TEXT: Things To Do In Diesdorf When You’re Dead 
   
  A WFRP adventure by Simon Crowe 
   
   
  Synopsis: 
  On travelling the road between Altdorf and Nuln the PCs stop in the small town of 
  Diesdorf. But during the night something strange happens, and one of the PCs wakes up to 
  find himself a ghost, detached from his dead body! The PCs are going to have to find out 
  what happened, and whether they can get their companion’s spirit back into his body. But 
  first what are they going to do with his corpse? 
   
  Their investigations will eventually lead them to someone messing around with the spirits 
  of the dead. Will they be able to figure out how to reverse what they have done? And how 
  will they deal with the unwelcome presence of a dangerous Witch Hunter? 
   
  Diesdorf: 
  Diesdorf is a small town in the Reikland a few days from Altdorf on the road between 
  Altdorf and Nuln. It has a population of around 150 people. Extensive farmland surrounds 
  the town. Whilst most of the produce goes on feeding the town a number of farmers make a 
  decent living exporting corn to Altdorf. Beyond the fields lies the Reikwald Forest. So 
  close to Altdorf the forest is fairly safe, and the few local militia have not been called into 
  action for years, even during the recent Storm of Chaos. 
   
  Diesdorf is one of a number of villages and towns in the Reikland governed directly by the 
  Emperor himself. Although the locals take pride in this fact in practice the Emperor does 
  not concern himself too much with unimportant villages and one of his advisors deals with 
  what little matters get raised in the town. An upper class families, the Schadens, own a lot 
  of the land and collect modest rent from the farmers. They also have some say into local 
  law. 
   
  The town has a number of services, such as a general store, a blacksmith and an inn called 
  the Three Jolly Boatmen. Being on one of the routes from Altdorf to Nuln means visitors 
  are frequent and as such these services have grown up. A small temple to Sigmar is 
  attended by Brother Kaspar Eifer. A shrine to Dyrath (an aspect of Rhya) is also kept 
  though not attended by a particular priest. 
   
  Significant People: 
  Emil Schaden - The Schaden family have owned large parts of Diesdorf since records 
  began. Emil is the current man of the house and as such probably the most important person 
  in the small town. Although he makes frequent trips to Altdorf he does feel some 
  responsibility for the town and most of the time is willing to settle disputes and matters of 
  law when asked. In many ways he attempts to emulate other Reikland families who own 
  much larger towns than Diesdorf. He can often be seen sporting the latest fashions he has 
  seen in Altdorf. 
   
  
  Brother Kaspar Eifer - Posted to Diesdorf by the cult of Sigmar in Altdorf, Kaspar attends 
  the small temple of Sigmar in the town. Diesdorf has recently begun growing in population 
  and the cult wish to make sure the presence of Sigmar is properly maintained. As the only 
  religious figure in the town, Kaspar is asked as often as Emil Schaden to solve disputes 
  between townsfolk. A kindly figure, Kaspar is always willing to help those in need, though 
  most often his help involves reading choice passages from his volumes of Sigmarite texts.  
   
  Recent Events: 
  A fairly unimportant town, Diesdorf has not seen any particularly interesting activity until 
  very recently. A few weeks ago locals began reporting noises at night coming from the 
  graveyard on the edge of town. The citizens who also serve as a poorly-trained local militia 
  were despatched to investigate. Hiding in the trees they observed a hooded man chanting 
  amongst the tomb stones. The men confronted the man but as they approached he shouted 
  strange words and from a number of the graves the corpses and skeletons of deceased 
  townsfolk arose and attacked. The militia defeated the undead but not before a few of their 
  frightened number were strangled. In the confusion the hooded necromancer fled. 
   
  Brother Kaspar despatched a messenger to the temple of Sigmar in Altdorf. Meanwhile the 
  noises continued at night, though the locals were too afraid to look into the matter again. A 
  week later help arrived from Altdorf, the witch hunter Gustav Kraus accompanied by a 
  priest of Morr and a Kislevite bodyguard. The trio arrived at night and immediately made 
  their way to the graveyard before their presence could be known. They encountered the 
  hooded man who again raised dead minions to defend himself. The three were far more a 
  match for the undead than the inexperienced militia. They easily smote the dead and 
  captured the necromancer. 
   
  When the man was taken into the town centre his hood was removed and the assembled 
  townsfolk gasped in shock. The necromancer was Fitz Eberlein, the town butcher. A 
  gallows was quickly assembled and Fitz hung. This was only two days ago and his body 
  still swings in the middle of the town. His butchers shop has been bordered up with orders 
  from Gustav that no-one is to enter. The witch hunter and his two companions are still in 
  Diesdorf, watching out for any suspicious activities. 
   
  Fitz: 
  No-one in the village could believe it when Fitz Eberlein was revealed as the Necromancer. 
  They asked themselves how an ordinary man like Fitz could come to possess such evil 
  knowledge, and why? In truth Fitz had become a desperate man for about a year, since the 
  love of his life passed away. 
   
  Fitz, a widowed butcher in his early thirties had begun a passionate relationship with Elsa 
  Schaden, the younger sister of Emil Schaden the main landlord in Diesdorf. Elsa, an upper 
  class lady could not risk being seen with a commoner and the two kept their relationship 
  secret. They did well to keep their secret hidden for many months, during which time Fitz 
  fell more and more in love with the girl ten years his junior. But eventually Elsa, who could 
  stand the secrecy no longer, confessed all to her brother Emil. Emil knew that the love 
  
  between a noble lady and a common butcher would cause a scandal and forbade Elsa to see 
  her love. Elsa sadly agreed. 
   
