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Divided Loyalties
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As a Journeywoman, Grey Wizard Mathilde Weber is dropped into the deep end of intrigue and double-dealing after a surprise assignment to the necromancer-afflicted province of Stirland. Follow her trials, travails, feats and discoveries as she makes her way in the world and does her best to decide who is worthy of her trust.
Name: Dame Mathilde Weber
Blazon: Sable, bend argent, sword argent bendwise inverted, base dexter serpent supine vert and or.
Motto: Unseen, But Not Unfelt
Date of Birth: 2450
Official Titles: Lady Magister of the Grey Order, Knight of Stirland, Thane of Karak Eight Peaks, Loremaster.
Other Titles: The Dämmerlichtreiter, Sängerkritisch, Dawongr, Azrildrekked, the Silver Savage, Dawizhufokri.
Former Titles: Spymistress of Stirland, War-Councillor of the Expedition to Karak Eight Peaks, Court Wizard of Karak Eight Peaks, Loremaster of Karak Eight Peaks.
Faith: Ranald
Armament: Staff of Mistery, Runic Greatsword 'Branulhune', two Runed Dwarven Revolvers (8 shots)(Rune of Fire, Rune of Stone), Marksdwarf Pistol (1 shot), Grounding Rod, armoured robes.
Staff of Mistery: +1 Magic, spells that create mists, fogs, vapours and miasmas are one category easier and have enhanced effects.
Runic Gromril Greatsword, Branulhune, "the art of cleverness in moonlight" or Moonlit Wit.
aka Bar Rikkaz, 'Way Opener', 'Door Crusher', 'Gate Breaker', 'Nevertheless, Hammer'
[Master Rune of Kragg the Grim: each blow delivers as much force as required to cut or shatter whatever it is struck against, up to the approximate impact force of a cannonball.]
[Rune of Superior Skill: any foe struck by this sword has all magical weapons, armour, items, and positive magical effects cease working for several minutes. Though an original rune, the effect is very similar to Thorek Ironbrow's prototype rune. Knowing Kragg, this is almost certainly deliberate.]
[Rune of the Unknown: when held by its owner, at a thought it can disappear, and will reappear again when desired. If not currently disappeared, weapon can be summoned to the owner's hand from a distance of up to several hundred yards. Kragg thought he'd never find a use for this rune because no Dwarf would trust their weapon hidden away somewhere they couldn't see.]
Runic Training Greatsword, Branithune, with Rune of the Unknown
Seed of Regrowth: An enchanted seed lying dormant in Mathilde's palm, this is capable of healing wounds up to and including death.
"It will trigger automatically should you be slain, or can be triggered with a mnemonic. A second mnemonic will use it to heal anyone you hold your palm to. It can hold four activations of power; to recharge, allow it to sprout in soil for three to eight hours per activation, depending on the richness of the soil - I recommend sleeping outdoors for this purpose. Alternately, when time is of the essence, hold your palm to an incapacitated or bound enemy and allow the roots to feed upon them. This will recharge a single activation. In a pinch, corpses can be used, albeit at a tenth of the effectiveness."
Belt of the Unshackled Mountain: A protective runic talisman made for you in repayment for your actions during the Sieges of the Drakenhofs.
Spellburner Rune: The first rune is a variation on the Spelleater Rune. When a hostile spell is targeted against you, it will not only counter it but also burn - literally burn - the knowledge of it from the mind of the caster. It will be dormant for twelve hours after each use.
Rune of Rancour: The second is based on the Master Rune of Spite, but somehow combined with the Rune of Fortitude. It will grant you the strength to withstand wounds, while returning twofold any strike against whoever dealt it to you.
Rune of Valaya's Vengeance: The third, the largest and most intricate of the three incorporates elements of both the Rune of the Furnace and the Rune that Valaya gave to the dwarves that allowed them to weather the coming of Chaos. It will grant you such resistance to flame that you could wade through lava, and burn off any taint of chaos before it could even touch you.
Ranald's Coin: A somehow five-sided coin dedicated to the four known faces of Ranald, and to His relationship with His daughters. Ranald's Coin is worn showing one of its faces. During normal turns, you can choose which face you will be showing.
- The Gambler: A +20 bonus to up to two dice rolls affiliated with a chosen action.
- The Night Prowler: As long as you are outside of private property and within a town or city, nobody will question your presence and nobody will be able to find you if you do not wish them to. For non-human population centres, will work if it's not completely unknown for humans to be present, or if you are disguised as that species.
- The Deceiver: Lies you have developed beforehand will be delivered perfectly. The listener may believe you to be mistaken, but they will never believe that you are lying. Cannot be used to tell truths.
- The Protector: When you act in a way that defends an individual or group from a danger that you did not cause, they will become aware of what you have done and will believe you acted selflessly in doing so. Rule of thumb: if you have to explain why this might apply, it probably doesn't.
- The Father: Ranald's daughters, and Their followers, will recognize you as being worthy of trust and faith.
Candle of Cleansing Radiance: Enchanted with Boon of Hysh. Cures disease, purges poison, and heals injuries over a few minutes. Can be recharged by light, meditation, or prayer.
Dragonflask: Drink from to sneeze out a cone of fiery destruction. Recharge by pouring in something flammable and heating in a fire hot enough to melt lead for a day.
Armoured Robes: Robes enchanted with Aethyric Armour, integrating Helldrake scales as pauldrons and a piece of Crystal Mist as a brooch. The robe protects similarly to thick steel plate. It can be activated to cover the entire body with the effect and imbue tirelessness to the muscles for a variable and limited time; this requires about an hour's recharge before it can be used again.
Personal Wealth: 1,183 Stirland gold crowns.
Diplomacy: 17+2+1-1-1=18 - By approaching it through the study of words rather than the study of people, you're developing a solid grasp of diplomacy.
Martial: 17+2+2+1+1+1+1=25 - You're past the point of 'for a wizard'. You're skilled at combat by the standards of professional warriors.
Stewardship: 13+3+2+1=19 - You've developed an intuitive grasp of business, exchange and logistics.
Intrigue: 19+2+2+2+1+1=27 - You've developed a somewhat frightening understanding of how to disassemble all kinds of psyches.
Piety: 24+1+1=26 - Ranald has your back, and you have His.
Learning: 22+4+2+1=29 - The magical world makes more sense to you than the 'real' one.
Magic: 6+1+1+1=9 - You're reaching the limits of what is known to be possible with Ulgu and starting to venture into the unknown. Magic uses a different scale than the other stats; see the Spellbook threadmark for more information.
Warning: out of date
Dame Mathilde Weber
Code:
M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 5 4 4 5 3 5 3 8
Scout
Stubborn
Wizard (Level 1)
Equipment:
Branulhune (S10, dispels all positive ongoing spells and temporarily disables magical equipment of any targets hit)
Dwarven Revolver (S4, Armour Piercing, Quick to Fire, Extra Attack, Multiple Shots x3)
Enchanted Robes (5+ Armour Save)
Grounding Rod (may reroll miscasts)
Activated:
Seed of Regrowth - Four charges, activate to restore all wounds of Mathilde Weber or a unit in base-to-base contact. Will be used automatically if Mathilde Weber is slain, restoring them at the end of the next combat round. A Charge is restored when wiping out a unit, either by overrunning or wounds; this cannot take it above 4 charges.
Runic Belt
- First Rune: One use only. A hostile spell cast against Mathilde Weber or a unit she is in will be countered; the caster takes an automatic wound and cannot cast the same spell until they relearn it.
- Second Rune: +1T (already added to statline), any model that successfully wounds Mathilde Weber takes a hit at +2 to the Strength they hit with.
- Third Rune: Immune to fire.
Relevant Spells:
Aethyric Armour - Grants 4+ Armour Save
Bewilder - The target gains Stupidity. Short range, can be done instead of shooting.
Blessed Weapon - All attacks Mathilde performs count as Magical.
Dread Aspect - Grants Terror, once per turn deals 1d3 hits at 1d6 strength to an enemy character or unit at close range
Mockery of Death - if the target fails a Leadership roll, they are removed from the fight. Can only be done in combat instead of attacking.
Pall of Darkness - creates an area of shadow that blocks line of sight
Shadowsteed - Does not count as a Mount; instead grants Strider, increases Movement to 8 and grants +1S on a charge. If wounded, before armour save roll a d6; on a 4+ the wound is removed. if this happens twice in the same round, the Shadowsteed is removed.
Substance of Shadow - Grants Ethereal, can only be cast in darkness
Take No Heed - If in a unit, Mathilde Weber cannot be the target of attacks.
Armour Piercing: -1 to armour saves for wounds caused by this weapon.
Ethereal: Not slowed by terrain, non-magical attacks cannot wound them.
Extra Attack: Grants +1 attack when used as a weapon in close combat.
Fear: Units must pass a Leadership check to attack a Unit with Fear, otherwise they strike with WS1.
Quick to Fire: No penalty for shooting at a charging character or unit.
Scout: In the tabletop, this lets the model deploy outside the usual deployment zone. For this Quest, it will be handled narratively instead.
Strider: Can pass over any difficult terrain without trouble.
Stubborn: Does not get a penalty to Leadership for being outnumbered.
Stupidity: Must succeed on a Leadership roll or the character or unit does nothing but move forward slowly.
Terror: Units or characters charged must pass a Leadership roll or flee. Units that cause Terror also cause Fear.
Traits:
Grey Wizard: You have the ability and education to wield the winds of Ulgu, the grey magic of shadow and illusion.
Enchanter: You have a talent for taming the winds of magic and trapping them within objects. +10 bonus to rolls to learn or use enchanting skills.
Tool-Free Enchantment: You have learned a suite of specialized petty magics that allow you to replicate all the necessary parts of an enchantment workshop.
Windsage: Your magical senses are incredibly acute, and can track magical energies and discern emotions at a glance. +4 Learning, +1 Magic
Warrior of Fog: Appreciation of and focus on mastering the fickle fog of war. +2 martial. While in command, +10 bonus to scouting and moving forces unseen, +5 bonus to surprise attacks and ambushes. Unlocks creation of battlefield spells for revealing or concealing troop movements.
Avatar: You've had close encounters not only with your own God, but with others, and are growing able to recognize and understand divine energies. +1 Piety, +1 Learning, able to sense nearby divine intervention.
Familiar: A wolf named Wolf, a boy of exceptional goodness. Gifted to you by Ranald.
Link of Psyche: The ability to communicate complex thoughts and share mental resources with Wolf. +2 Stewardship, +2 Learning
Magic Power: Wolf is able to absorb magic in his own right, and a two-way link allows magical power to be transferred from him to you or vice versa. +1 Magic
Bureaucrat: Paperwork is no longer your enemy; it is now your weapon. +3 Stewardship, -1 Diplomacy.
Branarhune: You have invented an entirely new set of sword techniques that take advantage of the Rune of the Unknown, making most conventional defensive techniques useless against you. +1 Martial. When wielding Branulhune: martial skill of human-size opponents is not applied while they are defending, unless they know of Branarhune and either know of or are able to come up with countermeasures to it.
Brave: You can withstand terrors that make others flee. +1 Martial.
Disdain for Sigmar: Abelhelm Van Hal died abandoned by Sigmar. You intend to return the favour. +1 Piety due to renewed faith in other gods, will not let Sigmarism flourish in institutions she controls - penalty to institutional actions unless worship of another god is instituted.
Interrogator: You've seen what men are made of, and you've seen them unmade. +2 Intrigue, +1 Martial, -1 Diplomacy.
Master Swordswoman: You have blended sword techniques from the Empire and the Karaz Ankor into a style entirely your own, and tested it - and yourself - in battle. +2 Martial, +10 martial when fighting against enraged or unthinking opponents, or when holding a physical choke-point such as a doorway or tunnel.
Laconic: A great deal of effort has transformed your distaste for writing into a brutal efficiency in keeping your writing brief. +1 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship, +1 Martial, +1 Intrigue.
Polyglot: You've developed a tongue and an appreciation for languages, from the ephemeral poetry of Eltharin to the solid precision of Khazalid. +2 Diplomacy, languages are quicker to learn through study and absorb through immersion.
Unseen: Unless specifically on the lookout for magical infiltration, active defences are no obstacle to you. +2 Intrigue.
Dawongr: You have been named Dwarf-Friend, and will find a warm welcome in most Dwarfholds.
Knight: You have been Knighted by the Elector Count of Stirland, elevating you to nobility.
Lady Magister: You have attained the highest non-leadership rank in the College of Magic and have the right to study and perform magic under the Articles of Imperial Magic, as laid down by Magnus the Pious - including the formidable spells of Battle Magic.
Loremaster: Though no longer the Loremaster of Karak Eight Peaks, your current task means you are still a Loremaster of Karak Eight Peaks.
Shareholder: You are a principal shareholder in the Eastern Imperial Company.
Thane: You have led Dwarves into battle without bringing shame to them or yourself, so will forever retain the title of Thane.
Arcane Marks:
Flicker: Light seems uneasy in your presence. Lamps flicker, candlelight dims, and fires burn low around you.
Mantle of Mist: Visible vapours are drawn to you. Fog and mist makes it easier to hide; smoke and gases are rather less convenient. +1 Intrigue, potential trouble with any gas-based weapons.
Shrouded: Shadows you are in grow deeper and cling more tightly to you. +2 Intrigue.
Unnatural Shadow: Your shadow has a mind of its own, moving around to inspect its surroundings and coil around things and people it takes a liking to. This is, needless to say, very unnerving. Can be mostly quelled to seem normal to casual observers if focused on.
Skills: Learning a new skill usually increases the relevant base characteristic, and has narrative effects - a good roll with a weapon you're skilled at will have a better effect than the same roll with one you aren't.
Diplomacy: Xeno-Affinity: Basic and Advanced Diplomacy skills for non-Imperial cultures require 2/2 rather than 3/3.
Bretonnia (1/2)
Colleges of Magic, Advanced: You've worked with your fellow Wizard of the Eight Colleges of Altdorf on numerous occasions. +1 Diplomacy
Empire of Man: Though it took you a while, you've achieved a basic understanding of the many power structures within the Empire. +1 Diplomacy
Eonir of Laurelorn: You've lived amongst the Toriour and Faniour of Laurelorn, and learned something of their society. +1 Diplomacy
Eonir, Advanced (1/2)
Halflings: Through long acquaintance, and at least partly through the amount of time Wolf spends with them, you've acquired an easy familiarity with the Halflings of the Moot. +1 Diplomacy
Karaz Ankor, Advanced: You're more at home in the Karaz Ankor than the Empire you theoretically owe allegiance to. +2 Diplomacy
Kislev: You've developed a basic understanding of the northern realm of Kislev. +1 Diplomacy
Kurgan (1/2)
Skaven: You've developed an understanding of, and even a very cautious sympathy for, the beastmen held in the sway of the Horned Rat. +1 Diplomacy
Stirland: You were raised among the peasants of Stirland, and know their quirks and habits. +1 Diplomacy
Martial:
Fitness: Beneath your robes lies the muscle of a warrior rather than the soft flesh of a typical wizard. +2 Martial
Greatsword, Master: Your foundation of Empire Greatsword and Dwarven Gazulite techniques has been further honed by the research, training, and practice involved in your own invention of an entirely new style. +4 Martial
Pistols: You learned how to wield a sidearm from Outrider Champion and Marshal of Stirland, Gustav von Jungfreud. +1 Martial
Strategy: You know the basics of planning and executing a military campaign. +1 Martial
Strategy - Dwarf: You know the strategies of the Dawi. +5 to command and planning rolls while fighting or leading Dwarven armies.
Strategy - The Empire (1/3)
Strategy - Knights (1/3)
Strategy - Skaven: You know the strategies of the ratmen. +5 to command and planning rolls while fighting or leading Skaven armies.
Strategy - Undead: You know the strategies of the living dead. +5 to command and planning rolls while fighting or leading Undead armies.
Strategy - Wizards (1/3)
Tactics - Skaven: You know the tactics of the ratmen. +5 to command and reading the battlefield while fighting or leading Skaven units.
Tactics - Undead: You know the tactics of the living dead. +5 to command and reading the battlefield while fighting or leading Undead units.
Tactics: - Wizards (1/3)
Intrigue:
Assassination, Advanced: You know how to end a variety of forms of life with a single stab. +2 Intrigue
Infiltration, Advanced: It takes significant effort to make it even slightly difficult for you to enter somewhere. +3 Intrigue
Infiltration, Master (1/4)
Interrogation: You know how to extract information from those that don't wish to give it. +1 Intrigue
Interrogation, Advanced (1/3)
Psychological Warfare (2/3)
Scouting (2/3)
Stewardship:
Bookkeeping: You're skilled at constructing and deconstructing paper trails. +1 Stewardship
Economics: Your long relationship with the EIC has given you hard-won insights into the movement of goods and money. +1 Stewardship
Logistics (1/3)
Numismatics: You've picked up a thing or two about coinage itself.
Piety:
Ancestor Gods: You've grown to know and appreciate the Ancestor Gods of the Dwarves. +1 Piety
Chaos: You know how to avoid - or to invite - the attentions of the Chaos Gods, and of the curses and blessings they gift and inflict.
Gazul (1/3)
Kislev Pantheon (1/3)
Morr: You didn't earn the secrets you know of His, but the mighty blows you've struck against the Necromancers and Vampires of Sylvania hopefully go some way to easing how awkward it might be when you finally meet Him.
Old World Pantheon (Northern) (1/3) (Taal, Rhya, Manann, Ulric)
Old World Pantheon (Southern): Having grown up in Stirland and then Altdorf, you've known of the more civilized Gods of the Old World for most of your life: Morr, Verena, Myrmidia, Shallya, and Ranald. You also know of the minor Gods of the southern provinces.
Transcendent Ranald: Your relationship with Ranald is not one of temples and priests. He is your oldest and most annoying friend.
Sigmar (2/3)
Ulric (1/3)
Learning:
Advanced Morrite Lore: You know the secrets no Priest of Morr should have ever put to paper. +1 Learning
Bibliothecography (2/3)
History (Old World) (2/3)
Linguistics: You've gone beyond a mere knowledge of languages and are developing an understanding of language itself. +1 Learning
Linguistics, Advanced (1/3)
Undead Lore: Working in Stirland under the Witch Hunter Abelhelm van Hal gave you many opportunities to learn to study the eternal enemy of Stirland: the restless dead. +1 Learning
Von Carstein Lore: You have received a glimpse into the founder of the bloodline long before he took up the name of von Carstein.
Languages:
Reikspiel
Old Reikspiel
Lingua Praestantia
Tar-Eltharin
Khazalid
Written Queekish (missing magical vocabulary)
Low Queekish
Magic:
Enchantment: Able to enchant objects with Fiendishly Complex spells and below.
Powerstones: Able to perform the slow and exhausting process of folding a strand of Wind into a powerstone.
Ritual: Able to perform rituals, and attempting to invent entirely new ones.
Runecraft: You know the eclectic variety of runes and symbols used by the Colleges to improve their enchantments, and a lot of the theory behind them. +1 Learning.
Turning: Capable of creating staffs that can strengthen a wizard's ability to wield their Wind.
Waystones and Henges: You know the basics of how the Waystone network functions, how to recognize problems in it, and the simplest of the commands to resolve those problems.
Windherder: You've developed an intuitive grasp of how Winds interact, when they'll interfere with each other, and when they'll mix and curdle into Dhar. Makes basic multi-Wind Enchantment and Spellcasting possible, as long as other Wizards provide the other Winds.
Necromantic Insight: +20 to dispel and induce miscasts against Necromancy. Able to identify (and cast) the spells of Necromancy.
Waaaghbane: +20 to attempts to dispel and induce miscasts against any Little or Big Waaagh spells. -20 for greenskins to attempt the same to you.
Fated: +20 to spellcasting in the presence of Tzeentchian sorcery, ??? when spellcasting in the presence of Tzeentchian sorcery.
Dhar manipulation: You know the theory behind using another Wind to manipulate Dhar. Dhar diagnosis: You know how to spot Dhar poisoning, gauge its severity, and temporarily reduce the severity of some of its symptoms. Dhar insight: You've observed Dhar in so many different contexts that you've reached a deep understanding of it without ever wielding it. +10 to studying or countering Dhar-based magics, +20 to wielding Dhar.
First Secret of Dhar: Dhar is inherently unstable, everyone knows that. What they don't know is how to turn Dhar against itself. You do. And now you'll never not know it.
Second Secret of Dhar: Dhar could be made more unstable. A tiny nudge in just the right way and Dhar unravels in just the right way to unravel more Dhar, and so on until nothing remains.
Known Spells: see the threadmark 'Spellbook of Grey Magic'.
The Penthouse is the uppermost room of Karag Nar, formerly inhabited by the Black Orc Warboss of the Broken Toof Tribe.
White Tower:
Room of Utter Neutrality: A room with absolutely no ambient magic whatsoever, perfect for close examination of magical phenomena. +20 to investigating magical phenomena, +10 to investigating anything else for Mathilde or anyone with similarly developed Magesight. +10 to investigating magical phenomena to anyone with less developed Magesight. No bonus for anyone without it.
Room of Serenity: An extremely comfortable room that removes all distractions and allows one to concentrate fully on a given task. Allows 1 paper to be written or cowritten per turn for no action expenditure.
Room of Calamity: A research laboratory in which one is never further than arm's reach from a button that will flush all magical energies from the room within three heartbeats.
Grey Tower:
Room of Dawn and Dusk: +20 bonus to Ulgu enchantment, rituals, spell learning, spell making, and power stone creation within the tower.
Wellspring of Ulgu: Stores a great deal of Ulgu for powering the Eye of Gazul, Mathilde's spells, or any other purpose it can be turned to.
Eye of Gazul: Burns enemies under Karag Nar's shadow with the anti-fire of the Dwarven underworld. Can be operated by a Grey Wizard, or by anyone else using a console with preprogrammed target signatures.
Current signatures: Greenskins, Ogres, Beastmen, Undead, Daemon (one signature for each Chaos God), Skaven
Red Tower:
Creates a floating, burning sphere to project a shadow for the Eye of Gazul at night.
Blue Tower:
Stores and fires electricity that will seek out anything not already grounded on Karag Nar.
Clears away any clouds obstructing the Eye of Gazul.
Green Tower:
Greenhouse: Allows for controlled environments for the study of flora and fungi, as well as year-round access to fresh fruit.
Purple Tower:
Basic Shyish Battery
Yellow Tower:
Basic Chamon Battery
Brown Tower:
Basic Ghur Battery
Beige Tower:
Basic Hysh Battery
Trophies:
Flensed skull of the 'Singing King', a Strigoi Vampire that ruled over an army of ghouls encountered during the Purge of the Haunted Hills, slain by you, Kasmir, and Abelhelm.
Flensed skull of Alkharad, a Necrarch Vampire who was operating a necromancer college in Teufelheim and trying to assassinate Elector Countess Roswita Van Hal.
Flensed skull of a Bretonnian Blood Dragon, one of the dozens who infested Tempelhof before a tidal wave of Battle Wizards arrived.
Flensed skull of the Ghoul King Druthor, a Strigoi Vampire that had taken up resident in the ruins of Castle Drakenhof.
Flensed skull of a varghulf that was part of the court of Druthor.
Gargoyle head taken from the wreckage of Castle Drakenhof.
Bosspole of the Broken Toof Tribe and Red Fang Tribe.
Banners of the Broken Toof Tribe, Crooked Moon Tribe, and Red Fang Tribe.
Banners of Clan Moulder, Clan Mors, Clan Eshin, and Clan Skryre.
Mask of Warboss Birdmuncha, still uncomfortably cold to the touch.
Banner of Seventh-and-Final-Combe, Clan Moulder's forward base against Zharr-Naggrund.
Mementos and Keepsakes:
Abelhelm's spare witch-hunter hat.
Your published paper on Mathilde's Mystical Matrix.
Note of thanks from the Imperial Palace for your impressive showing during security testing, signed by the Emperor himself.
The memoirs of Asarnil the Dragonlord.
A dragon-skull chair, ensconced within your Library.
A tiny onyx raven, the symbol of Nagarythe. You may call that bleak land your home for ninety-nine days, and join the Shadow Warriors in their eternal war.
A small metal trinket stolen from a Skaven Warlock-Engineer, consisting of five metal balls hanging from metal wires. When one is pulled back and released, they bounce back and forth for a surprisingly long time.
An ancient gold coin minted during the reign of Gotrek Starbreaker, retrieved from the Treasure Vaults of Karag Zilfin.
A pendant containing a polished piece of lodestone, mined at the Barrows during a festival to Grungni.
A wooden statue of yourself, carved by a settler of the Hunter's Hills as a ward against the Undead.
A painting of the August Order of the Ducklings, depicting yourself, Johann, Max, Panoramia, Hubert, Gretel, and Adela.
A silver bar, the last unspent piece of your haul from the gambling hustle at the start of the campaign within Karak Eight Peaks.
The first prototype of the Portentiv.
Treasures:
Complete collection of Strygosi coins
Complete collection of Tylosian coins
Complete collection of Nehekharan coins of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Dynasties
Magical components and artefacts:
The original Liber Mortis.
Horn of a Storm Dragon.
The lower half of an Ulgu-wielding Branchwraith.
1 Ulgu Power Stone ('Crystal Mist')
Eight Orbs of Sorcery
Ranald's Coin (note from Ranald: don't)
Vampire skulls
Branulhune - investigate the odd flash when it is desummoned underwater
The Vampire Prophecies of W'Soran
Vlad von Carstein's study notes of the Carstein Ring
Kurgan Shrine to Mannslieb
Kurgan enchanted weapons (approx. 12)
Note: Fresh and Refreshed papers confer a +10 bonus; faded ones a -10 malus.
Papers get one step less 'fresh' each turn: Fresh; Fading; Mostly Faded: Faded. Only the first and last have an effect on the diceroll.
Seviroscope (large, based on glass and alchemical inks) (TIMELESS)
Seviroscope (medium, based on the Portativ organ and Wind-sensitive metals (TIMELESS)
Coins of Nehekhara's Fifth Dynasty (TIMELESS)
You can literally write the book on a topic for the same amount of effort as two papers; this can be split over multiple turns. You don't need to have all the pieces to do so, but it would be more efficient and impressive if you did.
Branarhune
The Currency of Strygos
The Currency of Tylos
Coins of Nehekhara's Fourth Dynasty
Coins of Nehekhara's Sixth Dynasty
Influence:
College Reputation: 234
College Favours: 14
Great Deeds:
Thorough destruction of the Teufelheim College of Necromancy - redeemed for the creation of WEB-MAT.
Creation and publication of a translation guide for Queekish.
Dwarven Boons:
Karak Vlag (Transcendent): They know irrefutably that you risked your soul to tear theirs from the grasp of Hell.
Karaz-a-Karak (Minor) / Runesmiths Guild (Moderate): You gave Kragg the Grim an opportunity to begin reverse-engineering several ancient Runes.
Pending Dwarf Favours: Rune-axe taken from Druchii guest of Clan Moulder (split credit with Johann)
Pending Dwarf Favours: Rakilid un Thaggorhun
Pending College Favours: Salamanders at the Altdorf Zoo, Anti-Waaagh Lectures
Long-term pending: Economic & Strategic Benefits of K8P, Mathilde's MAPP Note: Reputation is the rating, favours is the currency. For details, see the Collection of Important Information threadmark.
Mathilde's Mystical Matrix: A means of holding a spell in stasis inside a living creature. It is limited in that it can only contain spells that would normally be cast on someone else, and can't be used on Wizards or magical creatures, but it takes only an hour to set up and requires no instruments or ingredients. It was adapted from a similar mechanism used by Sylvanian necromancers to work with Ulgu instead; the Amber and Jade Orders have attempted to adapt it to their Winds.
Mathilde's Multidimensional Aethyric Projection: The 'MAP' provides a visual medium for depicting any low-resolution two or three dimensional shape the caster can picture. Long-lasting, easy to sustain, able to be edited on the fly, and simple enough that it is likely to be convertible into other Winds.
Aethyric Vitae: When the energy of the warp goes straight from the unreality of the Warp to an area where reality is largely uncompromised, instead of disintegrating into the Winds it condenses into a liquid. It can be converted to more conventional energies with the exposure of any of the Winds to break it into large and equal amounts of all eight Winds, or can be converted entirely into Dhar by exposure to Morrslieb or Warpstone. Currently, the only known source is a Wisdom's Asp caught inside a mirror-trap box under unknown but very unlikely circumstances.
Papers and books written and contributed to:
Ulgu/Spell/Other: Mathilde's Mystical Matrix, by J. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2476.
Observations on Runecraft During The Expedition To Karak Eight Peaks, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), J. Esbern (Amber) & J. Seija (Amber), J. Panoramia (Jade), 2478.
Deployment of an 'Anvil Of Doom' During The Battle Of Karag Nar, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), J. Panoramia (Jade), J. Esbern (Amber) & J. Seija (Amber), 2478.
Dragon Ogres and Volcanic Lightning, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), J. Esbern (Amber) & J. Seija (Amber), 2478.
Preliminary Observations on the Eusocial Cave Spider, by J. Esbern (Amber) & J. Seija (Amber), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2479.
Ulgu/Spell/Simple: Mathilde's Multidimensional Aethyric Projection, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2480.
A Full and Accurate Census of All Varieties of Undead within the Hunter's Hills, 2476, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), E.C. Abelhelm Van Hal (Templar) (S·T·T·L), J. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), 2480.
The Properties Of and Countermeasures To an Observed Suite of Necrarch Control and Enhancement Spells, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), E.C. Roswita Van Hal (Templar), 2481.
Sevir/Spell/Lesser: Mathilde's Multidimensional Aethyric Polysevirric Projection, by L.M. Olenus (Bright), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2481.
Waaagh and Peace: Efficient Solutions to Greenskin Magic, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), 2481.
Lectures on Waaagh and Peace, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey) at Magnus Hall, University of Altdorf, Pflugzeit-Sigmarzeit 2482.
Observations on a Necrarch's Extreme-Range Real-Time Interaction Ability, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2482.
The Clan Eshin Perspective of the Third Skaven Civil War, by M. Grey (Grey), 2482. Anatomy of the Fire Dwarves of Zharr-Naggrund, by M. Grey (Grey), J. Gold (Gold), 2482.
Rakilid un Thaggorhun, 2483.
A Novel Species of Psalliota Found Cultivated by the Night Goblins of Karak Eight Peaks, by J. Panoramia (Jade), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2483.
Chemical Properties and Possible Applications of the Autoignitive Saliva of the Lustrian Salamander, by L.M. Stanisława Skłodowicz (Gold), M. Hans Scheunacht (Bright), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2483.
Internal Mechanisms of the Ratling Gun, and How to Foil Them, by M. Grey (Grey), M. Gold (Gold), 2483.
Winning the War Below, 2483.
An Eyewitness Account of a Distinct and Hitherto Unknown Variety of Skaven Sorcery, 2483. Queekish, 2483.
Araneae Sapiens, by M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), We (Karak Eight Peaks), M. Esbern (Amber) & M. Seija (Amber), M. Johann (Gold), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), Priestess Fidelia (Esmerelda), Loremaster ɧæð (Karak Hirn), 2484.
The Neglected Front: Economic Warfare against the Vampiric Bloodlines, by E.C. Roswita Van Hal (Templar), E.C. Abelhelm Van Hal (Templar) (S·T·T·L), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), Chaplain Kasmir Heinz (Stirland), Steward Rodebrecht Brennen (Stirland), 2484.
A Method of Creating a Bright and Even Light with Azyrric Energy, by J. Adela Burgstaller (Bright), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Hubert Denzel (Celestial), 2485.
Observations on Warp Lightning, by J. Adela Burgstaller (Bright), M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2485.
The Return of Karak Vlag, 2486.
