As he was in the Karag anyway today for a meeting with Francesco Caravello, King Belegar comes to you for the post-Expedition debrief, and you set your sitting room up with the appropriate maps and with a few other reference materials that would cover tangents the discussion might head in. With a nod from him the Hammerers accept your offer of a fresh keg for them to split out on the balcony, so you and the King can talk in private of some rather sensitive topics. From the notes you had sent over to him yesterday and the circulation of gossip between the Dwarven Holds, he knows the broad strokes of what's happened, it's only the details that he needs to be brought up to date on.
"First off, Karag Dum," you begin. "I'm still much lighter on details than I would like to be, but they've bound or tricked or reached an accord with the current incarnation of Cor-Dum as well as a number of its followers. The full details are in the notes I had sent over, but the main point is that Borek's reaction and comments seem to indicate that however they did it, it's a possibility that he was already aware of and felt the rest of the Karaz Ankor would disapprove of. The observations that I and the other Wizards were able to make line up with what we saw, so I don't think it's any kind of trickery or illusion - Cor-Dum really is there and so are a number of Beastmen, though he appeared to have his aura of mutation suppressed until it was unleashed while it was being attacked by some Kurgan."
"So the Kurgan were opposed to the Beastmen?" Belegar asks, his brow furrowed.
"It seemed more like some sort of initiation or feat of bravery than a full-blown attack, there were many more horsemen watching than were trying to press the attack. They broke off as soon as one of them was mutated by exposure to Cor-Dum, which they seemed pleased with."
"So it can't really be taken as indication that they're still opposed to Chaos."
"That's my interpretation," you reply with a nod. "They were also maintaining the flow of energy southwards, but I don't know if they had any way to know that it had been hijacked to keep Karak Vlag trapped in the
Aethyr, so that can't really be taken as proof one way or the other, either."
Belegar considers that. "There's been communication flowing back and forth with gyrocopter messengers among the Kings of the Karaz Ankor, and the growing consensus seems to be that they've either completely fallen or they've turned to methods so radical that their fall is merely a matter of time. Do you have any insight that might contradict this?" You consider it, and shake your head. "Then so be it. That they seem to have no desire to explain themselves strikes me as the strongest indication that they're no longer to be trusted. Either whatever they've done is unforgivable, or they're so far gone that they no longer care what the rest of the Karaz Ankor thinks of them. It might be best to write them off and let them fade from history. They can do no more damage from where they are than the rest of the Chaos Wastes do already."
You nod. "Especially with High Pass once more in friendly hands." You recount your discovery of the defences behind the magic keeping it sealed in the Warp, and the events that followed.
"Fallen Slayers," he says heavily. "I never would have thought it possible, but I suppose what takes place in the
Aethyr has no obligation to possibility. Who knows what sort of torments and trickery the Dark Gods would be capable of in the heart of their own realms."
"I don't know how many survived-"
"According to word from Karaz-a-Karak, two thirds, give or take," Belegar interrupts. "Twenty thousand."
You take a moment to process that, then smile. "I'm glad so many did. That supports my suspicion that they were keeping the pressure high and casualties low to 'harvest' as many of the Dwarves as they can, whether their intention was to turn them into shock troops or just for their own amusement. If all they wanted was to wipe out the Karak, it would have been trivial for them to do so once it had been pulled into their realm."
Belegar nods. "I shudder to think what ten thousand fallen Slayers would have done to Dwarven morale if they had come as a surprise during the next Great War. Our fallen kin in the east have already taught us that it's not impossible, but we've had plenty of time to grow used to them. Being suddenly confronted with an entirely new twisting of who we are could have been devastating."
"There might still be thousands in the service of the Chaos Gods. Hopefully once they've adapted to their return, Karak Vlag should be able to give us some idea how many extant fallen there might be, and how many of their missing numbers died in the Karak's defence."
"With the element of surprise gone, they're largely defanged," Belegar says confidently. "Their appearance on a battlefield now will only serve to spur us to greater heights."
You consider the best way to segue into the next matter. "Do you know when Karaz-a-Karak learned how many of the survivors there were?"
"At least a month ago. Thorgrim supposedly went there himself to coax them out from behind their defences."
"And the conclave's announcement was dated shortly after that."
"Ancestors forbid he acknowledges the good done by an
Umgi," he says with a frown. "Much better to announce some drivel about Dwarven souls in
Umgi bodies."
