Warhammer Fantasy: A Dynasty of Dynamic Alcoholism

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[X] Let it lie, and continue on to resting up and marching to the next fight. Chance of Success: 100%
 
Eh, knowledge of a malicious faction of Dwarves could give us a more accurate IC threat assessment of the Darklands/Greenskins(including Badlands greenskins). Knowing they supply the Mourne Ogres gives us a reason to be even more strict with them and it might give us an IC reason to advocate for a Trident-backed push to establishing an Imperial presence in Drakenmoor.
 
Qeqre said:
Eh, knowledge of a malicious faction of Dwarves could give us a more accurate IC threat assessment of the Darklands/Greenskins(including Badlands greenskins). Knowing they supply the Mourne Ogres gives us a reason to be even more strict with them and it might give us an IC reason to advocate for a Trident-backed push to establishing an Imperial presence in Drakenmoor.
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*Looks at the army*

We're not gonna be able to make a military push for sometime.
 
Qeqre said:
Eh, knowledge of a malicious faction of Dwarves could give us a more accurate IC threat assessment of the Darklands/Greenskins(including Badlands greenskins). Knowing they supply the Mourne Ogres gives us a reason to be even more strict with them and it might give us an IC reason to advocate for a Trident-backed push to establishing an Imperial presence in Drakenmoor.
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Drakenmoor?
 
Alectai said:
Yeah, the Chaos Dwarves are pretty much the worst of their race, and they took a ton of runic lore with them when they decided to go full megalomaniacal.

What's worse is that they're one of the number one reasons why the Dwarfs are in decline and can't stand up to the Greenskins--because they always show up to improve one of the enemies of the Dwarfs if it looks like they're gaining too much ground--the amount of hate the Chaos Dwarfs have for their pure cousins is incredible, and unlike their cousins, they're second only to Skaven in mad science, so they tend to come up with brand new horrors that are still made of dwarfenly engineering skill, but tend to be horrific abominations of creative science because when they see a problem, they build a device to solve it and damn the consequences.

The Black Orcs emerged from one of these ,when they needed a superior slave who could wrangle lesser greenskins effectively.
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To add some history to this.
The Truth
There are a great many stories about the creation of this race. Most
conflict and others are outright lies. There is one thread that seems to
stand out from the rest. According to this particular legend, shortly after
the Great Catastrophe, the Old World was suffused with magic, and born
from this loosed energy were Daemons and other vile creations from the
Realm of Chaos. The High Elves of Ulthuan would valiantly contain this
energy, but the damage was done, and the world was forever changed.
In the aftermath, Dwarfs experimented with sorcery despite their innate
inability to harness the Winds of Magic. Instead of trying to cast spells in
the ways of the Elf Wizards, they sought to bind them into images and
symbols called runes. Two positions immediately resulted. One group
felt this road would lead to their doom, and the other craved the power
it promised. Resentment bloomed and tempers rose, but despite their
differences, they were one people, bound by their common heritage.
To alleviate the tensions, those Dwarfs who pushed the limits of the
newly developing Rune magic travelled north, seeking out new lodes
of gold, gemstones, and other precious metals, whilst the rest remained
behind to proceed more carefully. These explorers included some of the
most talented blacksmiths of all the Dwarf Realms, and they travelled
north until, one day, they broke through the other side of the mountains
and spied a land scarred and littered with chunks of obsidian, iron ore,
and more. It was apparent to all that this place harboured some great and
ancient evil, and so many turned away, continuing their journey north.
However, some remained, seduced by the wealth they stood to gain from
this blighted place. They named this new land Zorn Uzkul, the Great
Skull Land, and claimed it for their own, building a great mountain hold
called Karak Vlag, the Isolated Hold, to guard the place.

As the years passed, the Dwarfs sent scouts across the Greenskin-infested
badlands, heading for the Mountains of Mourn to explore their fiery
peaks. Along the way, they found broken weapons, old war machines,
and massive chunks of obsidian, to say nothing of the boulders that
shone with the streaks of gold they contained. When they arrived at
the distant mountains, they found them rich with precious metals and
gemstones. They built a fort in the open badlands they had dubbed the
Plain of Zharr, and sent forth expeditions to mine the lodes from the
stone. Despite the forlorn landscape, and poisonous fumes spewing from
the sinister peaks, it seemed the Dwarfs were right to come here, as their
hauls were incredibly rich. Soon, Karak Vlag was famed throughout the
Dwarf Realms for its wealth and mighty feats of engineering.