  Fitz could not believe their relationship had ended. Though he kept their secret he 
  constantly pined for his lost love. Many times he attempted to see her and talk to her but 
  every time she forlornly turned him away. Within months Fitz became a sullen, unhappy 
  man. Then suddenly a terrible accident occurred, Elsa was thrown from her horse whilst out 
  riding and broke her neck. She was buried in the Schaden’s plot in the Diesdorf graveyard. 
  Both Fitz and Emil both mourned for their loss. 
   
  But Emil did more than mourn. On a number of trips to Altdorf he plunged himself into its 
  seedy underbelly. Asking around in strange circles he eventually got his hands upon a book 
  that he believed would allow him to bring back his lost sister. But he could not risk reading 
  the Necromantic tome himself, and passed it to Fitz, who all to readily agreed to attempt to 
  bring Elsa back to life. In Diesdorf Fitz worked his shop as little as required to live, in his 
  spare time pouring over words he could barely pronounce. 
   
  In time he got his head round the text. When he felt he was ready he visited Diesdorf 
  graveyard at night. Summoning his courage he attempted the long rituals required. But the 
  spell he was trying to cast was difficult to focus, Fitz could feel that a number of the long 
  dead townsfolk were stirring at his words but he was interested only in the dead Elsa. He 
  aborted the ritual many times over a number of nights until one night when he was 
  interrupted by the local militia. His concentration broken the spell went out of control and a 
  number of the dead rose from their graves. Fitz had no control over them and fled the fight. 
   
  Fitz should have felt terrible, his actions had cost three men’s lives, but by this time the 
  dark tome had corrupted his mind and sunk him into madness. He returned again and again 
  but the ritual would never quite come right, never raise the dead Elsa. When the witch 
  hunter’s group arrived Fitz awoke all the dead that he could to defend himself. But these 
  were no inexperienced local militiamen. They smashed through the undead and captured 
  Fitz before he could flee. Fitz’s last thought as he swung from the gallows was that maybe 
  he would see Elsa in Morr’s realm. 
   
  Other Happenings: 
  The following are a number of other, more minor events that are happening in the village. 
  These have no direct impact upon the adventure but the GM may use them to give character 
  to the PCs’ time in Diesdorf, or perhaps lay some red herrings. 
   
  A few of the townsfolk have been whispering that Brother Eifer has been secretly seeing 
  one of the farmer’s wives. This is completely untrue, a rumour started by the Dreyers, a 
  devoutly Ulrician family who are concerned about the influence the cult of Sigmar is 
  having in the town. 
   
  Farmer Hubert Patzer is concerned about his chickens. Egg laying has been down this year 
  and Hubert is hardly making enough money to get by. He suspects his neighbour and rival 
  
  chicken keeper Stefan Jaeger of poisoning his birds. In reality a bird pox has been moving 
  through the Reikland affecting a number of chickens. 
   
  Aldred, teenage son of the shopkeeper Petra Gutmann, bears a large scar across his face. He 
  maintains he was attacked by an Orc in the woods around Diesdorf, but in reality he fell out 
  of a tree. Still, his claim has worried a few of the villagers who fear Orc attacks on the 
  town. 
   
  Starting the adventure: 
  The adventure begins when the PCs arrive in Diesdorf on their journey. It is late and 
  Diesdorf in the logical stop for the night. They arrive after the fields have been abandoned 
  for the day and the townsfolk are sitting down to supper in their houses. What few people 
  they meet appear mostly friendly, giving the PCs a ‘hello’ as they pass and will happily 
  point them in the direction of the inn, The Three Jolly Boatmen, which is on the other side 
  of the town. 
   
  Passing through the town centre the PCs will pass by a grizzly sight, the recently hanged 
  Fitz Eberlein. If they ask any of the locals in the street about this the person will shake their 
  head sadly and mutter that it is a terrible shame. They will mention that a witch hunter 
  caught this necromancer only two days back, and that the evil wizard was Fitz the butcher. 
  The PCs will pass a boarded up shop as the pass through the town, a wooden pig sign 
  indicating it was once a butcher’s shop. 
   
  The Three Jolly Boatmen: 
  Diesdorf’s only inn is a large place with a sizeable bar room, a good sized common room 
  for sleeping and a number of private rooms. It serves a variety of foods as well as a 
  selection of drinks including Reikland wines. It is run by Oswald Boll and his family, and 
  also employs a few locals as staff.  
   
  When the PCs arrive the bar is half full. It is easily apparent that in one corner of the room 
  sit three odd figures around a table, these are the witch hunter Gustav Kraus and his two 
  companions. The tables adjacent are empty and the other patrons appear to be sitting as far 
  from the witch hunter’s group as possible.  
   
  Oswald will greet the PCs in a friendly manner, though with occasional nervous glances 
  towards Kraus. He will provide drink, food and whatever rooms the PCs ask for. The PCs 
  horses are taken to a stable to the side of the inn. 
   
  The other patrons of the bar are a mix of travellers and locals. Most are human but there are 
  a few Dwarfs. Whilst a few locals may be willing to talk to the PCs they will clam up if the 
  subject of Fitz arises, casting worried looks towards the witch hunter. 
   