Not quite how you'd word it, but it matches your own suspicions about the announcement. "From my understanding of Dwarves, that's not an announcement that would have come quickly."
"Likely not. He must have called them in the moment he heard Karak Vlag had returned. A gyrocopter from High Pass, I assumed."
You shake your head. "We had originally planned to have a gyrocopter with the Expedition, but we ended up using that deck space for Asarnil and Deathfang. We sent a Knight back to have a letter sent through the post from Praag."
He frowns, and bends over the table to peer at the map, measuring distances with his fingers. "Kislev's horses are supposed to be exceptional," he says suspiciously, "but not quite
that exceptional."
"And that only would have got the message halfway," you confirm. "From there it would have been the Empire's Roadwardens."
"So Thorgrim knew before he got the message?"
"The timetable doesn't make sense otherwise."
He considers that, and his frown deepens. "The flow of stolen energy resuming?"
"I checked before we left High Pass, and it had resumed. So that seems to be the most likely explanation."
"If true, that would prove that he knows of it. It's not some forgotten Golden Age relic still turning in the darkness."
"Additionally, Borek knew of that flow of energy, and seemed surprised that I did." You double check your notes. "'Did Ulthuan tell your Order, or did King Belegar inherit secrets', is what he asked."
"He was speaking Khazalid?" You nod. "Inherit secrets..." You've already gone through the thought process that Belegar is, though he might be able to extract something new from it. He speaks Khazalid natively and has done for many times your age, after all.
Kalangromthit thindrongazgalak - no connotations of subterfuge as might be present in a Reikspiel translation. It was hidden in the sense that a vault might be hidden, as the proper protection for something valuable.
"He believed that's why the High King did not contribute more to the Expedition, as he would have concluded that both northern Karaks had fallen due to the cutting off of their energy flow."
He considers that. "From what I've been told by Dwarves that lived through it, the Karaz Ankor's ability to project power was all but crippled by the losses during the Great War. That's why Thorgrim was able to get the Engineers Guild to accept the crash-development of the Everpeak Aircorps, because it was that or nothing for decades. But it's true that he contributed more to the Karak Eight Peaks Expedition than to the Karag Dum one - that was mostly Zhufbar and Karak Kadrin."
"'Karag Dum remembers much that others have forgotten, even when some might prefer we didn't. Even when we might prefer we didn't.' In hindsight, I think that last bit was a reference to whatever he feared Karag Dum had resorted to in his absence, which turned out to be correct."
"'Some might prefer we didn't'," Belegar echoes.
Umdawal sarbrynak binmhornak. That he used 'umdawal' for the 'some' might indicate that they're Dwarves, but it might not - Khazalid doesn't really have a race-neutral collective noun, so 'daw' is often defaulted to even when it isn't technically correct. So it could be taken as a general reference to secrets that the Marauder Tribes might prefer be forgotten, like the engineering, metalwork, and Runecraft that they had used to strike them down for generations. "Blast him for speaking in riddles." You nod firmly. You'd thought similar many times over the past few weeks. "Still. Karag Dum knew about it. If it was entirely to Karaz-a-Karak's benefit, they could have used that to pressure Karaz-a-Karak into supporting them - they'd called for aid a number of times in the lead-up to the Great War."
"Thorek once spoke of a rift in the Runesmiths Guild between Karag Dum and the rest of them, as they'd insisted the true threat was north while everyone else was concerned with Ulthuan's movements in Bretonnia."
"How bad did it get?"
You remember Thorek's promise to tear the Guild asunder if his suspicions proved correct. "Bad," you say bleakly.
"Would Karag Dum have been willing to resort to blackmail?"
"They resorted to Cor-Dum as a bodyguard. I think they very much would have preferred blackmail, if it was an option."
"And yet Borek ran around the Karaz Ankor for eighteen decades and never got more than accommodation and half an ear from Thorgrim." Belegar frowns as he processes that. "So either Karag Dum benefited or was complicit in some way..."
"Or there's more to it than Karaz-a-Karak benefitting at the expense of the other Dwarfholds," you finish.
Belegar scowls as he considers it further. "I'll have to give this matter more thought," he finally concedes.
"The other matter I wanted to discuss-"
He sighs. "Did you pull some other bizarre miracle on your way back?"
You recall your visit to Kraka Ravnvake. "Not for lack of trying. No, this is a more in general sort of thing. I'm wondering what the future duties of Loremaster Weber would be."
