- Pronouns
- He
Clan mors and Clan rictus, the number 5 and 6 of strongest skaven clans have been destroyed then.
Does that mean another lord of decay is dead? That would Just intensity the feeding frenzy of trying to replace them
Warhammer Fantasy: A Dynasty of Dynamic Alcoholism
- Thread starter torroar
- Start date
- Mature
-
- Tags
- warhammer warhammer fantasy fantasy intrigue happens male protagonist ck2 quest belief stronk count of cannons drunken wisdom foes in the shadows graf of guns if you have a question check the front page first it begins... mountain vietnam ogres paranoia rising unseen enemies everywhere use the search function before asking waifu wars wake the bull
Does that mean another lord of decay is dead? That would Just intensity the feeding frenzy of trying to replace them
iggyfan
Verified Man-Thing
- Location
- Kentucky
Probably, though Gnawdwell may have been wiser than Doomclaw and decided to evacuate his clan. Though even in that case Clan Mors is likely much lesser than it was before.
- Location
- NYC
Have you considered using a source control repository for this? (or do you already use one and share this so that it's easier to read for everyone?)
Btw really old question but does anyone know how it all came out that Valma had given Ostland dwarf secrets?
Also, by turn 24 did those secrets enter production so to speak?
Edit to avoid double-posting:
Another age old question, what's the thread's verdict on how we ended up giving Talabecland 20,000 gold PLUS mercenary support just to normalize relations with them? Like come on, it costs what 5,000 gold to raise an army of 10,000 soldiers?
I mean I get that the count's daughter 'died' but that's already explained by the diplomatic slide from ally to almost enemy (before returning to neutral, sorta)
Last edited:
The problem wasn't only Johanna, but that near the entirety of the army they sent died.
Paying like that was worth it for ensuring a reputation of we take sacrifices on our behalf seriously and that we would repay them, plus that the population of Talabecland didn't suffer for aiding us nor would keep the feelings of so many deaths pointed at us as responsible. Would have likely ensured the grudge of the count didn't pass on to his children too, but a plan decided YOLO and people didn't notice it at the time so ruined that part.
- Location
- Somewhere
I don't use a source control repository. Well, I kind of do, but not really. The "archival" stuff takes the whole OP quote of the moment. I use "archival" then my username in search and boom I'm taken to the past archival I did where I take the information then compare the past page with the front page. The original purpose of doing this was to track the economics page with easier evidence to support that yes QM messed up, but everything changes on the front page over time, so I did the whole thing instead of just the economics page.
@torroar
Did this action cost 100 or 0? One says 100, the other says 0.
As for the Valma thing.
The situation was bending around the oaths before Freddy obtained the prestige and status he did in Karak Ungor. Traditionally by all dwarf metrics the teaching of dwarf secrets is a Grudging, regardless of the specifics. The situation is complicated by how Freddy technically got away with minimum punishment for the technically-not-theft of dwarf secrets. That sets an actual precedent in dwarf history, something has to be done about this.
The speed is because people who really weren't fond of Valma had done something like this trial far earlier in time for Valma. People who were apparently watching what she had done during her years in Ostland for any possible room for criticism. Karak Ungor meant the Grudge declaration would be soon, if only from the effectiveness the inventions of the Wulfenburg school had on the first floor in Karak Ungor, and the actual teaching from Valma to someone on dwarf secrets. Better that it got declared then instead of never due to the really high prestige Freddy has with the Karaz Ankor.
Yes, I believe by some point the dwarf secrets were used in our merchandise for that specific merchandise upgrade Freddy requested.
- Location
- United States
To echo what @strauss said, it wasn't just that we got their heir killed; but also that the entirety of their army got wiped in the Forest of Shadows. They literally couldn't even defend their province from bandits afterwords. Imagine if at the time, Magnus was killed, the entirety of the Army of Ostland was wiped off the map in some campaign in the Reikland, and the Elector Count couldn't even bother to apologize or send some kind of message or anything?? Even better, they decided to instead fuck around with making a halfling a Knight or something. That was basically what Freddy did to Adolf.
Last edited:
- Location
- Germany
Paying up immediately was the ultimate humiliation. We showed those losers that they couldn't even orotect their own province without us. We showed them that even poor impoverished Ostland had more money than them. We memed on them and tea bagged their corpses.
Or that's my interpretation of torroar's info post on the matter.
It was basically them crying and accusing us and instead of doing the usual, so denying everything, we went up and said: "yeah, here's your money, so what?"
Last edited:
Elector's Meet of 2343 IC Part 18
[] Protect the Homeland
-[] Retain all possible Ostland forces. You need them. You've read the histories before. Black Arks can be floating cities, can vomit forth tremendous amounts of slave soldiers, war beasts, and elite Druchii troops. You'll need every sword you can get.
-[] Do Not Request Aid From Karak Ungor - They remain the weakest of the holds, are barely re-established, and have a population just beyond the line of extinction trying to resettle their hold fully.
-[] Do Not Request Aid From Karak Kadrin - They are dealing with an ogre tribe trying to come west that worship the Maw. That cannot be allowed. Furthermore, the skaven may well attack once they leave their hold.
-[] Request Aid from Barak Varr's Fleet Prince Byrrnoth will be personally assembling the fleet to come to your aid if you request it. They would be of considerable aid, so long as you can prevent too much friction between them and the Eonir. If the Eonir come to help.
-[] Tell the assembled Electors of the lines of prophecy given to Freddy by Morai-Wen in that seem the most relevant to this situation.
--[] "Three Spikes. Three Prongs. Three Fists. Horns and steel and curled."
--[] "Some steel must go. Some steel must stay. Else stone and stone will break."
GM Note: No vote for this one, that'll be for next turn's stuff.
"All right, all right," you mumble, kneading at your temples a little bit more before straightening in your seat to look at Ortrud's concerned face. "I'm fine. Just was doing some hard thinking."
You glance over at Gragor, who raises an eyebrow. A nod from you, a mouthed 'Varr', and he nods.
"Must have been for you to look like that," she says with a wry smile, handing you a tankard full of ale that you thankfully drain. "Bad thoughts?"
"Aren't you having any, given what we're facing? Two bloody damned Black Arks," you sigh. "No Imperial fleet has ever challenged them and won, not really."
Stephan leans in, his face grim and set.
"Held them off, maybe. Managed to annoy them into leaving, sure. Historically, its only ever been a holding action as we try to evacuate the coasts for a while until it begins to become unprofitable enough for them."
"But it doesn't seem like it is going to be a regular slave raid, or even a major one," Ortrud frowns, rubbing at her chin before taking another drink herself. "Isn't that what the Matriarch said?"
"I can't even remember the last time two showed up together," you grunt. "And that's saying something."
"A handful of times in the Old World they've done so," Stephan nods, "But that was in vastly separate locations. One along the northern coasts of Bretonnia, another in Araby, and so on."
You can't help it, you snort, folding your arms across your chest as you chuckle. It draws a few looks from other Electors, but most of them are still busy discussing the deployment to the south.
"What is it?" Ortrud asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Well we shouldn't have raised such deadly warriors and leaders as our children if we didn't want them to anger the forces of darkness," you say with a shrug. "We're just too good of parents, unfortunately."
Your two oldest friends freeze for a moment, Stephan's frown deepening in thought while Ortrud just sort of screws her face up. But it penetrates, soon enough, through that cloud of worry and frustration that you yourself have also been feeling. Gallows humor, perhaps, but something to buoy the three of you. And, if you are honest, thinking instead on familial love and pride is preferrable to a spiral of tearing your hair out and screaming about what is soon to be happening to your province and Stephan's besides. And the dwarfs at Karaz-a-Karak. It is as your mind swirls, around and around, that it catches upon something. Elves and monsters, words and prophecies. The moment you think it, you can't help but grimace, because you know what some might have as a reaction.
