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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.
Within the borders of the Empire of Man, the Elector Counts are among the highest of nobility, second only to the Emperor and - arguably, very arguably - the High Priests. Their word is all but law over the countless thousands of souls within their province.
You are not an Elector Count. But you are the next best thing.
You have secured a position in the Privy Council of a newly-arisen Elector Count, an instrument for their will in a specific domain. But also an instrument for your own will; because like all people, you have your own ambitions. The way you present information, the solutions you present, the options you put towards them and how you explain them; all of these will allow you a great deal of leeway in how you go about your business, and to pursue your own private goals.
The first question is: in what province have you come to power? Noble Reikland, advanced Wissenland, vast Talabecland, mighty Middenland, drunken Ostland... you do not have the fortune to serve in any of these. Your province is somewhat... humbler.
[ ] STIRLAND
There is much that is good that one can say about Stirland. The land itself is one of rugged highlands and flowing rivers, known for its faithful, doughty populace. The capital, Wurtbad, is especially famed for fine wines, luxurious inns and hot springs. Taken in isolation, Stirland would be a fine province to live in, which just goes to prove the importance of location.
Because Stirland's location is right next to Sylvania.
Cursed Sylvania, haunted Sylvania. Sylvania, the homeland of vampires, the wellspring of death and corruption, the endless font of things that go bump in the night. The fate of Stirland is to forever to be the bulwark which wave after wave of the undead crash against, taking an eternal toll in lives and coin. Without end and without thanks, the people of Stirland suffer under the depredations of the dead so that the rest of the Empire do not have to. A necessary and admirable task, admittedly, but given the choice, wouldn't you want to live elsewhere?
Benefits:
1. Reliable People: The populace of Stirland are steadfast and pious.
2. Low Expectations: With most good candidates finding somewhere less... Stirland-y... to practice their trade, incompetence is expected and competence will be considered greatness.
3. Knights of Morr: The silent and terrifying guardians of Morr's holy sites are a fantastic help in the endless fight against the undead.
4. Zhufbar: Good relations with the capital of Dwarven engineering are only mildly hindered by having to go either around or through Sylvania to reach you, and they have a keen interest in keeping Sylvania pacified.
5. Untapped Potential: Both in the bucolic backwater of Stirland proper and, if it can ever be brought to heel, in 'Eastern Stirland' - Sylvania.
Detriments:
1. Sylvania: Just... Sylvania.
2. Stauch Traditionalists: Outside of extreme circumstances, the locals are unlikely to take well to changes without a lot of effort.
3. A Moot Issue: It seems a second curse is on Stirland - an eternal inability for its Elector Counts to let go of the rich farmlands that once belonged to them, and were handed over to the Halflings of the Moot.
[ ] AVERLAND
Averland is an open and sunny province, full of farms and grazelands, framed on three sides by rivers and on one by mountains. The populace are open and generous, and the nobility are usually more focused on their cattle herds than on political intrigue. They enjoy close relations with the dwarves, are free of the beastmen-infested forests that cast gloom over most of the Empire, and their plentiful harvests are supplemented by exports of minerals, gems, and furs.
There are two things keeping it from being a truly happy place to live. The first is Black Fire Pass, the main passable route through the mountains that border the Empire to the south, gateway to not only trade partners but also the endless hordes of greenskins and darker things that lurk in the Badlands and beyond. The second is a longstanding tradition of eccentricity, verging on insanity, in the rulers of Averland. These ensure that life is never peaceful for too long.
Benefits:
1. Clear Skies: Averland shares with Wissenland the blessing of being unforested, leaving them largely free of the Beastman taint.
2. Black Fire Pass: The main overland trade route from the Empire to Tilea, the Border Princes, and a dozen major dwarfholds, Black Fire Pass is a prestigious and profitable fixture in the province.
3. Order of the Black Bear: A tempestuous and easily-bored knightly order, when they aren't engaged in battle they hone their skills in tourneys and games.
4. Dwarf Acquaintances: Between their stable ties to the minor hold of Karak Angazhar in the Black Mountains and their trade routes to the greater dwarven realm through Black Fire Pass, Averland enjoys closer ties to the taciturn dwarfs than most.
5. A Fertile Land: Next to the rivers that border Averland on three sides, harvests are bountiful, and almost all of the rest of Averland is good grazeland for the hardy and intelligent Averland Longhorn.
Detriments:
1. A Bit Odd In The Head: Averlanders are a flighty and changeable lot, liable to change their mind at the drop of a hat and resisting any attempt to hold them to an agreement.
2. A Lot Odd In The Head: Averland's rulers tend to take the flightiness of the average Averlander to new and interesting extremes.
3. Chink In The Armour: Being the main entrance into the Empire's southern border, Black Fire Pass attracts many unfriendly visitors. It would be nice if it was only greenskins that came knocking.
4. Bloody Sylvania: Though Stirland takes most of the brunt, it's never a fun to have a land border to that accursed place.
[ ] HOCHLAND
Oh, yeah. There's also Hochland.
That's Hochland for you - always the afterthought. The smallest province, the least populated province, the province without rowdy foreign neighbours or interesting technologies. Sure, they're good with guns, but Wissenland has bigger and better guns. They've got a school of magic, but Reikland has a much bigger and much older school. They're a crossroads, but Talabecland is so much more so. The Middle Mountains is a place of great interest and danger, but Nordland and Ostland also border them.
If Hochland stands out in any one way, it would be their people. Hochlanders are loyal and brave, open-minded and tolerant, and almost universally highly skilled woodsmen and marksmen; they thrive under the shadow of the woods that strike terror into so much of the Empire.
Benefits:
1. Enemies Within: But, unless things go terribly wrong, no enemies without. All of your neighbours are fellow provinces of the Empire, and as such your borders can be considered probably secure.
2. (a) Crossroad of the (north-eastern) Empire: exposure to so many strangers going this way and that has made Hochlanders some of the most open-minded and tolerant people of the Empire, as well as bringing in generous amounts of trade and tourism.
3. Self-sufficient: Between farming the few unforested areas and hunting in the rest of it, trade is a luxury to Hochland, not a necessity.
4. School of Wizardry: Though nowhere near as grand as those in Altdorf, having close access to wizards is useful (and dangerous) in a wide variety of ways.
5. Many Faiths: In an effort to squeeze tourists and passers-by of their coin, shrines to every acceptable god have flourished and a small priesthood of almost every god can be found.
Detriments:
1. Landlocked: No coasts and surrounded by other Imperial provinces, you possess no way to make contact with foreign powers without going through another province.
