TEXT: An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  An Inclusive Introduction to 
  Agitators 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Credits and Further Reading 
  Article compiled by Dave Allen. Sources include Middenheim: City of Chaos, Beasts in 
  Velvet (which gives further details of Yevgeny Yefimovich and other political dissidents 
  in the Empire and is highly recommended as a source), Genevieve Undead, Spires of 
  Altdorf, Forges of Nuln and White Dwarf magazine. 
  Much of this article was written by Dan White. Thanks for his optional rules for prior 
  convictions and his thoughts on causes and the Agitator’s Armoury. Thanks also to 
  Wim van Gruisen for his ideas about how Agitators might make money and Steve 
  Darlington for his ideas on pamphlet titles. 
  Example pamphlets include text from Bar Room Brawl by Matt Connell and Jim 
  Bambra, and from Otto’s Printworks by Jim Bambra, both articles originally printed in 
  WD 96.  
  Garett Leper has written an article for players of Agitators that can be found on the 
  Strike to Stun website at http://www.strike-to-stun.com/WFRP/AtoZ/Agitator1.htm 
  including some advice on what may motivate a character to take up Agitating, and why 
  an Agitator might consider moving on to one of his Career Exits, as well as plenty of 
  other ideas and Agitator-driven adventure seeds. The article was written for the career 
  as it was presented in the first edition of WFRP, but is still highly relevant and useful. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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  the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved.  
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Kurt Groffnung - Agitator 
  Kurt is an Altdorfer, the son of a burgher who was generous enough to see that he 
  received a fine inheritance and education. A highly motivated student in his youth, Kurt 
  acquired an enviable level of literacy and decided to study law. He lacked much 
  passion for the subject though and, to his father’s chagrin, dropped out in short order. 
  With his straw-like hair and moustache, small beady eyes and pudding face Kurt is not 
  a very attractive man. However, he is well spoken and charismatic, with a ready wit that 
  allows him to make remarks that might see less eloquent raconteurs cause offence. 
  Stories of the skaven fascinated Kurt as a student. He and his classmates would often 
  gossip about the ratmen and swap stories of them alongside tales of green men of the 
  woods and one-eyed bog daemons. The difference between these accounts was that 
  plenty of evidence could be found to prove the existence of the skaven to those who 
  bothered to look. A fellow student spoke with conviction about how the ratmen had 
  caused widespread destruction in his home city of Nuln, and the university library held a 
  treatise on the anatomy of the skaven for the benefit of the Professor of Bestiaria. 
  Kurt became angry about the situation in the Empire, where intelligent discourse about 
  the Skaven threat is quashed. He spent his remaining money to purchase a black 
  market copy of Wilheim Lieber’s The Loathsome Ratmen and all their Vile Kin, and to 
  buy the trust of a printer known to be sympathetic to radical causes. He learned Tilean 
  to better research Skaven by reading about a society who acknowledge their existence. 
  For a while Kurt’s well written and illustrated posters caused a stir in Altdorf but, one 
  late Vorhexen evening, he was caught by the city Watch in the act of pasting a bill up 
  on a statue of Mandred Ratslayer. He was branded a Yefimovite and flung in jail. 
  Kurt looked forward to a grim punishment for his crimes, but before the case was 
  brought to court his freedom was bought by a visitor from Delberz. Direktor Liebrecht 
  Schleicher of the Delberz guild for health and safety has studied accounts of the 
  histories of Tobaro and Miragliano. He is planning to finance an expedition in order to 
  hire the services of Tilea’s experienced skaven hunters. He thinks Kurt’s knowledge 
  and background would make him a highly useful person to have on board. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  * An advance has been taken in this characteristic. 
  Skills: Academic Knowlegde (Law), Common Knowledge (The Empire), Concealment, 
  Charm, Gossip +10, Perception, Read/Write, Speak Language (Tilean), Speak 
  Language (Reikspeil) +10. 
  Talents: Flee!, Public Speaking, Street Fighting, Suave (added to profile above). 
  Main Profile 
  WS 
  BS 
  S 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  WP 
  Fel 
  32 
  36 
  32 
  31 
  29 
  38* 
  30 
  34 
  Secondary Profile 
  A 
  W 
  SB 
  TB 
  M 
  Mag 
  IP 
  FP 
  1 
  11 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  0 
  0 
  3 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Agitators are active supporters of causes. Almost any cause will do, from the 
  rights of common Humans (or Elves, Dwarfs or Halflings) to the state of the drains. 
  They campaign tirelessly to enlist support, addressing meetings, distributing leaflets and 
  bending the ear of anyone who will listen. To an Agitator, the greatest satisfaction is to 
  see the establishment forced to act by the weight of public opinion. Some Agitators are 
  motivated by genuine public concern, but many more have their own interests at heart - 
  the winning side in a dispute will often reward its most loyal servants handsomely. Often, 
  the cause of civilisation has been seriously damaged by meddling Agitators, although 
  they can often be the cause of much good. The fact that there can be professional busy-
  bodies of this sort shows how complicated the Old World is. 
  In the cities of the Old World Agitators will often be found at the centre of a small crowd 
  of citizens, making a speech about the level of taxes, the attitude of the watch, the state 
  of the drains, the incursions of Chaos, some new religious zealotry, how some unpopular 
  felon ought to be turned over to the mob for swift justice, the corruption indulged in by 
  the overprivileged classes, or anything else they can find to complain about. In a society 
  where levels of literacy are rock bottom a vocal and entertaining Agitator can be a valued 
  source of entertainment and gossip amongst the poor and uneducated. 
  Agitators are known by a variety of different names, rabble rousers, fire-breathers, busy-
  bodies, street preachers and so on. However, most commonly such an individual is 
  known as an Aufklarer in Reikspeil, Agitateur in Bretonnian, Agitatore in Tilean and 
  Alborotador in Estalian. 
   
  Day to Day Agitating 
  Like many of the careers one can take up in the Old World agitating can take a variety of 
  forms. Agitators are rarely motivated by the prospect of becoming wealthy; instead they 
  crave the attention of a rapt audience, or the desire to see their cause gain recognition 
  and become a force for change. In societies as reactionary and conservative as those of 
  the Old World these motivations are naïve at best, and suicidal at worst (not least 
  because, in the minds of some, change is synonymous with Chaos), yet rabble-rousing 
  loud mouths can be found in the town squares and high streets of many Old World towns 
  and cities. 
  There are a great many causes with which to grab attention and draw a crowd, from 
  socially conscious Agitators who wish to see things improve for the common citizens of 
  the Old World, to those who wish to enlighten people to the truth of threats such as 
  Chaos or Skaven, to advocates of a religion or tradition, to bitter personal attacks on a 
  person as the result of a grudge. 
  Agitators are not jurists, they don’t need evidence to back up their claims. Of course it 
  helps their cause a great deal if they can provide some proof to back up their arguments, 
  but in most cases a charismatic and eloquent public speaker will win a crowd over 
  sooner than an Agitator who takes a dry academic approach. 
  The attitude of most authority figures in the Old World towards agitation is one of 
  antipathy. However, they are careful not to come down on popular Agitators too harshly 
  or publicly, after all allowing a show of dissent gives a populace the illusion of freedom. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Agitators in Middenheim 
  In the City of the White Wolf some priests of Ulric have been known to hire Agitators to 
  stir up anti-Sigmarite feelings. This is a risky business in a society were both religious 
  feelings and divides run deep; and whilst followers of Sigmar are heavily outnumbered 
  by Ulricans in the city it is far from unknown for an Agitator expounding on some detail 
  of the Sigmaran heresy to suddenly find himself surrounded by a wall of very angry 
  men and women bearing icons of hammers or twin-tailed comets. 
  The attitude of the Watch towards anti-Sigmarite Agitators can seem odd to outsiders – 
  the authorities here can be surprisingly lenient towards Agitators who are critical of 
  followers of Sigmar, and even those who rant about such Sigmarite institutions as the 
  Imperial Court are treated with levity. They are asked to move on, or given a verbal 
  warning rather than being taken into custody and charged for disturbing the peace. If an 
  Agitator in the streets of Middenheim were to say similar things about Ulricans, or the 
  Graf’s family and retainers, he would almost certainly find himself beaten, arrested or 
  worse. 
   
