Wolfgang Scheunacht

Wolfgang Scheunacht is a powerful Bright Wizard who has fallen to the temptations of Chaos. However, thanks to his intelligence and subtlety, no one suspects his corruption.

Wolfgang has learned through various contacts of the discovery of a powerful Chaos artefact in Middenheim and knows that those he follows are involved. He is at first aware that it has been destroyed, and so he has travelled to Middenheim to find it. Once Wolfgang has such an artefact, he plans to perform the ritual The Transfiguration of Resplendent Glory, which will destroy the artefact and grant him great power.

On learning that the characters are looking for a particular Chaos artefact and the means to destroy it, he can hardly believe his luck. At an appropriate moment, he offers the services of his ritual. If taken up on this, the artefact is destroyed, but they have released a potent new Chaos power on the world, been severely weakened, and probably driven insane by the experience.

If people in the Bright College are contacted, the curious might realise that something is wrong during the ritual. In that case, they can disrupt it, which destroys Wolfgang but leaves an even more powerful artefact still in need of destruction.

Wolfgang is a powerful master wizard on the verge of becoming a wizard lord. He is also a secret follower of Chaos but far more subtle and patient than most. He does not think of himself as a Chaos cultist, as he is not a member of a cult. When he is ready, he intends to lead a cult, but for now, associating with other followers of Chaos would risk discovery.

As a result of his care and patience, no one suspects his affiliation with Chaos. Although he knows Chaos magic, he has used it less than a dozen times in his life, and he is almost equally sparing with his use of Dark Magic to boost his Bright magic. Thus, he has avoided sustaining any obvious or even subtle Chaos marks. With his discovery of The Transfiguration of Resplendent Glory, Wolfgang is almost ready to openly move into the service of Chaos.

Wolfgang is a middle-aged man of average height and weight. He is clean-shaven, and keeps his head completely shaved as well. He wears red and orange robes signifying his College and a golden key as a pendant. He is happy to let people believe that the key is magical even though it is perfectly mundane.

As a powerful wizard, he has a strong tendency to treat most people as inferiors. Powerful nobles and other wizards are the main exceptions. In truth, he regards his peers as beneath his contempt, with the possible exceptions of a few of the most powerful wizards who are enemies to be killed. However, he is practised at hiding this and making it seem like nothing more than normal arrogance. He wants to give the impression that he sees people as potentially useful servants or even allies with abilities he lacks. He is almost always polite but always assumes that he is in a position of authority. When he praises their abilities, the praise is slightly condescending as if their abilities are almost nothing compared to his, which is, in fact, probably true.

If people do uncover evidence that he is working for the dark powers and confront him with it, he is briefly unnerved before improvising an explanation. While his memory is good, it is not perfect, and accusers may be able to catch him in an error in his explanation by raising the issue again later in a subtle way; he is a powerful wizard and thus will not tolerate being questioned.

Magic Items

 * Gloves of Jarfreit: These elegant leather gloves were created a little over a century ago for the personal champion of a wizard in the northern Empire. The first wearer, the eponymous Jarfreit, was an excellent warrior and was never defeated on account of their ability to increase his willpower. His successor, Magnus, relied too much on the power of the gloves and was defeated by an assassin who also killed his master and stole the gloves. Wolfgang recovered them fairly early in his career.


 * Amulet of Say-K'thar: The amulet's power can be consumed to grant the successful casting of a single spell, even if it would normally be impossible for the caster, after which the amulet shatters. Apparently made of spun glass in many colours, the Amulet of Say-K’thar is supernaturally resistant to all damage. It was crafted by an Elven High Mage many centuries ago, and it has had countless owners. Legends say that over a dozen of these amulets were created, but most have had their final power used and were thus destroyed. Wolfgang took his from a Chaos wizard he killed 10 years ago, and he will use the amulet to guarantee that success when casting The Transfiguration of Resplendent Glory.


 * Crown of Pashtilar: No servant of Chaos (including Daemons, Mutants, and cultists) will make the first attack against the bearer. In addition, they are inclined to listen to what she says and give it serious consideration. This does not grant the wearer any extra powers of persuasion, but it does grant her a hearing. The legends of the Crown of Pashtilar describe it as giving its bearer absolute authority over all servants of the Ruinous Powers. It is said to have been worn by the Changer of Ways in the early days of the world and was then granted to his greatest servants so they could wreak ever-greater havoc. These stories are all lies. The Crown is a golden coin, not an item of royal headgear, and its power is far weaker and more subtle than the legends suggest. Still, a clever and unscrupulous bearer could easily build on the foundation it provides to become a power of evil. It has had several clever and unscrupulous bearers. At first glance, the Crown looks like any other Gold Crown. But cursory inspection reveals that the head is that of a Beastman, and the design on the reverse consists of Chaos runes.

Source

 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Spires of Altdorf
 * pg. 40
 * pg. 41
 * pg. 42
 * pg. 43

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