Going to the Longshanks means going to the Taalites, and that means going to the heart of Taal worship in Ostermark: a stone circle just outside the town of Gross Selon, about fifty miles west of Bechafen. Though a path from the road is kept clear and the area inside the circle is hard-packed dirt, the vegetation has otherwise been allowed to grow wild, and most of the stone circle is coated in vines and shrouded in branches. But not all: the three primary obelisks, each twice as large as the rest of the circle, are clear of vegetation. Ancient runes in a language you don't recognize are proudly visible, glowing in a light invisible to mundane sight.
This stone circle consisting of a language Mathilde does not understand invisible to mundane eyes and from which Taalites worship brings to mind this section on Talabecland's Kolsa Hills in Eastern Talabecland:
"A central spine of hills runs east to west in Talabecland, and cartographers divide them into three distinct regions. Near Ostermark are the Kölsa Hills, which are largely uninhabited but known for eldritch stone monuments atop many hills, apparently arranged like paths from hilltop to hilltop. Occasionally farmers clearing trees for land have discovered earthworks and odd mounds formed in strange, suggestive shapes. Their purpose is a mystery, but the hierarchy of the Cult of Taal and Rhya have claimed this land as a cult preserve for their own research." Page 89 Heirs of Sigmar 2E
These monuments are highly implied to be the work of the Belthani. Also acquired from within the Kolsa hills are the Talastein Carvings, thirteen stone slabs that contain the practices of the Belthani. One of them was partially translated by Teclis, available on Page 9 of Tome of Salvation:
"... the Moist Earth, the Mother of all life [two obscure symbols] Dryad, Naiad, Nymph [list of unknown symbols] Gods [two lines obscured] devastation [crack in stone] came from beyond the [half a line worn away] silver ships [seven unknown symbols] deep waters, fertile, and [three lines worn away] Worship Her [two unknown symbols] nurture Her land [one line worn away] we are Her children, we are the Belthani ..." —Extract translated from the Talastein Carvings, now held in the Royal Academy of Talabecland, translated by Teclis of Ulthuan
My assumption that this stone circle and the monoliths was the work of the Belthani as an extension of their work in the Kolsa Hills considering the sheer proximity. There is also another overgrown monument mentioned later in the update that might have a connection to their work as well.
"Lady Magister, Magister," greets a deeply tanned man in robes that mark him as one of the most powerful men within the Cult of Taal, who appears to have been waiting for you. "I am Dobromir, Taal's High Priest of the East. You have questions for the Cult of Taal?"
I went looking for this guy in the sourcebooks and did not find him. His name sounds Kislevite, but the current Reiklander Hierarch of Taal and the one for Rhya both have Kislevite names as well. Kislevites are attracted to Taal, he matches their sensibilities. I also found this in my search:
"Kislev counts as its own region, ruled over by a single hierarch, a tall Empire-born figure known only as Oster. He presides over a great stone circle in the Shirokij Forest, near the capital, and smaller shrines can be found throughout the land." Page 41 Realm of the Ice Queen
Shirokij being Kislev's own section of the Forest of Shadows bordering Gryphon Wood, perhaps the circle we have here and the one in Shirokij are counterparts. Perhaps the reason that the output is blocked is because something is messing with that circle rather than the waystone directly under Bokha Palace.
"I have one question, your Grace. What's going on in Ostermark for it to be so riled up?"
He nods, apparently having expected your question. "Many have asked this of the Cult of Taal recently, and I can only tell you what I have told all the others: whatever power is active here has the ability and the desire to keep their actions unseen."
"These actions take place in Taal's domain."
"And that they are still hidden is why so many are concerned." He nods to you. "You asked to see the Longshanks, and I can see why you would think they would help. But the hierarchy of the Longshanks makes that difficult - there has not been a Guardian of the Greifwald for generations, and ever since these woods have fallen under the authority of the Guardian of the Schattenwald, whose attentions are focused on Ostland. The Longshanks here are all but independent, and act according to their immediate concerns only." A fact that the Hochlander's reports highlighted for you, and it also included that High Priest Dobromir has been one of the loudest voices pushing for the Guardian of the Greifwald to be restored. These events are, perhaps, a good demonstration of why that should be the case, but that also means that he has a vested interest in ensuring that you find the local Longshanks to be of no help.