He nods. "The Karak is a lot more secure and orderly than it was when the Council was formed, and the same can't be said for the entire Karaz Ankor. The position is yours for as long as you want it and I'd be more than happy to keep you in reserve for when the next disaster comes knocking on our gates, but if you want to go further afield there's all sorts of ways you could be useful by building goodwill amongst the other Karaks. There was a time when every Karak lived as Karak Azul once did, where other Karaks were some theoretical thing that you heard from a few times a decade, but in this age of gyrocopters we're much more a united people, and that's on the verge of becoming more so with the canals. I want Karak Eight Peaks to retake its place at the forefront of the Karaz Ankor, and you could be a big part of that."
"Do you have anything specific in mind?" you ask curiously.
"I'm sure Karak Vlag could use assistance in making sense of the world they've returned to." He thinks for a moment more. "Zhufbar has a nest of Fire Dragons in one of their upper halls that has resisted every conventional attempt to evict them. Karak Norn always has strange and mystical troubles of one sort or another. Barak Varr has some sort of plan for Sartosa, which was an outpost of theirs long ago, but in modern times has proven able to resist any conventional assault - and there's also talk about something in the Border Princes to stamp out the pirate problems, you might be able to help with whatever that turns out to be. Karaz-a-Karak might be meaning to take a poke at Mount Silverspear - when I met with the Grey Mountains Clans they let slip that they're apparently also in talks with Karaz-a-Karak. If that's the case, they'd probably need something novel to avoid it going the same way as the Silver Road Wars. The current Emperor is asking for Dwarven assistance in securing under-Ubersreik... and undoubtedly there's plenty more that I'd hear word of once the Karaz Ankor realizes that you'd be available to help out."
You nod thoughtfully. "That does sound interesting. I'll give it some thought over the next few months. Speaking of, what did you want me doing now that I'm back?"
He smiles. "On top of recovering Karak Vlag and ending the uncertainty around Karag Dum? You were mining the seam from both ends in the lead-up to the Expedition. If you're absolutely desperate for something to keep your hands busy then the Lhune Depths could use poking around in, but don't feel obliged if you need to spend some time recovering. As much as you do your best to prove otherwise, I know humans aren't quite as sturdy as Dwarves."
---
Pfaffbach's central keep isn't anywhere near the size of Eagle Castle, but its furnishings are much more luxurious than its modern size would lead one to expect. You suppose it's only natural, as this was once the holiday home of the current Empress in her previous guise. You're not sure if Roswita has grown used to them as the deserved trappings of a Grand Countess or is overlooking them entirely in favour of seeing this as the most central point to oversee the final Sylvanian holdouts.
"I've been hearing that the siege is on the verge of ending for years now," you say as you slip into the room.
"So have I," she says distractedly, staring broodingly down at a map. "But each year they get measurably weaker, and I can't justify putting my own impatience over needless Stirlandian deaths. I'm currently thinking I might use their soon-to-be-vacated titles to bring in more assistance. Siegfriedhof seems to thrive under the Black Guard, after all. Maybe another Order could follow their example."
"Or you might lure in a Lord Magister," you say lightly.
"Or that. I was wondering how long it would take you to get that letter. How was the Chaos Wastes?"
"Plenty of chaos, but I wouldn't call the trip a waste."
"So I hear. Do you really have the soul of a Dwarf?"
You shrug. "That's what the Dwarven Conclave says. I don't really know enough about souls to say one way or the other with any confidence."
She considers that, then nods. "It's out of my area of expertise too. I might have more to work with if it was out terrorizing the countryside. So you're here to talk about a title?"
"I'm open to the possibility. Of Markgräfin, specifically."
"Right." She taps the map forcefully. "Settling the matter of Sylvania is why I took the title of Grand Countess, but the oath I swore when I became it was to Stirland, not Sylvania, and I'm neglecting that oath with every season spent here. One way to resolve that is..." She frowns, considering her words. "Despite my misgivings when we first met, you've proven beyond any reasonable doubt that you're worthy of absolute trust. If you became Markgräfin of Sylvania, I could turn my full attention to Stirland without concerns."
"And what would that entail, exactly?"
"You would operate out of the County of Drakenhof, which would include Regrakhof and Teufelheim-"
"Teufelheim is part of Drakenhof?"
