Beyond the Rift (WHF/FFXIV)

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...and in one particular antechamber even a three-dimensional model of Talabheim in miniature, perfect in every respect. Elriza had caught a few of the priests carefully shattering a series of small model houses earlier, the better to reflect the barricades and firebreaks she had created with Titan's strength, and they'd seemed almost eager to dig into the challenges and scenarios such a change to their map presented.
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Is this a shout-out to kit-bashing Warhammer enthusiasts?
 
Maugan Ra said:
"I've done it before," Elriza spoke over the objection, shaking her head, "You don't know me. We are strangers. But I swear to you that I can do this. I have slain giants, broken armies, bested daemons and brought down dragons. Asorak cannot match me. Nobody can."
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"That part where I nearly got taken down by skavenslaves? Total outlier. Won't happen again, pinky promise."
 
Warmachine375 said:
To be fair, the Skaven ruined her nap and she went Mihawk on them in response. Just to kill some time.
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Neither side in that fight was ready for who they were fighting but I will say seeing her and her friends cut a path in to the enemy to end the their General is a feat the hero's of the setting would be impressed with and should cool to see after figure out what the undead issue might be.
 
So I'm not well versed on how Eorzeans view necromancy (I'm assuming the undead are not novel at least) but I'm imagining this is gonna kickstart another clash ideologies between the WoL and the Imperials over what to do with Dark magic. I'm making some assumptions here but I imagine the WoL conception of Dark Magic is different enough that instant murder is not gonna be the default and, like with the Skaven, there might be some talking involved.
 
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Stewart9 said:
Neither side in that fight was ready for who they were fighting but I will say seeing her and her friends cut a path in to the enemy to end the their General is a feat the hero's of the setting would be impressed with and should cool to see after figure out what the undead issue might be.
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Nobody reading a WHF novel would blink an eye if Gotrek (and Felix!) would carve through a Skaven army to kill their general.

Sure, Gotrek wouldn't make a deal with the Skaven like that, but he's literary a Slayer so like, that's hardly a universal example for Warhammer Fantasy.
But he (and Felix!) might find out that there's actually two opposing Skaven factions by other means, and take adantage.
 
Undead-Spaceman said:
So I'm not well versed on hoew Eorzeans view necromancy (I'm assuming the undead are not novel at least) but I'm imagining this is gonna kickstart another clash ideologies between the WoL and the Imperials over what to do with Dark magic. I'm making some assumptions here but I imagine the WoL conception of Dark Magic is different enough that instant murder is not gonna be the default and, like with the Skaven, there might be some talking involved.
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Well.... quiping with the boss maybe.

EDIT: Well, unless the zombies start flexing. That might give her pause enough to speak with them.
 
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Execute/Dumbo said:
Oh yeah I remember that time Mihawk misjudged a parry and got stabbed too!
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Lol, Zoro vs Mihawk was a cool fight in Baratie arc. Both in the anime and live action.

Although I wonder if Elriza would do some superhuman feats like make a sword slash of energy that cuts down in its path or cause the ground to shake and explode with her attacks.

Stewart9 said:
Neither side in that fight was ready for who they were fighting but I will say seeing her and her friends cut a path in to the enemy to end the their General is a feat the hero's of the setting would be impressed with and should cool to see after figure out what the undead issue might be.
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That would be pure unadulterated badass.

Also since the undead are coming, guess the Vampire Count from Sylvania likes to take an enthusiastic walk and stretch his legs out.
 
Undead-Spaceman said:
So I'm not well versed on hoew Eorzeans view necromancy (I'm assuming the undead are not novel at least) but I'm imagining this is gonna kickstart another clash ideologies between the WoL and the Imperials over what to do with Dark magic. I'm making some assumptions here but I imagine the WoL conception of Dark Magic is different enough that instant murder is not gonna be the default and, like with the Skaven, there might be some talking involved.
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It's generally another forbidden magic deal. XIV has a few necromancers, with the three with most narrative being Edda Pureheart, Nybeth Obdilord, and Alaqa.