"I appreciate that, your Grace, but nevertheless I would ask you use your authority to summon those who may have encountered the spoor of whoever or whatever is at work here, so that we of the Colleges may seek it out, as is our prime concern and purpose."
An interesting demonstration of the political quandaries that can plague even the so called "apolitical" cults. I agree with the principle of his desires, more safety can't hurt, but I don't approve of him attempting to downplay the Longshanks to get what he desires.
I also really like the nice maneuvering Mathilde did here. She's getting smoother and smoother. She knows how highly the Cult of Taal views their position and that they wouldn't refuse her treating them like Templars because they want to prove their position, so she's hammering on that button as leverage.
You give him a grateful bow, and he nods to you and sweeps out of the stone circle to confer with his assistants. Johann sighs. "Politics. I thought the Taalites would be above all that."
"Only the dead are free from politics," you say, "and even that needs a careful asterisk or two, with Sylvania just south of here." Johann nods, his head turning automatically to look southwards, towards one of the larger obelisks.
[Mathilde's Magesight: Learning, 5+29+10(Windsage)=44.]
[Johann's Magesight: Learning, 72+18+15(Magnetoreception)=105.]
Then he frowns, and you step aside as he starts to very carefully orient himself until he stands at what you'd judge to be the centre of the stone circle. You follow Johann's gaze as he looks from one obelisk to another, and frown as you notice for yourself what must have grabbed his attention. "You can identify north, right?"
Johann may not know how a magnet works (to be honest, neither do I) but his body serves the purpose regardless.
He nods, and points in the direction exactly opposite to the southern obelisk, and exactly a right angle from the western obelisk. "What's west and south of here?"
The first only takes a moment. "Talabheim is west," you say, "I'd have to check a map but I'm almost sure it would be. In fact, I'd bet that exactly west of you would be the Horn of Taal." You take a moment to focus your senses, and sure enough you can make out, deep below you, a dozen relative trickles of energy combining beneath Johann and being sent as one onwards to the west. "This is a Waystone nexus," you say. "Like the Horn of Taal and the Jade College. For some reason a lot of the Waystone network aligns with the cardinal and ordinal directions."
Lots of nature cults naturally direct and protect the Waystones, even if they don't know the exact function of what they're protecting. I'm also noticing that the confluence of those magical energies often tend to be properous centres of populations and the like.
Also, Mathilde's mention of Cardinal and Ordinal Directions got me thinking, and I finally understood it. If you count all the Cardinal and Ordinal directions and draw them as a symbol, then that's the Symbol of Magic and the Symbol of Chaos, indicating the Eight Winds of Magic. I don't know if that means that each of the Winds of Magic are assigned to a direction and if it has anything to do with the polarity of the planet or any of that stuff. It's just an observation.
"It makes sense that this would be one," Johann said. "If it was up to me to find them, going to the Taalites and saying 'take me to your biggest, fanciest rocks' would be my first resort."
"But this is the end of the chain, there's only streams from individual Waystones coming here." That's why you didn't spot it until Johann brought your attention to it, you reason.
"Then why's there three of the big glowy rocks? What's south?"
You consult a mental map. "Some village, starts with K. South of that, Rhebulas, which is barely a town. And... oh. Mordheim. We're exactly north of Mordheim."
Last update I questioned why Mordheim was such a prosperous city that it rivaled Nuln and Altdorf when it didn't have the advantages of both cities. Egg on my face for saying that I thought Mordheim wasn't a magical nexus. Of course it is, it seems like all of the Empire's most properous cities sit on a Waystone Nexus.
By the way, the village Mathilde couldn't remember properly there is named Kubel. I checked the maps to confirm with Mathilde.
