- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
Also building our own wizard tower means greater secrecy. The snake juice is such a rare regent that I doubt we want word getting around that we have it.
We should call it Weber's Wondrous WaistbandWe should probably get around to naming this artifact- it's been materially helpful in keeping us upright this reconquest.
#SmugSmolWizardHoly crap, this is literally the first quest I've seen where someone actually robbed the Orcs/Orks of their Waagh field. Freaking amazing.
I've been thinking about a big post in this regard for quite some time. Thusly, here's a thing where I talk about the base and one of the projects we can all agree on doing the snake juice(with a lot of leakage from my quality assurance and safety job). Also might be helpful to @BoneyM's contemplations on what to do.Since wizard tower is winning pretty crushingly here, it might be time to start thinking about exactly what our wizard tower will need.
As you may recall, a tower provides bonuses to the purpose for which it is dedicated; when we were discussing building a manor on our fief, a lot of the plans had multiple towers in them so that we could have an enchanting bonus, research bonus, etc. thanks to each having a dedicated area. This is pretty flexible; it can even provide a bonus to reading tomes which of course makes a dedicated reading room mandatory for any place we're planning to settle in for serious research. Building towers was 100g each when we were building a manor but who knows how much it would be in the Karak. Presumably, our plans to move in will involve more than one "tower" room type mechanically even if they're physically more compressed; maybe a large tower has one bonus available per floor or we'd have a suite of rooms in Karag Nar.
The other nice way that a home can provide bonuses is via libraries. Having a relevant library at all is +1, +1 more for Extensive, and +1/+2/+3 for increasing levels of rarity, all of which stack, so an optimized library can give you up to +5 on whatever project you're working on. Unfortunately, getting a library on a topic takes an action and upgrading it by one level does the same, so it takes a staggering five actions to get a full library bonus and that will still only apply to one topic. As far as I know every library action is only 50g no matter what the topic or upgrade level, though.
If we need to outfit each room with 100g and one action each and each library upgrade with 50g and one action each, which is in line with previous costs, it could take us literal years just to finish our home. Most of that would be chasing library bonuses, admittedly, but if we're going to be doing serious magical research we really want those library bonuses.
Avoiding this huge timesink is a high priority, I think. Maybe we can pitch the necessity of having a well-equipped library and tower down in Karak Eight Peaks to the Grey College and get them to assign their librarians+scribes to outfitting our library for us, and one of their numerous apprentices to picking up laboratory necessities? They have a lot of professionals who would be able to fairly rapidly select and then have copied key tomes on the topics we'd be interested in, and we do still have that College Connections trait. I'm thinking that greenskin lore, skaven lore, general magic, enchanting, and grey magic are critical and more specialized topics like waystones and Qhaysh are maybes. Convincing them to do this for us and save the associated action slots might be a good way to spend a large chunk of our wealth; I could easily see us spending 2000g on a quality library and several hundred more on employing their scribes and librarians so that we don't have to spend the action slots.
And hell, depending on how you look at it, we did it twice!Holy crap, this is literally the first quest I've seen where someone actually robbed the Orcs/Orks of their Waagh field. Freaking amazing.
That was a serious concern as a journeyman but as a respected Magister with important political ties and a very impressive set of achievements of our name I don't think that anyone would be willing to wrest it away from us by fiat or force. Now, if they know that it exists and we are visibly not doing anything with it, we might face some pressure, but since in this context we'd be actively and visibly researching it in the College libraries and labs I think that the most we'd face would be a lot offers to co-author papers with us or to slip us some College Favor in exchange for some of it.Also building our own wizard tower means greater secrecy. The snake juice is such a rare regent that I doubt we want word getting around that we have it.
Donar means thunder, as does Thor, but it's a deformed version of the original.'Ungrim' is a Dwarf yet to fulfil their oath. He chose it specifically.
Far as I can tell, 'Thor' doesn't mean anything, it's just a common name and name fragment in Nordic languages (for obvious reasons) so it was a good fit for the High King, but it hasn't been given a Khazalid meaning.
