Makes me wonder how influential the two will be
Lords of Darkness (WHF CK2-Ish Quest)
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
Allot, and I look forward to how this will go…
Also looking forward to the war rolls. Hopefully we got this place down so we can risk the split up to hammer khornates forces in the back with the legions of the dead.
Also looking forward to the war rolls. Hopefully we got this place down so we can risk the split up to hammer khornates forces in the back with the legions of the dead.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
Believe me, neither will be inferior to the other.
Concerto of Two World-Changers, Part IV
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
Concerto of Two World-Changers, Part IV
Unleashing the Tide, Part II
Two years passed since Otilia's suing for peace with Albrecht of Nuln, and it was now the year 2058 IC. With so much of the corrupt Talabeclander bureaucracy weeded out and given a clean slate, both Hochland and Talabecland were now operating at increased capacity, taxes collected on time and the people kept safe and secure with unified armies.Unleashing the Tide, Part II
"I don't understand why sue for a five-year peace though," Said Siegfried III, "I don't doubt you, of course, but maybe we could have gone for something like, I don't know, thirty, fifty years at best?"
"No one is that patient, even among the Elder Races," Said Tolcariath, "And I suspect five years is the very limit of Albrecht's patience. During that time, we absolutely cannot slacken in our preparations."
"To prepare for an invasion from Sylvania, you mean?" Asked Siegfried III.
"That, and to lay down the ground work for the reunification of the Empire, and to launch an invasion of Silver Pinnacle," Said Tolcariath.
"Silver Pinnacle? The very same stronghold of the Lahmian Sisterhood?" Asked Siegfried III, "But that's lunacy! No one has even come close to that place, and it will most certainly be heavily defended by the Lahmians' crack troops!"
It was discovered through interrogating the captured Vampire that she was a Lahmian, working on orders of her Queen Neferata to sow chaos in the divided Empire of Man.
"And that is precisely why we have to attack there, before we reunite the Empire," Said Tolcariath, "I won't tolerate her interference any longer than I have to."
And Tolcariath's eyes burned brightly with a blazing fire.
"…You're really set on this, aren't you?" Asked Siegfried III.
"Yes, I am," Said Tolcariath, "But first things first."
A servant comes rushing towards them, saying, "Beg your pardon, Your Majesty and Your Excellency, but His Lordship Count Tristain Feuerbach is here to see you on an important matter."
"Lead the way," Said Siegfried III.
Having rapidly risen through the ranks with his achievements, Tolcariath was named the Imperial Lord Steward of Siegfried's Court, in charge of administration matters and overseeing the construction of many buildings and infrastructural projects throughout their conquered lands. In the lands of Stirland, especially, many fortresses and castles being renovated or built to bolster its flagging defences.
Corrupt nobles who caused misery to the people were mercilessly purged and hunted down like prey, allowing the central government to rule with an efficient iron fist.
And there was Tristain Feuerbach, looking more worn and tired than in the past two years. Besides him was Fong Ling Hua, Chief Lady Ambassador of Siegfried's court and another boy that Tolcariath recognised as Elias Schmidt, an initiate of the Ulrican cult.
"What's the meaning of this?" Asked Tolcariath.
"Your Majesty, Your Excellency," Tristain greeted, "I've come to tell you of my successor, Elias Schmidt."
"…Elias is your illegitimate Son, isn't he?"
Tristain nodded his head.
"I presume you just found out about this?" Asked Siegfried III.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Said Tristain, "And… suffice to say-"
"I can speak for myself… father."
Elias's tone made Tristain wince slightly.
"As you know, I am Count Tristain's… son," He said, the word foreign on his tongue, "And he has handpicked me to be his successor, to carry on your edicts in your name and the Empire's, Your Majesty and Excellency. And for that reason… I have agreed to carry on the Feuerbach name."
Elias took a moment to breathe in.
"And I would like you to bless our marriage together," He said, "Mine and Ling Hua's."
"We can easily arrange that, and congratulations to you two," Said Siegfried III.
"Tristain, we're talking in private, you with me and His Majesty," Said Tolcariath.
"Wha-I, I mean… of course," Said Tristain.
"Come with me," Said Siegfried III, "Elias, go see Reinhild for preparations for your wedding and adoption."