However, disaster was at hand. The Great Eye of Chaos opened and spread
its inky darkness south. At its vanguard rode the Tong, the vilest of all
Chaos Marauders. The Dwarfs fled to their forts and holds, and sent pleas
for aid to their kin in the southern holds, but no help came. Soon, the
darkness swept over them, cutting them off entirely. Alone, and facing
extinction, the Dwarf Runesmiths claimed had a possible answer. Using
magical techniques they claimed to have mastered through studying the
magical-resistant obsidian, they called out to the void for help. This time
their pleas for aid were answered, but help would come at a heavy cost. The
Dwarfs had no time to deliberate, for the Tong were tearing down their
gates, so they hastily agreed to the price. Then, so Chaos Dwarfs claim,
Hashut, the Father of Darkness, rescued his new children, and whisked
them away from danger. When the other Dwarfs finally fought their way
north through the Hordes of Chaos, they could find no trace of Karak Vlag.
The entire stronghold had disappeared, as if it had never existed.

Diminished, the Dwarfs survived, but they were changed, altered in mind
and spirit. As they had promised, the Runesmiths became their people's new
Priesthood, their Sorcerer-Priests, and soon wrested control over their new
society, dominating the other Dwarfs through their might with magic. Their
first edict was to construct the great city of Zharr-Naggrund, the City of Fire
and Desolation. At the centre, they planned a massive obsidian tower shaped
like a ziggurat, and at its top they would erect a great altar to Hashut.
However, the Chaos Dwarfs, which is what they now were, realised they
were too few to build all that Hashut demanded. First, they enslaved
the native Greenskins to help them, but they proved unreliable and
treacherous. So, the Chaos Dwarf Sorcerers, experimented with their
Greenskin slaves and bred a new race of reliable Orc, which they called
Black Orcs, but even they proved too wilful and independent. When the
Black Orcs rebelled, it was only through the aid of the Hobgoblins that
the Chaos Dwarfs were not wiped out entirely. So, the Chaos Dwarfs
reluctantly allied with local tribes of Hobgoblins to further their cause.

But, even with this expanded labour force, the Chaos Dwarfs were
unable to complete their construction without the aid of slaves. They sent
Hobgoblins to raid the Silver Road and bring supplies and victims back to
Zharr Naggrund. But, even this was not enough. Thus, the Chaos Dwarfs
began trading with the savage Humans of the north, a relationship that
has lasted to this day. In exchange for slaves, the Chaos Dwarfs still toil in
their forges to spawn new and horrible creations for their Human allies.
Chaos Armour, magic weapons, and terrible war machines funnel from
the Dark Lands into the hands of the eager Chaos Warriors. Meanwhile,
the forges of the Chaos Dwarfs shroud the land in thick, noxious smoke
lit by the flames of the cauldrons—the ringing of the hammers muted
only by the shrieks of fear and pain of those condemned to such a malign
fate. The whole of the structure tremors with the never-ceasing labours,
and echoes with the screams of slaves dropped into cauldrons filled with
molten iron, offered as sacrifices to appease the hungry God.
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And some CDs on the subject:
"You may curse us, shun us, deny our existence, but that is no
matter. You have done so for centuries. Had you not abandoned
us, our vast family would never have been sundered. Thanks to
your cowardice, we are strong and mighty, seeing the truths that
have long been hidden from Dwarf eyes."
—Gakroth, Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer

"We do what we must to survive. We've made many concessions
and thrown our lots in with the Greenskins, but as their masters,
not as slaves. Of course, our values would never have been
compromised had it not been for the betrayal of the past."
—Zhorgrath, Chaos Dwarf Engineer
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DannyboyZero said:
Drakenmoor?
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The so-called Nightmare of Drakenmoor was an infamous battle between the Chaos Dwarfs and the Skaven that took place in the year 2037 IC.
Such were the terrible arcane forces unleashed between the actinic flashes of the Skaven Lightning Cannon, the howling destruction of the Chaos Dwarfs' hell-furnaced colossus and the reckless devastating spell-craft unleashed by sorcerers and warlocks of either side, that a tear in the fabric of reality opened up over the battlefield and a howling storm of magic laid waste to both armies. Daemon-abominations were set loose and nightmare phenomena ravaged the lands a hundred leagues in all directions for almost a year before the arcane tempest at last died away. Both sides claimed victory.
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T'is not a happy place.
 
edit: bah! too late!

[x] Let it lie, and continue on to resting up and marching to the next fight. Chance of Success: 100%
We wont be prying secrets out of Dwarves without hurting our relationship. I think we can trust Garagrim or the high king to have enough flexibility that if we really need to know they'll find a way to make sure we do but there's nothing to gain by forcing the issue now.​
 
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[X] Let it lie, and continue on to resting up and marching to the next fight.


Freddy is not stupid. He can deduce all by himself that chaos dwarves are a thing.
 
Still kinda hope that if we see more of their work later on or even them personally that some Dwarf will feel it's important to finally tell us.

That or we have another chance to ask later with better odds of success.
 
[X] Let it lie, and continue on to resting up and marching to the next fight.

Chaos Dwarves are a bit of a delicate subject.
You need to be Felix, Gotrek close to mention it and they would still be pissed.
 
So were Southern Dwarves trying to help their Northern counterpart and just failed to reach them in time?
Or were no efforts made to help them?
 
Dutch's Imperial Culture Corner: Imperial Government
  • Informational
    • Dutch's Imperial Culture Corner


    Government? You call this a government? It looks like something a deranged Snotling would come up with!
    —Le Comte Claude Villecroix du Parravon, Bretonnian Ambassador to the Court of the Emperor

    Imperial Government

    The popularly propagated image of the Empire is that of a powerful unitary state, ruled by a wise emperor who is advised by his loyal Elector Counts and the leading priests of the cults, all working together for the good of the Empire and it peoples. Like most propaganda, that image has little to do with reality.

    At its heart, the Empire is a confederation of provinces, the inhabitants of which are mostly the descendants of the ancient tribes that allied with Sigmar at the Battle of Black Fire Pass. Sigmar recognised that the Empire is too big for one man to rule alone, and so he made the tribal chiefs into Counts, each responsible for affairs in their own area, but bound to obey the Emperor in those matters that applied to the Empire as a whole. Their independence would serve as a counterweight to a tyrannical emperor, while their ambitions would keep each other in check.

    Sigmar's lack of an heir and the creation of the electoral system was the fly in the ointment, however. Successive electoral councils would make demands of candidates for the throne, who would then often grant privileges and weaken the power of the office in order to win. The interests of the Electors were such that they would rarely coalesce around a strong candidate, for fear that a strong emperor would curtail their independence. Even when the throne passes to an heir, the Electors are swift to remind the Emperor-elect of promises made by his forbears and to have them reconfirmed. Though the Empire has produced strong emperors when needed "congenial nothings" more often than not occupy the throne, and electors are often free to do what they wish, even so far as to ignore inconvenient Imperial edicts.

    In theory, the Emperor is the supreme ruler of the Empire, able to issue laws as he sees fit, levy taxes and spend Imperial revenues at will, and declare war and make peace. The Cult of Sigmar goes so far as to say he rules "in place of Divine Sigmar" though few outside cult radicals truly believe that. The truth of the matter is that there are several checks and restraints on an Emperor's powers.

    The first of those is the Council of State.

    The day-to-day demands of governance are too much for one man or woman to keep track of. Dozens of decisions each day demand the Emperor's attention, from policy on grain taxes to the final appeal of a prisoner condemned for treason to officially opening the Grand Altdorf Fair. To prioritise this mess and make sure that only those with the most urgent business get an audience with the Emperor himself, successive emperors appointed members of prominent families to advise them on matters of law, finance, diplomacy, and military matters, among others. Over time, this group of advisors grew into a formal body, the Council of State, the membership of which almost always includes the current Grand Theogonist. The Council has no formal power, but does control access to the Emperor and thus what information he receives. There power is, therefore, quite strong when they can make a united stand. When this happens, it is usually due to the Grand Theogonist's behind-the-scenes machinations on crucial issues.