2. Small: Hochland has less land and less people than any other province of the Empire.
3. Unremarkable: Apart from being skilled woodsmen, Hochland does not really stand out in any one area.
4. Painfully Aware Of It: In their attempts to overcome the status of last among equals, Elector Counts of Hochland can sometimes be... unreasonable.
Secondly, you must select which position you are filling. Traditionally, there are six advisors in an Elector Count's privy council, each serving a very different role.
[ ] Martial: The Marshal is in charge of military matters, second in command to the Elector Count themselves. It is a position of great power, but also one of danger and responsibility - though it can be led just as well from the back as from the front. And in times of danger, where better to be than surrounded by armed and loyal men?
[ ] Diplomacy: The Chancellor is responsible for contact both within and without, handling relations with both foreign powers and the people of the province. At first glance they may have little direct power, but can easily accrue influence and allies from the many circles their job requires them to move within.
[ ] Stewardship: The Steward is responsible for taxes and the economy, giving you direct access not only to your own budget but to all incoming wealth as well. A heady position, but also one that attracts a lot of blame when things go poorly, and a lot of expectations to be able to wave a wand and make money appear.
[ ] Intrigue: The Spymaster is the master of soft power in the realm, responsible for hiding the Elector Count's secrets and uncovering those of everyone else. Gives you a great deal of leeway in how you go about things, but also makes you a target for everyone trying to get away with skulduggery in the province, and being anything short of omniscient is often considered a failing by those that don't have to do the job.
[ ] Faith: Almost always filled by a priest or cleric, but sometimes by a neutral ambassador able to work with the heads of various local faiths. The job is often akin to trying to herd cats when the cats all hate each other, but being responsible for the souls of an entire province is sought after by some.
[ ] Learning: The most nebulous of all the roles, this role is usually filled based on the Elector Count's desires and prejudices. The realm of madmen and geniuses, wizards and witch hunters, all seeking new ways to build and to destroy. May result in you having incredible amounts of leeway, or may result in you being forced to pursue whatever flight of fancy captures your lord's attention, and if it's a terrible idea you'll get the blame for it.
Motivation:
Unlike the Elector Counts, one does not inherit a position in the Privy Council by chance. One attains it through great effort or great skill. To achieve such a thing, something must be driving them. Select your private agenda.
[ ] Avarice: To be an advisor to an Elector Count is usually a well-paid position, but even greater opportunity can be found with the lucrative projects and bountiful budgets such a position has access to.
Bonuses to embezzlement attempts and other profitable avenues; willpower rolls to keep from dipping directly into the budgets you control if you make no off-the-books income or other improvement in personal wealth in a particular year.
[ ] Vainglory: The role of advisor is prestigious, certainly, but hardly glorious - unless you go above and beyond the call of duty, and sometimes above and beyond what was asked of you, and sometimes even above and beyond sanity and rationality.
Bonuses to large, revolutionary, or otherwise impressive projects or achievements; maluses to more mundane assignments.
[ ] Nepotism: You have a large family, many of whom are eager for prestigious and well-paying jobs. You do this for them because you love them, of course. Actually getting some peace and quiet at home is just a side-benefit.
Reliable source of very loyal candidates for key roles; malus to all rolls if these positions are not found on a regular basis. A very prestigious position might buy you a few years, or you could fill sundry middle management positions every year.
[ ] Inspiration: To you, this position is merely a stepping stone towards a pet project that consumes you.
One inspired super-project of dubious utility and questionable safety with bonuses to working towards it when given official permission; minor maluses to all other projects as you neglect them in favour of tinkering with your passion. Completing a super-project will give you peace for a few years until a new one occurs to you.
[ ] Zealotry: The Empire is a land of many faiths - the Sigmarites and the Ulricans primarily, but countless others as well. You, of course, know that only one of them is true, and will work to eliminate all false faiths.
Bonuses to working to further your faith; maluses to working with people outside of it.
[ ] Sleeper Agent: Perhaps you did not quite attain the position; perhaps it was thrust unto you, and perhaps those that did the thrusting have attached several strings to the position.
Only required to pass on information, making it usually less burdensome than other motivations; sometimes you may be tasked with seeking out specific information, and in special circumstances you may be required to intervene and risk revealing yourself. You're not entirely sure who your true master is, but they seem benign.
[ ] Corruption: Loyalty to the darker powers has great costs, but greater rewards. Or was it the other way around?
Choice of Chaos (access to blessings of Chaos) or Vampire Counts (access to Necromancy and Vampirism); the downsides to such domineering overseers are as obvious as they are numerous.
Hi everyone. I'm a long-time reader, first-time quester, though I have a number of years of experience with GMing. An idea sprang into my head the other day and wouldn't leave me alone, so I started writing it out and now here we are. I request your patience and cooperation as I learn the ropes.
In CK2 quests you have your advisors, a handful of descriptive lines updated every half a decade or so that regularly spit out three or more neat little options for how to improve your lot in life. They are almost always trusted implicitly even among the most paranoid of threads unless they're described as twirling a moustache and carving chaotic sigils into the meeting room table, and I wondered what their life was like when they weren't delivering their annual reports. Do they truly have no desire other than to serve you, or do they have murkier motivations than their lord ever sees? When they tell you it will cost ten thousand gold to build new roads, will it actually cost that, or did they round it up from 9700 and change and pocket the difference? When a factory is built, is it staffed entirely along meritocratic lines? When you send a few thousand men to go punch goblins in the face, does all the loot they find make it's way back to you? And when they tell you that the people will be satisfied by no less than a new and grand cathedral to balm their souls, how do you know that a few extra local churches wouldn't do the job for a fraction of the time and effort?
So now it's time to put you in that role and see how you do. It's not that you're disloyal, exactly. In fact, you're very loyal. It's just that not all that loyalty is to the same person.
SV, it's time to cook the books.
Minutiae:
The year will be 2470, in the reign of Luitpold I. Your Elector Count will be created from scratch, unknown to you and brand new to power at the start of the quest. Any events past this point are, for the purposes of this quest, non-canonical. Karl Franz is not yet born; whether the Emperor will have such a blessed son in this timeline is entirely up to the whims of the dice. Don't expect the End Times to start encroaching right on schedule, or even, necessarily, at all.
As you may have deduced, this quest will use the CKII-style system made famous in previous quests, with all due thanks to those that came before - Gaius Marius and torroar leap to mind, but many others have been part of the trend that proved so inspirational.
