Finally, it's time to get to analysing the update:
Pursuing your curiosity, you find Magister Tochter Grunfeld in the room that has been turned over to the Talastein Carvings, where she's trying to tease meaning out of the more damaged and faded fragments with a set of Elf-made optical lenses and the Ghyran variant of the Multidimensional Aethyric Polysevirric Projection, tracing runes in softly-glowing green light and waving them away as they fail to fit either the remaining fragments or the surrounding context. You can tell she's noticed your approach, and you wait for her to reach a point in her study where her attention can be split.
I think it's neat that Mathilde gets to see examples of her spell being implemented by Magisters across the world. From Algard to Tochter. Must be very gratifying, even if she doesn't show it here.
"Do you know what the month of Sigmarzeit was called while Sigmar still walked the world?" she says to you, after some time.
You consider that. "Battle-tide?"
She looks over at you. "Interesting. Why do you say that?"
"Most of the months are close translations of the Dwarven ones, with Ulric-tide replacing white-tide. Sigmarzeit's equivalent is Kazakzet, battle-tide, and the tribes of Sigmar's time would have agreed with that, since late Spring is after the planting and calving and lambing. Why, what were you expecting?"
I was pretty sure that Dwarves didn't use months, instead recording years and days without splitting them into months or weeks. I suppose Boney doesn't have to follow all the little tidbits about that stuff, especially if it doesn't match his personal interpretation of Dwarf society.
"Taal-tide is the common answer, and the most popular theory. But I've always doubted that. In the old understandings, Taal is the God of Summer, He would not have had a Spring month named after Him."
"So, Rhya-tide?"
"No, if they were going to name a month after Rhya, it would have been Pflugzeit."
You nod as you consider that, then something occurs to you. "If Rhya is Spring, Taal is Summer, and Ulric is Winter, who's Autumn?"
"Good question. The triskele is one of the symbols of the Jade Order, and it's theorized to be from when Rhya, Taal, and Ulric were a seasonal triad. There's no reason to assume they had four seasons just because we had. Paranoth says that Nehekhara has three seasons, Ind has six, the Southlands only two. Maybe wherever the Belthani came from, there were only three distinct seasons."
Pflugzeit is "Plough-Tide" for those unaware. Also, note that it's theorised that Ulric was not in fact part of the seasonal triad until he took Lupos' place, stealing that god's entire schtick. Of course, some measure of salt has to be taken because it's a Sigmarite who theorised it.
Also interesting that Tochter mentions the seasonal triad, but not Ishernos/Ishnernos. They are still worshipped in the Jade Order, so I assume she isn't one of Their followers. Also, interesting statements on the seasonal cycles of different locations. I can attest to that personally in that it certainly feels like my home country only has two seasons. Summer and Something-that's-not-quite-Summer-but-not-really-Winter.
Interesting that Paranoth has conversations with Tochter. His distaste for the traditionalists doesn't seem to extend to avoidance, and he did vouch for her in terms of her being "self-aware", so there's that. I like Boney name-dropping him in as a method of world-building because of how prominent his reputation of wandering is. Ind having six seasons is interesting, wonder what that looks like. I assume the different locations in Ind have varying levels of weather cycles, considering their general geography.
"That might rule out the Ulthuan theory, then. They have Frost, Rain, Sun, and Storm. The Wards were named for them." You frown as you think. "I wonder how many seasons the Norscans have?"
"Hmm. I'll have to look into that. The timeline doesn't line up right for the Belthani to have been pushed out by the Norsii, but there might have been some interstitial people that have been lost to history."
Mathilde is coming closer and closer to Albion in her thought processes as she rules out improbabilities from things she's learning about the Belthani. I would also like to note that the Norsii were apparently only pushed out of the Empire's areas and started living in Norsca after Sigmar's uniting of the Empire, so I'm not sure that the Norsii are a good indicator of Norsca's seasonal cycles. Unless Boney is implying that the Norsii have always lived in Norsca, and their presence in the pre-Imperial days before Sigmar was raiding and colonising presence rather than settler presence.
"Is that why you're studying the carvings further? To learn more about their origins?"
"To learn more about anything about them. Being able to gather and record and share all this information is a privilege denied to the pre-Teclisean Druids and one that the Order of Life has not been taking advantage of. The history of the Earth Mother was prey to the Cults of Taal and Rhya, but the history of the precursors to the Order of Life can be gathered and written and distributed with at most a few grumbles from them. But the problem is that much of that history is as old as that of Sigmartide's previous name. That's why I brought it up, that happened right at the heart of the newly-formed Empire and involved something literally everyone would have known back then, and still it's been lost." She sighs and looks down the row of steles. "That's why I see it as my duty to wring every scrap of information out of these, because it could be that parts of what's written here no longer exists anywhere else in the world."
As will be stated later, Tochter really is quite a bit like Mathilde. She desperately wants to know and learn, and she finds it a great shame that the past is being erase and knowledge is lost. She wants it preserved for the ages, and she believes it is her duty. She seems like the "legacy" type of person, which fits with Mathilde's own stated purpose of changing the world.
Although it seems that part of Tochter's desire to have a legacy led her to eight Magisterial children in the canonical future. I admire and respect her dedication and/or the love she has with whoever she ends up with, but that is overwhelming. I speak knowing full well what it's like for a mother to have so many children.
"Would you still feel that way if the fears regarding the questionable steles were justified?"
"I would," she says, unhesitatingly. "We have processes for getting usable information from tainted sources. That's what prevented a Von Carstein Emperor."
Very Mathilde. Mathilde applied the Matrix from stuff she took from a Vampire. She's read the Liber Mortis, which Tochter is straight up referencing here. Oddly fortuitous for Mathilde to end up with such a look-alike.
