Warhammer Quest: Cursed City

The latest incarnation of the “Warhammer Quest” series, Cursed City is a specialist game set in the timeline of Age of Sigmar. Its general feel and aesthetic has led more than a few folks to compare it to Mordheim, although that's up for debate. There has been a large controversy surrounding good ol' GW as cursed city is seemingly a limited release, even though all marketing pointed to the opposite; that and the fact that GW has been dead silent after the first few announcements that it ain't coming back. Is it corrupt marketing? Copyright issues? Internal politics? Noone knows.

Though "never coming back" ended up being a lie, being slated to return to shelves in 2022. It was probably a marketing fuck up through a miscommunication with the logistics department. The 2020's supply chain issues happened to hit on this it seems.

The game takes place in Ulfenkarn, formerly Mournhold. Fans of vidya may notice that the city is somewhat similar to the setting of Fromsoft's Bloodborne Soulslike video game, which is also mainly set in an undead and wolf-creature filled gothic city.

History of the City

The city of Mournhold lain in the middle of the Realm of Death, founded by a collection of Azyrite colonists and ruled by three noble houses (Alten, Vossheim, and Gaunt). Although the denizens of the city were a strong and proud folk, the Age of Chaos proved to be the breaking point as the city was ravaged by the Khornate Daemon Prince Slaughn the Ravenor. Salvation came from a mysterious visitor called Radukar the Wolf. This vampiric marauder and his fleet of Ogor zombies saved Mournhold from ruination, and all he asked for in return was a seat at the noble table...and a few blood sacrifices to sate his thirst. Slowly Radukar made subtle changes to Mournhold during his time in the ruling caste, such as establishing his own cadre of dark followers called the Thirsting Court. It wouldn’t be until the Age of Sigmar and the nightmarish Necroquake that things really went bad. The entire city fell into darkness and insanity, with the Thirsting Court starting a brutal purging of any “uncooperative” nobility. Mournhold was no more. Now Ulfenkarn (meaning “Wolf’s Feast” in Radukar’s tongue) takes its place; a shadowy hive of vampiric monsters and ghoulish abominations. Now a motley crew consisting of lone wolves, academic heretics, troublemakers, and other pains in the butt of bureaucracy have arrived in the city to finally cleanse Ulfenkarn of its curse.

Notable Locations

• Corpse-Gardens: The domain of Gorslav the Gravekeeper, these charnel pits and mausoleums act as a prime recruiting grounds for the various Vampire Lords and Necromancers.
• Shadowed Crypt-halls: Once some kind of vaulted location, now only eerie music and screams of agony can be heard from its depths.
• The Clot: This canal encircles the inner walls of the city, though instead of water it’s now filled with rotting gore.
• Ghiestgale: A large gate that only the Nighthaunt reside within.
• Ven Alten Skydocks: A former Kharadron outpost that served as Mournhold’s center of commerce prior to its fall. It was also co-owned and operated by the ven Alten household, before the majority of the house willingly took the Blood Kiss.
• Hangman’s Copse: This used to be an embassy created by the Sylvaneth, now it’s just a roost for bats.
• Vharngate: The fortified headquarters of the Ulfenwatch, the Deathrattle guardians of the city, who are overseen by Watch Captain Halgrim.
• Barrowmark: This scholarly building was once the home of the Pact Mortalis, a brotherhood of death wizards. When the city was usurped by the vampires, Torgillius the Chamberlain betrayed the Pact and converted Barrowmark into his own twisted laboratory.
• The Screaming Spires: A collection of shabby towers that serve as the roost for the Vyrkos Blood-born, who give the Spires their ‘screaming’ epitaph.
• The Ebon Citadel: The gothic picturesque capital of Ulfenkarn and Radukar the Wolf‘s seat of power. It was built atop the island of Szargorond, with the rest of the city being built around it.

Characters

Agents of Defiance (Heroes)