Edda is more a mix of voidsent summoner and necromancer, with the main issue she has gone mad after the death of her betrothed Avere and plans on killing her old teammates along with putting "Avere" in your body. Alaqa is using it to get revenge, spreading tainted aether that would drive monsters mad as well as cause sickness. After being thwarted is allowed to train as a conjurer in Gridania (a bit of an odd move from the Elementals who tend towards harsh punishments).

Nybeth is the main one I recall being called out as doing something specifically bad involving necromancy. Interestingly he turned out to be from another world, and was actively confused as to why people were fighting him. He wanted to resurrect his dead love and it had spiralled into an obsession of wanting to cure death itself.

There are a couple of other examples of necromancy. The Trader's Spurn, an alchemical concoction that killed people and resurrected them as undead (though some would seemingly regain their sapience over the centuries), and the Necromancer Warrior of Light summoned by Elidibus who referred to themselves as tainted. Also a number of instances of spontaneous undead.

To make a guess, I'd imagine Elriza will view it as a crime, but make an effort to try and talk the necromancer down assuming they don't try something stupid.
 
&era System said:
Nobody reading a WHF novel would blink an eye if Gotrek (and Felix!) would carve through a Skaven army to kill their general.
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I don't think that's ever actually happened (disclaimer I've only read up go Giantslayer).

Skavenslayer Gotrek and Felix spent their time clashing with deniable raiding parties and splinter factions, they got Plague Abbot Vileroth Null but that was in a chaotic city fight gone completely feral, not cutting their way through an army, the rest of the Skaven commanders bailed out (bar Heskrit One Eye who got a bit too excited using his warpfire thrower and brought most of a city block down on himself.)

Daemonslayer the Bloodthirster leading the Chaos host was actively seeking Gotrek out, cutting through its own servants to get to him on the battlefield.

Beastslayer Gotrek did wind up fighting the Chaos Champion but that was again in a city fight where the Chaos forces had broken down into a ravaging mob and Arek Daemobclaw was out on his own trying to rally them into some semblance of discipline.

Meanwhile, Elzira stares down an entire force of Imperial handgunners and aquebusiers blasting away at her from behind walls, which would be a game over scenario for Felix and Gotrek, and then wipes them out with a single spell.

That alone puts her in a whole other weight class than the majority of Warhammer protagonists, Zacharias the Ever Living and Engrim Van Horstmam might be able to accomplish similar feats but that's two of the most powerful mages in setting who are both something considerably more (or less, depending on your perspective) than human and both of them kinda cheat with "I'm riding on a dragon."
 
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Undead-Spaceman said:
So I'm not well versed on hoew Eorzeans view necromancy (I'm assuming the undead are not novel at least) but I'm imagining this is gonna kickstart another clash ideologies between the WoL and the Imperials over what to do with Dark magic.
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Necromancy in FFXIV is fundamentally different than in Warhammer. It's more of summoning Voidsent, aka demons, into bodies.

Undead-Spaceman said:
I'm making some assumptions here but I imagine the WoL conception of Dark Magic is different enough that instant murder is not gonna be the default and, like with the Skaven, there might be some talking involved.
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I mean it can't be that taboo since the WoL can potentially be a Reaper. And that involves making a pact with Voidsent for power in exchange for it eating the aether of anything the WoL kills.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfqi_ow02rE
Warmachine375 said:
Also since the undead are coming, guess the Vampire Count from Sylvania likes to take an enthusiastic walk and stretch his legs out.
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I doubt it's anything as grandiose as that. Probably have a Necromancer in the city who decided to settle his debts or something. Persecuted unlicensed mages and stuff like that.
 
Leafy503 said:
Necromancy in FFXIV is fundamentally different than in Warhammer. It's more of summoning Voidsent, aka demons, into bodies.


I mean it can't be that taboo since the WoL can potentially be a Reaper. And that involves making a pact with Voidsent for power in exchange for it eating the aether of anything the WoL kills.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfqi_ow02rE

I doubt it's anything as grandiose as that. Probably have a Necromancer in the city who decided to settle his debts or something. Persecuted unlicensed mages and stuff like that.
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Summoning a Voidsent to inhabit a corpse is likely one of the easiest forms of "Necromancy," but it's hardly the only one. Among other things it doesn't account for the use of Trader's Spurn.
 
