Introducing Rudiger Adler (The Enemy Within 2.0)

A very busy week last week left me almost totally shattered by Friday. Luckily we convened on Saturday for our regular dose of RPGing, which was to kick off our Enemy Within campaign, using Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, or WFRP. We're using the new version of this campaign from Fantasy Flight, not the old, but classic, Games Workshop adventure, but it has been converted from the FFG edition of the game into the 2e Black Library edition, which is arguably the better iteration.

What follows is the background of my character, Rudiger Adler, which is the richest background I've had for a character in a while. This is partly due to the way you can generate some of your background in WFRP, and partly from the means by which the party of disparate adventurers is being integrated into the plot.

Rudiger Adler was born in Ostland but came to Averland (where the campaign begins) in search of his fortune. He traveled with his younger, gangly brother Rolf, leaving behind a life of rural penury in the hopes of winning land and freedom. The reality in Ostland was found to be somewhat different, and the brothers were conscripted in the army of the Mad Count, Marius Leitdorf. Rudiger was in his army when he fought the orcs of Vorgaz Ironjaw at Black Fire Pass. Count Marius didn't survive that contest - Rudiger did, albeit he lost a tooth and was knocked senseless as a regiment of orcs trampled over him.

Once nursed back to health, Rudiger deserted from the army of Averland, and fell in with a dwarf called Magnar (another PC), and the two became outlaws. Rudiger's brother Ralf sought work in Averheim (and occasionally tipped the outlaws off about vulnerable caravans leaving the city). The life of an outlaw was hard, but could occasionally be profitable, for example when Rudiger hired out as a guard for an elf lord (the father of Aelric Shadowstar - another PC).

Hunger and poverty have finally forced Rudiger and Magnar to seek new opportunities in Averheim. Rudiger is planning to do some more sophisticated thievery than pure banditry, and link up with his brother, who seems to have disappeared in the docks district. They have run into Aleric Shadowstar, who has taken then on as bodyguards / muscle, although there remains an unanswered question over some gold that went missing when Rudiger left his father's service...

NB - I've not included some elements of Rudiger's background here, only really items known to Magnar and Aelric. There are secrets yet to be discovered!