She nods. "On paper everything south of the South Stir is part of the County, even if it hasn't been enforced for Gods know how long. I'd make it clear to whoever become the Barons and Counts that they're to follow your lead and if there's any that I'm even a little unsure of I'll leave you with signed arrest orders for them, just in case. Your main priority is rooting out the remaining Vampires and Necromancers, and I'm sure there'd be plenty. We'll be levying taxes right from the start because it'll give us justification for digging through financials, but they'd be nominal and you'll have broad powers to waive them wherever necessary to secure cooperation. I don't care if Stirland doesn't see a penny from Sylvania for the next century, I just want to make sure it doesn't see a Vampire from it."
You nod. "Have the locals been causing trouble so far?"
"No, but that's with the entire Army of Stirland marching around the place. There's going to be true believer Vampire Cultists out there, whether or not there's any Vampires left to pull their strings. Those in power lived very comfortably in Sylvania when they were able to pay their taxes in other people's blood, and they won't give that up without a fight, and it's going to be the sort of fight fought by Witch Hunters and Grey Wizards, not the sort fought by the Army of Stirland."
"Ah. Yes. Speaking of which..."
She hesitates. "My preference would be the Holy Order of the Templars of Sigmar, but I'd understand if you'd rather bring in another organization to assist with that. The Longshanks have expressed an interest, as have Zhufbar's Order of the Stone Wall, which you'd probably get along with. There's already the Black Guard and the Dreamwalkers here, so I don't think the Fellowship would be a good fit. Priory of the Spear, maybe? Helhunten's? I hear the current Andanti is fairly skilled, or the Knights of Everlasting Light... it'd be entirely in your hands."
"What of the matter of religion?"
She leans back in her chair and sighs. "There's never been any sort of success trying to ram Sigmar down the throat of the Sylvanians, though I've been hearing from plenty who are eager to make another attempt. So, Rhya maybe? Verena? Myrmidia? Kasmir has some ideas involving old local Gods, and truth be told I don't care who they pray to as long as it's not a Vampire or a forbidden God - I'm sure there'll be plenty rushing to fill any vacuum."
"That's a lot of latitude," you note.
"Sylvania's not going to be brought to heel by someone shackled by micromanagement. You'd have full power to do whatever it takes to make sure that when one of the von Carsteins wakes back up, Sylvania doesn't immediately revert to their control."
"And the duration?"
"As long as it takes, as decided by yourself. Even if you become another Elspeth von Draken, if you feel the job's not done, then you can be delivering reports to my great grandchildren."
"That's a lot of trust."
She runs a hand over her face. "If I'd given it to you earlier, I'd already be done here. I like to think that I don't make the same mistakes twice."
---
The citizens of Altdorf take pride in cultivating an air of indifference to Wizards doing Wizard things, so it's something of a surprise when your arrival in Nuln gets a similar lack of reaction. It takes you a moment to remember that Nuln has been home to a much more formidable figure for generations, and your entrance can't come close to comparing to that of a Carmine Dragon.
Nuln is a city of castles. There's the hilltop Palace that once used to be the home of the Emperor, of course, but Nuln's Cathedral of Sigmar was where the worship of Sigmar was born and is built as an expression of martial might, rather than more traditional piety. Nuln is the capital of Myrmidia's worship within the Empire, and the Temple of Myrmidia is the size of a city block and as fortified as one would expect of the Goddess of War. The College of Engineering, little-known would-be rival to the Imperial Gunnery School, is a demonstration of the art it promises to teach its students, and the Imperial Gunnery School is much more sprawling but also much more bristling with every kind of artillery imaginable. And around the entire city are twenty-foot walls patrolled by the 'Blue Heron' mercenary band, who were originally Tilean but have been on retainer in Nuln for so long that it would take quite some searching to find a Tilean accent among them.
You wonder how much defence it all would prove against attack from below.
You need wait only a minute before you're shown into the dining hall of Nuln's Palace, where Grand Count Konstantin von Liebwitz has half the table filled with food and the other with paperwork. "Pull up a chair," he says as you approach. "Grab a drumstick if you've a mind to. You're here about the Spymaster job?"
"Yes, your Grace."
"Kazrik raves about you, and from how you played the rats against each other under Eight Peaks, I can understand why. We tried something similar here, and, well," he waves a hand missing three fingers at you. "Got off lightly, too. And from what I understand, they're not the sort to forgive and forget."
"That's one way to put it," you agree.