Once they were in private, Siegfried III was the first to ask Tolcariath, "Alright, so what is this about?"
"Tristain's father problems," Said Tolcariath.
"Seriously?" Asked Siegfried.
"Yes."
The look in Tolcariath's eyes brokered no argument, even from him, and Siegfried simply nodded and said, "I'll go and leave you two be then."
Tolcariath nodded and waited for Siegfried III to leave, even as a confused Tristain cast glances between the two of them.
"Your Excellency, I must ask what is the meaning of this?" Asked Tristain.
"Do you want to reconcile with your son?" Asked Tolcariath.
"I-How do you…"
Tristain took a deep breath, unable to believe his ears.
"How do you know?" He asked.
"I had a feeling," Said Tolcariath.
"Well, I… yes, I do," Said Tristain, "I didn't know he was my son early on, not until I discovered that his mother was someone I used to have a fling with – a prostitute working in Talabheim."
"I'm guessing you were eventually separated?" Asked Tolcariath.
"Yes, we were," Said Tristain, "Because we were found out, she was forced to leave elsewhere with my child in tow, and I was to marry my wife Gertrude from another noble family."
Tristain sighed heavily.
"She died in childbirth, and I could never remarry despite wishes to have me do so," He said, "I raised my son Erwin all by myself, raising him to be a worthy noble. Then he…"
Tristain closed his eyes, averting them momentarily.
"It took me years to discover that my first love, Louise, left a letter for me in my desk, hidden under a false bottom we used to share letters with," Said Tristain, "And… one half of a silver necklace that we split, so that we would always remember each other. Elias said that it was her mother's memento."
"I see…" Said Tolcariath.
"Why are you even asking me this, though?" Asked Tristain, "I didn't think it your business to stick your nose into my private affairs."
"Because you must never let go of your family, Tristain," Said Tolcariath, "Once you do, they are lost forever."
"What?"
"I did not leave my home of Athel Loren for the sake of adventure – I did so for the sake of revenge," Said Tolcariath, "My father was murdered by Skaven, so I ventured to end his murderer, leaving my brother behind. When I came back to replenish my warband's forces, he barely cast a glance at me, treating me like a stranger."
"Oh…"
"Yes," Said Tolcariath, "I sundered my own ties with my brother, and now he won't even face me. You've found your son, be there for him as a father should be. Spend what time you have helping him and supporting him, even until the bitter end. That's the advice I can give you."
"I… I will remember your advice," Said Tristain.
As they left, Tristain was the first to walk away, and once he was gone Tolcariath turned to a dark corner and said, "He's gone."
Siegfried III came out and looked at Tolcariath with inquisitive eyes.
"So, it's true?" He asked.
Tolcariath nodded in response.
"I'll have you know that despite that, you're always welcome in the Empire," Said Siegfried III, "And… I think you really gave him the support he needed."
"I only gave advice," Said Tolcariath.
"And it was advice he sorely needed," Said Siegfried III, patting Tolcariath on the shoulder, "Good job, Tolcariath."
Tolcariath simply nodded in response.
IIOII
In the time of peace they gained, Siegfried III was quick to act in the implementation of Tolcariath's suggested reforms.
For one, a new unified code of law was established, thoroughly fragmenting the power of the nobility and religious cults and centralising authority under the monarchy. Many who were used to having their own rights, privileges and prerogatives quickly opposed this move, only to end up assassinated or charged with treason on charges (all true with some added blackmail) and the power of the cults severely reduced.
This, in turn, granted a much-needed boost to efficiency, allowing for more profitable taxation despite the repealing of many other taxes (all useless) and smooth implementation and enforcement of laws.
Next was the centralisation of military authority into a single High Command, allowing for more accountability among armies and efficient passing of orders down the chain of command. No more were the state armies, but the Imperial Legions.
By Tolcariath's suggestion, General Trarcan was named the Imperial Warmaster – supreme authority of the military second-in-command to the Emperor.
Then there was the (partially forceful) absorption of the Witch Hunters into the Inquisition; many Imperial citizens found their unrestrained prerogatives in investigating Witchery to be terribly destructive, even given their attitudes towards magic, and those who did not submit were hunted down with extreme prejudice.
The remainder were united under the new Inquisition, formed to handle all Chaos-related and other supernatural and mundane threats to Imperial integrity, split into branches for specialised functions.