Karag Dum: the Third Schism of the Karaz Ankor, including Observations on the Shadowgave, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), Thane Borek Forkbeard (Karag Dum), Prince Asarnil (Caledor), L.M.(E). Ljiljana (H.L.V.), Head Ranger Snorri Farstrider (Karak Kadrin), Head Engineer Gotrek Gurnisson (S·T·T·L), Preceptor Joerg von Zavstra (K. Taal's Fury), Sir Ruprecht Wulfhart the Younger (Ulrikadrin), M. Egrimm van Horstmann (Light), M. Esbern (Amber) & M. Seija (Amber), M. Johann (Gold), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), M. Michel Solmann (Celestial), J. Alexandra Kohler (Bright), J. Barbitus (Light), J. Citharus (Light), J. Cyrston von Danling (Jade), J. Timpania (Light), J. Hubert Denzel (Celestial), 2487. The Loathsome Chaos Dwarves and All Their Vile Kin, by L. Quirin Waramunt (UAlt), 2487.
Observations on the Borderlands of Chaos, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), M. Egrimm van Horstmann (Light), M. Esbern (Amber) & M. Seija (Amber), M. Johann (Gold), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), M. Michel Solmann (Celestial), J. Alexandra Kohler (Bright), J. Barbitus (Light), J. Citharus (Light), J. Cyrston von Danling (Jade), J. Timpania (Light), J. Hubert Denzel (Celestial), 2487.
Observations on a Golden Prosthetic Talon of Unknown Origin, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), L.M. Egrimm van Horstmann (Light), M. Johann (Gold), 2488.
The Function of Glandulae Renibus Incumbents, by M. Margarete Schluchtbuck (Amethyst), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Gretel Maurer (Amethyst), 2488.
A Treatise on the Vanquishment of Dharic Lightning, by M. Gold (Gold), M.P. Gold (Gold), L.M. Grey (Grey), 2488
A Novel Treatment for Croup and Anhelitus, by Dr. Eduard Gladston (GPhAlt, UAlt) A. Gotthard Widenhoft (GPhAlt, UAlt), A. Ulthvas Daubler (GPhAlt, UAlt), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), M. Margarete Schluchtbuck (Amethyst), J. Gretel Maurer (Amethyst), 2488.
A New Perspective on Ghyranic Faith, by J. Panoramia (Jade), Cython (Hysh), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2489.
Observations on Waaagh Phenomena During the Karak Eight Peaks Expedition, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), A. Eike Hochschild (Grey), M. Johann (Gold), M. Esbern (Amber) & M. Seija (Amber), J. Panoramia (Jade), 2489.
Firearm Breech Design with an Eye to Safety and Reliability, by M. Daegal (Gold), M.P. Manning Feldmann (Gold), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Christa Feldmann (Gold), 2489. Thaumomycology, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), J. Panoramia (Jade), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), 2489.
A Compendium of Terrain Obstacles, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), Sky-Thane Gotri Stoneheart (Karak Eight Peaks), Runelord Kragg Thungnisson (Karaz-a-Karak), Runelord Thorek Ironbrow (Karak Azul), Steward Francesco Caravello (Karak Eight Peaks), General Soizic (Karak Eight Peaks), Chancellor Oswald Oswaldson (I.G.S.(KN)), 2489.
Ulgu/Spell/Battle: Rite of Way, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2490.
Faultlines in the Greenskin Continuum, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2490.
Chamon/Enchantment/Altar: Sylphic Wrath, by L.M. Eldrick (Gold), M.P. Manning Feldmann (Gold), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), 2490.
Observations on the Windfall on the Road of Skulls, by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), L.M. Egrimm van Horstmann (Light), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), J. Barbitus (Light), J. Citharus (Light), J. Timpania (Light), A. Eike Hochschild (Grey), 2490.
The Pharological Perspective on Recursion in Elven Enchantment, by L.M. Elrisse (Light), L.M. Egrimm van Horstmann (Light), M.M. Mira (Light), L.M. Stephen (Light), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), et alia, 2491.
The Agrological Perspective on Recursion in Elven Enchantment, by M. Tochter Grunfeld (Jade), L.M. Arburg (Jade), M. Cyrston von Danling (Jade), M. Dieter Vogt (Jade), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), et alia, 2491.
Polyphenic Theories of Lizardmen Society, by Lathruai of Chrace (S·T·T·L), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), Borek (Grimnir), Head Engineer Gotrek Gurnisson (S·T·T·L), 2491.
Linguistic Deviation in Southlands Lizardmen Runes, by Lathruai of Chrace (S·T·T·L), L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), M. Maximilian de Gaynesford (Gold), Borek (Grimnir), Head Engineer Gotrek Gurnisson (S·T·T·L), 2491.
Egrimm van Horstmann, Lord Magister of the Light Order
Diplomacy: 19 - Charming when he wants to be, slightly less so when he indulges in pathos.
Martial: 26 - Egrimm has spent many unhappy years being thrown at just about everything that goes bump in the night.
Learning: 23 - Egrimm has a sharp mind and a wide knowledge of a great deal of obscure magical phenomena.
Enchanter: Egrimm has a pronounced knack for all sorts of enchantment.
Pathos: Egrimm is perhaps a bit too eager to recount his wrongs.
Johann, Magister of the Gold Order Updated Turn 42
> Johann is ambitious and strong-willed and equally useful in the laboratory and the battlefield. The Gold Order may look down on him for his limitations, but you respect him all the more for overcoming them.
< You're trustworthy and reliable, and that's what matters. Sure, you make things more complicated than they need to be, but everyone needs a hobby.
Armament: Handgun, Staff of Steel
Speciality: Fisticuffs
Mission: To become the best version of himself.
Faith: Grungni, Valaya, and Grimnir
Diplomacy: 23 - Johann is naturally likeable and gets along with most beings.
Martial: 24 - This may have gotten out of hand.
Stewardship: 15 - Some might call gilding your body 'ludicrously expensive'. Johann considers it an investment.
Intrigue: 20 - When most of your body is gold, you learn not to draw attention.
Piety: 15 - An ill-advised spell gave him a glimpse of the Ancestor Gods in their prime, converting him on the spot.
Learning: 19 - Johann has learned to work around his mental blocks and inflexible magic.
Magic: 7 - Johann has a natural gift for elemental Chamon.
Blind: After successive failed gildings, Johann's eyes have been destroyed beyond all possibility of repair.
Dawongr: Johann has always gotten along well with Dwarves, but has recently gone a step further into engaging with their culture.
Gilded: Johann's skin from the neck down is made of gold, as are some of his internal organs.
Guest of Tor Lithanel: Through his friendship with Kadoh, Johann has become an unexpectedly accepted part of Laurelorn society.
Inflexible Magic: While his magic excels at a handful of tasks, some have proven to be completely out of his reach.
Magnetoreception: Johann has developed keen magical senses, especially when it comes to metals.
Martial Artist: Combining the martial tutelage of both Dwarves and Elves with limbs infused with Chamon has made Johann an extremely effective unarmed combatant.
Packmaster: Johann is the proud father of five surprisingly friendly and gentle wolf-rats: Charyb, Deiamol, Tigris, Elthin, and Verdra.
Royal Boon (Moderate): For their part in the Karak Eight Peaks campaign, they have earned a boon they have yet to call in.
Silence
Aethyric Armour
Magic Missile
Breach the Unknown: Unlocks all secrets of an object, from material composition to its properties, including that of magical items.
Fault of Form: A single weapon temporarily becomes less suited to combat; any inherent flaws, unreliability or dangers are greatly increased.
Guard of Steel: Shimmering orbs of steel orbit and protect the caster for several minutes.
Law of Gold: Temporarily suppresses the abilities of a magical item.
Rigidity of Body and Mind: You gain resistance to mental and physical damage for several minutes, but find it harder to change your mind during this time.
Searing Doom: A spray of molten silver is fired from the hand, punching effortlessly through any armour in its path.
Tale of Metal: By touching a metal object, you can see the circumstances of its creation as if you were there.
Trial and Error: Magically guide the actions of allies near you, giving them a reroll.
Maximilian de Gaynesford, Magister of the Gold Order
> Maximilian is an exceedingly useful Wizard to have around, which makes you more than happy to put up with his foibles.
< Maximilian has accepted you as his superior in rank, ability, and knowledge, and is happy to be along for the ride.
Armament: None but magic; carries a crossbow as an affectation.
Speciality: Craftsman
Mission: To combine Dwarven crafting techniques with the spells of Chamon to achieve 'true transmutation'.
Faith: Agnostic
Languages: Reikspiel, Lingua Praestantia, Khazalid, written Queekish.
Diplomacy: 7 - While Maximilian is not unlikeable, he is prone to dramatics and petty feuds.
Martial: 14 - While relatively inexperienced in battle, he is rather dangerous with his Silver Arrows.
Stewardship: 15 - The Gold Order has no objection to profit, and Maximilian is no exception.
Intrigue: ???
Piety: ???
Learning: 18 - What he lacks in imagination he makes up for in logic and perseverance.
Magic: 5 - Maximilian is adept at tapping into the mystical aspects of Chamon.
Amanuensis: Maximilian is developing his ability to turn another's insights into the formal language of scholarship.
Blacksmith: Maximilian is developing into quite the blacksmith under Dwarven tutelage.
Dawongrish: While not quite a full Dwarf-friend, he has learned their language and how to get along with them.
Patient: Maximilian is quite resistant to boredom, and is able to keep his attention focused on a single task for weeks or even months at a time.
Royal Boon (Moderate): For their part in the Karak Eight Peaks campaign, they have earned a boon they have yet to call in.
Silver Bolts: Maximillian is a skilled marksman with a high rate of fire when using his crossbow prop to fire Silver Arrows.
Glowing Light
Aethyric Armour
Dispel
Magic Lock
Sleep
Armour of Lead: A group of enemies' armor becomes heavy as lead, giving penalties to combat and movement.
Enchant Item: For an hour, the item this is cast upon is supernaturally better at performing its intended purpose.
Guard of Steel: Shimmering orbs of steel orbit and protect the caster for several minutes.
Law of Form: At a touch, gives a solid, inanimate object the strength and rigidity of steel for several minutes.
Law of Logic: Careful thought gives a significant bonus to a single task, performed either by the caster or someone else. Long casting time.
Silver Arrows of Arha: Creates and fires silver arrows with supernatural accuracy.
Stoke the Forge: Causes a fire to burn as hotly as naturally possible and without consuming fuel for up to an hour.
Tochter Grunfeld, Magister of the Order of Life
Diplomacy: 16 - Tochter speaks carefully and with respect.
Learning: 18 - Tochter has a knack for balancing the logical and mystical elements of Wizardry.
Druid - Tochter is a member of the traditionalist faction within the Jade Order that seeks to maintain their traditions and reconnect to their lost roots.
Ritualist - Tochter is an expert on the creation and use of rituals, especially those connected to growth, nature, and the seasons.
Other Currently Important Characters
Wilhelmina Hochschild, Founder, Shareholder and Governor of the Eastern Imperial Company
> Wilhelmina is a good person at heart, but worryingly intense about trade. You don't know how much further she'd go if she didn't have you watching over her shoulder.
< Wilhelmina has reached the impression that you're going to bend the world to your will and wants to be in a position to benefit from that as much as possible.
Stewardship: 19 - Wilhelmina's carefully guards her reach so that it stays at exactly the limit of her grasp, and pushes the latter forward a little more each day.
Wilhelmina knew Abelhelm since he was a teenager, and served as the paymaster and handled the logistics for his war against the undead for fifteen years. When he was elevated to nobility, she was the only one of his councillors he picked himself, and faithfully provided for the Crusade into Sylvania that he paid for with his life.
With Abelhelm dead and her sons proven to be more interested in immediate wealth than long-term investment, the closest thing she has left to a moral compass are her only remaining friends: Anton and Mathilde.
Known Traits:
Ambitious: Wilhelmina sees a future of wealth and power and is clawing her way towards it.
Short and Strong: Wilhelmina is a compact but intimidating woman.
Pistolier: Wilhelmina is never seen without at least four pistols on her person. Recently she's replaced them with Dwarven revolvers.
Anti-Sigmarite: Wilhelmina has a deeply-held belief that the Sigmarites as they exist today do more harm to the Empire than good.
Baron Anton Kiesinger II of Blutdorf
> Anton is sweet, innocent, and consistently thrives in situations that should chew him up. You don't know if he's incredibly lucky or just possessed of a very narrow set of hypercompetences.
< Anton trusts you implicitly and has pretty much adopted you as his little sister.
Since he was a teenager, Anton was the diplomat of Stirland, both during the days of the Haupt-Anderssens and under Abelhelm Van Hal. His lack of political savvy is matched only by how likeable he is, and his success as the Chancellor of Stirland is entirely due to how much of a threat he isn't, to anybody. The closest he gets to a dark side is being willing to help his father try to talk Van Hal into buying a bunch of guns from Wissenland so that his family can profit off the increased trade, and if anywhere needs a whole lot of guns, it's Stirland. Not long after he quit the Council in protest at your dismissal, his father stepped down to enjoy his twilight years and made Anton the Baron.
Known Traits:
Content: After resolving only to marry for love, Anton has found his life no worse for a lack of marriage, and is content for it to remain that way.
Very Gregarious: Anton is naturally gifted at moving within any social circle he finds himself in.
Honest: Anton isn't a terrible liar, because he never lies. But he is terrible at identifying lies, because the possibility never occurs to him.
Kind: Anton is a genuinely good person.
Nobility: Anton is the the Baron of Blutdorf.
Elector Countess Roswita Van Hal
Armament: Falchion, boarding axe
> She fired you. You've learned why and don't like it but do understand it. She's the daughter of the man you... cared for. She's doing the best she can. It's complicated.
< So that's why Magnus the Pious thought it was the worth the risk. No wonder Da spoke so highly of her.
Affinity for Wizards: Despite her lingering phobia, Roswita has proven unusually good at managing Battle Wizards.
Hyper-Focused: Roswita's sole goal is the extermination of necromancers and vampires in Sylvania.
Magic Phobia: Despite knowing better, Roswita has a niggling fear that the presence of a Wizard is an enormous and constant danger.
Marine: Roswita has been tutored in the combat style of the Barak Varr Marines.
Proud: Roswita does her utmost to act in a manner befitting an Elector Countess at all times.
Rudiger von Bechafen, aka The Hochlander
Armament: Hochland Long Rifle, Woodsman's Axe
Equipment: Nightrider Saddle (Shadowsteed/Clarity)
Linguist
Marksman
Straightforward
Stunted Magic: Is capable of casting Petty and Lesser spells.
Witch Hunter contacts
Wolf, Familiar of Magister Mathilde Weber
Species: Wolf or wolf-like dog
Personality: Outgoing, show-off
Equipment: Collar of Move
Friend to Halflings: Wolf spends much of his time playing with the children of the Halflings, who have grown quite fond of him.
Leader: Wolf is the head of an unusual pack, consisting of Johann's wolf-rats and Qrech's spaniel, Skufit.
Link of Psyche: Wolf is able to call upon Mathilde's mental faculties for problem-solving or understanding languages, as well as communicate remotely.
Magic Power: A two-way flow of magic between Master and Familiar empowers spellcasting.
Verbal: Wolf has learned to speak Lingua Praestantia, the language of the Colleges of Magic.
Borek Forkbeard, Leader of the Karag Dum Expedition and Envoy of Karag Dum, commands the Alriksson.
Clan Grimnar: This Dwarf is a member of the Royal Clan of Karag Dum.
Driven: Borek was sent by Karag Dum to seek reinforcements almost two centuries ago, and will stop at nothing to finally succeed.
Greatbeard: Having passed the age of 200, this Dwarf is considered a voice of authority in both their Clan and their Craft.
Gotrek Gurnisson, Head Engineer of the Karag Dum Expedition, commands the mother-ship Urmskaladrak.
Clanless: This Dwarf is a member of no recognized Clan, which is a cause for distrust for many conservative Dwarves.
Fullbeard: Having passed the age of 70, this Dwarf is considered ready to become a Master at their chosen profession and take Apprentices of their own.
Renowned: Gotrek is well-known for his engineering prowess, enough so that he remains affiliated with the Zhufbar Engineers Guild after cutting ties with his Clan.
Snorri Farstrider, Head Ranger of the Karag Dum Expedition, commands the Alexis.
Clan Redbeard: This Dwarf is a member of Karak Kadrin's Ranger Clan that watches over the northernmost extent of the World's Edge Mountains.
Daemonslayer: Snorri has met the Daemons of Chaos in battle and struck them down like a seasoned veteran.
Fullbeard: Having passed the age of 70, this Dwarf is considered ready to become a Master at their chosen profession and take Apprentices of their own.
Renowned: Snorri is well-known for his abilities to navigate the surface world, an affinity that is looked down upon by some.
Sir Joerg von Zavstra, Preceptor of the Knights of Taal's Fury, commands the Magnus.
Anointed: Joerg is capable of using the Divine Magic of Taal.
Mystic: Even among Knights dedicated to Him, Joerg is extremely knowledgeable of the mysteries of Taal.
Quiet: Unless the topic is beasts or battle, Joerg rarely has much to say.
Sir Ruprecht Wulfhart the Younger, Knight of the Winter Wolves, commands the Kriestov.
Ambitious: Ruprecht is eager to prove that he owes his position to more than nepotism.
Micromanager: Ruprecht has shown a predilection for closely managing those under him.
Savvy: Ruprecht has a decent grasp of the geopolitics of the Old World.
Magister Egrimm van Horstmann, with Journeyman Citharus, Journeyman Barbitus, and Journeywoman Timpania, of the Order of Light
Spells: Shem's Burning Gaze, Banish, Daemonbane, Ill-bane, Light's Demand, Pillar of Radiance, Radiant Gaze
Daemonslayer: Egrimm and the trio of Journeymen acting as his Choir slew a higher Daemon with a bolt of Hysh.
Battle-Hardened: Citharus and Timpania are exuberant after their first taste of battle, and are looking forward to the next.
Magister Michel Solmann of the Celestial College
Spells: Lightning Bolt, Clear Sky, Wind Blast, Lightning Storm
Journeyman Cyrston von Danling of the Order of Life
Spells: Leaf Fall, Spring Bloom, Summer Heat, Winter Frost, River's Whisper, Ferment
Explorer: Cyrston thirsts to see the wonders of the world.
Seasonal Attunement: Cyrston's magic waxes and wanes with the seasons.
Journeywoman Alexandra Kohler of the Bright Order
Spells: Curtain of Flame, Fiery Blast, Fire Ball, Inextinguishable Flame, Ruin and Destruction
Battle-Hardened: After having tasted battle against the forces of Chaos multiple times, Alexandra has discovered she has a taste and a knack for it.
(K8P information under the individual Councillors was accurate as of 2486)
Ruler and Council of Karak Eight Peaks
King Belegar Ironhammer, King of Karak Eight Peaks
Armament: The Hammer of Angrund (aka the Ironhammer), the Shield of Defiance, the Crown of the Silver Depths
> King Belegar embodies everything you like about the Dwarves and very little of what infuriates you about them.
< He believes that without you, Karak Eight Peaks would be a pyrrhic symbol of vengeance instead of a reborn home for his people.
Diplomacy: 14 - Belegar is skilled at using actions to inspire others.
Martial: 20 - Belegar is developing into a general and warrior that will be spoken of for generations.
Stewardship: 20 - Belegar's grasp of logistics, rationing, and quid pro quo is shockingly astute.
Intrigue: 14 - Belegar is one of the canniest leaders you're likely to find in the Karaz Ankor. Which isn't saying much, but it's a start.
Piety: 8 - Belegar was never particular close to the Ancestors, but he thinks he knows who has failed them.
Learning: 14 - Belegar has a sharp mind, but has spent his life focused on reclaiming his birthright rather than developing his intelligence.
Animosity - Thorgrim Grudgebearer: Though he's savvy enough to keep it to himself, King Belegar's dissatisfaction with the state of the Karaz Ankor has crystallized as a growing hatred for the High King himself.
Clan Angrund: This Dwarf is of the Royal Clan of Karak Eight Peaks.
Duellist: Belegar is more skilled in one-on-one combat than in commanding an army.
Fullbeard: Having passed the age of 70, this Dwarf is considered ready to become a Master at their chosen profession and take Apprentices of their own.
Goraki: Most Dwarves consider Ranger tactics - ambushes, trickery, assassinations and sabotage - to be distasteful. This Dwarf has embraced them.
Realpolitik: This Dwarf has learned that lies are just one more weapon in the war for his people's survival.
Prince Kazrik, Diplomat of Karak Eight Peaks
> Prince Kazrik has blossomed as the Diplomat of Karak Eight Peaks, and has shown an ability to persuade men and Dwarves alike.
< Karak Azul has been isolated since before the birth of Sigmar. To him, humans are a strange and exotic species that he never expected to actually meet. And Wizards are the most exotic of all.
Diplomacy: 19
Diplomatic Relations:
Barak Varr: Eight Peaks has already enriched Barak Varr greatly, both from being the primary trade partner of Eight Peaks and Karak Azul, and from allowing greater trade with the distant East.
Karak Azul: Between opening up the world to them and empowering their beloved King's heir, Karak Azul can be considered the strongest of allies.
Karak Hirn: The current heir was on the Expedition, and earned enough glory on it to clear... whatever murky drama there was surrounding him.
Karak Izor: They were one of the biggest backers of the Expedition and Princess Edda now sits on the council.
Karak Kadrin: The Slayer Hold approves more of King Belegar's deeds than they disapprove of his priorities.
Karaz-a-Karak: The rift between Karak Eight Peaks and Karaz-a-Karak never formally existed, but the Okral is intended to be a statement that it no longer even unofficially exists.
Nuln: Saving the life of an Elector Count during a botched attack on a Skaven under-city isn't typically how diplomats operate, but it definitely worked here.
The Empire: Though occupied with internal matters, King Belegar has made a point of showing generosity to those few that did help, and the Emperor is well-inclined towards Eight Peaks.
Ulrikadrin: Though they tend to be formal, they're aware of how much they owe their current and continued existence to Karak Eight Peaks, and can be counted on for cooperation and mutual defence.
Zhufbar: They're mostly focused on matters closer to home, but Prince Gotri's position of power ensures a good relationship.
Adult: Having passed the age of 30, this Dwarf is considered an adult and ready to begin studying their trade in earnest.
Apprentice Runesmith: Kazrik spends some of his time learning Runesmith from Thorek Ironbrow. While not quite a breach of tradition, it is unusual for royalty to study the Runes.
Clan Donarkhun: This Dwarf is of the Royal Clan of Karak Azul.
Sharpshooter: Many years of hunting with his father have made Kazrik a crack shot with his crossbow.
Umgongr: This Dwarf has an interest in and an affinity for the manlings.
Dreng, Marshal of Karak Eight Peaks
> His name is one letter from meaning 'Slayer'. He's impulsive, hot-tempered, and uncouth. But he has a century of experience across the entire Old World, and his tactical acumen is formidable.
< You kill a lot of Grobi and Thaggoraki. He approves.
Martial: 15
Forces of Karak Eight Peaks:
Clan Huzkul: 10,000. Most clad only in chainmail, but each has a weapon and shield and they're fanatically loyal.
Clan Angrund: 1,000. Each armed and armoured in runic equipment from the Good Old Days.
Karagril Miners: 3,000. Split between the Norgrimling Ironbreakers (sans Gromril) and the Ironback Miners.
Karak Izor immigrants: 10,000. Well armed and experienced. Mix of ranged and melee.
The Undumgi: 6,000. Armed with silversteel pikes and an odd affinity for the Dwarves.
Halfling Skirmishers: 5,000. Experienced Fieldwardens, hardened first in Sylvania and then on the Expedition.
Braganza's Besiegers: 1,000. Highly skilled, heavily armoured pavise crossbowmen on an extended contract.
Border Prince mercenaries: 3,000. Many have stuck around to spend their earnings, hope for future work, and enjoy the feeling of safety.
Barak Varr mercenaries: ~2,000-6,000. Given warning, those who normally guard trade can be called in for short-term, high-paying work.
Clan Huzkul: This Dwarf is of the Warrior Clan founded by the wanderers, exiles and expatriates that fought for the reclamation of Karak Eight Peaks.
Hammerer: Dreng was one of the Royal Guards of King Belegar.
Longbeard: Having passed the age of 120, this Dwarf is considered ready to strive to reach the pinnacle of their craft.
Ranger: Dreng was a Ranger, the scouts and saboteurs of the Dwarven Throngs.
Prince Gotri Stoneheart, Sky-Thane of Karak Eight Peaks
> He's older than you but seems a teenager. He's overdramatic, his grasp of politics wouldn't be out of place among the student radicals of the University of Altdorf, and his main priority in life seems to be infuriating his father and the Zhufbar Guild of Engineers, despite them being a thousand miles away. But he's an amazing pilot, a skilled engineer, and he doesn't give a damn about conventions.
< He's yet to form much of an opinion of you as a person, but he definitely approves of you as a symbol of iconoclastic progress.
Martial: 14
Learning: 18
Karak Eight Peaks Siege Weapons & Aircorp:
10 Gyrocopters (clattergun)
10 Gyrocopters (cannon)
4 Gyrocarriages (can be used as bombers)
West Gate Defences
10 Dwarf Cannon
60 Scorpio Bolt Throwers
East Gate Defences
20 Grudge Throwers
20 Ballista Bolt Throwers
Death Pass Fire Support
60 Greatcannon
36 Mortars
On loan to Karag Dum Expedition
40 Grapecannon
Adult: Having passed the age of 30, this Dwarf is considered an adult and ready to begin studying their trade in earnest.
Clan Stoneheart: This Dwarf is of the Royal Clan of Zhufbar.
Master Engineer: Gotri has attained the rank of Master in the Guild of Engineers.
Pilot: Gotri is skilled at flying the Gyrocopter and all its variations.
Radical: This Dwarf holds views that fly in the face of tradition.
Princess Edda Grimbrow, Steward of Karak Eight Peaks
> Princess Edda is a formidable expert in the field of organizing Dwarves, but though she can get on fine with humans, when she manages them her eye for minor details becomes a weakness as she tries and fails to account for every possibility.
< You're very helpful, very good at your job, and a little bit frightening. She doesn't understand you, but as you're a wizard she never expected to. She likes you.
Martial: 15
Stewardship: 20
Industries of Karak Eight Peaks:
Karagril silver mining - The Barrows, Flamestone Mine (in progress)
Karag Mhonar smelting
Silkweaving (in progress, stalled)
Loom design and construction (planning)
Halfling farming (subsistence)
Adult: Having passed the age of 30, this Dwarf is considered an adult and ready to begin studying their trade in earnest.
Ambitious: Edda has her sights set on becoming a Queen.
Clan Grimbrow: This Dwarf is of the Royal Clan of Karak Izor.
Dawicentric: Despite trying, Edda has found herself completely unable to understand humans well enough to account for them in the systems she administrates.
Mechanical Affinity: Edda has developed an eye for the design and construction of labour-saving machinery.
Organized: Edda is extremely efficient at establishing, controlling, and keeping track of large projects.
Scarred and Blooded: Edda has both shed and drawn blood in battle, winning the renewed respect of her Clan.
Gunnars, High Priest of Karak Eight Peaks
> For some reason, you find yourself thinking of Gunnars as youthful despite being about four times your age. He is full of intensity and focus, and seems to have some very esoteric insights.
< He sees you as a Master of a vital responsibility that comes with the burden of being shunned by those that fear it or do not understand it. Just like he is.
Piety: ???
Grungni: Temple in Karagril, dedicated to the Mining aspect.
Valaya: Temple in Karag Rhyn, shrine in Karag Nar.
Grimnir: Hall of Oaths in Karag Lhune, dedicated to the Oathkeeper aspect. Shrine in Karag Nar.
Smednir: Temple in Karag Mhonar.
Thungni: Shrine in Karag Lhune secondary peak.
Morgrim: Shrine in Karag Lhune hangar.
Gazul: Temple in Karag Lhune.
Clanless: Either by birth or by choice, this Dwarf does not belong to any Clan.
Fullbeard: Having passed the age of 70, this Dwarf is considered ready to become a Master at their chosen profession and take Apprentices of their own.
Patient: Each fallen Dwarf must be guarded unceasingly for three days. Gunnars has developed the patience of stone.
Priest of Gazul: Gunnars is sworn to the Ancestor God of the Dead, Gazul.
Swordsman: In emulation of Gazul, Gunnars is one of the few Dwarves to wield a sword.
Witch Hunter: Gunnars belongs to the Order of the Guardians, which hunts necromancers and vampires.
Other Prominent Characters at Karak Eight Peaks
King Kazador Thunderhorn
> He has decades of experience in combat and warfare, and so efficiently purged the mountains near Karak Azul that the greenskins learned to climb mountains. And then he made his Throng learn too so they could follow them. Don't underestimate him.
< Hmm. Kazok, Kazgal and Kazgrom like tall women. I wonder if she likes bearded lads? Sure, they say that manlings and Dwarves can't have children, but have any of them actually tried?
Martial: 15
Throng of Karak Azul: 10,000. The least of them can fight like a Warrior, shoot like a Quarreller, and move like a Ranger.
Boisterous: Kazador has a cheerful and loud approach to life.
Clan Donarkhun: This Dwarf is of the Royal Clan of Karak Azul.
Longbeard: Having passed the age of 120, this Dwarf is considered ready to strive to reach the pinnacle of their craft.
Master Sharpshooter: It's a rare foe he can't take down in a single shot from his runic crossbow.
Pathfinder: He has learned to track and pursue his foe across any terrain.
Thunderhorn: For a century he has lead his Throng against every enemy foolish enough to be anywhere near Karak Azul. They would follow him into Hell, and with him leading them, they could conquer it.
Francesco Caravello, Viceroy of Karag Nar
EIC Asset: Either openly or otherwise, this person is aligned with the Eastern Imperial Company.
Proud: Francesco wishes to go down in history, either by the prosperity of Karag Nar or the glory of the Undumgi.
Trader: Francesco once plied the trade routes of the Old World, and knows the business inside and out.
Well-Connected: Francesco's good reputation among traders and mercenaries alike stretches from Barak Varr to Tobaro.
Oswald Oswaldson, Chief Bombardier of the Undumgi and Chancellor of the Karag Nar Gunnery School
Gunner: Like many Oswaldsons, Oswald has a fascination with the largest, loudest, and most powerful weapons at the Empire's disposal.
Teacher: Oswald has a knack for passing on what he knows to others.
Veteran: Oswald served the Empire with distinction, and has only stopped doing so due to a medical discharge.
Soizic, General of the Undumgi
Inspiring Leader: Soizic believes strongly in a number of noble ideals, and has a gift for imparting these beliefs on her underlings.
Knight: Though currently lacking a horse, she's no less deadly on foot.
Questing Knight: Whatever opinions others might have on the matter, Soizic insists that she is still seeking the Grail.
Sir Ruprecht Wulfhart, Grand Master of the Winter Wolves of Ulrikadrin
Politically Savvy: For a man who rides a wolf, Ruprecht is fairly skilled at the arts of diplomacy and politics.
Principled: Ruprecht cut all ties with the Cult of Ulric and lead the Winter Wolves out of Middenheim rather than go against his beliefs.
Wolf-Rider: Those particularly blessed by Ulric ride a Winter Wolf into battle.
Titus Muggins, Field-Marshal of the Fieldwardens
Mountaineer: Titus has developed an instinct for travelling and fighting on mountainsides.
Ruthless: Like many Fieldwardens, Titus does not feel the need to fight fair.
Sharpshooter: Titus is a crack shot with his bow.
Master Baker Hluodwica Stoutheart, Priestess of Esmerelda and Elder of the Halflings
Experimental: Unlike many of her kind, Hluodwica is very open to new ideas.
Green Thumb: Hluodwica is an expert in gardening and farming.
Wizards in Karak Eight Peaks
Panoramia, Journeywoman of the Jade Order
> Panoramia is a delight to be around and fascinating to watch at work, and has proven to be impressively ambitious in her own way.
< Panoramia understands quite a lot of you, and has shown an interest in getting to know the rest. You're quite happy to give her the opportunity to do so.
Fieldhand: Panoramia has found her element in farming, working to improve both the short-term harvest and the long-term soil quality.
Halfling Affinity: Panoramia has a strong relationship with the Halflings of the Eastern Valley.