"Oi. Caelum," you call out, drawing the Patriarch's attention, and that of others. "I've heard a prophecy too, a while back. Sounds weirdly similar."
Conversation slowly dies as the Patriarch of the Celestial College stalks your way, with plenty of eyes following him.
"You, I do not think, would mock me as Bruna does," he says as he stands above you, his body thin and stretched like a scarecrow. "From whence did you hear it?"
"Elven prophetess."
"An accurate one?" His question is pointed, but not particularly accusatory.
"Enough so that whenever she gave one out, it scared the shit out of the elves around her."
Caelum hums, the sound impossibly multi-throated.
"Can you recite it still? Does it burn within your mind?"
"Burn, no, still there? Yes," you nod, glancing briefly about the room to see a twisting pair of lips on Gunthar's face as well as a curious look on Kaufmann's.
"Then do so, please," Caelum shuffles forward a bit more, leaning heavily on his staff.
This close, you can smell what seems like a distant storm on the wind.
"Right," you rub at your chin and take a drink as your think back. "Three Spikes. Three Prongs. Three Fists. Horns and steel and curled. Some steel must go. Some steel must stay. Else stone and stone will break. Wood may rot, but death may spring anew. The Heart will call. The Bull should answer."
"Of course, a prophecy about 'The Bull'," Gunthar says in disgust. "Because that's all that matters then?"
"No," Caelum says sharply, his eyes now glowing brightly with magic, "This elf. Was she crippled, or so it seemed, by her prophecies? Taken by them, almost?"
You stare at the man.
"I...it seemed that way, yes. On occasion."
"Ah...," Caelum closes his eyes and sighs, sagging slightly where he stands before straightening again. "The Crone-Blighted, no doubt."
"You know Morai-Wen?" You blurt out, only to be even more confused as Caelum shakes his head.
"I do not know her name, but given what I know of the elven Gods, such a name is an ominous one. I know of her," he says while looking airily into the middle distance before refocusing on you. "But she is one to fear, her words and prophecies especially. This, then," he swells slightly, "Is yet more credence to my own words. It may have been years ago, but I can taste the prophecy's weight in the air even now."
Magnus shifts his weight, armor clinking as he does so, and yet that is enough to make you look to him.
"Frederick."
The Emperor lifts his chin, looking you in the eyes. The rest of the room is silent.
"You trust this elven prophetess?"
"She's a bit of a dragon right now, but...in this? I think so," you nod, arms folded across your chest. "A lot of elves were certainly scared of her, because apparently she's never been wrong. No matter how much they'd want her to be."
"Very well," Magnus says, snapping a finger out at Gunthar's opening mouth without looking at him. "Not the time, brother."
"We must divide to save the whole, to reunite, to join," Caelum mutters, "To remain is to be broken, to split is to be whole."
The Patriarch steps away after that, looking out through one of the windows at the sky, while conversation slowly returns to organizing military movements. This lasts for another few minutes before you hear Count Rommel asking the Emperor a question, a small lull in conversation across the room letting all do the same.
"And what of the Asur, my Emperor? Surely they would not be opposed to seeking out their accursed dark kin? I have not seen the Ambassador from Ulthuan, has-,"
Raised voices from outside the meeting hall interrupts him, and that's saying something. Those doors are quite thick pieces of carpentry, and yet even from where you sit, you can hear the yelling. The collected Electors of the Empire, as well as Patriarch Caelum, Ambassador Gragor, and the Emperor himself turn as a group to look. Some, yourself included, find hands slowly going to weapons, just in case. Starbrook, even, palms a nearby knife. There is a bit more yelling, growing louder and louder, growing clearer and clearer with volume alone, until there is a muted boom which is visible under the cracks of the door. Less than a second later, the doors slam, no, shatter open, crashing against the walls and with squealing hinges from the force unleashed upon them with a cloud of slowly diffusing light and splinters emerging.
(Justice Seeks Passage: 74+Evangeline Martial(18)+Guilty Target(5)=97/100)
It happens in a near flash. You just barely catch it, all things considered. Sprinting, hard, faster than you thought even possible for her, comes the Sword of Justice. She is not at all like the bemused young woman you met before, nor even the professional seeker from a few nights ago. Her plate armor is badly dented over her heart, the left pauldron torn through by powerful claws. Scratches and dings are across the whole of it, a good third of the chainmail shredded so badly that loose rings are still falling around as she moves. You only get a better look because she vaults – outright vaults – atop the table without losing an instant of momentum and if anything pours it on. Gunthar unsheathes the sword at his side with remarkable speed of his own, while the others near him are at varying levels of doing the same. But Evangeline isn't charging at any of them. In fact, she rushes right past them, towards someone else entirely. And past you, giving you the chance to see that the left half of her face is a ruin, her eye socket on that side a wet and bloody pit. Rechtstahl hangs on her back, chained in place, and as she passes you can see that the runes on it are blindingly bright.
"KAUFMANN!" She bellows, the noise so loud it almost feels like it's ratting the windows.
(Details: 68+Frederick Martial(19)=87/100)
At which point she does a curious sort of mid-movement twisting motion, ensuring that it is her legs which are now out in front of the rest of her. This results in a fully armored dropkick crashing into Kaufmann's chest, sending both of them crashing to the ground and up against a wall. Several Electors cry out a number of things at different volumes, but none of them make Evangeline stop what she is doing. Instead, you glance back to see the rest of her retinue stomping through the forcibly opened doors, some of the Knights Griffon knocked to the ground. Standing atop them are some of the Owls, those Verenan knights which follow Evangeline around. The hulking Norscan, Thorkell, grins nastily as he comes through, a massive sack held in one hand. Behind him come some sweaty and grimy looking wizards, as well as two Asrai. All of whom are clearly wounded to some degree. Though there are the faint wisps of Ghyran around them which are indicative of recently cast healing magic.
"Evangeline, what is the meaning of this?!" Magnus calls out, eyes wide, a single hand now hefting Ghal Maraz off the ground.
"A moment!" She snarls back before grabbing Kaufmann by a shoulder with one hand before, to your shock, shoving her right gauntlet right into the still shocked woman's mouth.
From how close you are, you can hear the scraping of metal and teeth, and while everyone is standing now, no one moves to stop her. Perhaps because of the sheer shock of what is happening before you. Evangline shoves her hand deep and then reorients her hand and then with a forceful wrench tears all the lower teeth in Kaufmann's mouth out of her head, then repeats it with the second, dropping white speckles into the rapidly glowing pool of blood at her feet.
"She's gone mad!" Jax Starbrook shrieks, scrambling backwards.
"Hold, woman!" Gunthar roars.
"Madness!" One of the Arch-Lectors cries aloud.
"The hell she has!" You shout above all three of them, drawing attention from everyone else while Evangeline's retinue rushes to her side. "What was she trying to pour down her throat just now?!"
Because you saw it. Barely, but you did. As Evangline entered, as she leapt atop the table, you saw the movement out of the corner of your eye. How many times has reacting to such things saved your life in a battle? Every possible detail can matter. And while it was not the same as a beastman or goblin trying to come in out of your normal field of vision to stab you with something, you still saw it. Kaufmann's eyes bugging out of her head, a hand going to a pouch, a vial of something, a vial which was quite painfully forced out of her grip by Evangeline's assault. Your eyes, scouring, find it, and a point from your finger is enough. One of the Asrai Princesses duck beneath the table and reveal it, showing what could be a stoppered little thing of water for all appearances.