"Now, I understand that you Grey Wizards aren't allowed to play politics, and if you take the job I won't be pointing you anywhere outside of Wissenland's borders, it'd be entirely about the rats." He frowns and considers. "Maybe Cults and Beastmen and that sort of thing too if they pop up while you're here, but you get what I mean. Enemies of the Empire." He drains his tankard and then puts it down and taps it, then looks up and frowns. "Right, I sent them out. Rats are a secret, after all. What's that about? Nobody can give me a straight answer."
"They call it the 'Conspiracy of Silence'. The theory is if they think we don't know about them, then they'll feel safe enough to fight amongst themselves rather than uniting against humanity."
"Does it work?"
You shrug. "Seems to. As far as I know, we haven't lost an Emperor to them since Mandred Skavenslayer."
"I always thought he was a story for children, chasing the rats through the street with his hammer. Anyway, apparently we've got Clan Skab under us, whatever that means."
You're glad you checked your books before setting out. "The nine most powerful Skaven Clans have a seat on their ruling Council. Clan Skab is one of them. They produce an inordinate amount of Stormvermin, the black-furred warrior caste, and train them to a higher standard than other Clans, and a lot of their wealth and influence comes from selling their services as bodyguards."
"So, none of the tricks with monsters and strange guns?"
"They probably do have them. That'd be what they'd spend their wealth and influence acquiring."
"Damn. Anyway, that's the score. You're good at killing rats, and we've got a lot of rats that need killing. You'll have all the resources of Wissenland behind you, and if you're like the Dark Lady and want to build a creepy tower, you can have the Iron Isle - it's the size of a city block but the Dwarves get annoyed if we try to do anything with it, but they like you, right?"
"Why do they care?"
"Used to be part of some old fortress of theirs, they say."
"Kazad Kro?"
He shrugs. "Maybe? I thought they were just screwing with us. Dwarves build in mountains, after all."
"Things were different, once." From your recent readings on the War of Vengeance, you know that Kazad Kro was the wealthiest of the Dwarven cities built in the Reik basin. The so-called 'Hill Dwarves' of the lowlands took the brunt of Elven attacks before the war swung in favour of the Dwarves, and most of them either returned to the mountains or started new lives amongst the human tribes of the Belthani that lived in the forests. In time the ancestors of the Empire arrived and conquered or assimilated the Belthani, and those Dwarves became the first of the Imperial Dwarves, and some of their descendants probably call Nuln home once more. No wonder they'd be touchy about the home of their fallen glory.
"This is why Wissenland needs you. Put an enemy in front of me and I'll fight them. Put a politician in front of me and I'll yell at them. But secret underground rat bases? Ancient Dwarven history? I need someone who can sort that out, and when I asked people who know about this sort of thing, your name kept coming up. I'll pay well, I'll give you whatever support you need, and if you want to get up to creepy Wizard stuff in your off hours, Nuln is used to that sort of thing."
---
The Laurel's Rest is one of the most expensive and exclusive hostels in Altdorf, and one would expect that even a Lord Magister would have to marshal some resources to finagle their way in. If the ladies-in-waiting who accompany the Empress everywhere are harbouring any sort of grudge that you'd somehow managed to slip effortlessly into the position of the Empress' confidante, they might have expected that this is where you'd get your comeuppance. If so, they shall have to live with disappointment, as the Greatsword bodyguard are used to you, the doorman is trivial to slip by, and when your presence is noticed, it's by the Halfling kitchen overseers who take it in turns to shake you by the hand and bombard you with questions about goings-on in Karak Eight Peaks, where they apparently have kin. When you manage to extricate yourself, you slip into a chair across from Heidi and conceal a smirk as the hangers-on are dismissed to the other side of the room.
"He has been
insufferable," is the first thing she says to you. "You're a bad influence on Him. He never fought other Gods until you entered the picture."
"This time was His idea," you say, smiling. "He wanted to make nice with Kislev."
"Do you know what's up with that? He keeps being smugly mysterious about it all."
"Something to do with Him getting the Ancient Widow's siblings killed, apparently."
She frowns. "Siblings? I mean, husband would make sense, because I assume She had to have one once. But I didn't really see Her as the sibling type."
"The Ice Witches seem to think that Ursun and Dazh and Tor are Her brothers," you say with a shrug.
She considers that, then waves a hand dismissively. "Someone else's problem. Maybe your problem, actually. Is that why you're here?"