The Ordo Malleus, in charge of all Chaos-related threats.
The Ordo Xenos, to handle all non-Chaos threats from Orks to Goblins and Beastmen.
The Ordo Necros, the bulwark against all necromantic and vampiric threats – a high priority with the build-up of activity in Sylvania.
And finally, the Ordo Rattus, the pest control against all Skaven who dared tunnel their nests beneath the Empire.
And last but not least, the transformation of the Imperial monarchy from an Elected Monarchy to a Hereditary Monarchy. The Elector Counts did not truly like the fact their powers over the Imperial Succession were effectively gone, but those that took over were fanatically loyal to the Crown, and so this law passed with little trouble.
By the greatest strokes of luck, the Undead in Sylvania were besieged by a huge Greenskin Waagh wreaking havoc throughout the lands. From deep within the tunnels they came, pouring forth like a tidal wave and catching the Von Carsteins by surprise.
Some believed that the constant fights between Konrad and renegade Vampires drew the Greenskins to this conflict, but Tolcariath was never one to miss an opportunity.
"We're moving on Silver Pinnacle."
Many reacted with shock to his declaration, save for a select few.
"Your Excellency… I agree with you, but that is the Lahmians' stronghold. We need much more than a few Legions to storm that place, and we certainly need the help of powerful allies as well."
Alram Reiter, Knight-Commander of the White Wolf Knights, spoke with trepidation in his voice. A young man at the cusp of adulthood, his tactical acumen and skill with the hammer earned him his current rank.
"I have to agree with young Alram here," Spoke an elderly, rumbling voice, "Invading without a proper plan is suicide."
"We have the guns and the Spellsingers to lay siege to the place, and we can petition other nations for help," Said Tolcariath, "The Dwarves have a long-standing grudge, and the Bretonnians and Wood Elves will not pass up the chance to end this long-standing threat."
"Tolcariath is right," Said Siegfried III, "Furthermore, our peace with Albrecht only lasts three more years and the Greenskins will not keep the Undead in Sylvania contained forever; there is no better time."
"Are you sure? They may simply choose to pay it no heed instead."
Humbert Geschke, Ar-Ulric of the Ulrican Cult, resembled a tall and mighty mountain that rumbled with every miniscule action, aged and worn with decades of experience.
"They cannot and will not ignore it; Neferata has made too many enemies and it shall come back to haunt her," Said Tolcariath, "But we cannot call on King Belegar's help; he's preoccupied fighting more Skaven and Greenskins in the Borderlands."
"Then how about Karak Kadrin?" Suggested Siegfried III, "They are close by, and they are raring to avenge grudges owed to the Karaz Ankor."
"Good idea," Said Trarcan, "I've only heard rumours, but their Slayers are a cut above the rest."
"The Bretonnians though… I hear they're in a damn mess back home," Said Ling Hua, "Their King is dead, and plenty of stupid Lords are bickering over who should be the next King."
"Try regardless," Said Siegfried III, "Some allies are better than none. What about your old home, Tolcariath?"
"It can work, but no guarantees," Said Tolcariath.
"Let's get to work, then," Said Siegfried III.
IIOII
In the years since Aleksander gained power, villages have become towns and towns into cities, and Mousilion's defences have since become stronger and better, outfitted with new cannons (pilfered from Imperial stores).
With some reverse-engineering, the Mousilioni soon discovered the intricacies of firearms and went on to build the Mousillion de l'Arsenal, the Arsenal of Mousillion, and its first task was to outfit the new Mousillioni Musketeers with their new flintlock rifles.
With food production stable and high-yielding, the commonfolk enjoyed a vastly enriched diet, and could now sustain campaigns lasting months for tens of thousands of soldiers. Given a little more time, they could feed hundreds of thousands.
Better still, with high-yield crops like corn, potatoes, tomatoes and maize, it was much easier to grow food than relying on wheat, cabbages or apple trees.
"I have to admit though, this Tolcariath is an… interesting person," Said Aleksander, "He is a very ambitious and driven man, almost like… me."
Word of Tolcariath's exploits spread far and wide, and with recent word that he was beginning to assemble an expedition to Silver Pinnacle, Aleksander smiled at this.
