are miserable and hungover.
  • Nora tries to motivate the drivers by implying it’s late in the day and the next coach will arrive soon. She makes a Guile check with a +30 bonus, but it backfires - the drivers seem unconcerned.
  • Gustav prepares some strong herbal tea as a hangover remedy for the drivers. As they sip the tea, the inn’s bartender Herpin angrily confronts Gunnar and Holtz about stealing his potent barley wine. The drivers sheepishly return the nearly empty cask and pay Herpin a decent sum of coins as compensation.
  • Thindruk and Nora, being strong and fit, offer to help the hungover drivers hitch up the coach. Under Gunnar’s direction, they assist with the complicated process of connecting the traces and harnesses, which takes longer than usual due to the drivers’ late start.
  • Holtz announces to the passengers that the coach will be ready to load soon and to have their luggage prepared. He asks Gustav to send someone to help load the luggage.
  • The whole process of readying the coach and loading everyone’s belongings takes nearly an hour, much later than the typical departure time.
  • Lady Isolde von Saponatheim is the first to board the coach, with her maid Janna laying down a mat to protect her shoes from the mud. Lady Isolde sits alone in the large interior.
  • In a private moment, Janna and her bodyguard Marie approach Thindruk. Janna thanks him on behalf of Lady Isolde for coming to her rescue the previous night, and confirms that Thindruk’s group is prepared to protect her ladyship on the road, as her brother Lord Lucas is prone to changing his mind about meeting her in Altdorf.
  • Janna notes it is impressive that a Viscount of Middenland like Thindruk has an audience with the Crown Prince of Ostland in Altdorf, subtly implying that Altdorf is of a higher status than Middenland.
  • The coach ride begins, with Gunnar and Holzer as the drivers. Before departing, Gunnar has an episode of vomiting and diarrhea in the outhouse for 20 minutes, foreshadowing potential issues on the journey.
  • Qavitrae suggests Felrick sit up front with the drivers instead of the ill Gunnar, but Gunnar insists he can still shoot his blunderbuss from the driver’s seat.
  • As they set off, Qavitrae actively watches for threats to compensate for the drivers’ questionable state. The players discuss who has the highest Brawn stat in case they need to take over driving the coach.
  • The coach moves very slowly, at the smoothest pace the party has experienced. Qavitrae keeps an eye on the drivers in addition to watching for danger.
  • Ernst, the young doctor-to-be, is the only other passenger on the coach roof. He is reading a book but closes it and glares when approached. Felrick asks if he knows how long the journey will take at this slow pace.
  • Ernst agrees they are moving slowly, yelling at the drivers to pick up speed. The drivers ignore him. Cold, heavy rain begins to fall. The drivers don cloaks but don’t speed up, not wanting to spook the horses.
  • Nora, frustrated, bounces her Blitzball off the back of the driver’s head, then claims it was just large hailstones when confronted. She suggests the driver get out of the rain.
  • Qavitrae berates the drivers, saying her long-dead grandmother could move faster. The driver retorts that she’s welcome to drive herself.
  • Qavitrae considers using her leadership skills to try to motivate the drivers to move faster, calling upon her days working for the Empire.
  • Wanda tells stories to the workers about the importance of military discipline and doing one’s job well, emphasizing that failure can lead to suffering for those around you. She relates it to the workers’ current situation.
  • Holt initially ignores Wanda’s stories but eventually starts listening, nodding along. He mentions how in the past, people of the Empire didn’t take threats seriously which led to great tragedies, until they stood strong against insurmountable odds in the Great Chaos War.
  • Holt slaps Gunnar awake, telling him to stay sharp. The horses pick up the pace notably, though still not at full speed. The rain continues crashing down, chilling everyone except Thindruk who is inside the coach.
  • Inside the coach, Thindruk and Felipe entertain Lady Isolde with stories. Over the course of the day, Thindruk subtly inquires about her family’s influence and lands. He learns her father is Count Von Shrewdorf who controls a small but well-managed county in the Drakwald with a few villages.
  • The rainstorm peters out by mid-afternoon. Those on top of the coach make Toughness checks at -10 with a cloak or -20 without. Everyone fails, with Qavitrae critically failing and feeling a cold coming on.
  • Resolve checks at +20 are made for those on top. Everyone except Nora fails, their moods seriously dampened by the miserable journey. This counts as a “madness” check for mental stress.
  • Qavitrae takes 2 peril damage which is under her threshold, but the mood change raises her Corruption by 3. Her leather helmet and gear are soaked through.
  • By mid-afternoon, they merge back onto the main Altdorf-Middenheim road, further south and closer to Altdorf than where they left it. A coaching house is at the intersection with a shingle depicting five jovial figures, but the name is unknown.
