From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 28 (The old tower)

Totally not the Inquisition's rowboat

23 Brauzeit

Came across a small island in the middle of the Reik. It was getting dark (and still raining orks and goblins) so we docked in the backwater behind a stone jetty. Came across a couple of dwarfs all too eager to book passage - Kemperbad or elsewhere, just off the island. Their overseer was not impressed and threatened expulsion from the guild and worse. The workers were convinced something evil was afoot. the overseer insisted nothing of the sort was happening.

The tower the dwarfs were building was part of a chain of new signal towers ordered by the Emperor, running from Nuln to Altdorf. They used a system of powerful lights and reflective mirrors to signal further and more accurately than the old signal fires.

Long story short: the new tower was built atop and older structure. I became convinced there was a way inside but we could not find it. Not until I discovered the disturbed graves for five people. One of the dwarfs had looted the graves and something had awoken inside to tower...

Armed with five special keys taken from the dead I was able to get inside. And behold the secret laboratory and library of a long-dead wizard. We found the gruesome remains of the missing dwarfs, half-eaten and badly decomposed. I was set upon by a foul undead creature (it had another type of key that opened a secret door to the outside). Perhaps the tower's original occupant, perhaps someone else. Put it to rest, looted the place, and sealed it behind us.

After looking through some old papers I've come to belive that the owner of the tower, one Dagmar von Wittgenstein, was after the very same thing we're going to the Baden/Barren Hills to claim. A coincidence? I think not.

25 Brauzeit

It finally stopped raining. We reached Kemberbad in bright sunshine. And what a sight it was: a wall of rock, a cliff as steep as any I've seen running along the entire north-eastern  side of the Reik. The white houses of Kemperbad on the top, a vast network of docks built on wooden pillars below. As we drew nearer we heard the roar of the River Stir running swift and white though a gorge, spilling into the Reik. A series of locks running from the Reik, past the rapids, so that rive boats and barges can more towards the distant eastern lands. 

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 27 (Along the Reik)

 

15 Brauzeit

Rode through Nuln on our ay north. Stopped by the castle to pay my respects. Found the Kurfürstin dressed and ready to ride. Going to visit her ancestral lands up by Meissen.

Before she parted wats she showed me a decree made by the glorious Emperor Lutipold I, long may he reign. There are no mutants. They don't exist. They are human like us, citizens of the empire. They are unfortunates that must be cared for an protected. Emmanuelle wasn't too impressed. I'm not sure what to think. I've met more than a few mutants and none of them were even remotely redeemable.

17 Brauzeit

Shot a fine stag in the woods east of the road. Technically poaching but what's a couple of servings of venison among nobles?

Brought it to the Red Griffon Coaching Inn and had a meal prepared. Sitting before the fire with Ulf on one side and Thes on the other, with my own sun-priest talking about how Ankh-Akh first taught men to hunt (according to Ankh-Akh anything good was given to Man by Ankh-Akh)… this is the life. 

22 Brauzeit

Spent the night in the town of Arthdorf (yes, that's it's real name) on the bank of the Reik and continued north the day after in pouring rain. It's been getting progressively colder and wetter sine we left Nuln. The charm of being on the road again has been well and truly strangled.

Later in the day we came across a brightly painted river boat drifting close to the bank, either caught on something underwater or in a backwater. We could not see any crew but the craft itself looked undamaged.

We sent Ulfberth swimming. He's our only swimmer (I have this vague idea that maybe Thesalva can swim if she really needs to but doesn't want to). He got dragged down by something. Blood and ink in the water. He resurfaced and made his way to the boat. We were attacked by a harpy or some such. I shot it quickly lest the rain ruin my powered. It fell into the river and was gone. Ulf slew a couple of unfortunates aboard the barge that tried to murder him. One had a beaked face, the other fur. Not mutants but river pirates. For which the penalty is death.

Found a crewmember alive: Renate Hausier, a young woman of (in my opinion) obvious strigany heritage. She insisted she was nothing but a good Stirlander far from home. The boat belonged to her family. her uncle, now dead, had been the captain. The other crew were also family members, cousins or whatever.

The poor girl couldn't run the boat alone so we decided to go to Kemperbad with her. Ankh will take the horses. He's a big boy. If something happens he can take care of himself.

Emperor Lutipold I and his forebears

 

The Elected Emperors

Magnus the Pious (2304-2369, Nuln): Reunited a fractured Empire. Victor at the battle at the gates of Kislev. Founded the Colleges of Magic. Reaffirmed the ancient "Emperor Elect" tradition.

Leopold (2369-2411, Stirland): Grandfather of Dieter IV. A great administrator and innovator who was responsible for much of the groundwork that made the modern Empire possible.

Dieter IV (2411-2429, Stirland): Wildly obese and incompetent Emperor who sold Marienburg's independence. Universally despised, he effectively ended any hope of Stirland being reelected.

Wilhelm III (2429-2432, Reikland): The elderly and effete Wilhelm was elected either because he was a canny politician or because he was perceived as weak, depending on who you ask. His reign was short but effectively established the current royal line. 

Matthias IV (2432-2438, Reikland): Wilhelm III's nehpew. Father of Mattheus II. A fine knight and commander, he spent a lot of money on the palace in Altdorf and other Imperial properties, from Castle Reikdorff to various pleasure palaces. Disappeared without a trace six years after his coronation after mingling with the people in disguise to learn their true feelings about their Emperor.

Mattheus II (2438-2470, Reikland): Father of Luitpold I. Mattheus II is the archetypical Empire Emperor: martially inclined, personally courageous, a fine battlefield commander, a patron of the arts, and more. It's perhaps hard to believe that one man could be so blessed by the gods but the troubadours still sign his praise nearly 30 years after his death, and the commoners swear by his name.

Luitpold (2470-present, Reikland): Father of Karl Franz. An intensely private person, Lutipod and the rest of the Imperial family rarely appear in public. He's maintained peace and order in the Empire for nearly three decades, which is no mean feat, but he's nowhere near as popular as his father was. In fact, the many new taxes that have been made law during his reign have earned him a nickname: Lutipold the Dragon (a reference to his lust for gold).

Karl Franz: Imperial Crown Prince. He has a sister, Isadora.