The two of you stare at the southern obelisk, and you quickly conclude that it's probably for the best that there's no longer a torrent of incoming energy from that accursed ruin. "Okay, I don't like that. What about..." Johann frowns at the north-eastern one, "about half a point east of northeast from here?"
"Not exactly northeast? Or east-northeast?"
"Definitely not. About fifty degrees east of north."
"Not Bechafen, then." You close your eyes as you try to dredge up maps you haven't closely studied recently. But Kislev being Kislev, there's not a huge amount of landmarks that it could be. "Kislev City."
Johann frowns at you. "I thought they were on board with the waystones?"
"So did I. The Tsarevich told me himself the Kislev City nexus, below the Bokha Palace, was active."
"So why's there nothing coming in from Kislev?"
"Good question."
I really like this part. Boney managed to apply human error and the sorts of conversations that people would have as they slowly came to their conclusions instead of just having them figure it out immediately. Showing us the process is a pretty good way of including us in the character's thought process so we're not lost while also showing that the characters aren't perfect machines.
As intriguing as the stone circle may be, you're here for a reason and poking at waystones isn't it. It takes some coordination with the Cult of Taal, but over the next few days you travel with various Longshanks to points of interest in northern Ostermark. Near the border with Talabecland, you peruse an ancient structure too overgrown to identify that the Longshanks have chased cultists of the not-quite-forbidden but quite disreputable Goddess Dark Helgis out of several times in recent weeks.
I'm going to assume that this overgrown structure is most likely an inert or inactive Belthani Runestone, because the ones in Bad Schlon were completely uncovered by vegetation likely as a result of magic.
Also, in case you guys are curious about Dark Helgis:
"Dark Helgis, Matron of Widows: To avert the attention of Dark Helgis, some women slay an animal and dress it in the clothes of their husbands. They then drag the corpse into the woods as an offering to the hated witch who steals their loves." Page 80 Tome of Salvation
There was mention of a Cult of Styriss (outlawed god of poachers) in Ostermark that were worshipping Anath Raema runes and punching outside their weight class by Gehenna. Maybe instead of a Belthani Runestone these outcast cults are finding Cytharai runestones out in the wild, worshipping them as an example of their disreputable gods, and getting a power boost from doing so. It's all speculation.
You walk through the subdued town of Biersalhof, where the worship of Biersal is under close scrutiny to determine whether it has yet again drifted from its accepted confines as an aspect of Taal.
I have never heard of Biersal so I went looking.
All I could find was a fanmade adventure supplement for WFRP 2E from the same creators that made the fanmade supplement that Boney took some details from for the Witch Hunter Councillor we met. There is a mention of bonfire sacrifices.
You consider Goblin bodies being fished out of the Talabec upstream of Bechafen, too battered and waterlogged to determine whether they are Forest or Night or regular Goblins and whether they originated in northeast Ostermark, southernmost Kislev, or in the World's Edge Mountains around Karak Ungor.
The first thing that came to mind was that the Dwarves wanted the Forest Goblins haunting the Dukhlys Forest close to Karak Vlag cleared out and would have done so, but then I considered that those Goblins would be washing down the Lynsk and not from the Urskoy down to the Talabec. This could be a sign of something or nothing depending on the origin. Karak Ungor is a big deal, and if they're suffering from some sort of attrition then all the better. Skaven haunt that mountainside, that I know of. There's also Neferata on the other side at Silver Pinnacle, but I doubt she's bothering herself with Goblin extermination.
You have an unnerving conversation with an uncharacteristically canny Ogre leading a group of his fellows in the employ of Ostermark, who appears surprisingly cooperative despite his sobriquet of 'Maneater' and tells you at length in heavily accented Reikspiel about the unusually large pack of giant wolves his Ogres had chased down, defeated, and consumed. And many more concerning oddities who would be too minor to even care about if it weren't for the overall pattern they form: that something is seriously out of balance in the untamed corners of northern Ostermark.