The history of the Order of Shadows has, with very few exceptions, been one of great asceticism, skilful diplomacy, and absolute opposition to all things associated with the Dark Powers.
We can fix this!Mathilde looks up from her massive pile of gold and gallons of collected daemon juice, to observe the "10 Diplomacy" on her character sheet.
How about having some sort of death insurance for mercenaries, so when they die their daughters, wife or sons can claim their payment and some extra?
Don't forget keeping our secrets secret from Johann the Spy.Secrecy prevents knowledge of the Book and from the Book and the Juice, which I'm sure as a source of lots of energy appeals to dark sorcerers, from spreading. Secrecy prevents evil forces from knowing precisely what is within that tower.
I can see her appearing in several companion series, such as Johann the Spy, Diary of a Golden Kid, and Ambermorphs.
Incidentally, for an idea of how flammable dry mushroom thread is...it bears a certain similarity to nitrocellulose when it comes to compositions of long chain hydrocarbons with lots of nitrogen groups. I.e. it burns really really good.Ulthar frowns in thought. "They prefer pelt or hide, but there's not enough to go around with this many of them in one place. So they'd likely be using mushroom thread, which... well, I've used dried mushrooms as tinder to start fires in the past."
Inner Belegar: "Also this is less likely to end in Mathilde standing there awkwardly after exploding the Citadel Warboss or Great Shaman. Again."King Belegar stares into the distance, fingers drumming as he thinks. "The fire," he finally says. "I'd rather risk a fraction of the Grobi getting through than the Citadel being completely open. Do you have a back-up?"
Hmm, I wonder maybe he hit it too damned hard in that field battle. He's got good control, but he's been angry so long and maybe went overboard venting."Put them in motion. Kragg, how's your Anvil?" Anyone else asking that would receive a several minute long diatribe on the difficulty of hairline cracks in gromril, but King Belegar received only a grimace. "I see. Do not endanger it unduly, but be at hand, just in case.
Which makes it helpful that we can stand in for dispel duty of course. Shamans are bad news if uncontested.Master Weber, does the fire plan require your personal intervention?"
"Not necessarily."
"Then I ask that you be to disperse any enemy magic.
Basically standard tactics. Melee screen, archer backing for main battle, but taking the Citadel by storm needs to be heavies, or they'd be slaughtered. Presumably the Dwarf infantry will catch up, but they can't cross open ground under fire like orcs would.Marksman Petrescu, Grandmaster Wulfhart, your infantry will be the sword and the shield. The men who performed so well yesterday shall stand ready to receive any greenskin sally in response to the fire and the bombardment, but if they decline, those of the Wolf God are to go in and punish their cowardice. Grandmaster Kriegersen, be at hand and be ready. If the greenskins do sally, you may have an opportunity to repeat yesterday's rout. Any questions?" A rumble of nos. "Then let's get to it."
Not as far fetched as it sounds really:The camp bustles with activity as the sun passes its zenith, and though the Dwarves swear by a light ale before battle, a light lunch is distributed to those who prefer a little more substance. Four of your five Journeymanlings sit with you as you spoon your way through your soup.
Indigestion usually. But enough concentrated can kill. A bit in soup would just lead to lots of flatulence I think."Don't give him any," you say without looking up, and Panoramia lifts her soup back up from where she had been lowering it for Wolf.
"How did you-"
"Grey Order," you reply instantly, and Panoramia rolls her eyes.
"Familiar bond," Esbern says with a smile. "But she's right. Onion's no good for dogs."
This pupper is right proper Grey Order stock."Oh, of course." She looks up from the half-grown pup, which has turned his eyes to Maximilian. You wonder if he's able to understand enough of the world through you to know the bread has no such protection, or if he's just trying the next softest target.
Well...thats a Gold College matter which shouldn't be our problem. Hopefully."Where's the other Goldie?"
"Johann is with the cannon crews," you say. The other, unspoken reason is the rift between him and Maximilian. "It'll be important for the first few shots to be right on target. The rest of you will be on dispel duty with me."
Look, it just keeps happening!"I'm surprised you're not out there killing all the shamans in advance," says Maximilian, his voice teetering between admiration and jealousy. "Your previous work is all I hear about from most Dwarves I've spoken to."
