Franz Lohner’s Chronicle - Stray Champions

An absent-minded man of mysteries, Franz Lohner relies on his bulging journal to keep track of occurrences, intrigues and arguments around Taal's Horn Keep. Sometimes his notes are even useful, believe it or not. The Franz Lohner Chronicles are extracts from that journal.

You know, one of the things I like about life is that there’s always more to learn. Some folk, especially those with academic qualifications, for some strange reason, seem to set like amber - or maybe congeal like sewer run-off – the older they get, refusing to entertain any kind of idea that they haven’t already encountered. Not me. The more I learn, the less stupid I feel … even when that learning ain’t exactly welcoming.

Take these Shadow Champions of Be’lakor’s, for example. At first, I thought they were just more ill-tempered northlanders drawn into daemonic service. Let’s be honest, we ain’t exactly short of that sort of lunatic hereabouts - or anywhere abouts, now I think on it. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit deeper and darker than that. I’ve been chatting with a few friends up in Altdorf, gained access to one or two temple vaults, and I’ve got the Shadow Champions’ number, tied and true.

You see, each of Be’lakor’s Shadow Champions - I won’t write their names down for fear of something coming crawling out of the ink – didn’t start out a raging, axe-happy son of sedition. No siree! Not the carefree and unhygienic life of a northland marauder for them. Turns out, each of the trio was a devout member of the Order of the Silver Hammer. If you find that a bit incredible, well, I can’t says that I blame you. But it gets worse. You see, all three went down the same worrying path. Started hearing voices, didn’t they? Specifically, Sigmar’s voice, booming like thunder and drawing them northwards to undertake trials. Sound familiar? Cause it does to me. Trial. Pilgrimage. Ain’t much difference is there, save in the spelling?

So yes, I’m a little bit less stupid than I was, but I don’t exactly welcome it, because now I’ve got to watch Saltzpyre like a hawk. I can’t imagine him throwing in with Be’lakor, but I reckon there were at least three other folks said something similar before. The road to damnation is full of clueless bystanders, or so I’ve heard it said. 

My one hope is that knowing what I know means I can intervene if things go a bit soggy in the middle. It’d be a fine to do if I have to get the rest of the Five to, well, attend to the matter, wouldn’t it? 

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. He’s a stubborn old stick. Maybe that’ll keep him in the light.