Your choice of position will influence what backgrounds will be available to you; an intrigue advisor will have the option of having been a Witch Hunter, and a martial advisor may have been a Knight, but if you were to be a steward those backgrounds will, of course, not be suitable. Mage backgrounds of varying colours will be available for all positions but Faith, but expect them to have a significant opportunity cost.
[X] Intrigue: The Spymaster is the master of soft power in the realm, responsible for hiding the Elector Count's secrets and uncovering those of everyone else. Gives you a great deal of leeway in how you go about things, but also makes you a target for everyone trying to get away with skulduggery in the province, and being anything short of omniscient is often considered a failing by those that don't have to do the job. Number of voters: 10 veekie, bryanfran36, wingstrike96, lavanderjasmine, Skycrafterf, Azurath, Hannz, butchock,Troglodyte, EVA-Saiyajin
[X] Sleeper Agent: Perhaps you did not quite attain the position; perhaps it was thrust unto you, and perhaps those that did the thrusting have attached several strings to the position. Number of voters: 6 veekie, bryanfran36, wingstrike96, lavanderjasmine, Skycrafterf, Azurath
You are the Spymaster of Stirland, and you aren't entirely sure who it is you owe that to. But you do know they won't let you forget it.
As the Spymaster of Stirland, your job will involve quite a bit of keeping a wary eye on Sylvania. Whether the local Witch Hunters of the province will start off answering to you, to the Faith advisor, or only to themselves, will depend on your Background and on whoever the Faith advisor ends up being. There will doubtless also the usual mish-mash of spying on neighbours, unruly nobles, and unhappy peasants.
Here you will select your life prior to achieving your current office. This stage and the next involve a form of chargen currency I've called, for my own amusement, shinies. These can be spent in the next stage of character development on traits, special resources, unique items, skilled followers, and other bits and bobs, mostly based on the background you select in this stage. Any shinies remaining unspent after that will carry over into the game and can be spent on powerful strokes of good luck in the first few turns.
YOU HAVE THREE (3) SHINIES.
Birth - will affect how people treat you.
[ ] Peasant: Though your position is a worthy one, your origins mean that you will have to earn respect a dozen times over before it is given to you. +2 shinies
[ ] Burgher: Coming from a comfortably well-off family, you attract neither scorn nor respect from the noble classes.
[ ] Petty Noble: Though your family can no longer boast of land or wealth, your blood demands respect. -1 shinies
[ ] Minor Noble: Your family is of noble blood and landed, and as such you wield power in your own right. -2 shinies
Province of Birth - will affect your appearance and options available to you in the next step of chargen.
[ ] Local: Already being tied in to the local power structures can be a significant advantage. -1 shinies.
[ ] Averland: A wide-open land of rivers and cattle.
[ ] Hochland: Small, densely-forested province of able hunters.
[ ] Middenland: Homeland of the Cult of Ulric, a largely uncivilized land of fierce fighters.
[ ] Nordland: Home of the Imperial Navy and the sea god Manann, Nordlanders are a hardy and loyal people.
[ ] Ostermark: An odd experiment in democracy, Ostermark lacks a single ruler, filled with largely self-sufficient townships and farming villages.
[ ] Ostland: A grim and terrifying land, dominated by the Forest of Shadows.
[ ] Reikland: The noble capital of the Empire, home to the Emperor, the Colleges of Magic, and the Reiksguard.
[ ] Talabecland: A large, thriving province built on commerce, Talabecland dominates the Empire's internal trade routes.
[ ] Wissenland: Famous for the Imperial Gunnery School of Nuln, Wissenland is a productive land of industry and technology.
[ ] Rootless: You either travelled too much to build up contacts, or lost them somewhere along the way. +1 shinies
Gender - no mechanical effects, some cultural ones.
[ ] Male
[ ] Female
Background - will dictate your base stats. By default they will be the total of 3d6. You will reroll the lowest for a particular stat for each + you have in it, and reroll the highest for each -. Traits picked in the next step of char creation will increase or lower these scores by a set amount. Your background will also heavily effect the options available to you.
[ ] Innkeeper: Not the most typical of precursors to being a spymaster, but the ability to keep track of comings and goings and make sure nobody's going to start breaking the furniture while just looking like you're placidly cleaning a glass is a useful skill to have.
+Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Learning
[ ] Bounty Hunter: They give you a name, you return with a head. All the steps between those two stages have honed your skills to a razor's edge.
+Martial, +Intrigue, +Diplomacy, -Learning, -Stewardship
[ ] Criminal: You started with thievery, moved up to blackmail, and reached the pinnacle of your career ruling the criminal underworld of a major city. Being master of whispers for an entire province is a logical upgrade.
+Intrigue, +Stewardship, -Faith
[ ] Exciseman: The most hated citizens in the Empire. To do your job, you had to be sneaky. To survive your job, you had to be tough. But it didn't win you any friends.
+Intrigue, +Martial, -Diplomacy
[ ] Road Warden: Your public role was to keep the roads clear and deliver important messages along them. Your secret role was to read and pass on the information in those letters. Trickier than it sounds, to read and memorize a letter at a full gallop while watching out for threads from the woods.
+Learning, +Martial, -Stewardship
[ ] Knight of Morr: You spent many years under the vow of silence of the Knights of Morr. You have a great deal of experience with combatting the undead, but your other skills have eroded.
+Martial +Faith -Diplomacy
[ ] Priest of Morr: Your battles were not physical, but spiritual. You safeguarded the souls of the dead, and now you have expanded the battlefield in your war.
+Faith +Stewardship -Intrigue
[ ] Rat Catcher: You fought the secret war under the cities of the Empire against the ratman menace. A filthy but necessary job, what you lack in refinement you make up for in the ability to win a fight in a pitch-black tunnel with a small but fierce dog as your only ally.
+Martial +Intrigue -Learning
[ ] Witch Hunter: You sought out witches, heretics and mutants wherever they hid. A very polarizing role, but a necessary one.
+Faith +Intrigue +Martial -Learning -Stewardship
[ ] Grey Wizard: You have only just completed your apprenticeship, and now are able to usefully wield the winds of Ulgu, the grey magic of shadow and illusion. Very fitting for a spymaster.
-4 shinies, +Magic
[ ] Amethyst Wizard: You have only just completed your apprenticeship, and now are able to usefully wield the winds of Shyish, the purple magic of death. Anywhere but Stirland, an Amethyst Wizard as a spymaster would be a terrifying prospect and a sign that the Elector Count has gone seriously around the bend, but in Stirland it is... still terrifying, but understandable.
