Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

[pucflek]

"So, to summarize, as of the year 2503, The Emperor is Karl Franz, the Patriarch of the Amethyst order is Viggo Hexensohn, King Belegar Ironhammer is holding the citadel of Karak Eight Peaks against the greenskin and skaven hordes, and the vampires are once more rising in Sylvania? Are you absolutely sure?"

You nod and swallow nervously at what you can only assume is an intent gaze from the woman in front of you, only just not quailing as her shadow seems to glare at you as well. Which is an achievement indeed, since it has no eyes to speak of.

The candle flickers, the only source of illumination in one of the empty dungeon classrooms almost sputtering out as the weight of the Ulgu-laden soul in front of you nearly smothers the flame.

Still, for all that you find yourself in interrogation by a Grey Wizard, a situation noone, especially not an apprentice practicing unknown and possibly heretical magic, would want to be in, your curiosity gets the better of you.

"What are the skaven?"

She doesn't seem to react visibly, what little you can see of her expression unchanging from the moment she grabbed you out of the dorms with noone (including you!) wiser to it. After a brief period of what you can only assume was contemplation she responds, though not with an answer.

"Are you sure that is what you want to know, Zagreus? I would be far more concerned with me, were i you."

You freeze at the implication she delivers. You had assumed she was the shadowmancer who had made it here with you, finally finding you thanks to the clues you have helped Dumbledore prepare, but is she? Have you so longed to talk to someone familiar after so long that you blubbered some important information to a masquerading witch? Surely not, she almost shines with Ulgu! Well, as much as Ulgu can shine. The way she shrouds herself in the shadows, you could not see more than an outline of her, but its not like you would be able to recognize one of them anyway. They were too secretive!

Finally, an idea occurs to you.

"May death pass over you."

The tentatively delivered greeting gets a chuckle out of her, the first sign of any emotion that wasn't just worrying intensity, but she does respond as you would expect.

"May shadows guide you. Your operational security is horrible, but i suppose you are just an apprentice, so allowances can be made."

The taut nervous string in you relaxes, and you slump back into the chair she sat you in after she spirited you away. Finally, the darkness recedes, just enough that you can finally make out who it is that sits in front of you with your physical eyes.

As soon as you see her properly, you feel an enormous weight lift from your shoulders, because what sits in front of you is not an apprentice, or even a magister, but a Wizard Lord. Someone with authority to decide how to proceed from here without infringing on the articles. The feeling of relief doesn't disappear even as you notice she is frowning mightily from underneath the brim of what you can now recognize is a witch hunter's hat.

"I am afraid," The guns on her belt shift as she leans forward, "that this situation is even more complicated than i have suspected."
_____

Crossover with Shyish apprentice. In which Mathilde did not meet a Lord of Change when she breached dimensional barrier.

EDIT: You ever realize you are so dumb like three hours after you do something? Had the perfect opportunity to write and post Mathilde's side to this for this thread and i only just realized it now.

 

[Glau]

Johann's Big Adventure, Pt 1

In which our hero awakens to find an important trophy stolen, his friend distraught, and thus a gold-plated excuse to have a jolly romp through Laurelorn.

"Hey {little/young/novel} {gold/true/ignorant of true value}! Wake up!"

Johann didn't open his eyes. Nonetheless, he awoke with a start, disoriented. Ghur and ghyran flowed around him, casting most of the world in two-tone pressures. The pet name Kadoh had come up for him, which he chose to translate as New Gold (archly ignoring the affectionately diminutive connotations) and further abbreviate in his mental narration as NG. Yes, he had a mental narration. No, he was not taking questions about it. It was his mental narration.

"NG wake up! There's a problem, and we need to be moving! Three day pack in five minutes or I'll have to leave you behind!"

Shaking off the last of the dream, he focused. Five minutes didn't give him time to ask questions.

"Grimnir's teeth!" He swore in khalazid as he rolled out of his wonderfully soft and almost sinfully luxurious elven bed, some part of him appreciating the appropriately elven layers to that, some parts of him continuing to swear, and the majority scrambling for his robes, staff, pack, boots, water skin, and... Nope, he was good, claws covered for knives and gun. Out his door within two minutes, out to the street a half a minute later.

There was a band of six elves in eclectic wargear on horses, with himself and Kadoh (who turned with a smile) on foot. The champion had chosen today to adorn himself with gilded leather pauldrons (high contrast ghur and chamon picking out the design nicely, the leather must have been from something he had hunted), from which sloped paired baldrics across a bare, chiseled chest (that pressed a shimmer of different winds against his senses), leading down to quivers of javelins hanging against loose silk pants. The smile on his face was visible in the Aqshy that pulsed behind his teeth, joviality concealing anger.

"There's been a {robbery/transgression/breathtaking display of fashion}! One of the torches used in the opening rites- one qualified to carry phoenix flame- has been stolen from the temple. Such a thing is a strike against the games themselves! Come, we ride seeking clues!"

Johann blinked, then grinned back.

"Our activities appear to have real stakes today. Very well, where to?"

"First, we head towards your country folk in Nordland," Kadoh replied as they began to run, "because the patrol that was meant to be next in the route through the reclaimed lands was delayed due to the theft, and that may be what they counted on to escape. Hurry, time is short, we must catch them before they flee across the river!"

Johann considered this. His experience with Mathilde suggested it was possible, thieves utilizing the chaos of their theft to distract attention, but he wasn't sold on it. There weren't enough explosions. He was, nevertheless, already in motion, so he decided to just go with it. After all, the champion would know better than he what sorts of nefarious sneak thieves would target a holy ritual at the center of this elven culture, right? He obviously couldn't be just running off on a whim and a hunch. Right?


Part 2: In which our hero is chased by beasts, stumbles onto a sinister plot, and has a tall drink of water. (Coming soon!)


A/N- was kicking around what I could write, settled on Johann and muscle-elf having a buddy-cop romp. Pushing the first bit out now, going to do this in smaller snips.

 

[Glau]

Johann's Big Adventure

Part 2: In which our hero is chased by beasts, stumbles onto a sinister plot, and has a tall drink of water.


Running had never ceased to be amazing. Long after that first rush of realizing that he could go and go and go and never slow down that happened right after his first gilding, he still loved the feeling of pumping legs and the wind roaring in his ears. He actually felt lucky to have been dragged from his bed on a moments notice and set to sprinting twenty five miles at a pace that would have left most horses blowing foam ten minutes in. It was, he supposed, what Kadoh liked about him.

Glancing sideways, he observed the elf. (Just a shift of attention, he'd never be so gauche as to actually turn his eyes and let Kadoh know he was ogling .) He breathed smoothly, his posture perfect and his stride clean, but Johann focused on his head. Kadoh's eyes were focused ahead and brows knitted. (Aqshy in a crease over comets if hysh, against an ulgu background.) Johann let himself hint at a smile as he returned his focus to the trail- to anyone else, he knew, Kadoh would look confident and implacable. To his windsight though, the confusion and uncertainty was unmistakable. (Or it could be a mischievous plot, like he had assumed the first few times he saw ulgu swirl heavily around Kadoh- too much time around Mathilde had made him paranoid, but he didn't think so. Kadoh had proven to be a very different sort of person.)

They had begun to outpace their escort as soon as the tamed forests immediately around the city gave way to the more wild and rugged border marches; Kadoh had bent almost double to run along a deer path, and while Johann could and did follow through the tight squeezes the five on horseback were forced to swing wide. By the time they burst into regrowing glades even the chamon of their weapons was lost in the blurs of sepia and emerald.

"NB! I shall search search for tracks and markings waiting the forest! You shall climb and look for anything that might have been dropped." Kadoh pointed, a swirl of hysh and aqshy spiking out from his arm (his muscles briefly backlit by the winds and clearly visible in Johann's mind) towards a somewhat more prominent streak of ghyran.

"Climb that tree! It will be a good {challenge/advantageous positioning in a fight/only theoretical obtainable} for you, {correct/bow to my superiority/unripe fruit}?"

"{Agreement/bared teeth/defiance}!" Johann called back, delighted to have found a place to use that. He'd asked Egrimm for a few good bôn mots last night over drinks, and after some uncomfortable probing about the sorts of situations he found himself in, the Lord Magister had cone through.