  The evening at The Three Jolly Boatmen will pass uneventfully unless the PCs start any 
  trouble, especially with the witch hunter. Gustav is a stern man and will not take any insults 
  lightly, demanding the PCs back down before he and his companions teach them a lesson. 
  He will not wish to actually kill the PCs unless they push him too far, by which time he will 
  
  not hesitate in striking them down until the others surrender. Assuming no fight breaks out 
  the group will mostly sit at their table talking little. Gustav slowly drinks ale, Mathias does 
  not drink at all. Jakob will periodically often order spirits and will greet any who talk to 
  him. 
   
   
  The Witch Hunter’s Group 
   
  Gustav Kraus 
  A stern Sigmarite witch hunter, Gustav is a veteran of many a fight against Chaos and the 
  undead. He has been employed by the cult of Sigmar for most of his life, beginning when 
  he tracked down heretics who had offended the cult. His most notable feat came when in 
  the course of investigating a dissident group in Stirland he encountered and slew the Strigoi 
  vampire locally known as the Red Terror. The cult of Sigmar consequently sent him on 
  important tasks and eventually he was promoted to witch hunter status. Now he is often 
  despatched from the cult in Altdorf to missions they feel he would be suited to. In his 
  investigations he is stern and ruthless, suffering not any witch to live. His presence makes 
  normal folk uneasy, and this is with good reason for he would not blink in burning a village 
  to root out a single dark cult. 
   
  Race: Human 
  Career: Witch Hunter (ex-Bounty Hunter, ex-Vampire Hunter) 
   
  Main Profile 
  WS 
  BS 
  S 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  WP 
  Fel 
  68% 
  61% 
  48% 
  50% 
  51% 
  50% 
  72% 
  48% 
   
  Secondary Profile 
  A 
  W 
  SB 
  TB 
  M 
  Mag 
  IP 
  FP 
  3 
  18 
  4 
  5 
  4 
  - 
  3 
  - 
   
  Skills: Academic Knowledge (Magic), Academic Knowledge (Necromancy) +10%, 
  Academic Knowledge (Theology), Command, Common Knowledge (The Empire) +10%, 
  Concealment, Dodge Blow, Follow Trail +10%, Gossip, Intimidate +10%, Outdoor 
  Survival, Perception +10%, Read/Write, Ride, Scale Sheer Surface, Search, Shadowing, 
  Silent Move, Speak Language (Classical), Speak Language (Reikspiel) +10% 
   
  Talents: Coolheaded, Lightning Parry, Lightning Reflexes, Menacing, Mighty Shot, Public 
  Speaking, Rover, Sixth Sense, Specialist Weapon Group (Crossbow Pistol), Specialist 
  Weapons Group (Entangling), Stout-Hearted, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to Injure, Strike 
  to Stun, Tunnel Rat, Warrior Born 
   
  Armour: Heavy Armour (Full Plate Armour)  
  Armour Points: All Locations 5 
  Weapons: Best Craftsmanship Sword, Dagger, 4 Throwing Knives, Pistol 
  Trappings: 10 Yards of Rope, 8 gc 
  
  Special: Such is the strength of Gustav’s faith that any attacks from his sword count as 
  magical. 
   
   
  Mathias Trapp 
  A devout priest of Morr, Mathias works for the witch hunters’ guild. Most often this is with 
  Gustav Kraus but Mathias has also accompanied other vampire and witch hunters as they 
  tackle the undead. A sombre figure, Mathias rarely speaks and dresses entirely in black 
  robes adorned with talismans of Morr. He wears a plain black mask in public, and perhaps 
  not even Gustav has ever seen his face beyond the piercing green eyes and tight lipped 
  mouth. As with many priests of Morr Mathias is an expert at the destruction of spirits and 
  the undead. 
   
  Race: Human 
  Career: Anointed Priest of Morr (ex-Initiate, ex-Priest,) 
   
  Main Profile 
  WS 
  BS 
  S 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  WP 
  Fel 
  48% 
  44% 
  42% 
  43% 
  47% 
  48% 
  70% 
  45% 
  Secondary Profile 
  A 
  W 
  SB 
  TB 
  M 
  Mag 
  IP 
  FP 
  2 
  16 
  4 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  2 
  - 
   
  Skills: Academic Knowledge (History), Academic Knowledge (Necromancy) +10%, 
  Academic Knowledge (Theology) +20%, Channelling +10%, Charm, Common Knowledge 
  (The Empire), Common Knowledge (Estalia), Gossip, Heal +10%, Magical Sense, 
  Perception, Read/Write, Ride, Speak Arcane Language (Magick), Speak Language 
  (Classical), Speak Language (Estalian), Speak Language (Reikspiel) 
   
  Talents: Aethryic Attunement, Armoured Caster, Divine Lore (Morr), Fast Hands, 
  Lightning Reflexes, Meditation, Night Vision, Petty Magic (Divine), Warrior Born, Stout-
  Hearted, Strike to Stun 
   
  Armour: None 
  Weapons: Mace 
  Trappings: Priestly robes, books of scripture, spell ingredients 
  Special: In addition to the standard Lore of Morr spells, Mathias also knows the following: 
   
  Banishment 
  Casting Number: 9 
  Casting Time: Full Action 
  Ingredient: Holy Water (+1) 
  Description: This is a magic missile with damage 6 and range 36 yards (18 squares). 
  However this only deals damage to ghosts or spirits. 
   