"Teeth! Check the teeth!" Evangeline says through gritted teeth as she wrestles with the woman, her Jade Wizard reaching forward to heal the painful wounds just inflicted on Kaufmann.
"Right, right," Thorkell mutters, reaching down to scoop them up and scatter them onto the table, still holding the sack in one hand.
"Evangeline!" Magnus' voice rocks the room, forcing them all to a halt for a moment. His gaze is steely, his voice hard, "You have assaulted an Elector of the Empire! Explain yourself this instant-,"
"She is a traitor!" Evangline growls, whirling on the rest of you all, still holding a weakly struggling Kaufmann before dragging her over against the table. "Thorkell!"
"Checking," the Norscan nods, before smashing the armored heel of his hand against the collected teeth.
The moment he does so, there is a faint popping and hissing sound, tiny little wisps of green smoke emerging from beneath. When he raises his hand, no one who is nearby can miss thirteen different pockmarks on his armor as some sort of acid begins burning away at it. Thorkell just nods, a look of grim satisfaction on his face as he looks back to his master. Evangeline's response is a rather vicious grin before it cools slightly as she slaps one of Kaufmann's hands away, looking at the Emperor then to you and back again.
"My Emperor," she bows her head curtly. "I informed you of my seeking out of rest of the Yellow Fang in the city?"
Your world slips a bit beneath you.
"No," Magnus says immediately, but you can tell that he doesn't dismiss it fully.
He can't. Not immediately, not utterly.
His eyes, instead, turned to Kaufmann, who had been looking at him with pleading eyes. At which point Thorkell opens up his sack, and to the shouts of surprise and shock from the Electors present, draws out a thoroughly dead but still definitely intact skaven assassin. This one not bearing the same mark as those bedraggled Rictus imitations, either. No, you got quite intimately familiar with Clan Eshin's experts, back when one plunged a knife into your heart in Karak Ungor, and in other battles there besides. This one is dressed much like the one you faced, like many of the Eshin assassins you are sure, but you doubt this one was easily defeated. Especially given the injuries to Evangeline and her retinue.
"Turns out," Thorkell chuckles, the noise a darkly familiar thing to anyone in the room who has faced raiders from the north before, "Creatures so mired in dishonor and treachery are quite meticulous in ensuring their blackmail is organized properly."
"The poison," Evangeline bites out, not taking her eyes…or eye, for the moment, off of Kaufmann.
The two Asrai open up the vial, glancing at one another, and then one of them reaches within their cloak to pull out a large squealing rat from somewhere. A single, tiny, almost invisible drop of the vial's contents is removed and rubbed within the rat's mouth. Almost immediately, it begins convulsing, little eyes growing cloudy and splotchy as the poor creature swiftly hemorrhages. At which point the vial is stoppered up and disappears under a cloak. The shock in the room is beginning to fade now, rapidly being replaced with a confused but potent anger, and you are not immune to that.
"I have many questions, but I know that you can't know the answers to all, or even most of them," Evangeline hisses. "But thankfully, your masters were kind enough to keep around what they needed to see off most rivals and peers. But first…,"
She steps away, leaving the still somewhat stunned Kaufmann to be grabbed by two Owls, grabbing her arms, while Thorkell reaches into her mouth to grab onto her tongue.
"Can't have you trying to swallow that and get out of this," he says with a bright smile.
(Words of Truth: 89+Evangeline Piety(18)=107)
Meanwhile, Evangeline has unchained Rechtstahl from her back, holding it tip first against the ground as she kneels and prays with her head down. Above her, you meet the Emperor's eyes, both of your gazes a bit wide. The Grand Theogonist and his Arch-Lectors stare not at Kaufmann, as you had first thought, but at Evangeline herself. No one else is doing that, not really. Most all are looking at Kaufmann or the dead skaven assassin now laid out on the table. But your eyes flicker away from the Emperor and back at Evangline herself, and how could you not? Her sword is glowing. Not just the runes, but the sword itself. Pointed downwards, just like the sword is held by many statues of Verena Herself. It almost looks like it is sheathed in translucent white marble. Then Evangeline looks up, and you are forced to raise a hand slightly to shield your face from the searing blue-white light which now burns in her eyes. Both her functioning one, and within her emptied eye socket.
"Now."
There is a weight to Evangeline's voice, now, one which feels like it could buckle your knees, but chooses not to. Something powerful but…purposeful. Consciously directed. Something altogether more than there was in the room a few seconds ago. It feels like Evangeline, yes, but beyond her as well at the same time. The Owls scramble to hold their charge upright, the woman's head lolling slightly before Evangeline reaches forward with a now perfectly steady hand to cup her chin and hold her head in place.
"Staadtholder Luise Kaufmann. How long have you been a member of the Cult of the Yellow Fang?"
Kaufmann tries to spit some of the blood in her mouth, you think. But instead of doing that, her eyes open as wide as they can go as they are locked in place looking to Evangeline's own. The twist of her lips, the puffing of cheeks, it smooths out. Her neck strains with effort, but the normally smooth-talking Marienburger's lips open with a wheeze instead as she begins to speak. And even though she just had her teeth torn out, the words are more than clear enough for everyone to hear.
"I," she draws the word out, "I j-joooooined…them…t-t-t…nnnn," she tries to shake her head but Evangeline's grip is wrought iron. "I joined them ten years ago!" She finally shrieks, sagging in place.
Now the gasps in the room are pure shock and fury. Evangeline inhales deeply, a clearly pained shudder going through her body.
(Aftershocks and Maintaining: 57+18=75/100)
"Are any of the Great Ten members?"
Kaufmann shudders in her grip, writhing in a futile attempt to escape. The Owls holding her don't even need to work hard to keep their grips.
"No! Nnnnggh…Three! That I know of!!" She finally gasps out, each and every breath ragged. But then Kaufmann's back arches as she screams again. "Fredrick W-Winkler! E-Eleanor Rochen! Markus Rutger!"
Rutger? Rutger!? Your lips peel back as you glare at the woman, your anger at the Druchii now joined with your fury at House Rutger. You knew the merchant bastards were messing about with the economies of the northern provinces for profit, because they wanted the power with them and not with the provinces themselves. But this? This is too far. You know enough based on reports from Sabine that Markus Rutger is not the head of his family, he is a third son, but a son is still more of a connection than House Rutger should have ever desired. Oh, but for the Druchii bearing down on your coasts you would be having words written in steel with the bastard.
(Aftershocks and Maintaining: 39+18=57/100)
The burning light in Evangeline's eye and eye socket begins to fade, but before it can do so completely, a pained grunt escapes the Sword of Justice as she tightens her grip on her sword and Kaufmann's chin respectively. You swear you see a pained shiver try to make its way through her body before she stops it with force of will. When she clears her throat this time, there is a distant wetness to it, the kind you normally associate with blood in your mouth. With that done, the light returns to its previous brightness, getting another pained wince from Kaufmann.
"Last question, traitor. Where has Steinroth taken the fleet?"
"I…I don't…,"
Evangeline bares her teeth, brow furrowing deeply.
"WHERE HAS OTTO STEINROTH TAKEN MARIENBURG'S MERCHANT MARINE?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Kaufmann screams back, hysterically, before going completely limp in the arms of the Owls. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," she mumbles on repeat, eyes staring at nothing.
Evangeline lets loose a shaky breath as the light of Verena dissipates from her, almost collapsing backwards onto the table but just barely managing to remain upright. Sweat pours down her face, even as she struggles to wipe some of it away. When the Jade Wizard approaches, Evangeline waves her off and straightens, turning about to look at the Electors, Emperor, Patriarch, and Ambassador. She glances about silently before focusing on Magnus properly, whose expression could have been carved in granite. Rechtstahl is still held limply in her grip, point still in the stone, but with the other hand she salutes.