Besides, he was keenly aware that there were just two of them here right now, and the tree would be a good overwatch position. He swore, sometimes, despite being a power of ten greater than his age, Kadoh was adorable sheltered. There was one real veteran here, Johann knew, just as he knew the two of them would disagree about who it was.

The tree was indeed a challenge- smooth and straight, with hard bark and rings of dead branches that would snap if any weight was trusted to them every five or so feet- a tall conifer whose lower branches had been cast into shade after it had grown. Jumping was crimped, monkeying from hold to hold was actively counterproductive, and the bark was both stiff and quick enough to flake off to make clawing up a frustrating experience. Kadoh had chosen well, if by well you meant 'hard to do even with superhuman abilities'.

Johann swore the elf was laughing at him as he wrapped his arms and legs around the tree and bear-hugged his way up. He didn't need to look. He knew. But he also knew he had won this round.

Five minutes later, Kadoh was the one frustrated, and Johann was getting increasingly nervous. There were no signs of exit that the elf could find, besides theirs, and their escorts had yet to appear. There wasn't anything obvious Johann could see, but something was making him edgy. Maybe the way there seemed to be more ghur in the palette that made up his world?

Finally Kadoh either grew too frustrated to continue or picked up on the mood, and returned to the base of the tree. Johann began to climb down to meet him at his gesture, making it about halfway before everything went sideways.

A dot of chamon arced up out of the woods hundreds of yards distant. An arrowhead? Dhar blossomed in three places far closer, fountaining up like gigantic corpse flowers, then crashing down to unveil a trio of beasts- canids, perhaps three paces tall at the shoulder, and as sickeningly unnatural as their entrance.

Johann let go and dropped, snagging his staff with his hand and leaning forward to take the majority of landing on his claw, it's monstrous strength cushioning his impact.

Kadoh effortlessly caught the arrow out of the air and carelessly snapped it, snarling.

Johann landed in a three-point stance, his staff held above and behind.

A cloud of... Something that reminded him of scarlett in his windsight, like fresh blood dripping off a knife onto his skin, burst from the broken ends of the arrow as it fell. It settled like dust across them both.

Kadoh paled, the aqshy suddenly quenched.

"We are marked! This is khainite magic."

"We need to run. They picked this fight, they think they can win it. What's the nearest safe place?"

"But the torch!"

"Is less important than the champion! Please {Elder brother/senior student/affection towards righteousness}!"

A howl- three howls, overlapping- cut them off. Johann was blushing. That was one of the ones he had hoped he wouldn't have to pull out. Egrimm was going to give him so much shit. But what else was he supposed to do? Tell Kadoh that it was worth more than his life if the champion was harmed with only him present? Ask him to please consider the larger geopolitical ramifications of these up until now tame games and challenges? Pft. No. Efficiency won over embarrassment.

And it was super effective. Kadoh froze a moment, hysh popping like a bubble and aqshy roaring back.

"Yes! You {shame at risking others/belated protectiveness} me, {adorable junior}! Let us retreat, and bloody their noses should they chase us. I could not stand myself for a week should I let you die in front of me."

Johann winced. There were a lot of shades of potential meaning to that one, but the translation was singular. He wasn't opposed to all of them, in fact one might even say he was interested. But this was really not the time. Trying to navigate a life or death situation should not be playing back seat to his own internal drama in his head. He had a job to do.

They ran. The three howling, mutated beasts followed.

Kadoh led the way, blazing straight through the woods, his movements fluid and almost alien with it's leaps and tucks. Free running, he had called it when he had begun teaching Johann, and called it a style of efficient movement. Johann could follow him, but unless metal or something provided high contrast he wasn't comfortable going full speed in an almost monotone ghyran environment. So lead Kadoh did, and even this chase was somehow a lesson. Or a challenge.

Running, leaping, spinning in midair and throwing javalins unerringly back at their pursuers, somehow never missing a step. Johann crashed after him, leaving gouges and craters behind, inadvertently ensuring that no other could follow the same route.

As if it mattered to the beasts.

His first good look at them, a quick refocus out the back of his head, almost made him think they were being ambushed by skaven. Moulder or otherwise. Rat-wolf chimeras soaked in dhar, check. Overgrown with rents in the hide from getting suddenly too big too fast, check.

He slid under a fallen tree as it's lunge met the log, and Kadoh planted what he'd previously, lovingly, explained as an over-sized porcupine quill used as a cheaply enchantible javelin right up into it's snout.

Come up from slide, three sprinting steps to regain speed and spray dirt behind him, glance left and see the second closing. The first was already up and moving again, seemingly unhindered by it's injury.

Johann breathed in. Held it with that special twist and mphp that triggered it and...

A beam of light burned through the forest, punching entirely through the shoulder of the second and out through the back of it's ribs.

"Throwing down your trump so soon!? {ad-}-"

Kadoh's playful taunt was cut off as the third arrived, one bounding leap behind it's siblings. It crashed through his path and he twisted wildly to avoid it, losing speed and skidding into a clearing he'd obviously been planning on avoiding.

Hysh sparked around him, and was echoed in the eyes of the beasts as they pounced, slunk, and stumbled into a circle about the two.

Johann's eyes narrowed. A moment's pause as they were brought to bay gave him a chance to look. And to think.

A khainite spell on the arrow- a tracking charm, obvious in retrospect. To aim the weapon at the target. Elven and human god. Three mutated canids- the more he had seen the less like the moulder wolfrats they looked. Too symmetrical in the muscle and stance for one, with even the Dhar somehow twisted into strands of poisonous beauty, vines and thorns in dark symmetry. Some craft work still hanging off them, leather with runes and gems rather than metal and chemical bulbs.

"Kadoh, I think a elf is trying to kill you."

Kadoh glanced over.

"I am certain these are not elves."

And that was all the time they had. The beasts charged, Kadoh ran forward to meet one with a javelin in each hand. Johann unleashed the burning beam from his claw a second time against the one he had already wounded, putting it down for good as he braced and pivoted towards the last.

The first bit for Kadoh as he leap, diving forward just over the top of it's head, planting both javelins deep into its eyes as it's nose brushed his toes.

The last crashed into Johann, four thousand pounds of twisted muscle and teeth meeting a perfected punch, gilded legs rooted like a mountain uncoiling through his body to drive a single stroke like the pickax of a god meeting the ore face. Beast face. Whatever.

It's head, as big as his entire body, seemed to squash for a moment. Then back blew out of it's skull and the corpse of the beast, all remaining 3,900 pounds of it smashed straight through him, bouncing his head off the ground like a ragdoll.

He had not one last thought, but three:

"Dammit, why am I always the one who gets knocked out/Ha, I took down two, he only got one/I'm getting better at this thinking in elvish thing!"

He awoke to a vase of flowers being dumped over his head.


Part three: In which our hero meets a witch, hears a prophecy concerning his own fate, and helps a friend. Coming soon!


A/N- Please Senpai!! Let's just run!

 

[Glau]

Johann's Big Adventure

Part three: In which our hero meets a witch, hears a prophecy concerning his own fate, and resolves to help a friend.

"Johann, are you alright?"

Johann blinked, half raising his claw to wipe his face before remembering how bad of an idea that was. Kadoh almost never used his name.

"Johann?"

He blinked again, autonomic reactions to the vase (there was a reside of ghyran, back on the... table? All ulgu and ghur and shysh in this place, reminds him of Mathilde when she really got going, can hardly make anything out...) of water and old flowers that had just been dumped across him not helping with his disorientation.

"<Crone/dangerous erratic bat/respected aunt>, I cannot tell if his eyes dilate in response to light. How does one replace that in diagnosis?"

A second voice, preceded by a phlegmy clearing of the throat. Feminine. Aged.

"Give it a minute and he'll tell you himself! Look at the twitches, the poor thing regaining control."

Johann took a deep breath, clamped down on the by-now-anticipated nausea, and reached deep inside of himself for a certain sort of understated flair.

"I've had worse." He drew another breath, privately grateful that there were no shattered ribs this time. Those always sucked to breathe through. Like with "...that damned bat, for one. But who is our hostess?"

"Ahhhahhhaahkkkg-" came the response. Laughter? There was a feeling of the winds shifted slightly, swirling? As if a thing indistinguishable from the room moved through it, invisible and stirring it lightly, but the cackling made it easy to properly orient his head. "I can see why you like this one, champion! Be welcome, golden <cheeky monkey/friend's child/associate's apprentice>. I am but a humble contemplator of Morai-heg. You owe me a vase worth of flowers."