  Printers in Middenheim 
  The craft of printing is still a fairly recent invention in the Old World, and has yet to 
  become widespread and accepted. Cities the size of Middenheim have a few presses 
  operating in them, but reproduction of the printed word is still done mainly by scribes in 
  the city’s scriptoria (offices were professional scribes perform their work, reactionary 
  institutions that would certainly refuse the custom of most Agitators).  
  Rudolf Drucker maintains a small printshop in the Neumarkt district. The printshop is a 
  one-storey building, with the press in a back room behind the living quarters. Drucker’s 
  apprentice, Thomas Buchstab, makes up the printing press from the carved wooden 
  and lead letter-blocks which stand in racks along the walls, and Drucker checks the 
  plates and operates the cast iron press with its lever operated roller. Meanwhile 
  Buchstab keeps the letter blocks freshly inked. The press can take any size of paper up 
  to three feet by two, and the paper quality ranges from coarse grade to fine quality high 
  grade parchment. 
  Drucker’s prices are: 
  • 
  1 shilling per line per 50 copies, rounding up (on low grade paper). 
  • 
  1 shilling per 50 copies for parchment. 
  • 
  1 shilling extra per 100 copies for paper larger than 2 feet by 2 feet. 
   
  Drucker knows all the other printers in the city, and will talk openly about the resistance 
  they face from the scriptoria, and the resulting bureaucracy that has prevented printers 
  in Middenheim from forming a guild. The scriptoria have a lot of influence and exercise 
  their power to resist the competition arising from the development of printing. 
  Drucker, careful of his reputation as an upright businessman, tends not to welcome the 
  custom of Agitators, though Buchstab, something of an armchair Agitator himself since 
  he has been influenced by the fervour of an ex-apprentice, might suggest any that 
  anyone wishing to print material Drucker would be unwilling to handle approach one of 
  the other printers in the city, Old Otto. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Pen of the Purple Hand Lukas Farber is a hunted man. Just a few weeks back he 
  responded to an advert posted on the Deutz Elm offering light, though poorly paid work. 
  He met with a man in one of Nuln’s inns, who provided him with a stack of bills to 
  distribute. The pamphlets contained articles calling for changes in the way Nuln was 
  run. Nothing too major or controversial, a slight increase in window tax compensated for 
  by a decrease on chimney tax, the opening hours of a city park to be extended until the 
  evening, demands that Watchmen from a certain district of the city wear slightly 
  different uniforms to better distinguish between them and Watchmen from a different 
  district, reclassification of what the city regards as an ocean worthy vessel, and so on. 
  The pamphlets are written with skill, the issues are persuasively argued with deft 
  language and poetic metre. Witty use of rhymes and jest mean that the points raised 
  therein remain in the reader’s minds longer than they otherwise might. The pamphlets 
  are of high quality, some kind of vellum, and the ink shines iridescently in a certain light. 
  The Nuln authorities are having to deal with an unprecedented number of calls for these 
  changes to be made. It seems to the staff of government institutions that no more than 
  five minutes passes without some concerned citizen arriving to say something like:  “I 
  wouldn’t normally bother about this sort of thing, but have you considered how the 
  knock on effects of a reengineering of the city sewer system might improve our 
  relationships with Dwarfs and therefore further benefit our gunnery industry?” City 
  authorities are therefore very keen to track the pamphlets to their source. 
  The culprits are a cell of Purple Hand cultists, calling on their god for inspiration for the 
  arguments they write and casting spellbinding rituals on the ink they use. Even going so 
  far as to print a batch on vellum made from camoleech skin, hoping that it’s captivating 
  properties will add to the effect. They hope the constant call for change, and the 
  pressure it puts on the Nuln authorities, will please Tzeentch. 
  The cult of the Red Crown find such tactics deplorable, however, as they feel 
  Tzeentch’s followers should exercise patience until armies of mutants and beastmen 
  can be rallied to the cause. They feel that the Purple Hand’s habit of causing change for 
  change’s sake jeopardizes their grand plan. As a result they are very keen to find the 
  distributor of the pamphlets and have a little talk to him. 
  A Personality Clash Prince Kloszowski had made his triumphant return to the Empire, 
  the writer’s block that has plagued him since the aftermath of the Great Fog Riots has 
  long since departed and he has a head full of ideas for grand new revolutionary tracts 
  and magnificent gestures. 
  He has made his way to Middenheim, having long heard about the New Millennialists 
  from his various underground contacts, and has hooked up with Old Otto in the hope of 
  publishing a veritable plethora of incendiary revolutionary poetry. 
  However, within a short time the two men are at each others throats. To Otto 
  Kloszowski is an embarrassing, attention-seeking liability (and a nobleman to boot), 
  whilst to the Prince the old publisher is an over-cautious, dried up fuddy-duddy. 
  This clash of personalities has been noticed by many of the New Millennialist Agitators, 
  and is causing something of a split within the group. Those who would like to see more 
  action siding with the revolutionary poet, the more level-headed amongst them 
  remaining firmly loyal to Old Otto and his less flashy methods. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Adventure Seeds for Agitators 
  A Stack of Pamphlets The vine growers and wine makers of the Stirhügel have long 
  resented the imposition placed on them by the Vintner's Guild of Wurtbad, the ruling 
  that all the wine produced by the region must be sold solely through them. In Flensburg 
  a group of disgruntled wine makers and merchants have formed a forum called, 
  somewhat ironically, Thick Skins. They secretly discuss how they can protect their 
  interests by wresting control of the distribution of their products back from the provincial 
  capital and the Vintner’s Guild. 
  They have a sympathiser in Wurtbad (who they also pay quite handsomely) who makes 
  pamphlets giving details of corrupt actions, dirty secrets and bad habits of Vintner's 
  Guild members, or those who work alongside them or in their employ. He leaves the 
  pamphlets scattered about on inn tables and street corners. The articles in the leaflets 
  are told in lurid detail, rude satire and not a little exaggeration. The pamphlets do not 
  tell outright lies though, and some of the stories have been investigated and have 
  turned out true. This has had the result that the Vintner’s Guild is becoming discredited 
  in the eyes of many Stirlanders. 
  There are only a handful of printers officially working within the town, and the speed 
  with which the leaflets appear, as well as the contemporaneous nature of the stories 
  they tell, has Wurtbad authorities convinced that the Agitator is using one of them to 
  produce his gossip. As a result they are under some heavy surveillance. Recently a 
  stack of these pamphlets (which claim that a Rat Catcher who works for the Vintners 
  often performs paid work without informing his own Guild), was found in the front office 
  of one of the town’s printers Endal Zahnlos and Son.  
  Endal claims he is the victim of a frame, after all the Vintner's Guild are one of his best 
  customers. Others claim they have encountered Endel, somewhat in his cups, 
  stumbling out of one of the inns on the Stahlstrasse, complaining loudly about the 
  exacting standards and meagre commissions he receives form the very guild he claims 
  to so happily work for. 
  Rats! The Rat Catchers of Middenheim are seeking to drum up more trade by making 
  pest control into a social issue. Middenheim’s Komission for Health, Education and 
  Welfare should employ a body of Rat Catchers but the chancellor is reluctant to fund 
  them, so the Catchers of the city operate on a freelance basis. This has led to some 
  disgruntlement and in order to force the chancellor’s hand the Rat Catchers have 
  contacted the New Millennialists, and have commissioned them to produce a set of 
  posters (see the centre pages for an example) and paste them up around town. 
  The initial public response to this has been enthusiastic, and a number of rats have 
  been ’posted’ through the Grafsmund gates, but the city authorities have yet to take any 
  action to deal directly with the rat problem. Instead they have just increased the guard 
  around the Grafsmund, giving them orders to stop and search anyone they suspect of 
  carrying a rat. 
  This has also had the consequence that city authorities, previously relatively ambivalent 
  towards the activities of Agitators, are now determined to crack down on the New 
  Millennialists, and rabble rousers and printers are undergoing high levels of scrutiny 
  and disproportionate punishments for any misdemeanours they commit. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  In one of the many side streets that make 
  up Middenheim’s Wynd district lies an old, 
  dilapidated warehouse. A sign reads ‘Otto’s 
  printworks – leaflets and books printed to 
  order’. The front door opens into a small 
  dusty office, where the proprietor can be 
  found. Otto sits behind an ink-spattered 
  desk, strewn with pieces of paper. From 
  behind a closed door can be heard the rattle 
  and clatter of printing presses. 
  Otto looks in his late sixties, with thick 
  pebble glasses, wild grey hair and a goatee 
  beard. He is friendly and appears to all 
  intents as an honest artisan wishing to 
  provide his customers with fine service. 
  However, Otto is one of the leading 
  members of the New Millennialists – a 
  radical group dedicated to change in 
  society. Far from fanatical, all Otto’s 
  arguments are based in reason. He can see 
  that a rationally ordered society would 
  benefit far more people than it does at 
  present. However, he does wish to keep his 
  activities secret, after all the authorities 
  would put him out of business if they caught 
  him printing seditious literature. For 
  someone to convince him to do so they 
  would have to gain the trust of a contact, 
  who might then arrange a meeting with Otto. 
  Otto’s prices are: 
  • 
  A crown per 100 sheets, with 
  discounts for 500 sheets or more (500 
  sheets for 4 crowns, 1000 sheets for 
  8 crowns and so on…) 
  • 
  30 crowns for ever 100 pages of a 
  book (100 of these books would 
  therefore cost 2000 crowns), for each 
  additional book ordered the rate is 
  reduced by a crown to a minimum of 
  10 crowns per 100 pages. It takes 
  around 3 days to prepare a press to 
  print a 100 page book, and then 
  about 10 days to run off 100 copies. 
  • 
  These are for standard works, special 
  layouts and woodcut illustrations 
  might cost up to 200% extra. 
  Printers and Agitators 
  When deciding on an Agitator’s background 
  it may be good to consider how they came to 
  be in possession of the leaflets they carry. 
  As Agitator characters begin play with the 
  Read/Write skill it is possible that they could 
  have produced their leaflets by hand, but 
  someone who is serious about spreading the 
  word in a community of any size will need 
  access to a printing press in order to 
  produce the quantity of material they require. 
  With this in mind most Agitators will have a 
  relationship with a printer, and this can 
  provide the opportunity to add depth to a 
  character. Some causes are not 
  controversial enough to arouse much 
  suspicion, but if the Agitator is concerned 
  with a matter that is seen as seditious (and 
  most are) then they will have had to gain the 
  confidence of a printer who is willing to risk 
  their livelihood to produce the leaflets. The 
  character may have previously earned a 
  printer’s enmity, either by approaching them 
  with a job they found offensive, or by 
  bringing heat onto them by being indiscrete 
  about where they got their leaflets made. A 
  particularly controversial Agitator might well 
  be interrogated at length by the authorities 
  about where they had their literature printed, 
  and the printer might be subject to fines, 
  closure, wrecked presses or worse. 
  Bear in mind that almost all printers within a 
  city wish to be seen as reputable, and even 
  sympathetic ones are unlikely to take on 
  seditious materials lightly. On the other hand 
  the profession is somewhat radical in itself, 
  and so finding a sympathetic printer is often 
  far from impossible. 
  Middenheim provides a model for most of 
  the major cities in the Old World, 
  businessmen like Drucker are unlikely to 
  want the custom of any characters who 
  might threaten their livelihood, though an 
  impressionable and somewhat irresponsible 
  apprentice, like Buchstab, might be 
  convinced to do a quick run of leaflets 
  behind his master’s back. Characters like 
  Old Otto also exist, but have to be very 
  careful that their activities are not traced by 
  the authorities, so their trust is hard won. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  The door from the office leads to the print room, where two presses are tended by three 
  apprentices. These are simple but effective screw presses (slower but less expensive 
  than the roller press Rudolf Drucker operates), and they work by winding the galleys of 
  type down onto a sheet of paper. If asked about the door leading from the back of the 
  print room Otto will claim that it leads to a storeroom.  
  In fact the room contains a third screw press, used for producing material of a seditious 
  nature. Any cause that might embarrass authority figures or that calls for improvements 
  in the lot of the common folk is given access to these facilities, once Otto is confident 
  that the source of such material is both trustworthy and firmly opposed to Chaos. The 
  press specialises in leaflets proclaiming the imminent arrival of the New Millennium, in 
  which the common people will have greater control over their own destiny. This illicit 
  printworks is manned by night, two trained Agitators work the press and hand over 
  leaflets to other agents for distribution. 
   