You nod in understanding, and leave her to her examinations to go over your impressions of the Jade Magister. Considering they're of the same Order and a similar age, it's difficult to completely avoid comparing Tochter to Panoramia. There's even enough similarities in their features for you to be fairly confident that Tochter comes from the Druid bloodlines, just as Panoramia does, and that the two would work out to be some variety of cousins if you studied the family trees.
I didn't entirely expect Tochter to be of a similar age to Panoramia. Maybe my mental image of her is so rooted in her canon motherly image, because that's about 30 years ahead.
I don't think Tochter would have been one of the people Panoramia disliked back in the Jade Order, but it doesn't seem like the two are super familiar. Different paths in life. As an Arab, I have experience with interacting with cousins of all varieties, some of which I used to be very close friends with and hanged out with constantly, looking forward to seeing them again any chance I got. Man that's making me nostalgic. Sucks that we've all drifted.
But when comparing their natures the gulf widens considerably. Where Panoramia has the relaxed strength of a deep-rooted oak, Tochter's strength is that of forged steel. Her muscles aren't from tilling the soil, but from battle and drills; her grasp of Ghyran is focused on control and efficiency that speaks of battle in unfavourable circumstances, rather than a loose but practiced grasp over vast torrents. She seems to have a deep and genuine faith in her conception of the Earth Mother. She's reserved but not standoffish, she speaks most of her mind, and she's quite good at finding ways to line up her pet projects with her duties to the Orders and the Empire.
I love the metaphors and comparisons going on here. I love the way Mathilde uses descriptions in her mind. Panoramia having the relaxed strength of a deep-rooted oak is a tree metaphor, something she associates with Panoramia, but Tochter's is forged steel, something that brings to mind the Dwarves and their metaphors. There is the implication here that Panoramia is muscled, specifically farmer muscular, and I won't lie that's kinda hot. Tochter on the other hand is muscular from battle and drills, which again, Mathilde comparison because it's apt. Control and efficiency is Mathilde's specialty, and it's why she's focused on reliable casting instead of going ham on Battle Magic. She's used to fighting in unfavorable circumstances, being forced into unusual circumstances thanks to her actions. In comparison, Panoramia is described as a loose but practiced grasp over vast torrents, continuing the nature metaphors.
Also the last two lines are straight up direct hits. Just replace Earth Mother with Ranald and you'd say that's Mathilde. In a way, it's almost like Mathilde is describing the differences between herself and Panoramia rather than the differences between Tochter and Pan. It's a nice parallel.
Thank you Boney. I will scarf these crumbs like a rabid dog. It's what I'm looking for.
It wasn't until you'd shared this impression with Panoramia that she pointed out what you should have spotted immediately: that though you've been comparing her to Panoramia, Tochter is actually a lot like you. You're not sure whether to take this as reassurance or as a reason for further caution.
I think it's very funny that Mathilde being compared to someone activates her paranoia. "It takes one to know one" is really in effect here.
It is, it seems, a time of some upheaval in the Karaz Ankor, as Watchtower-Clans that have called the Grey Mountains home for millennia have been offered the opportunity to fight for the homes of their distant ancestors once more, and have to decide whether they will answer the call to arms or finally accept that the Grey Mountains have become their home. Though Karaz-a-Karak's diplomats swarm the Grey Mountains to try to nudge those Clans on the fence into moving, what would normally be their counterbalance from Karak Norn remain silent. This is likely due to the fact that every Dwarf that travels to Karaz-a-Karak is answered by an equal weight in gold and siege weapons flowing to the Grey Mountains, ostensibly to bolster the defences that the loss of such stalwart Dwarves would have weakened. You've observed yourself that the wealth of the Old Holds is perhaps eclipsed by the growing and hopeful population of the Young Holds, and it seems that the High King has seen the same and is balancing the scales in the most direct way possible.
King Thorgrim is being very smart about all of this, which is certainly a pleasant surprise. He's really putting into effect the promises he's made. Instead of wallowing in despair, he is actively performing decisions for the good of all Dwarves through balancing the scales between the Old Holds and the New Holds. It's better to close the gap rather than widen it.
That part is known to anyone that pays attention to news and current affairs in the Old World, as entire Dwarven Clans travelling from one end to another is difficult to miss. But the other part of the realm-wide build-up is one that only comes to your attention as you travel from Karak Eight Peaks to Karaz-a-Karak with Sky-Thane Gotri, who also has business there and is always happy to share his own skewed perspective of events within the Engineers Guild. From what you gather, the way the Pilots Guild normally works is by the same Apprenticeship system that almost all Dwarven enterprises are built on, except with graduation to Master being reliant upon an available Gyrocopter to call their own. While this does ensure that every pilot is highly skilled and intimately familiar with the workings and quirks of his vehicle, it is also a system that does not adapt well to a sudden surge in demand for skilled pilots. And demand there certainly is, because while an actual assault on Mount Silverspear is still many years away, the second Silver Road War has begun, as almost overnight the greenskins have found that any of their number moving along the Silver Road during the day are met by the bombs and clatterguns of the Karaz-a-Karak Aircorps.
So Karaz-a-Karak has sent word out to every corner of the Karaz Ankor that every Apprentice and Journeyman Pilot that joins the second Silver Road War will have a Gyrocopter built for them that they can return to their home with upon its conclusion. For Dwarves that would normally have to wait for the death or retirement of their Master to inherit a Gyrocopter of their own, and for ones whose only path to being a full Pilot was cut off by the destruction of the vehicle they hoped to inherit, it is an irresistible lure. Even the Piloting Clans don't complain, as for every Apprentice or Journeyman Pilot that leaves there's many young Dwarves who yearn to fly but would normally be forced into some other occupation due to the hard limit on possible Masters, and now they have a chance to fulfil those dreams and increase the wealth and prestige of their Clan and Hold.