Leafy503 said:
That or the Skaven have blackmail material on one and is using him as a diversion.
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Fair enough. I waa making a joke about how the unlicensed mages are open season to Witch Hunters if they're not part of the Colleges of Magic as state-sanctioned Imperial Wizards with a license.

But on serious note, that's what a Skaven would do as they're pretty stealthy and can unexpectedly pop up in places that no one would see them coming.

"NO MAN-THING EXPECT-ANTICIPATE THE SKAVEN INQUISITION! YES-YES!"
 
Wade Garrett said:
Meanwhile, Elzira stares down an entire force of Imperial handgunners and aquebusiers blasting away at her from behind walls, which would be a game over scenario for Felix and Gotrek, and then wipes them out with a single spell.
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No one shot at her, she saw that the Soldiers on the Barricades were using deadly force on the frightened mob of people running away from the Skaven and in her rage she blew a small hole in the defense line that was being set with out any of those people having seen her. She then went around questioning and sometimes murdering the soldiers her magic did not kill out right.

Their are a bunch of Mages in the Empire that could throw spells that could wipe out multiple regiments worth of people with things like Flamestorm, or Pit of Shades. The difference is the Warrior of Light is much better in close combat then your average Imperial Battle Wizard is. Hell the Warrior of Light so far is coming across as more a really great Warrior who can also call on divine and some arcane magic which makes her more similar to someone like Volkmar the Grimm or the Ar-Ulric.
 
Stewart9 said:
No one shot at her, she saw that the Soldiers on the Barricades were using deadly force on the frightened mob of people running away from the Skaven and in her rage she blew a small hole in the defense line that was being set with out any of those people having seen her.
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You know what, you're correct. The Bahamut summoning scene isn't the Warrior of Light shrugging off a storm of gunfire like a light breeze and casually shattering a fortification, a well armed force of State Troops behind walls less able to hinder her than ants in an anthill can hinder a grown man.

That actually happens in this scene.


"Your choice," Elriza repeated, and drew her axe. The rune-etched metal blazed bright as she fed it with aether, the air around the edge rippling like the surface of a river as she forced the magic first one way and then the other, and at her feet pebbles danced and lightless fires burned. A thousand phantom teeth ground against one another at her command, a great grinding maw formed around the edge of her axe and reflected thrice over in the air around her, and when she swung, they bit down as one. Wood splintered and metal tore, and with a gruesome shriek the front gate of the fortress came apart, revealing a narrow passageway and a second portcullis a few paces further in.

Someone shot her then, a thunderous roar and puff of smoke ringing from the walls as one of the soldiers reacted faster than the others, but Elriza just rolled her shoulders and stepped into the breach. There was a portcullis midway down the passage and a second gate beyond that, but neither could stop her or halt the path of her axe, and with a growl she kicked aside the last broken splinters and stepped out into the courtyard beyond.

The Taalbaston Guard were the city's elite, well trained and well equipped, and even with less than a minute to prepare they were ready for her. A squad of soldiers had formed up in the courtyard beyond the gatehouse, barring the way to the tunnel that led deeper into the mountain and down to the city beyond, the front rank holding spears and the rear levelling rifles. There was an officer with them, clad in gilded finery and bearing a pair of gold-chased pistols, and at the sight of him Elriza paused. Was this the man she was after?

"FIRE!"

The line of rifles roared, a rippling salvo of flame and smoke, and with teeth bared in a snarl Elriza leaned forward and forced the aether of the earth into shape. Harder than steel her skin became, tougher than diamond, and though the elites of the Taalbaston placed every round on target she took not one step back nor spent a single drop of blood.

"How…" the officer stammered, staring at her with wide eyes as she straightened slowly amid the drifting smoke, "What manner of devilry is this?"
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A feat which is, I repeat, well anything in Warhammer Fantasy that isn't an elder Strigoi or a Greater Daemon, if Gotrek, Volkmaar and Ar-Ulric Kristov stand in front of a force of elite guards firing away all three of them are going to bleed quite a bit.
 
Power levels aside; hot amazonian lady fighting a horde of rat things while naked. Checkmate.
 
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