I think theres a missing quote before the Bright Order bit? @BoneyM"I love Ulgu, but I probably would have loved any other Wind if I'd ended up elsewhere. The duties of the Grey Order are possibly the heaviest - except maybe Shyish." A nod of accord from all. Nobody envied the Amethyst Order. "I'd probably be happy amongst the Gold," you say, nodding at Maximilian. "Just before my Magister examination, I realized I could be happy if all I focused on was learning all I could - as long as I had someone else write my papers for me." You nod to Esbern and Seija. "And the Amber... I've spent a lot of days on the back of my Shadowhorse, and I've found the wild can be addictive. If I had thinking company instead of magic in the shape of a horse, I might want to spend my entire life there." Finally, to Panoramia again. "As for Jade... I visited your College, once. It was beautiful. It would be nice if the products of my work was the same." You pause as your mind flits through the other options. Bright Order Mathilde? Likely even more at home on a battlefield than you are already. Celestial and Light Order, though... no thanks. "
Protectoring!But look." You wave a hand at bulk of Karag Nar, stretching high above you. "Karag Nar. In the past thousand years, the only humans to ever know that name would have been a handful of Dwarven history obsessive at the University of Altdorf. Now it's looking like humans are going to be living in it. Karak Eight Peaks won't be a historical footnote, it will be a home for Dwarves and for Halflings and for men. The throats I slit yesterday were ugly, but the better tomorrow they've bought is beautiful." Your mind goes back seven years, to the first time your actions had resulted in blood. "We deal death to the corrupt to prevent the suffering of the innocent."
Pupper: "Mission Accomplished!"The moment stretches, as your fellow wizards allow you to spend another few seconds lost in memory. Then a wave of simple joy washes over you and you smile, knowing that Maximilian has finally surrendered some of his bread.
So in this case, if you smell onion on the wound, either hope the Seed of Rebirth passes through soon or you just make peace with your gods."I should have stuck with the soup," he gripes. "Still, who serves onion soup before a battle?"
You smile. "Norlander trick," you say. "If someone has a gut wound, feed them onion soup. If you can smell it on their wound, they're beyond saving. The Halflings figured if they're going to be making a batch anyway, might as well scale up and give it to everyone."
So Maximillian is sticking around Eight Peaks."One of the Clan Angrund Dwarves was a smith in Zhufbar before King Belegar recalled them all," Maximilian says. "He's agreed to teach me, as long as we both survive that long."
Its a mining area, the standing water is probably charged with metals and sulfides. The dwarfs probably had properly sealed tailing pits, but no bets on the Greenskins breaking them open for loots."Titus will be commissioning me," Panoramia says. "Help get the crops set up in the Eastern Valley. The soil's hard done by and there's concerns about the water, so it'll be a big job. He's going to give me a promissory note I can exchange in Eicheschatten, and that plus the Expedition pay will be my College dues taken care of."
Knightly attachment isn't bad for Ambers.You look to Esbern and Seija, who exchange glances of their own. "Returning to the Empire with the Knights, most likely," Esbern says. "We get on well with them."
"I might have a task here you could find interesting," you say. "But we can talk of that after the battle."
That might be the most brazen effort at sighting artillery in a contested area by sheer balls to just walk out there unescorted I've ever seen.From the Citadel, a dozen pairs of eyes glared at the single Dwarf who walked across the Eastern Valley. Hands closed on weapons as they debated whether to sally out to strike at the insolent git. But the mountains, they knew, could sprout a volley of arrows without warning, and somewhere out there were those lionbirds with the metal humie gits on top. So they watched sullenly as the Dwarf took measurements, and a spark of curiousity arose as the Dwarf drew a line in the dirt with a foot. But the Dwarf returned back to the fortified Eastern Gate, which bristled with enough weaponry to intimidate a legion of Black Orcs, and they forgot about him.