Very interesting developments when it comes to the Karaz Ankor airforce. It seems like it's expanding at an unprecedented speed such that even Gotri is satisfied, and that's certainly an achievement. Kudos to Boney for really thinking through the implications of every single choice and decision and the sort of follow-ups and chain reactions and responses from multiple angles. This is one of the things that Boney truly excels at, and also why he's expressed frustration at being asked too many questions about certain things. Boney isn't the type to think about things only on a surface level, he considers chain reactions and developing branches like some sort of tree. That doesn't mean he builds out every single aspect of something in the background, he always leaves room on the backend for further development as per his bazaar style. But Boney certainly is the type of person to think of the ramifications of particular developments in the world such that it can be frustrating to be asked questions that force him to develop complex multi-layered logic trees when it's not necessary.
Only build when necessary, but when you build, do so in depth.
It is, you reflect, a gratifyingly win-win arrangement. The reputation and authority of Karaz-a-Karak could be used to bludgeon through any objections and drain the strength of the other Dwarfholds, but instead they are emptying vaults that have been filled to bursting with ancient treasure for millennia to ensure that the rest of the Karaz Ankor will be stronger for the second Silver Road War, even if Mount Silverspear is not successfully retaken. Even Gotri, normally so suspicious of the actions and motives of Karaz-a-Karak, can only find one thing to grumble about: that it's driving up the price of certain metals used for Gyrocopter parts.
Thorgrim really beating the hoarder mentality that comes with so many Dwarves who are too scared to take risks and actively changing things for the better, instead of abusing his power to fulfill his ambitions. I'm really proud of him. My opinion has gone up ever since the Silverspear expedition announcement.
I'm also assuming the metals that Gotri is referencing are not the common ones. Azul has endless steel and Eight Peaks has plenty of silver, and the Karaz Ankor mines a lot of metals, so it has to be more obscure stuff. I don't know nearly enough about aircraft to think of anything. Aluminum? Is that even used?
And that complaining, which normally would be foremost in Gotri's priorities, takes a backseat to an even better topic: pontificating on hangar design. Karaz-a-Karak, he begins to explain the second you show any interest at all in the topic, has built its hangars on the assumption that they will be infrequently forming up great flocks of Gyrocopters to see to some distant threat, and as such they have run into all sorts of problems in adapting to having to send out small amounts of Gyrocopters almost constantly, and as such they're calling on expertise from all over the Karaz Ankor to explore solutions to this. Gotri had overseen the construction of Karak Eight Peaks' hangars in a 'honeycomb' design, wherein each Gyrocopter has its own hangar that can open to the outside world, but he explains to you that this was made possible by him being able to treat the interior side of Karag Lhune as 'safe', as they could only come under fire from enemy siege weapons if they were set up in the Eastern Valley. Karaz-a-Karak, being a single mountain that towers above any to be found around it, can only count on sheltered entrances where minor peaks of its own flanks shield it, and those tend to come with unpredictable and dangerous cross-winds that would make them unfavourable launching points.
After the rest of the ride passes with Gotri speculating on the other possible solutions and pointing out problems, real or imagined, in their application, you part ways with him and see to the more grounded portion of the nascent war.
I'll be perfectly honest with you, I'm barely trying to understand this whole thing. I am not an aircraft design person. Someone more interested in military logistics and aircraft carriers would know far better than me. I'm just glad Gotri is excited rather than grumbling. For such a radical young Dwarf who bucks tradition, he's certainly holding up the dour Dwarf reputation full of complaining, except on the opposite end. I wonder what his opinions are on Okri. Are the two hitting it off? Or have they formed a rivalry? Would be interested to know.
No, it's not for shipping reasons. Stop looking at me like that.
A small town of 'temporary' structures - which in Dwarven terms means they can be relied upon to last only one or two centuries without maintenance - have sprung up outside the famous main gates, where mercenaries have flocked to rumours of Dwarven gold and those that seek to relieve them of that gold in exchange for food, drink, or company have followed. Though the retaking of Mount Silverspear itself seems to be planned as an entirely Dwarven undertaking, the wider front of the second Silver Road War is accepting all comers.
Mercenaries must be quite happy in the Old World as of late. The Dwarves are always hiring and they always pay well.
I also appreciate Boney's tendency to develop and flesh things out, even in an offhand type of way. The mention of the camp followers who provide sustenance and comfort isn't necessary, but it really helps make the world feel more alive. I also appreciate Boney's continued mention of sex workers, even in an oblique manner, because I do feel like they should be acknowledged (particularly with the respect they deserve) and not used as some sort of low brow joke like so much media tends to make them out to be.
Your outfit means that your personal space is respected in even this most disreputable of crowds, as though it says 'Grey Lord Magister' to those who are familiar with the ways of the Colleges of Magic, to an untrained eye the garb of a Wizard with the hat of a Witch Hunter is the sort of outfit that highlights its wearer as someone to be treated with caution. To the Dwarves overseeing the courtyard, that you entered from within Karaz-a-Karak means you can only be one person, and the Thane in charge is quickly informed and bustles over to see what has made you their problem. To someone with that responsibility, it's a great relief to find that no more than curiosity brings you, and satisfying that curiosity is a small price to pay in exchange for you leaving sooner.