   
  
  Jakob Velski  
  A hulking Kislevtie, Jakob is employed by Gustav as a bodyguard. Though Gustav is a 
  formidable fighter himself he finds in his line of work extra muscle is always welcome. 
  Originally Jakob was one of a mercenary party hired by Gustav to attack a necromancer in 
  his lair. Jakob was the only survivor of that group following the successful raid, and Gustav 
  was impressed at how ferociously the Kislevite had fought. Later Gustav would learn the 
  truth, that Jakob’s family had been killed by the undead when he was a boy and now Jakob 
  sought any opportunity for revenge. Jakob stayed in Gustav’s employment though as time 
  has progressed seems less interested in the money and seeks more and more opportunity to 
  destroy the undead menace. Though relatively stern, Jakob is the most cheerful of the witch 
  hunter’s group and is the only one likely to talk to local folk of matters other than his 
  mission. When not needed he can be found knocking back spirits at a bar, and drinking 
  most other men under the table.  
   
  Race: Human 
  Career: Veteran (ex-Kislevite Kossar, ex-Mercenary) 
   
  Main Profile 
  WS 
  BS 
  S 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  WP 
  Fel 
  56% 
  40% 
  47% 
  50% 
  46% 
  34% 
  45% 
  33% 
  Secondary Profile 
  A 
  W 
  SB 
  TB 
  M 
  Mag 
  IP 
  FP 
  2 
  18 
  4 
  5 
  4 
  - 
  2 
  - 
   
  Skills: Animal Care, Common Knowledge (Kislev), Consume Alcohol +10%, Dodge Blow 
  +10%, Gamble +10%, Gossip +20%, Haggle, Intimidate, Outdoor Survival, Perception 
  +10%, Read/Write, Ride, Search, Secret Language (Battle Tongue), Speak Language 
  (Kislevite), Speak Language (Reikspiel), Swim 
   
  Talents: Acute Hearing, Disarm, Quick Draw, Specialist Weapon Group (Two-handed), 
  Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to Injure, Strike to Stun, Very Resilient, Very Strong, Warrior 
  Born 
   
  Armour: Full Mail 
  Armour Points: All Locations 3 
  Weapons: Great Axe, Sword, Shield 
  Trappings: Hip flask of spirits, 5 gc 
   
  During the Night: 
  The strange occurrence take place once everyone has retired for the night. Choose one of 
  the PCs who is sleeping. This can be done randomly or you may select the unlucky soul 
  yourself, depending on who you think will make the best subject. That PCs begins having a 
  nightmare, that everything is dark but he has the sensation that he is resisting being 
  wrenched somewhere by a powerful unseen force. Suddenly he can resist no more and feels 
  himself briefly flying before he snaps wide awake. The PCs feels very strange, light headed 
  and numb all over. 
  
   
  The PCs soul has been ripped from his body. The PCs himself is now, for intents and 
  purposes, a ghost. His physical body is lifeless, a corpse, instead the player now plays a 
  ghostly form of himself. The ghost form looks exactly like the PC normally would, wearing 
  his standard clothes and carrying his equipment (though obviously these are just ghostly 
  projections, his actual equipment lies where he left it), however he is translucent. This is 
  always obvious, there is very little way to disguise the fact that they are see through. In fact 
  after a few hours the PC (or those around him) will realise he is becoming less and less 
  substantial, as though he is fading away. 
   
   The PC can still see and hear as usual, though he cannot touch things - he passes straight 
  through. He does not actually need to walk, he can simply float an inch off the ground. He 
  cannot rise any higher than this, nor can he sink into the ground itself. He cannot physically 
  interact with the real world, he cannot damage or be damaged with any attacks. The 
  exception is magical attacks which damage the ghost PC as usual. 
   
  This is an incredibly unnerving experience. As soon as the PC realises he is a ghost then he 
  gains 1 insanity point. In addition should the PC try anything particularly strange, such as 
  walking through a wall or a person he must make a WP test the first time he tries it. Failure 
  results in another insanity point. 
   
  Meanwhile: 
  What is the cause of this odd event? The night Fitz was attacked by Gustav and his 
  companions in the graveyard he had hidden his necromantic book amongst the graves. The 
  with hunter did not spot the book as he attacked, and it was left behind when the butcher 
  was dragged back to the town. 
   
  The next morning Detlef Jaeger, the 13 year old son of chicken farmer Stefan Jaeger 
  entered the graveyard with his friend Marie Wolkenstein. He had seen the witch hunter 
  denounce Fitz as an evil wizard and Detlef’s curiosity was raised. Amongst the graves 
  Detlef and Marie found Fitz’s book and escaped with it when they heard Gustav return to 
  the scene.  
   
  The two children looked through the book, though neither could read. Still the strange 
  symbols drew them in and as both slept that night the weird runes played in their minds. 
  This frightened Marie, and when she met Detlef the next day and he wanted to look through 
  the book again she ran. Still Detlef was not put off, and he spent his day hiding in a field 
  staring at the symbols. 
   
  That night, the night the PCs arrived in Diesdorf, Detlef snuck out of his home as his father 
  slept. He seemed drawn to the graveyard, where the runes in the tome seemed to sparkle in 
  the moonlight. He began tracing one complex series of symbols upon the grave earth. It 
  took him an hour to complete, but as he a wind suddenly blew where the night had been 
  still before. Detlef thought he could hear faint screams in the breeze and startled he jumped 
  up, scattering dirt and ruining the symbols he has traced. He grabbed the book and ran 
  home. 
  
   
  The symbol Detlef has drawn was part of a ritual designed to rip the souls from living 
  beings and bind them to the casters bidding. Without chanting the correct words, and 
  scattering the pattern in the grave earth, Detlef did not perform the ritual as fully intended. 
  As it went awry one souls was still separated from its body - that of the unlucky PC. 
   