"Too bad I won't get to kill Neferata myself, but I have the feeling he'll do the job just fine," Said Aleksander, "Not that I'll let him outdo me though."
Aleksander's necromancers had been busy, resurrecting countless millions of bodies to form his massive Undead army, and Dragons began to flock to his realm in the tens of thousands.
Ever since he revealed to his people that he was their protector – a Von Carstein Vampire – years ago, he was the recipient of no small amount of adoration, the people beginning to worship him as their Saviour God come to liberate them of the chains of tyranny.
Through their worship, he felt himself change on a fundamental level, from less a vampire to more a God.
And he felt the whispers in his mind.
"Aleksander… Aleksander…"
And one night, as he meditated, he found himself in a large expanse, surrounded by a black void where no eyes could pierce the shadow.
"Now… this is interesting," Said Aleksander, "Usually I'm in somewhere with colour and other souls talking, not this black void."
"Aleksander…"
The voice was heard once again, raspy and ancient but rumbling with power and age beyond belief. It was a voice that trembled with rage and anger, directed at all who wronged it, and Aleksander felt like a small child for a moment.
"Who is this?" Aleksander asked, "How do you know my name?"
"I have always been watching since the beginning of time," The voice said, "No darkness or void can cloud my sight, and you, Aleksander, have piqued my interest."
"Alright, how?" Asked the vampire.
"You took Dragon hatchlings under your care. You fed them, loved them, helped them mature into grown Dragons," Said the voice, "Most others I've seen have simply killed them on sight."
"The Elves of Ulthuan keep Dragons, as do those of Athel Loren," Aleksander pointed out.
"Bah, they're worshippers of those who killed me and scattered my soul to pieces, took my power for themselves when the Old Ones came!" The voice retorted, "But you… you hold much promise. I see it in you. You look to unite all of Bretonnia and free it from the leash of its tyrants, yes?"
"…What's the condition?" Asked Aleksander.
"Quick on the uptake, I like it," Said the voice, "I want you to kill a bitch Elven Goddess for me. Her name is Anath Raema, Goddess of the Savage Hunt."
"Anath Raema, the Goddess that the Dark Elves worship among others, and a few of the Wood Elves?" Asked Aleksander.
"Indeed, and one I'd very much like to see dead for orchestrating the murder of so many of my children – the Dragons," Said the voice, "In return, I'm willing to transfer my essence to you, help you gain control of hundreds of thousands of Dragons and hundreds of millions of undead for your army. Sound good?"
"You know what? Yeah," Said Aleksander, "A deal's a deal."
"Excellent…" Said the voice, "And pardon me for not introducing myself earlier; my name is Draugnir."
And instantly, Aleksander felt something enter him, and a bout of agonising pain spread throughout his body.
He felt a myriad of emotions raging through his mind. Anger, hatred, betrayal, all distinct and in a messy amalgamation.
And in that instant, Aleksander Von Carstein ascended.
No longer was he a mere Vampire, now he was Dracul, Father of the Dragons and Mousilion.
And mayhem will follow in his wake.
A/N: Decided to give a little bit of drama to how Aleksander became Dracul.
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Wait why kill lileath that doesn't sound right
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
lileath dies in his fiction, and this seems to be a AU.
while i may hate the elven lake lady in this timeline of warhammer fantasy, the 40k one simply has my either apathy or sympathy, otherwise...its more of the OTHER elven goddess that we have the SUPER grudge hatred.
Anath Raema, sister of khaine and mistress/Goddess of the savage hunt.
@Ebanu8 that's the godess dracul hates more then anything, not even lileath got our level of hate during the campaign. mostly that was all business and of course a small time grudge. Otherwise, Anath Raema and the blood dragon knights (the vampire sect of FIND DRAGON, KILL DRAGON, DRINK DRAGON BLOOD, NO MORE THIRST!)
so yeah, i think you got the lileath and anath mixed up there. There is a plan for us to take the fight to the dark elves and wipe out the gods there with legions of the undead, considering the sheer amount of dead underneath their cities and nearby.