• Jelsen Darrock: A former member of the Order of Azyr who was excommunicated on account of his miles wide sadistic streak and lack of morals (the latter of which he is actually proud of). He’s fully equipped with Van Helsing styled gear to wipe out the vampires from the city, in particular his long rifle Judgment, fitted out with silver bullets and an underslung stake launcher.
• Qulathis the Exile: Originally from Ghyran, this Kurnothi Huntress swore vengeance upon all vampires after they torched her home of Enga’la Weald. Her thirst for retribution was so strong in fact that her clan’s elders forbade her from her quest, leading to her self-imposed exile. Her quiver is filled with arrows carved from the Oak of Ages Past, which is a revered site for all Aelves and AoS’ take of the Tree of Life/Oak of Ages concept.
• Emelda Braskov: A Freeguild General who led the defense against the Wolf’s takeover of the city. Her army was slaughtered and raised to bolster the Ulfenwatch, forcing her to retreat. Now Emelda fights with a grim resolve; either she’ll free her home from death’s clutches or die trying.
• Dagnai Holdenstock: Also called the “Trade-Commodore”, this enterprising Kharadron from Barak Mhornar is known through many skyports for his liberal interpretations of the Code and tendency to chart voyages to hostile filled death traps. So Ulfenkarn is the perfect place for him. It was his ship that brings the current band of heroes to Ulfenkarn.
• Glaurio ven Alten III: A brazen noble and last living member of the ven Alten line after his cousins all submitted to the Wolf and became the Vrykos Blood-born (except 3 cousins he single handedly killed for accepting the blood kiss. BADASS!) . He’s a master duelist who prefers going toe-to-toe against single enemies with sword and pistol.
• Cleona Zeitengale: A devotee from the Cult of the Comet. She foresaw Mournhold’s demise at vampire hands and warned against it, so naturally, no one listened to her. She’s now the last of her order still among the living, determined to cleanse the city of all corruption with Sigmar’s holy light. So basically she’s the Sisters of Sigmar from Mordheim as a single character.
• Octren Glimscry: Former colleague of Torgillus the Chamberlain in the Pact Mortalis, this amethyst mage seeks to undo his coworker’s dark machinations using his own studies in the nature of death magic.
• Brutogg Corpse-Eater: Ogor mercenary who likes the taste of dead meat. Pretty simple background, but regardless, the other heroes are glad to have Brutogg’s mace on their side.
• Morrvahl Olbrecht: An exclusive “Hero” found in the Cursed City novel. A loner Battlemage gifted in death magic and holds nothing but apathy for his allies.

Overlords of Ulfenkarn (Villains)

• Gorslav the Gravekeeper: The gaunt and ghastly overseer of the Corpse-Gardens. He makes it his duty to bury the living six feet under so they’ll die and then rise again as new undead minions. Little is known about Gorslav (not helping is his eternal silence), but his freakish ability to appear seemingly anywhere and everywhere leads some to speculate the Gravekeeper is actually part of a larger order of horrid zombie-makers.
• Watch Captain Halgrim: Known as Oleksandr Halgrim in life, he pledged himself and his troops to the vampiric overlords during the initial purge of any disgruntled nobility. His troops were repulsed by his traitorous actions and bound his arms and legs together and left him to be eaten alive by sewer rats. He still serves the vampires and necromancers to this day as a mindless automaton in charge of the skeletal Ulfenwatch.
• Torgillius the Chamberlain: One part spymaster and another part mad scientist, this Necromancer is one of the most important individuals in the city due to his gravesand studies and constant tinkering with the undead form to create new life. He can project his will onto the various diseased animals that roam the city ad use them as his eyes and ears.
• Radukar the Wolf: The savior/usurper/overlord of Ulfenkarn. A large and brutal vampire lord with a fondness for pelts to match his werewolf-like mutations. As a mortal, he once plundered the coasts aboard his vessel the Impaler’s Gift and his Ogor crew, until he came upon the tomb of the vampiric emperor Morkan. Radukar slew and skinned the two headed wolf Vilnas that guarded the tomb and claimed an enchanted blade that lay inside, all to prove himself worthy of the Blood Kiss. Radukar’s raids became more violent and gruesome after his turn, culminating in his arrival at the city of Mournhold which he “saved” from daemonic invasion...only to take it as his own and rename it to Ulfenkarn.

Monsters

• Bat Swarms and Corpse Rats: Pests, vermin, and all around nuisances on their own. But that’s the trick; they are never alone. Packs of flesh crazed bats and rats stalk the streets of Ulfenkarn, bowing only to their undead masters who use them as outlets for clairvoyant powers.
• Deadwalker Zombies: The common undead of Ulfenkarn are all decrepit hunched beings with tombstones and coffin-lids stuck into their backs. The various corpse gardens that these Deadwalkers originate from are described as vaguely sentient, using the zombies as puppets to collect more “sustenance.”
• Ulfenwatch: Once the standing guard of Mournhold, these mindless skeletons still keep an attentive vigilance over their city. They patrol the streets at all times and are ready to strike down any living soul that dares oppose the Wolf’s rule.
• Kosargi Nightguard: Ogor zombies that once served as the pirate minions of Radukar, now eternally bound to him as musclebound enforcers.
• Vargskyr: A varghiest/varghulf by any other name. Vampires who lose control of their feral urges devolve into these loping monstrosities.
• Vrykos Blood-born: Vampiric thralls sired by Radukar the Wolf. These half feral creatures serve as sentries and hunters for the Wolf, taking great pleasure in assassinating anyone their master deems unpleasant.