"I…apologize for my rudeness, my Emperor," she says after a moment. "But this could not wait."
"You could not have apprehended her afterwards?" He says quietly.
"Might have had people say we were lying, or not wanting to believe it. Not the same as when the suspect confesses outright with Her glory shining on down," Thorkell says gruffly, but he ducks his head when Evangeline slowly her turns her head to glare at him. "Apologies, ma'am."
"I've not heard of this 'Yellow Fang' before," Gunthar speaks up, arms folded across his chest. "But given the skaven on the table, I think I can guess."
"They are a well-hidden Cult," Magnus says, eyes not leaving Evangeline. "But I must confess that I, too, may have not wished to believe one who has been party to our Elector's Meets might have been one of them."
"In serving the skaven, they are not touched by the same dread powers of Chaos," Molatok says sagely, though his eyes are locked on Evangeline and not the skaven or Kaufmann, "And are that much more difficult to seek out. My congratulations to the Sword of Justice for rooting out such a depraved creature."
Evangeline's one eye burns from within this time around, not with true divine light at the moment, when she looks back at the Grand Theogonist before looking at the Emperor again.
"I request immediate dispensation to move on the Cult in Marienburg," she says promptly. "From her own mouth, we have a confession on three more members, members of the current ten leading families of the city. I must also investigate Steinroth."
"Will you be as…prompt, in your investigations as here?" Magnus asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Why not?" Gunthar asks, shrugging when his brother look at him. "What, you want to let that sort of thing fester? These are clearly traitors to the Empire, to humanity itself, betraying us to those damned subterranean monsters."
One of the most infuriating people you know may have just made a point you might agree with, damn him.
"And the panic?" Magnus glances at his brother briefly. "That may ensue? The merchant families did not overly much appreciate your last visit to their city."
"I killed the vampire lord that had been pulling strings in the city for a thousand years," Evangeline says, though there is no heat in it.
"Yes, and for that, they were grateful. Less so in the ensuing economic chaos when said strings were cut so abruptly," Magnus sighs, rubbing at his forehead. "It was the work of a year to steady and heal from the aftershocks. But no," he inhales deeply and nods at her. "This cannot be let go, and it cannot be ignored, even with everything else going on."
"You want some extra troops, girl?" Gunthar asks suddenly, making Evangeline glance back at him. "They've already moved their armies south to join with Averland."
"Fine," Evangeline nods. "Me and my Owls will be moving out immediately, with your permission my Emperor?"
"You have it. Worship of such a profane thing as the God of the Skaven is proscribed by the Empire's laws since Sigmar ruled. You have my blessing to enforce punishments as necessary."
"And what's this about Steinroth?" Rommel asks, glaring at Kaufmann. "I've heard of him. So-called Red Pirate of Marienburg. Is he one of them too?"
"No, worse," Evangeline shakes her head. "He's an opportunist. Works with anyone. Anything. Latest intel from the Eshin cache through Kaufmann was that he was in contact with Clan Mors, Druchii, all sorts of things. The city's beloved nautical adventuring hero is the worst sort of mercenary."
"And he's taken their fleet?" Countess Krieglitz shakes her head. "We border no oceans in Stirland, save those of the dead, but even I know that that is quite a few ships."
"Correct. We don't know where, yet," Thorkell grunts, "Convinced them all that he was going to lead them to treasure and glory, like he's been bringing home for the past few years. Whatever that might end up being."
"Not all the ships, the traders and the like are going about business as usual. But a lot of their armed ships? He bribed, cajoled, or both. Apparently," Evangeline rolls her eyes. "We need to get moving, however. I'll be taking Scales."
"Of course," Magnus nods. "Go then, and see justice done."
(Detail Catching: 81+19=100)
Evangeline, her retinue, and all the Owls present kneel to the Emperor before rising as one. And again, you might have missed it, but your eyes are extremely experienced and well-trained, but you do catch one more thing. As they begin to leave Evangeline glances at the Grand Theogonist once her back is to the Emperor, so that he cannot see her face.
"Always."
A muttered 'mother' is all that Evangeline can spare for Ortrud before she is on her way again. The Owls somewhat awkwardly close the doors behind them, though the hinges are clearly a bit damaged and the doors don't close as closely as they did before in the middle. You spy them helping the Knights Griffon back to their feet before the doors fully shut. Kaufmann, by now completely unconscious, is dragged away as well. You doubt that a pleasant fates awaits her.
"Hell of a girl you raised, Hertwig," Gunthar says after a moment, lifting his chin towards Ortrud for a moment.
"I-…thank you," your friend says, managing to keep it from lilting upwards into a question. "She is right to be so proactive, I think," she looks to the Emperor. "I do not know what other things we might have been planning on discussing at this Meet, but I think we have enough to act upon now."
"I agree, frankly," Magnus nods. "We may discuss the distribution and organization of our forces here as we make for Black Fire Pass and Karaz-a-Karak, and the members of the Trident must marshal their own defenses. Any act, decision, or suggestion by Kaufmann must now be re-examined, quite thoroughly," he says while looking at an incredibly pale looking Jax Starbrook.
"I will say this, one last time then," you declare, hands on the table. "For those remaining behind. Accuse me of idiocy, foolishness, whatever – but I say now as I said before last time, the beastmen are not to be underestimated. Years, now, years they've had of absolute quiet without any strikes of our own to be the cause."
"Nor the forest goblins," Duke Fuerbach says with a grimace. "Or mutants. With so many of our forces departing, minor threats may well become larger ones."
Gunthar, for a wonder, just rolls his eyes but says nothing more. A short bit of discussion follows that. You learn that the Asur Ambassador left to contact his people on Ulthuan, but with the Druchii still invading their island, what response can be managed is currently unknown. You also learn that the Emperor is going to meet with the Bretonnians for a short while later, before attending what is likely to be quite a quick Grand Conclave. But these are things that you and the others have no need to be involved in. The Meet is swiftly declared over, not in a way that anyone might have liked overmuch given the circumstances, but it does end. For the situation is dire, in many ways, and the truth of the matter is that little else could be better than getting north as swiftly as possible. You need to organize your forces, your ships, your people. Some must fall back to prepared evacuation positions, either in Salkalten or further inland. The same, to an even greater magnitude, must be done in Nordland. You know for a fact that the same level of defenses you've prepared in Salkalten have not been replicated in Stephan's temporary capital. He'd chosen to reinvest all his money in rebuilding infrastructure, other cities, villages, and farms across the province.
As you are leaving the Imperial Palace, the Electors moving as a collected clump for once rather than one or two at a time, you are all slightly surprised by a loud screech above your heads. One that is quite familiar sounding to you, but not entirely the same as any others that you've heard before.
High above, wings fully spread in the sky, is a gryphon seemingly made of brilliant quicksilver.
Below, rushing past you all, are the Owls of Justice, rushing past atop their steeds as they follow beneath it. They, and the gryphon, head north, scattering those in their way in their rush.
Elector's Meet Results:
-[] Retain all possible Ostland forces. You need them. You've read the histories before. Black Arks can be floating cities, can vomit forth tremendous amounts of slave soldiers, war beasts, and elite Druchii troops. You'll need every sword you can get.
-[] Do Not Request Aid From Karak Ungor - They remain the weakest of the holds, are barely re-established, and have a population just beyond the line of extinction trying to resettle their hold fully.
-[] Do Not Request Aid From Karak Kadrin - They are dealing with an ogre tribe trying to come west that worship the Maw. That cannot be allowed. Furthermore, the skaven may well attack once they leave their hold.
