From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 12 (Sold down the river)

 

19 Pflugzeit

With Bögenhafen out of sight - if not out of mind - we had us a little party to celebrate our victory and honor the fallen. Isolde drank too deeply and too quickly. Puked and passed out long before what's proper, even for a lady. She's young and has lost the most. I will strive to be supportive and give her the affection she deserves.

Had a chat with Josef and Philippe. After dropping us off at Ubersreik, Josef will take the Berebeli downriver, sell all the goods (he's estimating a profit of between 800 and 1200 gold if all goes well), get rid of the boat, and get another one. The Berebeli is old and decrepit - and she's one of the few things to link us to the Bögenhafen docks. Better she changes hands and name. My brother will then rejoin us in Ubersreik, where we'll set up a business together. I'll arrange for a warehouse or something - the merchants of Bögenhafen had a lot of those and they were stinking rich - and also buy a quarter share in the new barge. Could call it Janna-Marie or something. Nothing wrong with honoring the dead.

Speaking of Ubersreik that's where we'll stash Anna & Annika. Fine women the both of them, but they are not combatants and never will be. Perhaps they can set up shop in the von Liberung townhouse or something. I don't have all the details rear - never even been to Ubersreik before - but it'll be fine, I'm sure of it.

Thesalva and Ulfberth are with me all the way, over the top and through the breach. Finer, braver, and more loyal companions no warrior could wish for. If their own peoples won't have them, their loss. Von Liberung will count them as his best man/elf.

We were a bit overloaded so we had to drop off some crate or the other in deep water. That done, we floated better and slowly sailed downriver towards Weissbruck. The current was working to our advantage, but the northerly winds were not. Josef says maybe five days to Weissbruck where he'll unload some legit cargo he picked up in Bögenhafen.

Debated sending another letter to Bova. I'll pass - for now. I'm not sure she can be trusted, not like my companions can. That's what my instincts tell me, and I like to think of myself as a good judge of character.

20-23 Pflugzeit

More time spent on the river. It's getting pretty boring. 

Isolde is moody and given to drink, and her performances make grown men cry. Not because they are bad, but because they are sad. Rather than let her suffer I gave her a good dicking. That brought about quite the change. The way she plays that lute... no one can resist the call to dance. And no woman can resist the Wigmar.

Philippe shot a man in the face down in Gramdorf. Tried to stab a crippled man after calling him a liar, a cheat, and worse. Justice served if you asked me. Ten gold crowns and the city watch agreed wholeheartedly.

On the 23rd we reached Weissbruck and got rid of the cargo. News from Bögenhafen had gotten there before us. Well, not very accurate news. Just rumors, some of them pretty wild.

24-28 Pflugzeit

Josef turned the Berebeli around and we went upriver again. When we reached Gramdorf we left the Bögen to go up the Blut - the blood river, so named because of its ruddy color. Philippe was not allowed to shoot anyone this time.

The Blut is not as wide as the Bögen but flows more quickly. Through deep forests, we traveled for three days, the mighty Hägercrybs growing in front of us with every passing hour. On the eve of the third day, we reached the small town of Blutroch.

It's a challenge to keep all the ladies happy. I can't wait to get to Ubersreik so I can get away from them.

The day after Blutroch we left the red river and sailed south, up the Tahme river. The Hägercrybs are to our left now, covered in dark, forested valleys, except for some jagged, barren peaks. Who knows what horrors lurk there. We won't find out, because we're taking the long way around.

On the evening of the 28th, we put in at Tahme, a large trading town in the heart of the Reikwald. We quickly learned the Berebeli wasn't going further upriver. The water level of the Tahme was too low for a barge as big and heavily laden. This was unusual for this time of year. Some blamed a lack of winter snows, others a lack of spring rains. Another theory was jealous dwarves damming the river.

Josef will turn the Berebeli around and head of Carroburg and maybe Marienburg. The rest of us will go overland to Ubersreik. I think I'll make a small offering to Ranald. I was getting mighty fed up with that boat and the constant wet and creaking.

Let von Liberung ride into Ubersreik in style, rather than come as a lowly peasant aboard a rotten barge!

Weissbruck and the Weissbruck Canal

Fire on the river

The trip to Bögenhafen involves traveling the full length of the Weissbruck Canal from outside Altdorf to Weissbruck, where it joins the River Bögen. Barges enter the great lock at the entrance of the canal by the quiet village of Lethov on the very edge of the Altdorf Flats. Here the toll of 2 GC is paid and the barge passes through to the canal itself.