I find it amusing that there is only one human who could be coming from Karaz-A-Karak, because that's right. No other human has seen its interior in a looooong time, much less gets to enter it casually. Her status as an officially approved Dwarf makes things easier these days though, especially since the High King issued the decree.
I also find it amusing that the Thane in charge is anxious about her presence. Being here means nothing good, because it often involves shenanigans that makes his job harder.
I would also like to note that Mathilde has been using her curiousity as an excuse to do so many things lately. She's such a cat. Just popping up in random places and looking up with a questioning glance trying to find out what's going on.
"The Bloody Spear tribe," the Thane explains to you, "is one of the most widespread and numerous of greenskin tribes in the entire Old World. They're nominally a Night Goblin tribe, but their territory encompasses Mount Gunbad, Mount Silverspear, and most of the Silver Road and Mad Dog Pass, so they're wealthy and prestigious enough to be something of a constant, low-grade Waaagh, bringing all manner of other greenskins to their banner. Having Umgi and Ogri poke at them will increase the draw of the Waaagh and cause more to flock to their banner, but if it happens now, then we can note how many and what they consist of and plan around them. If that happened as we marched on Mount Silverspear, then we would not."
Smart and fitting Dwarf tactics. Patient and methodical. As would be expected.
"Ogri?" you ask.
"Aye. We've been hearing of some king of theirs uniting a big chunk of the eastern mountains under their banner for some time, and had to fight off a number of tribes pushed out by them. But it seems that some form of stability has been achieved, as the traders that came through their report that those roads through the eastern mountains are as safe as they've ever known them, save for having to pay a tribute to their king. The last two Ogri tribes to come out of those lands had some of that same civility beaten into them, being willing to work for gold instead of dying for it, and they'll happily pay a mountain of greenskin heads for weapons built for their size. And the heads they deliver are picked clean of flesh, which makes it a much cleaner interaction all around than those the Umgi deliver."
Things are ramping up in the east and I'm happy about it. More caravans coming back is always nice, and the Old World is getting Ogre mercenaries. Both a good and bad thing since they'll accept practically any contract as long as they're offered meat, but it's certainly going to change things up.
Ogres with weapons built for their size crafted by Dwarves sounds terrifying. Hope they don't eventually use them on the forces of order. That would suck.
He shows you a map of the mountains, where the territory of the Bloody Spear tribe is split neatly in two by the Silver Road, and you note that some of the westernmost Watchtowers of the Silver Road and Mad Dog Pass - which by modern standards are more like small, heavily fortified Dwarfholds in their own right than mere guard posts - have been retaken, and you consider the lay of the land as a Gyrocopter buzzes over you, as they have been doing every few minutes. Silver Road, once the highway and hunting grounds of the Bloody Spears, is now a deathtrap for them. "Are you hoping they'll try to contest the road?"
Man it must be loud in there. Gyrocopters launching and coming back and move over constantly. Hope they have earplugs down there or they'll definitely build some degree of deafness.
"They're not likely to, as their leaders are Night Goblins, as are most of the greenskins within Gunbad and Silverspear. They'll cede the surface and plot by day and raid by night. But that'll cause a rift between them and the Urks and other Grobi, especially the ones living south of the Silver Road. In time they'll be forced to either send forces across the Silver Road anyway to crack down on dissenters or start losing territory and respect. Best case scenario, they either have a full-blown civil war or they have some rebel Warboss draw away their biggest and boldest to go Waaagh somewhere else. But even if they don't, we'll have cut off communication enough between north and south that they'll be unable to coordinate a response when we march east, and the southern half might stay out altogether."
"Any idea when the marching will begin?"
"Depends on the Watchtower-Clans. We want to use the watchtowers as staging and supply points, but the High King refuses to march forces into a tower unless the Clan that has claim to it is leading it, or has given up all claim on it. So there's a limit on how far east we can go until all the Grey Dwarves commit one way or the other."
My first thought in regards to the infighting thing is that sounds like something Mathilde's done before, but is probably on a much bigger scale. A mess up here could very well mean Mathilde's death, even with all her skills. The sheer numbers employed by the Bloody Spears is probably greater than all the Greenskins in K8P combined. Imagine Birdmuncha's Waaagh, except packed into a mountain and without a death laser to cut them down and an army to back her up. This will require more careful planning. If Mathilde dedicated months of her life to performing minor raids and assassinations and ramped it up to create infighting she would definitely play a major factor in the long term, but that's way too slow for the thread's liking and we already have or priorities. I'm sure the Dwarves will get there eventually. Ulthar is a pretty dependable Ranger Captain, so I hope they have him contribute. His tactics are pretty Mathilde-like.
Also, on the topic of the Grey Dwarves, Thorgrim didn't ditch his traditionalism. Even if it slows things down, he's still going things the proper Dwarven way by giving the descendants of the Watchtower clans right of first refusal. Either they commit or he waits, he has the time. Thorgrim knows to maintain the delicate balance of tradition and pragmatism, and the last thing he wants to do is anger the New Holds and widen the gap between them and the Old Holds.
And the airborne front, you think as you thank the Thane for his time, is making preparations that won't pay dividends for years to come. This is a campaign on Dwarven terms, and that means reliable, iterative progress with each foothold properly secured and fortified before moving on to the next, with a constant, patient toll being bled off the enemy at every step. Greenskins don't have the patience to wait out that sort of campaign, they'll either decide to stop mucking about and throw themselves into the teeth of Dwarven defences or they'll seek out a proper scrap elsewhere.