  Wide Awake: 
  The incident upon the PC happens in the early morning, before the town begins to awake. 
  The PC must decide what to do. If the PCs are staying in a common room then the other 
  PCs will be nearby, if separate rooms have been taken then the ghost PC will have to find 
  the others, and remember that he can’t open doors - he’ll have to walk through them. If the 
  ghost PC touches someone sleeping, a chill will shiver through them and they will awaken. 
  The PC first seeing their companion as a ghost must make an easy (+20%) Wp test or cry 
  out, which may awaken other people in the inn. Note that the Witch Hunter and his group 
  each have a private room in the inn. 
   
  Once the PCs are awake they will need to decide what to do next. The ghost PC’s corpse 
  lies in a room, and if this is the common room it will surely be found by the innkeeper who 
  will raise the alarm. There are a number of options for the PCs, and the results of which are 
  up to the GM. Whilst hiding the body (perhaps in a private room in an Inn, maybe in the 
  stables at the back, or wherever the PCs decided) should present a worrying problem for the 
  PCs, the GM should feel free to play up the farcical nature of the situation, with Diesdorf 
  folk spotting the PCs, who will then have to come up with a cover story as to why they are 
  carrying their friend around. 
   
  The Investigation: 
  The PCs (especially the ghost) will want to find out what has happened and how they can 
  fix it. There are a number of places the PCs may look, detailed in the following section. The 
  PCs investigations should not be leisurely though, at all times the GM should highlight the 
  dangers posed by the Witch Hunter group. Note that the group s fairly powerful, and 
  Gustav alone could kill an entire party of lesser PCs. The idea therefore is to present the 
  Witch Hunter and his men as a looming threat, watching the PCs suspiciously, forcing the 
  party to sneak around. The idea is not to cause a confrontation, only to threaten the PCs 
  with one. 
   
  Note that it can be tempting for the ghost PC to stay hidden, in the inn or somewhere else. 
  To keep the PC involved in the adventure, hiding should be a constant worry for him. Have 
  the Witch Hunter Gustav pace around the inn, the innkeeper Oswald and his family 
  constantly be cleaning. The ghost PC should be kept on his toes, always fearing a 
  discovery. 
   
  Allow the ghost PC some leeway in these circumstances, always just ahead of being caught. 
  Of course should he be stupid enough not to hide from the Witch Hunter and his men then 
  Gustav will attempt to attack the PC. Resolve the fight as usual, though note that if the PC 
  should use a fate point then he remains a ghost, he does not return back to his body! If the 
  
  ghost PC escapes then Gustav and his henchmen will be constantly searching the town, and 
  questioning the other PCs very thoroughly. 
   
  Should any of the townsfolk get a glimpse of the ghost PC then initially they will not 
  believe their eyes. If the PC hangs around in plain sight, or reveals himself to a Diesdorf 
  resident then they will certainly cry out and run. If the other PCs cannot or do not stop them 
  and try and explain what it is they’ve seen (using some fanciful cover story) then the local 
  will tell Gustav, who will come and investigate. The PCs will have to do some explaining, 
  and even if they come up with an excuse the Witch Hunter will watch them with even more 
  suspicion. 
   
  Gustav Kraus: 
  The Witch Hunter’s days are spent in contemplation in his room in the Three Jolly 
  Boatmen, his face can often be seen from the window staring at people as they walk past. 
  Occasionally he will venture out to discuss things quietly with Mathias and Jakob. 
   
  The GM should use Gustav as a constant brooding presence, and an occasional hazard. As 
  they move past the inn his stare can often be seen looming over them. When they are acting 
  strangely in town he happens to be passing and confronts them. As with Jakob, Gustav 
  should not attack during this stage, he will accept PCs explanations for their actions and 
  retire suspiciously. 
   
  Jakob Velski: 
  Gustav’s Kislevite bodyguard spends the day wandering the town. He flirts shamelessly 
  with the local women, chats to shopkeepers about their trades and joins children in their 
  ball games. Though he may be enjoying his actions, the main reason for wandering the 
  town is to keep an eye on goings on for Gustav. Jakob is rather more amiable than the 
  Witch Hunter, and people are less likely to be concerned that he is around and more willing 
  to talk to him. 
   
  The GM should use Jakob as a constant worry for the PCs as they move through the town. 
  Should they act suspicious he may come and talk to them, see if he can find out anything. 
  Any suspicions he does have he will report to Gustav when he has the opportunity. During 
  this stage unless the PCs are actively hostile or have done poorly enough to deserve a fight 
  then Jakob will not attack. 
   
  Mathias Trapp: 
  Mathias spends the majority of his time in the graveyard, praying to Morr. See the 
  graveyard section for more details. 
   
  The Graveyard: 
  Diesdorf graveyard is a simple place, surrounded by a low stone wall. The north of the 
  graveyard, furthest from the town, is where the Schaden family bury their dead. These 
  graves have headstones with some decoration and clearly give the deceaseds’ names though 
  the oldest are somewhat worn and hard to read. The rest of the graveyard is used for the rest 
  
  of the people of Diesdorf. About half have simple headstones, the rest are marked simply 
  with small piles of stones or sticks.  
   
  The graveyard is occupied all day by Mathias Trapp, the priest of Morr, unless he has been 
  asked by Gustav to accompany him. The priest’s time will be spent in supplication to Morr. 
  For Mathias this involves kneeling down, forehead touching the grave earth and staying in 
  that position for hours. Should anyone visit the graveyard Mathias will cease his prayer and 
  sit up, staring unblinking from behind his mask at the visitors, completely silent. He will 
  not talk to them unless forced to, and even then his sentences are short and curt. He will 
  certainly report what he has seen to Gustav later. Should he see the ghost PC he will 
  immediately attempt to use his Banishment spell. Should the PCs become hostile he will 
  attempt to make a break for it and run to Gustav (or Jakob should the Kislevite be close by). 
   