-4 shinies, +Magic
Magic is absolutely a valid and interesting choice, but I do feel the need to warn you that the voting did pick Sleeper Agent, and the sort of person with enough heft to get a wizard reassigned according to their desires is going to be a much bigger deal than, say, someone pulling the strings of a rat catcher.
If there's a background you feel is an appropriate precursor to being a Spymaster that isn't listed here, post it and if I agree, I'll stat it and add it to the list.
Seems like a consensus to me. A peasant girl of Stirland turned Grey Wizard. Let's move on to the most intricate and finicky part of character creation.
Faith, choose one:
[ ] Sigmar: God of Mankind, father of the Empire.
[ ] Ulric: God of Winter and Wolves, younger brother of Taal. Ulrican and Sigmarite worship vies for primacy in the Empire.
[ ] Taal: God of the Wilds, husband of Rhya.
[ ] Rhya: Goddess of Agriculture and Birth, wife of Taal.
[ ] Manann: God of the Sea, son of Taal and Rhya. Not very useful inland.
[ ] Morr: God of Death, husband of Verena.
[ ] Verena: Goddess of Justice and Learning, wife of Morr.
[ ] Myrmidia: Goddess of Warfare and Strategy, rarely worshipped in the Empire due to primacy of Ulric and Sigmar. Daughter of Morr and Verena.
[ ] Shallya: Goddess of Mercy and Healing, daughter of Morr and Verena.
[ ] Many: All gods of the Empire have their place, and you call on them as needed.
[ ] None: Well, not actually none. You go to church often enough to keep people off your back and know a prayer or two, and in a tight spot you'll probably call on one or two. Maybe at some point you'll find a god that will resonate with you.
[ ] No, really, none: Well, if you insist. Atheism is usually not looked upon kindly in the Empire, but Grey Wizards have a long track record of keeping out of religion.
[ ] Ranald: Trickster God of luck, fortune, and thieves. Barely tolerated by polite society.
[ ] Khaine: God of Blood, Battle and Murder, believed by some to be the brother of Morr. Khaine cults sometimes crop up among soldiers and mercenaries, and though made infamous by the worship of the Dark Elves, the High and Wood Elves also pay homage to him. It's the sort of thing best kept to oneself.
Spells:
You are not a battle wizard. You cannot summon portals to hell dimensions that eat dozens of men at a time.
...yet.
For Petty and Lesser magics, these are not the only spells you know; they are just the ones you have been actively using since you learned them and can cast well and on the fly. You can brush up on other small magics, if necessary.
Your Shadow Magic spells were the spells you mastered to prove yourself worthy of the title of Journeyman and ready to head out into the world.
Petty Magics, choose one:
[ ] Light: You can either cause items to glow, or create independent lights that move based on your desire, though you lose control of them once they're out of line of sight.
[ ] Sound: You can create any noise but speech from anywhere within line of sight - though the greater the distance, the trickier it is to pull off.
Lesser Magics, choose one:
[ ] Combat: You can wrap magic around yourself to act as armour, and around a weapon to enchant it to deal damage to magical creatures.
[ ] Quash: You can magically silence someone at a distance for a handful of seconds, and attempt to dispel magic within touching distance.
[ ] Security: You can enchant locks so they cannot be picked for a week, and set magical tripwires that alert you if they are crossed.
Shadow Magic, choose two:
[ ] Bewilder: A target, if lacking the mental fortitude to shrug off the effects, will have their mind clouded and will act unpredictably.
[ ] Doppelganger: You take on the appearance of a specific humanoid creature for around half an hour, though not their voice.
[ ] Eye of the Beholder: You can change something's appearance to make it look either worthless or valuable for several hours.
[ ] Mindhole: You attempt to mentally overpower your target, who must be reasonably close. If successful, they will forget everything they know of you.
[ ] Mutable Visage: You can make a target you are touching (or yourself) noticeably more or less attractive for several hours.
[ ] Shadowcloak: Makes you harder to detect for several minutes.
[ ] Shadowsteed: A mystical and supernaturally fast horse is summoned that will carry you or one you designate until dismounted or dawn the next day.
SHINIES
You spent all your shinies in the previous stage of character creation; as it would break my heart if I went to all the trouble to write all the below and you didn't choose to take anything, I am awarding one (1) bonus shiny.
You can also earn extra shinies by taking on additional burdens. Keep in mind that these are all major problems to have - try not to go too crazy. Because of the importance of balancing these, the rest of the options in this post will be voted on in Plan format, and there will be a six hour moratorium on voting. If there's anything special that's not on here that you really want, ask and I'll either stat it or say why not.
[ ] Very Divided Loyalties: Go back to the first post and pick another motivation for +3 shinies.
[ ] Snakehunted: Attracted by miscast Shadowmancy, a Wisdom's Asp has been pursuing you for as long as you can remember, and until defeated (can it be defeated?) it will continue to grin back at you through mirrors and try to sneak into your bed at night to squeeze the life from you. +2 shinies
[ ] Perpetual Apprentice: You have already reached the peak of your magical potential, and will never learn more spells or attain greater magical power than you currently have. +2 shinies
[ ] Hunted Witch: For reasons unknown to you, the local witch hunters are itching for any excuse to purge you. Better win them over or get some powerful allies quickly. +2 shinies
[ ] Ranald's Debt: You can go up to three shinies in debt, but each will turn a failure into a critical glitch at a time most amusing to the Trickster God.
[ ] A More Mundane Debt: You are deep in debt to the Colleges of Magic for your education. They will expect you to start repaying it soon. You don't want to find out what they do to collect on outstanding student loans. Can be taken up to three times for +1 shiny each.
[ ] Arcane Mark: A past fumble with shadow magic has left you permanently changed. Will be rolled randomly; results vary in severity but almost all will leave normal people uneasy around you. +1 shiny, can only be taken once
With your shinies restocked, each of them can be traded in for one item from the following categories:
Mystical:
[ ] Home: As soon as you returned to Stirland, you felt the omnipresent mists rush into your soul and revitalize you. This is the land of shadows, and you are a mage of shadows. Bonus to magic within Stirland itself, penalties to magic outside of it.
[ ] Apothecary: You have the equipment and the training to brew potions and identify useful ingredients, though you will have to experiment or research to find what you can do with local sources.
[ ] Power Mist: Showing a shocking amount of hubris, during your apprenticeship you managed to get your hands on a restricted book and tried to construct a Power Stone. Though you didn't even get close and knocked yourself out for weeks, you did somehow manage to grab and wrestle a strand of Ulgu back on itself until a mist formed, though you passed out soon after. Perhaps this 'power mist' could be contained and investigated for useful properties? And you do remember the rest of the steps, if you're ever arrogant enough to try the whole process again.