It's also a campaign that might have taken a note or two from the Karak Eight Peaks campaign, as it shows an awareness and willingness to take advantage of fracture points in the enemy ranks instead of treating them all as a unified force. It's not quite what Dwarves would call Ranger tactics, but it is a step closer to it than you'd normally expect from the heart of traditional Dwarven orthodoxy. You jot down a few mental notes in preparation for sharing your impressions with Belegar, who's shown a quiet but intense interest in the goings-on at Karaz-a-Karak recently, and begin to make your way back to the airport.
Thorgrim is relentlessly practical and pragmatic. When given the choice to support Belegar's forces, he took a count of the odds and decided it was against, and as such he didn't even provide token support. When he saw they succeeded, he immediately attempted to make amends by opening Karaz-A-Karak's gates to build rather than to war. If something works, he'll support it, but he has to consider things at a very wide scale. I don't know how Belegar feels in regards to Thorgrim as of late, but I suspect he feels conflicted.
At any given time there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Slayers seeking their doom in odd corners of the Old World, so for one to be notable enough for word to reach you from northern Kislev is something you find notable enough to investigate, especially since the only extant Dwarfhold nearby is Karak Vlag. Is some dissension in the returned hold causing some to dye their hair and seek death? Or did one of the bewitched Dwarves who served Slaanesh in a horrific parody of Slayerdom survive the battle with the Karag Dum Expedition, and is now wandering Troll Country and turning their dark blessings upon any being they encounter?
Karak Vlag has reclaimed all but the uppermost level of the Hold, which it maintains as both a meeting place with outsiders and a way to draw any would-be invaders into the darkness they have become accustomed to. There they welcome you with a level of wary suspicion that would be deeply hostile by any other Dwarfhold's standards, but for them is mild enough that you feel touched by their trust in you, and tell you that between the perversion of that custom by Slaanesh and how readily available doom had been until very recently, the Slayer rites had fallen almost completely into disuse, and has not been performed at all since their return, so the Slayer could not have come from their ranks. What they don't say is that they have no knowledge at all of the Slayer in question, and it's the loud and uncomfortable silence Dwarves adopt when they're being polite about someone else's shame. You might be able to extract more information from them, but not easily, and the Slayer in question seems to be leaving such a trail behind them that they shouldn't be hard to find.
I'm actually quite happy that the Dwarves of Vlag have let the Slayer rites fade. I'm not sure if it'll stick, but I hope they find a healthier method of processing their grief, however it ends up being. I am glad that they are slowly recovering however, treating Mathilde with the closest thing to trust they could provide. Of course, they're still Dwarves, and they understand the importance of not speaking about another's shame, yet not outright lying either.
From Praag you make your way into the Northern Oblast, a cold and sparsely-populated landscape exposed to Troll Country and Norsca. Its population is mostly Ungol and mostly nomadic, and information on the movements of Trolls and Norscans flows as swiftly and reliably as juicy gossip through an Altdorf ballroom, so even with your limited grasp of Gospodarinyi you find no difficulty in following the violent trail carved through wandering beasts and raiding parties. After a few days of pursuing tales that grow fresher and less exaggerated by the hour, you finally find your quarry on the banks of the Tobol, the path having steered south after penetrating deep into Troll Country.
I'm surprised the Ungols this far north speak Gospodarinyi, but I suppose living in Kislev these days means you need to have some knowledge of it.
"Hello Borek," you greet the orange-haired Dwarf, sitting by a bubbling pot over a fire on the riverbank. Not Thane Borek, not Borek Forkbeard. Just Borek, now. When you spotted him he'd already seen you, and he'd relaxed somewhat as you approached and he got a good look at you. Beside him is a massive and ornate rune-axe, and his hand never strays from its handle.
No real surprise from Mathilde there. She just swiftly transitioned into his new title. Refering to him by his title would only rub the salt in his wounds of who he used to be and what he lost. Many of us theorised it was Borek and that he'd gotten a hold of Grimnir's Axe, and it appears that was true. The timeline remains intact when it comes to that aspect of reality. Grimnir needs his champion I suppose. And in a way, Borek is a very narratively satisfying method of resolving that plotline.
I know narrative satisfaction isn't Boney's primary goal with this quest, but gosh do I love when it happens. In a way, Borek becoming the Worst Slayer is more fitting within DL's storyline than Gotrek. Especially since Gotrek's tragic series of events was, unfortunately, a series of coincidences and misunderstandings that conspired to ruin his life.
"Did you tell them?" he asks you, his voice quiet. You've seen a fair few Slayers in your time, and all of them looked... well, like Slayers. Borek looks like Borek with his hair dyed orange. It even still hangs downward, instead of being shaped into the mohawk that most who walk that path wear. Even his mood seems different, being more of a resigned sadness than the bleak despair you're used to seeing from that kind.
"I did," you say, remembering his last request to you. Tell them we did the best we could.
"Thank you," he says, his expression flickering in the general direction of a smile without actually reaching it.
This part was very powerful imo. The description of Borek's resigned sadness, the callback to Borek's request, the gratefulness and almost smile he has. It almost feels cinematic, like it's the ending line for a cliffhanger of an episode of an animated series.
It's also an interesting comparison to look at canon Gotrek compared to Borek. I've read the first story of Gotrek and Felix, and from there, Gotrek struck me as a deeply unstable person weighed down by maladaptations to fend off his despair and no one he could turn to. Gotrek had nobody, at least not until Felix came into his life, but Borek still has his Hold, even if it's "fallen" in a manner. It wasn't the chaotic downfall of the Dawi Zharr, but it is the disgrace of a Hold he had dedicated his life to, turning themselves into a lesser evil to combat a greater one.
Borek is resigned, but he is not empty. He gets to feel the satisfaction of knowing that despite everything that happened, Mathilde spread the word that Dum did the best it could. It's tragic, but in a way, better than what Gotrek went through and what he became. At least before his development. The time Gotrek spent with Felix changed him.