"No, I was curious about the 'bodyguard' thing."
"And you're not talking to the Chamberlain?" You give her a flat look, and she smiles. "Yes, it's my idea. For now he's a bit young to be tutored in your sort of thing, but nobody's too young to be assassinated. I won't waste you on day-to-day bodyguarding, but there's a few occasions a year that are too public for my liking that I'd like you there for, and I want you to sort out his day-to-day bodyguards - recruit, vet, and equip. We've got Greatswords, but they're a blunt instrument. From what I've heard, you saw for yourself how easily they can be bypassed when you were a mere Journeywoman."
You nod thoughtfully. "And the rest of the time?"
"Politics, my dear. I went and looked up those Articles of yours, and as long as I get my darling Luitpold to make it an order, you wouldn't be restricted by the Grey Order's rules. He comes second, they come fourth."
You mentally review Article 1 and nod. 'Laws and ideals of their Order' comes after 'he who is rightfully elected Emperor of Sigmar's Holy Empire'. "What did you have in mind, specifically?"
"Luitpold isn't a young man, and Emperor's a job where many never have the chance to grow old. If something happens to him, Gods forbid, then it needs to be Mandred that's next. Electors don't like child Emperors, and I want to be able to count on their support should the worst happen. If there was a vote tomorrow, it'd almost certainly be Grand Duke Feuerbach of Talabecland. Failing that, Hertwig or van Hal."
You take a moment to process that. "You think Roswita could be Empress?"
"Of course. She's all but conquered Sylvania, she's cozy with the Cult of Sigmar, and she still has a marriage that could seal the right alliance. Great compromise candidate. Point is, it will take work to get things sorted out so that Mandred can get the votes instead, and there's no better or more trustworthy instrument for those sorts of games than your very own self."
"What sort of games do you have in mind?" you ask cautiously.
"Nothing drastic. Just the right conversations with the right people, and maybe the right favours to secure the right allies. Everyone has outstanding bugbears that need slaying, they always do. Middenland and Nordland have each other, Wissenland has the rats, Stirland has Sylvania, Ostermark has Mordheim, you get the picture. Hopefully it will all be wasted effort and Luitpold will live to see Mandred grow up to be a dashing young man, but if it isn't, then I - and our mutual friend - would be very much in your debt."
You recall something Heideck once said to you: 'Many die in debt to Ranald, but very few die with Ranald in debt to them.' In your experience, Ranald tends to pay his debts quite extravagantly. Being the one that saved his long-term gamble on a future Emperor would be a very advantageous position to be in. "Interesting," you say. "I've got some other possibilities to follow up on-"
She snorts. "Swamp Town?" You frown at her until she elaborates. "I hear that the worst part of being the Chancellor of the Imperial Treasury is finding some poor bastard to trick into taking the job, and even if they succeed they've got to find a new one in a few years after the last dies of lizards. Everyone that reaches Lord Magister gets that offer, as do half the graduates of Diesdorf and Bergo." She considers it. "Maybe you'd have a better chance than most, but honestly, it's a hovel trapped between jungle and an ocean, just waiting for the lizards from one side or the pirates from the other to wipe it out. And then a new shipful of bright-eyed colonists arrive to do it all again."
"I'll keep that in mind," you say dryly. But you're here in Altdorf, so you might as well hear the Chancellor out.
---
An oft-repeated joke by the more tedious sort of politician is that the Reiksmarshal is the Imperial Fist, but the Chancellor is the Imperial Fisc. This doesn't bring you any useful insight, but it's difficult to put the pun from your mind as you enter the offices of the Chancellor. An example of the power of access, Chancellor Friedrich von Schlafebild is from an old but destitute family that expended the last of its influence on securing him the position of Kammerjunker in a last-ditch gamble that has paid handsome dividends. "Lady Magister," he says as you are shown into his office. "How may I be of service?"
"Your invitation garnered my curiosity," you say with a thin smile.
"My-" puzzlement flashes across his face, then realization seems to strike with a wince. "Er. Yes. I suppose it- yes. Governor-General of the New World territories. Or Governess-General, I suppose." He shuffles the papers in front of him. "What was it you wanted to know?"
"What troubles does Swamp Town face that would require my calibre of oversight?"
