Today sees the convoy arrive at Menshenfresserhoffen, what is known locally as the gateway to the ogre reservation. The village is an unremarkable mixture of humans and ogres. Architecture is typical of a peasant community, being wood and turf with an assortment of wattle and daub and adobe plaster. The village has no defences and is sparsely populated. Most ‘locals’ live in small farms scattered around or hunt in the wild for long periods of time, and the village itself serves more as a focus for the community than a true village.
The only unusual sights are the four small recruiting offices for the free companies; two are unadorned, one flies the sign of a hat and the other a cockatrice. The latter is the office of the Chancellery Agency, here to police the region and the ogres on behalf of the province. Another building flies the flag of Talabecland and is the home of the Electoral Agency, here in the role of that of the province’s feudal overlord. In reality, this is a minor posting for an out of favour vassal who is quickly shown the reality of the vassalage position. The current incumbent is Baron Thopia, who has actually proven quite popular here since he is a warrior and not a diplomat, and engages in very little diplomacy for his overlord. He can often be found, sparring (and not always losing) with the locals.
There is also a temple to Myrmidia here, and it this that oversees the ogre janissary licences, which enable an employer to effectively purchase ogre soldiers. Ogres can
be legally sold into service, though this is expensive and needs a legal ceremony. Such soldiers are guaranteed retirement bonuses. The contract is enforced by the akritoi, a group of ogre bounty hunters. Professor Stradovski bought two soldiers here. The temple is primarily an administrative building, but has a small shrine. The Cult of Verena shares the premises, and also has a shrine here. There is some friction between the two, as the Verenans are here to ‘monitor’ the janissary contracts. They also oversee some of the mundane contracts taken out here by the other Free Companies. Shrines, including one to the Great Maw, represent other faiths. Stradovski and party made some devotions to the various shrines, though no-one can recall any in particular. He seemed simply to be ‘going through the motions’.
The following identities might prove useful:
Verenan priest: Marcomann, young and fussy, pedantically reviews everything that
Decalbus does, much to the latter’s chagrin. Marcomann is a pedant, not actually nasty, but his actions seem to cause offence wherever he goes.
Myrmidian priest: Decalbus, originally from Nuln and from a family who own large
areas of land in the south eastern corner of Wissenland, he is an archetypal career priest and a highly patriarchal figure. His silver grey hair and patrician nose improve this image. This is a political posting for a priest out of favour and is resented.
Chancellery Agent: Tisucnik Hermann Cheruscan is currently concerned of stories
concerning a renegade ogre, Golgfag, who is purportedly raising volunteers to work independently to the highest bidder, including orcs and worse. He has not the soldiers to find and winkle him out, but will try and hire the PCs. Only the most desperate PCs would even contemplate this. Enough said!
Electoral Agent: Baron Thopia, a large man with curly brown hair and beard Free Company of the Hat: Helene Paulsen is a local agent.
Independent Agents: Wolf von Schönberg and Maximilian von Egmond-Buren are
independent agents representing Free Companies, ogres and some distinguished clients. Alcibiades Alemann is currently here negotiating on behalf of the Red Company of Remas.
Company of Proof-making: Max von Pickenau leads a number of assorted exiled
witch-hunters (some from the Ostland purge) and other motley individuals. The basic premise of the group is that without Law, society is nothing. Feeling constantly obstructed by liberals and other weak-willed officials, they have decided to become anarchists to illustrate what happens in the absence of Law. These are a group of Lawful anarchists, plaguing the region with petty crimes to ‘prove’ their point. The authorities have not the force locally to remove them, or any proof of their crimes, but in the medium term they are bound to enrage enough people to silence them. PCs are, of course, a perfect example of what this group despises, and they will not be afraid to show this.
From Menshenfresserhoffen, the caravan travels along the Taalweg, a poorly maintained road of ancient construction. An occasional menhir is located by the side of the road and appears to be used as a shrine by some, judging from the offerings of plants and trinkets.
Day Six
A small shrine to Verena has been placed here, but with no shelter for travellers. There is a cleared site and a fire pit. A crude wooden sign posted next to the fire pit promises food and shelter available for sale at the nearby village of Seuthes, indicated by an arrow. This might appear suspicious, but is simply a small local village attempting to make a little cash out of the few travellers. The caravan knows the village, and uses it regularly. Professor Stradovski and his party stayed here. Stradovski was seen at a small shrine to a local deity, Biersal, remembered as the locals only acknowledge the deity out of necessity.