I wonder if Boney is going to bother bringing Felix along on the journey eventually. It would be a pretty big coincidence to have him be dragged along in another universe when what caused him to join Gotrek was a fluke of circumstance. Borek is also not as arrogant and bombastic as Gotrek in canon, but his statement to Mathilde makes me think that he would be the type to eventually desire a chronicler to record his Doom.
"I didn't expect to lay eyes on you again," you say. "Has Karag Dum fallen?"
He barks a laugh. "That's a complicated question."
"I hardly ever wrestle with ones that aren't, these days."
He looks at you, a flash of anger going across his face, but then it fades and he nods. "I suppose not. An Umgi wielding Elgi teachings in service of the Dawi, you could hardly be split more ways, could you?" He looks at the fire, and sighs. "When I left it, Karag Dum was as I had found it. I couldn't find it in myself to help or to hinder, so I left." He pauses. "Did the Expedition get home alright?"
"We lost another of the steam-wagons to rough terrain, but the rest of it got back fine. The Rangers are watching over Karak Vlag, and the Engineers would likely be contributing to either the canal project or preparing for the retaking of Mount Silverspear."
At least Borek cared enough to ask about the Expedition. Sure he left it without explaining himself, but I assume that it is one of many, many, many regrets that he holds within his heart.
Also, Mathilde is split far more ways than Borek realises. He certainly doesn't know about Ranald.
You watch him carefully. "You know, I almost decided to try following you into Karag Dum, just to get some answers." 'Almost' might be a slight exaggeration, but you were certainly tempted.
"It's good you didn't," Borek says simply. You meet his terseness with silence. He might be wearing a shroud of grim silence, but underneath that is the diplomat, someone who believes in talking. Eventually, he continues. "He almost certainly would have slain you. Maybe not if you were from Tilea or Araby, but..."
I absolutely did not comprehend what he meant by this when I first read it, but knowing that he's referring to Morghur and what was later said, yeah he would have tolerated the people blessed by Khsar and Tylos, being former incarnations of himself.
He looks at you, takes in your expectant expression, and sighs. "You're not going to leave me be until I give you answers, are you?"
"I blazed a trail through mountains and wastelands, through Daemons and Fire Dwarves and Skaven and Kurgan, to get at those answers, then you took them and left. The Karaz Ankor might be content to leave it at 'Karag Dum has fallen', but I'm not."
"And who is it that seeks those answers? Belegar's Loremaster?"
"I left that role years back, I'm currently pursuing a research project in Nordland. The one that wants the answers is just me."
She is correct in that she is no longer Belegar's personal Loremaster, but she remains a Loremaster of K8P. Also, he doesn't need to know that she's sponsoring a Waystone Project in Laurelorn attempting to wrangle Eonir, Dwarves, and multiple polities together. Would take too long to explain and probably trigger his paranoia.
"And they'll go no further?"
"You have my word." To Dwarves, that's ironclad. To you, it means that if you feel the information needs to be shared, the consideration that needs to be made is the amount of damage one Slayer from a fallen Dwarfhold can do to your good name. But he doesn't know that, nor does he need to. Besides, he wants to talk. You can see it whirling inside of his guts, sitting as unsoundly as a halfpenny pie.
As usual, Mathilde is duplicitous. Her standard mode of conduct really. Still, I trust that she would never reveal it unless it is absolutely vital for a particular situation. She's kept bigger secrets.
And yeah, of course Borek wants to vent. He's been holding this in for a while and he's clearly lacked any form of companionship, and Mathilde is one of the few people who might understand him and the actions his people have done without being horribly judgemental. At least on the surface. She's tackled ambiguity before.
"And I'll have a task from you in exchange, in service of my new career."
You consider that, and weigh the calibre of foe that a diplomat with a found axe might be seeking assistance with. "Very well."
I find this funny in retrospect considering it was about styling his hair. I wonder if Mathilde would have refused his offer if she knew what it was. I'd like to think no, but she'd be very tempted.
He nods, and turns back to the fire. "We call the Ancestor Gods the Ancestor Gods, because we once had gods who were not our Ancestors," he says in an oddly detached tone as he stares at the fire.
That is such a powerful line, and yet the detached tone he uses strikes me as notable. Is this because this is something that was told to him and he's affecting that, or because he's trying to push himself out of his body so he wouldn't suffer from the feelings that his words bring up. Could be many reasons.
"Long ago, far to the south, the old gods were our teachers and our wardens. But their numbers dwindled over time, and when the time was right we escaped, thanks to Grungni and Valaya and Grimnir. But some of those that followed did so not because they desired freedom or venerated our three leaders, but because they mourned their teachers who one day had stopped visiting, and remembered their Names, and knew that such things never truly die and must linger on somewhere. Karag Dum was founded by those who most mistrusted the old gods, and claimed a home with its back to the Chaos Wastes, as Chaos was the only force that could rival the old gods. We watched with suspicion as the Dawi turned their backs on a mountain range that could be mined for a thousand thousand years to spread to all corners of the Old World. Why Ekrund, pinned between the Badlands and the sea? Why Norsca, the shattered remnants of another prison? Why the Middle Mountains, desolate and cursed? Why risk everything to travel across the Dark Lands and the Great Ocean, often never to be heard from again?
This is such cool lore and I love it. It really builds and expands on the origins of the Dwarves and why the hell they left the mountains of Karak Zorn in the south when by all accounts it was a prosperous place. Nehekhara was built around the place after all, and it was one of the greatest human kingdoms in the history of the world. It also gives an additional reason as to why the Dwarves attempted to settle in certain locations. Why Ekrund? Norsca? Middle Mountains? Dark Lands?