Kind: Out of naivety, optimism, or natural disposition, Panoramia defaults to believing the best of people.
Royal Boon (Moderate): For their part in the Karak Eight Peaks campaign, they have earned a boon they have yet to call in.
Dispel
Magic Lock
Aethyric Armour
Cure Blight: Mostly used to cure large areas of woodlands from plant diseases, but can be used to weaken disease in people.
Curse of Thorns: Thorns grow within the body of a single target, causing internal damage and excruciating pain.
Father of Thorns: A thorned plant bursts from the ground, tangling anyone nearby and causing significant damage if they try to move. After a few minutes, the plant withdraws back into the ground.
Ferment: Turns up to six gallons of any liquid, no matter how foul, brackish, or otherwise undrinkable, into the mildly alcoholic beverage of the caster's choice.
Spring Bloom: Blesses up to ten acres or one creature with magical fertility, causing either a bountiful harvest for the land or near-guaranteed conception for the creature, as long as the usual prerequisites for breeding are met.
Vital Growth: Channels power into one plant or seed to greatly accelerate growth; five minutes of concentration gives a months growth, one hour of concentration a years. It does requires a suitable soil for the plant to grow in.
Black Lotus: A deadly poison that can be applied to arrows and blades.
Koo-sha Grass: A hardy grass from Ind that can treat dysentery and influenza.
Estalian Pine: The sap can be distilled into an oil good for fighting infection and parasites.
Waaaghsoak Mushrooms: A variety of mushroom prized by greenskins for its ability to absorb magical energies.
Hubert Denzel, Journeyman of the Celestial Order and King Belegar's Envoy to the Winter Wolves
Armament: Sword and lightning
Speciality: Combat
Mission: Glory
Faith: Ulrican
Diplomacy: 16 - He grew up being taught to navigate the relationships of the Empire's nobility.
Martial: 19 - Eager for battle and skilled with a blade.
Piety: 18 - Hubert is a faithful follower of Ulric.
Stewardship: ???
Intrigue: ???
Learning: 14 - He's not dumb, but he has no affinity for book learning.
Magic: 5 - Hubert has embrace the parts of magic that let him fly and throw lightning at the expense of the rest.
Envoy: Hubert is employed as the point of contact between Ulrikadrin and Karak Eight Peaks.
Knight: Though not formally a member of an order, Hubert has adopted the skills and mannerisms of an Ulrican Knight.
Noble: Hubert is from a noble family of Middenheim, and technically bears the title of Freiherr, though he does not use it.
Stunted Magic: Hubert has completely rejected the mystical elements of Azyr.
Swordsman: Hubert has blended the fencing of Middenheim nobles with the more serious swordplay of Bretonnian knights.
Known Spells:
Aethyric Armour
Lightning Bolt
Wings of Heaven
Adela Burgstaller, Journeywoman of the Bright Order
Armament: Wand
Speciality: Steam
Mission: Engineering
Diplomacy: 12 - Not her strong suit, but she can be convincing when it occurs to her.
Martial: 17 - Increased accuracy and speed has made Adela a genuine threat on the battlefield.
Learning: 20 - Adela has an affinity for both the fires of Aqshy and industry.
Magic: 4 - Her reach is impressive, but she really should let her grasp catch up.
Burgher: Adela comes from a middle-class urban family.
Familial Ties: Adela has strong ties and sense of responsibility to her family, that sometimes overshadow her career as a Wizard.
Flame Saber: Adela is growing increasingly skilled with the Flaming Sword of Rhuin.
Adaptable Mechanic: Adela has begun to fuse the engineering knowledge of the Dwarves and the Empire with the insight of the Gold Wizards.
Royal Boon (Minor): For their part in the Karak Eight Peaks campaign, they have earned a boon they have yet to call in.
Tempered Boldness: Though Aqshy and her temperament feed off each other, she's learned to control her impetuosity when it matters.
Wand of Aqshy: Adela's self-created and very short 'staff' is filled with gaseous Aqshy, allowing her to rapidly cast spells that manifest as various forms of fire.
Uncanny Memory: Adela has an amazing ability to retain information.
Known Spells:
Aethyric Armour
Fires of U'Zhul
Flaming Sword of Rhuin
Flashcook
Inextinguishable Flame
Gretel Maurer, Journeywoman of the Amethyst Order
Armament: Summoned scythe
Speciality: ???
Mission: Wealth
Martial: 20 - Her talents in combat are blossoming into a most terrible flower.
Intrigue: 21 - She's small, thin, and quiet. It's not easy to look past those explanations to the genuine skill underneath.
Learning: 17 - She's whip-smart and very well read in the Lores of Shyish and Morr.
Magic: 4 - She has superb control and growing power over the Wind of Death.
Grim Harvester: Gretel has twin talents for deft work with the summoned scythe of Shyish and the manipulation of stolen life-energies.
Mercenary: Gretel often works with the Tilean mercenary company known as Braganza's Besiegers.
Morrite: Like many Amethyst Wizards, Gretel worships the God of Death and Dreams.
Royal Boon (Minor): For their part in the Karak Eight Peaks campaign, they have earned a boon they have yet to call in.
Thief: Whatever the circumstances of her upbringing, they left her with a gift for stealth, an affinity with locks, and a hunger for the finer things in life.
Unnerving Appearance: Gretel's limbs appear too long for her body.
Known Spells:
Aethyric Armour
Reaping Scythe
Limbwither
Steal Life
Swift Passing
The Icy Gale of Death: A freezing wind threatens to paralyzes anyone within a large area with both freezing cold and a sense of impending doom.
Elector Count Abelhelm Van Hal
Relation: 9/10 - You fought by his side. You've tortured by his side. To his surprise, he trusts you.
Dis Manibus, Abelhelm Van Hal, hic situs est. IC 2432 - 2477. Sit tibi terra levis.
Abelhelm Van Hal is one of those Van Hals. 1300 years of loyal Witch Hunters, and one Necromancer Count of Stirland, and for some reason everyone focuses on the latter. After rolling into Altdorf on a wagon full of Strigoi skulls during the meeting of the Elector Counts to replace the former Count of Stirland, he was in the right place at the right time to be the compromise candidate that nobody was entirely happy with.
Before his rise to power, his career seemed to be focused entirely on necromancers and the undead. He even regularly hired battle wizards to assist him in his campaigns, and barely ever burned any of them at the stake.
Martial: 24 - You've seen Van Hal in combat, and he swings his Runefang with devastating force.
Diplomacy: 6 - He prefers to leave the talking to others, though he can leap into a thunder denunciation when in the mood.
Stewardship: 4 - He knows to keep money coming in so he can keep spending it. That's about it.
Intrigue: 8 - His paranoia and knowledge of the enemies of the Empire only go part of the way to make up for the fact that he's as subtle as a brick.
Piety: 12-2=10 - His faith is battered, but still holding.
Learning: 16 - He's something of a scholar when it comes to the myriad enemies that lurk within the borders of the Empire.
Known Traits:
Large: Abelhelm is possibly the tallest man you've ever met, standing a head above the tallest of the Greatswords.
Hatred: Undead: Abelhelm focused his efforts on the extermination of the Undead to the exclusion of his other responsibilities as a Witch Hunter.
Suspicious: Abelhelm believes that all men are flawed, and as a general rule mistrusts the motivations of everyone around him.
Orc Hewer: Abelhelm possesses the Runefang of Stirland.
Troubled Faith: The Grand Theogonist's meddling left scars in Van Hal's faith that have faded but may never fully heal. -2 Piety
---
Esbern, Magister of the Amber Order and a Knight of Taal's Fury
Armament: Bow, bare hands.
Speciality: Combat
Faith: Taalite
Brawler: Though his slight stature and preference for the bow would suggest otherwise, when required Esbern can tear opponents limb from limb.
Energetic: It is very rare that Esbern is not doing something with his hands, whether that be crafting, whittling, or weaving Ghur
Knight: Esbern is a Knight of Taal's Fury, and as such is mounted upon a fierce Demigryph.
Spells:
Aethyric Armour
The Boar's Hide: Their skin grows tougher for several minutes; stacks with Aethyric Armour.
Claws of Fury: Can grow razor-sharp talons.
Crow's Feast: Can summon an enormous murder of supernatural crows to shred their foes.
Cowering Beasts: Panics a selected group of targets, or can be concentrated on a single foe with stronger results.
Seija, Magister of the Amber Order and a Knight of Taal's Fury
Armament: Spear
Speciality: Animal handling
Faith: Agnostic
Knight: Seija is a Knight of Taal's Fury, and as such is mounted upon a fierce Demigryph.
Lancer: Between the Amber Order's own martial style and the teachings of the Taalite Knights, Seija's skill with her spear is terrifying to face.
Taciturn: Seija prefers to let Esbern do the talking for the two of them.
Spells:
Sleep
Calm the Wild Beast: Soothes and makes friendly a single animal; it can then be ridden as a mount.
Crow's Feast: Can summon an enormous murder of supernatural crows to shred their foes.
Master's Voice: Gives a single command that must be obeyed to an animal.
The Beast Made Well: Heals a single non-magical animal.
The Talking Beast: Allows the caster to speak in animal form, or at medium range allows an animal the power of speech for several minutes.
Outrider Champion Gustav von Jungfreud, Marshal of Stirland
Relation: 6/10 - he has a cautious respect for you.
Martial: 10 - he's highly skilled in a few specific areas, but thoroughly mediocre in general.
Known Traits:
Leads from the Front: Earns him the admiration of his men.
Reckless: He seems eager to risk his life.
Proud: He takes perceived slights to his ability rather poorly.
Teacher: He thrives at instructing others in the arts of horse, blade and gun.
Marksman: He has achieved a level of mastery with guns both long and short.
---
Brother Kasmir Heinz, Chaplain of Stirland
> Sigmar doesn't deserve Brother Kasmir.
< When you knew him, Kasmir respected you as a competent coworker.
You don't know much of him, but he wasn't overtly hostile to you and is very efficiently hostile to the Undead. The last you heard of him, he was ministering to the living of Sylvania and applying his hammer to the dead.
Known Traits:
Religious Loyalty: Kasmir was loyal to the Cult of Sigmar first, and any secular authority second.
---
Detlef Schultz, Architect of Stirland
Relation: ??? - little contact
A tanned and muscular figure usually seen overseeing construction and repairs, Detlef is never seen without the compass-and-square sigil of the Guild of Stonemasons and Architects.
Known Traits:
Talabeclander: Detlef was the condition that bought Talabecland's vote to elevate Van Hal, and his loyalty is presumably to his home province.
---
Magister Regimand Speiseschrank, Grey Wizard
Relation: 9/10 - former teacher and father figure
The man that taught you to wield Ulgu. Together you took down the conspiracy that had you sent to Stirland, and between your accomplishments and your discoveries, you are a constant source of pride to him.
Known Traits:
Dramatic: Loves to show off when he has a suitable audience.
Grey Wizard: An artist with the winds of Ulgu.
Smokebeard: An unfortunate miscast had replaced his beard with a constant outpouring of wispy smoke, which spreads the smell of ashes wherever he goes.
Taciturn: Very little gets a reaction out of Regimand.
---
Sir Markus von Pfaffbach, Champion of Stirland.
Dis Manibus, Markus von Pfaffbach, hic situs est. IC 2425- 2477. Sit tibi terra levis.
Relation: 8/10 - Between your business partnership and your shared proficiency with the greatsword, Markus is a close friend.
The leader of the Stirlandian Greatswords, he and his men were banished to Southern Stirland during the chaos of the Haupt-Anderssens, during which they made regular raids into the depths of accursed Sylvania. This gave each of the survivors a great deal of experience fighting the undead, and made Van Hal's elevation a welcome relief to them.
Known Traits:
Veteran: He's been fighting the worst Sylvania has to offer for longer than you've been alive.
Teacher: He personally oversees the training of both Greatswords and plucky young wizards that wander into the courtyard.
---
Julia Antionette Massif
Relation: 7/10: Julia is delighted to have an opportunity in life to be more than a daughter of wealthy burghers.
Julia is the third child of the Grand Mayor of Flensburg. Her hobbies are archery and reading. Her passion is the free flow of trade through Stirland, wanting to see it become more than a bulwark against the Dead - she sees it's potential as the trading crossroads of the South. She is currently working for the new Spymaster of Stirland under Roswita Van Hal.
Known Traits:
Ambitious: She dreams of Stirland as the trade nexus of the Old World.
Archer: She has a passion for archery.
Organized: She likes to keep everything just so, and would alphabetize her bookshelves as a child.
Active Members:
Lady Magister Mathilde Weber of the Grey Order
Lady Magister Elrisse of the Order of Light
Lord Magister Egrimm van Horstmann of the Order of Light
Magister Tochter Grunfeld of the Order of Life
Lector Aksel of the Cult of Halétha
Lord Hatalath of the Grey Lords
Vicereine Cadaeth of the Ward of Frost
Lecturer Sarvoi of House Tindomiel
Runelord Thorek Ironbrow of Karak Azul
Baba Niedzwenka of Erengrad
Ice Maiden Zlata of the Hromada Ledyanoy Ved'ma
Affiliated States and Organizations:
The Colleges of Magic
> The Grey Order
> The Order of Light
> The Order of Life
Laurelorn
> The Grey Lords
> The Ward of Frost
> House Tindomiel
Karak Eight Peaks
Karak Azul
Kislev
> The Ice Court
Headquarters: Former estate of House Elwyn
Extremely high-quality Eonir-furnished laboratories
Metalworking facilities
Luxurious and elegant living quarters
Accomplishments:
Praag-Lynsk Waystone Expansion, using Riverine Waystones, by Cothiquan Wizards. Began 2491, focused on cleansing of Chaos taint from Praag.
Templa Colonies, using Riverine Waystones, by Grey Lord Seilph and Grey Lord Sarumar. Began 2491, establishing farming and logging villages in the Misty Wood and Tangled Wood.
Cleansing of the Black Water, using Riverine Waystones, by Lothernian Wizards. Estimated completion date: 2496. Estimated completion of all currently planned fortifications of Waystone sites: mid-2500s.
Stirland Tributaries, using Aethyric Impluvium by Jade Journeymen. Estimated completion date: late 2493.
Nordland Tributaries, using Liminal Germination (Asteraceaetena variant) by Jade Wizards and Eonir Mages. Estimated completion date: mid 2492.
The Library of Kron-Azril-Ungol
Located in Kvinn-Wyr
Dedicated to the principle of Order, so that all visitors can find all books they seek
Granted official status of Affiliated Library of the Colleges of Magic by Supreme Patriarch Dragomas
Library staff provided by a colony of the We, currently in training.
Scribes recruited from the human and Halfling population of Karak Eight Peaks. Languages known: Reikspiel, Bretonnian, Gospodarinyi (including Sudevarin dialect), Tilean, Estalian, Khazalid.
Has institutional tension with the Cult of Verena.
Being able to consult reference materials gives a bonus to the topics they cover. +1 is the default bonus, with +1 for Extensive and +1 Obscure / +2 Antiquarian / +3 Esoteric for non-stacking rarity levels. Each bonus can apply once per race/country the books are from, as long as they have a solid knowledge base on the subject.
If purchased out of pocket, each +1 bonus costs 50 gold crowns, or local equivalent.
Natural Science
Anatomy +15 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Astronomy +7 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Asur
Chemistry +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Dwarven
Ecology +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Geography +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Humorism +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Hydrology +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Logic +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Mathematics +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Meteorology +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Mineralogy +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Physics +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Toxins +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Eonir
Fauna
Arthropods +15 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Birds of Prey +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Canines +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Centaurs, Minotaurs, and Harpies +2 - Extensive Asur
Chaos Spawn +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Dragons and Draconids +13 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Asur / Extensive Eonir
Equines +3 - Extensive and Obscure Asur
Gors and Ungors +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Ungulates +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Rodents and Mustelids +6 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Antiquarian Skaven
Serpents +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Flora
Old World Forests +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Geography
Cathay +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Cathayan (T)
The Chaos Wastes +8 - Extensive and Antiquarian Imperial / Extensive and Antiquarian Dwarven
The Dark Lands +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Antiquarian Dwarven
Dragon Isles +2 - Extensive Dwarven
The Great Steppes +4 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Dwarven
Mountains of Mourn +3 - Imperial / Extensive Dwarven
The Old World +11- Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Antiquarian Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Ulthuan +2 - Extensive Asur
Hydrography
The Far Sea +2 - Extensive Asur
The Great Ocean +2 - Extensive Asur
- The Sea of Claws +4 - Extensive Asur / Extensive Eonir
The Sea of Dread +2 - Extensive Asur
Social Science
Ethics +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Law +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Linguistics +17 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Literature +7 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Asur
Music and Poetry +15 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Philosophy +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Rhetoric +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Theology +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Asur
Trade +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Eonir
Civilized Realms
The Asrai of Athel Loren +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The City-States of Tilea +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The Druchii of Naggaroth +4 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian
The Empire of Man +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The Eonir of Laurelorn +15 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
The Estalian Kingdoms +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The Great Cities of Nehekhara +6 - Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The Halflings of the Moot +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
The Karaz Ankor +14 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Asur
The Kingdom of Bretonnia +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The Old Ones +3 - Extensive and Obscure Asur
The Ten Kingdoms of Ulthuan +10 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Obscure Asur
The Tzardom of Kislev +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven
The We +2 - Imperial / Dwarven
Enemies of Man
Beastmen +12 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Chaos Dwarves +9 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Skaven (Only Esoteric)
Daemons +6 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Greenskins +13 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Asur
Hobgoblin Khanates +4 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Dwarven
Marauder Tribes +4 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Dwarven
Ogre Kingdoms +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Dwarven
Skaven +15 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Skaven / Extensive Asur
Undead +14 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Obscure Vampiric
Vampires +11 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive Dwarven / Obscure Vampiric
Applied Science
Agriculture +6 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Architecture +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Carpentry +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Engineering +16 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Skaven (T) / Extensive Asur
Forestry +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Leatherworking +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Metallurgy +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive Asur
Medicine +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Textiles +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
War and Combat
Archery +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Greatswords +12 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian / Extensive Dwarven / Tilean (T) / Extensive Asur
Logistics +3 - Extensive Asur / Skaven
Polearms +3 - Extensive and Obscure Asur
Strategy +5 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Swords +3 - Extensive and Obscure Asur
Tactics +8 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir / Skaven
Unarmed +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Magic
Teclisean Magic Aethyr - The Warp +7 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Asur Sevir - The Winds of Magic +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Dwarven / Extensive Asur Qhaysh - High Magic +3 - Extensive Imperial / Asur Ghyran - Life Magic +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Shyish - Death Magic +5 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Ghur - Beast Magic +5 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Chamon - Metal Magic +5 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Aqshy - Fire Magic +9 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Indic (T) / Extensive and Obscure Asur Azyr - Celestial Magic +8 -Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Hysh - Light Magic +5 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Ulgu - Shadow Magic +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur Dhar - Dark Magic +2 - Extensive Eonir
Advanced Magic
Divine Magic +4 - Extensive and Antiquarian Imperial
Elementalism +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Enchantment +7 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Asur
Familiars +7 - Extensive Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
The Old Ones +3 - Extensive and Obscure Asur
Potions +10 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial / Extensive Kislevite / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Power Stones +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Rituals +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Rune Magic +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Terraformation +2 - Extensive Eonir
Waystones and Henges +15 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Dwarven / Extensive and Esoteric Asur
Magical Phenomena
Apparitions +8 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Obscure Asur
Elementals +6 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Kislevite
Forest Spirits +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Liminal Pathways +7 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Eonir
Liminal Realms +10 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Prophecy +6 - Extensive Imperial / Esoteric Vampiric
Old World Pantheon
The Lady of the Lake +2 - Extensive Bretonnian
Manann, Lord of the Seas +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Morr, God of Death and Dreams +4 - Extensive and Antiquarian Imperial
Myrmidia, Goddess of Civilization and its Defence +3 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial
Ranald, God of Trickery and Thieves +7 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian
Rhya, Earth Mother +3 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial
Shallya, the White Dove of Mercy +5 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial / Extensive Bretonnian
Sigmar Heldenhammer +3 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial
Taal, King of the Wild +3 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial
Ulric, God of Winter and Wolves +6 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Eonir
Verena, Goddess of Wisdom and Justice +3 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial
Gods of the Halflings +1 - Imperial
Minor Gods of the Old World +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
The Gods of Kislev
The Ancient Widow +0
Ursun, the Great Bear +0
Tor, God of Thunder and Lightning +0
Dazh, God of Fire and Sun +2 - Extensive Kislevite
Salyak, Goddess of Healing and Comfort +0
Benign Spirits of Kislev +0
Cadai
Asuryan, the Creator +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Eldrazor, Lord of Blades +2 - Extensive Asur
Hoeth, Lord of Wisdom +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Isha, the Mother +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Kurnous, Father of the Wilds +2 - Extensive Asur
Ladrielle, Lady of Mists +2 - Extensive Asur
Lileath, Maiden of Dreams +2 - Extensive Asur
Loec, the Shadow Dancer +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Morai-Heg, the Keeper of Souls +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Vaul, the Maker +2 - Extensive Eonir
Cytharai
Anath Raema, the Savage Huntress +2 - Extensive Asur
Atharti, Lady of Desire +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Ereth Khial, the Pale Queen +2 - Extensive Asur
Hekarti, the Hydra Queen +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Eonir
Khaine, the Bloody-Handed God +3 - Imperial / Extensive Asur
Nethu, Keeper of the Last Door +2 - Extensive Asur
Ellinill and the Ellinilli
Ellinill, Lord of Destruction +2 - Extensive Asur
Addaioth, Bringer of Wrath and Fire +3 - Asrai, Extensive Asur
Drakira, Queen of Vengeance +2 - Extensive Asur
Estreuth, Herald of Famine +2 - Extensive Asur
Hukon, the Sunderer +3 - Extensive and Obscure Asur
Mathlann, Lord of the Deeps +2 - Extensive Eonir
Nehekharan Cosmology
The Nehekharan Pantheon +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
The Mortuary Cult +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Nehekharan Incantations +5 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial
Nehekharan War-Statuary +0
Dark Gods
Great Maw +1 - Imperial
Hashut +3 - Extensive Imperial / Dwarven
Notable Tomes:
Liber Mortis, by Baron Frederick van Hal of Sylvania and Prince Vladimir of Khemri (Holograph)
The Vampire Prophecies of the Scrolls of Zandri, by W'soran of Rasetra
The Creeping Flesh, annotated by the Von Drak Dynasty
A Modest Treatise on the Nature of Magic, by Magister Patriarch Gotthilf Puchta of the Gold Order
Araneae Sapiens (Holograph)
Rakilid un Thaggorhun / Queekish (Holographs)
The Loathsome Chaos Dwarves and All Their Vile Kin, by Quirin Waramunt (Holograph)
Anatomy of the Fire Dwarves of Zharr-Naggrund, in the original Queekish
Book purchase availability:
Empire: Mundane, Divine up to Extensive (via Barak Varr bookseller), Magical (via Colleges of Magic)
Bretonnian: Mundane up to Extensive, Divine up to Extensive (via Barak Varr bookseller)
Dwarven: Mundane, Divine up to Extensive (via Barak Varr bookseller)
Partner Libraries:
The Mootland Genealogical Library
Copying Rights secured for:
Aquila Academy (Nuln)
Imperial School of Engineers (Nuln)
Imperial Gunnery School
Minor Colleges of Nuln
Serving as Archives to:
College of Elementalists
Grand University of Nuln
The Library of Mournings
Other features:
The Halfling Annex - Halfling genealogical records and chronicles of the Mootland
Old One Vault - A heavily secured archive of copies of scrolls in an unknown language, allegedly detailing experiments the Old Ones performed at the dawn of the world.
Vlagian Runesmith Cache - The collected possessions of Karak Vlag's extinct Runesmith Clan, sealed away until the refounding of it alongside that of Karak Eight Peaks.
The Stacks - Storage of books that don't fit into the library's current categorization system. Contains writings on various Eonir sports and arts.
The Eastern Imperial Company
Founded as a result of a Boon granted to Wilhelmina Hochschild, the EIC is a state-sanctioned corporate entity focused on trade within Stirland, and between Stirland and neighbouring provinces. Its logo represents the three swords of Elector Count Abelhelm Van Hal, Sir Markus von Pfaffbach, and Dame Mathilde Weber. Incorporates the West Stirland Riverine Company.
Current Operations:
Complete dominance over Stirland government contracts.
Complete dominance over supplying goods and services in Karag Nar.
Complete dominance over Western Stirland gong farming.
Complete dominance of intra-Stirland trade.
Moderate dominance over trade in Stirlandian wool products.
Moderate dominance on the Aver.
Moderate presence in interstate trade in Stirland, the Moot, and Talabecland.
Minor presence in interstate trade in Averland, Wissenland, and southern Middenland.
Minor presence in Nuln, Altdorf, and Middenheim.
Minor presence in Barak Varr and Ulrikadrin.
Major Trade Route: Eastern spices from Karak Eight Peaks to Tor Lithanel
Major Trade Route: The Schadenweg, from Middenheim to Tor Lithanel via the Schadensumpf
Minor Trade Route: Western spices from Altdorf to Tor Lithanel
Minor Trade Route: Charcoal from Erengrad to Tor Lithanel via Hargendorf.
Major Product: Gerber-Kiesinger Repeating Rifle Factory in Blutdorf
Minor Product: Crossbow Factory in Blutdorf
Minor Product: Blackpowder factory in Wurtbad
Minor Product: Niter Factories in Wurtbad, Blutdorf, Franzen
The 'Stirland Repeater' has finally entered production, and Stirland's army will be phasing out the handgun in favour of an elite core armed with repeaters and the bulk of the ranged forces armed with crossbows. The Mk 2 boasts a smoother firing mechanism and a reduced chance of powder magazine detonation. The Mk 3 incorporates a redesigned breech that reduces the chance of misfire and imparts more impetus onto the projectile, allowing for more killing power and a flatter trajectory.
Key Partners:
King Byrnnoth Grundadrakk: Partnered with for the Skull River-Aver Reach canal project.
Elector Count Roswita Van Hal: Trusts the EIC to not take too much advantage of whatever economic control she sells to the EIC.
Grand Master Ruprecht Wulfhart of Ulrikadrin: Happy to maintain a trade link to the Empire.
Francesco Caravello of the Undumgi: Completely aligned with the EIC.
House Yavanna of Tor Lithanel: Purchaser of imported spices.
Leader: Governor Wilhelmina Hochschild (de facto: Dame Weber is for most purposes a silent partner and supports Wilhelmina's actions, giving her an effective majority).
Funding: Seed money provided by founding shareholders; currently reinvesting profits.
Headquarters: Wurtbad; townhouse on the same street as the Stirland Watch.
Recruitment: Recruits heavily from independent traders.
Shareholders: Dame Mathilde Weber (36%), Wilhelmina Hochschild (20%), Barony of Blutdorf (16%), County of Franzen (14%), County of Wolfsbach (14%)
Bone-Deep Truths:
Patriots: The EIC knows that the Empire's long-term financial well-being is utterly vital for the EIC.
Core Corporate Policies:
Don't Skin The Sheep: The EIC will always choose indefinite small profits over single windfalls.
Grudge-Averse: The EIC will never deliberately break a deal made with Dwarves, and will take any Dwarven complaints very seriously.
Riparian: The Dwarves are about to completely redraw the map. Be prepared.
Secondary Corporate Beliefs:
Tall, not Wide: The EIC prefers to dominate small areas than have small presences over large areas.
Insider Trading: The EIC likes to make profit from being the first to know important information.
Friends In High Places: The EIC likes to cultivate relationships with Elector Counts and other local rulers.
Eyes on Barak Varr: Though careful to cooperate rather than compete with Barak Varr, the eyes of the EIC have turned south.
Secrecy: A network of cipher disks have been adopted, ensuring that all important communications are unreadable to unfriendly eyes.
EIC Navy:
2 x 30-man Monitor Galleys, armed with crossbows and hand weapons.
All EIC crews trained with hand weapons, each ship has one Stirland Repeater.
Office of the Auditors General:
Headed by Rudiger von Bechafen
Office located in the Sunken Palace, somewhere beneath Wurtbad
Information being collected and supplied to Mathilde:
Military movements of Stirland, and the events of the campaigns it undertakes.
Unexpected events and changes in the mood among the Undumgi.
Rumour Mill (Currently: Stirland, Talabecland, the Moot, Barak Varr.)
The Weber Estate
The lands of Dame Weber, Knight of Stirland, are a series of rolling limestone hills suitable for herding sheep and goats and not much else. The locals are a hardy and independent lot. It is being overseen by a steward in your absence.
Estate Coffers: 418 crowns as of the beginning of 2489
Estate Profits: 50 crowns / turn
Pending Expenses: 50 crowns for Jade Wizard, 1 crown per sheep per year for East Westerlander breeding project (20-100 estimated)
Estate Upgrades:
'The Shadowkeep' is what the locals have taken to calling the collection of buildings encompassed by a wooden bailey that has become the center of their community, but as it's said with pride instead of fear, you leave it be. The keep itself is fairly modest, built atop a fairly small artificial hill, made of wood, and only a couple of stories tall, but the ability to fire sling-stones at any interlopers from safety would deter any threats the area is likely to face. The ground floor of the keep is your home should you choose to claim it, and until then is home to the 'Steward', which is a fancy title for a local lad who travelled all the way to Tarshof to learn numberin'. Apart from the local tradesfolk, the bailey also contains a number of newly-built huts and cottages.
Modest Manor
Wooden Motte and Bailey
Cobble road to Sonningwiese
Blacksmith, Dairy, Loom
Granary, Smokehouse, Well
Shrine to Ranald
Flint Mine
Sheep Breeding Project
Stirlandian Highlander (hardy)
Estalian Mayor (intelligent, fine wool)
East Westerlander (high milk yield)
Key: M = Mastered, Mathilde has adapted the spell to perform better in some way. K = Known, can be cast. F = Forgotten, once known but must be practiced before it can be of use. P = Partial, progress made towards learning the spell but not yet complete. U = Unknown, Mathilde will need instruction from her Master or another Grey Wizard to learn these, either in person or by correspondence. I = Invented. Mathilde created this spell herself, and as such will be entitled to some of the credit whenever it comes in handy. However, she can never Master it.
Short Range: Within about twenty meters. Close enough to see the whites of their eyes.
Medium Range: About a football field, or 100 meters. Within shouting distance.
As a general rule, you need line of sight to whatever you're casting a spell at, and if it has a mental effect on someone they can be able to resist it if they're alert and strong of will.
Magic Rating: A rough and vague rating of someone's ability to wield magic, combining the raw power they're able to bring to bear and how efficiently they can shape it. It measures whether you are able to learn and cast a spell, as well as the strength of those spells while cast. Actually casting spells uses the Learning stat.
1: Apprentice level; able to begin to learn the simplest of magics.
2-3: Journeyman level; able to cast simpler spells easily and begin to learn the simpler 'coloured' magics.
4-6: Magister level; the peak of an 'average' magical career.
7-10: The level of Magister Lords and Battle Wizards.
Channelling: A spell can be channelled, taking more time, effort, and concentration than normal and increasing the risk of it going wrong. If it succeeds, then the effects of the spell are increased dramatically. For instance, channelling Marsh Lights would effectively produce a hovering light comparable to a bonfire. This can only be done to spells that have a linear effect that can be scaled up. Previously called 'ritual casting', not to be confused with Rites/Ritual Magic.
Petty Magics: These are the very basics of arcane magic, and are taught to all apprentice wizards before they move on to more complicated spells. Though all the Colleges hold these spells in common, each performs them differently due to using different Winds to achieve the same effect. Mathilde learned all of these at the start of her apprenticeship, but fell out of practice with all but Sounds. Magic 1 required to learn and cast reliably.