Edited: also the last father of dragons wasn't Dracul, even its time/space/self-ascension bullshit, it was Draugnir, who literally by his presence had the elven pantheon struck in awe and at his might and nobility and was considered to be the equal to the elven pantheon...aka even elven superiority got the hell beaten out of them by sheer fucking presence of this dragon-god. Widowmaker when it was made by Vaul and Draugnir, stole Draugnirs spirit and power leaving him weakened, which Anath took advantage of and tried to kill him. they were evenly match and while asuryan tried to stop it, but its wounds were too great for the dragon to take and it died.
course this got anath banished to hell and back, while its corpse was made into the banner of the world dragon AND the very island of ulthaun.
so yeah, lots of fuckery going on there...and we have a grudge to settle with anath raema.
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Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
I will admit that for this crossover AU, I wanted to follow the lore of Lords of Darkness as much as possible with some changes, and I did think for a moment that it was Lileath that got this level of hate. Pardon me for mixing it up, guys. Changed that part.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading though.
We do and if lileath did do that then even she would be banish
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
I gotcha, thanks for explaining.
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
yeah, we pretty much bumped her quite a bit down with the whole taking over bretonnia...issue was she was weakening already with the civil war and shit, right now were having to deal with getting Wallachia (now) up to the standards needed to start actually fight back against chaos and the other nasties.
thankfully we should soon be done with the economy turns, and then can focus whole heartedly on our military. Hopefully soon we can diversify our soldiers from swordsmen, to then spear/pike/halberd men. Along with some actual archers, crossbowmen, and then gunpowder units, hell having ballista's, catapults, and of course trebuchets (which could probably incorperate some upgrades like springs or better weights or even a more transportable mode for them), and then work on cannons, motars, and of course seige guns.
we should also figure out the types of ammo for cannons and motars...
cause those guns can be deadly...add ion howitzers which in napolean era, howitzers were being experimented with...issue is that the guns didnt do much damage since shell shooting from those angles wasnt a understood art. Otherwise test firing those guns in the multitude conditions in warhammer along with a god of knowledge? we could use those guns in our fortresses, along with "conventional" weaponry.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
We have a very strong Undead army, and we are fast learners, I don't see why we can't learn how to make Howitzers. And of course, there's plenty of target practice.
- Location
- Castlevania
+10 to a action of your choosing.
The update has a decent chance of arriving this week. So keep a watch for that.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
Will be looking forward to it.
I have a question that just came to me, is there a reason we can't just go to sea and raise a load of dead from there or can only vampire coast do that for some reason? Just asking just in case we could go out to sea and just send thousands of undead to norsca on a constant basis or in any other emergency.
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
There's also undead ships, issue is I don't think we have that spell yet.
Let me check.
If we had that we could legitimately Blockade norska with a good chance of it working and probably be payed for it.
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
We really need to finish lore of light and lore of vampires it seems, as we have not gotten those lores down to pat.
Hopefully by the next two turns both lore of vampires and lore of light can be finished, then we can turn to lore of death and life and continue on.
Get the domain for magic and laugh at tzeentch.
A Hunger for Power 1
- Location
- Warsaw
Omake: A Hunger for Power 1
Beyond the realm of the material a struggle ensued. Across the veil into the realm of souls. It was truly a great struggle. Mortal minds would struggle to comprehend what was happening. Such is the nature of this realm to be truly alien to onlookers not native to it. A great barrier of darkness stood stretching far and wide. It reached down far below and high into the heavens. It was so vast no mortal could comprehend it. The barrier stood as an unconquerable defense against all things. It was under attack at that very moment.
The legions of the ruinous powers battered away at it. The servants of the changer were the dominant faction among them. They cast their vision into the future looking for weaknesses. Chanting in forgotten and nonexistent tongues boomed out. Their spells were terrible and mindbending. Prismatic flames danced at their will wanting to mutate and corrupt. Blows that would crush houses smashed against the barrier. They extended their magic to try and shift fate itself to proclaim their victory. All of their efforts were for nothing.
The barrier endured everything they tried. It's surface remained flawless and undamaged. Not only that it counterattacked. Great tendrils of deepest black reached out like whips. They lashed out with impossible speed for their size. They crushed, pummeled, and pulled apart any daemon they reached. Great incantations proclaimed true death and snuffed out their lives. The wall was not alone either. The spirits of great dragons also fought. They lashed out with fire, lightning, ice, poison, and more. The nightmare dragons in particular laughed with cruel glee as they mutilated their foes in horrific ways. All of them eager to punish their foes for their arrogance in coming here.