Flowers. Damn. It had to be flowers. He could barely tell a bush apart from grass and this dangerous old priestess asks for flowers. He was sure Kadoh was smirking.

"Of-of course?!"

"Kheheheeehhehehehe. Alright, alright champion, I see your staring, enough already. I am going to check the rest of it; do not let that one leave the bed until I return. Hehehe heh..."

And before Johann could fully pull himself together, the (somewhat unpleasant, if was being honest with himself) laughter floated out of the room, a door shut, and the winds all decided to start behaving normally again. Kadoh loomed over his bedside, concern and satisfaction warring across him.

"Kadoh, what in Grimnir's nightmares just happened?"

"Mmm. The fight ended soon after you lost consciousness, we had almost reached the <soft bed on the morning of a day off/bolt-hole/unlikely defensive position> and aid was not far behind. After slaying the last beast with the assistance of the death-witch-priestess, I lifted and carried you here to recover from your injuries and her treatment. The one who treated you just left to confirm the area is safe."

Johann blinked again. He knew he still wasn't back up to full speed, but that didn't excuse the gaping holes in the implications of that story. Aside from the one clear one- that he'd been healed be having the life force of something that just died shoved inside of him. And maybe that Kadoh didn't use any word even close to 'ally' for the old crone. Whatever.

"Champion Kadoh, as your <junior student/wisdom seeker>, I ask that you not evade the questions of who did this, why, and if it is likely to happen again."

He winced even as if flew out of his mouth. That was too blunt. Kadoh raised an eyebrow at him. Then sighed and sat on something and leaned in.

Just a bit. Little enough that it was almost certainly unconscious, but enough to be distracting. Kadoh opened his mouth, his voice softer and lower than...

"New Gold, listen to me. This is the fifth assassination attempt I have suffered, though the first two were decades apart and the last three have been since I voted to open relations with humans. The queen tells me there are at least thirty seven possible culprits, of which i view three as likely based on spells and mechanisms, all of whom are more likely doing this to make it look like one of the others is doing it, and none are worth the likely blowback that would come from moving a formal vote to investigate."

"You can't be serious."

Kadoh shrugged.

"As Asyurian gained glory from the slaying of demons and foul beasts, so too, I believe, should those who strive to emulate him most closely, and in some small way am grateful for those who bring such things to me. I have some jealousy towards you, for your opportunity to face true demons. Such things are rare here. Perhaps when another takes the championship we shall be at peace enough that I can travel and test myself."

Johann was half-way to face-palming with his claw when he remembered that was a bad idea. The worst part was that he know Kadoh was serious.

"So you are going to do nothing."

"I'm going to tell the queen about it, certainly, and the high priest of Asyurian too if she thinks it a good idea, and train myself harder. Let those who make it their business to deal with such things deal with such things."

Johann hoped Kadoh didn't notice his sudden wicked grin. He thought that described him quite well. The sort who made it his business to deal with such things. Kadoh continued as if he had not.

"I- no, We! We are strong enough to win against all that fate might throw at us, are we not? But hark! Aunt-Bat-Crone returns."

Kadoh spoke the truth, and in moments the grey-brown-purple dimness had swallowed then both again. He hated it. At least when he was around when Mathilde did it he knew there was a grin in there.

"Hmmm. HHHHMMMM!!!" Hrughphm." The voice got closer. Why?

He held his peace as she flitted around him in that manner that have him the heebie jeebies. Until she started poking him with a finger, and then he flailed and shouted.

"Old one! <Sorry/not sorry>, but I wish to be done here! May we leave!?!"

She ignored him. Or, at least, ignored his reactions.

"Quite the cunning path you're on, yes I see. Almost! Almost enough to evade Her grasp and escape Her eye. But, but oh! Ohihheheh, I see! The gold path alone can take you no further."

He knew what she was talking about. It hit like a sucker punch.

"Wha-what do you mean!?! Gilding is tricky, yes, but the true masters of my order have proven it CAN be completed!"

"For them, little gildling, yes, for they know in their bones gold to be the greatest metal. But you..."

"I-"

"Ha! You know better. And so gold is no longer enough, is it? Not for your greedy, curious soul. You know this! You've started already! Hah! Hehehehehe. Heh. Go on, get you both gone."

Her words hit like the echo of a of a divine pick, tapping against gromril ore. But that was impossible, gromril and illithimar and the like couldn't be used.... Could they? What was his arm really made of?

Leaving was embarrassing. And not just because there was an old woman laughing at him. Johann actually had to take Kadoh's arm to navigate out of that dim, cloying room. Which turned out to be a small cottage half-sunken into the forest floor, seemingly not too far from where he had fallen, though they did not linger.

"Started? So I have. Huh." He murmured to himself, flexing the claw that became more and more a part of him every day as they walked.

"Come! I know the way. A brisk run will do us both good."

At least Kadoh was right back to normal. Well. He didn't have to be the sort who dealt with little things like plots to kill him. He had people for that. Perhaps one more person than yesterday.

After all, this elf who had four attempts on his life, and still goes haring off to the border with nothing more than an unsubstantiated rumor with a handful of suspiciously lax bodyguards? He obviously didn't have enough.

 

[Jyn Ryvia]

Turn 956 part 3 of 'Sails and duty internal!'

==============================================================​

You sign in relief as you retire to your chambers aboard the Exelceron, removing your magnificent but very heavy outerwear and regalia for a sinfully comfortable spider slink robe after finally returning mostly intact from another of Whitesurf's, to quote, 'totally awesome adventures my dudes and dudettes', end quote, and a painfully awkward dinner with Admiral Jahuthryn Seagleam where every minute made you wish you were instead pulling out your own eyelids, having found that the new Lord of Dusk and cousin to the phoenix king was as bullishly punctilious about the Everqeens Decree as you both heard and feared. The most unwanted spice on top of a horrid evening. Still, what is done is done; you will just have to move even more carefully around the innate rules as you continue your unending battle with the traitors.

Taking out a bottle of fine wine (a human style from Cathey made from rice, an acquired taste that most Asur would never even try, but you enjoy it.), you sink into the seat by your desk, bolted to the wood floor in case of storms or battle, to read over the reports your various agents, spies and sergeant among your Trident Bearers have gathered over the last year.

The first set of reports are from your Trident Bearers, once more conveying the simultaneously good and worrying news that raids from Dark Elf reavers and Beastmasters have been at a low this year, just like the last, all along the Lustria coast and islands. Not to say that your Tridents haven't been busy attacking Revers wherever they are spotted and performing daring raids against any Black Arks in the area to kill as many fiends as possible and free any slaves they can get to. It's a good thing that 'Swamp Town' is now in the hands of a more reasonable human faction and is happy to take both human and dwarf captives off your hands to fill out their population… you're not confident it will last any better than their other attempts. Still, at least for now, your conscience can escape another year of having to dump innocents on the docks of Skeggi that Ithisar'naynazythai Yn Daroth can't, or won't, absorb.

Sadly your agents have far worst news compared to your tridents. Without Druchii competition, the Ne'er-do-wells among your own have taken up the burden of embarrassing your people. Your spies on The Island of Comity have gotten you a report showing a marked increase in the poaching of exotic animals and the smuggling of Lustrian narcotics through sea guard checkpoints. Meaning even more of such has yet to be noticed. You have your suspicions on who might be involved. Still, ultimately such transgressions are in the remit of the Governor of Spear Reef Island and the Jailer of Comity, not yourself. (even if you are sure that at least one of them is complicit in the crimes or at least bribed to silence)

Especially with how often you must sweep violations of the Decree under the rug yourself. For much better reasons, true. But pointing fingers is how you get said fingers burned off by the phoenix flames for your own sins.

Returning to the humans, Skeggi has been quiet and loud in equal measure. Raids and such have been down since the latest 'King' murdered the last 'King' without first making sure that the other killers would follow, the civil war spilling blood in the streets distracting them from spilling it elsewhere. Strangely, most of the veteran savages have kept out of things, instead preparing to head north back to the northern lands, something drawing them back to the heart of their dark patrons' power. You would be worried if this was not a pattern you have seen repeatedly during your nearly 1000-year watch.

