You may have seen a few posts we’ve done in the past highlighting our upcoming narrative event at Battlefield Hobbies in Daventry, UK.

We’re now a little over two weeks away from the event and players have started submitting their lists. But it wouldn’t be a Woehammer event without some last minute additions to the weekend narrative!

Background

I’ve mentioned previously that the campaign is taking place in the Border Princes, but I didn’t specify where. I mentioned a place called Valdorn briefly for the first scenario and this remains the same – however, what you don’t know is the whole background as to why the campaign is taking place.

Mortensholm is a city-state in the Border Princes near the mountain range of The Vaults.

Although the Border Princes are in a permanent state of change, during the last years and decades the colonisation of the area has increased; though far from completely pacified, the wild lands of the Border Princes now boast a handful of thriving city-states. The Free City of Mortensholm is one of these fortified settlements, situated on the road that comes from the Winter’s Teeth Pass, once it leaves the mountains.

This settlement was originally founded by the Norscan pirate and merchant Morten One-Eye, around the year 1992 IC. According to Morten’s Saga, which is still told around the winter fires in Norsca, the great jarl plowed through the Black Gulf towards the River Yetzin and continued upriver while navigable by boat. He set up a camp in the place that would later be known as Mortensholm; a plateau full of grasslands on the edge of the foothills. Over the next two centuries, this small camp grew and flourished; Morten and his men cleared the surrounding area of goblinoids and other monsters, and the Norse colony built an important junction point on the trade routes that depended on the Winter’s Teeth Pass.

Lord Ulrich Vael

Now, the city’s future hangs in the balance. Mortensholm’s current ruler Lord Ulrich Vael has sent an urgent call for aid, appealing to Bretonnia, the Empire, and the Dwarfs to defend the city from the tide of destruction sweeping through the Border Princes. But his motives remain unclear. Some whisper that he has turned to darker powers in his desperation. Others fear that the city’s true enemy lurks within its own walls.

For the Forces of Fantasy, Mortensholm represents a crucial last stand—if it falls, the Winter’s Teeth Pass will be lost, and the armies of Chaos will spill into the lands beyond. But even among their ranks, some question: Are they saving a city, or merely delaying the inevitable?

For the Ravening Hordes, Mortensholm is ripe for conquest. The warlords of Chaos see its fortifications and trade routes as key to their dominion. The Chaos Dwarfs and Dark Elves see a prize of slaves and resources. The Beastmen seek only to reduce it to ruin and carrion.

The battle for Mortensholm will determine the fate of the Border Princes and beyond.

Weekend Mechanics

As you all will be aware from reading the narrative pack, each scenario will have an objective which influences which alliance wins that round overall and determines a factor in the following battle. This still remains the case as do the scenarios and list building criteria – nothing has changed at all here – don’t worry! But I am introducing….

Political Agents and Court Influence

After a win, each player must roll a D6 – this roll will determine the amount of influence you hold over the court of Hortensholm through your court representative (who could be open an honest as to their identity in the case of the forces of Good, or a Wolf in Sheep clothing in the case of the evil factions). The court representatives whisper into the ear of Lord Ulrich Vael the benefits of your leadership, hoping to entice Ulrich to your influence. The influence roll will need to be performed either in front of your opponent or myself at the event and then communicated to me so that I can record it. I’ll then keep a record of both, the overall alliance influence over the court as well as each player’s individual influence.

Each player will have one political agent at their disposal. A political agent is your representatives right-hand man in the court and can only be used once during the campaign weekend. Following one of your victories in battle over the course of the weekend (or as a final gambit at the event’s conclusion), you may perform one of the following actions:

1) Bribery & Blackmail: Use your political agent to have a guaranteed 6 from your influence roll following victory in battle.

2) Sabotage: Use your political agent to reduce a chosen players influence by D6 – Yes, this can even be an allied player should you wish.

3) Spy in the Court: Instead of rolling D6 for your influence following a battle, you may instead steal D3 influence points from another player’s influence in the court which is then added to your total. Yes, again, this may also be an allied player.

4) Final Gambit: After all the games are complete, you may use your political agent on a final gambit, roll a D6 – On a 3+ you gain D6 influence points. On a 1-2 you lose D3 influence points.

Remember, these Political Agent’s may only be used once over the weekend, so use them wisely!