  The New Millennialist Movement  
  Many of the Agitators throughout the city of Middenheim espouse the beliefs of the New 
  Millennialists. This revolutionary group believe that society is unjust, benefiting the rich 
  and powerful at the expense of the common people. They wish to see a change in the 
  running of the Empire, and Middenheim in particular. 
  Members of the New Millennialists are, on the whole, honest hard-working folk, who 
  dislike the efforts of their labours going to feed the rich and powerful. Members point to 
  the poverty and decay visible in the poorer sectors of the city as evidence of the rulers 
  disregard for the common people. 
  Many members of the New Millennialists are worshippers of Verena, the goddess of 
  learning and justice, who would like to see an Empire run by reason and not by the 
  whims and personal interests of the rich. They view the schism between the followers of 
  Ulric and Sigmar as nothing more than a sham to divert the common people from the 
  real issues of the day – namely their lack of money and the constant threat of Chaos. 
  Although adventurers coming into contact with the activities of the New Millennialists 
  may suspect them of being Chaos Cultists they are actually totally opposed to Chaos, 
  for Chaos would mean an end of all order and reason. Anyone they suspected of being 
  a Chaos worshipper would find their lives dogged by Agitators seeking to expose them 
  in public places and organising demonstrations outside their own dwellings. 
  For all their agitating, the New Millennialists are not as influential as they would like to 
  be. Although their Agitators are active, most of the city’s folk are usually deaf to their 
  pleas. Occasionally they will catch the common folk in a volatile mood, but the ‘mob’ is 
  easily distracted by a hurriedly prepared festival or parade put on by the City Council. 
  Attacks on public figures tend to be more effective – it is difficult to ignore agitators who 
  harangue you from public corners, particularly if there is a whiff of Chaos involved. 
  If a large demonstration does occur Chaos Cultists often attempt to make trouble by 
  starting fights and heckling from the sidelines. Imperial loyalists and followers of Sigmar 
  are also known to heckle the crowd and a small counter demonstration might be 
  organised. It is rare that the situation will erupt into a riot, the watch will attempt to 
  contain any violence that occurs. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Random Agitations 
  Need a quick cause for an Agitator to shout in the streets as your PCs pass by, or the 
  title of a random pamphlet handed to them in a market square?  You can generate one 
  by rolling on the following tables and compiling the resulting statement. 
  “[Table One] the [Table Two] of the [Table Three] Upon/Against [ Table Four]!” 
  Example:  The GM rolls 6, 7, 2 and 3, producing the inflammatory cry of “Open Your 
  Eyes to the Lies Spread By Foreigners Against Anyone Who Dares Speak 
  Against Them!”  He decides this Agitator is against Tilean immigrants, and particularly 
  dislikes that his old Tilean girlfriend has spread rumours about him having the Pox. 
  Table One 
  1 
  Beware 
  2 
  Destroy 
  3 
  Discover 
  4 
  End 
  5 
  Expose 
  6 
  Open Your Eyes To 
  7 
  Protest 
  8 
  Take Up Arms Against 
  9 
  Tear Down 
  10 
  Undermine 
  Table Two 
  1 
  Corruption 
  2 
  Conspiracy 
  3 
  Depredations 
  4 
  Domination 
  5 
  Enslavement 
  6 
  Evil  
  7 
  Lies  
  8 
  Machinations 
  9 
  Oppression 
  10 
  Tyranny 
  Table Three 
  1 
  Criminals and Deviants 
  2 
  Foreigners 
  3 
  Military Complex 
  4 
  Religious Sect (pick one) 
  5 
  Nobles 
  6 
  Other Races (or pick one) 
  7 
  Rich 
   