Survival instinct well and healthy in these orcs.Not long after, the inner gates opened once more, and a caravan trundled out. Twenty covered wagons, some pulled by horses, some by oxen. The previous garrison of the Citadel had allowed themselves to be drawn in by bait such as this before, and each time they had been food for giant wolves or lionbirds. The current garrison was smaller in number, and more cautious for it. But they were no less greedy, and as the convoy plodded through the Eastern Valley, more and more eyes were fixated on it.
"Food," one says. "Betcha they're fulla food."
"Who cares what's in 'em," says another. "Lookit them cows. That's dinner."
"Choppas," a third disagrees. "Proper glintymetal choppas. No more havin' ta use rocks."
"Booze," says a fourth. "Stunties always have booze."
Murderkitties are very educational."Why's they stoppin'?" came the question, and all those that were staring started to stare harder.
"Gotta be worth a shot," one says, but a tide of disagreement rose to meet him.
"Little 'umies with arrers."
"Stunties with rock lobbas."
"Lionbirds."
A chorus of agreement. Nobody wanted to meet the lionbirds again.
These orcs seem unusually conservative. Recent events?"They getin' closer?" one asks, doubtfully.
[Approach: Intrigue, 89+17=106.]
"Nah," says another. "They'z goin' ta Mount Crooked Moon, same as the others."
"Least they sorted that git," one growls, and is met with agreement. "With his greenrock teef and havin' rats insteada proppa squigs. Ain't right."
...recent events."Yeah, then they went after-"
"We don't talk about 'im!" comes the instant reply. "Mork is proppa good, roight?"
"Roight!" is the hasty chorus.
"And Gork is proppa good too and that's the end of that." A round of very careful agreement.
The delivery there is just perfect."What'd they be gettin' closer for, ya git? Reckon they're comin' for a visit? Bein' neighbourly?" Snickers and grins all around.
"I reckon," comes the thoughtful response, as a series of thwacks is heard in the distance. "I reckon that-" B-boom, two blasts sounding almost as one. "I RECKON!" he yells, and sighs as a pair of impacts shakes the Citadel, and screams of wounded joins the din. He scowls, and waits for the tumult to die down, until the only sound is the crackling of fire behind the Citadel. "Loik I was sayin'," he finally says. "I reckon they're gettin' close coz they gotta bunch of 'umies and a few of dem big shooty things in the wagons."
Huh, didn't think they'd break those out so easily. Those are pretty damned valuable in terms of history.But the Citadel did not disgorge its garrison and from Karag Nar came the remainder of those that would receive any charge: the sellswords and vagabonds and mercenaries, once thought the least reliable portion of the army, yesterday the heroes of the day, and today given a chance to prove themselves once and for all. From the King's Armoury, thousands of ancient silversteel pikes had been distributed to the men, and instead of their previous motley assortment of blades a forest of shining points stood between them and the Citadel.
Also by Ranald, Durin's Accelerant is some hot stuff, if it had a 40% chance of immediately making the fire impassable.[Durin's accelerant: 60+20=80.]
[Fire below: 7+40(Accelerant)=47.]
[First group of reinforcements: 80.]
Atop Karag Lhune, the sharpest eye and the finest telescope had been combined with a flagpole and a prearranged code. A single green flag had you grimace; the fire was burning, but one lot of greenskins had gotten through.
[Greenskin shamans?: 79, 89. One Great Shaman, three lesser Shaman.]
And, it seems, you were right to be concerned. Perhaps your reputation had reached even the greenskins, perhaps Mork had whispered in some ears to be on the look out, perhaps it was as simple as one magic-user recognizing another. Inside the Citadel an Ork thrust his head forward, uncaring of the pain as it hit the carved stone to either side of the arrowslit he had been peeking through, and a shockwave of green energy flew forth from the motion directly at you.
['Eadbutt: 36+20=56.]
[Counterspell: 8+20=28.]
Perhaps he was masked by the crackling energies of the Waaagh from the charge of a thousand Orcs, perhaps he was unusually cunning, perhaps you expected a longer wind-up time than a single headbutt. If you had nothing to rely on but your wits, you would have eaten a magical headbutt directly to the face. But the raw and wild magic was met by a rising wave of tamed Runic magic. The energies of the spell are shattered as a Rune on your belt glows red-hot and a similar fire burns inside the brain of the Orc that cast it. But that wasn't all the Citadel had in store, as while the Great Shaman screamed in agony as all knowledge of magical headbutts was cauterized from his living brain, three lesser shamans worked in concert to summon their God - or at least, one part of him.