That's Maneater alright. Uncannily intelligent and very, very interesting. This is more than a decade before he makes his name in a series of contracts between Karak Kadrin and Gnashrak Badtooth, and two decades before the Battle of Broken Leg Gully, but apparently he's already made his way and is going to start making his legacy.
By the end of it, you've travelled over every major road and through every town in northern Ostermark and acquainted yourself with everything that's currently going bump in the night loud enough to alarm a Taalite or Rhyan pilgrim. And individually, none of it justifies a fraction of the alarm and mobilization you're seeing all around you. You're tempted to write it off as mass hysteria just to be done with it, but these are Ostermarkers. They're a people used to life with Kislev and the Forest of Shadows on one side, Sylvania and Mordheim on another, and the World's Edge Mountains on a third. If they're worried, then there's probably a very good reason to be worried, and though you've yet to be able to connect the dots yourself, you're accumulating enough of them that you're pretty sure there are connections to be made.
Mathilde's in a pretty bad mood over her lack of success lately. Wanting to wash her hands of the issue before it's complete? Even overachiever Mathilde is getting tired. Makes me feel bad for her that she'll be Overworking next turn.
Mathilde's insight: Learning, 2+29=31.]
[Johann's insight: Learning, 57+18+10(Guest of Tor Lithanel)=85.]
I find it very funny that Mathilde does not get the +10 Guest of Tor Lithanel but Johann does. Of course she doesn't. She immersed herself in the culture for 6 months, interacted with a bunch of big shots, and spent all her time doing work, work, work. Meanwhile Johann is getting his back blown out by an Adonis hunk of a man teaching him all about Tor Lithanel's "practice" spots. Of course he'll be more familiar. Mathilde never had the chance to stop and smell the roses.
"These are supposed to be the creepy kind of woods, right?" Johann says to you one afternoon in a Bechafen tavern, as you nurse an overpriced mug of Karak Kadrin ale and glare moodily at your notes.
I'm finding this throughline of Mathilde rushing for any sort of Dwarven ale or beer at hand at any tavern she comes across in the Empire. First in Talabheim where she got Hargrinnson's best, and here she's buying Karak Kadrin ale. Mathilde did not used to have any discerning taste for beer, but now she's a connosieur and desires only the finest of Dwarven brews. She could not accept any worse.
"Supposed to be. I've been told they're considered part of the Forest of Shadows, which is about as creepy as it gets this side of Athel Loren."
"So where's all the creepiness?"
You wave a hand vaguely. "Out there somewhere. That's what we're chasing."
"I get that, but even in the really tame parts of Laurelorn you're always being glared at either from a tree or by a tree. I have been looking for it and there's just nothing out there. No spites, no spirits, no wooden spirit-golems, no overgrown and overly clever animals."
You consider that. "Talk about missing the forest for the trees," you sigh. "I've been so busy looking for the creepiness in the forest I never noticed there's no creepiness from the forest. Which would imply that either whatever it is that's active has scared the forest into passivity..."
"Or it is the forest."
"And by hiding what they're doing, they're also giving themselves away by hiding all the background creepiness of the forest."
"That's why everything's so stirred up without any cause. It's like an invisible steam tank just rolled through town. Nobody saw the tank itself, but everyone's deafened by the clanking and coughing from the smoke."
You nod. Forest Spirits, then. And not the arch and underdressed kind you get in Laurelorn, the kind that live in the darkest and deepest corners of the most sinister forests and water the roots of trees with the blood of men and beasts and plot vengeance upon anything that dares disturb what they see as the balance of nature. But... all this is supposition. Good supposition, but not the kind of thing you can drop in Paranoth's lap and call a job well done. You need to at least be able to attest that you've seen proof of that supposition, and you need to know what they're up to. Preferably before they actually achieve it. There's still quite a number of local sources of information you've yet to call on, but there's also an entire forest realm you've recently been getting to know who may be able to assist.
I have to wonder what Johann gets up to that he gets glared at by a tree. I'm going to guess his face slammed into the bark of a tree at one point and he couldn't ignore the disapproving glare of the tree when it's right next to his face.