"It's a very lucrative colony," he says almost defensively, "even discounting the trade in gold and jade. There are many herbs and spices only known to grow there that are in great demand in the Old World, and the utility of having a friendly harbour in the New World cannot be overstated. But the challenges are significant. Port Reaver and Skeggi, of course, as well as the pirates of the Vampire Coast. And the local inhabitants, lizards larger than men wielding spears and clubs that are still formidable despite being made of stone. Communicating with them seems to be extremely difficult, while offending them seems extremely easy. The garrison is understaffed and there's next to no static defences." He seems to perk up. "All that said, it seems to be a very attractive destination to the more adventurous sort of Wizard."
"How so?"
"Strange magics, strange creatures, strange plants, strange cities. The Elves seem to believe that whoever built those cities are older than even they, though I suppose they must have fallen to those lizards. If you're interested in it as a College-endorsed study, you'd have a very free hand to investigate the secrets of the New World. We'd also be able to offer you a crewed Wolfship, both to transport you there and to protect the harbour against raiders. Any prizes it seizes would be split between yourself and the treasury, as there's no Admiral of the New World to claim a share."
"Any friendly outposts in the area?"
"Santa Magritta and Nuevo Luccini nearby, as well as the ruins of Cadavo and Dalmark Town. There's rumours Bretonnia is interested in founding a colony as well, and there's an outpost of the Sea Elves nearby up the coast called Arnheim. Patrols from there regularly do their best to suppress piracy in the region."
You consider that. It's pretty clear that it's an unwanted position, but that does mean you'll be able to barter for all sorts of concessions if you intend to take it. That far from the Empire you'd have free rein to run Swamp Town as you see fit, to investigate the mysteries of the New World, to claim a share of some extremely lucrative trade goods, and to essentially operate as a privateer against hostile naval forces in the area. Perhaps not the best career move, but it would absolutely be an adventure. "Thank you for satisfying my curiousity," you say. "I'll let you know if I decide the offer appeals to me."
"Thank you for your consideration, Lady Magister," he says with a nervous smile.
---
Once more you journey from Altdorf to Karak Eight Peaks with your mind on your future, but this time it's much better equipped with knowledge and ready to make a permanent decision. A lot of doors have opened to you with your newly-acquired promotion, but tragically you can only go through one.
Select the opportunity or opportunities that most appeal to you. The one with the most votes will be the course Mathilde embarks upon.
[ ] Loremaster Sinecure
[ ] Loremaster-at-Large of Karak Eight Peaks
[ ] The Waystone Project
[ ] Markgraf of Eastern Stirland
[ ] Count of Sylvania
[ ] Spymaster of Wissenland
[ ] Ambassador-at-Large to the Karaz Ankor
[ ] Bodyguard and Tutor to Prince Mandred
[ ] Governor-General of Swamp Town
[ ] Ranaldian High Priest of Kislev
[ ] Border Princess of the Howling River
[ ] Nagarythe
[ ] Research Sabbatical
- Due to the amount of impact the vote will have on the future of the quest, there will be a twenty-four hour moratorium so everyone has a chance to engage in discussion, whatever their time zone or daily schedule happens to be.
- There are no wrong answers here. Mathilde has earned the freedom to choose her own path in life, and it's entirely valid for her to pick something interesting over something responsible. Other competent people exist in the world, and will take the jobs that Mathilde doesn't.
- Do not choose Research Sabbatical if there's just one or two things you want to finish off. There will be time to wrap things up before Mathilde moves on to her next position. Also keep in mind that while finishing off your research queue might be the responsible thing to do, it also has the potential to be achingly dull, and not all the same opportunities will be available once she's done.
- I've seen some people talking up the Elfcation as it would be 'short'. That might be the case in in-universe time elapsed, but the Karag Dum Expedition was just as 'short' and look how much IRL time that took us. Don't vote for it just to get it 'out of the way'.
- Mathilde has several logistical options available to her that will allow her to maintain her home and friends in Karak Eight Peaks while working elsewhere, unless that elsewhere is Swamp Town.
- The next vote will decide on expenditures of Boons and Great Deeds, so they can be selected while knowing what Mathilde's next position will be.
- Yes, Mathilde could select an opportunity that she did not investigate. Perhaps she feels lucky.
- If you have further questions about any of the opportunities Mathilde investigates, ask and I'll answer, and I might edit the response into the above.
- The exact details of how a position will work will be negotiated with whoever oversees it once a decision is made, and the thread will be able to vote on what concessions are most desired.