Annoyingly, Swamptown is still without a real leader and will be of little use outside its own little corner for now. Most Asur would not see why it should matter, but you have learned that in the fight against evil, all hands are welcome, and man can and has proven to be at least more helpful than not when given a chance… mostly.

The servants of the Old Ones have been… themselves. They are consistent, if nothing else, perplexing, aggravating and onerous, but consistent. Unless riled up, they will do the same things this year they did last year and a 100 years back. Nothing happened, so nothing has changed.

On the other side of the spectrum, that blasted pirate is at it again, raiding up and down his coast for gold and new 'crew members' to fill out his rotting ships, your men and woman near the area have had to divert every ship they see around or away, but the pressure is already mounting from the trade lords to just let the merchants take their risks. Was it really too much to hope that they could have done a better job keeping him when the Lizards of Chokablox finally captured the abomination?

Reports done with. It was finally time to stop ignoring the letter still resting on the table, the wax seal of the foreign affairs tower almost burning a hole into the polished wood, with reluctance, as you very much doubt it was a positive reply to your request to be put in charge of the Citadel of Dusk when a relative of the King has only just been given the post, you open it with a tar to see what new indignities you will have to endure.

Your frown quickly changes nature as you read through the letter, from annoyance to curiosity, when you realise that this was a plea for your wisdom rather than orders most stifling...

It seems that one of the rouge colonies in the old world, the ones that live in a woodland instead of the ones being half possessed by the forest they live in, are finally ending their long isolation and have been talking to the Empire of Sigmar. (yes, it's ridiculous to call that half-ass alliance of tribes an empire, but a little bit of tact goes a long way with calming released slaves.)

That would usually not be something Urthran would even find interesting, let alone the Phoenix court problem. (the old world colonies made their choice when they refused the call.) if it wasn't for the fact that the bumkens are actually talking to the traitors as well! And while the note is vague on what exactly it is that is being discussed, the humans being surprisingly tight-lipped about what is happening there despite the usual bribes of gold to the courters. It seems enough that even the dwarfs are getting involved, and not for once, with axes raised.

It became a situation that the king's court could no longer ignore, but as expected, what must be done has so far had only lead to shouting matches rather than decisions as one prince tries to leverage old claims while another princess decries the misuse of funds while others scream and shout just to be heard. Oh, politics, how you miss it.

And that leads to this letter in your hand; it seems that someone in the court believes that as the guardian of Lustua and of the elven holds still active in it, you are an 'expert' on colony politics and someone to ask advice on who would be the best agent to send to make diplomatic overturns... and someone that might spend their own political influence on such a project. (you expect that fostering off the political costs was the main draw to sending the letter than for your 'expert' advice)
Still, do you care to spend such influence? The Sea of Claws and those actors in and around it are not your responsibility and never have been; if anything, their increased activity in that sea might just explain the easing of raids within your own, not something you can complain about... But at the same time, them being over there means you cant gut them yourself and leaving it up to someone not under your influence to combat the traitors' actions and whispers leaves you ill at ease.


[ ] It is not your problem.
'You reply to the letter with a page of polite nothingness; this is not a project you are interested in getting involved with. Someone else will come along to deal with it.

[ ] Recommend Lord Finrian Stardrake (yourself) (+10 influence, +5 glory, - a post even further from home.)
If there is a better way to scare off Druchii diplomatic ships from sailing to a land than to anchor the Exelceron just off its coast, you have yet to hear of it. Plus, while you are far from famous in the human lands, you and your Tridents actions mean that anyone that would look into you from those lands will have a reasonably positive view of you; even the dwarfs would be hard-pressed to ignore that you have saved many of their race from forced bondage. But do you really want to leave your work here half-done for a post that will leave you even further away from home?

[ ] Recommend Captain Ravalushorn Silinaen(-20 influence, + Your man will be in charge.)
The captain of the patrol ship Galadar for the last 50 years, younger brother to a prince of Chrace and one of your former Tridnets, he is a youthful and energetic go-getter, and that would jump at the chance to spread his wings in a way that being the youngest of your fleet captains has denied him. You can also trust that he will keep you up to date on what happening in the colony and follow your instructions…. Though a young military man might not be ideal for something so sensitive.

[ ] Recommend Belodar Whitesurf, high priestess of the Storm Weaver order (- 50 influence, + finally get her out of your hair, - people will not be happy with you for this.)
Fuck the geopolitical consequences; this might be your last chance to be free of the mad priestess and make her someone else's problem.

[ ] Recommend Princess Issidha of Yvresse ( -10 influence, - bother an old friend, + ensure someone competent is in charge of the diplomatic mission)
An old friend from your younger days, better days, Princess Issidha has always been a cool head no matter the situation, whether it was hiding from teachers to go fishing in the estates' lake to leading a desperate last stand in a fort in Id with a handful of locals and 10 spearmen levies. She always knew how to pull through. You can trust her to make the right moves… it's just that she has made it clear that she would rather stay home and run her princedom than go on more adventures. But your sure a bit of pushing can get her to move again.

[ ] Recommend Prince Bel-Deredrel of Cothique (+10 influence, + 5 relations with the revisionists, - throwing an light into a haystack)
From what you understand from the list of names provided and your own memory, Prince Bel-Deredrel is the individual most interested in the role of leader of the diplomatic mission. That his family has some of the most substantial claims of once owning land in the area, explaining why. Luckily it's not any of the land currently controlled by the colonists, being instead around a place now called 'Heiligdorf', but while you're not an expert on current Asur-Empire relations, you are pretty sure that the humans, and Phoenix King for that matter, are a lot less interested in a repeat of Sith Rionnasc'namishathir then he is planning for. Still, his family controls more than a few docks in Cothique, docks that might option up their shipyards for free and their shipbuilders for cheap if you throw your support into their bid.

[ ] Recommended Loremaster Sullasara Wendel of Tor Yvresse (-5 influence, + 15 reputation with the white tower. -???)
A bit of an odd choice as you do not know the woman, But it seems that the tower is very much pushing for her to be sent, which, again, is a bit odd as she appears to be the only member of the tower that they want to send all the way to the old world. But it's always good to have the loremasters owning you. And she does claim to be an expert on human magical culture and development. You may not know how that would help in this case, but it shouldn't hurt either.

===================================
​

I like Lord Finrian, one of the few WFRP High elves that are overall a pretty decent guy full stop. (barring a little elve pride and dwarf dislike)

and ya, I know, but by this point, Sullasara is my go-to funny character.

 

[seekingflame]

Warhammer Fantasy: Wizard's Best Friend - a Familiar's Quest

Turn 22 2489.5 Start Slowly - Planning phase.

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"...So we will spend the time split between the Mountain and the Forest, with a lovely stroll to the Vorbergland near the end of the month. And a short stop at Altdorf in two weeks time..."

You perk your ear a little higher. It seems that Mathilde had finished discussing the Schedule and plans for the next six months with WEB-MAT and the Waystone project. They just finished going over their travel itinerary.

You know what that means of course.

Now it's your turn to plan.



Mathilde scratches you behind the ears.

Right, Scratches now, planning later.




PLAN FOR THIS TURN - CHOOSE BETWEEN SIX AND EIGHT. ANY CHOSEN BEYOND THE FIRST SIX WILL COME WITH RISKS.

[ ] Locked tasks, half an action each
-[*] Playing Fetch - spend part of your time in Karak Eight Peaks fetching books for Cython, It's not the blushing virgins that the story books say are the main appetite of dragons, but it serve just as well to placate your most terrifying of neighbors

-[*] Peacemaking and Integration - Karak Eight Peak is one of the most cosmopolitan of realms in the old world, and one so freshly colonized with no tradition to aid in that. while most acknowledge that fact and address it, fewer care to think how that would effect the animals and pet of all those cultures. Spent time to familiarize and liaison with the cats, dogs, goats, spiders and whatever else that walk on a different among of legs then the standard. Would alert to any emerging issues plaguing the neglected front.



[ ] As Per Orders: Be a Good Boy.
-[ ] What do you mean there is two We now? - investigate this new offshoot of the Araneae Sapiens and what may need to be done to address their new presence.

-[ ] Spooky Scary Spiders - while most workers and builders of the new library no longer reach for the axe each time a We spider sneak up on them, that is still short of the standard for ideal cooperation on the work needed for the library. Your present as a mediator could go a long way to smooth the tensions.

