City of My Nightmares

Vilma af Zimt’s apartment is located on Charity Street in the Town Between the Bridges. The player characters find her door in the shade of the large chestnut tree growing in the small square outside. A steep wooden staircase leads up to a carved wooden door.

Before they can knock, Vilma opens the door and welcomes them in. Her housekeeper Bodil takes their coats. The apartment has beautiful wooden beams in the ceiling, painted with medieval decorations. There are green potted plants in the parlor windows, and the kitchen smells of cinnamon and cardamom. Vilma is a gifted medium and seems to already know many details about the characters’ lives and experiences.

Vilma leads the way to the parlor where a large round table has been set for tea. There are several lit candelabras in the room, and on the table in front of Vilma’s seat are empty sheets of paper and writing utensils.

Challenges

Vilma invites the player characters to sit and join hands around the table. She closes her eyes, and suddenly a shadow falls across the room. The flames of the candelabra flicker and the room turns freezing cold. Vilma af Zimt opens her eyes. As she begins to speak, you recognize the voice and manner of Linnaeus’s ghost. The medium fixes her eyes on the characters and says in a shaky voice:

“Danger is at hand! Someone has been in my library looking for information about the lyre of the Neck, the one I took from him in Dalecarlia and that Reuterholm seized for the king. The lyre must not fall into the wrong hands! Orpheus defied death itself with this instrument – it holds immense power. But now someone seeks it for their own gain. You must stop them. Whatever happens, the Neck must never again possess the lyre, for with it he would make the whole city dance itself to death! Only you can save Stockholm from destruction!”

The player characters may ask the ghost a few questions if they pass an OBSERVATION test. However, he is somewhat incoherent and his answers cryptic – see Clues below. Before he can say more, Linnaeus suddenly interrupts himself:

“Wait! Someone is here! Someone has seen me! It is she! The woman with the dreadful bird! Light preserve us!”

In an instant, every candle in the room goes out. Vilma collapses into her chair, visibly shaken. She cannot tell them much (see below) but wishes the characters good luck.

Clues

• The Library: Linnaeus cannot say who is seeking information about the lyre, but reveals that someone has been “snooping” around his secret library and discovered the truth about the lyre he took from the Neck. He urges the characters to go there for more information.
• The woman with the bird that Linnaeus mentions at the end of the séance is Helena von Arensburg, an associate of Lysander who is also performing at Berns’ (page 97). The characters may make the connection from the posters advertising the show (page 85).
• Vilma herself remembers little of the séance – only that a stranger suddenly entered the spirit world and drove the ghost away. She does not know who it was, but she had a vision of a dark-haired woman with piercing eyes and a huge black raven perched on her shoulder.

Sooner or later, the player characters will likely return to the Golden Peace in the Town Between the Bridges to stay the night. The tavern and hotel is described on page 22 in the first mystery in this book, Scent of a Killer. The restaurant is packed with people eating and drinking. Strong drink flows freely and spirits are high. Everyone is gossiping about the strange events of recent weeks.

Challenges

• Stagnelius: It is hard to find a seat, but with a successful roll for Resources, the characters eventually manage to secure a table next to the poet Erik Johan Stagnelius. Feel free to show his portrait again (page 23).
• The Neck: If the characters have encountered the Neck before (for example in The Haunted Library), you can have them make an OBSERVATION test to notice that Stagnelius bears an uncanny resemblance to someone they have recently met – but they cannot figure out who. If the characters explicitly ask if Stagnelius looks like the Neck, you can confirm that he does. Should they confront him about it, he simply laughs at the claim – he will not reveal his true identity here under any circumstances.

Clues

• The Poem: Stagnelius is sitting around drinking absinthe. The poet has a feverish look in his eyes and speaks quickly, gesturing with great excitement. He tells the characters how inspired he feels by the sense of doom hanging over the city. He speaks of mock suns and other bad omens, and says people are whispering that the Neck has been spotted in the city! He just wrote a poem about the Neck. If the characters ask, he is happy to read it to them – see the adjacent sidebar.