  Aside from Mathias, searching the graveyard requires easy (+20%) search tests. A 
  successful test indicates the PC has found the partial symbols scrawled by Detlef in the 
  night. Note that the symbol in the earth is on the other side of the graveyard to where 
  Mathias prays, he has not spotted it. A successful challenging (-10%) Arcane Knowledge 
  (Magic) test is required to determine that this is part of a necromantic symbol. Alternatively 
  a character with Arcane Knowledge (Necromancy) can spot this without having to roll. In 
  addition the character may make an Arcane Knowledge (Necromancy) test, a pass reveals 
  that the symbol is part of a ritual designed to detach the souls of the living, though is 
  performed correctly it should affect a large group of people and the souls would be bound 
  to the caster’s bidding, this ritual appears to have not been completed. 
   
  A PC with Follow Trail may make an easy (+20%) test on that skill. A PC that passes can 
  identify tracks in the earth, leading to the spot and then away. If the Follow Trail test is 
  passed by 20% or more the PC can determine that the tracks were probably made by a 
  child, and that he arrived walking but left the scene in a hurry. The tracks fade out after a 
  short period of following them, they lead to and from the town but otherwise do not point 
  in any particular direction. 
   
  Another thing the PCs will spot in the graveyard are a number of freshly dug graves. These 
  were dug the day before under Gustav and Mathias’ supervision to rebury the undead that 
  Fitz summoned. Mathias performed rites of burial upon them to prevent them rising again. 
   
  Fitz’s House: 
  The PCs may decide to access Fitz’s boarded up butcher’s shop, behind where he also 
  lived. The front and back door have a number of planks nailed across them, and removing 
  them would be quite a lengthy process and attract attention from townsfolk passing by. It is 
  apparent that a side window has only one plank across it, and with a little force the shutters 
  easily push inwards. It’s a bit of a squeeze to get through the gap between the board and the 
  edge of the window, and the GM may rule that PCs with a particularly wide girth have 
  difficulty getting through. Of course the ghost PC can simply walk through the walls. 
   
  Though the window is on the side of the building, in a passage between Fitz’s place and a 
  next door house, any activity by the window will be noticed by people walking through the 
  
  town. The PC will have to be sneaky or create a distraction whilst they get in, though they 
  will have to be careful the distraction doesn’t make anyone suspicious of them, especially 
  the witch hunter’s group. 
   
  The house was searched by Gustav and Mathias after they hung Fitz in the town. They were 
  looking simply for any evidence of further necromancy or other dark arts. They left empty 
  handed, all Fitz had was the book which he left in the graveyard. It is fairly easy for the 
  PCs to see that the place has been searched, the witch hunter not being particularly subtle. 
  Any containers are open and strewn around in every room. In the kitchen crates have been 
  spilled open and barrels overturned. The front shop room is mostly empty, no produce is on 
  the shelves. The back bedroom is in a similar state to the kitchen, the bed has been 
  overturned and a table and chair lie on the floor. Note that whatever money Fitz had in his 
  house was taken by Gustav to donate to the temple of Sigmar and the Witch Hunter’s 
  temple. A few papers lie on the ground, obviously having fallen from the table. Most of the 
  papers are accounts over the last few years. One paper is different though, it’s a small love 
  letter from someone called Elsa, the paper looks fairly old. 
   
  Dearest Fitz, 
   
  I cannot wait until next we meet. My brother leaves for Altdorf on the morrow. Arrive with 
  your delivery at noon. I look forward to your spicy sausage. 
   
  Every day I fear we will be found out. I know my brother would not approve. Please destroy 
  this letter in case it falls into the wrong hands. 
   
  Your love, 
  Elsa 
  X 
   
  If the PCs ask any of the townsfolk if they know an Elsa they will most often make a grim 
  joke of it, “Aye, I know an Elsa, she lies over there” the villager will say, pointing to the 
  graveyard. After that they will remark that the only Elsa to live in the village was Elsa 
  Schaden, brother of Emil Schaden who owns much of the town. Elsa died over a year ago. 
  Her horse bolted as she rode through town and she fell and snapped her neck. 
   
  The Schaden Residence: 
  The largest house in Diesdorf is where the Schaden family have lived for years, the 
  mansion built as the village grew into a small town. The current resident is Emil Schaden 
  and three servants. He has no family, his sister Elsa dying over a year ago, though he is 
  courting a nobleman’s daughter in Altdorf. 
   
  A manservant will answer the door and let the PCs into a drawing room, where Emil will 
  meet them a few minutes later. If the PCs ask him about recent events in Diesdorf he will 
  regretfully say that he knows no more than anyone else and that he was shocked to find that 
  one of the townsfolk could be involved with dark magic. The PCs will find Emil distracts 
  
  himself by trying on a variety of hats and asking the PC’s opinions, perhaps giving the 
  impression he has something to hide and trying to take his mind off it. 
   
  If the PCs have read Elsa’s love letter to Fitz they may confront Emil about his sister and 
  the butcher. Emil will shake his head sadly and admit that Elsa had confessed to him that 
  she had been having a relationship with Fitz the butcher. Emil was shocked, he considers 
  the Schadens an upper class family and that it was not proper for one of them to see a 
  commoner. Despite her protests that she loved Fitz, Emil forbade Elsa from seeing him 
  again. He kept more of a watchful eye on her since then, until the terrible day when she fell 
  from her horse.  
   