The 60-mile Weissbruck Canal was completed in 2462 IC to carry coal and iron from the mines at Delfgruber directly to Altdorf, avoiding the heavy tolls in Carroburg. Originally designed to accommodate narrow barges towed by horses, the owners have since opened the canal to barges of all kinds to increase toll revenues. However, as the canal is only 25ft wide at its narrowest point, and given the average Reik barge is some 23ft wide, the canal is far too narrow for two larger barges to pass side-by-side. To remedy this, an expensive refit began 20 years ago to widen the canal to at least 50ft in key sections to provide ‘passing places’. It was already this wide by the berthing points and locks, but these were too infrequent to ensure jams were not a daily occurrence. 

Today, all the original berthing points have inns adjacent, which are broadly similar in layout to the Coach and Horses Inn. House Gruber of Weissbruck manages the canal on behalf of the three noble houses who own it in equal parts: Gruber, Holzkrug, and Holswig-Schleistein. There is an 18/– toll per barge to enter the canal, or 2 GC for barges over 12ft wide, collected at either the Reiksport or Weissbruck end. There are no further toll points along the canal itself.

Weissbruck is a swiftly growing town on the River Bögen. It is ruled by the recently ennobled House Gruber, a family that may be rich because of its deep mines in the Skaag Hills, but has little in the way of status. Less than a century ago, Wiessbruck was just another small farming and fishing village, but with the opening of the nearby mines and the construction of the canal, it has expanded rapidly. 

It is now a bustling merchant town with a population that's quickly growing towards 2000, and the sound of construction rings everywhere as new buildings expand the outskirts to all sides. Warehouses line the canal and river banks, storing coal and iron ore from the nearby mines, wool and wine from Bögenhafen, and all manner of goods from Altdorf, Carroburg, and the Vorbergland Canals.

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 6 (Altdorf to Bögenhafen)

Good times

7 Pflugzeit

Went to the docks to arrange for transportation. Ran into Josef, my brother. Hadn't seen him since I was 5 or 6. That's when our parents died and we got adopted by different families. He was taken in by the Quartjins and I went to Uncle. 

What are the odds for such a meeting? Not as small as you'd think. The Quartjins were river folk and my brother is the first mate of a river barge, the Berebeli, so meeting him on the docks of Altdorf...unlikely but hardly impossible. 

Arranged for transportation up to Bögenhafen by way of the Weissbruck canal. It's by far the easiest and cheapest way for all of us to get to Lock, Stock, and Barl - and my rightful birthright. We'll gather some supplies and our gear and meet Josef in the morning.

8 Pflugzeit

Got up early and got to the docks before the crowds grew too thick. What a waste. Captain Vinck, the owner and master of the Berebeli, was nowhere to be found. A ship - even a river barge - can't sail without a captain. Josef sent two men to look for the man. Apparently, he's got a fondness for drink and women. What man doesn't?

University

While we waited a pair of riders came down along the docks. Dressed pretty and riding fancy coursers in matching grey. One of them, a young lad in livery, came aboard, looking for Wigmar Heck. Offered to pass along the message. 

When he was gone, I broke the seal. An invitation from Professor Emeritus of Justice, Lady Bova von Dunkelberg, University of Altdorf, College of Orell. With nothing else to do, I took Ulfberth with me and went to say hello.

We found the College of Orell next to the Temple of Verena and the Great Library. Bova von Dunkelberg turned out to be an elderly lady with long grey hair, a tight black dress, and cold eyes. A former professor of law, an initiate of Verena - and a witch-hunter. Of the same Order (apparently there are several) as Peter Baden-Vürt, the guy we found swinging from the white oak.

Fortunately, we weren't in any kind of trouble. She'd gotten a letter from Duke Günter von Etzel and just wanted to get our first-hand accounts of the Drinker priest and the skin-changers. Paid us a gold coin each and said her Order would pay well for detailed accounts of encounters with monsters and mutants.

Before we left we checked for any references to von Liberung. Had half expected it to be a hoax but it's real. We found the Liberung coat of arms a black "mountain" on a while field, with the iron cross in black in one corner. Baronett von Liberung received a fief up by Ubersreik, no more than 20 miles from town, 80 or so years ago. The fief has to be there still, with my 20.000 gold.

