In the safest corner of the Empire, the forces of evil are afoot. In the small town of Eilhart, in the wine-producing region along the Reik River, things have always been quiet. Its citizens even doubt the existence of the monsters which harry the borders of humanity’s greatest state, or the existence of the daemons which plague its great cities. But when a witch hunter comes to town, bringing soldiers in his wake, the town will never be the same and the life of young Reinmar Wieland, whose family has been the most prominent wine merchant family in the region for generations, will alter inexorably. He is going to get that adventure he has been craving.
The Wine of Dreams is another offering in the Warhammer Fantasy (WHF) line of fiction from The Black Library, Games Workshop’s publishing arm. The author, Brian Craig, may be familiar to anyone who read Games Workshop’s earlier line of fiction from the late 1980s and early 90s. He wrote a trilogy of books narrated by Orfeo, the bard held captive by a southern potentate (the earlier books, now out of print, were titled: Zaragoz, Plague Daemon, Storm Warriors). In my humble opinion, these three books were the best of the old series, so when I heard that Craig had another Warhammer book out, I could not wait to read it (note: he also has written some WH40K books recently).
The plot is original, even if the typical themes of the Warhammer world are present. A witch hunter has come to town, tracing the origins of the commerce in "dark wine," also known as "the wine of dreams." The Empire is a conservative place, and the wine is sought by some who revel in the visions it gives them, but is officially banned and those who use it are considered to be in concert with the dark gods. Rumor has it that the dark wine comes from a valley, magically hidden from all except those who hear "the call." The wine is supposedly produced at an ancient monastery hidden there, and transferred to the outside world by Gypsies who then pass it on to mysterious wine merchants. Our young hero, Reinmar, soon learns that his family once served as the primary conduit for passing the dark wine from its source in the mountains down river to the city of Marienburg. The appearance of a cousin he never knew he had, a cousin who is being chased by the witch hunter, followed by a series of strange coincidences, lead Reinmar to seek out the source of the wine.
I was not at all disappointed with Craig’s latest WHF effort. He is a gifted story-teller who reminds me somewhat of R.A. Salvatore—not because they share similar styles, but because both have a talent for portraying human emotions, desires and frailties in a way which rings far truer than in most fantasy novels. Craig’s heroes are neither infallible nor invincible. As a result, they are realistic and therefore more easily evoke the reader’s empathy than many fantasy heroes. Reinmar is a good example of this, being but a young man with little experience in the world and only a middling skill with a sword. His companions are far more skilled in swordplay, but Reinmar’s intelligence and birthright allow him to play the central role in the adventure and to play it believably. As is normal for WHF stories, this one shares elements of both the fantasy and horror genres. The enemy is armed with much more than swords and simple magic, he is armed with horrifying creations and enticing, soul-costing temptations. In addition, the nature of the enemy lends itself to creating a mystery around the dark wine. Reinmar is never certain who is playing what role and is uncertain who he can trust, even among friends and family, as well as among the strangers he meets. The novel will certainly appeal to any fan of the WHF universe, as well as anyone who likes their fantasy with a mystery and horror element to it.
A good DM with a solid imagination could easily put together a rewarding adventure based on The Wine of Dreams, filled with ample opportunities for role-playing as well as combat. The story could even begin in a town in which the PCs are based. An over-bearing, arrogant official comes to town with his soldiers, tracing the source of the wine, which is used by a cult in their ceremonies. For some reason he may even suspect some or all of the PCs of being involved. Or perhaps he can commission the PCs to seek out the source of the wine. Either way, the PCs will be encouraged to solve the mystery of the trade in dark wine, and the witch hunter would surely send one of his men to tag along and spy on the players. The adventure would take place in the town, where the PCs could question people rumored to be associated with the trade, in the wilderness as they set off looking for the source, and finally in the hidden valley where the PCs would have to deal with whatever they find there (to say more would spoil the story, but you get my drift). Naturally, if the PCs fails to finish the job in the forest, the minions of the dark gods will surely hunt them for interfering with their plans. A clever DM could even find a way to make drinking the wine tempting to some or all of the PCs. Its intoxicating aroma may even require a willpower check to avoid drinking it when offered a glass. If I were DMing at the moment, my PCs would soon find themselves on the trail of the Wine of Dreams.
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