  8 
  Skaven (or other imaginary crea-
  ture) 
  9 
  Those In Power (or pick a specific 
  person) 
  10 
  Unjust Laws and Taxes 
  Table Four 
  1 
  All Faithful Sons of Sigmar 
  2 
  All True-Born Humans 
  3 
  Anyone Who Dares Speak Against 
  Them 
  4 
  Men of the True Faith 
  5 
  Numerous Innocent Victims  
  6 
  Proud Servants of the Empire 
  7 
  The Poor and Downtrodden 
  8 
  The Working Classes 
  9 
  Those Too Weak And Too Ignorant To 
  Defend Themselves 
  10 
  Us Morally Upstanding Citizens 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  2-3 - You served one year of hard labour in your old Lord’s mines for writing a pamphlet 
  questioning his use of a ‘Seer’ in the running of his domain. At the brief trial, you can 
  still see the look of surprise on the ‘Seers’ face as your pamphlet was admitted as 
  evidence. He didn’t see that coming! 
  4-6 - Your campaigning to keep the ‘Scarlet Bordello’ open after a puritanical Lord 
  mooted plans to close it resulted in a spell in the stocks and a fine of 2d10 gold crowns. 
  Your subsequent satire of the Lord, as a jealous impotent, forced you to leave town with 
  all die haste. 
  7-8 - Found scrawling graffiti on the town walls, you spent 10 days scrubbing it all off 
  again and making repairs to the damned thing. You can’t stand the sight of plaster. 
  9-10 - Whilst impersonating the town mayor, you were arrested for being drunk & 
  disorderly. The guard didn’t seem to realise that you were putting it on and urging the 
  crowd to press the mayor to spend the towns’ money on better things than drink. This 
  turned out to be lucky, as instead of a night in the cells, you would have faced a month 
  or so felling timber at the mayor’s pleasure. 
   
  Effects of Prior Convictions Dependant on the crowd that the Agitator is entertaining, 
  or the readership of his Pamphlets, any prior convictions may have an effect on how he 
  is received, especially if he is in an area where he has faced convictions before. 
  The skill difficulty test for any Public Speaking or Propaganda is increased by one step 
  if the audience is hostile towards the Agitator as a result of his legal history, or 
  decreases by one step if they are sympathetic. 
  Kloszowski’s Great Escape 
  The duce had told him the only way out of the dungeons of Zeluco was in a corpse cart, and 
  here he was proving the parasite right. Unless the ordeal were to end soon, Kloszowski would 
  sadly not be alive to benefit from the irony. His mother, the Dowager Princess, wouldn’t have 
  approved of his current situation. But his mother hadn't approved of his situations since early 
  infancy, so that was hardly a novelty. He needed to cough but the weight on his back was too 
  much. He could only choke feebly, grinding thinly-fleshed ribs against the rough wooden 
  planks of the cart. 
  Of all his daring escapes, this was the least enjoyable. Through the cracks between the 
  planks, he sucked cold, clean air, and occasionally caught glimpses of reflected light from 
  puddles in the road. The novice of Morr, comfortable on his padded driver’s seat, was 
  humming a gloomy melody to himself as he transported human waste to the marsh that 
  served the dungeons as a markerless graveyard. There were things in the marsh the Zelucos 
  liked to keep well-fed, in the hope of dissuading them from forsaking watery homes in search 
  of live meat. Tileans were like that, keener to come to an accommodation with the creatures 
  of chaos than on crusading against the filthy monstrosities. 
  Zeluco had too cosy a life extorting from the peasants to bother much with good works. He 
  was a typical parasite, the fruit of ten generations of inbreeding, oppression and perfumed 
  privilege. 
  Come the revolution, Kloszowski swore, things would be different... 
  - The Cold Stark House by Jack Yeovil 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Agitators in Altdorf 
  Putative street preachers are currently somewhat out of favour in the capital due to the 
  depredations of “The Beast”. About a decade ago this pattern-killer stalked the Altdorf 
  docks and committed a number of vicious and highly publicised murders there. The 
  victims were all women, many of whom worked as prostitutes in the Street of a Hundred 
  Taverns and the adjacent docklands area. These murders persisted for a lengthy 
  period, becoming an embarrassment to both the city watch and the Imperial court.  
  At the same time an Agitator known as Yevgeny Yefimovich was highly active in the 
  capital, holding regular rallies against the punishing Thumb Tax that had been recently 
  introduced. He was from Kislev originally and had narrowly escaped death at the hands 
  of the Tsar’s lancers. Some said his family had been killed at the whim of a nobleman, 
  others that he was aristocracy himself and had turned against his own kind. The 
  Agitator proved popular, pamphlets such as Sons of the Soil, Arise!, Casting Asunder 
  the Chains, You and Your Betters and Come the Revolution won the sympathies of 
  many Altdorfers, and set their outrage at the new tax up against their outrage at the 
  continued depredations of The Beast. So successful was he at stirring the passions of 
  those who listened to him that he even led a mob of enraged citizens to the gates of the 
  Imperial Palace itself, and an alarming number of Altdorfers began to proudly proclaim 
  themselves as “Yefimovites”. 
  Yefimovich’s rallies drew increasing numbers of supporters, and a new pamphlet 
  entitled Beasts in Green Velvet analysed the misdeeds of the nobility in well researched 
  and exhaustive detail. Whipped up into a fury, Altdorfers took to the streets in an orgy of 
  property destruction, looting and acts of murderous violence towards authority figures 
  later called the Great Fog Riots. 
  In the wake of the riot stories began to circulate that The Beast and Yefimovich were 
  one and the same, added to which were rumours that the Agitator had been publicly 
  exposed as a mutant and devotee of the Chaos gods. Yevgeny had to flee the capital in 
  fear of the very mobs he had once stood at the head of. The memories of how they had 
  been hoodwinked by this rabble rouser still burn in the minds of many Altdorfers, and 
  they are quick to round on Agitators with a caustic remark, or even violence - assuming 
  that any kind of call for social progress amounts to “Yefimovism”. The situation is such 
  that even a well intentioned young man, who wishes for nothing more than to make the 
  potential abuses of a fresh tax on firewood clear to his fellow Altdorfers, need only 
  mention the matter in a dockside tavern to start a full-on bar room brawl. 
  Whilst his theories are still highly contentious, a somewhat more moderate figure is 
  Professor Brustellin, formerly of the University of Altdorf. The professor had published a 
  volume entitled An Anatomy of Society, and justified his beliefs in a series of well-
  attended lectures. He had likened the Empire to a human body and drawn parallels 
  between the ruling classes and a debilitating ague of the bones. 
  Word reached the ears of those in high places and the Professor’s works were banned 
  on the order of the Emperor. Brustellin was publicly and viciously flogged, and was 
  forced to resign in disgrace from the University. Many students and academics signed a 
  petition against the professor’s dismissal and he even drew support from surprising 
  quarters, the nobleman Baron Johann von Mecklenberg added his name to the list of 
  those protesting against the harshness of his treatment. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Unfortunately for the professor he fell in with a bad crowd, siding with the Yefimovites in 
  the Great Fog Riots. He was killed during the violence and his body was buried outside 
  the city. It is a sign of the respect his ideas received from some quarters that, despite 
  his radical views and his association with Yefimovich, a small shrine was erected over 
  his resting place. He remains a highly controversial figure, but an Agitator in Altdorf 
  might be able to defuse a potentially dangerous encounter by claiming his ideas are 
  based on “Brustellite theory”. 
  Another figure whose presence looms large in Altdorf’s political underground is Prince 
  Aleksandr Kloszowski, the radical poet. A notorious revolutionist, condemned to death 
  throughout the Old World. Prince Kloszowski was genuinely a member of the Kiselvian 
  nobility, though he hated to be reminded of his noble origins. Despite this he was 
  reluctant to drop the title from his name, for Kloszowski was a somewhat pretentious 
  figure in comparison to Agitators who took a more rational approach, such as Brustellin. 
  Kloszowski’s primary motive for arguing in favour of the revolution was because he 
  thought it sounded romantic, and he even wore clothes that he had deliberately 
  distressed to achieve an authentically proletarian look. 
  Despite his pretensions no one can deny that he was a highly accomplished poet. The 
  Ashes of Shame, a six stanza poem that claimed the Beast was finding shelter in the 
  palace of the Emperor, was a key influence in inciting the Great Fog Riots. 
  Kloszowski was also an associate of Yefimovich, and took part in the rioting himself. 
  After the Great Fog Riots abated he denounced his former ally, hurriedly producing 
  poems excoriating the fiend in human shape who had perverted such an honourable 
  cause. He left Altdorf before the watch could take him and continued to write. His epic 
  poem, The Blood of Innocents, would become an underground classic, particularly after 
  it was banned in every city and state of the Empire. Kloszowski disappeared from the 
  Empire altogether, though his supporters say he travelled south to bring word of the 
  revolution to the republics and principalities of Tilea. 
  He inspired his own set of followers, calling themselves Kloszowskists, who rail against 
  the Yefimovites as vehemently as they do against the excesses of the nobility (though 
  to the eyes of outsiders there really is very little to distinguish between the two rival 
  revolutionary ideologies). 
  Despite the hostile reception that Agitators can receive from both the authorities and 
  the citizens of Altdorf, there are plenty of opportunities for those who wish to expound 
  upon a cause to find an alternative form of addressing the issue within the capital by 
  writing an article for the Altdorf Speiler. The newsletter is very popular within the city 
  and it’s editors seem to enjoy a degree of freedom to criticise the institutions of the Old 
  World - provided such articles are couched in very careful language, use no small 
  measure of euphemism and allegory, and uphold respect in a number of other 
  institutions and values. The editors of the Speiler would therefore probably refuse an 
  article ranting about how much of the Imperial coffers are spent on frivolities for the 
  nobility, but they probably would accept an article focussed on the funds donated to 
  Shallyan hospices, and opining about what a shame it is more money isn’t spent on 
  them, rather than those frivolous nobles. 
  Thanks to this organ, Agitators can still make their voices heard in Altdorf despite the 
  relatively rough reception they might meet on the capital’s streets. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Types of Sentence 
  Chaos Worship (roll 1D10) 
  1 - Found guilty after 1d10 days of torture. You escaped, fortunately, but may have 
  Witch Hunters on your tail. You may have prominent scars as a result (optional –5% to 
  Fellowship statistic). 
  2-3 - Held in a dark dungeon for 2d10 days before being put to the question. A corrupt 
  guard, believing the charges against you and a chaos cultist himself, let you escape. 
  Whether the charges are true or not, he may approach you at times for favours. 
  4-6 - Left to the tender mercies of the Witch Hunters for a month, you were released 
  without charge, but the experience has left you with a hatred of authority figures. 
  7-8 - Fined 3d10 gold crowns for wasting a Witch Hunter’s time (even though it was an 
  anonymous tip off that resulted in your capture). If you find out who tipped him off, you 
  mean to get even. 
  9-10 - Held as a witness to a Chaos ritual (may be a true or trumped up charge), you 
  supplied a statement and were released. However, you’ve noticed that the authorities 
  seem to be keeping an eye on you. 
   
