Coachman

*"I’ll make sure it gets there safe and sound. If I have to shoot every beastman and goblin from here to Nuln, it’ll get there."*

## Basic

(Core) While the Empire is a mighty nation, its lands are far from safe. Large stretches of it have never been pacified or cultivated. A precarious system of roads connects the villages, towns, and cities, and it is here that the Coachmen earn their pay, working for one of the many Imperially chartered coaching companies. The roads are frequently in ill repair or plagued by Goblins, Beastmen, and brigands. Nonetheless, the Coachmen risk life and limb to bring passengers and cargo safely through the hazards of the Imperial roadways. Each day is a race to reach the next settlement or coaching inn before sunset. No one wants to be on the road in the dark of the night, especially when the Chaos moon is in the sky.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Animal Care, Drive, Gossip or Haggle, Heal or Ride, Navigation, Perception, Secret Signs (Ranger), Speak Language (Breton, Kislevian, or Tilean)

**Talents:** Quick Draw or Seasoned Traveller, Specialist Weapon Group (Gunpowder)

**Trappings:** Blunderbuss with powder/ammunition enough for 10 shots, Medium Armour (Mail Shirt and Leather Jack), Instrument (Coach Horn)

### **Career Exits**

Cartographer, Ferryman, Highwayman, Outlaw, Roadwarden, Scout, Smuggler, Toll Keeper

## A Day in the Life

A coachman starts his journey is one of the great cities of the Empire. With his partner (coachmen typically work in pairs) , the coachman prepares the coach for the journey, tend to the needs of the horses, and help the passengers load their luggage and settle comfortably. Good coachmen engage their passengers in witty repartee, inform them about the journey ahead, and perhaps entertain them with a jolly tune on the coach horn.

The coachmen have one task that they must achieve above all others, to reach the next stage of their journey before night falls. After dark the forests of the Empire come alive with the howls of wild animals, beastmen, goblins, or worse. A lone coach makes an easy target for a raiding party bent on destruction or loot.

Even during the daytime a coach is far from safe. Gangs of outlaws or highwaymen sometimes block the roads, waiting for a coach to stop so they can rob the passengers. To this end each coachman is ever vigilant with his blunderbuss. After all, with such an intimidating weapon, only the most desperate brigand would press his attack.

## Affiliations

Most coachmen in the Empire are members of one of the great coaching houses, such as Imperial Expressways of Nuln (a lavish and stately service), Tunnelway Coaches of Talabheim (a rather limited local run), or Ratchett Lines of Altdorf (a dilapidated shadow of its former self ).

To be a member of a coaching house is to be a member of a guild in all but name. They provide coaches, equipment, training, and wages to the coachmen, and expect loyal service in return. The Houses also patronise a number of coaching inns, fortified taverns that line the major coach routes and provide stopping points for the night.

The most successful coaching house is Four Seasons Coaches, operating out of Altdorf. From humble beginnings this company has become the foremost coaching house in the Empire. Even the name “Four Seasons” is something of a manifesto, as other houses run a limited service in the harsh winter months. The company even sponsors its own chain of coaching inns, making life for competitors even harder.