It's Grimvember time! Into the Eye of the Forest we go!

So far I've been reviewing only short scenarios for WFRP. So let's change that, shall we? I'm going to tell you about one of my favorite campaigns for WFRP 2nd Edition - "Terror in Talabheim".

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay had many great campaigns, made for it over the years. Some of them achieved legendary status, like the famous "The Enemy Within". Others however, were not so lucky. "Terror in Talabheim" is in the second group, and unfairly so, I might add. This is a really excellent campaign and sourcebook, all in one.

I just love those freaky covers so much!

"TiT" is divided into two parts. First we have a section, detailing the history of the ancient city, supposedly created, when Taal brought down a mighty dragon from the skies and the resulting impact created the crater, in which the city is located. Talabheim is pretty unique, when it comes to settlements in the Empire, for the fact it is almost entirely placed within the walls of a mighty crater. Because of that, it has never been conquered, the steep slopes of its natural defences, all but impossible for any army to breach.

Of course there are areas lying outside of the crater. The Taalagad, full of desperate refugees, is a good example and the first place that PC's will likely visit, during their adventures in the "Eye of the Forest". It is described as overflooded with people, desperate to get inside the Talabheim, living in squalor and poverty. Tensions increase as kislevite refugees are looked down on by the native Talabeclanders, who view them as nothing more than vermin. Taalagad is also home to the famous inn called "The Ten Tailed Cat", which debuted in the venerable Warhammer Monthly magazine, many years ago. It's a nice easter egg of sorts and a nod towards the older enthusiasts of the hobby.

The Talabheim itself is described in a great detail. It's diverted into a few districts, each different from the other. Being a city of lawmakers, the majority of Talabheim is dedicated to law and the cult of Verena is incredibly popular within the walls of Taalbaston. The "Eye of the Forest" is presented as a much more organised city, then, let's say, Altdorf or Nuln, with strong emphasis on order. Now there are still parts of the city, that ordinary, decent folk should avoid like a plague. The Tallows and Ratholds districts are overcrowded, dangerous and emanate a sense of desperation and hoplessness, in direct opposition to reach and prosperous God's Row and Merchants Quarters. Talabheim is perfect to remind players, that the Empire, with all its cosmopolitan glory, is still a place of social odds and injustice. Bravo to the authors for delivering that message well.

Oh, I almost forgot - the Talabheim itself occupies only a part of the great crater. The rest is covered in fields, forests and smaller villiages. It really works well to present the scale of the mighty crater, and its sheer, enormous size. Talabheim really is a truly unique city, a gem amongst the Empire's settlements. A bastion of hope within a sea of trees, able to withstand any siege and emerge victorious. A seat of Taal's power and symbol of his everlasting might.

That mass of stone? Yeah, those are Talabheim's walls. Below you can see Taalagad in all its decrepit glory

The second part of the book contains the campaign itself. It is separated into multiple chapters and there's a handy reference for Gamemasters, used to track certain events which will happen during the course of the game. I really liked the structure of this campaign. PC's don't start initially in the "Eye of the Forest" itself. No, no - they have to find a way to enter the city and that's a tricky task in itself, requiring them to make some friends... and enemies. However things turn from bad to worse, as a new and deadly plague begins to devastate Taalagad... and the city of Talabheim itself. No one is safe from it, not even the heroes. It also turns out that the outbreak has been orchestrated by a powerful enemy, who wishes to close the "Eye of the Forest" forever...

Now I don't want to spoil too much, but veterans of Warhammer Fantasy can probably guess the nature of this campaign's adversaries, just by looking at the cover. This is no bad thing however, as "Terror in Talabheim" keeps players on their toes, right to the very end. It's just a perfect combination of classic WFRP-style intrigue and a military-themed gameplay, altough the latter dosen't come into light, until the very end of campaign. I also know that this part can be a bit... dissapointing. Especially if players are accustomed to more traditional Warhammer Fantasy adventures, revolving around intrigue and investigation, and not sword fighting and military tactics. Still, for me and my group it was a nice refreshment from your typical WFRP game, so no one was complaining. In the words of Tzeentch himself: "sometimes you just need a small change in your life". Bear in mind tough, that the second part of "TiT" is much, much harder and more merciless than the first, and players will have to think fast, if they'll want to leave Talabheim alive, and with at least a single Fate Point in their possession.

"Terror in Talabheim" is a very cool sourcebook/campaign and there's really no doubt about it. It details the "Eye of the Forest" in a interesting and thorough way and presents both the GM and his players, with a great and interesting adventure to boot. Altough it can be a bit disorentating near its second half, its overall quality, the choices it forces upon players and its dynamism and oppressivenes, all make for an excellent and heart pounding experience and I recommend it to anyone, who loves a good, albeit difficult and demanding, WFRP campaign. Try it out and you won't be dissapointed.

Now for a few words of explanation. I know that it's already December and I still have one last Grimvember entry to make. Unfortunately real life stuff go in the way, and so I was forced to move my schedule back a bit, but don't worry - there'll be one, last Grimvember entry this friday, 9th of December, and then, on sunday, I'll have a special treat for all of you wonderful people, for whom I love to write and share my passions with. Stay tuned, because good times are coming.

Very good times indeed...

Until next time!

Xathrodox86