[ ] Ritualist: You know the basics of ritual magic, and if given a few months to a year to research, may be able to figure out how to enact large-scale changes to a significant area. Whether those changes are the ones you originally envisioned is entirely up to the whims of the circuitous and contradictory logic of ritual magic.
[ ] Enchanter: You have a talent for taming the winds of Ulgu and trapping them within objects. You can create very minor magical trinkets, and have a bonus to learning the more advanced forms of enchantment.
Physical:
[ ] Tall: You stand a head above most, giving you an edge in combat and a little bit of extra respect from everyone that has to lean backwards to look you in the eye. +2 martial, bonus to relations with anyone that respects size, bonus to intimidation attempts
[ ] Extremely Short: Not just a little shorter than most, but significantly so, comparable to a child, a halfling or a dwarf. Being overlooked is infuriating, but often useful. -2 martial, +4 intrigue, bonus to halfling and dwarf relations but malus to leading humans and other tall creatures.
[ ] Strong: A very straightforward advantage. +4 martial
Mental:
[ ] Animal Kinship: You have a gift for getting along with and training animals. Regular animals, that is; it'd take a lot of work and luck to apply the knack to, say, hippogryphs. +1 Diplomacy
[ ] Brave: You can withstand terrors that make others flee. +1 martial
[ ] Eidetic Memory: Unless severely distracted, you are able to memorize anything at a glance and recall it in perfect detail later. +1 Scholarship
[ ] Gossipmonger: You have a knack for keeping one ear on the buzz of gossip all around you, giving you early warnings when something isn't quite right in your immediate vicinity and a source of low-level local information. +1 Intrigue
[ ] Loyal: You're no less beholden to what drives you, but you've convinced yourself it's not actually a division of loyalties, and if forced, you can explain why with the ring of belief. Perhaps a more accurate name would be 'self-deception'. +1 Faith
[ ] Organized: Through habit or obsession, you keep everything neat, tidy, and in its place. +1 Stewardship
[ ] Polyglot: You easily pick up new languages. +1 Diplomacy
[ ] Quick: You're naturally brighter than the average person. +1 to all stats, though no more nebulous advantages like the other mental traits
[ ] Supernumerate: You can crunch numbers with ease, making bookkeeping and trigonometry a snap. +1 Stewardship
[ ] Superstitious: You know a hundred different superstitions for averting bad luck and keeping the evil eye off you. Maybe some of them work. +1 Faith
[ ] Touched by Death: In your youth in Stirland, you lost loved ones to the attacks of the undead. As an adult, the resulting fear has been reforged into hatred. +1 Martial
Connection:
[ ] Priesthood: Before the gift of magic was found within you, you were considering induction into the ranks of the Priesthood of Morr. The local priests remember you, and you remember the rites and prayers.
[ ] Knights: Though it is hard to read affection in someone covered in black metal who has taken an oath of silence, they have it for you. If life had gone differently, you may have joined their ranks.
[ ] Townsfolk: You know Wurtbad and it's people like the back of your hand, and they will be quick to overcome their suspicion of your new, magical aspect and accept you as one of them once more.
[ ] College: You made friends and allies back in Altdorf, and they may be able to help with research and resources, though the road from Wurtbad to Altdorf is long and treacherous.
[-] Peasants: You know the traditions and superstitions of the people of Stirland, how to talk to them without them seeing you as an outsider or a threat. - FREE DUE TO PEASANT ORIGIN
THERE IS A SIX HOUR MORATORIUM ON VOTING. WHEN VOTING IS OPEN, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT SHINY EXPENDITURE MUST BE IN THE FORM OF A PLAN. GENDER, FAITH AND SPELLS ARE TO BE VOTED ON AS NORMAL.
As before, if there's something you would like added, say so and I'll stat it. Because of the moratorium, I'll be leaving this voting stage up for at least a day so that all the time zones have a chance to weigh in.
Unspent shinies will result in very fortunate occurrences in the first few years; overspent shinies will result in the opposite. Protip: think long and hard before you give the GM free reign to apply a critglitch wherever he pleases with a clean conscience.
Forty years ago, in the year 2430, the Elector Count of Stirland and Emperor of the Empire of Man, Dieter IV, brought the Empire to the brink of ruin, culminating in selling Marienburg its independence and ending in his being deposed. With the former Emperor and his accursed family, the Unfähiger, retreating to Talabecland to consolidate power there, rule of Stirland passed uncontested to the ill-fated Haupt-Anderssen dynasty. Though seemingly sober and worthy rulers, they appeared cursed with ill fortune, rule of the province passing from hand to hand as apparent natural causes took one ruler after another. Finally, at the end of the year 2469, the last Haupt-Anderssen held the title - the eighth of his line to do so.
Then he, too, was gone.
In a shroud of great secrecy, the Elector Count Alberich II Haupt-Anderssen was declared dead, and the eastern wing of the palace was sealed off. An emergency meeting of the Elector Counts was called to decide who next would take up the Runefang of Stirland.
Far away in the city of Altdorf, fourteen Electors met. Many messengers came in and out of the chambers they were ensconced within. Those messengers spurred other messengers, which spurred more still. And eventually, a letter is delivered to your normally taciturn Master in the middle of breakfast that causes his eyebrows to shoot towards his hairline.
By lunch, you were atop a conjured horse with a new set of robes and a letter of introduction, ordered to ride to Stirland where you were to serve as the Spymaster of the new Elector Count. You knew that, having reached the rank of Journeyman, you were to be sent out into the world to prove yourself, but the abruptness of it took your breath away - and the letter tucked into your pocket that you were sternly instructed not to read until you had arrived and were in private filled you with suspicion.
You were trained as a Grey Wizard, after all. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
------
Voting closed, spells and plan have clear winners:
Faith: Ranald
Spells:
Sound
Combat
Shadowsteed
Mindhole
Shinies Gained:
-[X] Snakehunted
-[X] College Debt
Shinies Spent:
-[X] Enchanter
-[X] Brave
-[X] Townsfolk
-[X] College
New voting:
[ ] Name: (write-in)
[ ] Appearance: (write-in or link a picture)
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.
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.
Linguistic Drift in Lizardmen Glyphs (FADING)
The Polyphenic Theory of Lizardmen Society (FADING)
Seviroscope (large, based on glass and alchemical inks) (TIMELESS)
Preliminary paper on Aethyric Vitae (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.
