Wachter Ambush Heuriger Aug 11

Summary

A Wächter crashed through the pergola of the Heuriger Zum Rebstock during the War Council on the evening of 11 August 1814, ending Session 12 on a cliffhanger.

Context

The entire coalition was assembled and exposed at the tavern when the attack occurred. The creature’s arrival raises questions about how the Brotherhood located the war council.

Participants

All war council attendees were present: six investigators, Thomas, Nell, five Russian soldiers, five Sardinian mercenaries, Thurner, Fischbein, and Pemberton.

Outcome & Consequences

The creature tore through the grapevines and dislodged a garden lantern, spilling burning oil across the flagstones in a spreading sheet of fire. It crouched on the crossbeam, bronze-scaled, jaw too wide, eyes reflecting the flames in flat gold discs, motionless for one heartbeat before dropping onto the assembled group.

Resolved — Session 13. The Wächter was killed quickly and cleanly before it could act. Major Volkonsky threw the bread knife from the war council map with lethal precision, burying it in the creature’s eye and stunning it. Nikolai followed with a pistol shot. Freddy delivered the kill shot through the creature’s remaining eye, announcing as he fired: “This is for the Colonel.” The fire was extinguished. There were no coalition casualties.

The creature was later confirmed to be Herzfeld’s last deployed asset. Autopsy conducted by Varrio revealed human-origin internal organs beneath the keratinous exterior — but no lungs.

Ferrante doubled his price following the supernatural encounter. Fischbein amended the contract accordingly.

Relationships

• Interrupts War Council Heuriger Aug 11 — Wächter attack interrupted the war council
• Sent by Albin Herzfeld — Presumably deployed by Herzfeld or the Engine