-[ ] Waystone dog walking - Mathilde is planning on investigating the missing Waystone link that should lay at Reikland. Join here and aid her in anything from searching for magic, Spotting irregularities and providing onboard entertainment for the trip.

-[ ] The EIC's hidden angel - Mathilde bring snacks, Mathilde own the EIC, EIC can bring goods from far away places. therefore EIC is vital infrastructure for the supply of snacks. Poke around for any legal or illegal threat among the tourist to your source of tasties.

-[ ] Tor Lithanel Pilgrimage - when before you quite enjoyed your walk through the city of the Eonir. This time you have a more concrete destination in mind. The newly build shrines to Ulric. While you are not of his pack, you are still a wolf. You know well the taste of the Lord of Winters. Time to test the honestly of this religious enlightenment of the elves.

-[ ] Familiar finding - it is quite pass time to find Panoramia a Familiar of her own. But what kind of a animal will you first search? Do you wish to share the joy of being Best Boy around or would you jealously hoard it and search for a different animal. Trigger a sub vote. [NEW]



[ ] Spreading your influence.
-[ ] It's been a while since you went and visited Belegar, go and cajole some headpats from him to see how much his mood has improved and if there is any future action needed to prevent another spiral.

-[ ] You are a wolf. the Ulricans likes wolves. spending time at their growing community could help Mathilde relationship with them. Not to mentioned tighter ties to their giant wolves could net you a powerful ally for whatever clandestine plans you might wish to enact in the future.

-[ ] the battle among the halfing about whatever dogs or cats are the best pets is still fiercely ongoing. Arrange a couple of increased publicity campaigns with the halfing children to swing the balance back in canine favor.

-[ ] Help the Ranger train new tracking dogs. involving yourself their training would get you a lot of friends in far off places. improving your ad hoc spy network reach to the areas surrounding Karak Eight Peak. [NEW]



[ ] Expeditions
-[ ] Aid Colonel Snuggles - the civilizations of the old world had solved rodent infestation a long time ago. Find a cat, pet a cat, pointing at rats optional. What wasn't solved is how to do it when the rodents in question are two foot in length and bear centuries of skaven inflicted mutations. And with the We still limited in their passage the task fall to the steely Colonel of the cat corps. marshal to the aid of your coreligionists and aid them in vanquishing the last remnant of the Menace below.
--[ ] include the Rathound packs in the hunt - relationship between your self appointed pack and your feline friends are still strained. Having the Rathounds assistance against their feral kin would aid in defrosting the tensions. Or it could increase them, Snuggles is as mercurial as all cats who live to her venerable age are.

-[ ] Scour for lost Lore in Karak Eight Peak - last two times didn't bear much fruit, but something deep inside you just know that there is something to be found. go on a search expedition to find lost runes for Kragg the Cheerful in hard to reach places of the Karak.
--[D] the Underhold - search the vast network of small tunnels that lay beneath Karak Eight Peak. One dog sized cave at a time.
--[D] Karag Zilfin - while no dwarf can enter by writ of truce, your master and you receive a slightly warmer reception, Cython will not complain if you dig for trashes in his backyard, as long as you are not foolish enough to touch his hoard.
--[ ] Lhune Deeps - Your eyes are sharper, and more attuned to magic, than any dwarf save a Runesmith. Search the Deeps for anything that the scouting parties have missed. It should be relatively safe after more then a decade of dwarven control. Should.
--[#] The Grand Abyss - the dwarves never managed to plume the full depth of the Abyss, not even in their height. What wonder lay there are manifold and unknown, but what is known are the many well equipped search parties that never returned, some even launched during the fabled Golden Age. If you could find their resting place, you could win a prize beyond many a reckoning. Lore long thought lost. Forbidden by explicit orders from Mathilde, only venture down there with her company.



[ ] Research and Self-Improvement
-[ ] Nose for Magic. Your sight for Magic is sharp as ever, thanks to your link to Mathilde, but as a wolf your nose is your best tool for tracking. See if you can teach yourself to perceive the winds through your Olfactory senses. while your sensitivity would not chance, it might led to complementary senses to what your eyes can produce.

-[ ] Pack learning. Giant wolves, Rathounds, carnivore subspecies of mountain goats, even some rather daring cats. You have quite the spread of hunting talents at your disposal. See if you there is something to learn and improve from this Varity that surround you.

-[ ] An Alpha, when the need calls. A wolf is a savage beast that roam the edges of the forests. A dog is a man's best friend. you straddle both of those lines, and so are best placed to help other cross it. learn more about the savage beast that roam the lands. and seek understanding on how one could draw them into your orbit.

-[ ] Combat training. One day, Mathilde will need you. not this day. not the next. but sure as dawn that day would come. Prepare yourself to the grim reality of living in this world.

-[ ] Sentinel training. But Mathilde never bring you when she expect combat, which mean that whatever combat may be will be unexpected one. You are unlikely to surpass her Grey Order training, but an extra pair of eyes never hurt. train your awareness and ability to spot and react to sudden ambushes.

-[ ] Magic power. As a familiar, your link to your Master allow you to sent strength thought the Aethyr. Work on improving your ability to absorb power and transfer it under intense pressure.

-[ ] Pocket plane pondering. Cajole Mathilde to let you out to run around the Grey College pocket realm again. Close now to two centuries and yet the best minds of the Grey Order have yet to crack the secrets of the place they call home. While you strongly doubt you will do better, you can't do much worse. Move over two legs, now it's your turn. [NEW]

-[ ] Waystone leeching. of the wizards, only the Jades know how to harvest the winds from the Waystones. but you are not a wizard. and neither is your master solely such one, even if she often refuse to capitalize on it. see about trying to use your link to Ranald in order to devise a way to channel power from the waystones directly. This take Three actions. Immediate sub arc will commence upon taking this action.



[ ] Piety Ranald
-[ ] Ranald work though mysterious ways. but chief among his levers in creation are his animals. The cats, the crows the magpies. And should the mood strike you, you can join on the mischief too. Rewards Vary.

--[ ] The empty box - this box traveled from hand to hand in the Karak, yet each and every delivery of it ended the same way, in an empty box being given to the confused receiver. Where are the items that have been placed in it? Why does this box seem to have been passed between every name worth of note in the Karak? What reason does Ranald have to pass Nothing but air around? None can know. none save Ranald. and if you be a Good Boy and help him out on this endeavor, and promise to keep a secret, he just might share with you what this joke is all about.

--[ ] The bucket full of cheese - why are you carrying a bucket of cheese around? what faithful of Ranald or poor fool had wished for bucket of cheese well into the night? Why does the it have a love letter full of badly written Bretonnian poetry? And why do you taste thunder on the tip of your tongue? The answer lay at the end of this epic quest. But beware, some questions are best left unanswered. [NEW]

--[ ] Small deeds wrought large - this one is nothing special, a little misplacing of letter here, a coin left right there, the mug pushed a few finger length to the side, digging a little hole here, a howl in the middle of the night there. Must be all the dredge work that Ranald couldn't get the lazy cats to do. Little acts done all across the Karak. with nothing connecting them together. You can just do those little things and leave the tasks behind you. No need to overthink it. Just a little bit of scattered providence, nothing more. Ranald would surely have told you if there was a meaning behind all those little intervention combined. Surely.

--[ ] write in - Ranald need must might shall be amused.


- Spent time action has been removed due to threads voting wars. I understand the need to advocate the the petting action between whatever character you want, but it is meant to be a fluff scene. something which quite contrast with 80% of the thread arguments being about it. Fluff scenes will now be the sole preview of the QM's muse.
- Yes, the long awaited Waifu's Familiar vote is finally available, I know you all been waiting for it ever since you succesfully helped ship the MatPan ship. And while I expect the vast majority to vote for a Lady Wolf, I am leaving the option open for other types of animals as well.
-Ranald actions write-ins are still allowed, despite my better judgment. I am fine with innuendo, but I had to argue with the site staff for two hours after they locked up the thread because you all couldn't keep the thread jokes from going over the line. I'm willing to give it another chance, but please don't cause this mess again, I can and will ban you if need be.

Click to shrink...