  Heresy/Religious (roll 1D10) 
  1 - You were marked as a heretic by members of a faith (pick one) but escaped the fire 
  thanks to a faction within it that agreed with your reforms. Zealots may still be after you. 
  2-3 - Held for vandalism against a temple’s property (choose one) and sacrilege, you 
  faced a fine of 1d100 gold crowns and imprisonment before you recanted and served 
  30 days as a penitent at the alter; scrubbing floors and wearing a hair shirt. The shame 
  still burns and you may have a hatred of priests of that deity. 
  4-6 - Shouting down the ranking priest at a public ceremony is never a good idea. You 
  served 10 days in the secret catacombs under the temple for your pains. Now if only 
  you could expose their somewhat illegal practises, but those men in the purple robes 
  are always watching… 
  7-8 - Releasing a pamphlet questioning the motives of a recent religious statement 
  resulted in your being named apostate and banned from being present at that temple’s 
  ceremonies and its worshippers being banned from giving you succour. Not that you 
  mind, really. They had it coming. 
  9-10 - A satirical cartoon you drew of a local priest didn’t go down well and you found 
  yourself fined d10 gold crowns to “teach you a lesson”. You think he probably spent it 
  on the camp followers he was so fond of (as your cartoon depicted). 
   
  Secular (roll 1D10) 
  1 - A target of one of your campaigns ended up with a dagger in his ribs and the blame 
  fell on you. Due to face a hanging, an attack by beastmen/outlaws/greenskins fell on 
  the community, allowing you to escape. You’ve seen posters with your face on them a 
  couple of times since though. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Other Races 
  Ogres are typically too simple and straightforward to allow the complex social issues of 
  the Old World to irritate them. They can be gulled in by an enthusiastic fast talker 
  though, and some Agitators have appeared in the company of a sympathising Ogre, 
  whose physical presence lends the Agitator’s arguments some considerable weight. 
  Life in the under-empire is dangerous for any who distinguish themselves by criticising 
  the regime. Disgruntled skaven certainly exist, but such ingrates would have to work 
  carefully and cleverly to gather a sympathetic forum about themselves. A skaven stood 
  in the bazaar of Under-Delberz calling for breeding rights for the common clanrat would 
  soon be found in the dirt with his throat torn out.  
  However, in communities of skaven were members of a particular clan are absent it can 
  be known for skaven to preach from tunnel crannies about how the mephitic practices 
  of Clan Pestilens are heretical, for example, or how Clan Moulder science-rats don’t 
  represent the true way of the Horned Rat. This criticism may even extend to open calls 
  against particular members of the Council of Thirteen, and cries of “Nurglitch must be 
  seen to touch the thirteen-sided pillar once more!” or “Impeach Lord Gnawdwell now!” 
  can be heard where such individuals are never likely to hear of them. 
  The other races of the Old World are either too totalitarian to allow displays of dissent, 
  or too anarchic for an Agitator is distinguish himself from the masses. A dark elf or 
  chaos dwarf who saw fit to criticise his society would soon either be killed or enduring a 
  life of slavery and a beastman or goblin who criticised his chief would probably be slain 
  outright by an enraged sycophantic follower, or forced into a duel to the death with the 
  object of his ire. 
   
  Optional Rules for Prior Convictions  
  If you choose the path of the Agitator for a career, then you’re going to attract some 
  unwanted attention along the way. Getting word to the people of the Baron’s plan to 
  give pardons to dangerous criminals and getting signatures on your petition is laudable, 
  but is liable to attract not only his attention, but that of his thugs. 
  The Agitator continuously courts controversy and can expect to get into trouble with the 
  authorities, whether Witch Hunter, town guard or religious official. The prior conviction 
  charts are designed to determine the Agitators ‘past record’.  
   
  Number of Convictions To find out the number of prior convictions for experienced 
  Agitators, roll 1D10 and divide by two. For starting PC Agitators, either roll for one prior 
  conviction or do not roll, as discussed with the GM. 
   
  Conviction Type (roll 1D10) 
  1 - Chaos Worship 
   
   
  2-4 - Heresy/Religious 
  5-10 - Secular  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Agitators in Talabheim 
  In contrast, a city where Agitators can actually have a relatively easy time of it is, oddly 
  enough, Talabheim. There are many archaic laws along the lines of "freedom of the 
  serfdom to preach in the fruit market every third week, such Agitators must wear a 
  badge of credence and failure to mark oneself in this manner will result in censure”.  
  Whilst a case could be brought against an Agitator in Talabheim, the fact that so many 
  of them have an academic knowledge of the law means that they can often quote so 
  many odd legislations and loopholes, and waste so much of the authorities’ time doing 
  so, that they are only arrested if they are railing about a very incendiary matter. 
  Of course, those who are not familiar with Talabheim’s labyrinthine legal systems are 
  much easier targets, and should someone from out of town take up agitating they will 
  often be picked up by the city authorities and subjected to a disproportionate and highly 
  publicised punishment by way of example. 
   