Miscasts killed more casters than Mathilde had in the whole game of actively trying to kill them with spells, sword and artillery alike.[Foot of Gork: 8+15=23. Miscast.]
[Miscast roll: 2, 4. Calamitous Detonation.]
And though your group of Journeymen and Journeywomen stood ready to counter whatever their greenskin counterparts had prepared, there was no need. If your little chat with Panoramia yesterday didn't get the message across, she was going to get an even better demonstration of what happens when someone bites off more than they can chew. An enormous explosion of green energy shakes the Citadel, and you grimly hope that it put paid to the overambitious spellcasters inside.
Oh hey its still the Martial +15 Greenskin leader. Good job Kragg on wiping out the +30 hero. This would have been pretty sticky if they managed to scrounge up a better one, the rolls are uncomfortably close.[Codrin's archers: 92+15+5(Atoning)=112.]
[Ulthar's archers: 86+15=101.]
[Titus' archers: 70+15=85.]
[Greenskin morale: 76+15+10(Reinforced)=101.]
While the magical duel had been fought, the greenskin assault had been continuing. With mechanical efficiency, row after row of Orcish attackers had been cut down by brutally efficient volleys, and only an expert on fletching could tell you which volley had come from which archers, so alike in speed and accuracy were they. But the greenskins charged onwards undeterred, each row making it another few feet before being cut down to be followed by the next. Who but the terrible greenskins could ignore such losses and fight on?
And likewise, without the morale buff the main attack might well have collapsed receiving that charge.[Greenskin attack: 59+15+10(Reinforced)=84.]
[Manling defence: 43+15+10(High Morale)+20(Silversteel Pikes receiving a charge)=88.]
With a terrible earth-shaking crash, the line of greenskins finally hit the rows of men. Those first to strike the pikes were no more fortunate than all those that had met the arrows, but for every greenskin that impaled itself against a pike there was another shoving past him to swing a choppa at the man who held it. Orcish battle fury met the newly awakened pride of man, and neither would give an inch.
lol
Mathilde: "I'm reversing the polarity!"[Lesser Shamans - 'Ere We Go: 35+15-10(Detonated)=40.]
[Counterspell: 79+20=99.]
[Induce miscast: 100.]
Meanwhile in the Citadel, the greatest magic-user amongst them tied in vain to remember... something? His seared brain ached as again and again he reached for information he knew was there, but arcane fire had taken from him. His underlings were a little better off, and the two that survived tried to assist their fellows as best they can. The Waaagh energy that linked all greenskins solidified, and a tendril extended from the Citadel and was drawn towards the mob of fighting Orcs. You stare at it, feeling almost insulted. Surely this must be a trick. Not even greenskins would be so careless as to- but no, you can see clear as day that what you see in front of you is what there is. The shamans are trying to form an aethyric link between themselves and the Waaagh energy below them, and presumably once the link was formed they'd imbue it with magic and change its nature to one that would enhance the combat abilities of the Orc. It would be utterly trivial to reach out and sever the half-formed link, and you have to reach out and slap Maximilian's hand absently as he reaches to do so. With infuriating slowness, the link stretches forward... and just as it connects with the battlefield before you, you give it a poke.
Just a little one. Not enough to dispel or even disrupt the spell. All it does is pierce the aethyric membrane in exactly the right place so that instead of a single line through which the shamans can send energy, the link has become an enormous straw through which energy can travel. And the magically-created aethyric link of Waaagh energy was a thousand times easier for ambient Waaagh energy to travel through than the air between the fighting Orcs, and on the other side, amongst the shamans, the air permeated with Waaagh energy from the previous explosion was a thousand times more suited to Waaagh energies than the battlefield outside, with thousands of Dwarves and unfriendly mages and the disapproving gaze of Kragg.