If the player characters arrive at the mill before the fire breaks out (step #1 of the countdown), they may encounter a group of angry workers on strike, protesting poor working conditions and low wages. (Not on Sundays, though, but Saturdays are work days at this time.)

If they arrive while the fire is raging, the heat is intense even from a distance. A small team of firefighters are struggling to contain the blaze, doing their best to keep it from spreading. A large crowd has gathered around them – journalists, members of the public, and workers who are watching their livelihoods go up in flames. Some shout slogans against the police and the royal family. The fire rages on well into the morning before it finally dies out.

Challenges

• Witnesses: If the characters talk to some of the onlookers and pass an INSPIRATION test, they meet the shocked worker Olof Larsson (see Clues).
• The Police Commissioner: Among the police officers sent here to maintain order, the characters may run into Commissioner Gabriel Utterson, whom they have probably already met in the mystery Scent of a Killer. He greets them but is busy keeping the tense situation at the mill from spiraling into a riot.
• The Rescue Operation: At some point during the characters’ visit, there is a sudden crash as the roof of a building collapses, trapping some of the firefighters. They scream for help. If the characters attempt to rescue them, they must make a FORCE test. Multiple attempts can be made, and multiple characters may help, but everyone involved suffers a physical Condition with each roll.

Clues

• The witness Olof Larsson says the fire broke out after some strange bangs were heard from the millhouse. The fire spread incredibly fast and the building was soon engulfed in flames. He and the other workers barely made it out in time. Olof and several others saw an unnaturally large black bird flying out over Knights’ Bay when the fire began. He is not sure what kind of bird it was. “It looked like a raven, but much bigger. And it must have been hurt, because it flew very low over the water.”
• Workers: Several of Olof Larsson’s colleagues join the conversation, deeply upset by the fire. How are honest workers supposed to make a living when Stockholm’s factories are so unsafe? They mention a protest rally planned for the following Sunday on Castle Slope, where the workers of Stockholm will hold the King accountable for all the troubles in the city and demand better working conditions.
• Utterson can tell the characters about the growing unrest in the city. People seem to have gone mad in recent weeks – the jail is packed with troublemakers, drunkards, and degenerates. “It’s as if all of Stockholm has lost its mind.”

In the large King’s Garden park in the center of Stockholm, there is a large open-air dance hall, a popular haunt for the city’s pleasure-seekers – especially these days, when many seem particularly drawn to dancing and revelry.

At some point during the mystery (see step #2 of the countdown on page 86), chaos breaks out in the dance hall. The Neck appears in human form and plays a tune so irresistible that people literally dance themselves to death. The player characters may arrive in the aftermath of this horrific event, alerted by terrified screams or summoned by Commissioner Utterson (page 95).

Challenges

• The Victims: The dance floor is in chaos. Dozens lie dead or injured, and many more are in shock. The player characters can roll MEDICINE to save several lives, and INSPIRATION to calm the panicked crowd.
• The Musician: If the player characters pass a VIGILANCE test while looking for witnesses, they notice a man in dark clothing sitting on the ground. His eyes are hardened, his fingers bloody, and he is drinking from a large mug of brandy. His name is Sven Johan Garvare, a musician who was performing at the dance hall. If the characters comfort him with a successful INSPIRATION test, he tells them what happened – see Clues below.

Clues

• The Injuries: An examination of the injured and dead reveals that many have severe wounds on their feet and lower legs. Others have been stabbed and beaten. Soon police officers arrive to take the bodies to the morgue at the police station (page 94) for further examination. The player characters can go there if they wish to learn more.
• The Testimony: Sven Johan Garvare explains that he was hired to play at the dance hall, but when he arrived another musician was already performing. His music was so beautiful and mesmerizing that he could not help but join in. Even as his fingers began to bleed, he could not stop playing. He could only watch as the crowd’s dancing grew increasingly frantic, and soon they started attacking each other like animals. Finally, the strange musician vanished, leaving Sven Johan alone with bleeding hands. He shows the characters his bloodied fingers before taking another drink of brandy – he does not want to talk about it anymore. The characters can hear similar stories from other witnesses.
• Stagnelius: If a player character describes Stagnelius to Sven Johan Garvare or other witnesses, they can confirm that the description matches the strange musician.
• The Neck: By now the characters should realize that the Neck is in Stockholm and that he is a serious threat. If he were to get hold of the lyre, his power would grow even greater. If the players do not come to this conclusion on their own, you can have them make a LEARNING test to figure it out.