Beyond the barrier lay a maelstrom of shadow. Within that realm sat both heaven and hell. Heaven for the faithful and hell for the foe. Within the center sat a great throne. Atop that throne sat a great dragon a veritable moving mountain. That great form remained perfectly still like a statue staring outward into the beyond. Watching the ongoing struggle in total silence. Within it's mind however nothing was still.
Dracul cursed and raged at his predicament. His mind seethed with wrath that he vented on these foolish daemons. Yet it never truly abated no matter how many he killed. No matter how many he killed more took their place. The matter at hand would not simply end just like that. He had been outplayed and he hated it.
The nature of his predicament was simple. To put it plainly he was stuck like this. He could not drop the barrier without allowing the daemons to pour forth into Wallachia. That same protection was taking up most of his attention and nearly all of his power. He could not take his attention away for a moment as it was.
The daemons themselves were no real threat. To him and his draconian children they were not. His mortal followers however could not say the same. If the barrier went down the enemy would pour forth and slaughter them. That was an unacceptable event that he would not allow. He would not have a single filthy daemon enter his lands.
It was true that he could allow it to fall and empower all of his undead forces to kill them when they emerged. However, that would not end well for several reasons. The undead might be beyond the corruption of chaos, but the rest of Wallachia was not. The land, the creatures, and his followers would be twisted and mutated to suit the enemy's liking by the time he finished destroying them. There would be beastmen and other mutant infestations to clear out as well. Infrastructure would be ravaged or corrupted and have to be fixed and cleansed accordingly. Much would have to be put to the torch for good measure.
The loss of face would also be unacceptable. He was a god he needed worship to grow stronger. Not only that he had built his power base on the image of a grim avenger or dark protector to his subjects. If a great slaughter were to occur people would start to develop doubts. They would start to question his ability to protect them. Start to question if he was really worthy of their faith. The river of faith he received would dwindle with the destruction and death caused until nothing remained or he managed to make up for it. The sheer losses his followers would take was also a factor. It would decades to recover from such losses. Even after the conflict the loss of agriculture would lead to more deaths and more doubt.
Why was this happening some might ask. The answer for that was simple. Chaos did not want him to interfere with their latest scheme. They sought to keep him away from the fight against the blood tide. They knew he had a physical form and could act in the Materium as he wished. They knew of his power and willingness to use it. Especially after he destroyed the rot tide years ago with such ease. That he would do the same to the khornates without hesitation was obvious. Hence this plan to keep him here and far from the frontlines. It was undoubtedly the work of the changer just looking outside said as much.
It infuriated him that it was working just as those bastards desired. He could not allow the barrier to fall under any circumstances. They knew he only had Wallachia and his spattering of followers elsewhere. If his kingdom fell he would fall with it. They on the other hand had seemingly endless waves of servants in both realms. Norsca alone spewed out a seemingly endless river of savages. He could only imagine what the actual wastes held. The daemons he fought now were all expendable. Why else would their masters send them to die so easily.
They were not truly trying to destroy him though. That fact especially aggravated him. If they truly wanted him dead they could easily reach out and do it themselves. This was just to keep him out of the way as well as a way to show off their power. It frustrated him to acknowledge this. At the same time he had a realization. He had grown complacent and overconfident. His conquest of Bretonnia had gone virtually without issue. The mortals happily bowed down and worshipped him. He had allowed his past success to go to his head. He had grown overconfident and was now paying for it.
He needed ways to help prevent this later. A lot of the power his army held came from him. He was the one they were all bound to. With him stuck like this only a small portion of the army could be used at full strength. It was his spell work that gave them the boosts that gave them such advantages during the last campaign. His mortal servants simply were not capable of the same feats to bolster the undead. Let alone perform mass resurrections as he had before. His forces were now at a major disadvantage with only the necromancers. He was unable to send his vampires or his dragons in order to avoid unwanted attention from the order nations. It was a brilliant tactical movie on the dark gods part.
It still frustrated him to no end. It was clear now that he needed to grow stronger. The question was how to do so. His followers were already growing in numbers either from births or conversion. Sacrifices happened, but there wasn't much in Wallachia they could reasonably use. The beastmen and green skins had been wiped out with only the occasional newcomer from elsewhere. Cultists were used, but were similarly few in numbers and did their best to keep their heads down. The only way he could think of to grow more powerful fast was to expand his godly portfolio. How to do so though? Changing such a thing like that would require something huge and thematically appropriate. Not to mention what he even wanted to gain.