 

[mathymancer]

Back cover blurb on a copy of Eike Hochschild and the Dark Druidess:

After becoming an apprentice to the enigmatic Mathilde Weber Eike Hochschild thought things couldn't get any stranger, but it seems fate wasn't done with her yet. Mathilde's paramour, Panoramia, has taken an apprentice of her own, an immensely talented druidess called Sofia. However, Eike will soon learn that the older girl hides a dark past, and a terrible and shameful secret.

The kind hearted Shadowmancer may believe that friendship is enough to overcome Sofia's troubles, but Sofia isn't looking for friends. Eike knows that she must somehow earn Sofia's trust if she's to have any hope of helping her, so when Sofia asks her for a favor she simply can't refuse. Now she wonders if she didn't bite off more than she can chew - how in the world is Eike going to find Sofia's long lost twin?

Spoiler

not super happy with how this turned out but I think the idea is solid, someone better at writing should start an Eike Hochschild book series

none of the names have been changed because Eike's life is already a book as it is

 

[LittenLeKitten]

You're both wrong. Eike isn't the main character. She's from a rich family, lives with a stern but loving grandmother, her talent was discovered early and she has a powerful lady magister happy to take her on. That's way too easy. Sure, she's got some dark backstory for later on in the story when she becomes friends with the MC, but as a starting point that just doesn't do. She is the rival.

Like, look at Mathilde: She's quirky, but you have to dig. That doesn't work for the mentor of the MC, not at all. Frankly, I think her obessions with puns, acronyms and naming stuff after herself was a retcon for the Eike spin-off. Before that, she didn't get much screen time. Just the occaisonal mention to make Eike cooler (and pretty nonscensical stuff, I don't think they'll ever explain what the whole dwarf soul thing is about that was metioned off hand when the writers needed Eike to speak dwarf and be familar with their royalty), and wisk her off at the end of the college arc so she doesn't overshadow the others during the later arcs that happen more on the outside.

Click to shrink...

Specifically the Ojou-sama rival?

Not exactly the typical personality I don't think, but she's got the background.

Click to shrink...

This is your fault, both of you.

Eike Meets the Real Protagonist​

I was walking back to the dormitory from the library, a small stack of books in my arms, going over my recent investigation in my mind—I was getting close to finding another one of the hidden reading spots, I just knew it—when a voice called out to me. I turned to look at Miss Grey, one of my favorite teachers, waving to me from the doorway of her office.

"Eike, dear, could you spare a moment?" Miss Grey said, opening her door wider and gesturing for me to come in. "I have something I'd like to request of you."

"Of course, Miss Grey," I replied, hurrying over. I was a little worried about why she was asking for me. Was this about last week's history test? I knew I had gotten more wrong than usual after checking our textbooks, but seriously, it's the modern history of Hochland. Who cared?

As I entered Miss Grey's office, I noticed the other occupant in the room, sitting in front of Miss Grey's desk. He was a boy, probably about my age, with unruly dark hair and dark eyes. His nose had a scar across it that, matched with his hair, gave him the look of some wild vagabond. No robes, but his clothes were nice and well-kept, if a bit plain. A new student, then. He gave me a curious, appraising look as I entered the room.

"Eike, meet Markus Kehlmann, a new student to our College that will be starting this week," Miss Grey said, gesturing to the boy and taking her seat at her desk. "Markus, this is Apprentice Eike Hochschild, one of the best and brightest students in her year."

I nodded to the boy—Markus—internally preening at the praise, and he nodded back.

"I was hoping you could show Markus around the grounds; show him where things are and how to get around," Miss Grey continued, looking to me once more. She gave a glance to the books in my arms. "If you're too busy, no need to worry, I can find someone else to do it, but I would greatly appreciate it."

I considered it for a moment. I had to get to sword practice in a little under an hour, and I had to get these books to my dorm now besides, but I should be able to show him most of the College students were allowed in. I nodded to Miss Grey.

"I have practice in an hour, but I should be able to cover most of the campus, ma'am."

"Thank you, my dear. I appreciate it, truly," She smiled at me and waved as I beckoned Markus to follow.

"I have to get these books back to my dorm and get my sword first, but after that, I'll be free to show you around," I said as I heard Markus fall into step beside me. Giving him a glance, he had his arms raised behind his head, looking for all the world nonchalant and unbothered. He was a bit taller than me, which was a surprise, and his every move was casual.

"Sure, sure, I got time," he replied dismissively. Is it an act, or is he really so uninterested in learning the lay of the land, so to speak? If it's the latter, he'll have a hard time adjusting to Ulgu, I thought.

After a couple of minutes of walking, we reached the girls dormitories, and I had Markus wait outside as I went in to store my books and get my spadone. Emerging from the dorms, I gave Markus a once over once more as I gestured for him to follow me.

"Normally, I would start this out by showing you to the dormitories, but given your lack of bags and no obvious bulges in your pockets, I take it you've already been and have dropped off your belongings."

"What if I didn't have much to start with?" he questioned. Oh, I thought, perhaps he's better suited to Ulgu than first appearances would suggest.

"Your clothes are too nice, your hair is unruly, but in a way that suggests it's intentional, and your Altdorf accent isn't the right type for some street rat," I answered. "So you're an Altdorf native, and probably from a family well-enough-off to have prepared belongings to boot. That sound about right?"

Markus grinned a little, looking…surprised? Impressed? It was hard to tell, because he immediately went back to looking carefree and uninterested when I looked over.

"Yeah, that's right. You're pretty sharp."

"So I've been told."

"I'll bet. Say, do all Greys pick up swords, or is that just a you thing?"

"Well, the sword is the symbol of the Grey College, representing the duty of all Grey Wizards. But this?" I said, holding up my spadone, "This is just me—for the most part. My grandmother hired an instructor from the Bergo Academy, and I've been taking lessons twice a week."

"Bergo Academy, huh? Ain't that the school set up by that Tilean swordmaster? I heard that place is pretty fancy. Must've cost a pretty penny to hire one of their teachers."

"Mm," was my noncommittal answer. Right, that was why I hated bringing up Oma and the EIC. It was always the same thing; I mentioned I was technically rich, people got curious, people realized just how far that goes, people started trying to cozy up to me. I had thought it wouldn't be a problem in a College that requires its members take a vow of poverty, but more fool me. I sighed internally, waiting for the questioning and 'idle curiosity' to begin.

"Well, it's good you're pickin' up the sword. My Da always said that magic's useful, but you can't rely on it like some good steel," Markus said, surprising me. Was he trying to play it off like he didn't care? Trying to play at nonchalance in order for me to lower my guard? Or did he really not care? Were the clothes and middle-class accent a ruse, and he was really from a wealthy family himself and keeping quiet about it?

Was I being paranoid?

…Was I being paranoid enough?

"Anyway, enough about myself, we've a tour to get to," I said, deciding to take his clear avoidance of the topic as the blessing it was. "You know where you'll be putting your head, so let me take you to where you'll be getting food."

——​

After showing him around the cafeteria, which he took a particular interest in, the classrooms, the library—I gave him a hint on the location of one of the hidden reading spots I'd found—and the common areas for students, we finally arrived at the training halls a few minutes before my lessons were set to begin.

"This is one of the training areas of the Grey College, specifically one of the public ones where outside instructors can come in to train students in extracurriculars," I said, gesturing to a room through an open set of doors. It was the room where I would be meeting Instructor Otto for our lessons that day, but I didn't see him in there, so I figured I had some time to chat.

"Ah, I take it this is where we part ways so you can have your sword lessons, then?"

"Mmhm, although it looks like I have a bit of time, so if there's anything you'd like to ask, feel free," Markus was rather casual, I had figured out, but not unpleasantly so. Indeed, it was quite remarkable and refreshing to see someone come at this whole Wizard business so undisturbed. If that made him comparably odd, well, what good Wizard didn't have their eccentricities?

"If that's the case, then I've been meanin' to ask: why're you botherin' with a sword in the first place? Your family want you to be good at it?" Markus asked. I sighed, externally now. That touched upon the other topic that I had learned to rarely bring up. But I told him to feel free to ask questions, and it would have been rude to say no.

"Partly, yes. 'It's a sign of high status, knowing how to use a blade,' Oma says. Mostly it's because the Wizard who found me—well, discovered my abilities and brought me here, anyhow—uses one to great effect. Or so I've heard, anyway; haven't actually gotten to see her use it myself, but I hear she's quite good."