The player characters may decide to visit the National Archives to find out who was looking for information about the Neck’s lyre in Linnaeus’s secret library. The National Archives, described on page 66 in The Haunted Library mystery, remain unchanged. On Knights’ Isle, the agitated atmosphere felt elsewhere in the Town Between the Bridges is less noticeable. It feels like an oasis amid the chaos. Sunlight filters through the beautiful stained-glass windows, casting the entrance hall in vibrant hues. However, the archivist Sigrid Holgersdotter is not at the front desk.

Challenges

• Sigrid: If the player characters go looking for Sigrid, they find her slumped in an armchair in the Esoteric Section, engrossed in a thick old tome. Her usually neat appearance is disheveled – her hair unkempt and her clothes wrinkled. She looks like she has not slept in days. Looking up at the characters with red-rimmed eyes, she puts down the book, rises from the chair, and straightens her clothes. “You’ve come at a dark hour. It’s as if a terrible curse has befallen the city. To think that I should live to see such calamitous times!”
• Bad Omens: If the characters gain her trust with a successful INSPIRATION test, the librarian explains that she has been unable to sleep because she keeps seeing bad omens all around Stockholm. She has searched the library for anything that might shed light on the situation, but what she has uncovered has only added to her worries. See more under Clues.
• Linnaeus’s Library: If the characters wish to visit Linnaeus’s library, they are free to do so. There is no ghost to be seen and they can easily find their way down there (see map on page 68). A successful INVESTIGATION test can reveal interesting clues in the library. See more under Clues.
• Information About Vaesen: In the Esoteric Section and Linnaeus’s secret library, the characters can make a LEARNING test (with +2 in Linnaeus’s library) to find information about night ravens, spertuses, and the Neck. Each character may roll once, and each success yields useful information. See more under Clues. If the players have access to the Vaesen art book or Codex Occultum from the Starter Set, those may be consulted as well.

Clues

• The old book Sigrid is studying is called On the Signs and Wonders That Preceded the Liturgical Uproar. Written and illustrated in the 16th century by the priest Joen Petri Klint, it describes a series of omens such as sun dogs, dragons flying over the land, animals born with deformities, and not least, the Neck playing in the Stockholm Stream. Klint believed these signs were evidence of divine displeasure at humanity’s moral decay.
• The Neck in the Stream: Sigrid tells them that she has personally seen the Neck playing in the water near Knights’ Isle. She opens Klint’s book and points to a figure with accompanying text. In 1599, the Neck appeared in the Stream of Stockholm wearing a “millstone collar” around his neck, which Klint viewed as a sign that the end times were near.
• Fire Mill: If the visit takes place after the fire at the Fire Mill (step #1 of the countdown), Sigrid recalls seeing a large raven flying low over Knights’ Bay at dusk on the night of the fire. She is convinced that this too was an omen.
• Visitors: If the player characters ask about visitors to Linnaeus’s secret library, Sigrid replies that the charming “Mr. Lysander” has been there several times in recent weeks, accompanied by a servant and two others. She describes the latter as a strange pair – both dressed entirely in black, and the man had an unpleasant look on his face. The people she is describing are Xavier Liebholz and Helena von Arensburg (pages 99 and 100). If the characters describe them to her, Sigrid confirms that they are the ones she saw.
• Linnaeus’s Journal: Down in Linnaeus’s secret library, there is no sign of the ghost. However, the book Homo Ferus lies open on its lectern (unless the player characters moved it after the last mystery), on the page where Linnaeus explains why he left the Society and describes how the Neck’s lyre was seized on behalf of the king (see handout 3E on page 116, also available for download on the Free League website). The players have probably already read this, but there is no harm in reminding them.
• The Black Feather: On the floor in a corner of Linnaeus’s library lies a strange black feather – like that of a raven, but unusually large.
• The night raven (page 146 of the core rulebook) is the bitter spirit of a suicide or criminal buried in unholy ground. It takes the form of a raven-like, night-black bird of oily smoke and scruffy feathers with glowing eyes. It flies low to the ground, always at night, supposedly seeking the tomb of Christ. A night raven can only be harmed by holy weapons or church silver. It can be controlled by placing three of its feathers between the pages of a bible along with a passion flower. If the feathers are removed, the control is broken.
• The spertus (page 154 of the core rulebook) is a magical being, often appearing in the form of a shiny black bug or a worm. It is said to be in league with the Devil, and humans can use its powers to gain wealth and success. The spertus usually lives in a snuff box and needs to be fed every day with human spit. Sooner or later the creature will take control of its owner, unless it is sold or given away. But it can only be passed on twice. The third person to accept the creature will never be rid of it, and the spertus will assume control of its owner.
• The Neck (page 148 of the core rulebook) is sensitive to Christian symbols and steel. He can be prevented from using magic by sticking a knife in the ground when talking to him. He hates places where the cross has been painted. The Neck can be banished by luring him to a place where he is completely surrounded by Christian symbols and steel.
• Mock Suns: If the player characters wish to learn more about mock suns, they can find information in the Esoteric Section. A mock sun is a meteorological phenomenon in which one or more sun-like points of light appear next to the sun. It is related to the halo phenomenon, a circle of light surrounding the sun. A famous painting of mock suns over 16th century Stockholm (adjacent) hangs in Stockholm Cathedral. Mock suns used to be called sun dogs and have long been viewed as bad omens of dark times ahead.