-[] Request Aid from Barak Varr's Fleet Prince Byrrnoth will be personally assembling the fleet to come to your aid if you request it. They would be of considerable aid, so long as you can prevent too much friction between them and the Eonir. If the Eonir come to help.
-[] Tell the assembled Electors of the lines of prophecy given to Freddy by Morai-Wen in that seem the most relevant to this situation.
--[] "Three Spikes. Three Prongs. Three Fists. Horns and steel and curled."
--[] "Some steel must go. Some steel must stay. Else stone and stone will break."
GM Note: No vote for this one, that'll be for next turn's stuff.
Elector's Meet of 2343 IC Part 18
"All right, all right," you mumble, kneading at your temples a little bit more before straightening in your seat to look at Ortrud's concerned face. "I'm fine. Just was doing some hard thinking."
You glance over at Gragor, who raises an eyebrow. A nod from you, a mouthed 'Varr', and he nods.
"Must have been for you to look like that," she says with a wry smile, handing you a tankard full of ale that you thankfully drain. "Bad thoughts?"
"Aren't you having any, given what we're facing? Two bloody damned Black Arks," you sigh. "No Imperial fleet has ever challenged them and won, not really."
Stephan leans in, his face grim and set.
"Held them off, maybe. Managed to annoy them into leaving, sure. Historically, its only ever been a holding action as we try to evacuate the coasts for a while until it begins to become unprofitable enough for them."
"But it doesn't seem like it is going to be a regular slave raid, or even a major one," Ortrud frowns, rubbing at her chin before taking another drink herself. "Isn't that what the Matriarch said?"
"I can't even remember the last time two showed up together," you grunt. "And that's saying something."
"A handful of times in the Old World they've done so," Stephan nods, "But that was in vastly separate locations. One along the northern coasts of Bretonnia, another in Araby, and so on."
You can't help it, you snort, folding your arms across your chest as you chuckle. It draws a few looks from other Electors, but most of them are still busy discussing the deployment to the south.
"What is it?" Ortrud asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Well we shouldn't have raised such deadly warriors and leaders as our children if we didn't want them to anger the forces of darkness," you say with a shrug. "We're just too good of parents, unfortunately."
Your two oldest friends freeze for a moment, Stephan's frown deepening in thought while Ortrud just sort of screws her face up. But it penetrates, soon enough, through that cloud of worry and frustration that you yourself have also been feeling. Gallows humor, perhaps, but something to buoy the three of you. And, if you are honest, thinking instead on familial love and pride is preferrable to a spiral of tearing your hair out and screaming about what is soon to be happening to your province and Stephan's besides. And the dwarfs at Karaz-a-Karak. It is as your mind swirls, around and around, that it catches upon something. Elves and monsters, words and prophecies. The moment you think it, you can't help but grimace, because you know what some might have as a reaction.
"Oi. Caelum," you call out, drawing the Patriarch's attention, and that of others. "I've heard a prophecy too, a while back. Sounds weirdly similar."
Conversation slowly dies as the Patriarch of the Celestial College stalks your way, with plenty of eyes following him.
"You, I do not think, would mock me as Bruna does," he says as he stands above you, his body thin and stretched like a scarecrow. "From whence did you hear it?"
"Elven prophetess."
"An accurate one?" His question is pointed, but not particularly accusatory.
"Enough so that whenever she gave one out, it scared the shit out of the elves around her."
Caelum hums, the sound impossibly multi-throated.
"Can you recite it still? Does it burn within your mind?"
"Burn, no, still there? Yes," you nod, glancing briefly about the room to see a twisting pair of lips on Gunthar's face as well as a curious look on Kaufmann's.
"Then do so, please," Caelum shuffles forward a bit more, leaning heavily on his staff.
This close, you can smell what seems like a distant storm on the wind.
"Right," you rub at your chin and take a drink as your think back. "Three Spikes. Three Prongs. Three Fists. Horns and steel and curled. Some steel must go. Some steel must stay. Else stone and stone will break. Wood may rot, but death may spring anew. The Heart will call. The Bull should answer."
"Of course, a prophecy about 'The Bull'," Gunthar says in disgust. "Because that's all that matters then?"
"No," Caelum says sharply, his eyes now glowing brightly with magic, "This elf. Was she crippled, or so it seemed, by her prophecies? Taken by them, almost?"
You stare at the man.
"I...it seemed that way, yes. On occasion."
"Ah...," Caelum closes his eyes and sighs, sagging slightly where he stands before straightening again. "The Crone-Blighted, no doubt."
"You know Morai-Wen?" You blurt out, only to be even more confused as Caelum shakes his head.
"I do not know her name, but given what I know of the elven Gods, such a name is an ominous one. I know of her," he says while looking airily into the middle distance before refocusing on you. "But she is one to fear, her words and prophecies especially. This, then," he swells slightly, "Is yet more credence to my own words. It may have been years ago, but I can taste the prophecy's weight in the air even now."
Magnus shifts his weight, armor clinking as he does so, and yet that is enough to make you look to him.
"Frederick."
The Emperor lifts his chin, looking you in the eyes. The rest of the room is silent.
"You trust this elven prophetess?"
"She's a bit of a dragon right now, but...in this? I think so," you nod, arms folded across your chest. "A lot of elves were certainly scared of her, because apparently she's never been wrong. No matter how much they'd want her to be."
"Very well," Magnus says, snapping a finger out at Gunthar's opening mouth without looking at him. "Not the time, brother."
"We must divide to save the whole, to reunite, to join," Caelum mutters, "To remain is to be broken, to split is to be whole."
The Patriarch steps away after that, looking out through one of the windows at the sky, while conversation slowly returns to organizing military movements. This lasts for another few minutes before you hear Count Rommel asking the Emperor a question, a small lull in conversation across the room letting all do the same.
"And what of the Asur, my Emperor? Surely they would not be opposed to seeking out their accursed dark kin? I have not seen the Ambassador from Ulthuan, has-,"
Raised voices from outside the meeting hall interrupts him, and that's saying something. Those doors are quite thick pieces of carpentry, and yet even from where you sit, you can hear the yelling. The collected Electors of the Empire, as well as Patriarch Caelum, Ambassador Gragor, and the Emperor himself turn as a group to look. Some, yourself included, find hands slowly going to weapons, just in case. Starbrook, even, palms a nearby knife. There is a bit more yelling, growing louder and louder, growing clearer and clearer with volume alone, until there is a muted boom which is visible under the cracks of the door. Less than a second later, the doors slam, no, shatter open, crashing against the walls and with squealing hinges from the force unleashed upon them with a cloud of slowly diffusing light and splinters emerging.
(Justice Seeks Passage: 74+Evangeline Martial(18)+Guilty Target(5)=97/100)
It happens in a near flash. You just barely catch it, all things considered. Sprinting, hard, faster than you thought even possible for her, comes the Sword of Justice. She is not at all like the bemused young woman you met before, nor even the professional seeker from a few nights ago. Her plate armor is badly dented over her heart, the left pauldron torn through by powerful claws. Scratches and dings are across the whole of it, a good third of the chainmail shredded so badly that loose rings are still falling around as she moves. You only get a better look because she vaults – outright vaults – atop the table without losing an instant of momentum and if anything pours it on. Gunthar unsheathes the sword at his side with remarkable speed of his own, while the others near him are at varying levels of doing the same. But Evangeline isn't charging at any of them. In fact, she rushes right past them, towards someone else entirely. And past you, giving you the chance to see that the left half of her face is a ruin, her eye socket on that side a wet and bloody pit. Rechtstahl hangs on her back, chained in place, and as she passes you can see that the runes on it are blindingly bright.
"KAUFMANN!" She bellows, the noise so loud it almost feels like it's ratting the windows.