Departure

When we got back there was still no captain. The crew knew he'd left a brothel late at night, going back to the Berebeli. But he never showed and no one had seen him after. Got this feeling we might never see the good captain again. A feeling that was reinforced when Josef told us two men - a short fat one with watery eyes, and a tall thin one with a crooked nose - had been asking about one Kastor Liberung down by the docks. No "von" and no "Wigmar." Kastor. Liberung. Time to go.

Josef left a word with the dockmaster and off we went, down the river, crossing beneath the great walls of the city, marveling at the great war-fleet of the Empire that has never seen the sea, and down to the canal. We crossed the first lock and immediately went ashore. The canal is wide enough for only one barge at a time so boats have to wait their turn. And there is no traveling at night.

Almost forgot. Josef told me something I didn't know: I'm adopted. Not by Uncle. That I knew already. But by Mother and Father. Several of us kids were. Josef knew, he was 9 or 10 when they died. But I was a little boy and no one had told me. Does that mean I'm actually related to Kastor Liberung? The resemblance is uncanny.

Knives in the dark

Lady Isolde played at the local river inn - not too different from coaching inns, but catering to river-folk - and we had a great time. Got attacked during the night though. Two men tried to climb aboard. Thank Sigmar for Thesalva. She sleeps little and sees in the dark as well as men do during the day. She shot an arrow through the neck of the first man and put one in the back of the other. I shot him in the head for good measure and that was that.

Fished the corpse out of the canal and had a good look at both. Definitely, the two rascals who had been at the Altdorf docks, asking for Liberung. Probably came across in a small boat. Save a few coins there was nothing to find, leaving us not much wiser.

9-11 Pflugzeit

After the attack, nothing much happened. Took us three days to reach Weisbruck. Moved Lady Isolde into the main cabin. Thesalva started teaching Janna - Isolde's maid - how to kill people with blade and bow. Had the girl running ragged but the poor thing didn't seem to mind. Not sure how that will turn out but it's a sight to see for sure. Worked on my blade skills with Philippe and trying to figure out some bayonet moves with the rifle. Gotta be careful though. Easy to ruin a good gun by using it like a spear and club!

Also had some fun with "Anna" and Annika. In the process we got the grimoire to open. We couldn't before but then suddenly it opened without Annika actually doing anything. Anyway. It's important to understand what Kastor Liberung was up to so opening the book was a good first step. But it's written in Magick, which is similar to Classical but not the same. And of course, no one but wizards can read Magick...looks like we'll need to find us a spell-caster who's willing to take a few coins to keep things quiet.

Weissbruck

Long story short: We cleared the last lock and got into the River Bögen. We tied up for the night and decided to have some fun. The river-folk and Ulfberth to the Black Gold Inn and the high-born to the Trumpet Inn. It was a grand experience. Had to bribe the innkeep a bit but once Isolde got going...full house and much fun to be had. She really is very talented. The way her fiery hair shines in the firelight,  eyes sparkling, and that voice...she's much too good for some country knight or the other.

Made a new friend: Adolphus Kuftsos, a mean-looking bounty hunter out looking for one Kastor Liberung. Had been for some time. Kastor is wanted for questioning in Nuln of all places. Something to do with kidnapping several people several years ago, including a member of the wrong kind of family: one with the resources to pay for justice. Kastor definitely isn't my twin - he's got to be a bit older than I am - but could still be my brother.

Adolphus admitted to being a bit confused. I looked like Kastor and used the Liberung name but there was a lot about me that didn't make any sense. Which was why he hadn't made any moves. That and the party of strongmen in my company. Before we said goodbye he had one other tidbit to offer: the two dead men were friends of Kastor. So why did they come with knives in the dark to murder him? Yet another mystery. Kuftsos is also headed for Bögenhafen. Might meet him again.

This Liberung business is getting stranger with every passing day.

12-15 Pflugzeit

Spent four days sailing up the river Bögen from Weissbruck to Bögenhafen. The weather wasn't great but we had a steady northwesterly push us steadily against the current. Not much happened. Weapons practice, carnal pleasures - I'm not paying for that ever again - and watching an elf turn a servant into a killer. Thesalva is something special that's for sure. Her skill with bow and blade, the way she dresses like a man. It's easy to forget the woman underneath - until she puts on a dress and you smell her hair.  

Each night spent in a different village, eating and drinking, and watching Isolde work her magic on the crowd.

And then we were there, on the docks of Bögenhafen.