Warhammer Quest: Cursed City

The latest incarnation of the “Warhammer Quest” series, Cursed City is an upcoming 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, though nothing can be said for certain until the game releases.

History of the City

The city of Ulfenkarn lays in the middle of the Realm of Death, founded by a collection of Azyrite colonists and ruled by three noble houses. 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 chaos lord Slaughn the Ravenor. Salvation came from a mysterious visitor called Radukar the Wolf. Though he did save Ulfenkarn, the savage vampire lord was quick to establish his own cadre of dark followers called his Thirsting Court, and after a brutal purging of any “uncooperative” nobility, Ulfenkarn became a hive of vampiric monsters and ghoulish abominations. Now in the Age of Sigmar, 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 Ulfenkarn’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 Ebon Citadel: The gothic picturesque capital of Ulfenkarn and Radukar the Wolf‘s seat of power.

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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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. 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 Ulfenkarn’s demise at vampire hands and warned against it, though 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 Mordhiem 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.

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.
• 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.
• The 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.
• 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. He is an ancient vampire who roamed Shyish as a savage predator before coming to the cursed city.

Monsters

• Bat Swarms
• Corpse Rats
• Deadwalker Zombies
• Ulfenwatch
• Kosargi Nightguard
• Vargskyre