Aethyric Vitae (1/2)
Branarhune
The Currency of Strygos
The Currency of Tylos
Coins of Nehekhara's Fourth Dynasty
Coins of Nehekhara's Sixth Dynasty
Influence:
College Reputation: 222
College Favours: 5
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.
Eagle Castle has seen much better days. Neglected since the days of Magnus the Pious, first by the Emperors Leopold and Dieter IV and then by the ill-fated Haupt-Anderssens, the once-proud fortifications have fallen into near ruin. The enormous statue that once stood between the twin gates of the castle appears to have been bisected at the waist at some point, leaving only legs to give hints as to who it once represented.
The impression scarcely improves as you enter unchallenged, observed only by a plump donkey munching happily on a vine growing up one wall. To your left you can see the barracks flanked by two internal watchtowers, which would make for a good second line of defence if they were actually manned, and to your right is the now-infamous East Wing, boarded up ever since the mysterious and alleged death of Alberich II. Before you were sent to the Colleges of Magic, you grew up in the rule of his kinsmen - if you had to guess, you'd say his uncle and then his older brother, though you're not quite sure. They never lasted long.
Ahead of you is the only well-maintained part of the castle - the main keep.
The door creaks open as you push it, spilling light into the room, revealing a great hall apparently set up for dinner, though a layer of dust and the smell of un-aired damp tells you it has been set up that way for some time. A score of suspicious heads swivel to glare at you from their position on the right wall, gathered around a tiny fire in an enormous hearth. Each is clad entirely in steel plate, and twenty hands reached for the hilts of massive swords. Greatswords - the bodyguard of an Elector Count.
"Ma'am?" comes a cheery voice from your left, who you overlooked in favour of the large amount of armed and armoured men. A well-dressed young man bounds up to greet you with the enthusiasm of a puppy, hesitating only for a moment before greeting you with a short but polite bow. "Are you the Magister from the College?"
"Journeywoman," you correct. "Journeywoman Mathilde Weber." You hand over your letter of introduction from your Master. The armed men relax slightly at seeing that you're apparently expected, though they're still watching you.
The man, barely more than a boy, peers through the gloom at the letter. "Good, good. Let me be the first to welcome you, then. Apart from me you're the first of the councillors to arrive, but I've been told the others will be travelling with the Elector Count." He gives a short, nervous bark of laughter as he leads you towards the fire, ignoring the looks of suspicion from the Greatswords. "I don't suppose you've heard anything about him?"
You haven't, not a word, but you'll not undercut yourself so soon by admitting it. Instead you give your best disdainful look (you had practiced it in the mirror for hours) and he laughs again, sheepishly. "Well, of course you would have, you'll be the Spymaster after all. I'm Anton Kiesinger, I'm the diplomat."
You recognize the name. "The Baron of Blutdorf?"
He barks another laugh, and you feel the repetition of it starting to grind on your nerves. "No, that's my father. I'm Anton II."
You nod, starting to get an idea. "Served long, then?"
"Three years," he smiles proudly, unaware of the information he had just revealed. Unlike you, he was not a new appointee - he was a holdover from the previous Elector Count, and thus should be a lot more nervous about his position. Especially if this enthusiastic puppy act wasn't an act. If not... a political appointment? A favour to his father? It would explain why such a young and seemingly unexceptional man was appointed to such an important position. The Blutdorfs didn't control much land, but they did control much of the road to Wissenland and Reikland.
Then the doors slam open, and when you whirl you have to fight down the urge to reach for Ulgu to protect yourself. Standing silhouetted in the doorway is the largest Witch Hunter you've ever clapped eyes on, standing a head taller than the Greatswords, who each stand a head taller than you. The twin-tailed comet on his hat somehow manages to reflect what little light there is in the room, which almost but not quite keeps you from noticing the halberd slung over the man's shoulder.
Then you notice that the Greatswords around you had all stood to attention, and it dawns on you that the man in the doorway is your new Elector Count.
---
Introductions are hurried and brief. The giant of a man looks over your letter with far heavier scrutiny than Anton did, then eyes you with the same intensity, then gives a single nod and moves on to interrogate poor Anton. You very slowly begin to unclench your muscles as others follow him the hall. First behind your new liege is a short, muscled woman in her forties wearing worn travel leathers and pistols on her waist. Scuttling after her like a duckling after their mother is a small, skinny academic type, of the sort that infested the more mundane University in Altdorf. Third in this strange procession is a tanned, muscled burgher bearing the compass-and-square sigil of the Guild of Stonemasons and Architects upon his chest. Last of all is a bald, heavyset man in platemail, the warhammer in his hand announcing his profession as a Warrior Priest of Sigmar as loudly as the holy symbols festooning his armour.
As what you assume to be your new colleagues file in, the Greatswords file out, leaving two of their number behind to stand at attention on either side of the main doorway. The hall seems even darker and emptier with most of the crowd gone, but just as you registered that the flames in the hearth roared into life. The Elector Count straightened with a satisfied grunt, pouring the remains of the flask he had splashed onto the fire into his mouth. Attracted by the flames, the rest of you gather around him, the warmth of the fire banishing the damp of the room.
After a long silence broken only by the crackle of the flames, the Elector Count speaks.
"I am Abelhelm van Hal. For twenty years I have pursued the enemies of the Empire across its entire length, and the Emperor has seen fit to..." he hesitates for a barely noticeable second - "reward me with rule over Stirland. I consider it my primary duty to ensure that Stirland stands as a bulwark against the horrors contained within cursed Sylvania. You will all be the instruments of my will in bringing this to pass."
His eyes flicker across the group, before locking onto the academic.
"Professor de Verezzo. I want a full report on the combat readiness of Stirland's military, as well as their current postings and duties." Then his gaze turned to Anton. "Herr Kiesinger. I assume there are... ceremonies, for the crowning of an Elector Count. Celebrations, rituals. Arrange them. Make sure every landed noble that swears fealty to the Count of Stirland attends." He then looked to the only other woman present, and for the first time you saw something like a smile flit across his face. "Wilhelmina, I want a full accounting of the treasury, and for you to dig up the tax rolls and make sure nobody used the handover period to avoid paying what was due."
Then his eyes turn to you, and stay there, his expression blank. The others look between him and you as the silence stretches on, and then like it never occurred, he breaks it.
"Journeywoman Weber. Your task is to uncover and evaluate the intelligence infrastructure left behind by your predecessor. If it can be of use to you, seize it. If not, dismantle it."