Markus raised an eyebrow at that.

"What Wizard—a Grey one, by the sounds of it—is known for their ability to swing a sword?"

Maybe it was because I didn't like his disbelieving tone regarding Mathilde, maybe because I felt he had slighted my own interests in the blade, I bristled at his words.

"Among many things, Lady Magister Mathilde Weber is known for her prowess with a greatsword," I retorted, perhaps a little petulantly. I almost immediately regretted it, too. Telling people about my relationship to Mathilde often made people worse than the money thing. At least this one made sense in the Grey College; everyone wanted to be friends with a Lady Magister.

Markus raised his other eyebrow with my outburst, and both proceeded to crawl into his hairline.

"You know a Lady Magister? Wait. Weber, Weber…I've heard that name somewhere before," Markus paused for a moment, putting a hand to his mouth in thought. Suddenly, he looked up, the light of recognition in his eyes. I winced internally. "You mean that Grey that got made Lady Magister a few years ago? She's famous!"

I blinked in surprise. Sure, Altdorfers were more comfortable than most with Wizards, but this level of familiarity was surprising.

"You've heard of Lady Magister Mathilde?" I asked. I knew Mathilde was rather well-known for a Grey Wizard, but I wasn't expecting her to be this well-known. Not outside of Stirland as the Dämmerlichtreiter, at any rate.

"'Course I do! Like I said, she's famous! She was in the Altdorf Chronicle's 'Wizards to Know' section!" Markus looked more enthused about this than anything else during our tour—besides maybe the food in the cafeteria. "They say she killed a whole Waaagh with a mountain! Rumors say she dropped it right on 'em, crushing every last one. But everyone knows Greys don't do things like that. I bet she used the mountain's shadow to crush 'em all instead."

That was…wrong, but surprisingly close. I was impressed by his knowledge as a non-Wizard. Well, a recently-made-Wizard, anyway.

Once more, Markus' face grew concentrated, and he began muttering to himself. Then, all of a sudden, he smacked his fist atop the palm of his hand.

"Oh, I get it now! You're talented, pretty, rich, connected, and kinda uptight. You're the talented ojou-sama!"

'Ojou-sama?' What language even was that? It certainly wasn't Reikspiel. And why did it sound like he was describing me like some character from a story?

"Pardon?" I asked, terribly confused.

"Ooh, do the ojou-sama laugh!"

What. "What?"

"C'mon, you know, it's all like, 'Ohhohohohohoho!'"

What. "What?"

"Eh, alright, we'll work on it. I'm glad I met you, Miss Hochschild. I hope we have a long and fruitful rivalry."

It was then that I realized that the Grey College's newest student was completely and utterly bizarre.


AN: Well, sorry for the tonal whiplash at the end there. I had the end in mind before writing everything else, so when the "everything else" ended up being a genuine attempt at imagining what Eike's life in the Grey College might have been like and how she would put some of the things the College teaches--constant observation and relentless paranoia, for example--to use, I didn't really know what to do and just sort of smashed the two together. I don't know whether to consider this a dumb joke with way too much build up or an actual character piece with a joke ending.

 

[Humbaba]

Eike Quest – Divided Loyalties 2 Omake - Preparing to set forth (Character creation)

​

Your name is Eike Hochschild, (former) Apprentice of Lady Magister Mathilde Weber, and today is your graduation day. Today you are no longer an Apprentice, but a Journeywoman. Ahead of you lies a life of potential.

Today you leave behind a Master, proud and fretful. Leave behind a life flitting between the Eight Peaks and the Woods of the Eonir, and set out into the world, ready to make your mark.

You have lived a life that many might describe as charmed. Daughter of a professional mistress, taken in by your Grandmother and made heir to a trade Empire at eight. At 12, discovered to have talent for Magic when visiting Lady Magister Weber, your Grandmother's business Partner and your eventual Master. It is a life many would envy, and its gifts have left their mark on you.

Shinies:

You have 5 Shinies to spend in character creation. Choose from the traits below, or save them for the next vote section which determines Eike's first destination. Unless otherwise noted traits cost one shiny. Please bear in mind that as a character from Divided Loyalties Eike has a number of existing character traits.

Background related traits:
[] A Grey(t) sword – Dae Weber is famously sklled with her runed Greatsword Branalhune. You are not her equal but you have taken inspiration. Begin with Greatsword (skilled). +1 Martial, easier to advance Sword skills. You start with a (minorly) enchanted sword as a gift from your Master. [3 Shinies]

[] Windseer. Your Master is famed for many things, but amongst these is the strength of her windsight. You are not yet her equal, but your aptitude for reading the winds was the first indicator of your potential, and you have honed it vigorously. +2 Learning. [4 Shinies]

[] Dawongr – Your Master has virtually transcended the term Dwarf Friend, and some of that regard has been passed on to you. You will find a warm welcome in most dwarf holds. +1 Diplomacy.

[] Grandaughter of a Merchant Queen. +2 Stewardship, able to use EIC outposts to access the rumor mill anywhere. Before you discovered your aptitude for the winds, your Grandmother trained you to be the heir to a merchant empire, and given your Master is the co-owner, you have had plenty of opportunity to keep your hand in. [2 Shinies]

[] Novice Wind-Herder. Your Master has developed an intuitive grasp of how Winds interact, when they'll interfere with each other, and when they'll mix and curdle into Dhar. By watching her practice enchanting and her work with other magic users, you have begun to earn a very basic grasp on the same. Makes basic multi-Wind Enchantment and Spellcasting possible, as long as other Wizards provide the other Winds. Requires access to a high quality lab, this is not something you can do in the field. [4 Shinies, requires Enchanter also be picked]


Mystical traits:

[ ] Apothecary: You have the equipment and the training to brew potions and identify useful ingredients, though you will have to experiment or research to find what you can do with local sources.

[ ] Power Mist: Perhaps you met with Adela too often. Perhaps seeing Mathilde's Orbs of Sorcery inspired you too much. Either way, demonstrating a shocking amount of hubris, tried to construct a Power Stone. Though you didn't even get close and knocked yourself out for weeks, you did replicate Adela's feat using Ulgu. Grabbing and wrestling a strand of Ulgu back on itself until a mist formed. Perhaps you can use this to bolster your abilities like Adela uses her own. And you do remember the rest of the steps to make a power stone, if you're ever arrogant enough to try the whole process again.

[ ] Ritualist: You know the basics of ritual magic, and if given a few months to a year to research, may be able to figure out how to enact large-scale changes to a significant area. Whether those changes are the ones you originally envisioned is entirely up to the whims of the circuitous and contradictory logic of ritual magic.

[] Enchanter: You have a talent for taming the winds of Ulgu and trapping them within objects. You can create very minor magical trinkets, and have a bonus to learning the more advanced forms of enchantment.

[] Tool Free Enchanter (Requires Enchanter): Ever fearful of the return of the baneful curse of Wizard Chic, Mathilde taught you the series of cantrips and small spells that can be used to replace the typical lab equipment of an enchanter. – Does not allow for use of windherding without a lab if both traits are picked. The trait(s) would require further development to allow this.


Physical traits:
[X] Existing traits Locked:
[X] Fitness.
[X] Skill - Pistols


Mental traits:
[ ] Animal Kinship: You have a gift for getting along with and training animals. Regular animals, that is; it'd take a lot of work and luck to apply the knack to, say, hippogryphs. You do know how to give wolf really good headrubs though! +1 Diplomacy

[ ] Brave: You can withstand terrors that make others flee. +1 martial

[ ] Eidetic Memory: Unless severely distracted, you are able to memorize anything at a glance and recall it in perfect detail later. Unfortunately this means you can remember every line of Mathilde's depressingly large collection of romance novels. +1 Stewardship. Narrative effects.

[ ] Loyal: You're no less beholden to what drives you, but you've convinced yourself it's not actually a division of loyalties, and if forced, you can explain why with the ring of belief. Perhaps a more accurate name would be 'self-deception'. At least it's a good mindset for Ulgu. +1 Piety

[ ] Organized: Through habit or obsession, you keep everything neat, tidy, and in its place. The Librarian Spiders love you. +1 Stewardship

[ ] Polyglot: You easily pick up new languages. Handy when you spend so much time around different cultures. +1 Diplomacy

[ ] Quick: You're naturally brighter than the average person. +1 to all stats, though no more nebulous advantages like the other mental traits

[ ] Supernumerate: You can crunch numbers with ease, making bookkeeping and trigonometry a snap. Grandmother would be envious. +1 Stewardship

[ ] Superstitious: You know a hundred different superstitions for averting bad luck and keeping the evil eye off you. Maybe some of them work. +1 Piety.