K / Drop: Compels someone at short range to drop something they are holding. K / Glowing Light: Causes something to glow for as long as you hold it, up to one hour. K / Magic Dart: Strikes someone at short range with an impact comparable to a sling stone. K / Marsh Lights: Creates a light or lights at medium range which can be moved around as you desire. Lasts an hour. K / Sleep: Compels someone you touch to fall unconscious for up to half a minute. K / Sounds: Creates a noise of the type and volume of your choice, projected from where you choose within line of sight, though it can't convincingly mimic speech.
Lesser Magics: More difficult but also more codified than petty magics, these are usually learned out of a book instead of being taught directly. Like Petty Magics, these are common to all the Colleges, and Priests can also achieve the same effect by channelling their Gods. Mathilde learned some of these, but not all, though she can send a letter to the Grey College requesting spellbooks for those she's missing (though if she loses them, she'd be in a world of hurt). Magic 1 required to learn, Magic 2 to cast reliably.
M / Aethyric Armour: Magic wraps around you and acts as armour, with effectiveness based on your mastery of magic. Mastery - Indefatigable: While Aethyric Armour is active, you do not tire from physical exertion.
- Does not stack with actual armour.
- Needs to be recast every few minutes, which isn't a problem for the duration of battles but makes it dangerous to try to maintain for hours on end. M / Blessed Weapon: For the next hour, the weapon this is cast upon will count as magical for the purposes of damaging creatures resistant to mundane weapons, such as ghosts. Mastery - Blessed Hands: You instinctively channel Ulgu along any weapon you wield. Any weapon held by you counts as Magical.
- the mastery does not effect the ammunition of wielded ranged weapons, but the ammo can be blessed manually. K / Dispel: Allows you attempt to Dispel an ongoing spell within short range. Cannot be used to try to banish demons or unbind the undead.
- See also: the Counterspell section at the end of this post. K / Magic Alarm: Creates a silent alarm at a place you touch, and if any creature comes within a couple of meters of that point you will be alerted that it has been triggered. Lasts until triggered, or until you cast it at a different spot. K / Magic Lock: Enchants a lock or bolt you touch to be impossible to pick or force open.
- Does not enhance the strength of the rest of the door or container. K / Move: You can move unsecured light objects around at medium range, and force equivalent to a shove at short range. K / Silence: Makes someone unable to speak for a few seconds at short range. Interrupts spellcasting.
- Does not eliminate all sounds, only makes someone unable to vocalize. K / Skywalk: Allows you to walk on air for a few seconds, enough to cover about twenty meters at a run.
- If you want to bring someone along you'll have to carry them.
Shadow Magics: The true arts of Ulgu, not taught until one becomes a Journey(wo)man. Taught by the wizard's Master, by either personal tutoring or correspondence. Comes in three approximate 'tiers' of difficulty.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably.
K / Bewilder: A target at short range will have their mind clouded and will act unpredictably for around a minute.
- Violence, inaction, and wandering off aimlessly are all possibilities. K / Doppelganger: You take on the appearance of a humanoid creature for around an hour, though not their voice.
- You can attempt to copy a specific individual if you have seen them recently or are familiar with their appearance.
- You may also wear the appearance of a generic example of a given race, though others of that race will notice something is 'off' if they look closely. This will not be more detailed than 'an orc' or 'a human'.
- Minimum height about four feet, maximum about ten feet. This does not change your physicality, just your appearance.
- This will conceal anything worn or strapped to you (such as scabbards) but not anything you are holding. K / Eye of the Beholder: You can change an object's appearance to make it look either worthless or valuable for several hours.
- This does not go all the way to repulsive, nor all the way to irresistable.
- Shape of the object appears unchanged. Usually changes material, craftsmanship, intricacy, decorations, and so on. I / Mathilde's Multidimensional Aethyric Projection: Allows the caster to project, edit and colour a fairly low-resolution 3D visualization.
- Very suitable for creating and editing dynamic maps.
- Has been converted into the Lesser Magic spell Mathilde's Multidimensional Aethyric Polysevirric Projection. K / Mindhole: A target at short range will forget everything they know of you.
- You have no way of controlling or limiting this effect. It's all or nothing. K / Mutable Visage: You can make a target you are touching (or yourself) noticeably more or less attractive for several hours.
- This effect is relatively minor. Think make-up, not special effects. K / Shadowcloak: Makes you significantly harder to detect visually for several minutes.
- This enhances stealth, it doesn't create it. If you're in plain view, this won't help you. M / Shadowsteed: A mystical and supernaturally fast horse is summoned that will carry you or one you designate, until it is dismounted or until dawn the next day, whichever is first. Mastery - Shadowrider: Your Shadowsteed is as familiar and easy to control as your own two legs. +5 Martial when mounted on a Shadowsteed, no penalty to rapid distance travel.
- Averages about 25 miles per hour, and Mathilde can comfortably ride for about ten hours a day. Beyond that will test her endurance. K / Take No Heed: Makes you very easy to ignore - it would take an act of willpower to even notice you unless you draw attention to yourself, and those few that do notice you will have difficulty remembering anything about you. Lasts a few minutes.
- Please note unless you draw attention to yourself. If the presence of a member of your (apparent) species would be unusual, this spell will break. If you do something that only certain individuals should be allowed to do, this spell will break.
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. K / Burning Shadows: Causes a shadow or set of touching shadows cast by a source as bright as a torch or brighter to burn like acid. You can specify who this will and will not effect.
- Can effect inanimate objects, but acid is a lot less effective on inanimate objects than it is on living flesh.
- Must specifically be a cast shadow, not merely being in darkness. Think shadow puppets.
- Mathilde must be casting or touching the shadow in question to cast the spell. P / Cloak Activity: Allows you to perform an action while appearing to perform something entirely different for up to half a minute.
- The illusion is only visual, and anyone you're directly affecting while concealed by this spell has a chance to see through it. M / Mockery of Death: Causes someone you touch to act and appear dead for several days, or until you end it. They retain all their senses, including sight if their eyes are open, and will still need to breathe and drink.
- If the subject was asleep or unconscious when the spell is cast upon them, they will not consciously experience the time spent under Mockery of Death. Mastery - Mockery of Substance: When affected by Mockery of Death, the subject is also intangible to anything except the caster and objects under the control of the caster. They are still affected by gravity, and will still require food and water. They are still able to breathe normally. The caster can end the intangibility at a touch without interrupting the main effect of the spell.
- As per Substance of Shadow, anything in contact with the target will continue to exert force, as will anything brought into contact with the target by the caster if they will it.
- Clothes go with the target. This is entirely because it turning people naked would be funny to write at most once and awkward every time, so it's not something that can be weaponized or abused. Apart from this, it does not work on inanimate objects. K / Pall of Darkness: Creates an area of impenetrable blackness within short range that lasts for about a minute or so.
- This is impenetrable to you as well, even your Magesight. U / Shadow of Death: Makes you seem fearsome to all those who look upon you for one minute. K / Shroud of Invisibility: Makes you invisible for up to half a minute.
- No limitations. Attack, shoot, scream, do what you like, you stay invisible until it expires or is dispelled. K / Throttling: Sends ropes of darkness a short distance to strangle the target. Lasts until you choose to stop or your concentration is broken.
- Without magical protection or supernatural toughness, the target is helpless from when the spell hits their throat.
- Can only be cast on living targets, and the ropes are insubstantial to everything but the target's throat, so it can't be interrupted except by magical means and can't be used to pull the target around.
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. M / Dread Aspect: Makes you seem absolutely terrifying to all those who look upon you for one minute. Mastery - Roiling Shadows: Your shadow is empowered by the spell and thrashes about in a turbulent aura, lashing out at your enemies to wrap around arms and legs and throats, causing death, distraction and even more terror in all who must face you. K / Illusion: You create an illusion at short range that can look, sound, and smell like anything you want. Requires near-constant concentration to maintain.
- Illusion will not be solid. If the illusion is implausible enough to raise suspicion, those subject to it might see through it. I / Knightbringer: When cast, a faceless grey rider in robes and a Witch Hunter's hat will appear to attack anyone attempting to attack the caster within a moderate duration (tens of minutes to an hour, depending on Magic score). Requires a bound Rider in Red. M / Shadow Knives: You conjure and throw several knives (scaling with magical ability and mastery of the spell) at a target at short range that passes through any non-magical armour. Mastery - Shadow Dagger: Can be used as a melee weapon that completely ignores non-magical armour. Well suited for assassination. K / Substance of Shadow: A single person or item that falls within a shadow becomes invisible, silent, and insubstantial, though they can selective choose to physically affect the world. Lasts until the item or character is illuminated.
- Must specifically be a cast shadow, not merely being in darkness. Think shadow puppets.
- Must be a single discrete object, not a selected portion of a larger object.
- Anything longer in any dimension than a meter, or heavier than 10kg/22lbs, will be much more difficult to cast this upon; anything more than twice that is approaching the limits of possibility.
- When cast on an inanimate object, it will only become insubstantial to anything touching it after the spell is cast. Anything it was acting on before the spell, it will continue acting on after the spell.
- If something becomes substantial while 'inside' another object, results will be thoroughly unpredictable, usually unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous. M / Universal Confusion: Bewilder, but applies to a whole group at once, up to about a ten meter diameter. Short range. Mastery - Cloud of Confusion: You can cast the spell as a billowing cloud of bewildering gas, which pours from you for several minutes, constantly effecting everyone nearby.
- Mathilde can cast both the normal spell and the Mastered version. Both are indiscriminate, but the normal version applies to anyone within that radius at the time of casting, whereas the Mastered version continues outputting the gas over minutes to effect everyone touched by it.
- The Mastered version does not need to be inhaled to take effect. Mathilde is immune to it, as is Wolf; everyone else will suffer from Bewilder unless they're strong-willed enough to shake it off.
- The cloud itself is not very concealing unless Mathilde stays in one place long enough for it to gather.
Battle Magics: Spells that can change the face of an entire battlefield. The consequences of miscasting these spells are almost as horrifying as the damage they cause when cast correctly. Many Magisters go their entire career without learning a single one of these spells. Magic 7 required to learn, can never be cast reliably.
K / Smoke and Mirrors: The mark of a Grey Battle Wizard is the ability to weave teleportation cantrips into other spells they cast. They appear to jump around the battlefield at will, hopping anywhere within short range with every spell they cast. - Can be tied into a Fiendishly Complex or Battle Magic spell to teleport without any additional risk of miscast. Can also be cast on its own. Range is limited to line of sight and about a hundred yards or so. K / Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma: The signature spell of the Grey Battle Wizard, this creates a numbing fog at medium range that attacks the combat abilities of the foe. I / Rite of Way: The Wizard exudes a rolling fog that covers the ground, concealing all obstacles from the eye and the foot alike. Any terrain can be travelled over without penalty as long as the Wizard maintains the spell. The Wizard can focus it on a specific obstacle, or allow it to flow in their wake. - It can handle about one regiment of infantry (2500 men) or one cohort of cavalry (500 riders). U / Steed of Shadows: Not to be confused with Shadowsteed, an insubstantial pegasus or drake appears under an ally within short range and carries them across the battlefield at incredible speed. U / The Enfeebling Foe: An entire group of enemies feel their muscles begin to fail them and their weapons grow heavy in their hands. Medium range. U / The Withering: The mirror to the above spell, instills weakness and doubt into a group of foes within medium range. U / The Penumbral Pendulum: A ghostly and razor-sharp pendulum of immense size appears above the wizard, then falls in the direction of their choosing. Anyone that fails to get out of the way will suffer horrendous damage. U / Pit of Shades: Creates a vortex to a horrifying hell dimension within medium range that drags in anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby. U / Okkam's Mindrazor: Summons illusory weapons for an entire group of allies within medium range that shred the very consciousness of their enemies, with strength equal to their courage.
Tool-Free Enchantment:
Mathilde has learned a suite of petty magics that stand in for all the various tools of enchantment, but they can come in handy in a number of other ways.
Forge: On cloudless days, the heat of sunlight can be focused to create a small forge, suitable for shaping metal or blowing glass.
Mirror: Either for checking one's appearance or looking around corners, although magical mirrors floating in midair do tend to draw attention.
Shank: Normally used for chiselling or scrimshawing, a shard of solidified shadow can also perform any other purpose a knife would normally be used for.
Telescope: Lenses normally used to focus and amplify lights can also be used as a telescope.
Counterspell:
While Dispel can counter a spell that is already cast, to counter a spell as it is being cast is a more involved process. One can use raw power to try to snuff it out, but this is often dangerous and the enemies of the Empire usually have better access to raw power than sanctioned Imperial mages do. As such, the preferred method involves subtlety, attention, and efficiency.
A spell in the process of being cast is sensitive to disruption, especially since by nature it must be projected forward over whatever the target of the spell is. The simplest way to counter these is brute force; it is easier to cut strands than weave them together, after all. Battle wizards of skill and cunning often weave countermeasures into their spells accordingly, creating protective overlays of energy or running magical energies through the half-completed weave to ground on anyone trying to attack it. A more devious counterspell method is to add to the weave with the intent of causing the spell to fail spectacularly upon completion, effectively forcing a miscast onto the caster or causing the spell to go off in the caster's face instead of upon their chosen target. These are the simplest and most common methods; the details vary as wildly as wizards themselves do.
An exception to the above is projectile spells, since they are formed at the caster and then unleashed fully formed. These can still be countered; a web of magical force is used to slow the projectile, giving the wizard time to try to attack the magical energies keeping the projectile together and diffusing it midway. Alternately, a wizard might attempt to seize control of the projectile's flight, redirecting it to miss the target or even to turn on the caster. Needless to say, most wizards pay careful attention to the flight of their projectile after launching them.
Masteries:
Mastery occurs when a Wizard makes a spell truly theirs, sometimes when they reach a deeper understanding of it, sometimes when it is adapted to their psyche, sometimes when it interacts with an Arcane Mark of theirs. Masteries are deeply personal, and as such can only be passed on to other Wizards if that Wizard has a near-identical relationship with the Wind of Magic in question, which usually only happens with unusually close Master-Apprentice relationships or long-term partnerships. They can sometimes be codified into new and separate spells, but this is unreliable and difficult, and it's impossible to know whether it's you can codify a specific Mastery until you make the attempt. Trying to include the effects of a Mastery in an enchantment is significantly more difficult than just the base spell effects would be.
Other Winds:
Spellbook of Gold Magic (Lore of Metal)
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Curse of Rust: One nearby metal item the size of a breastplate or smaller becomes pitted and useless.
Fault of Form: A single weapon temporarily becomes less suited to combat; any inherent flaws, unreliability or dangers are greatly increased.
Guard of Steel: Shimmering orbs of steel orbit and protect the caster for several minutes.
Inscription: Engraves indelible text into a metal object. Casting time scales with text length. Your handwriting may be recognized.
Law of Form: At a touch, gives a solid, inanimate object the strength and rigidity of steel for several minutes.
Law of Logic: Careful thought gives a significant bonus to a single task, performed either by the caster or someone else. Long casting time.
Stoke the Forge: Causes a fire to burn as hotly as naturally possible and without consuming fuel for up to an hour.
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
Armour of Lead: A group of enemies' armor becomes heavy as lead, giving penalties to combat and movement
Fool's Gold: One inanimate object appears much, much more valuable than it is for several hours.
Law of Age: A solid, inanimate object becomes brittle and much easier to break for several minutes.
Rigidity of Body and Mind: You gain resistance to mental and physical damage for several minutes, but find it harder to change your mind during this time.
Secret Rune: Engraves invisible text similar to Inscription, or reveals/re-hides text from another casting of Secret Rune.
Silver Arrows of Arha: Creates and fires silver arrows with supernatural accuracy.
Tale of Metal: By touching a metal object, you can see the circumstances of its creation as if you were there.
Transformation of Metal: By touching a metal object, you transform it into a different object of the same metal. Quality depends on casting check. Long casting time.
Trial and Error: Magically guide the actions of allies near you, giving them a reroll.
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
Breach the Unknown: Unlocks all secrets of an object, from material composition to its properties, including that of magical items.
Enchant Item: For an hour, the item this is cast upon is supernaturally better at performing its intended purpose. Can be conceptual, such as a circlet making someone better at diplomacy. Long casting time.
Law of Gold: Temporarily suppresses the abilities of a magical item.
Spellbook of Amethyst Magic (Lore of Death)
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Death's Messenger: temporary bonus to intimidation
Deathsight: See spirits for an hour
Reaping Scythe: Summon scythe-shaped lightsaber
Swift Passing: Kill someone already seriously wounded
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
Acceptance of Fate: Make allies around you fearless for a minute
Death's Release: Weaken and maybe banish a ghost or other Ethereal target
Final Words: Ask one question of the recently dead
The Icy Grip of Death: AOE stun
Knocks of the Departed: Contact deceased individual, it only answers with knocks
Limbwither: Paralyze one limb for several minutes
Steal life: Deal damage to the target ignoring armor and toughness, you heal for the same amount
Tide of Years: Simulate passage of time for one item, decreasing its quality and eventually destroying it
Tomb Robber's Curse: Anyone desecrating target tomb in the following year will contact nasty curse for a week which erodes his mental abilities
Ward Against Abomination: Undead cannot approach you. Intelligent or especially powerful undead can resist the effect
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
The Animus Imprisoned: Extract someone's soul from his body and Imprison it in a jar. It can only be released correctly by another Amethyst or a Morrite. All Wizards in a 5-mile radius can feel casting of this spell and your Patriarch will fuck you up if you do it without good reason.
Death's Door: If you or one of your allies would die in the next several minutes, they can take one last action before doing so.
Life's End: Instantly kill target if you win opposed Willpower test. All Wizards in a 5-mile radius can feel casting of this spell and your Patriarch will fuck you up if you do it without good reason.
Wind of Death: AOE damage ignoring armor and toughness. All Wizards in a 5-mile radius can feel casting of this spell and your Patriarch will fuck you up if you do it without good reason.
Youth's Bane: Simulate passage of time for one living creature, permanently decreasing his strength and toughness.
Spellbook of Bright Magic (Lore of Fire)
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Cauterize: Doesn't heal, but counts as first aid.
Choleric: Creature near you becomes annoyed at another creature nearby and may attack it. Can be resisted with Willpower
Crown of Fire: You are better at inspiring and intimidating (that is the spell bound in the Torc)
Fires of U'Zhul: You fling a small bolt of fire at the target. Slight upgrade over Magic Dart
Flashcook: Instantly cooks food or boils water
Taste of Fire: Makes food spicy, transforms water into alcoholic beverage, makes alcoholic beverages stronger
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
Consuming Wrath: Target goes berserk but is also slowly consumed by fires from within.
Curtain of Flame: Classic wall of fire, also somewhat obstructs vision
Fire Ball: You create several balls of fire and throw them. (That is exactly Shadow Knives but without "ignore armor" part)
Flaming Sword of Rhun: Summons lightsaber
Hearts of fire: Makes your allies resistant to fear
Inextinguishable flame: Makes one flame inextinguishable. Duration depends on Magic, up to one year
Ruin and Destruction: Destroys one object as if by fire. Size depends on Magic.
Shield of Aqshy: You resist fire better for several minutes
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
Aqshy's Aegis: You and your allies are immune to fire. Allies need to form unbroken chain by holding hands. Magical fire effects by stronger wizards still hurt you
Boiling blood: Boils blood in one target, dealing armor-ignoring damage each round. Duration depends on Magic. Target explodes if it dies from this spell.
Breathe Fire: Incredible fire damage, cone AOE.
Burning Vengeance: One target wants to kill another target. Can be resisted on cast and each month, lasts a year, can be recast, you require names of both targets
Conflagration of Doom: Ultimate fire AOE, repeats each round until there is nothing alive in the area of effect. All Wizards in a 5-mile radius can feel casting of this spell and your Patriarch will fuck you up if you do it without good reason.
Fiery Blast: Fire Ball Mk. 2. More balls, more damage per ball.
Spellbook of Celestial Magic (Lore of Heavens)
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Omen: Semi-reliable hint about whether a thing will go well or badly if done in the next few hours.
Polish, Clean and Gleam: Makes a transparent or reflective item spotlessly clean on touch. Apprentices are not allowed to use this for chores.
First Portent of Amul: Re-roll one die on your next turn.
Lens on the Sky: Creates magical telescope-lens.
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
Birdspeak: You can speak to and understand birds. This spell does not make them helpful or honest.
Lightning Bolt: Conjures one lightning missile to strike a target at short range.
Clear Sky: Dispels one cloud, or clears a 100-yard area in a generally overcast sky.
Second Portent of Amul: As First Portent, but can be used within the next hour.
Fortune's Renewal: Target is extra lucky today, but it's borrowed from target's luck tomorrow.
Third Portent of Amul: Rerolls a critical hit against you during the next 24 hours. Only one instance can be active at a time.
Wind Blast: Targets in a large area are knocked prone and battered about, negates missile fire in area.
Curse: One nearby enemy has penalty to all rolls for an hour, attacks against that target have damage bonus.
Premonition: Re-roll one of your skill dice during the next 24 hours. Only one instance can be active at a time.
Project Spirit: Astrally projects your invisible spirit to go exploring for several hours. Still limited by material obstacles. Bad things happen if you don't return to your body in time.
Wings of Heaven: You can fly for several minutes.
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
Finding Divination: Points the direction towards either a specific item you have seen, or the nearest item of a type.
Starshine: Banishes darkness, dispels illusions, reveals invisible things, finds secret doors, and otherwise shows all things near you for several minutes.
Signs in the Stars: Writes very short, abstract message in the sky for others to see. Do not use lightly.
Lightning Storm: Causes lightning damage in a large area. This Aethyric storm can be cast anywhere, even underground.
Fate of Doom: Dreadfully curses one target you have hair or blood from with permanent bad luck. This powerful spell disturbs the Aethyr such that all wizards for miles can sense it being cast, and yadda yadda Elder Astromancers.
Spellbook of Amber Magic (Lore of Beasts)
General note: Form of the [Animal] spells last for one hour, preserve the caster's mental faculties, and prevent the use of speech or spells while transformed.
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Calm the Wild Beast: An animal at short range becomes placid and ride-able for several hours.
Cruelty's Desserts: Anyone who harms the animal you cast this spell on will be shunned.
The Beast Broken: A nearby animal that can be domesticated becomes tame indefinitely.
Form of the Soaring Raven: You turn into a raven.
Claws of Fury: Your fingernails become razor-sharp, deadly fast claws.
The Beast Made Well: Heals an animal you touch.
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
The Ox Stands: Relieves nearby allies of Fear and Terror.
The Talking Beast: Gives an animal the gift of speech for several minutes, or lets you speak while transformed if you follow this spell with Form of the [Animal].
Master's Voice: Commands one nearby animal to take one specific action.
The Boar's Hide: Your skin becomes tough as a boar's.
Form of the Ravening Wolf: You turn into a wolf.
Leatherbane: Leather goods carried by touched creature shrivel into dust.
The Winter's Long Slumber: Touched willing creature falls into hibernation sleep for several months.
Crow's Feast: A murder of aethyric crows materializes to peck at the eyes of enemies in a large area.
Cowering Beasts: Temporarily panics some nearby enemies.
Form of the Puissant Steed: You turn into a warhorse.
The Beast Unleashed: Nearby non-animal allies become frenzied.
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
Form of the Raging Bear: You turn into a bear.
Repugnant Transformation: Touched target goes mad, grows fur, and can no longer speak.
Wings of the Falcon: You grow wings and can fly for several minutes. (Try not to get mistaken for a mutant or Tzeentch daemon.)
Spellbook of Jade Magic (Lore of Life)
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Ferment: Converts touched liquid into safely drinkable alcoholic beverage. Undrunk beverages eventually revert.
Curse of Thorns: Thorns grow in target character, causing pain and brief damage over time.
Track's Tale Told: Helps to read tracks or follow a trail in the wild.
Fat of the Land: Touched creature does not need to eat for one week. Long casting time.
Tree-Dweller's Step: Touched creature can climb and brachiate well for several hours.
Earth Blood: Heals yourself if standing on earth, more effective if you cast it for longer.
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
The Wilds Undisturbed: You and several touched creatures can move freely through wilderness and leave no trail.
Leaf Fall: Spinning leaves partly conceal you, making it hard to aim ranged attacks at you for several minutes.
Earth Gate: You sink into the earth and reappear on another nearby patch of earth.
Father of Thorns: Thornbriars grow in a large area of earth, causing damage and hindering movement for several minutes.
River's Whisper: You commune with the spirit of a river and receive general answers to questions. Long casting time.
Vital Growth: A plant you concentrate on grows very rapidly, at a rate of about one year per hour spent casting.
Wood Shape: Touched willing creature takes the form of a personality-appropriate tree for several hours.
Spring Bloom: Ensures the fertility of a field or creature. Very long casting time.
Trees' Rustle: You commune with the spirit of a tree and receive general answers to questions. Extremely long casting time. Trees talk slowly.
Summer Heat: An area a few meters in diameter becomes uncomfortably hot.
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
Geyser: Water bursts up from the earth nearby, damaging, toppling and possibly stunning creatures in a small area.
Flesh of Clay: Increases your strength and resilience, but reduces your speed and agility for several minutes.
Winter Frost: Freezes over a large area, dealing damage and slowing movement.
Cure Blight: Cures plant blight in a large area, or mitigates disease on several characters. Very long casting time.
Spellbook of White Magic (Lore of Light)
Petty/Lesser Magics:
As per Grey Magic.
Relatively Simple - Magic 2 required to learn, Magic 3 to cast reliably. (CN up to 9):
Cleansing Glow: Cleans touched item, unspoils spoiled food or drink.
Dazzling Brightness: Dazzles creatures in a small area.
Clarity: Reduces mental penalties a touched character is suffering
Radiant Gaze: Shoots eye lasers.
Shimmering Cloak: Reduces damage taken from nonmagical missiles. You cannot hide while shimmering.
Radiant Weapon: Touched weapon emits light, counts as magical, deals extra damage to Daemons for several minutes.
Moderately Complicated - Magic 3 required to learn, Magic 5 to cast reliably. (CN 10-19):
Healing of Hysh: Heals the injuries of a touched creature.
Illuminate the Edifice: Lights up the interior of a touched structure for several hours. Size of targetable structure increases with Magic.
Light of Purity: Cast this as you light a fire. As long as that fire burns, its light protects against disease.
Banish: Attempts to banish a nearby daemon back to the Realm of Chaos, or exorcise a possessed creature.
Radiant Sentinel: A ball of light floats around you and can parry for you.
Ill-bane: Cures poison or alleviates disease for several nearby creatures.
Inspiration: Large bonus to a Knowledge test. Long casting time.
The Power of Truth: Touched creature becomes much more charismatic, but only while speaking honestly.
Fiendishly Complex - Magic 5 required to learn, Magic 7 to cast reliably. (CN 20+):
Eyes of Truth: You see through all illusions, invisibility, concealment, darkness and disguises nearby, severely cramping the Grey Order's style. Causes the eyes to literally glow, lasts less than a minute.
Light's Demand: Holds in place all Chaos creatures caught in a cone of light for several rounds. This spell is particularly hard to resist.
Blinding Light: Blinds creatures in a large area.
Daemonbane: Attempts to banish all daemons in a large area back to the Realm of Chaos.
Boon of Hysh: Cures and purifies touched creature of all injury, disease, poison and malady.
Pillar of Radiance: A massive column of burning light deals damage and may blind targets in a large area. This powerful spell disturbs the Aethyr such that all wizards for miles can sense it being cast, and the Hierophants frown on using it against anything but daemons.
To streamline the existing de facto system of metaphysical limitations, I've codified a hard limit of how many enchantments Mathilde can carry upon her person.
Melee Weapon: Branulhune
Ranged Weapon: Runed Revolvers
Staff/Banner: Staff of Mistery
Protective: Robes of Aethyric Armour
Healing: Seed of Regrowth
Talisman: Belt of the Unshackled Mountain
Social: Ranald's Coin
Activated 1: Candle of Cleansing Radiance
Activated 2: Grounding Rod
Activated 3: Dragonflask
- The Weapon slots can each be filled with a matched pair of weapons, such as dual pistols or a sword and dagger. They must be intended to be used together.
- Any item that directly makes Mathilde more able to take a hit must be in Protective; something that protects her less directly can be in Protective or Talisman.
- No healing effects outside of the Healing slot.
- Activated refers to items that do not have a constant effect. These can include single-shot ranged weapons as these would be effectively identical to wands or rings enchanted with similar effects. These cannot automatically detect when they should be used. They need to be manually activated in some way.
Currently, you're one of the most favoured humans of all Dwarves. The other contenders are prominent citizens of Tobaro and the Elector Counts of Ostermark and Averland.
Dwarf Rep is the rating, Dwarf Favours is the currency. Your current level means that all Dwarves will know you as Dawri and can probably name at least a few of your deeds. Dawri is a word that means 'as good as something can get without proving itself over a few decades', or, literally, 'dwarf-like'. You helped Zhufbar and Karak Kadrin strike out some very old grudges that otherwise would have been very, very difficult to set right, and then there's the entire Karak Eight Peaks campaign.
Possible expenditures:
Dwarf Trainers for an organization?
One point for skilled but common in dwarf society (Miners), two for specialized units (Rangers), four for true expertise (Ironbreakers), eight for hero-level instruction. Would require pay on top of favour expenditure.
Expert assistance to establish a factory for turning saltpeter into gunpowder?
Five points.
Dwarf expert to come assist with a specific question/project/calamity, or personally tutor Mathilde in any field not considered forbidden to non-Dwarves?
One point for skilled but common in dwarf society (Miners), two for specialized units (Rangers), three for true expertise (Ironbreakers), six for hero-level instruction, ten for contenders for most knowledgeable in their subject in the known world.
Or in Khazalid?
Will happen automatically if Mathilde spends much longer among Dwarves.
Let Mathilde move into a dwarf hold and live there?
If you promise to refrain from spellcasting inside the Hold, and would be willing to live in the bunkhouses, your rep would be enough.
While conducting magical research?
Four points, and you'd have to work out a way to have a laboratory far from the populated parts of the hold. Does not apply to K8P.
Send a force to assist in a campaign against someone they already hate
If they've outstanding grudges, and you're in a position of power in the campaign, and they've got the forces to spare, your rep would be enough.
Or that they don't care about?
Impossible.
Provide her with/sell her enchanted equipment of their make
No limit; if very large amounts are spent, her rep would give her access to Kragg or Thorek.
Or mundane but high-quality equipment, such as pistols?
Your rep means they'll sell them to you, or you can spend four points to commission something.
Normally
Or have an expert collaborate on an enchantment project with her?
Would need to be arranged personally with the expert, but your rep would get you an introduction and their ear.
Help Mathilde dig or renovate an underground base somewhere
Two points to dig, five to renovate it so that it'll last at least a thousand years. It would cost more to renovate it to a lesser standard.
In total secrecy?
As above, and you provide the ale.
Assist in construction of some key project, such as a bridge, road, or fortification?
If you mean consultants, same as the trainer scale.
Or just do the whole thing?
Would need actual payment, and the cost would be commensurate with the craftsdwarfship, but your rep would open the door to commissioning the work.
Share maps, information, and general intelligence on the things that dwarves know about events in the world but Mathilde doesn't?
Too vague to say. If you mean skaven, say skaven.
Provide her with letters of introduction testifying to her skill and trustworthiness?
From Belegar, free. Two points from non-KaK Kings.
Or a temporary companion/aide in diplomatic matters?
As per the trainer scale.
How much rep for political asylum if the need arise?
Depends who from, and for what. Varies too much to say.
And how much for a helicopter ride?
If you just mean a joyride, you can get it from your rep. If you want a flying taxi, a point for anywhere in the general area, two for anywhere friendly in the Old World.
Purchasing books for her library?
Default and extensive from rep alone, 1 point for rare or very rare, 2 for extremely rare.
Runic firearms at Zhufbar:
Not much [selection] beyond reliability, accuracy, damage, flaming bullets. Five/ten/fifteen favours to put it on the bench and have someone that's the closest thing Runesmiths have to 'radical' take their best swing at it, and it won't be as dramatic as the equivalent amount of favours in a more traditional weapon.
Gyrocopter:
6 for an unarmed personal transport, 8 for armed, 16 for gyrocarriage.
