"Beat the boredom!" Episode 2: "Cold Comfort at the Tsarina's Gate" by Philip Davies

Welcome to the second episode of "Beat the boredom!". Today we'll be looking at a 4th edition scenario which takes place in the frozen reaches of eastern Kislev!

"Cold Comfort at the Tasrina's Gate" won the first WFRP Game Masters Facebook group, scenario writing competition. Together with my fellow admins, Jim and Elie, we've decided that Philip Davies, the author, made a fantastic job writing this piece, and I definitely think that it's worth playing. Given that a lot of us have more time on their hands, why not try this one out? But let me tell you more about the "Cold Comfort at the Tsarina's Gate".

The adventure takes place in the far-eastern parts of Kislev, in the World Edge Mountains, in fact! The PCs are on their way to a small dwarven hold of Kazid Irkulaz, where they hope to score some sweet merchant deals. Their earlier trip to the legendary Slayer Keep of Karak Kadrin ended in a disaster, and this gig is their last chance at earning a decent coin. During their trip the winter comes early, and if you know anything about Kislev, you know that this part of the year is especially deadly in the Realm of the Ice Queen...

Although it's beautiful, so at least you'll be able to feast your eyes before freezing to death! (art by Fel-X) 

Fortunately our heroes stumble upon the "Tsarina's Gate", a fortified inn which is not far from their ultimate desitnation. It is run by a man named Boris Ivanovich, a friendly fellow with a runic tankard and a shady past! Boris welcomes everyone to his humble abode and always makes sure that his guests are treated to the highest standard imaginable. He is helped in this task a by a small crew of humand and dwarven servants. Aside from them, the "Tsarina's Gate" is also a temporary home to an Ostermaker merchant and her mysterious Norscan bodyguard, two High Elves, who mostly keep to themselves, and some Kislevite merchants and their servants. The winter strikes hard and without mercy, and soon all the occupants are trapped within the walls of the inn. An  unfortunate rat infestation causes a critical food shortage, and the tensions begin to escalate. Deeply buried secrets are revealed, hostilities start to ignite, and a hungry terror begins to stalk the corridors of and halls of "Tsarina's Gate".

Philip Davies describes this scenario as a survival horror, and in a way it is just that. The plot starts slowly, with the tension gradulally building up, until it explodes in an orgy of dread and bloodshed. The characters and the setting are definitely this adventure's biggest strengths. Every one of the dramartis personae is fleshed out with various traits, characteristics, secrets and plot hooks. I was actually kinda bummed that the NPC section was so short, since the author clearly knows how to write them, and make them really interesting. The cold, alien  environment of the remote inn works wonders in building the feeling of isolation and helpelssness. There's really no getting out of this situation, and the PCs must wait until the supply caravan from Kazid Irkulaz reaches their position, bringing with it hope, food and a chance for survival in these hostile, frozen mountains. A clever GM will know how to build up these traits of the scenario, making the weather and the environment, the deadlies of adversaries. No matter how tough or skilled the heroes are, you can't defeat a blizzard with a sword.

Does "Cold Comfort at the Tsarina's Gate" have any negative sides? I'd say that sometimes it's a bit too on-the-rails (and I generally love tightly structured stories). No matter what the PCs do, some things simply will happen, as presented in the timeline table. The couple fights in this scenario, especially the last one, can be really brutal, especially for inexperienced heroes, but clever and ingenious adventurers should be fine. The hardest part in running "Cold Comfort at the Tsarina's Gate" is keeping the tension high at all times. If the GM fails at this task, then the whole thing will fall apart like a house made from cards. I am in the process of running this scenario right now, and it's definitely not an easy task, but the overall outcome will surely be worth it.

I recommend that you grab the "Cold Comfort at the Tsarina's Gate" and give it a try. It's a very well written adventure, which requires the GM to be on his toes, but yields great results and will definitely be remembered by all of the involved parties, for many years to come. You can grab it from the WFRP Game Masters Facebook page, which can be found here. Join the fun! We're a great community, full of fantastic, friendly people, and we're growing fast every day. If you're looking for your Warhammer Fantasy fix, the WFRP GMs fanpage is a place for you!

Until next week! Stay safe, stay healthy, and may Shallya watch over you.

Xathrodox86