[Signal Lost]In the space of a few seconds, every jot of Waaagh energy that had surrounded the fighting Orcs flew up the aethyric link and into the shamans' chamber.
In the space of a few seconds, the shamans were filled with the bloodlust of thousands of fighting Orcs, and their bodies barely contained the energy long enough for them to gouge fatal wounds in one another with bulging muscles.
In the space of a few seconds, every single Orc was robbed of the aura they had never known the absence of.
In the space of a few seconds, the battle is won.
And that is all she wrote.Not a single man pauses to question his fortune as his adversary freezes in confusion and terror and the sudden disconnect from the Waaagh. Each cuts down the Orc in front of them, and then the next nearest, and then levels their pike and charges forward at those that had a moment ago been charging them, and barely a scrap of resistance is met before they disappear into the Citadel and out of sight.
[Fire below: 87+40=124. Further reinforcement impossible.]
Its basically the dream career exit for a mercenary to be permanently hired on as part of a standing army. Just so incredibly rare to get the chance."Any of them," King Belegar says. "Hell, all of them if they're willing. Any Dwarf who took a greenskin charge that well would never have to pay for drinks again, and those manlings did so twice. And that extends to you as well."
"I'm honoured, your Majesty," Codrin replies. "But my home is in Stirland. But I believe a great many of the men will take you up on your offer."
Codrin departs to pass on the message, and you watch him thoughtfully. As it turns out, the distribution of Dwarf-made pikes had been an implicit offer, and their performance today had Belegar make it completely clear: any of the manling vagabonds, wanderers and mercenaries that had fought as part of the Expedition were welcome to make it their home, and with it came an offer of employment: to patrol, protect, and watch over the East Gate and Death Pass.
Belegar confirmed to be a Stewardship pro.Back at Barak Varr, you had assumed that King Belegar had been promising some share of lost wealth or ancient secrets to King Ubarul to secure his assistance. Now you realize that the forgotten treasures of the distant past were of no interest to him. No, the King of a trading hub would turn his gaze not to immediate profit, but to his map, and to those ephemeral and unreliable strings that represented the flow of goods from distant lands. Barak Varr did not need payment, because with one less murderous hurdle between Barak Varr and the distant east, Barak Varr would profit immensely. Doubly, triply, quadruply so, since this new route relied on going up the Blood River, which only Dwarven steam-artifice could fight the flow of.
Caravans of food and water and sundry other supplies? If the Expedition succeeded, each would be repaid by a caravan of spices and silks and jewels, and each had no choice but to pass through Barak Varr.
The final thing it needed was for King Belegar to have at his disposal a force that could worry about keeping the road open, rather than being locked in a war of attrition inside the Karak. With these men, he had acquired it.
We won him over!"Spoke to Kragg," King Belegar says, shaking you from your ponderings. "He said a whole lot about how only a greenskin could be stupid enough to allow the opening that they allowed you. But after that, he said that he had no choice to concede that you were clever to exploit it the way you did, rather than just batting the spell aside. Needless to say, that's the highest of praise anyone, man or Dawi, is likely to get from him."
Anyone knows the layout enough to comment on the positioning and scale of the tomb?He looks down in thought, and you follow his gaze. Where once the slave pit had been was freshly-quarried stone, and with typical Dwarven efficiency the area that stone had been carved from was to become a tomb for those who had fallen in the Karak's retaking. It was meant to be a stop-gap measure until a proper job could be done, but King Belegar had declared it would remain until the end of days, so that neither he nor his descendants could forget the price of the home he had retaken.
Another fine example of mad Stewardship skills"Expedition's done," he says. "Could keep it going a while longer and throw more lives against the other Karags, but I'd rather use the current high spirits to purchase lives instead of deaths. The men..." he pauses. "Hard to summarize them. There's the Stirland men, there's the Ulrican men, there's the Knights, and then there's the... everyone else. Wouldn't be a problem except the everyone else turned out to be hard as stone. So those that accept my offer will be the Undumgi."
Oh wow, thats a lot of settlers:"Watchpost men?" you hazard.