    Usual composition of the Council
    Title Portfolio
    Grand Theogonist Matters Spiritual
    Chancellor of the (Emperor's Province Name) Imperial Spymaster
    Supreme Patriarch Counsellor on Matters Magical
    Chamberlain of the Seal Foreign Relations
    Reiksmarshall Personal Military Advisor
    Chancellor of the Imperial Fisc Financial Matters
    Supreme Law Lord Legal Affairs
    Chamberlain of the Imperial Household Imperial Household
    The second check on the powers of the Emperor are the Electors themselves.

    Rulers of the Grand Provinces, the Elector-Counts are, in theory, the Emperor's loyal advisors who work to ensure justice and peace in their domains. They are also the only ones in the Empire who may choose a new Emperor, or depose a current one, a duty they carry out with sobriety and a sense of responsibility.

    Sometimes, that is.

    More often the Electors are a fractious lot, scheming against each other as often as they cooperate. Wars between the Grand Provinces have not been uncommon in the Empire's history, fuelled by religion, pride, or a need for revenge, or sometimes all three. When not plotting against each other, they work to ensure the Emperor does not grow too powerful. One result of this late in the 11th century was the creation of the Electoral Embassies and the Prime Estates. The rulers of each Grand Province established a residence in the capital, an embassy run by a trusted family member. This person in turn sits in council with the other envoys in the Prime Estates, which functions as a form of review board. The ambassadors examine any new Imperial edicts or laws and make reports back to their Electors. Since Electors have it within their power to ignore any Imperial decisions they do not like, gaining the approval of the Prime Estates has become important to the Emperors, if they want to accomplish anything.

    With the most prominents checks dealt with, let's look at governance within the provinces.

    The lands of the Great Provinces are themselves a patchwork of smaller provinces, holdings belonging to a cult or order, chartered towns and cities, and lands held by nobles and even electors of other provinces. This patchwork is the result of millennia of feudalism, inheritance, war, and purchase. It has lead to oddities such as the Elector Count of Reikland, who is the Emperor, also being the vassal of the Elector Count of Talabecland because he rules some small Talabeclander fiefs, as well as the Cult of Ulric holding the rights to a Sigmarite monastery in Wissenland.

    Each noble, from the smallest landholder to the greatest, is theoretically beholden to one above him, up to the Electors, who answer only to the Emperor. In turn, those above owe protection to those below. Thus, if the Emperor has a problem with the Duke of Niebelwald, he has to make his complaint through the Elector of Averland, whose vassal the Duke is.

    To complicate matters, the rise of cities and towns and their commercial power has lead to some receiving rights and charters that free them from most of their feudal obligations in return for favours granted someone higher in the feudal chain. Thus, the town of Kemperbad received a charter from Emperor Boris the Incompetent in 1066 removing its obligations to Reikland in return for a gift of rare wines. Nobles hate this, for it often means lost revenues and prestige for them, and they will often work to undermine a chartered town's privileges. Thus, when Streissen suffered bread riots, then Elector Countess Ludmilla of Averland demanded the surrender of the town charter before she would send in the troops.
     
  • Informational
    • The Empire, like the HRE and the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth shows why you don't want an elective monarchy beholden to the aristocracy. It always ends up as a dysfunctional mess.

    The only thing that could make the situation in the Empire worse would likely be their equivalent of a Protestant reformation.
     
    Derekc2 said:
    The Empire, like the HRE and the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth shows why you don't want an elective monarchy beholden to the aristocracy. It always ends up as a dysfunctional mess.

    The only thing that could make the situation in the Empire worse would likely be their equivalent of a Protestant reformation.
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    Don't give him ideas :p
     
    and swiftly put down by sigmar. The one good thing of having a bunch of divine being running around is if there chruch gets to fractious there god can step in and tell them to knock it off. So instead of schisms we have to deal with corruptive chaos cults.
     
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