Repairs for Dwarven items:
First repair is free. After that, half the cost of the item each time.
Study the Phoenix Crown or other trophies from the War of Vengeance:
5 favour per AP, and they can't leave the vaults they're stored in.
Study: As a Magister, you're no longer barred from returning to the Grey College. If you've been pulling your weight for the Order, you can return to it to further your studies. Each costs 1 College Favour or 100gc.
Practical
[ ] Intrigue and Tradecraft.
[ ] The Use and Creation of Poison
[ ] Spells of Grey Magic (teachers' choice; multiple spells)
[ ] Spells of Grey Magic (your choice; one spell)
[ ] Swords and Swordplay
[ ] Ritual Magic
[ ] Psychology
[ ] Imperial Law
[ ] Practical Diplomacy
[ ] Physiology and autopsy
Theory
[ ] The Nature of Ulgu
[ ] The Nature of Magic
[ ] The Enemies of Man
[ ] The Allies of Man
[ ] Religion and the Empire
[ ] The Empire and its Provinces
[ ] Human Nations of the Old World
[ ] Chaos and Chaos Gods
Extracurricular
[ ] Enchantment
[ ] Staff turning
[ ] Potions and Alchemy
[ ] Power Stones and their Creation
[ ] Runes and Runecraft
[ ] Wyrdstone Containment
[ ] On the Education of Apprentices
[ ] Searching for and Identifying Animal Familiars
[ ] The Creation of Artificial Familiars
[ ] Waystones and Waystone maintenance
Getting a Perpetual Apprentice to serve as assistant/general minion
You can put the offer out, but it's up to the individual PAs whether they take the offer. Two favours a year would be standard for those in a more convenient location, four would probably get you someone.
Getting a Journeyman/Magister/Lord Magister of a specific College/with a specific spell to come assist with a specific question/project/calamity
2/5/10 per six months. This is assuming they have no interest in the topic and will receive none of the credit (or blame) for whatever it is you're trying to do.
Getting copies of the Colleges' books for our library (is this the same 50gp+0/0/1/1/2 for common/extensive/rare/very rare/extremely rare that we have with Dwarf Favor, or some other ruleset?)
Same ruleset.
Acquisition of an animal suitable for being a familiar, or a specific type of animal so suitable
Any animal, 3. A specific but common animal, 5. Anything rarer, you'll have to negotiate.
Getting powerstones for our personal research/use
5 per.
Having a wizard lab/tower optimized for magical research/other specialized effects built
A survey done and turned into instructions to give the builders to either emphasize a specific wind or a lack of any wind, 5 points.
Acquisition of specific esoteric desired items (ex., what if Mathilde really needs a Lustrian flowering plant or the tooth of a sea drake or something for research, presumably mages have requests for this kind of thing constantly)
You can put the word out and see if anyone has it within their collections or stockpiles, but if nobody has one on hand it's probably a matter for adventurers rather than wizards.
Getting permission to do push-the-limits sorts of research (ex., Johann is literally going to poke the skaven and their warpstone, Mathilde is in a great position to research multi-wind interaction and ways to avoid creating dhar when it happens, or to study probably-corrupted Waystones with an eye toward unfucking them, and the Articles are intentionally vague enough that what is okay and what isn't is basically a judgement call by the Colleges; can we pay in Favor to represent burning political capital on being given dispensation for this sort of thing instead of being uncertain whether we're crossing lines?)
No, such things are entirely based on respect and track record.
A pegasus!
5 base, +5 for one trained for combat, +3 for a handler to smooth out the first six months.
Enchanted object prices: If it's Relatively Simple it's 2 favours. If it's Moderately Complicated it's 3. If it's Fiendishly Complex it's 5. The list of spells can be found in the Spellbook.
Battle Magic enchantments:
Aqshy:
Kindleflame (Lore Attribute): It is easier to damage someone with Aqshy if he already was damaged with Aqshy recently.
Fireball (10 favors): You fling several fiery missiles at the target squad.
Cascading Fire Cloak (10 favors): You create a fiery shield around yourself and your nearby allies until the end of the battle which burns all enemies in melee with you.
Flaming Sword of Rhuin (10 favors): You enchant weapons of a squad of allies with fire for one turn. Such weapons have easier time wounding enemies and stop regeneration.
The Burning Head (10 favors): You fling a ball of flame that strikes everything in its path. If someone dies from this spell, their comrades may panic after witnessing his horrific demise.
Piercing Bolts of Burning (10 favors): You throw several spears made of fire at the target squad, each of which pierces several people.
Fulminating Flame Cage (11 favors): You trap target squad in a cage made of flames that will damage all of them should they try to move before it dissipates.
Flame Storm (13 favors): You somewhat imprecisely summon a firestorm that damages everyone caught in it.
Ghur:
Wildheart (Lore Attribute): It is easier to affect beasts and beastmen with Ghur.
Wyssan's Wildform (10 favors): You increase strength and toughness of all members of the target squad.
The Flock of Doom (10 favors): You summon a flock of crows that hit target squad many times, but with a small amount of force.
Pann's Impenetrable Pelt (10 favors): You make yourself or one nearby ally significantly tougher.
The Amber Spear (10 favors): You summon a spear made of magic that behaves similar to a ballista bolt - it can severely damage a monster or pierce through several ranks of lesser foes. Armor is useless against this spell.
The Curse of Anraheir (10 favors): Spirits of nature interfere with target squad's attacks and movement.
The Savage beast of Horros (10 favors): You make yourself or one nearby ally significantly stronger and faster.
Transformation of Kadon (16 favors): You turn yourself into a Manticore, Hydra or a Dragon until the end of the battle. While in this form you can't cast spells and your equipment stops working.
Chamon:
Metalshifting (Lore Attribute): Lore of Metal turns enemies' own armor against them. Thus the effect of most Chamon spells not only can't be prevented by armor, but actually magnified against heavily armored foes regardless of their toughness. On the flip side, unarmored enemies cannot be damaged at all.
Searing Doom (10 favors): You throw several superheated silver slivers at the target squad.
Plague of Rust (10 favors): This spell accelerates rusting which permanently reduces target squad's armor.
Enchanted Blades of Aiban (10 favors): You sharpen target squad's weapons which increases their chances to hit enemies.
Glittering Robe (10 favors): You summon a cloak of shimmering scales to protect target squad, giving them protection equivalent to chain mail.
Gehenna's Golden Hounds (10 favors): You summon a pair of clockwork hounds who maul one nearby enemy.
Transmutation of Lead (12 favors): You temporary transmute target squad's weapons and armor to lead, lowering their offense and defense simultaneously.
Final Transmutation (15 favors): You try to transmute target squad into golden statues. This magic only have a 1-in-3 chance of working on most enemies and 1-in-6 on particularly resilient foes, but if it works nothing can save them. Seeing such riches other nearby enemies may succumb to temptation of looting instead of fighting for a short while.
Hysh:
Exorcism (Lore attribute): Lore of Light is particularly effective against Daemons and Undead.
Shem's Burning Gaze (10 favors): You fire several rays of searing light at the target squad.
Pha's Protection (10 favors): You summon a guardian spirit that makes target squad harder to hit.
The Speed of Light (10 favors): Target squad becomes incredibly fast, granting them enormous advantage in close combat.
Light of Battle (10 favors): Makes target squad fearless and strong-willed for a short time, can be cast on already-fleeing allies to allow them to return to battle.
Net of Amyntok (10 favors): You catch target squad in a barbed net of light. They cannot move, shoot or cast magic unless they are strong enough and even attempts to do it are dangerous for them.
Banishment (10 favors): Ray of purest light smites target squad. Supernatural protection works poorly against it and it is significantly stronger in the Hysh-rich environment.
Birona's Timewarp (12 favors): You infuse target squad with Hysh, loosening the Time's normal restrictions on them. From the bystander's point of view they move and attack faster, capable to strike first against all but the fastest foes.
Ghyran:
Lifebloom (Lore attribute): Wielders of the Lore of Life heal themselves or their nearby allies with every Ghyran spell they cast, regardless of its purpose.
Earthblood (10 favors): You grant yourself and nearby allies regeneration.
Awakening of the Wood (10 favors): Plants damage target squad, more effective in forest.
Flesh to Stone (10 favors): You make target squad noticeably tougher.
Throne of Vines (10 favors): You summon a walking throne of vines which strengthens your connection to Ghyran until the end of the battle. The throne almost completely protects you from miscasts and makes stronger most of your spells from the Lore of Life.
Shield of Thorns (10 favors): Reflavored (thorns instead of flames) Cascading Fire Cloak, but weaker and can be cast on others.
Regrowth (12 favors): Heals and resurrects members of the target squad.
The Dwellers Below (18 favors): Strange creatures pull members of the target squad underground, instantly killing those who aren't strong enough to resist. No method of protection works against this spell.
Azyr:
Roiling skies (Lore Attribute): Lore of Heavens can be very dangerous for flyers. Any hostile Azyr spell cast on a flying target damages it in addition to its normal effects.
Iceshard Blizzard (10 favors): Razor-sharp hail demoralizes target squad and hinders their attacks.
Harmonic convergence (10 favors): You guide target squad using precognition, allowing them to avoid the worst mistakes.
Wind Blast (10 favors): You push target squad away from you, damaging them if there is an obstacle in the way.
Curse of the Midnight Wind (10 favors): Target squad becomes unlucky, their guaranteed successes turning into uncertainties.
Urannon's Thunderbolt (10 favors): You hurl giant ball lightning at the target squad.
Comet of Cassandora (12 favors): You call down a comet from the sky, which strike designated spot several minutes later. Bigger comets take longer to arrive and you don't know beforehand the size of the comet you summoned.
Chain Lightning (15 favors): Lightning springs from your hands and strikes target squad with a chance to leap to other nearby enemies.
Ulgu: effects already covered by QM, costs are as follows:
Smoke and Mirrors - unknown (Lore Attribute)
Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma - 10
Steed of Shadows - 10
The Enfeebling Foe - 10
The Withering - 13
The Penumbral Pendulum - 13
Pit of Shades - 14
Okkam's Mindrazor - 18
Shyish:
Life Leeching (Lore Attribute): Shyish users can extract power from the deaths of their foes. When enemies are wounded by the spells of the Lore of Death caster has a chance to replenish their reserves of Shyish.
Spirit Leech (10 favors): You wound or even kill a single enemy if you prevail in a clash of wills.
Aspect of the Dreadknight (10 favors): Target squad strikes fear into the hearts of their foes.
The Caress of Laniph (10 favors): You summon the spirit of ancient sorceress (wtf?) who causes damage to one nearby enemy that can be mitigated by strength, but not armor or toughness.
Soulblight (10 favors): You reduce target squad's strength and toughness.
Doom and Darkness (10 favors): You summon ghosts who significantly reduce will and courage of the target squad until the end of the battle.
The Fate of Bjuna (13 favors): You cause one target enemy to laugh uncontrollably, often causing his death. Even if he survives his mind is damaged until the end of the battle.
The Purple Sun of Xereus (15 favors): You summon a vortex of Shyish that slays everyone in its path who isn't fast enough to avoid it. No method of protection works against this spell
Great Deeds are the favour equivalent for the entire Empire. An act that saves an entire province would qualify, as would anything that negates a threat that the Imperial Army would otherwise have had to mobilize against. When the Imperial Army is actively campaigning, turning the tide of a battle that the main force is engaged in would count.
Incomplete list of things a Great Deed can buy:
Raising a topic at an Elector's Meet for serious discussion and contemplation, and anyone otherwise neutral on the topic would vote for it.
Give you the right to address the Meet on a topic they're about to vote towards, and your opinion and any points you raise will be given serious weight.
Have an exhibit opened in the Imperial Zoo, named after you, and maintained. If the beasts are already well understood, or you can supply that knowledge, they will also do their best to acquire them. Otherwise you need to supply them.
Have a Wolfship built to your specifications and put under your permanent command.
Raise your name for promotion to Wizard Lord, and if you fail by only a single criteria (loyalty, ability, reliability, experience) it will be handwaved away.
Write a specific law or treaty for the Emperor's consideration, and if he sees no significant problems with it he is likely to enshrine it in law.
Found a Knightly Order (permission only, Knights not included).
Found a branch of a College of Magic (permission only, buildings not included).
A trained and mostly tame Griffin.
Knighthood, with a small fief to go with it.
If already possessing a noble title, for two Great Deeds, being granted the title of Baron and a large fief including one town.
Be granted the right to make copies of all written materials within one library under Imperial (non-Collegiate, non-Cult) authority. Provide your own scribes.
Papers are rated by the combination of the following and deliver that much College Rep when distributed. Further College Rep may be obtained if future studies are built based on your papers.
If you have not written a paper before, or your previous paper had a positive total, the minimum for a paper after all other calculations is +1. After that, the minimum falls by 1 for each paper until you produce another net positive paper. Try to strike a balance between keeping your name out there, and being too obvious in churning them out.
In-character gaming of the system is encouraged. Out-of-character gaming of the system is extremely discouraged.
Subject:
Common, -1. The topic is either numerous or widespread. Common varieties of enemy factions, mundane animals, common phenomena. Eg: Orcs, wolves, lightning.
Uncommon, +0. The topic is either uncommon or dangerous. Uncommon varieties of enemy factions, magical but common animals, esoteric phenomena. Eg: Black Orcs, demigryphs, a specific Wind.
Rare, +1. The topic is either very uncommon or very dangerous, or both. Rare varieties of enemy factions, rare magical animals, exotic phenomena. Eg: Arachnarok spiders, griffins, warpstone.
Unique, +3. There either is only one of what you are studying, or all examples are restricted to a remote and dangerous location. Eg: Azhag the Slaughterer wearing the Crown of Sorcery, Bile Trolls, The Isle of the Dead.
Insight:
Common, -1. The information contained has already been confirmed by multiple sources.
Agreement, +0. Confirms a previous discovery that has yet to be widely reproduced.
Confirming, +1. Information has already been theorized but has not yet been confirmed.
Revolutionary, +2. The information is completely new.
Shattering, +3. Disproves something thought to be fact.
Delivery:
Impenetrable, -2. Either badly written or extremely technical.
Dull, -1. Readable but uncompelling.
Competent, +0. Delivers the information without tedium.
Compelling, +1. Gripping to anyone already interested in the topic.
Thrilling, +2. Genuinely fascinating, even to those outside the field. A rarity in academia.
Miscellaneous:
Familiar, -1. Can be found within the Empire.
Exotic, +1: Not found in the Old World. The Dark Lands, Araby, Khemri, Troll Country, the Mountains of Mhorn.
Very Exotic, +2: From the New World, Ulthuan, Albion or the Far East.
Precious +1: Actively concealed or protected. Eg: Anvil of Doom, Steam Tanks, The Isle of the Dead, Slann.
Thorough, +1: Author was able to get it 'on the slab' and study it at their leisure and with proper implements, or had a thorough enough understanding to be able to derive an almost complete theoretical understanding.
Varied, +1: Produced based on a large number of samples or viewpoints.
Alien, +1: The paper relies on exotic insights to an extent that conventional study might never have reached these conclusions.
Accessible, +1. Despite being about an intensely technical subject, the information is delivered in such a way that it can be of use to laypeople. Only applies if the work is of interest to non-magical people of import.
Tactically Relevant, +1: Information is concerning enemies of the Empire, and would be relevant to military campaigns against them.
Tactically Significant, +2: Information can be reasonably expected to make a difference in some battles against an enemy of the Empire.
Tactically Groundbreaking, +3: The information this paper contains could change the course of entire wars.
Popular, +1: Concerning a topic that, for whatever reason, is currently in vogue, causing the paper to gather more attention than it otherwise would.
Unpopular, -1: Concerning a topic that is unfashionable, controversial, or awkward, that might cause some to remain silent where they would otherwise give praise.
Useful, +1: The information is immediately applicable to some activity or vocation already practiced or required in the Empire.
Speculative, -2: Paper is trying to make a point that it doesn't quite have the proof to back up.
Shared Credit, -1: Let's face it, it's more impressive if it's a solo effort. Will not apply if cowriters are apprentices, employees, or familiars.
Secondary Author, -2: You had an active hand in the process of creating the paper, but were not a primary author of it.
Contributor, -3: You weren't involve in the paper's writing, but your actions helped allow it to be written.
Anonymous, -1: Circumstances dictate that the true author of the paper is concealed from the general public.
Classified, -2: Only those trusted by the Empire can access the material written of in this paper.
Top Secret, -3: Only those whose loyalty to the Empire is beyond question are allowed to know that the paper even exists.
Eyes Only, -4: The paper concerns matters so dangerous or sensitive that it can only be made available to those with an immediate and pressing need for the information.
The expectation and average for a Councillor is to spend the equivalent of two to four actions per turn on their task. This was a straightforward yard stick at one point, but with things like subordinates, peripheral investigations, and other oddities, it's caused a lot of back-and-forth. Here's a new set of yardsticks to apply.
When considering a course of action, ask yourself the following:
Have you spent at least one action personally and directly involved with the task or project you were given?
Have you spent at least two actions directly or indirectly involved with the task or project you were given? (including half-actions spent overseeing others and tangential study of the topic at hand)
Have you spent at least three actions in ways related to your position, including overseeing subordinates and managing local wizards?
If all three are 'yes', then you'll be fine even if you do flub everything you're trying and your time-sheet does attract investigation. If you've explicitly been given a straightforward or easily outsourced task so you can focus on something else that is considered important but is not directly under the purview of your position, the above considerations do not apply.
Seems a good enough reason to do a Sylvania 101 for the uninitiated.
Once, there was a province called Sylvania, a peaceful little backwater. Then in the year 1111, bad things happen. That the Black Plague hit Sylvania harder than anywhere else, wiping out nine in ten of the population, was only the start. A shower of warpstone meteorites then fell upon the land, poisoning the soil, killing off most of the few survivors, and causing the very numerous dead to stir in their graves. Then it attracted the attention of the Skaven, the innumerable hordes of ratmen that value warpstone above all else. Sylvania seemed lost.
Then Baron Frederick Van Hal saved and doomed Stirland. Previously a devout Morrite, he either discarded his obedience to the God of Death or found a heretical new way to express it when he embraced the art of Necromancy, rallying all the unquiet dead of Sylvania to his banner. He also writes the Liber Mortis, a big guide to Necromancy that'll come back into play later. For years the equally innumerable hordes of the rats and the dead fought to a standstill, until Frederick Van Hal's apprentice assassinated him, shattering his control over the undead. Then the Emperor of the time, Mandred who would become known as Skavenslayer, swept in at the head of an army and put the remaining rats to the sword.
Skip forward seven hundred years. Sylvania is a terrible place to live but it's still theoretically under the control of actual humans. It is ruled by the sickly and half-insane Otto von Drak, who lies on his deathbed in Castle Drakenhof knowing that his hated brother Leopold is soon to inherit his lands as his only child is an unmarried woman, Isabella. Quoth he: "I'd rather marry my daughter to a daemon than let Leopold inherit!"
Someone knocks on the door. The door opens. Nobody opened it. It just opened. In strides Vlad von Carstein. Vlad recites his lineage and offers to marry Isabella von Dark. Otto von Drak is as good as his word and has his chaplain marry the two, and immediately drops dead. Vlad then throws Leopold out of a window, because that's how he rolls. Also, he's a vampire. Did you see that coming?
Sylvania enters a... golden age? It's certainly peaceful. Sure, there's a bunch of zombies around, but they don't attack anyone as long as you swear fealty to the Count. Okay, the Count is certainly odd, only going out at night and never eating and being super pale and all. And yeah it appears to be contagious because suddenly all the other nobles of Sylvania are showing the same symptoms. But hardly anyone gets eaten by zombies any more, and he's more tolerable than the von Draks were. Vlad and Isabella rule hand-in-hand, madly in love. Temples close down. Morr worship is banned. If anyone notices that it's been two hundred years and Vlad still looks as young as the day he knocked on the doors of Castle Drakenhof, they keep their comments to themselves. Witch Hunter go in to investigate, none of them come out. Mordheim is destroyed by a warpstone meteorite, and Vlad sends agents to gather up as much as they can.
The year is now 2010. It's the middle of the Age of Three Emperors. The Empire is divided and every Count seems to think they've got it in them to be Emperor. Vlad thinks: why not me? Time for the First Vampire War. Using the warpstone gathered from Mordheim, Vlad performs a massive ritual that raises every corpse in Sylvania. And Sylvania has a lot of corpses.
He leads his undead army into battle. He invades Middenland. He's killed in Middenland. He comes back. He invades Middenland. He's killed in Middenland. He comes back. This is super demoralizing for everyone but Vlad. Middenland falls. He invades Ostland. He's killed in Ostland. Can you guess what happens next?
Forty years of vampire yo-yo later, Vlad is marching on Altdorf. The Emperor (well, Reikland's contender for the title) sends a thief to steal Vlad's signet ring, which is filled to the brim with regenerative magic. Vlad isn't happy, and immediately orders an assault on the walls. The climax of the battle is atop Altdorf's walls, where the Grand Theogonist fights him with hammer and prayer. The Grand Theogonist is losing, and then tackles Vlad off the walls. They fall together and land on a wooden stake at the base of the walls, and without his ring, Vlad is finally, properly, permanently dead.
...probably.
Isabella von Carstein throws herself on a stake, unable to live without Vlad, and now she too is permanently dead.
...probably.
The Reikland Emperor thinks that now the time is right to invade Sylvania and put an end to the vampire menace once and for all. The other Emperors think this would make him too popular, so they team up and threaten to go to war on him if he does. Politics ruins everything.
Meanwhile, back in Sylvania, the heirs of Vlad are eyeing each other up suspiciously. There's five, but keep an eye on two of them: Konrad and Mannfred. The other three are out of the way pretty quick. One tries to copy Vlad and invades Middenland, but forgets to come back to life after he's killed. Another is goaded into a fight by Konrad, who is an insane murderbeast, and torn apart. The third of the also-rans is slain by a Witch Hunter named Helmut Van Hal. Where have we heard that name before?
The year is 2094. Sylvania Thunderdome ends when Mannfred wanders off. Konrad is the new undisputed ruler of Drakenhof, Sylvania, and the von Carsteins, and decides to kick of the Second Vampire War. His incompetence as a general was matched only by his prowess as a murderbeast. He basically wandered around at random and fought everyone he found, laying waste to huge swathes of the Empire and a significant chunk of Zhufbar, including killing the King of Zhufbar. An attempt by the feuding Emperors to unite against him is stymied when two of them simultaneously assassinate each other while battling on the same side against the undead hordes. Konrad's attempt to put a patsy on the throne is foiled because the patsy was literally a zombie. It turns out staring vacantly into space while your skin peels off is a poor strategy for gaining political support.
At this point, everyone hates Konrad more than they hate each other, and in 2121 a united Empire/Dwarf army stomps Konrad's into the ground. Konrad tries to slink off to go sulk, but the son of the would-be Zombie Emperor stabs him repeatedly with a Runefang, permanently killing him.
...probably.
Less than a year later, Mannfred returns. Mannfred is often described as 'cunning', because it sounds more impressive than 'compulsive betrayer'. He spends a decade gathering an army to him and in 2132, the Third Vampire War kicks off when Mannfred leads an army to Altdorf. The Grand Theogonist of the time pulls the Liber Mortis out of the vaults and it turns out there's a spell of Making All The Zombies Fall Apart. Mannfred runs off with his tail between his legs, but he doesn't know when he's beaten because he leads what remains of his army to besiege Marienburg. Hey, people who know anything about military strategy: is it a good idea to just leave a fortified army in your wake?
Mannfred barely manages to flee at the head of his army just before the Altdorfian one can sandwich it against the walls of Marienburg. For twenty years he leads his army in a constant retreat from the many armies chasing him, often running back to Sylvania to restock on undead minions. Finally the divided factions of the Empire have had enough, and they send an envoy to the Dwarves who have also had enough, and a combined Empire/Dwarvern army meets with Mannfred and his army in Hel Fenn. The undead army is crushed, and when Mannfred tries to flee, the Count of Stirland chases after him on a griffon, slicing massive chunks out of him with a Runefang until his mutilated corpse sinks below the marshes, where it will lie forever.
...probably.
If there is a moral of the story, it is this: necromancy makes you stupid.
The year is now 2145. The Empire spends the next fifteen years scouring Sylvania, rooting out a lot of the vampires but thoroughly alienating the people of Sylvania, who were sad that they got a taste of a fraction of the suffering that their vampire overlords delivered to the rest of the Empire time and time again. Cry me a river, Sylvania. It ceases to exist as a province, being annexed by Stirland.
But though the main line of von Carsteins have (probably) been wiped out, Sylvania is still a land of darkness and undeath. Necromancers, cadet branches of the von Carstein lineage, and vampires of other bloodlines abound. Drakenhof still rings with screams nightly, and even today it remains unlooted because of the terrible things that happen to everyone that intrudes upon it.
Sylvania is a powderkeg that explodes into zombies instead of fire, and periodically executing anyone who might start lighting metaphorical matches is the unenviable burden of the Elector Count of Stirland.
Araby's early history is a number of city-states and nomad tribes being squeezed between Ulthuan's colonies and the then-living Nehekhara's expansions, and being exploited by both. Then within a few years around -2000, three things happened: Nagash was born, the Phoenix King shaved a Dwarven ambassador, and an astoundingly talented young man called Mullah Aklan'd started to build a resistance force to evict the Asur from his home of Fyrus. Before this time, Araby had been largely puppet states of Ulthuan and Nehekhara, and their Gods and their magic were both constructed from the scraps of secrets stolen or gifted from each. By the time Mullah Aklan'd was done, Araby was a unified state with its own religion¹, its own magical tradition based on elemental spirits called Djinn, and a kick-start in technology from secrets wrested from both east and west.
Over the coming centuries Araby managed to evict the Elves from the Arabyan coast and had contributed to the first defeat of Nagash at the hands of the Army of Seven Kings in -1600, but in the aftermath they were conquered by an opportunistic and freshly-arisen Tomb King. For a thousand years Araby's military was used as a cudgel against the remaining Vampire holdouts while in Araby itself, Nagash's first lieutenant wages an endless war against it. It only ends when Arkhan returns to a resurgent Nagash in -150 (which eventually ends in a showdown with Sigmar) and at that point Araby was little more than a fractured land of city-states and nomad tribes once more.
Skip forward a dozen centuries or so and Araby has restored most of its wealth and splendour. In 1240, Arabyan corsairs conquer Sartosa from the Norscans who had been using it as a base to raid Tilea from, and they use it as a base to raid Tilea from², marking the prelude to what the Old World calls the 'Arabyan Wars'. In the 1400s, egged on by Skaven and Daemons, a man named Jaffar reunited most of Araby by force, named himself the new Grand Sultan, and launched an invasion of Tilea and Estalia from Sartosa. At this time Bretonnia is only a few centuries old and the Empire is in the early stages of the Time of Three Emperors, and both look up from their internal conflicts to send forces to defend the southern realms and then to retaliate. In Araby the Crusaders are met by a rebellion against Jaffar's rule and the two forces join sides to wrest Araby from Jaffar's control, one city at a time. After a long and brutal war Jaffar was overthrown and killed, and those from the Old World that didn't want to leave until the last of those loyal to him were stamped out founded the cities of Antoch (Bretonnian) and Sudenburg (Empire) on the southern edge of Araby, which eventually became bustling trade ports.
In modern times, Araby is divided in times of peace and united in times of 'bloody hell, Nehekhara's at it again'. It's wealthy, advanced, and largely focused on internal debates over who gets to call themselves the truest inheritors of Mullah Aklan'd's legacy, not unlike the Empire before Magnus. Sure, Arabyan Corsairs from the Pirate Coast do raid the coasts of the Old World, but so do Sartosan pirates to Araby, so it's just seen as a fact of life instead of a geopolitical hot button. And it's got one advantage that is easy to overlook: it's on the equator. I've said a few times that to an Arabyan perspective, the entire Old World could be labelled Chaos Wastes. Imagine how much better off the Empire would be if Chaos cults were rare, Daemons were mere legends, Beastmen only existed in one isolated pocket, and Everchosen were completely unheard of. Sure, Nehekhara can be a pain, but it's a known quantity and a lot of the time they're open to being paid off.
1. In very early editions when Warhammer was more based on history than fantasy, the religion was the monotheistic worship of The One, fairly obviously based on Islam with Mullah Aklan'd being a Mohammed expy. In later editions it is instead a pantheon based on pre-Islamic Arabian religion with Mulah Aklan'd being more of a Saladin figure.
2. Incidentally, the Norscans had taken it from Settra's forces, who had been using it as a base to raid Tilea from, who had taken it from the Dark Elves, who had been using it as a base to raid Tilea from, who had taken it from Tileans, who had been using it as a base to raid Tilea from, who had taken it from Ulthuan, who had been using it as a base to do colonialism on Tilea from. Sartosa's pretty much always been like that.
Ranald is a strange God. Almost all citizens of the Empire worship him when appropriate, the common sign of the crossed fingers being an entreaty to him for good fortune. And yet he is almost as actively suppressed as the Outlawed Gods, such as the elven god of murder, Khaine, or the shipwrecker's god and enemy of Manann, Stromfels. To understand why, you must understand the fourfold nature of Ranald.
Most know Ranald as Ranald the Gamester, God of Gaming, Gambling, and Luck. A prayer to him is a thumb on the scale of chance, tipping the odds in your favour. He is especially venerated by those who make fortunes by chance - gamblers, of course, but also merchants, businessmen and traders. He is worshipped by most citizens in small ways, with crossed fingers, lucky amulets and superstitions all being prayers to the God of Luck. Trade and business guilds are often dedicated to him, and small, hidden shrines to him can be found in most slums and shanties in the towns and cities of the Empire and beyond - except in Marienburg, where a large temple to Ranald stands openly. It is also said that anywhere there is gambling is a shrine to Ranald.
The second most followed aspect of Ranald is that of Ranald the Night Prowler, God of Thieves. Though this aspect is poorly looked upon by most of those in power, the Strictures of Ranald the Night Prowler frown on violence, so cities with a criminal underbelly dominated by Ranald are vastly preferable to those dominated by Khaine. Worship of Ranald is built right into the Thieves Cant, the deliberately confusing argot of the underclasses, and the majority of Ranald's priests began by worshipping this facet of him.
The least-known guise of Ranald is Ranald the Deceiver, God of Irony and Illusion, Charlatans and Tricksters, favoured by spies, liars, con artists, and Grey Wizards. He smiles on attempts to outwit and outfox your enemies, though he smiles just as readily on suitably entertaining failures. To openly admit to worshipping him is to fail at doing so, as no true liar admits to being one, so worship of this guise tends to be more personal and uncodified than even that of Ranald's other followers.
And finally, there is the most thoroughly and enthusiastically suppressed face of Ranald: Ranald the Protector. He is the God of Freedom, of defending the defenceless, assisting the poor, and standing up for the rights of the common man. But when taken to extremes, he is also the God of revolution, equality, and democracy, and as such is a constant danger to the status quo of the Empire. He is worshipped by rabble-rousers, democrats, cells of would-be revolutionaries and groups of brigands that steal from the wealthy to give to the impoverished. These worshippers are much of why the worship of Ranald is outright forbidden in Bretonnia, and viewed with so much suspicion elsewhere.
Everyone that worships Ranald is drawn to one face of the God, but to worship one facet is to worship all of Ranald. To accept Ranald as your patron deity is accept the importance of fortune, a lax attitude towards laws, a flexible approach to the truth, and the importance of freedom.
Ranald is usually portrayed as a charming rogue with a wicked smile, but sometimes depicted as a crow, magpie, or a black cat. The only symbol holy to him is the simple cross: X. This makes it easy to work into innocuous-looking patterns and tattoos, as the symbol loses some of its potency if worn openly.
---
Ranald the Protector is a mixed bag. Those with a stated goal to overthrow the monarchy are routinely slaughtered, but neighborhood watch-esque organizations dedicated to him thrive in poorer areas of towns and cities, and nearly every non-rich quarter has a hidden shrine to Ranald the Protector. Sometimes said shrine is found, and it's carefully dismantled and hidden away until official attention passes and then it's put back together. At the end of the day, frowned up as he is, Ranald is still a recognized Major God of the Old World Pantheon, and when His representatives show up at religious Conclaves there's nothing that can be done to exclude them.