  Emil will claim he has never talked to Fitz since Elsa confessed and has no idea if recent 
  happenings were anything to do with his sister. This however is a lie, since Fitz was the one 
  who obtained the necromantic tome and passed it to the butcher. Emil should look 
  decidedly nervous at this point, clueing the PCs in to the fact he has something to hide.  A 
  successful intimidation test will cause Emil to crack and confess. He will explain how it 
  was he who obtained a Necromantic tome in one his many trips to Altdorf, and that he gave 
  it to the butcher. He is certain everything that has happened since then is a result of Fitz’s 
  actions with the book. Emil will look quite wretched after this, despairing that he did it only 
  out of love for his sister. PCs may suspect Emil had something to do with his sister’s death. 
  This is simply not true, the death was a tragic accident. 
   
  What the PCs do with this information is up to them. They may choose to tell Gustav 
  Kraus, though Emil will plead with them to keep what he has done a secret. Should the 
  Witch Hunter find out his wrath will be immediate. The Witch Hunter will gather his men 
  and visit Emil. A confession will be tortured out of the poor nobleman, and a few hours 
  later his body will join that of Fitz the butcher, swinging on a gallows in the town centre. 
  Of course this does not actually help the ghost PC at all, though it will distract the Witch 
  Hunter for a while. 
   
  Temple of Sigmar: 
  Diesdorf’s only temple is a small building attended by brother Kaspar Eifer. Kaspar is 
  constantly on hand at the temple, unless called away to deal with some local matter the 
  townsfolk want looking into. He will dispense any religious wisdom that is requested. 
   
  If asked about any activity last night, he will mention that whilst sleeping he had a strange 
  nightmare where he felt his soul being ripped from his body. He awoke in a sweat and 
  decided to take a walk and get some air. Whilst wandering Diesdorf he saw a child running 
  through the town from somewhere to the north. Kaspar could not tell who it was or where 
  they went. 
   
  The Children: 
  With children’s footprints in the graveyard and Brother Kaspar recalling he saw a child 
  running through the streets late at night, the PCs may get the idea to ask the Diesdrof 
  children who play in the streets. This will invariably attract the attention of Jakob Velski, 
  who will at some point stride over forcing the PCs to speed up their conversation. 
  
   
  The children are always located in groups, the PCs cannot really corner one alone. If asked 
  if they’ve seen anything strange the children will pipe up with a number of less than bizarre 
  goings on that they nonetheless find fascinating, such as; 
   
  “Markus found a dead badger by the windmill and poked it with a stick and its eye fell out. 
  Ewwww.” 
   
  “Rosa kissed Gregor! Rosa kissed Gregor!” 
   
  “Annie said she saw a goblin by the stream but everyone knows she’s a big liar.” 
   
  “Clemens pushed Markus in the mud. Hehehe.” 
   
  The only way to get anything useful out the children will be to mention whether any of the 
  children has a book. If this is the case one of the children in the group will be Marie 
  Wolkenstein, who will talk up to say; 
   
  “Detlef found a book only he can’t read but it has funny pictures in it.” 
   
  Hopefully the PCs will pick up on this and ask Marie more questions. She will tell them she 
  is Detlef’s best friend and he found a book in the graveyard a few days ago. He showed her 
  the book, though neither could read it and the pictures made her head hurt and gave her 
  nightmares. Still Detlef would not get rid of the book. Marie has not seen Detlef since 
  sometime yesterday. She can tell the PCs where Detlef lives. 
   
  Stefan Jaeger’s House: 
  The chicken farmer Stefan Jaeger lives with his pregnant wife Esma and their son Detlef. 
  Stefan is a heavy set man who takes life very seriously. He has noticed his son has been 
  looking a little pale and acting fairly withdrawn recently. 
   
  Detlef is at home. He keeps the book under his wooden bed. If the PCs ask he will admit 
  that the book has been making him do some funny stuff, and that last night he went to the 
  graveyard. He cannot remember what he did exactly, his memory is blurry, but he 
  remembers that at one point he realised where he was and became scared. He stopped the 
  drawings he was making in the soil and ran back home. This was just before sunrise, and 
  the PCs should figure this was about the time one of the PCs became a ghost. 
   
  Though the book has a strange hold upon Detlef’s mind, the boy is frightened and will give 
  up the book to the PCs. 
   
  The Book: 
  The Necromantic tome is actually fairly unassuming, it is a small leather bound book with 
  no title. From the outside it looks fairly shabby. Inside the pages are loose and torn. 
  Looking through the book, most pages are covered in strange scrawling of circular patterns. 
  The spiral pictures do hurt the eyes if looked at for too long. There is also writing in 
  
  Reikspiel on some of the pages which gives details of various rituals designed to awaken 
  spirits and raise the dead. PCs who have located the symbols scrawled into the graveyard 
  earth can spot similar symbols on a page entitled ‘Call Forth Spirits’. This would appear to 
  be the ritual Detlef was performing without knowing it. The next page handily is titled 
  ‘Return Spirit’, so the PCs should figure this will reverse the spell. 
   
  If the PCs keep the book, then in the long term any PC who can read it may learn the skill 
  Academic Knowledge (Necromancy) for the usual 100 Exp. Of course carrying around 
  such a terrible tome of dark magic is a dangerous business, and should it be discovered the 
  PCs could be in big trouble. 
   