The police headquarters sits in the northern part of the Town Between the Bridges, overlooking the Stockholm Stream. The sturdy stone building rises four stories high and, in addition to offices for the police force, houses a detention center with a hundred cells and a morgue run by the new coroner, Lennart Mörk. Commissioner Utterson’s office is located on the third floor. All visitors must check in with the doorman before being escorted through the building’s narrow corridors.

Challenges

• Crowd: An angry crowd has gathered at the entrance. They are relatives and friends of both victims and offenders, with whom the jail is now crowded, demanding that the police restore order. The player characters must pass a MANIPULATION test to persuade the crowd to let them through, or an AGILITY test to get past the agitated mob. If anyone fails, a fight breaks out. Police officers come running and arrest both the player character and the NPC involved.
• Utterson: The player characters must pass a MANIPULATION test to be allowed into Commissioner Utterson’s office, as he is extremely busy. But he is grateful for their assistance earlier, and if one of the characters has been arrested, he can have them released. He can also provide details about the recent wave of riots and violence.
• The Dance Hall: If the deaths at the King’s Garden dance hall have occurred (step #2 of the countdown), Utterson can tell the characters about that as well. A dozen men and women are said to have suddenly gone mad and beaten each other to death. He directs them to the morgue for further information.
• Palace Break-In: Toward the end of the mystery, the characters may decide to warn Utterson about Lysander’s plan to break into the Royal Palace and steal the Neck’s lyre. Convincing Utterson to take action requires a successful MANIPULATION test – he will then accompany them to Castle Slope with a group of constables. However, they will not be able to stop the break-in – see Confrontation (page 101).

Clues

• The Morgue: If the deaths at the King’s Garden dance hall have occurred (step #2 of the countdown), the bodies of the victims can be found in the overcrowded morgue. Their corpses show signs of all sorts of violence, but strangely, their lower legs and feet are particularly damaged. Some are still in the grip of rigor mortis, frozen in disturbing positions. The new coroner, Lennart Mörk, is horrified. He has never seen anything like it.
• Utterson can inform them about the situation in Stockholm. He is feeling hopeless – the police are working around the clock but have an impossible task. If the fire at Fire Mill or the deaths in King’s Garden have occurred (steps #1 and #2 of the countdown), he asks the characters to help investigate these strange events.