If you do enshrine Ranald the Protector as the patron god of the Watch, then you'd be doing is effectively attempting trying to force a fifth facet of Ranald in the public consciousness - that of Ranald the Revolutionary - and thus purge the Protector of the unsavory aspects. Normally this sort of thing would be very frowned upon by the God in question, but Ranald the Deceiver - your Patron - would find it hilarious. And who knows? Perhaps eventually it will be reflected in the God Himself.
It is more difficult and risky than just bringing a more acceptable Cult in, but it can work out in the end.
---
There's always some with more zeal than sense and they do a 'purge' and a few revolutionaries too stupid to play dumb get swept up and taken to the gallows and the locals feign shock. "A Ranaldite shrine? In our neighborhood? Good heavens!" And after a month or two official attention has moved elsewhere and the shrine is back up within the day.
And Ranald isn't a soldier's god per se, and before a battle they'll be praying to Sigmar or Ulric or Myrmidia or Taal, but when they're in the middle of a melee and there's arrows flying everywhere and whether they live or die is down to sheer chance, more often than not soldiers will be invoking Ranald.
Articles 1-15 of The Articles Of Imperial Magic, written by Magnus the Pious.
1. The first obedience of every Magister must be to the ideals and laws of Sigmar's Holy Empire of which these Articles form a part; then to he who is rightfully elected Emperor of Sigmar's Holy Empire; then to the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic; then to the laws and ideals of their Order; then to the Patriarch of their Order; then to the authorities that each Magister may be required to serve in the course of his duties; then to other superiors within their Orders.
2. No Magister may obstruct in malice or for financial or political gain the rulings of the Emperor, nor may they seek to overthrow him for these reasons.
3. Every Magister of said Colleges must adhere to the laws of Sigmar's Holy Empire, regardless of the province, region, or city-state, just as any loyal citizen must, except that the Magisters alone shall be permitted to study magic and perform such spells for the good of the Empire.
4. The Colleges are free to study, document, practice, and experiment with the arcane forces of magic that are present in this world, provided they adhere to the restrictions laid down by Teclis of Ulthuan, keep the good of Sigmar's Holy Empire in their hearts and minds, and obey the Articles of this document.
5. The Colleges may bestow as they see fit upon all their own initiates full rights to study, document, practice, and experiment with the arcane forces of magic that are present in this world and also take apprentices to themselves to pass on such knowledge and wisdom as may be part of their Lore and for the good of the Empire.
6. No Magister may cast a spell or enchantment outside of the theatre of war and in public view without first being requested to by the Emperor, the Electors of Sigmar's Holy Empire, or another legitimate employer as defined by the Articles of this document. All spells and enchantments cast without these permission may only be done so with and for demonstrably good reason.
7. No Magister may ever study the Forbidden Lores of the Daemonic Powers, nor the unholy ways of Necromancy, nor any other sorcery or witchcraft that utilises the wicked powers of Dark Magic. Any Magister found disregarding this Article is guilty of an Abominable Act and is both Heretic and Traitor and will be put to sword and fire immediately.
8. The Colleges must respond favourably to any reasonable request for specific service from any Elector of Sigmar's Holy Empire.
9. The Colleges must be ready to render service to the armies of the Emperor and the Electors of the Empire upon request, unless such service aids in the seceding of an Imperial province from the Empire, or unless such service is intended to cause overt harm to the Electoral System, or to the authority of the Emperor who resides upon Sigmar's Throne, or to the unity of purpose and identity that marks Sigmar's Holy Empire, as indeed it was so sorely afflicted throughout the dark centuries of the False Emperors.
10. The Colleges must grant upon request protection for all such diplomatic missions and any other tasks of defence or warfare as are required by the duly elected Emperor of Sigmar's Holy Empire.
11. All Magisters may expect to receive accommodation, benefits, respect, and fair treatment, as would befit any noble of Sigmar's Holy Empire, while in the employ of the Electors of Sigmar's Holy Empire.
12. Magisters are permitted to pursue agreements of employment with any persons or organisations: civil and religious, public and private, noble and mercantile, providing their employers are not enemies of Sigmar's Holy Empire or the people and that will not lead to the breaking of any of these Articles.
13. All Magisters are required to seek out magic users as may exist within the bounds of Sigmar's Holy Empire to ascertain their suitability to join one of the Orders of Magic, or else report them to the Holy Orders of the Templars of Sigmar, or else destroy them if they prove to be of immediate and grave menace to Sigmar's People.
14. All Magisters are required to render such aid as is deemed necessary to the Holy Orders of the Templars of Sigmar, should said Templars provide satisfactory proof that the servant of malignancy they face is beyond their capacity to capture or destroy without magical means.
15. All Magisters are required to exert themselves to seek out and counter such destructive and anti-Imperial machinations, practices, peoples, and creatures that are beyond the means of civil authorities and Sigmar's Templars to counter, but yet still serve the Daemon Gods or advance the corruption of Imperial citizens through any sorcerous or infernal means. This shall be the prime concern and purpose of the Colleges, their Orders and the Magisters belonging to them, and to fail in this duty is to render void all the Articles of this document and make obsolete their permission to practise arcane arts without hindrance.
As long as you abide by the Articles of Imperial Magic, without solid evidence of your wrongdoing they cannot touch you without getting in a world of shit. 'All eight Colleges threatening to declare war on Stirland' levels of shit. 'The Emperor himself asking what the fuck is going on over there' levels of shit. If there is one thing that the Colleges will move heaven and earth to prevent, it's the precedent that members of the College in good standing can be victimized by Witch Hunters. Besides that, Magisters legally have all the rights and protections of nobility, and as a Journeywoman you are under the protection of your Master - besides which, you actually are a noble.
I cannot emphasize it enough: THIS IS NOT 40K. It takes more than someone pointing and shouting 'heresy' to be murdered by the Witch Hunters.
Here is the legal status between the Witch Hunters (aka the Templars of Sigmar) and members of the Colleges of Magic:
14. All Magisters are required to render such aid as is deemed necessary to the Holy Orders of the Templars of Sigmar, should said Templars provide satisfactory proof that the servant of malignancy they face is beyond their capacity to capture or destroy without magical means.
You aren't their prey. You're their backup.
Shadowmancers seldom stay long in one place. They are restless, curious and independent individuals and their character and duties mean that they spend most of their lives travelling from place to place. Due to the nature of their duties, the journeys Shadowmancers embark upon are often undertaken under the cover of darkness, and therefore nearly always seem to imply some evil purpose or ulterior motive to the few ordinary people that witness them. Shadowmancers do not talk easily of their deeds, or much of other matters, for they are aware of the suspicion with which they are viewed by their fellow men, and prefer to remain inconspicuous and discreet.
The Shadowmancers are renowned for their practicality. A grave sense of responsibility and a sharp mind are prerequisites for potential apprentices to their Order. The Shadowmancers prize diplomacy and the skills of debate and rhetoric, especially for those times that they choose to become involved in disputes, where they take the part of open mediators. The history of the Order of Shadows has, with very few exceptions, been one of great asceticism, skilful diplomacy, and absolute opposition to all things associated with the Dark Powers.
Magisters of the Grey Order may rarely be viewed as honest individuals, but they are incredibly loyal to their Order and the Empire as a whole. Teclis chose the most dependable and honourable of his Human protégés to study the Grey Wind because he knew full well the temptations that would soon come their way.
The symbol of their Order (the Sword of Judgement) is a reminder to them as scholars of magic that seeking knowledge and wisdom is not enough in itself. They are worthless if not actively used to better society.
These are generalities, and many, possibly most Magisters would vary from it in one way or another, but it is a useful insight into what the College as an institution values.
When Dieter IV came to power in 2411, he quickly discovered a new favourite hobby: encouraging inter-College rivalries for his own amusement. After four years of mounting squabbles and with the eight-yearly duel for the Supreme Patriarch position coming up, Supreme Patriarch Alric of the Light Order was ambushed and frozen in crystal by an ambitious underling called High Luminary Horx, who then broke into the vaults of the Light College to engage in a little light reading of the Book of Volans, thinking it would make him powerful enough to take on all comers and secure the Supreme Patriarch position for himself. Instead, it drove Horx insane and unleashed a Storm of Magic upon Altdorf.
This was taken as a perfect opportunity to settle scores as everyone broke out all the most powerful of spells and artefacts that can only be used during Storms of Magic. The Bright Order fought against the Light Order, the Amber Order fought against the Celestial Order, the Amethyst Order fought amongst themselves after one of them summoned ghosts and was accused of necromancy. The Grey Order called in an allied Knightly Order called the Knights of Judgement to try to restore order, the Gold Order tried to pick off anyone that looked like they might be becoming too powerful, and the Jade Order hunkered down, animating all the trees in their quarter of the city to strangle any other Wizard that tried to approach. After a great deal of chaos, the Grand Theogonist of the time put an end to the matter by storming the Hall of Duels and executing Horx, which ended the Storm of Magic so abruptly that the backlash killed everyone that was drawing upon it. The only College leader to survive was Alric, who gave up the Supreme Patriarchy in shame for not being able to stop Horx.
After the dust settled, the Church of Sigmar pressured Dieter IV to close the Colleges and ban magic. As Dieter IV never heard a bad idea he didn't love, he went along with it. Ironically, this healed most of the leftover rifts because all eight College basically closed ranks and said "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough", and though many Witch Hunters believed they were hard enough, all of them turned out to be incorrect. Most of the esoteric and paranoid defences of the Colleges date back to this period. In 2420, Dieter IV managed to completely tank any goodwill he got from banning the Colleges when he accepted a bribe to sanction a College of Elementalists in Nuln.
In 2429, Dieter IV was deposed after accepting a massive bribe to grant Marienburg independence. Emperor Wilhelm III, also known as Wilhelm the Wise (mostly out of contrast) and the current Emperor's grandfather, got off to a bad start when some circus illusionists made off with a significant chunk of his treasury and he tried to hold a mass trial for wizardry in general on charges of 'witchcraft and consorting with Chaos'. The Colleges were into year fourteen of their 'siege' at this point, so funnily enough none of them arrived to defend themselves. The trial was postponed for Wilhelm III to go reconquer Marienburg, but they were allied with Ulthuan, and between Elven Mages and Marienburg's own graduates from the College of Navigation and Sea Magicks, Marienburg had complete magical dominance and things went devastatingly bad for the forces of the Empire. Wilhelm went 'wow okay point fucking made holy shit' and reopened the Colleges in 2430.
Official history records the Great Fire of Altdorf that burned the district surrounding the Bright College as happening in 2431, as part of an 'accident' when 'rebuilding' the College. It's probably for the best if you pretend to believe that.
The College of Elementalism still exists as a branch of the University of Nuln under extremely close scrutiny from both the Templars and the Colleges. It lacks the prestige and the power of the Colleges, but it still attracts students. Apprentices that don't want to live with the obligations of the Teclisean Colleges but don't want their magic suppressed either often end up 'running away' to Nuln, and as they still technically exist under an Emperor-recognized College of Magic they're legally in the clear. The Colleges usually consider getting rid of someone with the belief of 'I want power but I don't want to actually help the Empire with it' to be in their best interest, and them going to Nuln means at least they're not learning necromancy or sorcery, and they're easy to keep an eye on.
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, because 'subtle' and 'quick to anger' still only covers two of the eight terrifying flavours they come in.
Youth / Garazi: What is considered to be the first day of a Dwarf's life is not necessarily when they are born, but when they are given their name during a set of ceremonies at a Temple of Grungni with their male relatives, and at a Temple of Valaya with their female relatives. Over their childhood, they will be taught Dwarven law, tradition, and history, the basics of combat, mining, and metalworking, and the basics of their Clan's speciality. They will also spend a minimum of two years working in the mines of their Hold. For those that do not live within a Karak, they may travel to one to undergo the proper ceremonies, or they may be visited by the proper Priests.
Newbeard / Gnutrommi: At the age of thirty, a Dwarf makes a ceremonial sacrifice to the Ancestors, usually an apprentice-piece of the Guild they wish to join. They are gifted with their first set of tools by their Clan and are afforded the right to wear their Clan's insignia. This is typically the age when a Clan will start debating and negotiating a marriage on behalf of Dwarf women, though they retain veto rights throughout the process.
Journeymen / Strollenokri: Typically (but not always) between the ages of 40 to 60, an Apprentice deemed ready is released to prove themselves. This is equivalent to the 'Journeying' of human crafters, but in modern times it's common for Dwarves to remain in the same Hold rather than travelling elsewhere. They work without supervision or correction until they consider themselves ready to present their Guild with a Masterpiece, and said Masterpiece is accepted by the Guild. Some Dwarves stall at this stage for life, or decide to start again as Apprentices in a new field.
Fullbeard / Altrommi: At the age of 70, a Dwarf that has also attained the rank of Master in their Guild is considered ready to take on Apprentices of their own. This is the most common age for Dwarven men to get married, though the majority never do.
Longbeard / Langktrommi: At the age of 120, Dwarves are considered to have neared the peak of their ability, and those that have suitable skill begin to be considered for the rank of Grandmaster. Most Dwarves stop taking on new Apprentices at this point to dedicate themselves entirely to their craft without distractions.
Elder / Aldtrommi: At the age 150, Dwarves join the Elder Council of their Clan, a position they retain for the remainder of their life. Depending on the Clan the Council might directly lead them, or might only advise those who do. They also become involved in adjudicating disputes, resolving Grudges, and advising young Dwarves who come to them for wisdom. This is also the age when many Dwarves will die of old age, which is something Dwarves can sense some time in advance, giving them the chance to prepare their tomb, distribute their possessions, and spend their last days with their friends and family.
Greatbeard / Gormtrommi: Few Dwarves reach the age of 200. Those that do are held in high esteem and often become leaders of their Clan or Guild.
Living Ancestor / Karugromthi: Those very rare Dwarves that reach the age of 400 are accorded the status of Living Ancestors. They typically have a driving motivation, either a thirst for knowledge, an ambition to fully master their craft, an unfinished task, or an unresolved Grudge that requires avenging, and will usually dedicate their entire life to this, however long it might take.
Karaz-a-Karak - Enduring Endurance / Big Stony Stone Place / Hold of Holds - 'Everpeak'
High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer
The capital of the Karaz Ankor, Karaz-a-Karak is the largest, richest, and most influential of the Dwarfholds, and traditionally the home of the High King. Though its population has dwindled, the contents of its vaults, treasuries and archives have grown as the recovered treasures of fallen Dwarfholds and the heirlooms of extinct clans default to it. Once its great gates stood open for visitors and trade to flow freely, but now they open only for war, as its dwindling population sacrifices themselves further to protect other holds or avenge Grudges.
Karaz-a-Karak is home to the legendary Aircorps, which projects the will of the High King further and faster than any conventional force could dream of. The design of gyrocopters had been refined in recent decades, and where once they were small, one-Dwarf vehicles more suited to scouting than war and armed only with rerouted steam from their boilers, now the most basic are proper weapon platforms possessing a great variety of weapons, the larger gyrobombers are capable of devastating armies, and gyrocarriages provide rapid long-range transport to VIPs and elite units.
Barak Varr - Gate to the Sea
King Byrrnoth Grundadrakk
Barak Varr is the seaport of the Karaz Ankor, and it is a major player in sea trade and dominates the rivers it sits astride. It is found at the narrow end of the Black Gulf, giving it easy access to Tilea, Estalia, and Araby. It also dominates the many rivers of the Border Princes that empty into the Gulf, and while the Border Princes themselves are far from wealthy trade partners, it does give access to Karak Hirn, Zhufbar, Karaz-a-Karak and Karak Eight Peaks. Overland trade via Black Fire Pass gives access to the Empire, though rumour has it they are seeking riverine access to the Empire by building a canal from the great Black Water crater-lake to the River Aver.
The Navy of Barak Varr rivals that of some entire nations, and it spurns traditional wooden ships and sails in favour of using secrets of steel and steam to construct metal behemoths that pay no need to the direction of the wind. Tiny Gunboats and sleek, speedy Monitors dominate the rivers while mighty Ironclads travel across the seas, festooned with firepower enough to dissuade even the most reckless of pirates from seeking the contents of their cargo holds. And greatest of all, the Dreadnoughts are mighty floating fortresses, as able to disgorge aircraft and submarines as they are more traditional projectiles. Only the greatest Kings of Barak Varr are able to make the construction of a single Dreadnought the culmination of their rule.
Zhufbar - Torrent-Gate
King Barundin Stoneheart
Zhufbar was once twinned to Karak Varn, dedicated to smelting and shaping the ore it extracted from the shores and the bed of the Black Water. In the Silver Age it remade itself as the foremost home of Dwarven engineering, harnessing the waterfall that runs through it before plummeting into the River Aver below to power a thousand cunning devices. Most of the more exotic weapons in Dwarven hands bears the mark of the Zhufbar Engineers Guild, and it has grown wealthy on providing these weapons. It possesses the largest gromril armouries still in use, with which it launches mining raids into the tunnels in, under and around Karak Varn to extract gold and gromril from under the noses of Skaven and Night Goblins.
The mighty arsenals of Zhufbar keep it safe and prosperous despite its unenviable position. Karak Varn to the west and Mount Gunbad to the east are filled with Skaven and greenskins, the Black Water is home to all manner of strange and malformed monsters, and Sylvania needs no introduction. Zhufbar survives and even thrives because each Dwarf that marches to war does so with either the finest of weaponry and armour or the most clever and proven of modern armaments.
Karak Kadrin - Stronghold of the Pass - 'The Slayer Keep'
King Ungrim Ironfist
The northernmost of the major holds, Karak Kadrin dominates the western end of Peak Pass, the only direct route through the mountains between the Empire and the Dark Lands. They provide access to merchants from the west and protection from various marauders from the east, and as such have a strong relationship with Ostermark, the Imperial province adjoining Peak Pass. They were once able to dominate the entire length of the pass, but in modern times much of the Karak's former outposts are home to greenskins and worse. Between the tolls they charge and the rich ore deposits the Karak is built upon, Karak Kadrin remains quite wealthy despite being more and more isolated from the rest of the Karaz Ankor.
Its history was shaped by the forgotten shame of a long-dead King, and the Slayer Oath he swore but was unable to reconcile with his Oath of Kingship. Each generation of rulers since had inherited these incompatible duties, and to at least assuage the guilt, they have dedicated Karak Kadrin to Grimnir and the Slayer Cult, providing weapons, shelter and support to all those seeking their Doom. As a result, the Karak is split between being a wealthy and cosmopolitan centre of trade and industry, and a grim and dour home of dishonoured Dwarves sworn to death in battle.
Karak Azul - Iron Mountain
King Kazador Thunderhorn
Ever since the fall of Karak Eight Peaks and Karak Drazh, Karak Azul had been all but cut off from the rest of the Karaz Ankor, and all that kept them from being assumed lost was the occasional heavily-armed forces sent from Karaz-a-Karak to confirm its continued existence and keep it at least slightly connected to the wider world. Apart from these expeditions, and in recent decades the occasional gyrocopter, all Karak Azul knows of the world is the Skaven and greenskins in the mountains that surround it, and the Badlands that its only overland approach opens into.
Despite this dire situation, it remains hale and hearty, and many secrets of metalworking and Runecraft lost to other holds remain well understood in Karak Azul. It received many of the refugees from the other southern holds as they fell, and as such is the only hold to have not significantly shrunk from its Golden Age size. They are entirely self sufficient, and their isolation seems only to have strengthened them.
Karak Hirn - The Hornhold
King Alrik Ranulfsson
Karak Hirn is built atop metal deposits that, while useful and sizeable, pale in comparison to the jewels, gold and gromril of the World's Edge Mountains. As such, it was barely more than an outpost during the Time of Woes, and had no connection to the Underway. This made it practically untouched by the disasters that devastated the Old Holds, and an attractive destination for refugees that had lost everything. So it has grown while the rest of the Karaz Ankor has shrunk, and now dominates the Black Mountains west of Black Fire Pass and enjoys profitable trade and close relations to Wissenland.
Karak Hirn is home to a great many Rangers, protecting the Black Mountains from both monstrous beasts and human claim jumpers. They communicate through the massive horn the hold is named for - a series of natural caverns shaped and capped so that they can be opened to the wind at will, sending low, reverberating notes echoing through the mountains, speaking a language that only the Rangers know.
Karak Norn - Barren Earth Hold
Queen Thurma Ironpick
Dwarves are a stubborn people, and when they found the Grey Mountains were all but empty of useful or valuable ores and jewels, many refused to believe it and for the entire Golden Age, stubborn Clans searched for the rich deposits they felt should exist somewhere. When the Time of Woes began, others searching for a new home saw potential in Karak Norn that its inhabitants were blind to. The Clans that once held Mount Silverspear on the Silver Road and the outposts that once dominated Mad Dog Pass moved in en masse, and ever since the trade routes in the southern Grey Mountains, including the well-travelled Montdidier Pass between Wissenland and Bretonnia, became dominated by the Dwarves, snatched away from the Elves of Athel Loren.
Karak Norn's gates, unlike most Dwarfholds, are not found at the base of a mountain, but instead atop a massive forested plateau, upon which the last known Wutroth grove can be found. Where other Dwarves see wood as only useful for ornamentation or fuel, Karak Norn's Carpenters Guild are unquestionably the masters of creating wooden weapons, including bolt throwers, grudge throwers, and crossbows. They keep a wary eye on the Elves of Athel Loren, and not just out of caution, for they regularly carry out raids into the infamous forests to harvest the rarest, strongest and most valuable of woods from it. They spend a great deal of the profits on importing siege weapons from the rest of Karaz Ankor, quite sure that one day, Athel Loren will seek revenge.
Karak Izor - Copper Mountain
King Gruflok Wyrzon
As its name suggests, Karak Izor had humble origins as a minor mining outpost for a metal of modest value. After the Time of Woes, the richest and most prestigious of refugee Clans travelled to it, not for copper, but because of its location. Karak Izor is built atop the Vaults, the massive, sprawling jumble of mountains at the intersection between the Grey and Black Mountains. Now Karak Izor is the centre of a miniature empire of its own, surrounded by single-Clan petty kingdoms dug into mountains, built into cliff faces overlooking fertile valleys, or even carved into glaciers.
The Vaults are not solely populated by Dwarves, however. Though the inner Vaults are steep, treacherous, and carefully watched enough that nobody but Dwarves can penetrate the centre, the outer Vaults are home to some of the largest Skaven strongholds outside Skavenblight: Fester Spike, Putrid Stump, and Foul Peak. The final inhabitant is less abhorrent: on the southeast edge of the Vaults, the barren valleys surrounding Karak Izor itself are the final refuge of the Border Princes, where all that call that inhospitable land home flee to when the enemies of mankind sweep through on the way to more densely populated lands. For this reason, the more sensible Border Princes stay on good terms with Karak Izor, for friendship is repaid with an escort back to their demesne when the threat has passed, and bandits and pirates that seek refuge with them are rarely seen again.
Prehistory: When the Old Ones still walked the world, and Chaos had yet to encroach on the poles. The Dwarves schism over the use of magic, and some travel north to better use the energies emitted by the works of the Old Ones, and some travel east hoping to exploit the mountains of the Giant Lands. ???? to -5500. The Time of Ancestor-Gods: The arrival of Chaos, and the rise of the Ancestor-Gods who unite the remaining Dwarves against it and found the Karaz Ankor. -5500 to -4420, ends with Grimnir marching into the Realm of Chaos and the departure of the other Ancestor-Gods. Golden Age: When the Dwarves were at the height of their knowledge and power, culminating in their alliance with the Elves and the addition of Runes to the Waystone Network. -4420 to -1997, ends with the shaving of the Ambassador to Ulthuan.
-3900: Zorn Uzkul, far east of the World's Edge Mountains, falls to Chaos and became the Chaos Dwarves.
-2000: Karak Zorn in the Southlands falls to unknown forces: probably Lizardmen, possibly the Nehekharans. War of Vengeance / War of the Beard: Both Empires tear each other asunder. Karaz Ghumzul in the Middle Mountains declares independence rather than fight the Elves. -1997 to -1600, end with the capture of the Phoenix Crown. Time of Woes: A great earthquake shatters the Underway, letting in the greenskins and unleashing the Skaven. -1500 to -15. Ends with Sigmar rescuing High King Kurgan Ironbeard.
-1500 Mount Gunbad, east of Zhufbar, falls to Night Goblins. They use it as a base to besiege Mount Silverspear in what becomes known as the Silver Road Wars.
-1500: Karaz Ghumzul in the Middle Mountains is abandoned, and its inhabitants return to the Karaz Ankor.
-1500: Karak Ungor, on the border between Ostermark and Kislev, falls to Night Goblins. Now known as Red Eye Mountain.
-1499: Karak Varn, twin to Zhufbar, falls to Skaven. Now known as Cragmere.
-1498: Ekrund, in the Dragonback Mountains west of the Badlands and across the Black Gulf from the Border Princes, falls to the Orcs. Now known as Mount Bloodhorn.
-1367: Mount Silverspear, east of Karaz-a-Karak and south of Mount Gunbad, finally falls to the Night Goblins of Mount Gunbad. Now known as Mount Grimfang.
-1250: Karag Dron erupts, wiping out the handful of defenders still holding out against the toxic fumes.
-800: Neferata, Queen of the Lahmians, begins plotting to take Silver Pinnacle for herself.
-701: Karak Eight Peaks, east of the Badlands in the World's Edge Mountains, is besieged by the Skaven.
-513: Karak Eight Peaks finally falls to the Skaven, leaving the neighbouring holds vulnerable. Now known as the City of Pillars.
-469: Karak Izril, just southwest of Karak Eight Peaks, falls to the Orcs. Now known as Karak Azgal.
-469: Karak Drazh, just north of Karak Eight Peaks, falls to the Orcs. Now known as Black Crag.
-326: Silver Pinnacle falls to the machinations of Neferata. Silver Age / The Age of Man: The Young Holds establish themselves and begin to flourish even as the Old Holds continue to diminish. No major holds are lost in this period. -15 to 2300. Ends with the rise of the Everchosen Asavar Kul. The Great War Against Chaos: The Karaz Ankor marches to defend the Empire of Man, and regain contact with the Norse Dwarves. Victory comes at a great cost. 2300-2302, ending with the death of Asavar Kul and the fatal wounding of High King Alriksson
2300: Karag Dum, east of the World's Edge Mountains, falls to the forces of Chaos. A small portion of the Hold continued to hold out against attackers for two hundred years until rescued by Gotrek and Felix.
2301: Karak Vlag, neighbour to Karak Kadrin, falls to the forces of Chaos, and somehow disappears from the mountains entirely. Age of Vengeance: Ascension of High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer to the Throne of Power, who dedicates the Karaz Ankor to wiping clean the Book of Grudges. 2304 to present.
2302: The Norscans returning from the Great War Against Chaos attack the Norse Dwarfs in the War of the Mountains.
2390: Kraka Drak and the rest of the Norse Dwarfholds are believed to have fallen to the Norscans.
Languages mapped by their relationships to and descent from other languages.
Languages mapped specifically by their descent from that of the Old Ones, with thanks to @Redshirt Army.
This information is according to the best knowledge of Mathilde Weber, rather than necessarily being objectively true statements of thread canon.
The We are a truly eusocial hive insect found throughout the Under-Empire with three known castes. Each Hive is a single individual through an emergent intelligence that arises from a minimum of one Egg-Layer and approximately ten Web-Weavers. The total intelligence of the hive does not grow with additional numbers, but their memory capacity does, as does their ability to cross-reference memories.
Egg-Layers
The Egg-Layers are the most massive of the We and rival an Arachnarok Spider in size, but though their bulk could make them a ferocious combatant, they completely lack fangs and would be helpless without the rest of the Hive. They are female, and lay and care for the eggs that hatch into the three castes of the Hive, and their forelegs and pedipalps are capable of very gentle and precise movements. They are the most permanent parts of the Hive, and the most important or useful information is kept within them. An average healthy Hive will have three to five Egg-Layers, and a Hive will only add to their number of Egg-Layers when they are comfortable in their current home and confident of their food supply.
The Egg-Layers produce a single type of webbing, the soft, durable, fireproof silk that could render obsolete the silk from the East, normally used to cushion and protect their eggs.
Web-Weavers
The Web-Weavers are the smallest of the We, each about the size of a medium-sized dog. They produce and maintain the webs that form the walls and passages of the lairs of the We, tend to the the Egg-Layers and the Hunters, and care for the larder. They prepare 'meals' for the other castes by regurgitating digestive fluid onto their paralyzed captives, as the other castes are incapable of producing that fluid and cannot digest solid food. They are male, and those deemed most appropriate through an unknown process become fertile and mate a single time with a single Egg-Layer, which supplies sufficient seed for the lifetime of the Egg-Layer. When two Hives are in proximity, Web-Weaver 'messengers' are exchanged to communicate, and it is neither uncommon nor considered noteworthy for one or both to 'keep' a messenger from the other. This is one of the two methods the Hives use to ensure genetic diversity, as over a period of days the Web-Weaver will be 'absorbed' into its new Hive, and will become fertile in the process.
The Web-Weavers are also a Hive's method of long-term food storage, as the walls of an established Hive will often be filled with dormant Web-Weavers, allowing a Hive to respond to minor food shortages by activating dormant Web-Weavers instead of hatching new ones, and respond to major food shortages by cannibalizing them. They also serve as a last-ditch defensive measure, as the Web-Weavers have long, powerful fangs and paralytic venom, and are capable of spewing their digestive fluid at range.
The Web-Weavers produce three types of web. Two are specialized and not easily adaptable: one as a quickly-solidifying 'glue' to hold webbing together, and a second as a sort of efficient scaffolding that can be easily redigested. The third is the most significant for non-We - the general-purpose webbing used for permanent structures. This could be woven into extremely lightweight and strong load-bearing ropes and cables.
Hunters
The Hunters are the only members of a Hive that will regularly venture away from the others, and are about the size of a pony, and are the same size as the giant spiders often used by Forest Goblins as mounts. They are the second female caste and the only caste capable of independent thought, and outside of the influence of the group-mind they revert to the instincts of an ambush predator, though they remain guided by the group-mind's memories of the area and a knowledge of what is and isn't suitable prey. A well-established Hive will often have near-invisible strands of web along walls or ceilings for Hunters to orient themselves, as well as to signal their hunting ground to any other nearby Hive. Hunters vary their strategy according to their prey, but they most commonly strike from above or behind, injecting a potent paralytic venom and dragging or lifting the prey to somewhere it can completely bind it with their web before carrying it back to the Hive. They lack the long life-span of the Egg-Layers and the ability to enter dormancy of the Web-Weavers, and are the most 'disposable' of the castes. A Hunter failing to return from a hunt is not unusual, especially against the more dangerous types of prey, and those that return with severe injuries are usually cannibalized. Those not currently engaged with hunting are usually found at the edge of the group-mind's range, keeping watch for intruders.
The Hunters play a secondary role as the second method of ensuring genetic diversity. A healthy Hive tends to have some of their hunters go 'rogue', forgetting their orders and disregarding the hunt in favour of wandering into unknown tunnels. If they wander into the web-sign of a foreign Hive, they will be drawn in, and over a period of days it will be absorbed into the new Hive. This will also trigger reproductive development, and after their ovaries have developed they will mate with a Web-Weaver of their new Hive. Eggs laid by Hunters in this manner will always be Egg-Layers.
The Hunters produce two types of web: the same general-purpose webbing produced by the Web-Weavers which they mostly use for vertical movement and for carrying prey, and the webbing used solely for wrapping their prey. This wrapping web is extremely durable, stretchy, and resistant to being cut, making it very suitable for light-weight armour.
Warpstone
The We are highly adapted to hunting Skaven, and part of that is dealing with long-term warpstone exposure. The stomach of the We will encyst any warpstone it encountered and grow layers of calcified tissue around the cyst, shielding the individual from prolonged warpstone exposure. Over a prolonged period these will accumulate until the individual We perishes and is cannibalized, but the cysts are immune to the digestive fluid and end up with the rest of the indigestible material in a Hive's midden.