  Agitators in Bretonnia 
  Agitators in the Kingdom of Bretonnia who have a political axe to grind are received with 
  even greater degrees of hostility than they are in other areas of the Old World. They 
  tend to face punishment (varying from pillory to execution) if discovered by the nobility, 
  who have an almost preternatural dislike of the social changes wrought in other parts of 
  the Old World that would threaten the feudal society of Bretonnia should they then go 
  on to take place there.  
  However, even the Bretonnian peasantry can become very hostile towards those who 
  seek to inform them of a better life to be had if they would only rise up and take it. The 
  effects of the thorough indoctrination that the Bretonnian peasantry undergo throughout 
  their lives, perfectly embodied within the words of the Peasant’s Vow, makes them an 
  illustrative example of a lumpenproletariat who only too willingly kowtow to the whims of 
  their social superiors. 
  However, an Agitator who travels round telling jingoistic tales or performing sycophantic 
  rants in favour of the royal regime can find themselves warmly welcomed and rewarded. 
  Such types are seen as a much appreciated source of entertainment by the peasantry, 
  who value verbal story-telling in almost any form due to the even higher level of illiteracy 
  in the kingdom in comparison to other Old World nations.  
  There is little to distinguish Agitators such as these from Performers really, one man 
  shows who keep the impoverished inhabitants of isolated hamlets and farmsteads 
  amused by telling them how lucky they are to be Bretonnian and the misfortunes and 
  blunders that other nations invite by adopting a different way of life. 
   
  Some More Thoughts on Causes 
  The targets of an Agitator’s ire can be as diverse as a new local tax, the state of the 
  local roadways or the drinking habits of the town magistrate. Whatever the cause they 
  latch onto, they throw themselves wholeheartedly into bringing about the desired 
  change. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Popular Agitation 
  These are causes that strike a chord with local inhabitants and affect them on a daily 
  basis. The Agitator can identify a hot topic by spending time in the community gathering 
  information and gossip. These topics may be anything from local taxes, the state of 
  public amenities, roadways, sewage systems, insufficient protection from raids or being 
  unable to work the fields due to military training, to the inability of the watch to combat 
  crime, abuse of power by local dignitaries, the dangers posed by living alongside 
  wizards or the non-human races, damaging habits of the nobility, unscrupulous 
  business practises or cruelty and famine due to apathy or vice. 
  An Agitator crusading for such a popular cause can often find himself at the centre of a 
  willing army of helpers, whichever tool he uses from his armoury. As a consequence, 
  however, he can expect things to get a little excitable if he is not careful. Unless he 
  manages his cohorts carefully, angry locals might confront law enforcement agencies 
  and Nobles may impose draconian clampdowns or widespread arrests. 
   
  Societal Agitation 
  Agitators who call for changes in the law or the habits of the population (normally 
  starting at the top, naturally) are the real risk-takers of the career. Canvassing support 
  for a new Dwarf beard tax, the banning of carriages on the empire’s roadways, 
  imposing trade tariffs on all Bretonnian cheese imports and the like is going to get you 
  into hot water with authorities and parts of the population alike. Change is not popular in 
  the Old World, especially with the ruling classes, and if you ask theologians about it, 
  they will tell you that change risks opening the door to the Ruinous Powers. 
  Yet still there are Agitators who are not scared to demand changes to the articles of 
  faith for Sigmarite temples, or a change to the hours of the Nuln Gunnery School’s 
  practise drills. Such individuals had best be well prepared and have an extensive 
  network of allies and safe houses if he is to escape censure and arrest. 
   
  Apocryphal Agitation 
  Not content with complaining about nearly every other subject under the sun, some 
  Agitators sail even closer to the wind and seek to warn people of dangers that are 
  unseen or hidden. Such men and women are often greeted with ridicule if they accuse 
  a businessman of consorting with daemons, or a leading priest of heresy. They warn of 
  the dangers of the enemy within, mutants under every bed and the corruption of the 
  overprivileged classes. 
  Sometimes they may even have evidence, but this is often the technique of the craven 
  and petty-minded seeking the downfall of someone who has slighted the Agitator in the 
  past. Still, many a time his speeches contain some truth, even though the population at 
  large ignores him. Agitators tacking up these causes must be wary of spies, the temple 
  authorities and Witch Hunters. Speaking out about such matters is normally an 
  admission of more knowledge than one would care to admit and attracts all kinds of 
  fanatics to the Agitator, both secular and religious. Many such Agitators end up in the 
  cleansing fires. This doesn’t seem to dissuade others taking up the challenge. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  ‘What business is it of mine? This is a matter for men.’ 
  It is almost unknown for an elf to take up agitating. Their own societies are more 
  egalitarian and yet also more hidebound to tradition and respect than those of the other 
  races. Hypothetically, elven rulers tend to take the needs of their followers into account 
  much more seriously than greedy and corruptible humans, and this display of noblesse 
  oblige means that a show of dissent is rarely needed in order to bring attention to social 
  issues within elven communities of significant size. 
  Elves can view human society with a mix of uncomprehending wonder at its (albeit 
  ugly) architectural and technological achievements and haughty disdain at its failure to 
  harmonise with the natural world or to lift the majority of its populace out of a life of 
  destitution and squalor.  
  Both of these, somewhat contradictory, attitudes leave most elves feeling that the social 
  issues affecting the lives of other races are none of their concern. Even those who are 
  affected by what they see around them tend to be intelligent enough to realise that 
  lobbying for change is likely to bring them nothing but trouble, and alleviate their own 
  discomfort by performing personal, practical acts of charity and vigilantism. 
  On very rare occasions an elf will take up agitating, but such individuals are very much 
  aberrations to the trend. 
   
  ‘Longer Breaks for Elevenses!’ 
  Gossip and other forms of sociable activity are lodestones of halfling life, and the 
  gregarious folk spend disproportionate (to human eyes) time and energy on forming 
  and reinforcing bonds with one another. 
  This does mean that any member of a halfling community who has an axe to grind 
  tends to have an audience of some size ready and willing to listen to him. Halflings who 
  feel marginalised, patronised or ignored tend to want to make their voices heard on the 
  matter, and at some length too.  
  The vast majority of these halfling ‘Agitators’ are probably better described as scurrilous 
  gossips, or bar room philosophers, but to some the thrill of standing on a soapbox and 
  attempting to bring the world to rights can compensate a great deal for a lack of 
  physical stature and being judged as little more than harmless in the prejudiced eyes of 
  the other races. 
  Lovers of the good life, halfling Agitators can be easily bought, only to become 
  vociferous opponents once more when the luxuries they earned through their silence 
  have been used or consumed. 
  The issues that concern halflings are much the same as those that concern human 
  Agitators, though halflings tend to feel a greater sense of alarm at social issues that 
  impact their immediate vicinity or community, rural affairs and the rising cost of products 
  and services. 
  Halflings tend not to be so concerned with matters of state or religious squabbling, and 
  tend not to feel the same degree of ire that humans can display towards those who lead 
  a life of privilege. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Agitation in Entertainment 
  There are other careers that can bring a seditious message to the public eye. Mainly in 
  the form of entertainment; minstrels may well sing songs of protest, playwrights and 
  directors may satirize policies or public figures within their work, storytellers, such as 
  writers of books for the literate and raconteurs, poets like Prince Kloszowski, scholars 
  like Professor Brustellin, and so on.  
  Many works of art or learning, in all forms of media, have been seen as seditious and 
  have prompted reactions in their audiences, or in the authorities who have sought to 
  bring such public shows of dissent to a close before they cause much furore. This often 
  backfires, as banned works of art instantly gain a deal of underground credibility. 
   
  Non Human Agitators 
  The non-human races who live in the Old World have all thrown up examples of 
  Agitators, and Halfling busy-bodies in particular can be regularly encountered wherever 
  they gather in number. 
  Agitators can both benefit and suffer from the ability to draw attention. A human Agitator 
  has a distinctive advantage in that he can, if push comes to shove, try and loose 
  himself in the crowd when the local law enforcement turns up. An elven Agitator (almost 
  unknown as they are) might have a much easier time drawing a crowd of curious 
  onlookers, but would be unable to tell an arresting Watchman that he must be mistaken 
  as to the rabble rouser’s identity. 
   