You barely pay attention to the rest of the impromptu meeting, though you still catch the general gist of things. The Warrior-Priest, named Brother Kasmir, is told to locate and invite leaders of each of the approved Gods of the Empire to meet with him, one by one, and the architect - Herr Schultz - is to begin repairs on Eagle Castle. You're too busy trying to figure out how you'll go about this.
---
Anton guided you to a hideously dusty guest room above the main hall, with a bed half-consumed by mould, various pieces of furniture under sheets and a lovely view of a blank expanse of castle wall before shooting off to help one of the other 'guests'. You haven't seen accommodations this grim since you were a first-year apprentice. Still, you can't go far wrong with four walls and a sturdy door, and getting a fire going will help drive out the damp.
As the fire crackles to life, fed by the sheet that had been covering an almost serviceable desk, you sit down and take out the letter your Master gave you back in Altdorf.
To my former apprentice,
Letters will be sent to you; you will know them by their cipher. They will contain instructions; instructions unknown to and unsanctioned by the Grey Order. Should you fail to follow them, you will be declared rogue.
For what it's worth, I'm sorry.
Magister Regimand
Below the familiar handwriting is a cipher table, far more complicated than the typical substitution cipher. As you try to understand it, the letters and numbers seem to blur, and then they burst into agonizing brightness. By the time you're able to see again, the letter has been reduced to ashes, but every time you close your eyes the cipher table glows brightly on the inside of your eyelids.
Well, then.
---
You have six action points to spend for this turn; each turn lasts six months. An action point can be thought of as representing either a month of solid work or spending one day a week for six months on something, though please try to avoid thinking too hard about the abstraction. Tasks can be taken multiple times to dedicate more time and effort to it. Voting will be in plan format.
[ ] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
-[ ] The castle is currently abandoned, but the former staff can't have just vanished. See if you can find where they disappeared to, and ask what they know of your predecessor.
-[ ] The nobles of Stirland may have had contact with your predecessor, and it sounds like they'll all be coming here for the ceremony. See if you can find out what they know.
-[ ] Surely there would be records, or notes, or piles of intercepted letters, or some sort of trail of your predecessor somewhere in this castle. Possibly behind a secret door. You eye the wall sconces in your room suspiciously.
-[ ] Your predecessor would have been paid, right? And a budget would have been drawn for their activities? And the woman called Wilhelmina is going over the finances anyway...
-[ ] Anton said he's been on the council for three years. That means he must have known your predecessor. See if he's willing to talk about them.
-[ ] Other (write in)
[ ] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
-[ ] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad
-[ ] Surrounds: The peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
[ ] Money troubles: You're supposed to be paid, right? And shouldn't there be a budget for doing spymaster-y things? You should probably talk to someone about that.
[ ] Getting To Know You: Spend time with one of your fellow councillors, offering your help in their task and generally getting a feel for them (choose one)
[ ] Sucking Up To The Boss: Normally you'd just go about things and report in to the Elector Count when you've got something major to report. If you instead give him regular reports and updates, it may make him more willing to trust you, and allow you to better get to know him. Opening yourself up to oversight, criticism, and potential micromanagement is a heavy price to pay, though.
[ ] Letters Home: There's a lot of strangeness surrounding the appointment of yourself, your fellow counsellors, and your Count. See if anyone back home knows anything of what's going on.
[ ] Practice, Practice, Practice: Having been thrown into the deep end of imperial politics, it would probably be a good idea to brush up on your skills (choose one)
[ ] Combat Training: You're virtually surrounded by armed warriors of various sorts. See if you can convince one to teach you.
[ ] A Matter of Faith: Your personal shrine to Ranald is back in Altdorf. Construct a new one, so that He can better watch over you here.
[ ] Hang Out A Shingle: Spymasters don't advertise, but wizards sometimes do. Make an official announcement that there's a wizard in residence, and see who comes out of the woodwork.
[ ] Other (write in)
[ ] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
-[ ] Elsewhere in the castle, somewhere you can set up a permanent base of operations.
-[ ] In one of the guard towers along the walls of Wurtbad. You can't be much of a wizard without a tower.
-[ ] In a local tavern, so you can keep your fingers on the pulse of the town.
-[ ] In a piece of local real estate, so you can craft it to your specifications. The downside is it will be completely known and accessible to everyone.
-[ ] In a hidden place within Wurtbad, either under the ground or within the slums.
-[ ] In a town near Wurtbad - it will mean commuting to work, but you could work on building up a power base out of the way.
-[ ] In the wilderness near Wurtbad - it will be uncomfortable and probably dangerous, but at least it will be very, very secret.
-[ ] Other (write in)
[ ]Research:
-[ ] This is Stirland. Time to bone up on your knowledge of the Undead.
-[ ] You only really kept in practice with a handful of the petty and minor magics you were taught. Maybe you should brush up on the others.
-[ ] You checked under all the sheets in the room to make sure a mirror wasn't under any of them, and thankfully all the metal fixtures are dull enough to not provide a reflection. Maybe you left the damn Asp back in Altdorf, but better not take chances. Finally admit it's existence to your contacts back in the College and see if they know anything that can help.
-[ ] You're naturally talented at enchantment; so far, this just amounts to being able to make your desk meow for about an hour. See if you can improve on that, or at least figure out a way to make that useful.
-[ ] Other (write in)
Meanwhile in a parallell universe, user MoneyB wrote:
Uncertain Loyalties - an Advisors Quest
Vote closed. Stirland and Witch Hunter were clear winners.
Elector Count of Stirland. A great and powerful position, enviable in theory. But in practice, the previous dynasty of Haupt-Anderssen was cursed with terrible ill-fortune until they died out of seemingly natural causes, ill-fortune above and beyond even what one might expect of having to live next to Sylvania.
You are Abelhelm van Hel, Witch Hunter, (yes, those van Hels) recently returned to Stirland after rooting out a small army of Strigoi who had ensconced themselves under Talabheim. With the previous Count dead, you expected to have no official assignments for a while but a lot of work to do in fending off vampires who might attempt to take advantage of the province's turmoil.
You were half right. Against all odds, you've been named the new Elector Count. Perhaps you were the compromise candidate. Perhaps the Electors thought someone unrelated to the Haupt-Anderssen dynasty might change the province's fortunes. Or perhaps they, too, thought vampire hunting would be a priority task. But regardless of the reason, you've been thrust into a position of great responsibility, and you have neither the professional experience nor the hours in the day to handle it all yourself. You're going to need help. Start by appointing a Privy Council. Traditionally, one such consists of six trusted individuals.
