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Since Grief is currently a bit ahead of Trauma, could someone explain what Grief does that Trauma doesn't that makes it worth telling the most Sigmarite man in the Grey Order to his face that we blamed his god for our boss/crush's death and took it out on those under our power? Because I'm not seeing it, personally.

Like, even setting his role as the Porter entirely aside, we're both part of a very small population of LMs in the Grey Order. This is somebody we're going to have to work with going forward just by virtue of both being among a very few peers in terms of rank and responsibilities in our organization. I don't think he'd retaliate against us for telling him the above or anything petty like that, but why chance souring what could be an important professional relationship? Especially since it's not like our feelings re: Sigmar have dissipated with time or anything.
 
Telling a lie to Starke here would probably backfire in the future (unless he wants us to tell a lie for him to work with but that is pure speculation). Also making it public that we adhere Ranald after obtaining one of his most important secrets would give undue opportunity for Ranald's enemies to target us as a potential weakness.

[X] Grief
[X] Trauma

Edit: approval voting this:
[x] Other (write-in): Grief, but note that it certainly looks like Skaven would fit and such an explaination would paint the order in a better light.
 
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Because we're acknowledging what we did wrong, and how badly we mishandled things, and giving him a plausible and understandable reason.
 
[X] Skaven
I am persuaded by @Aranfan's argument that this is a lie we can sell: we had contact with dwarves (from whom we could have plausibly learned of the thaggoraki) and our actions in setting up the Watch are congruent with forming it to contest the skaven. While the Under-Empire isn't under Wurtbad, we were forming the Stirland Watch and expanding it as a unified organization province-wide, and the Under-Empire does have presence under southern Stirland.

[X] Grief
I am persuaded by @Glau's argument that the tension that this would create with Starke is narratively interesting.
 
It is the Skaven's fault. If they hadn't invaded their would not be a vampire problem to kill our husbando.
I mean, it's not out of the question that Vlad would have gone for Sylvania regardless of Vanhel and the Skaven invasion. It's always had something of a poor reputation.

Though everything with the Skaven invasion certainly made it perfect for him.
 
Since Grief is currently a bit ahead of Trauma, could someone explain what Grief does that Trauma doesn't that makes it worth telling the most Sigmarite man in the Grey Order to his face that we blamed his god for our boss/crush's death and took it out on those under our power? Because I'm not seeing it, personally.

Like, even setting his role as the Porter entirely aside, we're both part of a very small population of LMs in the Grey Order. This is somebody we're going to have to work with going forward just by virtue of both being among a very few peers in terms of rank and responsibilities in our organization. I don't think he'd retaliate against us for telling him the above or anything petty like that, but why chance souring what could be an important professional relationship? Especially since it's not like our feelings re: Sigmar have dissipated with time or anything.
Grief provides a reason why we tried to replace Sigmar which trauma doesn't seem to do to me. Trauma explains bad decision making but doesn't really seem to justify why that was the bad decision we made. I also think people are overblowing what Reiner's reaction will be, people are allowed to have a crisis of faith after what happened with Ableheim. Look at Kasmir.
 
Van Hel turning to necromancy might well have saved the Empire. Although that's admittedly a relative term given the fracture that occurred after Mandred's death.
 
Also, tbh, I want to play the trait straight. We have distain for Sigmar. I am interested in expressing that to the most sigmarite of the grey order, because he KNOWS we are pious and now he knows it isn't sigmarite piety, so it's an implicit check on him imposing that on the order if he takes over. I think he has potential, but I want him cautious about trying to proselytize.
 
Since Grief is currently a bit ahead of Trauma, could someone explain what Grief does that Trauma doesn't that makes it worth telling the most Sigmarite man in the Grey Order to his face that we blamed his god for our boss/crush's death and took it out on those under our power? Because I'm not seeing it, personally.
What Grief does that Trauma doesn't is endure scrutiny, and scrutinizing what people say is a popular pastime in the Grey Order, especially when multiple LMs are involved. A surface level truth to deflect attention away from the deeper matters of faith behind it will give us a stink-eye and maybe a condescending speech, but a straight lie will set off alarm bells.
 
Skaven makes sense, puts us in a good light and can't be disproven in an investigation. Someone asking around might even come to that conclusion without us saying so, this is a great lie. I don't see any reason to create "narrative tension" or fuck around with Starke, we are already happily jumping around in multiple potential political minefields, being sure that we are save with our best homies in the best Order seems to be a better play.

[x] Skaven
 
Grief provides a reason why we tried to replace Sigmar which trauma doesn't seem to do to me. Trauma explains bad decision making but doesn't really seem to justify why that was the bad decision we made. I also think people are overblowing what Reiner's reaction will be, people are allowed to have a crisis of faith after what happened with Ableheim. Look at Kasmir.
Hmm, that's a good point re: explaining that specific bad decision. But the comparison to Kasmir doesn't really work for us because Kasmir reconciled with Sigmar, and Mathilde hasn't.
What Grief does that Trauma doesn't is endure scrutiny, and scrutinizing what people say is a popular pastime in the Grey Order, especially when multiple LMs are involved. A surface level truth to deflect attention away from the deeper matters of faith behind it will give us a stink-eye and maybe a condescending speech, but a straight lie will set off alarm bells.
I'm genuinely curious about what you think would make saying that Mathilde was traumatized a "straight lie" since every time I read that section of the quest Mathilde very much reads as traumatized to me.
 
The Skaven option is flat-out lying. We certainly can lie, but there's no extremity to justify it.

The Piety option is a missing-the-point dodge. The issue isn't that we worshipped Ranald - it's that we did so so zealously and unproductively that we alienated our subordinates. Early Mathilde was to Ranaldites as Early Kasimir was to Sigmarites.

Grief and Trauma would potentially be both valid, but "Trauma" is probably the more accurate descriptor.

[X] Trauma
 
[X] Skaven
Even if we didn't see any up front, it would have been reasonable to take precautions to at least stay informed in case they tried to move into the power vacuum left by the campaign.

[X] Piety
She built a shrine to Ranald in her fief and under her mountain and did all kinds of Ranald stuff, if anyone is scrutinizing her past, they would have found it anyways.

[X] Leave
She is a known associate of the empress, if someone is looking to discredit her she can grab popcorn and wish them good luck.

[X] Blame the Conspiracy.
How would they disprove this?

[X] Blame Kasmir
Maybe we thought we could smoke him out with this play after he skipped town.

[X] Grief
Because anything is better than Trauma.
 
The Skaven option is flat-out lying. We certainly can lie, but there's no extremity to justify it.

Does there need to be an extremity though? Playing it straight, what Starke wants here is something on record he can use to squash any outside attempts at a smear campaign stemming from this issue. So would he care that it's a lie so long as it's one that can't be proven as such? Especially since it's the call that makes not just Mathilde, but the institution of the Grey Order look best in response to a minor embarrassment.
 
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