Connection traits:
[] Priesthood: You have always felt a connection to Shallya, and you know her rites and prayers well. The temples of Shaallya are places of ease to you, and her Priests will be more favourable to your presence from you ability to display obvious piety.

[] College: You made friends and allies back in Altdorf during your apprenticeship, and they may be able to help with research and resources. Though the roads to Altdorf may be long and treacherous, depending where you go. Or perhaps you may find old classmates also making their journeys across the lands.

[] Merchants. You were not allowed outside the colleges during your early apprenticeship, but your grandmother helped set you up as the centre of a network of penpals from merchant's children across the Empire. Your name may therefore carry a certain weight amongst those children grown or their parents.

[] Knights: You have worked closely with the Undumgi, the Winter Wolves of Ulrikadrin, and various other Martial Knights. You have an affinity for Knights, and perhaps a few letters of introduction.


FLAWS
Of course, no-one is perfect, and for all other might envy you or claim you to have led a "charmed life", it was hardly without some trials. Perhaps that has left its own scars on you?

You may choose to take on additional Flaws to generate more Shinies.

[] Sneerful of Sigmar. The priesthood of the Man god of the Empire has a famously poor relationship with wizards. Your Master has an even worse opinion of Sigmar than most, and despite her best efforts, she has passed this along to you. Sadly you are less adept at hiding this than she. -1 Diplomacy. Penalty to interactions with Sigmarites. Other minor narrative effects. +1 Shiny

[] Very Divided Loyalties: Pick a second Ambition. [+3 Shinies.]

[] Pacifist. As you have aged you have come closer to your favoured god. You do not simply favour Shallya, but are strict in your observance of her commandments. You will not wield violence except in self defence or against the Servants of Nurgle. A hard stance for a Wizard of the Grey order to live by. Note – You may still use grey magic in non-violent ways for infiltration and such. For example, Eike would not consider using mindhole to cause guards to forget they have seen her as being violent. She would also consider fighting in an army against invading Beastmen self-defence. [+2 Shinies.]

[] Heart on your sleeve. The Grey College teaches its members to hide their emotions, to keep a straight face and an unflappable demeanor no matter if they are angry, sad, confused, scared, or anything in between. You have always struggled with this, feeling strongly and allowing your emotions to show freely. [+1 Shiny] Though seen as a weakness for a grey wizard, this might someday be considered its own kind of strength.

[ ] The Sins of the Father Master: Your Master has many enemies. You can almost feel them watching you. Or is it simply paranoia? +2 shinies

[ ] Ranald's Debt: You can go up to three shinies in debt, but each will turn a failure into a critical glitch at a time most amusing to the Trickster God.


AGENDA
But it is a terrible thing too to be apprenticed to one of the greats. Could any apprentice of Kragg the Grimm live up to his legacy unless they were Thungi reborn? Could any apprentice of a Lady Magister hope to settle for merely being acceptable?

No. You have an ambition, a force that drives you. Something that has consumed you, and divides your loyalties even at the very beginning of your career. What are the ties that bind your story?

CHOOSE ONE:

[] Redemptionist
When your Master took you up as a formal apprentice, the first thing she revealed to you was the redemption of the unredeemable. A skaven, turned to good. You believe that all are capable of redemption. Even those that your Oaths to the Grey Order may declare utterly unredeemable.

And perhaps, there is a more personal reason for your beliefs…

[] Forbidden Knowledge.
Your Master desires to own the greatest library in the known world, and has made great strides in achieving this. One day you delved too far and too deep into those great stacks, guarded by Enormous Spiders and terrible traps. There you found a book, and read all unknowing knowledge that the Empire would deem the territory only of Black Magisters. Knowledge that you now know can be used for good. Perhaps some knowledge is black or white, but most of it truly exists in shades of Grey.

But you wondered, how did such a forbidden tome end up in your Masters Library, escaping the knowledge of its guardians….

[] Creature Comforts
Child of a professional Mistress. Heir to a trade Empire. Apprentice to a Lady Magister. Perhaps it was inevitable you would grow used to the finer things in life, and as both the EIC's heir and Mathilde's apprentice, you have seen the sheer power of Gold to do good in the world.

The Oath of Poverty feels stifling on the road, and you crave the comforts and charms, and power of gold and of the high life.

But for a wizard of the Grey, the lines are cobweb thin, and eyes on all sides watch you closely, seeking a way to your Master…

[] Stranger in a Native Land.
All wizards are alienated from regular folk, but Lady Weber dwells farther from the Empire than most. Your closest companions for years have been Dawi, Elves, and Wizards from across the known world. You care for the Empire of the Elves, for the Holds of the Dwarves, and for the Spirits of the Land far more than you care for Sigmar's Empire, in spite of your oaths.

---------------------------------------

AN:
So this kind of got out of hand. My original idea for this was an update of the "Mathilde becomes a vampire or vampire adjacent creature" plot from my Omake here, except we were playing as Eike discovering this. Then I thought backwards to how it might get to that point and came to this. Each of the Agenda's would lead into a different initial plotline (which can mesh). Of which one would be the original idea that resulted in this whole omake.

Many of the traits are adaptations or tweaks of options originally provided by @Boney in Mathilde's character creation, though I have endeavoured to at least provide some flavour for most of them to fit Eike's circumstances,

[] Redemptionist leads to the discovery that Mathilde has become some form of Magical creature akin to a vampire, that is sustaining herself on AV. Eike must then choose between her oaths to the Empire and her love of her Master and personal beliefs.

[] Forbidden Knowledge leads to the eventual revelation of Mathilde's secret forbidden studies. The question of where the line is drawn, and potential for an attempted Chaos Corruption plotline.

[] Creature Comforts is a more straightforward story of Eike trying to do good while also wanting some of the creature comforts Mathilde has discovered, but Eike has less convenient fish jumping onto the boat, and as heir to both Mathilde and the EIC, faces much more scrutiny than early Mathilde.

[] Stranger in a native land would have a few potential early focuses. Firstly, (depending where Eike was employer) a much less free hand to use magic than she would expect. Empire wizards are in principle barred from casting magic unless it is directly in service to their employer or to defend the Empire. Growing up in Eight Peaks and Laurelorn, which have a much more permissive attitude to casting (thanks to respectively, Mathilde and general Eonir culture). Secondly, issues like the Dwarven war over the owed Penny or the Laurelorn border conflict, or even conflicts with native spirits (if Eike had much contact with our resident Hagwitch). Eike finding herself having far more sympathy and good feeling for these other cultures than the angry, suspicious and unwelcoming Peasants. A good angry mob scene might appear here, either going for Eike directly or a child displaying magic, much like young Mathilde did.



Frankly I'm most partial to [] Redemptionist, so if I continue it would probably follow that path.

 

[Droman]

Class Title: Introduction to Laurelorn Forest, by Mathilde Weber​

Class Objective: To provide an overview of the history, geography, and notable features of the Laurelorn Forest, as taught by Lady Magister Mathilde Weber.

Class Duration: 4 hours

Agenda:

1. Introduction (15 minutes)
- Self-introduction and the topic of the class
- Explain the objectives of the class

2. History of the Laurelorn Forest (45 minutes)
- Discuss the origins of the forest
- Explain the role of the forest in the history of the Empire
- Highlight significant events that have taken place in the forest

3. Geography of the Laurelorn Forest (45 minutes)
- Discuss the size and location of the forest
- Explain the terrain and climate of the forest
- Highlight notable landmarks within the forest

4. Notable Features of the Laurelorn Forest (60 minutes)
- Discuss the various elven factions that reside within the forest
- Explain the significance of the forest spirits and the role they play in the forest
- Highlight notable dignitaries and personalities that inhabit the forest

5. Conclusion (15 minutes)
- Recap the main points discussed in the class
- Discourage further exploration of the Laurelorn Forest.

6. Q&A (60 minutes)
- Answer any questions from class participants