Society
Each Hive is a single individual that regards itself as existing within each of the bodies it arises from and exhibits a continuity beyond the age of any of the individuals. Even though their intelligence is emergent, their memory is contained within individuals, so information must be communicated between them or it will be lost over time. Until recently they were unaware of the possibility of sentience among any creature that wasn't the We, and of the possibility of individual sentience. Knowledge can only be transferred from one We to another by active communication; memories stored in an individual body are incomprehensible to other We, and are lost in the process of absorption.
So, a big part of provincial legitimacy in the Empire comes from 'these are the lands of our people since the time of Sigmar and before'. The modern province of Reikland, for example, lines up fairly well with the borders of the Unberogen tribe. Stirland with the Asoborns, Talabecland with the Taleutens, Averland with the Brigundians, Hochland with the Cherusens, Ostermark with the Ostagoths. Middenland started with the land of the Teutogens and absorbed the lands of the Thuringians after the destruction of Drakwald, and Wissenland started with the land of the Merogens and absorbed the lands of the Menogoths after the destruction of Solland. So far, so simple.
Cast your eyes north, however, and you encounter a big chunk of land with no tribal claimant. The part of it that's Laurelorn makes sense, but why's there nobody in the Forest of Shadows? It's scary as fuck, sure, but so was the Drakwald. Who lives there?
See the part labelled 'Jutones'? They're the people that would become known as the ancestors of Nordland. They're not in Nordland at the time of this map because they're busy fighting with the Endals over what we know as Marienburg and the Wasteland. Then it was known as Marburg, and the Endals say it was founded by King Marbad as the capital of Weysterland, and the Jutones say it was founded by King Marius as the capital of Jutonsryk. Okay, this is easy enough to explain, right? The Jutones lost, went east into the terra nullius of the Forest of Shadows, and founded Nordland. Bam, easy.
Not quite. They weren't settling the Forest of Shadows, they were returning to it. Let's talk about the Was Jutones.
In most sources, 'Was Jutones' is treated as just another name for the Jutones, but there's a clear demarcation between the two. When King Marius led the Jutones west on their ultimately doomed attempt to settle the unforested lowlands, not everyone followed him. Those that remained in the Forest of Shadows became known as the Was Jutones, and their name should be on that big unlabelled chunk. But when the apostate Jutones were finally driven off by the Endals and had no choice but to return in ignominy to the Forest of Shadows, they did not cut right through Laurelorn to do so, because the Eonir were still in 'warning shot to the face' mode. They travelled along the Great North Road in the lands of the Teutogens and via Middenheim. When the Jutones returned to their Was Jutone kin, they did not do so as humbled penitents. They did so as conquerors in the name of their new God, Ulric. Some submitted while others fled east, splitting the Was Jutones in half: those of what would become Nordland, and those of what would become Ostland.
The Was Jutones became a footnote in the victor-written history of Nordland, and one that was written as small and as rarely as possible, lest it undermine the legitimacy of Nordland's Jutone-descended rulers.
CLARIFICATIONS AND COLLATED INFORMATION
Things the Vow of Poverty does:
- Reassures the citizens of the Empire that the extremely abusable Shadow Magic is in the hands of a group that has strict rules against abusing it.
- Makes it so that if it does appear that someone is abusing it, the first reaction of influential people that hear of it would be to dob them in to the Grey Order, making them able to punish or reassure as appropriate. This makes it so that any negative rumours of Grey Wizards reach the ears of the Grey Order very quickly.
- Gives the Grey Order a way to police its members that does not set uncomfortable precedents for the other Orders.
- Gives the Grey Order a relatively benign pretence to start rooting through any Grey Wizard's affairs, even if they're suspected of something much worse than economic malfeasance.
- Gives the Grey Order a great deal of control over who Grey Wizards end up working for, as anything even slightly amiss can be investigated as potentially running afoul of the Vow.
- Makes Grey Wizards think hard before accepting any job, forcing them at least consider it in terms of what benefit it provides to the Empire, and if there is none, they have to either turn the job down or make it provide some benefit.
- Filters out any potential Wizards who are motivated by a desire for wealth, who might otherwise find the Wind of being extremely sneaky and deceptive very attractive.
- Makes it so the Grey Order, which does not have hugely profitable cash cows like alchemy for the Golds or fortune telling for the Celestials, is able to ensure that its Wizards are properly paying the tithe.
- Puts a test of character in front of all Journeymen Grey Wizards. If they strictly abide by the Vow, then they're suitable for one set of jobs. If they're able to negotiate its loopholes without crossing any lines or raising any stinks, then they're a good fit for a different set of jobs. If they chafe at it and fall to temptation, then better they fall to the temptation of money now than the temptations of the Chaos Gods a decade down the line.
The Vow does seem deceptive, ambiguous, and inconsistent. It's meant to, because that's what Ulgu is. Grey Wizards spend ten years learning how to think like Ulgu before they're let out into the world. Thinking their way through the byzantine snarl of the Vow of Poverty is as natural to them as casting the spells of Shadow Magic.
Things it is not:
- It is not a vow to exist only in a state of poverty.
- It is not a absolutist deontological taboo against ever taking any action that might disadvantage any citizen of the Empire.
- It is not a signed death warrant for every Grey Wizard just in case the Order needs it.
- It is not a vow against exploiting people with magic, only against doing so for the wrong reasons.
TL;DR:
If Mathilde isn't worried, you shouldn't be worried.
Mathilde has not studied the liquid enough to know for sure [what it is], but the assumptions she can make based on what she knows is thus:
Creatures of magic, like the snake was/is, are not made of regular matter. They are made of magic under the creature's control so that it forms its vessel. When such a creature is slain (dis-incorporated?), said magic would usually decay back into elemental magic. The unfortunate creature being trapped in a halfway point between 'life' and 'death' (inasmuch as the two states can be applied to demons and quasi-demonic warp entities) is why, presumably, the liquid has not decayed.
The snake is not, in the conventional sense, a demon, and it is not explicitly aligned with any of the chaos gods. Therefore the magic that it is made of is not unholy magic tainted by any (or all) of those gods. Nor is it aligned with any of the winds of magic, nor is it made up of the festered and corruptive eneriges of dhar.
This is where facts run out and speculation is required.
'High' magic, of which humans know very little, is when an extremely skilled practitioner of magic uses all eight winds of magic in unison. Normally, if someone uses multiple winds of magic, the result becomes Dhar - imagine someone trying to mix paints and it inevitably resulting in a mucky brown tone. When a sufficiently skilled wizard does it, they can combine the colours into a pure magic called Qhaysh, similarly to how we are taught 'white' light is made up of all colours combined. No known human is capable of such a feat, as it (in theory) takes centuries of careful study to achieve it.
The snake's 'blood' seems to be similar to Qhaysh, but it is not quite. When magic enters the world through the polar gates, the effect the world and/or the polar gates has on it is to separate it into the eight 'winds' of magic. This is magic that never passed the polar gates, and has never been separated.
Also, magic is naturally similar to energy, or gas - it blows freely and gathers and pools according to its nature. Some extremely skilled wizards are capable of exerting their will over magic and forcing it to crystallize into a solid known as power stones, which power the most rare and puissant of magical artifacts. Magic in liquid form is unknown to you, and as far as you know, to the Colleges in general. Potions are not magic in liquid form, but derived from magic-influenced plants, animals and minerals.
The implications of all of the above are as yet untested and unknown to you.
An axe is used fairly close-in, with your hands spread across the haft. When you unchoke you're taking a very big swing that you're not going to pull back easily, but you don't pull back a swing like that, whether with a sword or an axe. It's not impossible, but it's far slower than following the swing through and looping back to where you want to be, and you'll probably tear most of your ligaments trying with a greatsword/daneax because it's a lot of weight moving pretty fast at a substantial extension from your hands.
For most of the fight you'll fence choked-up, with the axehead like half a foot away from your hand, trying to pry open your target's defence. You only deliver the huge baseball-bat swing either when you've cleared an opening, or as probing shots from a longer distance.
If trying to fight close-in with a two-handed sword, you'd be half-swording and using it as, essentially, a spear. This is plenty agile, but doesn't transition as easily to the sweeping/crushing blows.
They're both very much specialist weapons, to be clear. A two-handed axe has shorter reach (due to being used choked-up) and largely expects its wielder to be in pretty hefty armour, but is a weapon for fencing and taking down another heavily armoured opponent.
A two-handed sword, on the other hand, is meant to transition between use as a short spear, and large arcing blows that threaten a lot of lighter-armoured opponents with being cleaved in half.
The absolute weight and agility of the weapons are fairly similar - in fact you can mordhau with the two-handed sword to use it almost exactly like you'd use the axe - but the way they're used is different. The axe's fencing style stays closer to the body and only unchokes for limited use of the heavy, crushing blows, while the sword is there explicitly for those sweeping strikes that take some pretty extreme athleticism to handle. So, if you're a lightweight who doesn't trust their ability to keep dancing with a heavy weapon, you'd want to use an axe, because its specialty is one more suited to what your body can manage.
Edit: Also an axe of the same length tends to be substantially lighter. Wood is lighter than metal, and most of the axe is wood while all of the sword is steel. A two-handed axe ranges from half to a quarter the weight of a similarly-sized sword.
On paper, most Knightly Orders are technically monasteries. If you had the backing of an approved religious institution and enough accumulated money or favours to make it happen, you could [found one].
Making a secular order in one go would require the approval of the current Emperor, or the approval of an Elector Count and not being actively opposed by the Emperor, and would be the subject of a lot of suspicion from the other Elector Counts as well as any future Emperors until they proved themselves. You could also do so gradually - start off with a sort of Riding Around On Horses Club for nobles, scale up, and eventually petition for official approval, like the Knights Encarmine. Or you could start off with happenstance, like the Knights of the Golden Lion or the Knights of the Broken Sword, wherein a group of unaffiliated armoured horsemen achieve some notable deed, and found the Knights on the spot based on it - though you'd still have to get the backing of an Elector Count or religious institution at some point.
It's worth noting here that Ranald is not officially recognized in such a way that would allow for a Knighty Order dedicated to him.
Regarding the Border Princes in general:
The Empire's position is that it would much rather maintain the incredibly formidable defences at Black Fire Pass than try to fight off all comers from the aptly-named Badlands in the open. The reason the Border Princes are anarchic is because they are, in the world as it currently is, not worth it. The land is barren and lacking in natural resources worth the trouble of extracting, a great many greenskin call it home, and any permanent infrastructure will last only as long as it takes for the next Waaagh (or worse) to arrive.
Sure, it's possible to make something of it. If someone went to the trouble of wiping out a whole bunch of native greenskin tribes, pushing back the skaven presence, cuffing a thousand petty kings about the ears and telling them to fall in line, establishing understandings with the Empire, Tilea and Barak Varr, and fortifying one or more of the rivers near Barak Varr, you could create a new kingdom or add a new province to the Empire. But the existing powers in the Old World believe that they have better things to do with that much time, effort, money, and blood.
If you really wanted to, you could be able to convince the College to let you try, but it would be more to get it out of your system than them thinking it'd result in any return worthy of the investment. Thinking they can make something useful out of the Border Princes is probably a phase a lot of up-and-coming movers-and-shakers goes through.
Bound Familiars
Animals that possess the potential to be familiars are incredibly rare. They can be regularly found for sale in Altdorf for prices beginning at an exorbitant 500 gc for the least impressive of specimens. Alternately, one can search for them, a process that typically takes months.
When a suitable animal is found, binding is a gradual process that requires the Wizard to remain in close proximity to the would-be familiar for a prolonged period, spending no more than an hour or two per day away from it. The binding process can be as quick as a few days or as long as several months. When bound, familiars tend to develop a distinct personality and increase massively in intelligence until they approach that of a human. They also can gain strength and durability beyond that of a normal example of their species. Some develop sharper senses, the ability to speak in Lingua Praestantia or to read and write, and often develop deep interests in subjects ranging from the everyday to the esoteric.
Powers
There are a range of Powers that familiars can develop; one will appear as the bond is formed and others can be developed over time.
Aethyric Reservoir: The Familiar can absorb a spell targeted at itself or its master, holding it for up to several days and disgorging at will at a new target.
Link of Psyche: The Familiar and the Master have their minds linked, giving them the ability to communicate without words and increasing the cognitive ability and willpower of both as long as they are both conscious.
Lucky Charm: The Familiar and Master both tend to be more fortunate.
Magic Focus: Spells can be amplified through the Familiar, doubling one of its quantitative effects - range, duration, area of effect, and so on.
Magic Power: As long as the Familiar lives, the Master is more magically puissant.
Master's Touch: Spells can be cast through the Familiar - touch spells can target what the familiar is touching, the familiar's eyesight can be used to target spells, and so on.
Master's Voice: The Master can speak through the Familiar's mouth, both as a means of communicating and to cast spells if the Master is somehow prevented from speaking.
Voice of Reason: The Master becomes less prone to miscasting.
Military Forces of the Karak Eight Peaks Expedition, Sorted by Leader
Magister Mathilde Weber
2 Journeymanlings of the Amber Order
2 Journeymanlings of the Gold Order
1 Journeymanlings of the Jade Order
Grand Master Sigwald Kriegersen
Knights of Taal's Fury - 250 Demigryph-mounted Knights, 500 footmen.
Knights of the Vengeful Sun - 250 Demigryph-mounted Knights, 500 footmen.
Grand Master Ruprecht Wulfhart
Winter Wolves - 250 Wolf Riders, 2000 dismounted knights.
10,000 Nordlanders
8,000 Ulricans
Regarding the latest recurrence of "but wait, isn't working with non-College magic users illegal under the Articles? or is it fine? or do we need to engage in shady rules-lawyering to make it fine?" in the thread:
1. "Working with" does not equal "hiring." The articles forbid non-Magisters (or non-College Journeymen, etc.) from studying or practicing magic in the Empire, and if you join an Imperial institution you are considered to be in the Empire. An Imperial institution, like a branch college, can work with non-College magic users who are outside of the empire (including being outside the branch's org chart) without violating the accords.
2. It should also be noted that nobody in-universe (in the Empire, anyway) actually calls what divine magic users do "magic" unless they want to deal with a whole bunch of angry priests. The way it's seen in the Empire, priests don't "perform magic" like some kind of witch, they call forth miracles of their god's holy power. So whenever somebody says "magic users" in reference to the Articles, understand that this always means specifically arcane magic users, because anything else doesn't actually get called "magic."
3. Please, please, please don't try to engage in any shady rules-lawyering. If the Empire held a referendum today on "should we burn all magic users at the stake like Sigmar intended?" it could quite plausibly get majority support from the population at large, and much stronger support from Sigmarites and especially the Cult of Sigmar itself (which holds three Elector's votes itself, just incidentally). The general prejudice against magic-users in the Empire remains intense. And the thing that the Colleges credit (accurately) with preventing that kind of scenario is that Magnus the Pious himself, by far the most revered Emperor since Sigmar himself, personally wrote the Articles, and that conferred legitimacy protects the Colleges.
Anything that made it look like the Articles were being construed or implemented differently from how Magnus intended them, regardless of whatever umtechnically rules-lawyering was applied, would call the premise of that conferred legitimacy into question. The Colleges as such would regard anything like that as an existential threat to their own continued existence, would react against that accordingly to protect themselves, and would be correct to do so.
4. Let me address questions like "well, Damsels and Ice Witches get referred to as priests and get a pass because of that but it sure looks like they use arcane magic, isn't that the kind of rules-lawyering you just said was unacceptable?" or anything else of that nature, too. Damsels and Ice Witches are extremely culturally important and powerful elements of the Empire's two largest and most powerful neighbors, and labeling them as magic-users would mean the Empire was legally obligated to burn them at the stake. That would be a really excellent way to start two nasty wars at once. Because, y'know, Damsels and Ice Witches are extremely culturally important and powerful elements of the Empire's two largest and most powerful neighbors. As such, everyone in the Empire's power structure is very careful to avoid paying too much attention to what exactly Damsels and Ice Witches are doing. Because if they did they might have to notice it was magic, which would have the disastrous consequences outlined before.
This is not a legal fiction, it is a diplomatic fiction. And, vitally, it is not coming from the Colleges. If the Colleges, or anyone officially part of the Colleges, tried to use that as a legal precedent for permitting the study or practice of magic within the Empire or under the Empire's authority by magic users who are not part of the Colleges - or even started calling attention in any way to how it sure does look like Damsels/Ice Witches are practicing arcane magic - it would not result in anyone going "aw shucks, I guess you got us, that is okay after all as long as you say they're a priest or something." Instead, it would result in the official power structure of the Empire being forced to look directly at and pay attention to something that they have been working very hard to not do either of those things to.
At which point they would become extremely unhappy with whoever put them in that position. And then, the easiest and at that point frankly most appealing way for them to square that circle without having to go through with burning Damsels/Ice Witches and starting those aforementioned wars would be to dump 100% of the blame on whoever started this. By, most likely, accusing them of perverting and misrepresenting the Articles and generally sweeping the whole thing under a cover of "whatever anybody thought looked like Damsels and Ice Witches practicing magic was actually just a rogue Magister doing [witchy shit] and don't worry, we took care of them already." Meaning, at that point whoever's getting blamed would be incredibly lucky to get away with just being exiled and stripped of Imperial citizenship, and more likely would be put to fire and sword in the most public manner feasible posthaste. With the Colleges' full and enthusiastic support, because they won't be happy about having been put in that kind of position either. And will almost certainly, and justifiably, consider this to be risking the previously described existential threat of the Articles being in any way delegitimated by being distanced or changed from Magnus' intent.
5. The virtue of a branch college located outside the Empire's borders is thus that it makes it possible to work with non-College magic users who are neither within the Empire's borders OR under its legal authority. This is not only fully in line with the letter of the law, it is also just as importantly in line with Magnus' perceived intent. Outright hiring of non-College magic users into a branch's org chart would still need to be avoided, because the branch is considered part of the Empire so being directly employed under the branch would bring them under the Empire's legal authority and put them back in breach of the Articles. But as long as they're both outside the Empire's borders, and not under the authority of an institution that is under Imperial law, working with them is okay.
The generally accepted theory among the Colleges is that there's three sets of magical senses.
There's the broad category of 'sixth sense', where someone has access to information beyond what they should be able to perceive, such as being able to perceive whether something is 'lucky' or 'unlucky', having 'good feelings' or 'bad feelings' about something, or being able to take the measure of another person. The exact amount of people who have this is very open to debate, with some going so far as to say that some degree of this is universal among humanity. Mathilde theorized that Wilhelmina and her late husband might have both had this, which led to Eike inheriting full-blown magical ability, but this level of 'baby's first Punnet square' theorizing is very far from being a definitive truth.
There's 'Magesight', the ability to directly sense at least the eight Winds, and as has come up a few times it manifests in a lot of different ways. Mathilde has the most common, visual, which the sense is named for, and it manifests as being able to 'see' the Winds in real time. This has the advantage of being able to easily comprehend and communicate, but it is limited to the here and now, whereas auditory or olfactory might be able to hear lingering echoes or smell lingering scents of something that would no longer be visible. Tactile and gustatory round out the five mundane senses that are the most common forms, but there's other, more exotic forms. Johann has magnetoreceptive magesight, where he can not only sense Chamon but also how attractive or not the environment is around him to Chamon, allowing him to sense densities and elemental makeup. Barbitus has visceral, where magesight maps to a sense outside of the five traditional senses, where he senses the Winds through sensations in his internal organs. Eike seems to have intuitive magesight, where she does not have sensation but simply understanding, which means she will never have to struggle with understanding what she is perceiving, but will always have to struggle to communicate it to anyone else.
Finally, there's the ability to 'feel' the Winds when they contact your soul. This is more or less what makes someone a potential Wizard - it is technically possible to be able to reach out to the Winds and manipulate them without having this ability, and if you have Magesight it can be possible to achieve limited success by doing so, but if you can't directly feel what your soul is doing and how the Wind is reacting, you're as limited as if you were trying to perform feats of manual dexterity without any feeling in your fingers. Someone who lacks any magical sense at all is still able to perform magic, but without any feedback at all as to how the energies they are trying to manipulate are reacting to their manipulation, this is very likely to result in disaster for any but the smallest and most minor of cantrips. It is very cautiously and quietly theorized that it also allows one to sense divine energies that contact their soul, meaning that this sense would be found in Anointed Priests, as while a God would be able to act through any one of their followers, those that can cooperate with and guide the energies would theoretically be easier, or more efficient, or otherwise more preferable than those who cannot.
Mathilde is not 'legally a Dwarf'. She is a human with a weird theological question mark that almost nobody really understands and fewer people actually care about - to Dwarves considering whether she is an insider or an outsider, her deeds heavily outweigh that business. A theoretical Mathilde that had never done anything to assist the Karaz Ankor but did have that oddity hovering over her might be able to parlay that into the very modest support, benefits, and rights that Clanless or Imperial Dwarves would have in a Karak, but no such Mathilde exists. And even if she did, she'd be Clanless, guildless, and cultless, which excludes her from pretty much every part of Dwarven society.
Under mainstream Dwarven theology slash philosophy, a Dwarf's soul is formed when the Dwarf is born, and upon their death, if the proper rites are performed, they travel to the Underearth to reside their with their ancestors and the Ancestor Gods forever. If the proper rites are not performed, then they go back to the realm where all souls are formed and at some future point they will be reborn as another Dwarf. Some Clans like to believe that they'll be reborn in the same Clan.
So far, so normal. You'd hear something similar from both Morrites and Amethyst Wizards, except with Morr's Realm instead of the Underearth. Elves have something more detailed going on, with their souls needing to travel via Waystones or Dreaming Woods to a temple to Morai-Heg if they want to move on to the Elven afterlife, or back to their homeland if they want to hang around there instead, and if they die in somewhere particularly unpleasant they can strike a deal with Ereth Khial to be taken in by her rather unpleasant afterlife instead of getting eaten by Daemons or whatever. But really, all that is just a more fleshed out story of 'they travel to the afterlife' story of the Dwarves and the Morrites.
The ugly point that nobody really likes paying attention to is that if you don't make it into your afterlife of choice, your trajectory after that is beyond the understanding of any mortal. Unless a deity actively intervenes, 'you come back again as the same race' is pure wishful thinking. Nobody likes to actually consider it further because it's just as likely you come back as something else, or not at all. No Dwarf wants to consider that their ancestor that fell in battle and their body was never recovered might be coming back as an Elf. They definitely don't want to consider that they might be coming back as an Orc.
The 'Dwarf soul' announcement carefully sidestepped that ugly question by citing the interference of Ranald. Theologically speaking it's entirely possible, and it sounds like the sort of thing He'd do if you've only read a brief summary of who He is. Anyone actually familiar with Him would instantly realize that those sort of decades-in-the-making schemes aren't his thing. Giggling and saying 'yes' when a bunch of stuffy speciest Dwarves ask you if you nabbed a Dwarf soul, however, absolutely is, especially if they then go on to announce to the world that they're a bunch of twits who gave the God of Dunking On Twits a perfect set-up. The resounding facepalm from the theological world would have been followed up by the Grand Theogonist having someone write them a very gentle letter. Its intended purpose, that nobody has to think too hard about why a human has accomplished what Dwarves completely failed to even try, is dead in the water, and now it's chuckled at by some and firmly ignored by others.
Mathilde is not considered a Dwarf, legally or otherwise, and if she was, that wouldn't actually open any new doors for her. Dwarven society isn't actually based on being a Dwarf, it's about being part of a Clan, a Guild, and a Cult. If she really wanted to be in a Dwarf Clan she could make a solid argument for joining Clan Huzkul, or could probably talk Belegar into adopting her. If she really wanted to be in a Guild she absolutely could not join a Runesmith Clan, but she could very likely work her way into, say, a Warrior or Runescribe one if she left the Grey College. If she didn't mind foreswearing Ranald or deliberately lying, she could probably join the Order of the Guardians.
But it seems to me that every part of Dwarven society that people actually want Mathilde to be a part of, she already is.
THREAD-CANONICAL MAPS
Grand Avenue and Major Underway Branches of Karak Eight Peaks:
Does not show smaller underground paths or natural or unnatural tunnels dug by Night Goblins or Skaven.
Towards the end of the War for Karak Eight Peaks:
With thanks to @vsh
STIRLANDIAN GEOPOLITICS
(as of turn 14)
Red: Controlled by the Elector Count
Dark Blue: County
Light Blue: Barony
Yellow: Chartered Free Town
Green: Knightly Order
Sickly Brown: Here There Be Monsters
Red X's mark the capital of the region
WESTERN STIRLAND
Wurtbad (Capital) - Elector Count Abelhelm Van Hal
Wordern (County) - controlled by the Elector Count
Munzhausen (Barony) - controlled by the Elector Count
Purgg (Barony) - controlled by the Elector Count
Wolfsbach - Countess Petra Harden
Flensburg (Free City) - Lord Mayor Emil von Flensburg
Franzen - Count Artur von Treitschke
Blutdorf - Baron Anton Kiesinger
CENTRAL STIRLAND
Halstedt - Count Erich von Halstedt
Steinbachthal - Count Tristan Haupt
Marburg - Baron Immanuel Krebs
Siegfriedhof - Order of the Black Guard ('Knights of Morr')
Gablitz - contested
Thalheim - contested
SOUTHERN STIRLAND
Hornau - Count Robert Toppenheimer
Sigmaringen - Countess Alexandra von Munsterburg
Leicheberg - Count Maksim von Stolpe
Schramleben - Grand Mayor Victor van Grissenwald
Texing (Barony) - controlled by the Elector Count
EASTERN STIRLAND
Nachthafen + Pfaffbach - Currently Unheld
Drakenhof (County) - controlled by the Elector Count
Waldenhof (County) - 'controlled by the Elector Count'
Tempelhof (County) - 'controlled by the Elector Count'
Mikalsdorf (Barony) - 'controlled by the Elector Count'
Marked in red are the Silk Roads. Marked in blue are the possible routes of the Expedition.
Projection for trade routes once Zhufbar's Black Water-Aver canal and Karak Kadrin's Talabec-Stir canals are completed, as of late 2486. Blue is water links, green is secured overland or underground links, red is currently unsecured overland links.
More detailed map of Karak Vlag's links to the Karaz Ankor, including speculative canal links in purple.
OTHER / META
1) It's Always Personal
Even the largest organization or project is made of people making personal decisions, especially in a pseudo-Medieval time period where top-down autocracy is the norm. The extreme of this is things like Emperor Boris Goldgather creating the Moot because his favourite chef was a Halfling, but even competent people make decisions coloured by their personal opinions. For example, the Battle Wizards got unleashed on Stirland partially because Algard likes Emperor Luitpold, otherwise he would have pushed for keeping it in-house. The history books might not record it that way, but that's always a factor.
2) Don't Plan Ahead...
Being a tabletop GM taught me to never plan ahead in detail, the ultimate example being when the group ended one session with a solid plan to travel by sea to their destination and came back next week and talked themselves into going overland instead. I had a lot of vague ideas for Abelhelm's future post-Sylvanian campaign, but I hadn't actually put dedicated effort into plotting them out. I'm only one of three forces at play here and I can't predict what the players or the dice will decree, so planning ahead will inevitably result in a lot of misspent effort, which can very easily taint the joy of writing.
3) ...But Do Give Trajectories
What will Marienburg do next year? I don't know. But I do know what they want and how they're trying to get it. The same applies to every major character and polity. This means that even though I haven't planned ahead, it doesn't take much work to figure out what they'd do in a vacuum, or how they'd respond to changing events. This has the side-benefit of making it easy to come up with new side-plots because there's almost always someone trying to do something that could start interfering with events on-screen, and it feels realer because it's a natural consequence of events.
4) Never Fiddle The Dice Ever. I'll admit there's been temptation to do so. There's been times when the dice have cut a lot of interesting plotlines short, or made a scene that would have been great fall flat on its face, or given me a result I have no idea what to do with at all. But I've always stuck with it because that's the unwritten accord between QM and Questers, and I make major dicerolls either in thread or on Rollz to keep myself honest and so the Questers don't have reason to doubt otherwise. So Asarnil keeps showing up, Abelhelm died, Birdmuncha decided against a climactic showdown, Edda ended up worse at her job than she deserved, Wisdom's Asp was a joke of an antagonist, Kragg didn't want to play with the Vitae, Johann blinded himself... a thousand ways things have gone differently than if I had been in ultimate control. But ultimately each time it has lead to a richer narrative.
5) Balance PC and NPC Power Levels
This one's tricky, especially for long-running quests. You have to plot a course between cheating the protagonist out of the recognition they've earned, and cheapening the setting by letting them stand astride it as unto a God. Mathilde is very good at a number of things, and that is recognized in-universe. But at the same time, she's not the shrewdest, wisest, killiest, savviest, puissantest, or most learned. She's aspiring to be, and one day she might reach those heights, and if she does it will be all the grander because it was earned. The titles she can claim are 'probably the best Magesight amongst mortal Wizards of the Old World' and 'most well-liked living human by non-traditional Dwarves', and those took time and effort and giving up other avenues of empowerment to attain, and are all the sweeter for it. Speaking of...
6) Earned Awesome
Another one learned from tabletop roleplaying. Having a heavily optimized character that can break a quest over their knee right out of chargen gets old very quickly. Having a long-running character that's fought for every advantage that can do so because they earned it is immensely satisfying. Having to work and sacrifice for something makes it more meaningful when you eventually get it than if it's just given to you. This is part of why new traits happen at the end of arcs, why Vitae took a lot of study to get it to a point where it had a value (and it's still not tapped out), and why it takes more than eyeballing a God to unlock the secrets of the Divine. There's also the believability side of it: If it was easy, someone else would have done it already.
7) Verisimilitudinousity
Or, how real it seems. Even when you make decisions for reasons of balance or storytelling, make sure there's at least a fig leaf of seeming real. For example: Enchantment Slots is entirely a gameplay abstraction, but the underlying justification is that too many enchantments in one place start to interfere with each other. People don't have to believe that's why it exists, but having it there makes it easier to maintain suspension of disbelief.
8) But Not Too Bazaar
'Cathedral versus Bazaar' is a metaphor I think originated in computer science before being adapted to storytelling. A Cathedral is massive, beautiful, intricate, and static. You can spend forever admiring the fine details, but at the end of the day what you see is what you get as it's enclosed by solid walls. The Bazaar is full of wonders, and though your line of sight is obscured and you can only really admire what's directly around you, no matter what direction you go in, there'll always be more Bazaar waiting for you - because it only takes a moment for the QM to invent some new stalls, whereas it would take them hours to redesign a Cathedral to add on a new outbuilding. This is basically Point 2 phrased differently. But there have to be limits. When there's grand secrets, the answers need to exist. Not just because it feels uncomfortable for the players to be 'searching for answers' when they don't exist yet, but because if they exist, hints can be woven in that will delight players when they finally uncover the truth. To take a very small example: the Mhonar Mystery. I could have left it undecided until events finally nailed it down, but because I had decided what it was early on, I was able to give just enough answers in the scouting reports that people got very close to guessing what it was. But if it hadn't been decided until Mathilde met it, it would have meant that all that discussion and theorycrafting would have been cheapened.
9) People are People
This one is possibly the most subjective, as I've read and greatly enjoyed quests that made other races truly alien and inscrutable. But for this quest, other races do have very different cultures and preconceptions and even biological realities, but they're still recognisably people underneath all that. My ultimate expressions of this so far are Qrech, the We, and now Cython.
@Boney Is that something you consider when you write? For the example in the quote, the outcome was a big, welcome relief, but I imagine a lot of the tension that came with the vote and the wait isn't there.