(Details: 68+Frederick Martial(19)=87/100)
At which point she does a curious sort of mid-movement twisting motion, ensuring that it is her legs which are now out in front of the rest of her. This results in a fully armored dropkick crashing into Kaufmann's chest, sending both of them crashing to the ground and up against a wall. Several Electors cry out a number of things at different volumes, but none of them make Evangeline stop what she is doing. Instead, you glance back to see the rest of her retinue stomping through the forcibly opened doors, some of the Knights Griffon knocked to the ground. Standing atop them are some of the Owls, those Verenan knights which follow Evangeline around. The hulking Norscan, Thorkell, grins nastily as he comes through, a massive sack held in one hand. Behind him come some sweaty and grimy looking wizards, as well as two Asrai. All of whom are clearly wounded to some degree. Though there are the faint wisps of Ghyran around them which are indicative of recently cast healing magic.
"Evangeline, what is the meaning of this?!" Magnus calls out, eyes wide, a single hand now hefting Ghal Maraz off the ground.
"A moment!" She snarls back before grabbing Kaufmann by a shoulder with one hand before, to your shock, shoving her right gauntlet right into the still shocked woman's mouth.
From how close you are, you can hear the scraping of metal and teeth, and while everyone is standing now, no one moves to stop her. Perhaps because of the sheer shock of what is happening before you. Evangline shoves her hand deep and then reorients her hand and then with a forceful wrench tears all the lower teeth in Kaufmann's mouth out of her head, then repeats it with the second, dropping white speckles into the rapidly glowing pool of blood at her feet.
"She's gone mad!" Jax Starbrook shrieks, scrambling backwards.
"Hold, woman!" Gunthar roars.
"Madness!" One of the Arch-Lectors cries aloud.
"The hell she has!" You shout above all three of them, drawing attention from everyone else while Evangeline's retinue rushes to her side. "What was she trying to pour down her throat just now?!"
Because you saw it. Barely, but you did. As Evangline entered, as she leapt atop the table, you saw the movement out of the corner of your eye. How many times has reacting to such things saved your life in a battle? Every possible detail can matter. And while it was not the same as a beastman or goblin trying to come in out of your normal field of vision to stab you with something, you still saw it. Kaufmann's eyes bugging out of her head, a hand going to a pouch, a vial of something, a vial which was quite painfully forced out of her grip by Evangeline's assault. Your eyes, scouring, find it, and a point from your finger is enough. One of the Asrai Princesses duck beneath the table and reveal it, showing what could be a stoppered little thing of water for all appearances.
"Teeth! Check the teeth!" Evangeline says through gritted teeth as she wrestles with the woman, her Jade Wizard reaching forward to heal the painful wounds just inflicted on Kaufmann.
"Right, right," Thorkell mutters, reaching down to scoop them up and scatter them onto the table, still holding the sack in one hand.
"Evangeline!" Magnus' voice rocks the room, forcing them all to a halt for a moment. His gaze is steely, his voice hard, "You have assaulted an Elector of the Empire! Explain yourself this instant-,"
"She is a traitor!" Evangline growls, whirling on the rest of you all, still holding a weakly struggling Kaufmann before dragging her over against the table. "Thorkell!"
"Checking," the Norscan nods, before smashing the armored heel of his hand against the collected teeth.
The moment he does so, there is a faint popping and hissing sound, tiny little wisps of green smoke emerging from beneath. When he raises his hand, no one who is nearby can miss thirteen different pockmarks on his armor as some sort of acid begins burning away at it. Thorkell just nods, a look of grim satisfaction on his face as he looks back to his master. Evangeline's response is a rather vicious grin before it cools slightly as she slaps one of Kaufmann's hands away, looking at the Emperor then to you and back again.
"My Emperor," she bows her head curtly. "I informed you of my seeking out of rest of the Yellow Fang in the city?"
Your world slips a bit beneath you.
"No," Magnus says immediately, but you can tell that he doesn't dismiss it fully.
He can't. Not immediately, not utterly.
His eyes, instead, turned to Kaufmann, who had been looking at him with pleading eyes. At which point Thorkell opens up his sack, and to the shouts of surprise and shock from the Electors present, draws out a thoroughly dead but still definitely intact skaven assassin. This one not bearing the same mark as those bedraggled Rictus imitations, either. No, you got quite intimately familiar with Clan Eshin's experts, back when one plunged a knife into your heart in Karak Ungor, and in other battles there besides. This one is dressed much like the one you faced, like many of the Eshin assassins you are sure, but you doubt this one was easily defeated. Especially given the injuries to Evangeline and her retinue.
"Turns out," Thorkell chuckles, the noise a darkly familiar thing to anyone in the room who has faced raiders from the north before, "Creatures so mired in dishonor and treachery are quite meticulous in ensuring their blackmail is organized properly."
"The poison," Evangeline bites out, not taking her eyes…or eye, for the moment, off of Kaufmann.
The two Asrai open up the vial, glancing at one another, and then one of them reaches within their cloak to pull out a large squealing rat from somewhere. A single, tiny, almost invisible drop of the vial's contents is removed and rubbed within the rat's mouth. Almost immediately, it begins convulsing, little eyes growing cloudy and splotchy as the poor creature swiftly hemorrhages. At which point the vial is stoppered up and disappears under a cloak. The shock in the room is beginning to fade now, rapidly being replaced with a confused but potent anger, and you are not immune to that.
"I have many questions, but I know that you can't know the answers to all, or even most of them," Evangeline hisses. "But thankfully, your masters were kind enough to keep around what they needed to see off most rivals and peers. But first…,"
She steps away, leaving the still somewhat stunned Kaufmann to be grabbed by two Owls, grabbing her arms, while Thorkell reaches into her mouth to grab onto her tongue.
"Can't have you trying to swallow that and get out of this," he says with a bright smile.
(Words of Truth: 89+Evangeline Piety(18)=107)
Meanwhile, Evangeline has unchained Rechtstahl from her back, holding it tip first against the ground as she kneels and prays with her head down. Above her, you meet the Emperor's eyes, both of your gazes a bit wide. The Grand Theogonist and his Arch-Lectors stare not at Kaufmann, as you had first thought, but at Evangeline herself. No one else is doing that, not really. Most all are looking at Kaufmann or the dead skaven assassin now laid out on the table. But your eyes flicker away from the Emperor and back at Evangline herself, and how could you not? Her sword is glowing. Not just the runes, but the sword itself. Pointed downwards, just like the sword is held by many statues of Verena Herself. It almost looks like it is sheathed in translucent white marble. Then Evangeline looks up, and you are forced to raise a hand slightly to shield your face from the searing blue-white light which now burns in her eyes. Both her functioning one, and within her emptied eye socket.
"Now."
There is a weight to Evangeline's voice, now, one which feels like it could buckle your knees, but chooses not to. Something powerful but…purposeful. Consciously directed. Something altogether more than there was in the room a few seconds ago. It feels like Evangeline, yes, but beyond her as well at the same time. The Owls scramble to hold their charge upright, the woman's head lolling slightly before Evangeline reaches forward with a now perfectly steady hand to cup her chin and hold her head in place.
"Staadtholder Luise Kaufmann. How long have you been a member of the Cult of the Yellow Fang?"
Kaufmann tries to spit some of the blood in her mouth, you think. But instead of doing that, her eyes open as wide as they can go as they are locked in place looking to Evangeline's own. The twist of her lips, the puffing of cheeks, it smooths out. Her neck strains with effort, but the normally smooth-talking Marienburger's lips open with a wheeze instead as she begins to speak. And even though she just had her teeth torn out, the words are more than clear enough for everyone to hear.