August T. Lysander’s company (which the player characters may have already visited in Scent of a Killer) has a palace on Shipside Street, with a magnificent view of the Stockholm Stream and the ships that lie anchored there. The building dates back to the 17th century and has a large, ornate door decorated with mermaids holding gas lamps. A beautiful marble staircase and gilded sconces can be seen inside the door. Lysander has had the palace renovated with the latest technology and installed an iron-grate elevator that runs from the ground floor all the way up to his office at the top.

Challenges

• Doorman: A uniformed doorman greets the player characters at the door. If they do not have an appointment, it takes a successful MANIPULATION test for the doorman to let them see Lysander. If this fails, they can schedule an appointment for the next day or try to sneak past the doorman using STEALTH. There are two more guards posted outside Lysander’s office on the top floor.
• Lysander: If the player characters meet Lysander, he greets them with a big smile (assuming they parted as friends after The Haunted Library) and welcomes them to the capital. He acts helpful, without revealing his actual plan. How Lysander reacts to the characters’ visit depends on their behavior during the meeting – see the Lysander’s Reaction sidebar.
• Berns’ Salon: If the performance at Berns’ Salon (page 97) has not yet taken place, Lysander suggests that they meet there to continue their conversation, since he “knows the artists personally.”

Clues

• The Snuff Box: Have the characters make a VIGILANCE test during their meeting with Lysander to notice that he is fidgeting with a gilded snuff box bearing the monogram “CL.” They might recognize the snuff box from previous mysteries in this book. If asked about it, Lysander admits (if he has not already) that it is the snuff box of Carl Linnaeus himself, which he came across in his youth. But he refuses to show them its contents – if the characters insist, he gets annoyed and asks them to leave, calling for his guards if necessary.
• Picture of the Palace: There is an open book on the table in front of Lysander. If the characters try to see what the book is about and pass an INVESTIGATION test, they notice a picture of the Royal Palace on the cover. If they ask about it, Lysander brushes the question aside by saying that he has always been interested in royalty. A character who passes an OBSERVATION test realizes that he is not telling the whole truth.

Berns’ Salon is located in Berzelii Park near Newbridge Bay. This newly built entertainment palace has a gilded interior with mirrors, red velvet curtains, opulent chandeliers, and large windows overlooking Berzelii Park. The Red Room is a popular haunt for Stockholm’s bachelors, who come here to drink and discuss all sorts of topics. Posters at the entrance advertise a variety of shows, performances by international artists and dance troupes. A murmur of voices and the clinking of glasses are heard from the café as food is served to well-dressed guests.

On the Saturday evening following the player characters’ arrival, the famous German illusionist Professor Xavier Liebholz and his partner, the spiritualist Helena von Arensburg, are performing in the ballroom.

