25 Brauzeit
In hindsight, our stay in the city of Kemperbad was largely irrelevant in terms of our quest and the advancement of the House of Liberungen. But I must say that of all the places I've visited Kemperbad ranks very high indeed. The place is clean and relatively orderly (unless you run afoul with the local crime gangs), the food is excellent, and the brandy second to none. It's a place where you can find all manner of goods, thing you'd normally have to go to Marienburg or Altdorf or Nuln to find. If I'm not much mistaken there is also a sizeable black market.
Anyway. After making friends with herr Otto, a surprisingly young and common-looking leader of one of the dock-gangs, we entered the city above. Took one of the damnable basket-elevators instead of the 1113 steps to the top. Our mission: to search for information about Hertzen. We quickly learned she had come through the place about two months prior. Then we didn't learn much more, which was frustrating, but probably due to the fact there wasn't much more to be learned.
26 Brauzeit
Made contact with Franz Helgmar Füller, a prominent merchant (I forget to ask what he traded with) an member of the Council of Thirteen (an ominous name for a city council if you ask me). Fortunately he seemed a tad bit nicer than the councilmen from Grissenwald (after that town and Bögenhafen I'm unlikely to ever trust a councilman again) and we didn't have to kill him or burn anything down. He had some additional intel on Hertzen, that she was well connected and respected, but ultimately nothing of importance. There was little to go on with regards to the Red Crown or any other cult. If we started randomly seizing people or inciting violence it would lead to... the plunge.
Let me explain: In Kemperbad, there are none of the Emperor's "unfortunates" and no overfilled prisoners either. Instead, these people take the "plunge," which is jumping off the cliff into the Reik below (trust me, no one can survive that fall). There is a marvelous inn called "The Plunge" that sits right next to the spot where the majority of mercy killings and executions take place. You can't see them do the actually jump (or be tossed) but you have a marvelous view of the plunge. Meanwhile you can enjoy a good meal and some fine wine and brandy.
28 Brauzeit
Much of the previous day is gone from my memory. Otto took me, Thesalva, and Ulfberth slumming in the city above. Shoved us all the good brandy spots. Woke up in the courtyard of a townhouse. Had to pick Thes down from the roof. I've never seen a drunk woman on a roof look that good. Must have been a grand night about town.
29 Brauzeit
I'm felt much better today.
Went to the temple of Verena to check up on the von Wittgenstein family. It's an old family, with a small barony sitting on the western bank of the Reik, not too far upstream from Kemperbad. A big old castle on a bluff overlooking the river, a village called Wittgendrof (very original name) nearby. We rode past the place coming down the river, but with the rain and everything you could hardly see across the Reik. I probably wouldn't have noticed anyway: there must be a hundred old castles along the Reik.
The current ruler is Baroness von Wittgenstein, the widow of Baron Ludwig (Dagmar's great-grandson). They have three adult children, Gotthard, Margritte, and Kurt. The Wittgenstein lands lie fully within the Markgraviate of Mackenstein but the family owes allegiance directly to the Kurfürst (Elector-Count) of Reikland (who happens to be the Emperor Lutipold I).
30 Brauzeit
My blood was up today. No idea why. Ended up in a big old quarrel with Vincenzo, another crime boss (this one from Tilea). Fortunately, things settled down before the killing began. We got confirmation that Herzten had passed this way almost tow months ago with a small barge and an even smaller river boat. Here party counted twenty or more people. They had a big oak casket bound with iron bands and carrying handles. A curious thing to bring into the wilds.
31 Brauzeit
Finally managed to extricate myself from Kemperbad. We're on a mission here but somehow we've wasted a week doing nothing much of anything. Gotta love the place. I'll look into acquiring a small house in the city. Or I can stay at the Plunge when I'm in town.
Up the locks we went, into the calmer, but still spirited River Stir. A few days upriver we'll reach Unterbaum and another set of locks. That's where we'll debark and head into the hills.
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