This seems to imply that each of these locations possessed a locus of power, perhaps related to the Old Gods. When it comes to the Dark Lands, Hashut instantly comes to mind, considering the Dawi Zhar met him in the depths of Uzkulak. I can't say for sure what's in the Middle Mountains, but it spawned Gorthor, so there must be something there. I don't know enough about Ekrund right now to make a statement on it. Norsca is interesting. "The Shattered Remains of Another Prison". What does he mean by that? Somebody proposed the idea that it was the Ancient Widow, but that doesn't feel right. The Norscan Holds were build in Norsca, not Kislev, and the Widow is still contained. It is mentioned that Grimnir left for a mountain up north where he dived into the Warp to hold it shut. It isn't quite the Polar Gate because it involved him going up a mountain, so perhaps Grimnir was attempting to seal something back into its prison? I can't really tell what it is. There aren't that many Norscan gods that aren't the Chaos Gods.
Also, note that Borek mentions "across the Great Ocean". That confirms the existence of New World Dwarf holds. This may be referring to the Spine of Sotek Dwarves from Total War in Lustria or it may be referring to some other Hold, original or not. It's obvious what kinds of things are in there, and Sotek might very well be one of those Old Gods. Still, the Old Gods were supposedly the wardens and teachers of the Elder Races, so you would assume the Slann would know of them. Sotek being unknown to them puts a bit of a damper on things.
"The southern Holds called us paranoid, even as history gave the horrible answers to our other two suspicions: Why Uzkulak? Why Tylos?
"One of the names we remembered was reshaped into Khsar, blowing across the deserts we had once fled across, feeding on the faith of the desert tribes of the Umgi as they built themselves into a great civilization. Then Elgi sorcery in Umgi hands carved corpses from the desert gods to be receptacles for the prayers of the dead, and the name sought refuge across the seas as Kavzar. But there it was betrayed, a betrayal that birthed a race of betrayers, and what was left of it after being thrice ripped from its domains was as close to death as such things can ever be. In pain and madness it found a fourth family in beings as broken as it was, and walked the world as Morghur, a meaningless bleat from the throat of a beast.
Fascinating. The connection between Khsar, Tylos and Morghur was not something I was genuinely expecting, and I was shocked to see it happening. This information seems to imply that Nagash "carved corpses from the desert gods to be receptacles for the prayers of the dead". What does that mean exactly? Does he mean that Nagash killed the Nehekharan gods to fuel his Necromantic magic? The Nehekharan Gods aren't necessarily dead, considering Liche Priests are still invoking them, but I suppose if any Pantheon would survive death it would be Nehekhara's. Maybe he means to say that Nagash carved out the corpses from the God's domains to bolster his own forces, or maybe only some of them died. He's ben very vague here.
Also, I think this also implies Arabyans worship Khsar as well, since Borek did say if Mathilde was Arabyan Morghur might spare her.
In terms of Kavzar, it seems Morghur also used to be Tylos, the father of the city of the same name. It's also interesting that some updates prior, Cython theorised about the oddity of Myrmidia and how it didn't feel right for her to be some sort of expression of an Elven God, being the odd one out. Myrmidia also turning mortal at some point might also come into play with the whole concept, as she did leave Tylos after being disgusted with her people's betrayal and she became mortal to understand them. This also seems to imply that the Horned Rat could possibly be some sort of Old God, or a corruption of one. Mopman already posted the myth about Skaven being related to Dwarves so I don't have to.
Anyways, the final evolution here seems to be Morghur. A broken being for a broken people. It does bring to mind; why was Morghur so obsessed with Ariel? Clearly he had some sort of connection to her, and that of course brings to mind Isha, considering Ariel's her avatar. Considering this whole talk about Old Gods, I wonder if the Elves had their own pantheon of Old Gods, or if their Gods are truly their own creation. Certainly, the Elves delight in the ambiguity of stating that both the Old Ones and Asuryan/Isha created the Elves, and that their Gods are not the Old Ones either. Perhaps that explains Morghur's obsession with Ariel, being an Avatar of Isha. There's also, of course, that Morghur's very essence is that of mutation and corruption and Isha's is that of life and growth, so the two entertwined would be devastating.
If the theories connecting Isha and Shallya together are true, then perhaps that is one of the reasons Shallya can be so powerful as to contest Nurgle despite him being a Chaos God. In fact, the way Borek speaks, he seems to imply that Tylos, Khsar and Morghur are at once the same entity, and yet they are all different and separate. Perhaps the God in question fragments, like Elinill did with his children, and it eventually develops its own identity as a separate god. That could also explain several different versions of the same god and how it's different yet similar, like Loec and Ranald and Qu'aph. Ranald certainly seems to share the guilt for Loec's actions in regards to the surviving Elinilli that formed the Pantheon of Kislev, and Shallya is the Isha in that situation.
"But even after it had forgotten, we remembered its true name. As Chaos crept closer and threatened us with extinction, the founding truth of Karag Dum was reversed. The old gods are the only force that could rival Chaos, so Karag Dum called the least terrible of those known to it. Karag Dum called the being that was Shadowgave, that was city-father, and that was the desert wind, because the first thing it was, was the teacher and warden of the Dawi. So once more it teaches and it wards, and the skulls of Kurgan and the essence of Daemons sink into the sands that it rules.
I cannot stress enough how amazing this scene is both narratively and stylistically. It's so thematic within the discussions of the story and setting of DL and serves as an arrangement and callback to so many scenes and conversations and revelations in regards to the nature of the world and the gods. Bravo Boney. This is perhaps one of the greatest reveals in the history of the Quest IMO.