"Watchpost would be dokaraz. Mingol if it's built in the lowlands. Und is a watchpost carved into a mountain, which needless to say is the best kind there is, just as these men have proven themselves. Anyway, they'll be set up in Karag Nar. Immediate access to the East Gate, and they'll have outposts at Und-Uzgar and at the Underway entrance. The Winter Wolves will build their new chapterhouse at the top of the valley on the other side, they like it nice and cold and up a mountain is the only place you get that down here. The Ulricans are talking of making a home in the valley, under the theocratic authority of the Wolves - it's not set in stone yet, they're going to set up a sawmill in the valley while they decide if they like the place. I'll gladly buy all the timber they can cut from it, and if they decide to move on they'll have a little more in their coffers. Stirlanders are taking their pay and heading home to buy a slightly larger field and a slightly larger cottage. The Halflings were already in, and once the defensive wall against Kvinn-Wyr is set up they'll start building homes throughout the Eastern Valley. And Clan Ungrund and Clan Huzkul and the Clans from Karak Izor will call Karag Lhune home." He sighs, a little happily and a little wistfully. "There'll be war on our doorstep, but such is the case for damn near everyone in these times. We'll keep pushing back what Grobi remain, and sure as the seasons turn, the Thaggoraki will make a play before too long. Karak Azul's lads will arrive any day, and there'll be plenty of work for them to do, and I daresay when word gets out that we've succeeded as much as we have, we'll be beard-deep in those seeking treasure and glory.
[Mathilde acquires Skill: Waaaghbane: +20 to attempts to dispel and induce miscasts against any Little or Big Waaagh spells. -20 for greenskins to attempt the same to you.]
Probably depends on the mercenary. It seems quite likely that mercenaries might group up and set each other as their beneficiaries if they grow close to one another. Alternatively they might just straight up have families and friends they wish to bequeath their assets to.The vast majority of mercenaries will (unless I've been seriously misled) have no dependents and, quite likely, nothing to lose but their lives. As such, it would be rather a waste.
"I've spoken to Durin," you say, and he nods. "A gunpowder charge could cave in the entrance to the Citadel from the caldera. The issue is of scale. Too little and it doesn't work, too much and the structural integrity of the Citadel is threatened. I'd have to bring an expert to place the charge, or it will be a choice between risking failure and risking the Citadel."
"Could you?" King Belegar asks.
"I could get through the Citadel alone, no problem. But with an expert? There's no Rangers with the right expertise, the closest is a Clan Huzkul Miner. He'd essentially be cargo. I believe it to be possible, but..."
"But too many unknowns for guarantees." King Belegar sighs.
"I'm afraid so."
Meanwhile in the Citadel, the greatest magic-user amongst them tied in vain to remember... something? His seared brain ached as again and again he reached for information he knew was there, but arcane fire had taken from him.
[Mathilde acquires Skill: Waaaghbane: +20 to attempts to dispel and induce miscasts against any Little or Big Waaagh spells. -20 for greenskins to attempt the same to you.]
Could be interesting. Maybe we even discover that Snake Juice can substitute as a Warpstone-analogue in their tech!Now to wait for the shoe to drop from the Skaven.
They've been utterly confounded by recent events happening just too fast to react to, but they'd be here.
#SmugMathilde #WindReaderMindReaderInner Belegar: "Also this is less likely to end in Mathilde standing there awkwardly after exploding the Citadel Warboss or Great Shaman. Again."
OHNONONOOOO you don't.reckon we might want to write a paper on dispelling Greenskin spells. If we can confer even half the bonus to others its a sorely needed one.
Hmm. I recall that (ex) Amethyst Patriarch Hexensohn was rolling at +40 versus necromancy back at Drakenhof. We'd be +20+20 now vs Waaagh.The other wizards must be freaked out at the mastery of that dispel that Mathilde wrought on the orcs, a counterspell of surpassing skill and intellect that combined with the incredible start to the battle ended the whole fight.
Master Mathilde vs Waaagh! == Amethyst Patriarch Versus Necromancy...[Hexensohn interrupt: 40+40=80.]
And then, with barely a flash of amethyst light, the spell is snuffed contemptuously out.