  ‘Disgrace & insult, that’s what I call it! See that tower? My father built that tower!’ 
  Dwarven society is far more structured and tradition bound than that of the human 
  nations (with the debateable exception of Bretonnia) and dwarfs tend to deal with their 
  grievances in a more proactive and practical manner than humans, either by following 
  the traditions associated with declaring and avenging grudges and blood feuds or, in 
  extreme cases, taking on the Slayer Oath. 
  As such the concept of publicly moaning about a grievance in the hope that other 
  dwarfs would heed your call for change would be met by bewilderment by most dwarfs. 
  If an individual behaved in such a manner in the halls and corridors of a dwarf hold he 
  would most certainly be met with ostracism and would shortly be subject to expulsion or 
  some other form of punishment. 
  Dwarfs who live within human lands, towns and cities are less likely to hold such an 
  attitude. Not only can they suffer from being a marginalised minority but humans 
  typically refuse to honour the codes of vendetta and oath-taking that dwarfs use to 
  remedy their disputes.  
  Bigotry, either real or perceived, is the greatest motivator for a dwarf Agitator, seeking 
  to ‘enlighten’ humans as to the benefits of organising their society along dwarven lines 
  is another factor - though they can be motivated by almost any of the causes that 
  human Agitators are wont to opine about, with a particular miserly eye on increases in 
  living costs. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
   
  Agitators and the Skaven Controversy 
  The controversy in the Empire as to the realities of the threat posed by the Skaven can 
  be another motivation for Agitators to take up their pamphlets and hit the streets. These 
  individuals may have encountered the Ratmen at some point in their lives, some may 
  even have escaped a life of toil and misery as a slave in the Under-Empire, or know of a 
  friend or loved one who suffers there still. 
  Once the extent of the Skaven threat is known to a denizen of the Empire they can 
  become very anxious that the authorities don’t seem keen to face up to the existence of 
  the Ratmen, let alone acknowledge that they rules a vast subterranean society capable 
  of mobilising large armies and crafting devious and sophisticated weapons of war. 
  Such Agitators often go on to visit Tilea, or learn the Tilean language, so that they can 
  draw on the experiences and beliefs of the inhabitants of the country, who have long 
  faced up to the realities of the Skaven and who have developed ways to better combat 
  them. Thanks to events in Delberz, Nuln and Talabheim, where Skaven have acted 
  overtly within living memory, Agitators who raise the issue there are treated with more 
  leniency than in other parts of the Empire. 
   
  Agitators and Chaos Cultists 
  People who may have come across evidence of chaos worship can find the authorities 
  lacking an appropriate degree of zeal in combating the threat, particularly if the accused 
  are men or women of importance. Sometimes Imperial authorities can stamp down on 
  the frank discussion of Chaos for the citizens’ “own good”. This attitude can lead to 
  people agitating in order to promote greater awareness of the facts regarding Chaos, a 
  cause that is going to attract negative attention from the authorities of the Old World as 
  they see these calls for the truth as little more than proselytising for proscribed religions. 
  Brustellin and Kloszowski 
  Brustellin, disenchanted with words, sneered, ‘More poems, just what the revolution needs!’ 
  The poet was angered. ‘Clothhead academic! My poems do more for the cause than your 
  dusty tracts. Poetry is for the people, not for ink-blotched scholars and dried-up prunes of 
  clerics.’ 
  ‘I was flogged, you know,’ said Brustellin, loosening his cravat, preparing to bare his back to 
  exhibit yet again the marks left by the punishment that had preceded his expulsion. ‘Twenty 
  years of teaching and that young dolt Scheydt had me flogged and thrown into the streets.’ 
  He was down to his shirt and everyone was telling him not to go further. They had all seen a 
  sight too much of Brustellin’s ravaged back. 
  ‘You were flogged and Stieglitz here was mutilated and crippled,’ spat Kloszowski. ‘But only I 
  have been hanged by the hated classes…’ 
  Dramatically, with a practiced movement, the poet pulled his scarf away to reveal the burn. 
  The rope had been rotten and snapped itself instead of Kloszowski’s neck. He had written 
  several poems about the experience. ‘I was face to face with the gods,’ he claimed, ‘and they 
  were working men like ourselves. Not a plutocrat or popinjay in the lot of them.’ 
  - Beasts in Velvet by Jack Yeovil 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  What’s more the authorities are sometimes right in this assumption, Chaos cults do 
  sometimes use Agitators calling for more investigation into the facts regarding the 
  ruinous powers as a subtle way of making Chaos worship seem attractive, and 
  something that the Imperial authorities are proscribing for their own selfish reasons. 
  Chaos cultists in a city where an Agitator is opining about the facts surrounding Chaos 
  worship may seek to either aid or eliminate the Agitator. They could see him as a useful 
  unwitting ally, and in the ensuing gossip overhear talk that could lead them to a new 
  recruit, or an enemy. Just as likely they could become angry at the Agitator for bringing 
  heat down on them, or ranting about things they see as secret, or even heretical. 
   
  Agitators and Religion 
  It has already been mentioned that Agitators in Middenheim are sometimes hired by 
  priests to criticise Sigmarites and their beliefs, and that the authorities there can be 
  relatively lax in getting them to shut up. Whilst the schism is the most polarised and 
  visible of the religious divides in the Old World it is far from the only one, and Agitators 
  may also wish to draw attention to disputes and differences between other members of 
  the Old World pantheon and their followers. 
  Ranald is probably the subject of most religious contention after the schism between 
  Ulricans and Sigmarites. Agitators may wish to fete him as a hero of the little man - 
  becoming his Street Preachers in effect, or they may criticise him for being an icon of 
  the criminal classes and cal for his worship to be outlawed. 
  Verena is the inspiration behind the New Millennialists, and belief in her may inspire 
  others to rant and rail about injustice in society. Belief in Shallya may have similar 
  results, as Agitators sympathetic to the goddess of healing and mercy may become 
  angry about how the needs of the rich and powerful so often receive precedence over 
  the needs of the masses. 
  Agitators might expound on the wisdom of following a more scientific Myrmidian 
  approach to warfare, opposed to the violent excesses of Ulric, or vice versa. They may 
  seek to bring people’s attention to a forgotten saint, or the practices of an old faith 
  which has become regarded as heretical over the years. On the other hand they may 
  want to bring people’s attention to calls for the reformation of current practices, extolling 
  the ideas of radical religious figures like Luthor Huss. 
   
  The Agitator’s Armoury 
  Pamphlets The publishing of written material containing satirical content or pleas for 
  reform can be a powerful tool. Normally only accessible to the wealthy and powerful, 
  the written word carries great power in the Old World. Peasants seem to accord almost 
  mystical properties to the written word and those who can read and write. Cunning 
  Agitators can use this to bind peasants to him by ‘expanding’ upon what he has written 
  (in other words, lying). 
  Unfortunately, this form of agitating is also very dangerous, as it leaves physical 
  evidence linking the Agitator to it and wily officials can also create fake documents to 
  achieve a conviction.  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Rumour/Propaganda A more subtle method of agitating, spreading rumour and 
  innuendo for propaganda purposes is sometimes the most effective. Rumour is rife 
  amongst the peasant population the Old World over and so a devious word here or a 
  sly comment there can often have a greater effect than a combustive rally or 300 
  signatures on a petition. Careful selection of the circles to spread the rumour within and 
  knowing which buttons to press go a long way towards sowing unrest. 
  Of course, nothing is easy in the Agitator’s life and local law enforcement will most likely 
  be spreading their own propaganda, not to mention having to deal with the cunning 
  wiles and traps of numerous power groups, chaos cults, Guilds and criminals. 
   