"I," she draws the word out, "I j-joooooined…them…t-t-t…nnnn," she tries to shake her head but Evangeline's grip is wrought iron. "I joined them ten years ago!" She finally shrieks, sagging in place.
Now the gasps in the room are pure shock and fury. Evangeline inhales deeply, a clearly pained shudder going through her body.
(Aftershocks and Maintaining: 57+18=75/100)
"Are any of the Great Ten members?"
Kaufmann shudders in her grip, writhing in a futile attempt to escape. The Owls holding her don't even need to work hard to keep their grips.
"No! Nnnnggh…Three! That I know of!!" She finally gasps out, each and every breath ragged. But then Kaufmann's back arches as she screams again. "Fredrick W-Winkler! E-Eleanor Rochen! Markus Rutger!"
Rutger? Rutger!? Your lips peel back as you glare at the woman, your anger at the Druchii now joined with your fury at House Rutger. You knew the merchant bastards were messing about with the economies of the northern provinces for profit, because they wanted the power with them and not with the provinces themselves. But this? This is too far. You know enough based on reports from Sabine that Markus Rutger is not the head of his family, he is a third son, but a son is still more of a connection than House Rutger should have ever desired. Oh, but for the Druchii bearing down on your coasts you would be having words written in steel with the bastard.
(Aftershocks and Maintaining: 39+18=57/100)
The burning light in Evangeline's eye and eye socket begins to fade, but before it can do so completely, a pained grunt escapes the Sword of Justice as she tightens her grip on her sword and Kaufmann's chin respectively. You swear you see a pained shiver try to make its way through her body before she stops it with force of will. When she clears her throat this time, there is a distant wetness to it, the kind you normally associate with blood in your mouth. With that done, the light returns to its previous brightness, getting another pained wince from Kaufmann.
"Last question, traitor. Where has Steinroth taken the fleet?"
"I…I don't…,"
Evangeline bares her teeth, brow furrowing deeply.
"WHERE HAS OTTO STEINROTH TAKEN MARIENBURG'S MERCHANT MARINE?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Kaufmann screams back, hysterically, before going completely limp in the arms of the Owls. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," she mumbles on repeat, eyes staring at nothing.
Evangeline lets loose a shaky breath as the light of Verena dissipates from her, almost collapsing backwards onto the table but just barely managing to remain upright. Sweat pours down her face, even as she struggles to wipe some of it away. When the Jade Wizard approaches, Evangeline waves her off and straightens, turning about to look at the Electors, Emperor, Patriarch, and Ambassador. She glances about silently before focusing on Magnus properly, whose expression could have been carved in granite. Rechtstahl is still held limply in her grip, point still in the stone, but with the other hand she salutes.
"I…apologize for my rudeness, my Emperor," she says after a moment. "But this could not wait."
"You could not have apprehended her afterwards?" He says quietly.
"Might have had people say we were lying, or not wanting to believe it. Not the same as when the suspect confesses outright with Her glory shining on down," Thorkell says gruffly, but he ducks his head when Evangeline slowly her turns her head to glare at him. "Apologies, ma'am."
"I've not heard of this 'Yellow Fang' before," Gunthar speaks up, arms folded across his chest. "But given the skaven on the table, I think I can guess."
"They are a well-hidden Cult," Magnus says, eyes not leaving Evangeline. "But I must confess that I, too, may have not wished to believe one who has been party to our Elector's Meets might have been one of them."
"In serving the skaven, they are not touched by the same dread powers of Chaos," Molatok says sagely, though his eyes are locked on Evangeline and not the skaven or Kaufmann, "And are that much more difficult to seek out. My congratulations to the Sword of Justice for rooting out such a depraved creature."
Evangeline's one eye burns from within this time around, not with true divine light at the moment, when she looks back at the Grand Theogonist before looking at the Emperor again.
"I request immediate dispensation to move on the Cult in Marienburg," she says promptly. "From her own mouth, we have a confession on three more members, members of the current ten leading families of the city. I must also investigate Steinroth."
"Will you be as…prompt, in your investigations as here?" Magnus asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Why not?" Gunthar asks, shrugging when his brother look at him. "What, you want to let that sort of thing fester? These are clearly traitors to the Empire, to humanity itself, betraying us to those damned subterranean monsters."
One of the most infuriating people you know may have just made a point you might agree with, damn him.
"And the panic?" Magnus glances at his brother briefly. "That may ensue? The merchant families did not overly much appreciate your last visit to their city."
"I killed the vampire lord that had been pulling strings in the city for a thousand years," Evangeline says, though there is no heat in it.
"Yes, and for that, they were grateful. Less so in the ensuing economic chaos when said strings were cut so abruptly," Magnus sighs, rubbing at his forehead. "It was the work of a year to steady and heal from the aftershocks. But no," he inhales deeply and nods at her. "This cannot be let go, and it cannot be ignored, even with everything else going on."
"You want some extra troops, girl?" Gunthar asks suddenly, making Evangeline glance back at him. "They've already moved their armies south to join with Averland."
"Fine," Evangeline nods. "Me and my Owls will be moving out immediately, with your permission my Emperor?"
"You have it. Worship of such a profane thing as the God of the Skaven is proscribed by the Empire's laws since Sigmar ruled. You have my blessing to enforce punishments as necessary."
"And what's this about Steinroth?" Rommel asks, glaring at Kaufmann. "I've heard of him. So-called Red Pirate of Marienburg. Is he one of them too?"
"No, worse," Evangeline shakes her head. "He's an opportunist. Works with anyone. Anything. Latest intel from the Eshin cache through Kaufmann was that he was in contact with Clan Mors, Druchii, all sorts of things. The city's beloved nautical adventuring hero is the worst sort of mercenary."
"And he's taken their fleet?" Countess Krieglitz shakes her head. "We border no oceans in Stirland, save those of the dead, but even I know that that is quite a few ships."
"Correct. We don't know where, yet," Thorkell grunts, "Convinced them all that he was going to lead them to treasure and glory, like he's been bringing home for the past few years. Whatever that might end up being."
"Not all the ships, the traders and the like are going about business as usual. But a lot of their armed ships? He bribed, cajoled, or both. Apparently," Evangeline rolls her eyes. "We need to get moving, however. I'll be taking Scales."
"Of course," Magnus nods. "Go then, and see justice done."
(Detail Catching: 81+19=100)
Evangeline, her retinue, and all the Owls present kneel to the Emperor before rising as one. And again, you might have missed it, but your eyes are extremely experienced and well-trained, but you do catch one more thing. As they begin to leave Evangeline glances at the Grand Theogonist once her back is to the Emperor, so that he cannot see her face.
"Always."
A muttered 'mother' is all that Evangeline can spare for Ortrud before she is on her way again. The Owls somewhat awkwardly close the doors behind them, though the hinges are clearly a bit damaged and the doors don't close as closely as they did before in the middle. You spy them helping the Knights Griffon back to their feet before the doors fully shut. Kaufmann, by now completely unconscious, is dragged away as well. You doubt that a pleasant fates awaits her.
"Hell of a girl you raised, Hertwig," Gunthar says after a moment, lifting his chin towards Ortrud for a moment.
"I-…thank you," your friend says, managing to keep it from lilting upwards into a question. "She is right to be so proactive, I think," she looks to the Emperor. "I do not know what other things we might have been planning on discussing at this Meet, but I think we have enough to act upon now."
"I agree, frankly," Magnus nods. "We may discuss the distribution and organization of our forces here as we make for Black Fire Pass and Karaz-a-Karak, and the members of the Trident must marshal their own defenses. Any act, decision, or suggestion by Kaufmann must now be re-examined, quite thoroughly," he says while looking at an incredibly pale looking Jax Starbrook.