It's definitely something that I keep in the back of my mind, like when the thread votes to do something that would be unexpected to someone who didn't follow the debate I make sure to summarize the thought process in Mathilde's internal monologue. I also make sure to add links in the updates to tallies and sneak-peaks and in-thread dicerolls that don't have threadmarks of their own so that people who are reading the threadmarks can dip into thread reactions to major events. My main priority is the thread experience for those actively engaged in it, but it is important to me to keep the quest accessible for people who come in late or people who only read the updates, because that's how I engaged with quests before I started writing one. A valuable part of the quest format is that I get a lot of feedback, not just directly from people asking me questions but also from watching people discuss things or ask questions of each other. That shows me where things have been unclear or confusing, and I've gone back and made tweaks to early parts of the quest for clarity in response to discussion a few times.
For this situation specifically, part of the quest format means that you don't have anywhere near as much control or forewarning over what's going to happen as someone writing traditional prose, and that means that you don't get the suite of tools that prose uses to build dramatic tension. The set-up to the talk with the Chamberlain would have had a lot more of a payoff if Mathilde had chosen to firmly take one side or the other, but the thread voting to take the middle road meant that it did end up being a 'pretty much nothing'. Another good example of this is the death of Gotrek. A lot of people don't like the way this came across, and I think a big part of that is that it lacked all the signposting that people have come to expect from character death. if I was writing prose and had decided to kill off Gotrek in advance I could have emphasized the rough terrain and built tension around how the Expedition was approaching the worst of it and had Gotrek show Mathilde a picture of his family and talk about how he's three weeks from retirement or whatever. But the thread decided what Mathilde focused on, and she was focused on getting to know the Expedition's leaders and poking at landmarks like Karak Vlag and Uzkulak and the Combes, and the dice decided how well the steamwagons managed the switchbacks. If Mathilde had gone out scouting with the Knights she might have seen a lot more of the terrain and she might have been a bit more nervous on the approach to the switchbacks. But while that would have been a good set-up for a major accident, it also would have been a big nothing if butterflies meant everyone got up without a hitch.
Another example: Karak Vlag was being set up as a difficult choice to be made or as a raising of the stakes for Karag Dum, but I had missed that with the metaphysics I'd established, it was in Mathilde's power to just clog the flow and bounce Vlag back into reality. But the thread didn't miss it, and it'd be a major disservice to the quest to not reward that level of engagement with the world I'd built. Likewise, the food. Moockery of Death torpedoed a great deal of set-up about food concerns and ideas I'd had about having to live a lot more off the land. I'd even done some preliminary research on cattle raiding and edible wild grains that grow on steppes. But while it was a misstep in the quest as prose, it's bloody brilliant in the quest as a quest. It's part of the trade-off of the format.
Personally I'd argue that all this is a point in questing's favour. It's more realistic that a protagonist, and thus the quests PoV, might get nervous over something that turns out to be nothing, or be completely blindsided by major events. But people are used to more traditional story beats where foreshadowing is always significant because if it wasn't an editor would have cut it, and if it does make it in its in service to a larger story beat or character development. Hitchcock's 'bomb under the table' is cited as gospel by a lot of people, and while it's a great way to achieve a specific objective, I think it's gone a bit too far and now people see the bomb going off without the audience being forewarned as a storytelling sin. In most movies if a bomb's about to go off, even if the audience isn't shown it they know something's about to happen because the music is tense, or the sound is rising, or the camera angles are too close or changing too rapidly. In books, it will often switch to a drier third person omniscient and the moment the narration starts giving you times to the minute you know shit's about to go down. While this is good for setting up the mood, it does mean there's that much more separation between viewer and protagonist. I'm far from the first to make this observation, either - a lot of parodies have skewered this with things like a character realizing something is wrong because the background music just changed or whatever.
The big part that gets me is that I'm not good at writing fight scenes. I don't know if you guys noticed, but I tend to be very brief when I write fight scenes, trying to skim over them to get into the parts that I (think) I'm good at. I've never been able to make fight scenes feel organic and natural while also making them entertaining. Anybody have any good advice for that?
I personally am not really that much of a fan of written action for its own sake, so outside of the rare times I can vividly picture a scene I don't try to make the action itself the focus. Instead I use the action as a means to an end. If the fight is against someone that isn't a major part of the story, then I usually use it as an opportunity to give the reader an insight into either the protagonist or who they're fighting alongside - most obviously a display of their skill level, but also a look at how they act during a fight and how they react to the events unfolding. The duel in Norsca is a good example of this - there wasn't much mileage in whoever the Norscan champion would be as the group had only been introduced shortly before and were unlikely to be relevant to the story for long, so I put the focus on Asarnil, showing off not just his skill level but also his pride, his disdain, and a bit of his religious beliefs. If the fight is against an established character, then I treat the combat as an interplay between characters. As @Tasoli so thoroughly and gratifyingly explored, the duel between Mathilde and Alkharad is an example of this.
Similar dynamics apply to larger-scale combat. It can be harder to keep track of so many moving parts, but the scale of it gives you the opportunity to choose what the spotlight will be on and having so many characters involved means there's almost always something juicy to be found. It also allows you to make the combat the terrain that characters try to navigate to achieve their objectives, instead of an obstacle that must be overcome to get back to pursuing their objectives. When possible I try to make it so that there's objectives and opportunities in large battles beyond simply winning.
Interestingly, the quest format transforms the normal dynamics of writing action scenes in some fairly unique ways. Some people don't like that the action is dictated by random chance instead of being chosen and crafted by the author for maximum narrative impact, but I find it very compelling that the results are in the hands of fate instead of author fiat. A writing format like this can make it hard to suspend disbelief because everyone who's voting and debating is elbow deep in the mechanics of the story instead of passively watching it unfold, but action scenes dictated by dice don't need suspension of disbelief to get invested in. Unless you suspect the QM of fiddling the dice, that is - which is part of why I roll major dice in a way that can't be fiddled. The challenge is in writing something that works well both 'live' when the active questers don't know what's about to happen, and also during a reread when you have to make the vagaries of fate work convincingly in-universe.
I've been working on omake ideas for a little while now, and every time I start writing I always come across the same stumbling block and I'm not sure if it's a problem with me in particular or if it's a problem that other writers struggle with.
I find it incredibly hard to write the beginning.
I find it very easy once I find my groove to actually write the contents. I think it's relatively easy to write the ending of a snippet. Ideas come flooding to my head very easily. The biggest problem that keeps getting me stuck in the very beginning with no idea where to go though, is I really, really struggle with the beginning. I don't know why but I never know how I'm supposed to start the writing. Do I just go straight into the action? Do I describe the viewpoint character? That's too abrupt isn't it? How should I make it more natural? What does it mean for it to be "natural"?
Is there a solution to this? Like some sort of decent rule of thumb for how a person can get over paralysis at the beginning stages of writing?
Why start at the beginning at all? Most of the time when I'm about to write something I've got a particular scene in mind that I can see very clearly, and I start writing that. That will usually either flow onwards naturally or inspire another strong scene that I can write. At the end of that you still have to write that beginning, but it's a lot less intimidating when it's just putting a scaffold around an existing collection of scenes than when it's a completely blank page.
And if all else fails, just skip the beginning altogether and start with that strong scene, in medias res. Look at the first line of the most recent update:
"Well," says Egrimm, looking down at the golden arm. "My first thought is the New World. Infamously full of strange golden artefacts, and said to be filled with lizard-men who guard them. If those lizard-men are approximately the size of a man, that would fit."
I didn't start with them discussing when they should begin the experiment or them walking into the room together or any of that sort of framework. It starts at the interesting part, Egrimm putting forward his first theory, and goes from there, and if the reader is concerned with where the scene is or how the characters got there it's easy for them to extrapolate.
The one before that:
In Grungni's name, High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer summons the Kings of the Karaz Ankor to a Council of Kings at Karaz-a-Karak to discuss and decide matters of great import to the realm...
King Belegar frowns in thought as he and his brother-kings and sister-queen are led on a long, winding path through the halls of Karaz-a-Karak. He lived his childhood in this mountain, and never before had he stepped foot in these passages. He was quite certain that they, like most of the Karak, had been sealed at some point in the prior generations as the population of the Karak had dwindled.
I didn't write about Belegar getting that invitation or getting into a gyrocopter and heading to Karak Eight Peaks or any of that. I started with Belegar speculating about what this business is all about moments before he enetered into the revelation room, and used the italicized sentence fragment to give the reader enough information to catch up.
The one before that:
You'd met Lady Magister Stanisława Skłodowicz, the High Wizard of Middenheim, once before, but that was a brief meeting while you passed through her domain for a meeting with the Ar-Ulric. As Middenheim is the obvious waystation for personnel and materials that the nascent project may require, and the Wizards and Alchemists Guild the obvious middle-man for handling it, you organize a lengthier meeting with her to take place before the arrival of your first three fellows.
"Mmm," she says distractedly, her eyes never straying far from a softly simmering alembic. "Well, I won't pretend I'll be put out by all this. Ulrican hosts can be prickly, and you working with their new friends is going to make that easier. Just Wizards, is it?"
Mathilde explaining the situation to Stanislawa would have been tedious to write and boring to read, so I just didn't. The first spoken sentence is her already having all of that explained to her and giving her response to it, which is the part in that conversation where things get interesting.
When you're writing inside an existing fandom, readers only need a few hints to be able to catch up to a running start.
The imperfection of the wiki really does need to be emphasized. It is an amazingly useful resource but the way that it is amazingly useful is it tells you what's out there and tells you what book and page to check to see what it's actually saying. Sometimes it turns out that someone just copied and pasted half a page onto the wiki, and sometimes someone summarized, and that's all well and good. But also sometimes someone synthesized several sources together and reached one of many possible conclusions that one could have come to, and sometimes they're downstream of fandom telephone and let that influence the conclusions they draw, and sometimes they incorporate typoes that some poor bugger might use as the basis for etymological worldbuilding before it's pointed out that it's a typo and nobody caught it because 99% of the people who might have are using the same very early low-res non-OCR scan of a forty-year-old book.
Sometimes there's people who are superfans of one specific thing or place in the setting, and try to have that thing or place take over tangentially related articles - I once saw someone try to fight for the Gods like Taal and Manann to be referred to primarily by their Tilean names, Karnos and Mathann. Sometimes somebody's copied in basically an entire campaign book so you get street-level nobodies who were peripheral characters in them that have longer articles about them than 95% of Supreme Patriarchs. The big pages are better these days about having 'canon conflict' sections but you can still find plenty of places where one side of that same canon conflict is just stated as fact without any indication that there's any conflict. And I'm sure there's a huge kerfuffle over who should win when Total Warhammer lore clashes with WFB and WFRP stuff - the Cathay stuff has been almost entirely filling voids where, for instance, all we knew about the Dragon Emperor was that there was someone referred to by that title, but a lot of the Kislev stuff has been based on what I suspect to be upcoming Old World lore instead of old Realm of the Ice Queen material. Speaking of, really not looking forward to The Old World poisoning the well further!
Sometimes there are articles written by a single person half a decade ago that talks about first edition material as if it's not in the Silly Zone and while that can sometimes be interesting to actually roll with and see where it goes, that can lead you to a lot of really incorrect conclusions if you haven't gotten used to checking which edition the source for something actually comes from. Like, you know Gazul? The only materials that go into any detail about His spheres and priesthood are ones that also say that those Dwarven Priests of Gazul are capable of casting spells of necromancy, and routinely do as part of their duties. The Elementalists? Completely from 1st Edition where they existed alongside schools that taught Daemonology. But there are some 1st Edition sources that go far deeper into the details of a corner of the setting than anything that came after so they're still routinely used by both Wiki editors and quest writers, and Stone And Steel for Dwarves and Sold Down The River for Marienburg (which mention the Elves using elementals) are two major ones, so you can't just cut a hard line of demarcation. And if 1e wasn't bad enough, I once saw someone citing Blood Bowl lore.
And sometimes there's people out there just outright writing fanfiction. There was a tale of an Arabian prince who rose to power from a daring and skilled tomb burglary and when you check the source it's a paragraph about some would-be tomb robber of the same name getting obliterated, and because it wasn't really linked to by anywhere you would only really find it if you were digging really deep into that very specific corner of the wiki. I've seen an article written entirely based on a White Dwarf article and when I went and checked there was nothing even slightly related to the matter at hand in that entire issue, let alone anywhere near the page reference. I've seen someone misinterpret who the 'they' was referring to in a sentence in such a way that it completely changed the who was to blame for starting a war. I've seen the fan-made '9th Edition' Army Books cited.
Also Kremlo doesn't even have an article.
All that said, it is very unfortunate that there's no way to actually perform this level of arguably-due diligence without spending a lot of money or doing a lot of something that I don't think I'm supposed to condone on this website.
Albion
Truthsayers and Dark Emissaries started showing up in the wider world in 2517, Albion's mists disappeared from 2518-2521. In the current day, Albion is a farcical tall tale. A hidden island the size of a province just northwest of Lyonesse, smack bang in the middle of some of the most frequented waters in the world? Ridiculous.
Apprenticeship
Most would-be Wizards have their magical awakening at 15-20, and it's rare for it to happen outside 10-25. The first third of their approximately ten to twelve year Apprenticeship is the Junior Apprenticeship, spent developing control over the ability to touch the Winds. For some people this means learning how to reach out and touch it, for others it's learning how to stop. They cannot leave the mono-Wind environment of the Colleges without risking Dhar poisoning. They usually get a Master in the middle third of their Apprenticeship when they reach regular Apprentice, which is when they start learning how to actually do things with magic instead of learning how not to be killed by magic. Most spend this inside the College, though it can be spent at any College-controlled location, and they still rely on mono-Wind environments for practice and learning. In the final third of their Apprenticeship, Senior Apprentices have enough control and ability that they can be allowed to leave College property of their own accord. Practically every Senior Apprentice will have a Master, as it's the level when they can pull their weight and properly assist their Master. Some of them join their Master on their missions or get sent on simple assignments, some of them go adventuring on their own, most just use it to explore Altdorf.
Canonicity (for Quest purposes)
Tier 1: The Quest itself is primary canon.
Tier 2: WoQM applies unless it violates Quest canon (which I assume it has or will at some point).
Tier 3: Army Books (6th+), WHFRPG 2e - reasonably safe to assume that the fluff in these is canon unless the Quest or WoQM says otherwise. Game mechanics should not be taken as canon.
Tier 4: Black Library, White Dwarf articles - canonish, but the QM may not be familiar with them and the details are likely to end up varying if they are used.
Tier 5: Licensed video games, Warhammer Armies Project, WHFRPG 3e & 4e - mostly only used for things that aren't otherwise covered in higher tiers, and by default are not canon.
Tier 6: Army Books (pre-6th), WHFRPG (1e) - the Dwarf Priests Know Necromancy Zone. May be looted for ideas from time to time but is usually completely incompatible.
Character Death
If Mathilde dies, the thread will have the opportunity to retroactively write her will, deciding on the distribution of her relics, treasures, and outstanding favours.
College Relations
[Mathilde], and the Grey Order in general, prefer practicality over respectability, so they're not as dismissive of the Amber Wizards - running around in the wilderness is built into their magic so one must make allowances. And they see the Amethyst Order as being like them only more so, doing the unpleasant work that must be done for the good of the Empire.
Obviously the best: Shadow
Good people doing necessary work: Life/Death/Metal
Useful enough that one makes allowances for their funny little ways: Fire/Amber
Dreadful oiks full of high ideals with no practicality whatsoever: Light/Celestial
Dwarves and Magic
Dwarves are resistant to magic, and under normal circumstances are unable to wield it. If magic bypasses this resistance, such as by a Dwarf wielding magic anyway or by being under the influence of 'beneficial' magic, this results in the Dwarf gradually turning to stone. This is irreversible, but if exposure to magic is discontinued it will not worsen on its own. However, if the alternative would be death or permanent injury, some mild petrification could be considered preferable.
Elemental/Mystic/Cardinal
A commonly-used magical theory in the Colleges divides each Wind into three aspects: Elemental, Mystic, and Cardinal. Elemental refers to things that align literally with specific Winds: light for the Light Magic, fog for Grey Magic, fire for Fire Magic, and so on. Mystic refers to concepts that metaphorically align with a Wind, like enlightenment for Light Magic, confusion for Grey Magic, and anger for Fire Magic. Cardinal is when you don't look at the Winds individually, but as a whole, as Elven Mages do - for example, a Light Wizard, a Bright Wizard, and a Gold Wizard would all be able to use their magic to interact with a candleflame to some degree, and thus would consider it either Elementally or Mystically aligned with their Wind, but a High Wizard would use Bright Magic as it is the most appropriate Wind, and consider it to be Cardinally aligned with Bright Magic. It is rarely used by the Colleges, as each Order prefers to casts as wide a net as possible for their Wind.
Elven Religion
The Elven Gods are metaphors for the many facets of the Elven mind and soul.
The Elven Gods are shorthand for the ideals that Elves strive to reach, and the imperfections with which they must grapple.
The Elven Gods are a creation myth, providing a bevy of just-so stories to understand the many wonders of the natural world and the forces that gave rise to them.
The Elven Gods are mythologized taxonomy, the embodiment of the collective efforts of the Asur to impose order and understanding on an inherently chaotic world.
The Elven Gods are a magical force shaped and empowered by the collective psyche of their worshippers.
The Elven Gods are actual beings that once ran around the place, squabbled with each other, and hit Daemons with swords, and They like it when you do nice things for Them.
Elves believe all of the above to be simultaneously true.
Everchosen
Only three Everchosen are known for sure: Morkar, slain by Sigmar, Vangel, slain by the Dwarf King Gromrir Goldfist, and Asavar Kul, often said to have been slain by Magnus the Pious. It's also known that these are the first, second, and twelfth Everchosen, which raises an immediate question: what happened to the other nine? Bretonnia claims that one was slain by Repanse de Lyonesse, and scholars of Nekekhara say that buried somewhere in Settra's titles is a claim that he accounted for one. Some speculate that Losteriksson was an Everchosen that lead Norsca into an intermittent war with Lustria that continues to this day. Some possibly-heretic myths and legends give the names of Gharad the Ox, or Ragnar Painbringer, or Kastragar, or Zorastra, or Harald Hammerstorm. Hochland tries to convince anyone that will listen that their Elector Counts have killed two: one at Ostwald Moor but covered up by a jealous Emperor Jurgen, and one by their Crusader-Count upon his return from Araby, who died while doing so. Some scholars bicker about which of the above should be slotted into the list to give the proper number, but many turn their eyes east or west, arguing that it would be quite arrogant to claim that the Old World has absorbed the full attentions of Chaos for the past two and a half millennia. Who knows what Everchosen may have marched against Cathay or Naggaroth, or sailed against Nippon or Ulthuan?
Familiars
[The familiar bond] gets fuzzy and unreliable with extreme distances. Unless she properly meditates and focuses, it's limited to things like checking on his general mental state.
Familiar Powers
Aethyric Reservoir: The Familiar can absorb a spell targeted at itself or its master, holding it for up to several days and disgorging at will at a new target.
Link of Psyche: The Familiar and the Master have their minds linked, giving them the ability to communicate without words and increasing the cognitive ability and willpower of both as long as they are both conscious.
Lucky Charm: The Familiar and Master both tend to be more fortunate.
Magic Focus: Spells can be amplified through the Familiar, doubling one of its quantitative effects - range, duration, area of effect, and so on.
Magic Power: As long as the Familiar lives, the Master is more magically puissant.
Master's Touch: Spells can be cast through the Familiar - touch spells can target what the familiar is touching, the familiar's eyesight can be used to target spells, and so on.
Master's Voice: The Master can speak through the Familiar's mouth, both as a means of communicating and to cast spells if the Master is somehow prevented from speaking.
Voice of Reason: The Master becomes less prone to miscasting.
Grudges
Dwarven Grudges are serious business, but you're unlikely to stumble into one by accident. Unless a particularly heinous act is involved, the process of a Grudge begins by an Elder of the wronged Dwarf's Clan contacting the person who performed the wrong, informing them of the nature of the potential Grudge, and laying out how they can make amends; this can be negotiated to an extent. It is only if this fails that a formal Grudge is declared; if the matter involves important or powerful people, the Hold's King or his Council may get involved to seek a peaceful solution if the Elder fails. And while Grudges can be inherited, ones against manlings 'soften' when inherited. If your ancestor murdered a Dwarf, they will give you the courtesy of informing you of the Grudge and telling you how you can make amends before they jump straight to vengeance, where they would not have done so for the original perpetrator. None of this process applies to races like Orcs or Goblins or Skaven - those Grudges are recorded immediately, and no peaceful solution is pursued.
Halflings and Chaos
An oft-repeated piece of lore about Halflings is that they are resistant to Chaos. This tends to grow and grow in the retelling. What it actually amounts to is that they are immune to Chaos-induced mutation, and they are resistant to any other negative effects of Chaos corruption. It will not make it safe for them to be exposed to Chaos corruption, only less dangerous. A strong-willed human will still be better able to resist the lure of Chaos than a Halfling of average willpower. This resistance is not generally known, and the Halflings will resent and resist any attempts to weaponize it. They have no intention of being shock troopers or hazmat teams.
Languages
Mathilde can find tutors through the University of Altdorf for Sylvanian, Classical, Tilean, Estalian, Arabyan, Breton, Mootish, Kislevarin, Indie, Cathayan, Nipponese, Norse and Wastelander, which has an arrangement with the Colleges so you can spend College favour there. Tar-Eltharin, Fan-Eltharin, Druhir, Orcish, Grumbarth, Dark Tongue, and High Nehekharan can be learned through the Colleges directly. You might be able to find a Low Nehekharan tutor in Araby. Myrmidian Battle Tongue and Thieves Tongue through the right Priests.
Languages - Anoqeyån
With the possible exception of inside the White Tower of Hoeth, Anoqeyån isn't a living language and isn't taught as one. You might learn fragments from various esoteric topics that use it out of necessity or tradition, but you're very unlikely to ever be able to hold a conversation in it from teachings received in the Old World.
Languages - Arcane Dwarf / Runesmith Khazalid
It probably exists. You can probably learn it. It would count as Runesmith Secrets.
Lord Magister promotion
There is no hard list of requirements for a Wizard to be promoted to Lord Magister, but the criteria considered are loyalty, ability, reliability, and experience, and someone has to tick the box for all four before they'll be promoted. The Magister Patriarch or Matriarch of the College is the one who decides this, and though the promotion needs to be approved by the Supreme Patriarch or Matriarch and the Emperor, this is usually a formality.
Mass Pinging
Please do not mass ping people who have made a valid vote to try to get them to change it under any circumstances.
Mastery
Mastery happens, first and foremost, when I decide it does. That said, my internal process for deciding it is something like this:
a) when a crit happens;
b) when it is, in my opinion, narratively appropriate for a spell to be mastered; and
c) when there's no more pressing issue that the benefits of a crit would be better applied to.
No Trap Options
I do not do 'trap options', which is to say, I won't present voting options that will lead to disproportionate disaster for reasons that the players have no way of knowing. But there are limits to this policy. There are sub-optimal decisions, there are options with perceivable risks, there are potential research dead-ends, and there are times you have to make a decision based on incomplete information. To steal an example from the Wissenland Quest, if there's smoke coming from the mountains, the existence of a '[ ] investigate the mountains' option doesn't tell you that it's necessarily significant. It could be that it's just a charcoal burner or a wildfire or something. But it's not going to be the annual Bloodthirster Barbecue that you stumble into the middle of and instantly get a game-over from.
Norse Dwarf Navy
Norse Dwarves are said to be excellent sailors, and are also said to have been cut off from the rest of the world for millennia. The compromise I've put together to recocncile this is that they used rivers for internal travel and would dominate the Frozen Sea during a rare partial thaw, fending off Norscans and harvesting the sea life for themselves, and their westernmost holds had year-round access to the Kraken Sea that they mostly dominated, but the distance between them and the rest of the Old World and the fact that the entire length of it was along some of the most heavily populated parts of Norsca meant that no non-Norscans ever made the three thousand mile trip in either direction. Nobody had any reason to try - nobody outside the Karaz Ankor had ever heard of the Norse Dwarves, the Karaz Ankor thought they were extinct, and the Norse Dwarves never encountered any non-Norscan human so went pretty understandably isolationist. The Ungruvalk was canonically completed in 2292, and given the circumstances I imagine they took their time to carefully map the new waters and coastlines available to them. To the west was more Norsca, and to the south was small Ungol towns and villages (which would look like Kurgan to Norse Dwarves) until you got most of the way down Kislev's coast to Erengrad. Given time they might have made contact on their own, but the Great War kicked off eight years after the completion of the tunnel and brought about the meeting between the Karaz Ankor and the Norse Dwarves anyway.
Ocean travel
Despite their claims, Ulthuan's prominence does not quite reach all the seas. They have the home field advantage in the Great Ocean, but even there they can't quite suppress the Norscans, Sartosans, Corsairs, and Zombie Pirates. In the Dread Sea between the Southlands and Ind, the Chaos Dwarves are the most dominant presence and almost constantly on the search for slaves and wealth, with Ulthuan seemingly content to focus on containment, blocking their access to other seas with the Fortress of Dawn in the west and the Gates of Calith in the east - though this quarantine is largely symbolic ever since the tunnel to Uzkulak gave the Chaos Dwarves access to the the Great Ocean via the seas north of Norsca. The final ocean is the Far Sea, which is either that of the far east or the far west depending on your perspective, lying between the New World and Cathay. Though the fleets of Cathay and Nippon largely control their coasts, the majority of the waters are dominated by Naggarothi fleets who sail via an underground ocean beneath their continent and into the Far Sea. With Ulthuan's ships having to sail all the way around Lustria just to reach Naggaroth's backyard, the Dark Elves are largely free to reave as they wish. So though ocean voyages have a much larger payoff if they succeed, they also have a much greater initial cost and face just as much danger as the overland routes, if not more.
Printing Presses
The ones that currently exist use hand-carved wood or acid-etched metal plates. Movable type presses will not be invented until about 2510.
Railroads
[Dwarves] sure could [make a kickass railroad]. Each rail and sleeper and spike would be perfectly and lovingly crafted by a highly skilled artisan. But... that's the problem. You don't build a railroad that goes anywhere by having artisans spending a day apiece perfecting each sleeper, especially when those Dwarf-hours are so short in supply and badly needed elsewhere. Railroads require mass production to be viable, and the Dwarves refuse to be anything but artisans.
Ranald
Ranald the Gambler is the god of luck and irony. He is a god of the common people, and most people in the Empire will invoke him when they need luck on their side. If that was all there was to Ranald it wouldn't just be acceptable but expected for you to venerate him. But Ranald has other guises.
Ranald the Night Prowler is the god of thieves, patron of criminals, and veneration to him is tied into the very language of the thieves cant.
Ranald the Deceiver is the god of conmen, charlatans, spies, and sometimes Grey Wizards.
Ranald the Protector is the god of freedom from tyranny, and a patron to rabble-rousers in favour of changes in government in pursuit of said freedom. Every year tax collectors are murdered in His name, and many revolts against Imperial authority have been dedicated to Him.
Ranald is eternally on the knife edge between 'frowned upon' and 'actively suppressed'. Admitting that you worship him is not likely to make you friends.
Ranaldian Saints
Because of how unstructured the Cult of Ranald is, they tend to only be know to the local Ranaldian community. Mathilde only knows about Saint Grey, Saint Grey, and Saint Grey. Saint Grey fought in the Great War Against Chaos, and introduced the worship of Ranald to the nascent Grey Order. Saint Grey planted the idea in Grom the Paunch's mind that he'd find better fights outside the Empire. And Saint Grey rode nonstop across the Empire to bring warnings to Journeymen of Dieter IV's outlawing of the Colleges.
Runesmith Secrets
Anything you are taught of Runes and their nature would involve swearing an Oath to Thungni to only pass on the knowledge, and anything you discover using that knowledge, to Runesmiths and any Apprentices you might have.
Spell Creation - The Burrito Clause
A rule of thumb for any magic ideas: if you could use the exact same justification to create a delicious burrito, you're probably on the wrong track. This applies to spells that might confuse reality about whether or not you are holding a delicious burrito in your hand, to spells that blur the lines between an empty plate and a plate that holds a delicious burrito, and to spells that make reality forget that you have not visited a Mexican food truck recently.
Spell Creation - Traits
Creating a spell from scratch requires a relevant trait. Some traits explicitly allow spells to be created in a general sphere, and can be stretched fairly generously to cover various effects. Any other traits can be used to a much narrower extent, generally only to accomplish something directly relating to that trait. All created spells need to remain within the constraints and themes of Grey Magic, which means that some traits will be completely incompatible with spell creation.
S·T·T·L
Shorthand for 'sit tibi terra levis', meaning 'may the earth rest lightly on you'. Roughly analogous to RIP, and sometimes used in writing to denote that the person being referred to is dead.
Steam Tanks
If you do get an Engineer to reverse engineer them, this will not involve passing on the Dwarven understanding of steam engines to humans, and thus building more will require Dwarf-made parts. Runesmiths will not put Runes on Steam Tanks.
Time Travel
No.
Travel Ranges
Human: 3 MPH for 6 hours/day. 18 miles/day.
Dwarf: 3 MPH for 10 hours/day. 30 miles/day.
Heavy Cavalry: 4 MPH for 8 hours/day. 32 miles/day.
Light Cavalry: 5 MPH for 8 hours/day. 40 miles/day.
Steam-Wagon: 4MPH for 10 hours/day. 40 miles/day.
Steppe Horse: 6 MPH for 10 hours/day. 60 miles/day.
Steppe Horse w/ remounts: 8 MPH for 10 hours/day. 80 miles/day.
Bretonnian Horse: 8 MPH for 10 hours/day. 80 miles/day.
Demigryphs: 10 MPH for 8 hours/day. 80 miles/day.
Winter Wolves: 5 MPH for 16 hours/day. 80 miles/day.
Shadowsteed: 15 MPH for 6 hours/day. 90 miles/day.
Mammoth: 6 MPH for 20 hours/day. 120 miles/day.
Mathilde's Shadowsteed: 25 MPH for 10 hours/day. 250 miles/day.
True Dhar
The term 'True Dhar' has a habit of coming up frequently. According to canonical sources, 'True Dhar' is a label for stable environmental Dhar in contrast to Dhar created on the fly by crushing Winds together. However, it's also often interpreted as a dark mirror to High Magic that achieves much more potency out of Dark Magic than any other method can accomplish, meaning that the magic practiced mainly by Dark Elves is 'truer' (or at least more powerful) than Necromancy or Skaven magic or even Chaos Sorcery. Whether there is merit to these claims would require more familiarity with both Dhar and the nature of Chaos than the Colleges are willing to pursue, but a few alternative and possibly more convincing explanations do exist:
a) Elves are arrogant, and believe their own forms of magic are intrinsically superior to any others.
b) Dark Elves believe implicitly in 'might makes right', so think that bending Dhar to their will is 'truer' than following the actual nature of Dhar.
c) The term is more literal, and simply reflects that the spells of 'True Dhar' do not involve other Winds (as Necromancy does) or Gods (as Chaos Sorcery does).
Ward Saves
'Ward Saves' are a tabletop abstraction that cover any sort of protection that cannot be overcome with brute force, from force fields to divine intervention to just being really good at dodging. This quest does not use the same abstraction. You need to be specific if that's the sort of thing you want to talk about.
Write-Ins
Write-in votes will almost always be possible, even when a '[ ] Other (write in)' option or similar is not among the voting options. The options as presented represent what courses of action are immediately obvious and plausible to Mathilde, not necessarily the best possible solutions, not least of which because the best possible solution might not have occurred to me.
Wutroth
Dwarves have been trying and failing to restore their Wutroth groves for millennia. A Jade Wizard might have an advantage, but the trees grow extremely slow and part of their growth cycle is having their outer bark worn smooth by high-altitude winds, so it can't be accelerated. So it would take their entire life to try once.
This is a collection of informational posts created by players. I've looked over them for inaccuracies but they were not written by me and may have been updated since I last read them, so they should not be taken as outright WoQM. Inclusion on this list does not oblige the person who wrote it to keep the post up-to-date.
Belthani Lorepost, by @Codex
A collection of information on the Belthani, the first human inhabitants of the Reik Basin and ancestors of the Jade Order.