  Some Ideas About How Agitators Make Their Living 
  Many Agitators do what they do merely out of some sense of compulsion or sense of 
  duty, but some do use the career as a way to make a living. Here are a few ideas on 
  how Agitation might generate a bit of cash. 
  Perhaps the Agitator has a sponsor, a 
  patron (open or secret). Someone who has 
  the same political or social ideology and 
  supports sources that bring it into the open. 
  In many practical aspects this works in the 
  same way as artists receiving patronage. 
  There are some possible dangers, 
  including that the Agitator's ideas become 
  too radical for the patron, that the patron 
  doesn't want to be associated with the 
  Agitator anymore, and on the other hand 
  that the Agitator may way lose credibility if 
  he is seen as the puppet of a patron. The 
  benefits of such an arrangement are that a 
  powerful patron may offer some protection 
  against the law or groups with opposing 
  agendas to his own. 
  A freelance Agitator need not have a cause 
  of his own, willing to agitate against 
  whatever it is that his clients want him to. 
  The problem here is that the credibility of 
  the Agitator can be doubted if one week he 
  agitates against a subject, and the next 
  week he fanatically praises it. Other 
  problems are that the source of income is 
  uncertain, and that there is less political 
  protection as with a patron. 
  The Agitator need not have an employer or patron, living by what the masses want to 
  donate to him, in the same way as they donate to entertainers. He also makes money 
  by selling his pamphlets. For an Agitator to make a living in this way, his message has 
  to be one that many people agree with, as he depends on their donations for a living. 
  The Day Job 
  As few Agitators actually make any money 
  from their rabble rousing alone a player who 
  takes on an Agitator character might wish to 
  consider how their character funds his 
  activities. 
  He may have a patron, a rich individual who 
  has concerns about a particular cause and is 
  willing to hire the PC, and maybe others, to 
  spread the word. These patrons could 
  extend from a conscientious noble to the 
  agents of some proscribed cult. 
  The Agitator may have a day job, such as 
  some sort of small-time tradesman or 
  labourer. The Agitator skills and advance 
  scheme can be justified by saying the 
  character’s heart isn’t really in this day job, 
  and he really lives to spread the word about 
  his concerns. 
  The Agitator may present himself as some 
  kind of charitable concern, asking his 
  audiences to donate to “the cause” and 
  using the proceeds to pay for food and 
  shelter, as well as cover the costs of printing 
  pamphlets. Only very popular Agitators 
  would be able to do this for long though. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Public Disobedience This method urges other members of the community to disobey 
  a certain law or proclamation. Normally initiated at a rally, planned in a forum or urged 
  via a pamphlet, this is possibly the most explosive and potentially damaging of the 
  Agitator’s techniques. It is also more likely to blow up in his face than other techniques. 
  The disobedience may be as simple as not donating money to a certain cause, 
  boycotting a certain business premises or not co-operating with a certain public body. 
  This is known as ‘Passive disobedience’. 
  ‘Aggressive disobedience’ is much more proactive and risky. At the lower end of the 
  scale is a mass demonstration (often with various placards and banners) and at the 
  higher end of the scale, small-scale riots and/or vandalism. Aggressive disobedience is 
  not tolerated by local authorities and dependant on the governing body involved, may 
  result in curfews, baton charges, wholesale arrests or more serious measures. 
  Public disobedience is usually only achievable in response to a truly unpopular policy 
  that is disliked by a majority of the population. Agitators trying to stir disobedience over 
  the trifling matter of the cost of imported coffee are not likely to be successful. 
   
  Petitions Those Agitators of a less incendiary nature who still wish to fight for a cause 
  normally start petitions calling for change. The Agitator sets up a booth in a town street 
  and talks to passers-by about the subject at hand, hoping to get them to put their 
  signature or mark down on paper to illustrate their objections. 
  This method, although peaceful, is still very visible and so local law enforcement may 
  still trouble an Agitator pursuing this method. However, even if they do, the Agitator is 
  less likely to face fines or trial for this type of agitating unless he is being particularly 
  vocal or obnoxious. 
  Once he has collected his petition, the Agitator takes the article to the relevant authority 
  and drops it off, making sure to note how unpopular the policy/subject is. These 
  petitions normally end up on the fire, but some authorities may make use of the names 
  on the list for intelligence purposes or infiltration. 
   
  Satire One thing that is common within the Old World is the fear of those in power of 
  looking stupid. Looking foolish can lose them valuable respect and endanger alliances 
  or business opportunities. Therefore satire is a powerful tool in the armoury of the 
  Agitator. Carefully crafted and aimed, such methods can topple even the most powerful 
  of leaders/groups. Satire may be delivered by many mediums. It may be in the form of a 
  pamphlet containing derogatory comments or drawings, a play performed on the street 
  or even graffiti scrawled on the face of a building. 
  Needless to say, authorities take a dim view of satire (with the possible exception of 
  Bards/Skalds, as mentioned) and go to great lengths to disprove accusations or to 
  clamp down on the perpetrators. As a result of this desire, those Agitators who pursue 
  satire as a means to get their message across may face determined attempts to track 
  them down and bring them to justice. This justice is normally of the dagger in a dark 
  alley type, so Agitators must be careful of whom they lampoon in this manner and 
  whether they can cope with the consequences. 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  Pamphlets that are produced via a printing press carry more clout, as this fledgling 
  machinery gives it an air of prestige. However, this is an expensive and risky 
  proposition. The inks and type setting time are costly and the silence of the printer must 
  often be earned.  
  Beleaguered local authorities wishing to shut down a local Agitator often seek out illegal 
  printing presses and subject the owners of legitimate presses to extensive enquiries as 
  to who has been making use of them and for what purpose. 
   
  Forums Agitators wishing to spread the word without the risks of an open rally set up 
  forums. They spend time finding like-minded souls and set up meetings in hired halls or 
  the back room of the local bar. Here, anyone present may have the floor and 
  campaigns can be planned in relative safety. 
  Again, this may hold risks, as local law enforcement has been known to infiltrate these 
  groups. Forums discussing social reforms are also at risk of subversion by individuals 
  with a different agenda, including Chaos worshippers. Many well-meaning forums have 
  been turned to Chaos over the years. 
   
  Rallies A very visible form of Agitating, the rally seeks to draw a crowd that agrees with 
  the Agitator’s cause. These often start with the Agitator standing on his soapbox and 
  regaling passers-by with the faults associated with current local policies. 
  As a crowd gathers, rallies invariably draw the local law enforcement agencies. 
  Although they normally just observe proceedings, if the crowd grows too large or the 
  subject of the rally is controversial or too emotive, they move to break up the crowd and 
  arrest the ringleaders. 
  Rallies are often a last resort as they carry great risk for the Agitator. However, clever 
  rabble-rousers often dress in disguise when addressing crowds in this manner or have 
  a change of clothes nearby. It’s very difficult for guards to target a single person out in a 
  large crowd, so many Agitators taking this precaution may escape safely. 
   
  Personal Attack Rash Agitators, or those too desperate to attempt more subtle 
  measures, may confront the target of their campaign publicly. Denouncing his or her 
  policies or lifestyle to anyone close enough to hear. 
  This is quite possibly the most dangerous and risky route for an Agitator to take, but if 
  he is denouncing a truly despised law/policy and a large number of people are present, 
  then he may still get away with it (for the time being) as jostling or riots may break out. 
  Even if he escapes from the scene, his description will surely be circulated amongst 
  local law enforcement agencies. 
  A strange kind of personal attack agitating is sometimes tolerated in the more northern 
  reaches of the Empire and is rumoured to be allowed in far off Norsca. The Agitator (or 
  Bard/Skald) is employed to lampoon members of a court. This satire is often very biting 
  but has been known to temper some excesses or unpopular policies. Needless to say, 
  the Skald’s wit is very much feared, but he is very rarely liked. 
  
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  The corrupt, so called aristocracy have perpetrated yet another crushing blow against 
  you, the real citizens of Altdorf. This latest attack on your liberties takes the form of a 
  barbaric tax on firewood, a cruel way of adding more to the already overflowing coffers 
  of the Nobility. This tax will strike hardest at the poor and elderly! 
   
  We the Popular League Against Nobility and Taxation (PLANT), urge you to strike 
  back. Come to the mass rally next week in Burgermeister Square and show the ‘Noble’ 
  scum that we won’t stand for this kind of tyranny. 
   
  Smash the Nobility! 
  RATS AND VERMIN EXPLODE FROM CITY SEWERS 
   
  Suffer no more. Force the rich nobles and wealthy priests to free us from 
  the plague of rats daily erupting from our sewers. 
   
  While the rich and powerful are safe in their fancy houses, we the common 
  people must suffer these foul creatures. 
   
  Catch as many rats as you can and let them loose in the Grafsmund. 
   
  Let our betters know what it is like for their children to live in terror of 
  these beasts. 
   
  Direct action is our only hope. 
   
  ACT NOW 
   
  CATCH A RAT TODAY 
  Examples of pamphlets and posters produced by Agitators in the Empire 
  An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/Fantasy Roleplay/4e (C7)/Cato Contribution/Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay/2nd Edition/Homebrew & Fan Material/Other/An Inclusive Introduction to Agitators.pdf