"I will say this, one last time then," you declare, hands on the table. "For those remaining behind. Accuse me of idiocy, foolishness, whatever – but I say now as I said before last time, the beastmen are not to be underestimated. Years, now, years they've had of absolute quiet without any strikes of our own to be the cause."
"Nor the forest goblins," Duke Fuerbach says with a grimace. "Or mutants. With so many of our forces departing, minor threats may well become larger ones."
Gunthar, for a wonder, just rolls his eyes but says nothing more. A short bit of discussion follows that. You learn that the Asur Ambassador left to contact his people on Ulthuan, but with the Druchii still invading their island, what response can be managed is currently unknown. You also learn that the Emperor is going to meet with the Bretonnians for a short while later, before attending what is likely to be quite a quick Grand Conclave. But these are things that you and the others have no need to be involved in. The Meet is swiftly declared over, not in a way that anyone might have liked overmuch given the circumstances, but it does end. For the situation is dire, in many ways, and the truth of the matter is that little else could be better than getting north as swiftly as possible. You need to organize your forces, your ships, your people. Some must fall back to prepared evacuation positions, either in Salkalten or further inland. The same, to an even greater magnitude, must be done in Nordland. You know for a fact that the same level of defenses you've prepared in Salkalten have not been replicated in Stephan's temporary capital. He'd chosen to reinvest all his money in rebuilding infrastructure, other cities, villages, and farms across the province.
As you are leaving the Imperial Palace, the Electors moving as a collected clump for once rather than one or two at a time, you are all slightly surprised by a loud screech above your heads. One that is quite familiar sounding to you, but not entirely the same as any others that you've heard before.
High above, wings fully spread in the sky, is a gryphon seemingly made of brilliant quicksilver.
Below, rushing past you all, are the Owls of Justice, rushing past atop their steeds as they follow beneath it. They, and the gryphon, head north, scattering those in their way in their rush.
Elector's Meet Results:
- New trade treaty with Reikland negotiated with Count Rommel.
- New Mariner School in Salkalten and increased Sons of Manann Knightly Order Support from the Cult of Manann.
- Tri-support from the Cult of Myrmidia in army priests, Estalian priestly support, and expanded temples paid for from the Cult of Myrmidia's own coffers.
- Knowledge that Hochland-Ostland joint training option has to be pre-supported/checked through a foundation option due to tensions within Ostland-Hochland histories.
- Multiple Grey Magisters and teams going to Ostland for simultaneous warding setups.
- Addtional Grey Magister who is going to help guard the family against assassination attempts while training others on way to Ostland.
- Luise Kaufmann Revealed As Ranking Member of Cult of the Yellow Fang. Nuln Yellow Fang Cell Eradicated. Eshin Clan Cell Eradicated.
- Otto Steinroth, the infamous Red Pirate of Marienburg, has purchased the services of a vast amount of Marienburg's armed ships for an unknown mission.
- 3 Members of 3 families of the Great Ten of Marienburg are members of the Yellow Fang, including 1 of House Rutger, to the knowledge of Luise Kaufmann.
- Aid Requested From Barak Varr.
Last edited:
DocMatoi
Theoretical Lover of Girls
- Location
- within 2 hours of the White House
- Pronouns
- They/Them
steinroth is coming north. I can feel it in my bones. Whether to aid us or the drucchi, up in the air. hopefully us. If he was "in contact with drucchi" he might have caught wind of the coming attack
- Location
- Canada
Im pretty speechless right now great update and all torroar, but by all that is holy Kaufmann made deals with Skaven and is that why her Authority wasnt questioned when she had three Families supporting her and the rest by the proverbial neck?
Last edited:
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
God damn Evangeline, if we had the cash to spare I'd pay her a bonus myself.
Also fuck me sideways with a stale baguette the Skaven had ears in the fucking Elector's meet. Shit has gotten all kinds of serious.
Edit: I did a deep dive to see how long we've been compromised. She's been on the board for two full meetings and if she got out of this one it would've been a goddamn Hat Trick. SHIT.
Also fuck me sideways with a stale baguette the Skaven had ears in the fucking Elector's meet. Shit has gotten all kinds of serious.
Edit: I did a deep dive to see how long we've been compromised. She's been on the board for two full meetings and if she got out of this one it would've been a goddamn Hat Trick. SHIT.
Last edited:
Well f me the skaven appear to be working to screw over the empire. I am assuming because the yellow teeth cult just caused a huge disaster with Marienburg fleet , probably going to attack the Elves, right when we could have used them to help fight the druichi. I hope all the forces of evil are not working together.
- Location
- United States
Fuckin Marienburgers man. May Mannan take the Red Pirate's fleet and cast it to the bottom of the sea.
These is why we have been preparing for well not all at once but the several disasters we have been preparing for. We have to hope the gods and dice gods out on our side. Also some Sacrifce may be called for.
ConfusedCanuck
Where did it all go wrong?
- Location
- Neverland
... This Meet was cursed I'm saying it now good lord.
I'm also saying with the revelation of three of Marienburgs leaders being damn traitors I don't think we can trust them(as in Marienburg as a whole) to help us defend the coast from the Druchii. I wouldn't be surprised if they helped the Druchii at this point.
The only good news I'm taking from all of this that when the time comes and this blows over Magnus is going to go to Marienburg and restructure it from the ground up. It's now officially a bad egg and will need to be dealt with long term by him.
I'm also saying with the revelation of three of Marienburgs leaders being damn traitors I don't think we can trust them(as in Marienburg as a whole) to help us defend the coast from the Druchii. I wouldn't be surprised if they helped the Druchii at this point.
The only good news I'm taking from all of this that when the time comes and this blows over Magnus is going to go to Marienburg and restructure it from the ground up. It's now officially a bad egg and will need to be dealt with long term by him.
Last edited:
Chlof
Her Ladyship
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ah, motherfucker. I forgot that was happening soon.
- Location
- Canada
Its probably why kaufmann was so afraid at the end of the previous Electors meet, she wasn't just scared of Marienburg returning to being run by a Noble Family, she was afriad of her involvement with the Skaven being discovered. Its all Connected.
Last edited:
Oh my
Silver lining folks: A great blow has been struck to the ratty rot today. Some of our biggest internal enemies are going down for being filthy traitors, and WE"RE poised to move into the economic hole that removing them will leave behind, since we're already bankrolling the slow replacement of some of that! (which will incidentally mitigate the overall economic damage removing them all at once will do)
With the rot found out now, it MAY disrupt the skaven's ability to coordinate their attacks with the other factions. The skaven may find themselves blind when they expected to see clearly.
Silver lining folks: A great blow has been struck to the ratty rot today. Some of our biggest internal enemies are going down for being filthy traitors, and WE"RE poised to move into the economic hole that removing them will leave behind, since we're already bankrolling the slow replacement of some of that! (which will incidentally mitigate the overall economic damage removing them all at once will do)
With the rot found out now, it MAY disrupt the skaven's ability to coordinate their attacks with the other factions. The skaven may find themselves blind when they expected to see clearly.
Last edited:
- Location
- U.S.
i think he might be coming to aid the trident, catch wind of a invasion, bring a surprise fleet to sandwich two black arks and claim the glory of first victory against a black ark, and against two at the same time, then use it to bolster his 'empire' slash forces and obtain favorable deals from the trident
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
2 black arcs and a massive pirate fleet joy upon joy.
not sure it good or bad for us but our trade rivals are not outed traitors too the empire so yay?
not sure it good or bad for us but our trade rivals are not outed traitors too the empire so yay?
- Location
- Africa
Marianburge might finally have a proper elector count after this fuck up since I can't possibly see its current governing council now that several members have been outed as outright traitors including their leader who held voting power in the elector meet being allowed to continue