"Chaos has swallowed Karag Dum, but every step down its gullet will extract a price in blood." He sighs, and glances at the axe he has still not relinquished his hold on. "I couldn't find it in myself to judge whether that was a grim victory to support, or a betrayal to condemn. Nor could I go down the path of the few Elders that still linger in Karag Dum, doing nothing but watching with hollow eyes and still tongues as their grandchildren go about their lives never knowing that their very souls have been reforged into weapons of spite against the Chaos Gods.
Interesting that he explciitly mentions souls. Dwarves have souls, that is known and Gunnars mentions it, but they aren't so malleable or solid, because they posess the nature of stone and such things would petrify them. And yet, with the influence of a possible Old God in the form of Hashut, the Sorceror-Prophets and Daemonsmiths and Engineers of the Dawi Zharr still harness the power of Divine/Arcane magic and weaponise creatures of the Warp. Perhaps a similar thing is occuring with the Dwarves of Karag Dum, who have sworn themselves to Morghur in the hopes of bleeding Chaos at every step.
"So I left. On a final task from my fallen hold I followed the path of Prince Morekai, who had tried to follow my path to the Old World, and instead of dying in the attempt I managed to find his skeleton in a cave surrounded by that of Beastmen. I took up his axe," he pats the weapon beside him, "and bundled up his remains to carry with me, so he may be put to rest in the proper manner in the Karaz Ankor. Karak Vlag has taken his corpse and an oath to see it safely to Karaz-a-Karak, and then I set out to seek my doom." He frowns. "So far I have found it to be rather elusive. Perhaps the reputation of Troll Country is overstated."
According to the wiki:
"Gotrek gained this weapon during his first expedition to Karag Dum, finding it in a cave near the edge of the Chaos Wastes, near a dwarf corpse, later revealed to be the son of King Thangrim Firebeard, Morekai."
As if there was any doubt that it's Grimnir's axe, it's practically confirmed. Borek will have a very hard time finding his Doom. Gotrek was a relatively young engineer when he picked up the Axe, and he turned into the nightmare he was in canon. Borek is already a Greatbeard above 200 years old and he dedicated most of his life to Karag Dum. He'll probably find it easier to scythe through enemies. He's already a Trollslayer.
The silence stretches between you as you try to digest what he has told you. "Now," he says abruptly, "I'll have your assistance, that which you've already pledged to give, in crafting the hairstyle that is the uniform of my new profession."
You look at the bubbling pot of what you now know to be troll fat, and almost regret your impetuous curiosity.
Of all things, troll fat. The story behind Grom the Paunch is that the troll meat he ate constantly regenerates in his stomach, causing an unending battle that resulted in him growing so big. I wonder if boiling troll body parts takes out the regenerating properties. The idea of regenerating troll fat is pretty funny though. Borek will never need to set up his hair again, because the fat constantly regenerates and soldifies. He'll gave the stinkiest hair of all time.
Once Mathilde has completed her messy and fragrant task, will she remind Borek of the financial debt she still owes him from the Expedition?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
I say yes. Mathilde honors her debts, and this particular one has haunted the thread for a long time. Better to get it over with. I doubt Borek will directly accept it, but he'll likely direct it to someone or something.
As you make your way back towards the Empire (while taking every opportunity to wash your hands without any noticeable lessening of the stench of boiled troll fat that clings to them) you turn your mind towards the matter of your new Apprentice, who will be entering your care upon your return to Altdorf. Such matters are typically marked with some sort of ceremony, but these are left up to the whims and quirks of the Master who takes them on, and are an opportunity to make an impression in your new mentee about their position in the world or what their priorities should be. What manner of induction will you give Eike?
[ ] Wizard
Modify the induction oaths of the Grey Order into something fitting her promotion, to emphasize her progress within the Grey Order.
[ ] Stirlandian
Induct her in the same way that any quickened child of the Empire would be taken on as an Apprentice, emphasizing her status as a citizen of the Empire.
[ ] Dwarven
Induct her in the same way that a Dwarf would be taken on as an Apprentice, building her ties to and familiarity of the Karaz Ankor.
[ ] Religious
Induct her as your Apprentice within your shrine to Ranald and Shallya, acknowledging her faith.
[ ] Secrets
Read her in to a number of minor but exciting secrets to emphasize her duties as a knower and uncoverer of secrets.
[ ] Swordswoman
Present her with a training blade to emphasize her duties as a warrior.
[ ] Blood (Greenskins)
Take her out to give her her first taste of combat in a controlled environment, against the greenskins of the Badlands.
[ ] Blood (Sylvania)
Take her out to give her her first taste of combat in a controlled environment, against the ambient undead of Sylvania.
[ ] Other (write in)
Specify what impression you want to imbue, or what culture you want to give Eike a new tie to.
I'm torn and I don't know which one to go for. If we knew a little more about her personally I'd be able to make a better decision. I'm not comfortable with Swordswoman until we know exactly where her principles about violence lie. I think Blood is a bit much. I think Religous appeals to me, because in a way it's also secrets. Few people know how close Mathilde and Ranald is, and it's a way of bonding with each other through Faith, which is a pretty prominent part of Mathilde all things considered.
I don't really know how Secrets would turn out, even if it sounds fun. I think Wizards is too standard and Stirlandian pigeonholes her into something that Mathilde can't provide her. Mathilde's home is outside the Empire and she spends most of her time outside it in some way. It feels insincere to emphasise something that Mathilde herself doesn't emphasise.
MM. This might be one of my longest reaction/analysis posts. Making up for the hours I missed.