Challenges

• Tickets: Tickets to the show (for the whole group) cost 1. If the player characters cannot afford this, they will have to sneak in using STEALTH.
• Pyrotechnics: The show opens with Xavier Liebholz and Helena von Arensburg introducing themselves to the cheering crowd. Then Liebholz kicks things off with a spectacular pyrotechnic display. Flames erupt from his empty hand, lighting several fire baskets at the edge of the stage. The audience gasps as the entire curtain behind Liebholz bursts into flames. Clapping his hands, he instantly puts out the fire to roaring applause. A character who tries to see through the trick and passes an INVESTIGATION test realizes that it is no trick – it seems that Liebholz really can conjure fire out of thin air. A successful OBSERVATION test reveals that Liebholz is using actual magic.
• Levitation: For the second act, Liebholz rolls out a velvet-covered table on which Helena von Arensburg lies down. A murmur spreads through the audience as Liebholz extends his hands toward the woman, who suddenly rises into the air. The murmur turns to cries of amazement as von Arensburg floats over the audience’s heads, circling a few times before returning to the table to thunderous applause. Again, a successful INVESTIGATION test reveals that it is not a trick, and an OBSERVATION test lets the characters see what is really lifting Helena von Arensburg – a huge black raven, majestic and ghost-like, carrying her in its talons. No one else in the audience seems to notice the bird. A LEARNING test can reveal that the bird is a night raven, if the players do not realize this on their own.
• Intermission: Champagne is served during the intermission. Professor Liebholz appears, and in the crowd gathering around him, the characters spot a familiar face. August T. Lysander is deep in conversation with Helena von Arensburg. He greets the characters cheerfully and introduces both Liebholz and von Arensburg as his dear friends. A successful OBSERVATION test reveals that von Arensburg was the person who interrupted the séance with Vilma af Zimt (page 88). Depending on how this meeting unfolds and how the mystery has progressed so far, Lysander may try to recruit the characters or set his goons on them – see sidebar on page 97.
• Dressing Rooms: The characters can investigate Liebholz and von Arensburg’s dressing rooms during the intermission or while they are performing. It takes a successful STEALTH test to avoid the security guards. In the dressing rooms, the characters can find items of interest with a successful INVESTIGATION test – see Clues.
• Mind Reading: After the intermission, Helena von Arensburg takes charge of the show. She announces that she will now demonstrate her ability to read minds, and invites one of the player characters on stage. Closing her eyes dramatically and pressing two fingers to her temple, she begins: “I see great darkness in you.” Make an opposed roll between her MAGIC (8) and the character’s OBSERVATION. If von Arensburg wins, she opens her eyes, turns to the audience, and dramatically reveals the character’s dark secret in somewhat cryptic terms. “Is this true, sir/madam?” If the player character wins, the mind reading fails and the character instead gets a glimpse into von Arensburg’s mind – see Clues. She then says something vague and invites a new person on stage – ideally another player character. The performance ends to great applause.
• Ghostly Visions: The finale of the show is truly extraordinary. Liebholz rolls a large mirror onto the stage and announces that Helena von Arensburg will now speak to the dead. She walks up to the mirror and once again invites a player character on stage. “Think of someone who is no longer with us, someone who has crossed to the other side.” Ask the player who their character is thinking of. Suddenly a shimmering figure appears in the mirror – it is the person the character was thinking of! This provokes a Fear test against Fear 1. Helena von Arensburg speaks with the ghost, asking a few questions before inviting it to step out of the mirror. And so it does, to the delight of the captivated audience. But their delight soon turns to horror as more shimmering figures emerge from the mirror and start floating around the room. Several player characters recognize deceased relatives and friends, or NPCs who died earlier in the campaign. Panic breaks out and all characters must make a Fear test against Fear 1. People flee in terror as the spectral dance fills the room, and the characters must pass a FORCE test to avoid being trampled (physical Condition). With that, the show is over. Liebholz and von Arensburg disappear in the commotion. So does Lysander, unless he takes the opportunity to try to recruit the player characters (page 97).

Clues

• The Pyrotechnics: This act is a clue that Liebholz started the fire at Fire Mill.
• The Levitation: This act reveals that Liebholz and von Arensburg are in control of a night raven. This vaesen has been spotted in the city several times recently, including at the Fire Mill fire.
• The Intermission: The meeting with Lysander in the company of Liebholz and von Arensburg reveals that they know each other and may indicate that Lysander was also responsible for the fire at Fire Mill.
• The Flyers: In Liebholz and von Arensburg’s dressing rooms, the characters may find several copies of the flyer calling for a protest on Castle Slope (handout 4C on page 119, also available for download on the Free League website). This suggests that they have an interest in the protest and may even be behind it.
• The Feather: In the dressing room, the characters may also find the large, black feather of a raven, similar to the one they may have found in Linnaeus’s secret library (page 93).
• The Mind-Reading: During this act, a character can gain insight into the mind of Helena von Arensburg, which may reveal memories of her standing outside Fire Mill as Liebholz uses his pyrotechnics to set fire to the mill, and her conversation with Lysander on Castle Slope.

The player characters may decide to visit the palace before Sunday’s protest to warn the Royal Guard about Lysander’s break-in. But the soldiers dismiss any talk of planned break-ins and magic lyres and shoo the characters away – there is unrest in the streets and everyone is on edge. The characters will not be able to enter the palace (or the Royal Armory) before the riot on Sunday (see Confrontation on the next page).