  Return Spirit: 
  Any PC who can read may attempt the Return Spirit ritual, however as with any ritual the 
  caster must be a magic user, other wise the ceremony simply wont work. The book had 
  corrupted young Detlef’s mind, and channelled its magic through him, but will not do so 
  for any one else. If the PCs do not have a magic user in the party then they will have to 
  find one. There are two magic users in Diesdorf, the Priest of Morr Mathias Trapp and 
  the Priest of Sigmar Kaspar Eifer. 
   
  PC may attempt to persuade either of these to help them. Brother Kaspar is a friendly 
  priest who attempts to aid those who ask him.  
   
  Brother Mathias speaks in short, terse sentences when he speaks at all. If the PCs 
  approach him with their problem he will at first think to tell Gustav, but if the PCs are 
  persuasive enough then Mathias can be brought round to their cause. But Mathias will 
  demand to know everything that has happened, including how the PCs got the book. 
  When he is happy the PCs are not necromancers then he will agree to perform the ritual, 
  though he will stipulate that he will keep the book afterwards, to be taken back to the 
  temple of Morr in Altdorf. 
   
   The writing on the page is accompanied by the required runes and reads as follows: 
   
  Return Spirit 
   
  Place the corpse upon graveyard earth. Circle the body with the runes shown. When the 
  runes are prepared, chant the names and read the verse; 
   
  “Morgoth. Y-elfet. Qianell. What is separate should be together. Make these whole. 
  Iquereth. Hatzal. Pyt.” 
   
  The caster should circle the body three times, repeating the verse. 
   
  If the ritual is read by a magic user, and the actions performed then the ritual will take 
  place. Around the area the wind gusts in a cyclone, throwing up dirt and leaves. The 
  ghost PC will find himself uncontrollably drawn to his corpse. When he is standing over 
  it he will feel light headed, and those around will see that he becomes more and more 
  
  insubstantial. Eventually the PC will feel himself pass out, and to the onlookers the spirit 
  vanishes, as does the wind rushing round them. Then with a sharp gasp of breath the 
  ‘corpse’ awakens and the PC is back to life. 
   
  Gustav’s Questions: 
  Unfortunately performing the ritual is fairly obvious, as the encircling wind it creates can 
  be seen and heard for a while round. As soon as the ritual is complete and the PC restored 
  Gustav and his men will turn up and demand to know what has happened. A number of 
  other villagers will also arrive to see what is going on. 
   
  If Mathias was the one that read out the ritual then he will explain everything to Gustav. 
  The Witch Hunter will look furious with the PCs, but will take no action against them. 
  Mathias will however mention the child Detlef, and how the book had affected his mind 
  (assuming the PCs revealed this to him, and did no invent some other story). 
   
  If Kaspar Eifer performed the ritual, or if one of the PCs is a priest of Sigmar or Morr, 
  then again Gustav will listen to their story. He will try and make sure of every detail 
  though, before conceding that the PCs are not necromancers. Again however he will look 
  interested in the story of Detlef. 
   
  If there are no appropriate priests present then Gustav will have less time for the PCs 
  tales. Any attempts to use their fellowship are counted as hard (-20%). If the PCs manage 
  to sufficiently convince Gustav that they are not necromancers then the Witch Hunter 
  will let them go. If at any point the PCs actually implicate themselves as being 
  necromancers, or make it appear that they are in league with dark forces, or simply 
  cannot explain themselves then Gustav will order their surrender to him. Assuming the 
  PCs refuse, his group will attack. If the PCs do surrender then they will be scheduled to 
  hang the next day. 
   
  The PCs may implicate Emil Schaden in the goings on, since it was Emil who obtained 
  the book for Fitz. Gustav will at this point send his man Jakob to Emil’s house. But the 
  Kislevite will a few minutes later to tell them that it appears Emil has fled town. 
   
  What to do with Detlef: 
  If it is revealed that the book has affected young Detlef’s mind, then Gustav will frown 
  and order the child brought to him. Once the PCs are cleared of being Necromancers he 
  will instead announce to the crowd that the boy has been infected by dark forces, and as 
  such must be burned! The crowd will gasp at this and look horrified, Detlef’s parents 
  Stefan and Esmer especially so. They will plead with Gustav to no avail. 
   
  Hopefully the PCs will leap to the boy’s defence. If they can come up with a reasonable 
  alternative to having Detlef killed then the Witch Hunter will begrudgingly concede. If 
  the PCs are drawing blanks then Mathias Trapp will make a suggestion - the boy could be 
  handed over to the temple of Morr in Altdorf and raised as an initiate where he can be 
  supervised. Gustav will agree to this, and Stefan and Esmer will too, as long as it stops 
  
  their child being burned by the Witch Hunter. With much tears they will hand their boy 
  over to the Priest of Morr. 
   
  Finally: 
  With the ghost PC restored and the Witch Hunter dealt with one way or the other the PCs 
  will no doubt be ready to leave Diesdorf and travel to wherever they were headed. 
   
  Experience: 
  The PCs should be awarded 60-80 Exp depending on how well they role-played the 
  situation. If they avoided a fight with Gustav and his men then a bonus 20 Exp can be 
  awarded. If the PCs stopped Gustav ‘dealing’ with Detlef then another 10 Exp is given. 
  Finally the unfortunate PC who became a ghost can be awarded an extra 50 Exp, since 
  being dead is quite an experience. 
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/Fantasy Roleplay/4e (C7)/Cato Contribution/Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay/2nd Edition/Homebrew & Fan Material/Grognard/Adventures/Thing to do in Diesdorf When You're Dead.pdf