  • Gunnar and Holtz drive right past the coaching house without stopping for a midday break as would be typical. Ernst longingly mentions he would have liked a stew as they pass by.
  • A few hours of sunlight remain. At their current pace, the next coaching house will be reached after sundown. Qavitrae quietly shares this observation with the group on top of the coach.
  • They decide to let the drivers continue pushing on rather than stopping again. The roads are muddy from the rain but the drivers seem properly motivated now.
  • As the sun gets lower, the coach enters a blind bend in the road at high speed. Rounding the corner, those on top spot a prone figure in the road with someone crouched over them.
  • Qavitrae knocks an arrow without drawing as this happens quickly. The crouched figure stands and whirls around, a human forearm clenched in its jaw which it drops, letting out a guttural sound.
  • The creature moves towards the coach with a knife as the horses rear up in fright. Gunnar grabs the reins tightly which snap, sending him flying off as the horses bolt.
  • Gunnar grabs the manual brake lever, throwing his weight into it. The coach lurches as the creature leaps up to grab the front bench, pulling itself up with a growl and lunging at Gunnar.
  • Initiative is rolled as the creature attacks. Qavitrae reaches for wood axes instead of her whip, realizing an undead likely can’t be choked out. The creature’s attack on Gunnar fails.
  • The document contains the GM’s tutorial notes and a list of combat actions for reference, which are also in the rulebook.
  • Combat in Zweihander proceeds in turns, with everyone getting a turn in order. Once everyone has taken their turn, it goes back to the top of the Initiative Ladder.
  • At the beginning of your turn, you are restored to 3 Action Points (AP) by default, which are spent on taking actions during your turn and out of turn.
  • The GM clarified that on the first turn of combat, you immediately get your 3 AP to spend on defense, but they do not replenish until your second turn.
  • On your turn, you take at least one action, with actions costing anywhere from 0 to 3 AP. There are restrictions on how many of each kind of action you can take per turn.
  • Fury Dice are one or more d6 rolled after connecting with an attack to add to the flat weapon damage. Fury Dice explode on a 6, meaning you reroll and add the new result, continuing until no more 6s are rolled.
  • Combat begins with determining if there is a surprise turn. Surprised characters are defenseless and take an extra Fury Die of damage. Initiative is then rolled to determine turn order.
  • To make an attack, determine if it is melee or ranged and ensure you have the appropriate weapon in hand. Drawing a weapon costs 1 AP.
  • Check that the target is in range (engagement range for melee, weapon ranges for ranged) and determine any difficulty modifiers set by the GM.
  • Calculate your total chance of success (Combat skill + weapon skill - any peril effects) and roll. Success = hit, failure = miss, critical success = hit and target is defenseless, critical failure = possible peril.
  • If the attack hits, the target rolls defense - Dodge for ranged attacks, Parry for melee. Some weapons may be harder to parry, at the GM’s discretion.
  • On a hit, roll weapon damage + Fury Dice and compare to the target’s Damage Threshold. For each threshold passed, the damage condition increases.
  • At Moderately Wounded and above, the target rolls Chaos Dice (d6s) to determine if they sustain an injury. More severe wounds roll more dice, with a 6 indicating an injury was sustained.
  • Injuries are rolled on a table by the GM and can range from minor to severe, potentially even fatal at Grievously Wounded.
  • Fate Points can be sacrificed at any time to ignore an injury or prevent death. The GM expects each character to earn around 6-10 Fate Points over the course of the campaign.
  • Recovering from wounds requires time and medical treatment. Injuries take even longer to heal and always need medical attention.
  • Weapon Qualities make weapons distinctive and players are expected to know what their weapons can do. Qualities can be looked up by right-clicking on them in the character sheet.
  • The GM reminds the players to be aware of their weapons’ special properties like finesse, which uses Agility Bonus (AB) instead of Combat Bonus (CB) for damage. The GM has set up the character sheets to account for alternate damage weapons.
  • The scene returns to the combat in progress against a hideous undead creature with rotting flesh that has attacked Gunnar, one of the coach drivers. There was a clumsy scuffle and the creature’s knife jammed into the top of the coach.
  • Qavitrae makes an Awareness check and a Folklore check to determine knowledge about undead. Without more time to observe, Qavitrae can only advise to keep attacking until it stops moving.
  • Qavitrae uses the Inspiring Speech action to encourage Nora, Wanda, and Felrick, giving them +1 to peril and damage threshold.
  • Qavitrae takes three actions: draw a throwing knife and throw it at the creature. There is a -10 penalty due to the unstable moving coach.
  • Nora takes out her dagger and attacks the creature in front of her. The GM allows her to keep one action point since she had time to prepare.