Undeath was an obvious choice as was magic. The former would empower many of his servants and hopefully eliminate the issue he currently had with his troops. The latter would be much of the same, but would be more widespread and let him contest the Changer for control of the winds of magic. Still there was the issue of how to acquire them. Magic would require something complex and big or many years of dedicated effort. Undeath comparatively should be easier considering his nature. How then does one become the god of the undead? Suddenly an idea occurred to the dark dragon. Yes he thought this could work and even if it didn't he would still benefit and get rid of some nuisances. Slowly his great body shifted in place. It's great maw shifting into the dragon equivalent of a vast hungry grin showing vast razor sharp teeth with a greedy gleam in his eye.
@Alucard Vampiry I will be doing a second part as this is already pretty long.
Beyond the realm of the material a struggle ensued. Across the veil into the realm of souls. It was truly a great struggle. Mortal minds would struggle to comprehend what was happening. Such is the nature of this realm to be truly alien to onlookers not native to it. A great barrier of darkness stood stretching far and wide. It reached down far below and high into the heavens. It was so vast no mortal could comprehend it. The barrier stood as an unconquerable defense against all things. It was under attack at that very moment.
The legions of the ruinous powers battered away at it. The servants of the changer were the dominant faction among them. They cast their vision into the future looking for weaknesses. Chanting in forgotten and nonexistent tongues boomed out. Their spells were terrible and mindbending. Prismatic flames danced at their will wanting to mutate and corrupt. Blows that would crush houses smashed against the barrier. They extended their magic to try and shift fate itself to proclaim their victory. All of their efforts were for nothing.
The barrier endured everything they tried. It's surface remained flawless and undamaged. Not only that it counterattacked. Great tendrils of deepest black reached out like whips. They lashed out with impossible speed for their size. They crushed, pummeled, and pulled apart any daemon they reached. Great incantations proclaimed true death and snuffed out their lives. The wall was not alone either. The spirits of great dragons also fought. They lashed out with fire, lightning, ice, poison, and more. The nightmare dragons in particular laughed with cruel glee as they mutilated their foes in horrific ways. All of them eager to punish their foes for their arrogance in coming here.
Beyond the barrier lay a maelstrom of shadow. Within that realm sat both heaven and hell. Heaven for the faithful and hell for the foe. Within the center sat a great throne. Atop that throne sat a great dragon a veritable moving mountain. That great form remained perfectly still like a statue staring outward into the beyond. Watching the ongoing struggle in total silence. Within it's mind however nothing was still.
Dracul cursed and raged at his predicament. His mind seethed with wrath that he vented on these foolish daemons. Yet it never truly abated no matter how many he killed. No matter how many he killed more took their place. The matter at hand would not simply end just like that. He had been outplayed and he hated it.
The nature of his predicament was simple. To put it plainly he was stuck like this. He could not drop the barrier without allowing the daemons to pour forth into Wallachia. That same protection was taking up most of his attention and nearly all of his power. He could not take his attention away for a moment as it was.
The daemons themselves were no real threat. To him and his draconian children they were not. His mortal followers however could not say the same. If the barrier went down the enemy would pour forth and slaughter them. That was an unacceptable event that he would not allow. He would not have a single filthy daemon enter his lands.
It was true that he could allow it to fall and empower all of his undead forces to kill them when they emerged. However, that would not end well for several reasons. The undead might be beyond the corruption of chaos, but the rest of Wallachia was not. The land, the creatures, and his followers would be twisted and mutated to suit the enemy's liking by the time he finished destroying them. There would be beastmen and other mutant infestations to clear out as well. Infrastructure would be ravaged or corrupted and have to be fixed and cleansed accordingly. Much would have to be put to the torch for good measure.
The loss of face would also be unacceptable. He was a god he needed worship to grow stronger. Not only that he had built his power base on the image of a grim avenger or dark protector to his subjects. If a great slaughter were to occur people would start to develop doubts. They would start to question his ability to protect them. Start to question if he was really worthy of their faith. The river of faith he received would dwindle with the destruction and death caused until nothing remained or he managed to make up for it. The sheer losses his followers would take was also a factor. It would decades to recover from such losses. Even after the conflict the loss of agriculture would lead to more deaths and more doubt.