  • The video delay with Luke (the GM) is getting worse, so he takes a break to try restarting things to fix it.
  • The players discuss tactics like knocking the creature prone for extra damage. Prone targets suffer an extra d6 fury die of damage.
  • Nora attacks with her dagger but the creature parries, though at a -10 penalty for Fast quality weapons. Intelligence is visible in its eyes, along with green goo, blood, and flesh in its teeth. Nora keeps her last action for defense.
  • Wanda tries to entangle and knock down the creature with her whip, but badly misses. She saves her last action.
  • Felrick shoots the defenseless creature with his bow, getting an extra fury die of damage. The GM has Felrick roll 2d6 injury dice.
  • The arrow hits hard and the creature reels back, loses balance, and goes over the front of the coach. The coach runs over the body, crushing it.
  • However, the out-of-control coach is still hurtling towards an embankment. The players have one more round to act.
  • Thindruk, hearing the commotion, peeks his head out and sees a team of horses dragging someone off into the woods. He remains in cover.
  • Qavitrae slams into the coach’s brake lever, making a Brawn check. She succeeds in locking the brakes. The coach slides and rolls up the embankment at a tilt but doesn’t flip.
  • Qavitrae retrieves her thrown knife from the hillside with a successful Awareness check.
  • There are now two bodies in the road - the undead one behind them that was run over, and one ahead wearing a Four Seasons coach uniform.
  • Examining the uniformed body, Qavitrae sees it belongs to a coachman. His doublet is torn open revealing armor underneath. His arm is ripped off and a crossbow bolt is through his neck, likely the killing blow.
  • Fresh wagon tracks from another coach are visible in the road going around the bend. Qavitrae warns the others to watch the trees for more danger.
  • Qavitrae loots the coachman’s body as Thindruk follows to examine the scene. Thindruk wants to track where the horses went with their driver using the Survival skill. The tracks clearly lead off the road.
  • Qavitrae and Wanda are standing over the body of the creature the coach ran over. They hear a wolf crying out in pain, echoing through the woods.
  • There is also the sound of something crashing through the trees off the right side of the road where it goes down into a gully, in the direction the horses went.
  • Thundruk puts himself between Qavitrae and the noises. Those on top of the coach can hear the sounds. Inside, an awareness check is needed to hear it.
  • The coach comes to a stop. Thundruk peeks his head out to get a 360 view. He sees something coming out of the woods - it’s Holtz, badly injured with tattered clothing. He throws up his hands and says “Don’t shoot!”
  • Wanda goes to gather up Holtz. He says he finally got loose and has to go collect the horses before “they” come to a stop. Gunner agrees to go with him.
  • Wanda and Qavitrae examine the crushed body. Wanda takes the sleeved mail shirt, the only item of value. Qavitrae realizes it’s a mutant, not undead, and explains to Wanda that chaos mutation is worse and contagious.
  • Thundruk tells the others to find the source of the wolf cries before it finds them. Felipe stays behind with Marie to keep her safe.
  • Qavitrae heads out with Thundruk, commenting that maybe they’ll die out here. Gunnar convinces the injured Holtz to stay and goes with the others, armed with his blunderbuss.
  • The GM explains the corruption mechanic - characters roll a d10 at session end, trying to get over their corruption score to reset it to 0 and gain an order rank. Rolling under gives a chaos rank instead.
  • The group discusses the Chaos and Order tracks in the game, noting that they are independent positive scales that reset when one reaches the end first.
  • The GM explains that when characters do corruption rolls, they will also be granted reward points. The players are given 150 reward points - 100 for reaching a story milestone and 50 for helping Lady von Schrodolorf.
  • The GM provides a link to a rules GPT they built in the Enemy Within channel.
  • The group discusses the rarity of the Leadership skill, which Qavitrae possesses. It is based on the Fellowship attribute, which is relatively high for her.
  • The GM has mapped out milestones at which the players will receive reward points, roughly every other session.
  • Some players consider acquiring the Ride skill, as they will be pursuing horses. This skill requires training, making it an interesting choice.
  • The group jokes about taking horses and leaving the others behind, accumulating corruption points in the process.
  • One player’s talents allow them to perform maneuvers with ranged weapons, such as stunning or taking down enemies.
  • Another player’s talents focus on Intimidation, with abilities to reroll and inflict extra peril.
  • The group discusses the usefulness of warfare-related talents, noting that they don’t currently have access to siege weapons or the need to attack entrenched positions.
  • The GM clarifies that the Fellowship Bonus (FBE) increases both the damage threshold and peril threshold, making characters harder to damage and affect with peril.
  • The session concludes with the GM expressing hope that everyone had a good time and enjoyed the session.