Why was this happening some might ask. The answer for that was simple. Chaos did not want him to interfere with their latest scheme. They sought to keep him away from the fight against the blood tide. They knew he had a physical form and could act in the Materium as he wished. They knew of his power and willingness to use it. Especially after he destroyed the rot tide years ago with such ease. That he would do the same to the khornates without hesitation was obvious. Hence this plan to keep him here and far from the frontlines. It was undoubtedly the work of the changer just looking outside said as much.
It infuriated him that it was working just as those bastards desired. He could not allow the barrier to fall under any circumstances. They knew he only had Wallachia and his spattering of followers elsewhere. If his kingdom fell he would fall with it. They on the other hand had seemingly endless waves of servants in both realms. Norsca alone spewed out a seemingly endless river of savages. He could only imagine what the actual wastes held. The daemons he fought now were all expendable. Why else would their masters send them to die so easily.
They were not truly trying to destroy him though. That fact especially aggravated him. If they truly wanted him dead they could easily reach out and do it themselves. This was just to keep him out of the way as well as a way to show off their power. It frustrated him to acknowledge this. At the same time he had a realization. He had grown complacent and overconfident. His conquest of Bretonnia had gone virtually without issue. The mortals happily bowed down and worshipped him. He had allowed his past success to go to his head. He had grown overconfident and was now paying for it.
He needed ways to help prevent this later. A lot of the power his army held came from him. He was the one they were all bound to. With him stuck like this only a small portion of the army could be used at full strength. It was his spell work that gave them the boosts that gave them such advantages during the last campaign. His mortal servants simply were not capable of the same feats to bolster the undead. Let alone perform mass resurrections as he had before. His forces were now at a major disadvantage with only the necromancers. He was unable to send his vampires or his dragons in order to avoid unwanted attention from the order nations. It was a brilliant tactical movie on the dark gods part.
It still frustrated him to no end. It was clear now that he needed to grow stronger. The question was how to do so. His followers were already growing in numbers either from births or conversion. Sacrifices happened, but there wasn't much in Wallachia they could reasonably use. The beastmen and green skins had been wiped out with only the occasional newcomer from elsewhere. Cultists were used, but were similarly few in numbers and did their best to keep their heads down. The only way he could think of to grow more powerful fast was to expand his godly portfolio. How to do so though? Changing such a thing like that would require something huge and thematically appropriate. Not to mention what he even wanted to gain.
Undeath was an obvious choice as was magic. The former would empower many of his servants and hopefully eliminate the issue he currently had with his troops. The latter would be much of the same, but would be more widespread and let him contest the Changer for control of the winds of magic. Still there was the issue of how to acquire them. Magic would require something complex and big or many years of dedicated effort. Undeath comparatively should be easier considering his nature. How then does one become the god of the undead? Suddenly an idea occurred to the dark dragon. Yes he thought this could work and even if it didn't he would still benefit and get rid of some nuisances. Slowly his great body shifted in place. It's great maw shifting into the dragon equivalent of a vast hungry grin showing vast razor sharp teeth with a greedy gleam in his eye.
@Alucard Vampiry I will be doing a second part as this is already pretty long.
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Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
@Alucard Vampiry, I have to ask: Do you have any plans with pairing Dracul with a waifu? Just asking.
- Location
- Castlevania
+10 to an action of your choosing.
- Location
- Warsaw
I'll put it into war rolls to whatever needs it most probably the ritual grab.
- Location
- Warsaw
I just noticed but our magic is out of date. We're missing spells for life and we don't have heaven.
- Location
- Castlevania
That is an interesting question, while hitching Dracul with someone has an interesting addition to the narrative, certain events have to be played so that it happens, so to answer it: Yes, but it has been actively pursued when/if it shows up if it doesn't it is going sidelined, I am giving more chances until you officially become a chaste god since you repeatedly refused any romantic interactions.
I will fix it, I am a little busy now.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
Hm... I think I already have an idea I'm going to write.
But of course, you have the final say, QM. Just hope our dear Dracul doesn't end up being a bachelor for all eternity.