You have some possible candidates presenting themselves for immediate appointment, or in some cases presented to you, but the downside is that you know little about them. (Mechanically, each candidate is generated with 4d6 drop lowest, then I subtract 1d6 to show you a lower bound for their stat. So if someone is listed with 9+, their true value is between 10 and 15. Also, only one trait is shown, regardless of how many the character has.)
You can delay appointing to certain positions in order to find more candidates and find out more about the candidates for that position, but that comes with the obvious drawback that you will have no one overseeing that field during the first turn. You will be able to fire and replace advisors later, but if you do this too frequently or without cause, they may begin to mistrust you.
Martial: The Marshal is in charge of military matters, second in command to the Elector Count themselves. It is a position of great power, but also one of danger and responsibility.
[ ] Professor Verezzo: an academic, duelist, and innovator. Quick, Martial 7+
[ ] Captain Riesz: a long-serving veteran of the Stirland army. Greedy, Martial 9+
[ ] Commander Stentz: a retired mercenary leader. Polyglot, Martial 9+
[ ] Delay Martial appointment
Diplomacy: The Chancellor is responsible for contact both within and without, handing relations with both foreign powers and the people of the province.
[ ] Anton II Kiesinger: Chancellor to the previous Count and younger son of a petty noble. Young, Diplomacy 8+
[ ] Journeywoman Kresge: an Imperial Pyromancer. Superstitious, Diplomacy 5+
[ ] Irma Honigsmann: a migrant from Ostermark, former titleholder there. Scholar, Diplomacy 8+
[ ] Delay Diplomacy appointment
Stewardship: The Steward is responsible for taxes, the economy, budgeting, construction and infrastructure.
[ ] Ulrike Stahl: an experienced and wealthy innkeeper. Lustful, Stewardship 10+
[ ] Frau Wilhelmina: a bounty hunter and excisewoman. Strong, Stewardship 9+
[ ] Journeyman Eichhorn: an Imperial Amber Shaman. Paranoid, Stewardship 7+
[ ] Delay Stewardship appointment
Intrigue: The Spymaster is the master of soft power in the realm, responsible for hiding the Elector Count's secrets and uncovering those of everyone else.
[ ] Journeywoman Weber: an Imperial Shadowmancer. Brave, Intrigue 9+
[ ] Mysterious Notes: You have found unsigned slips of paper in your room claiming to be from your spymaster, telling you where to leave instructions and responses. ???, Intrigue ???+
[ ] Abd al Hakim: a migrant from the far land of Araby. Eunuch, Intrigue 10+
[ ] Delay Intrigue appointment
Faith: Almost always filled by a priest or cleric, but sometimes by a neutral ambassador able to work with the heads of various local faiths.
[ ] Brother Kasmir: a Warrior-Priest of Sigmar. Cruel, Faith 10+
[ ] Brother Achenbach: a Priest of the Cult of Morr. Ascetic, Faith 8+
[ ] Griselda Hopfner: a devout and well-educated woman of peasant stock. Supernumerate, Faith 8+
[ ] Delay Faith appointment
Learning: The most nebulous of all the roles, this role is usually filled based on the Elector Count's desires and prejudices. The realm of madmen and geniuses, wizards and witch hunters, all seeking new ways to build and to destroy.
[ ] Herr Schultz: a member of the Guild of Stonemasons and Architects. Organized, Learning 11+
[ ] Frau Binger: an independent geographer and historian. Eidetic Memory, Learning 10+
[ ] Sir Hamburger: a veteran knight come out of retirement to offer service. Animal Kinship, Learning 7+
[ ] Delay Learning appointment
Hm. The martial options are mediocre, but we can cover for that. The diplomacy options are worse, which is probably going to suck as we selected Witch Hunter background and won't have much diplomacy ourselves. At least the other categories look pretty good - we can reasonably expect revealed values of 13-14.
Plan Wizard
appoint as many wizards as we can, appoint wizard-friendly people to the other positions, see about maybe getting our own college of magic set up later
[x] Professor Verezzo
[x] Journeywoman Kresge
[x] Journeyman Eichhorn
[x] Journeywoman Weber
[x] Griselda Hopfner
[x] Delay Learning appointment
Starting without advisors is going to suck hard under MoneyB's modified rules, the values shown are our best available estimate at the real values, and we can replace later if necessary. I say we just take the highest stats to start, traits for tiebreaker.
Plan Competence:
[x] Commander Stentz
[x] Irma Honigsmann
[x] Ulrike Stahl
[x] Journeywoman Weber
[x] Brother Kasmir
[x] Herr Schultz
I'm torn. Part of me says that Spymaster is the position where we absolutely need someone both competent and trustworthy so we don't get shanked, meaning we should delay to find out more. OTOH, Spymaster is probably also the position we need to fill the fastest because not having one will also get us shanked. Especially with those options. A mage, a foreigner, and someone who hasn't even shown themselves?
I suddenly feel a lot more sympathetic to nepotism looking at this post, surely our Count has got to have some kind of personal acquaintance or family member that has 10+ stat and is known to be trustworthy. I mean, Diplomacy has bad numbers, but it's Stewardship that really concerns me. Choice between "your advisor has affairs", "your advisor is a thug" and "your advisor is a paranoid wizard"? Or can't we hire, well, some generic boring clerk who's just good at numbers?
It's Stirland, dude. The generic boring competent people have gone elsewhere. To quote the OP: "incompetence is expected and competence will be considered greatness"
I have not been looking at the QM's notes, at least not in this dimension. All traits and values are figments of my imagination. Except for our own Brave, naturally.
First things first; the next morning, you seek out Wilhelmina and ask about finances. With the help of a couple of Greatswords stripped of their armour she's moving crates and chests from the back of a wagon into the depths of the castle, and when you interrupt her and tell her what you're after, the long, piercing look she gives you makes you quite uncomfortable. But then she goes back to the wagon, rummages around, and then throws a bag with the unmistakable clink of coin to you, slightly harder than necessary but not so much that you have trouble catching it.
"That should tide you over until we can get payroll sorted out," she says. "Talk to me later, and we'll draw up a budget."
Over the next few months, you spend a fair bit of time with the woman, but she never quite defrosts with you. It doesn't appear to be a matter of bias against wizards, she doesn't have that blend of hatred and fear; it just seems she's pigeonholed you in her mind, and not in a good place. However, she doesn't let her personal feelings get in the way of her responsibilities, and you manage to convince her that you do have a legitimate need for funds for discretionary spending.
While you are having these discussions, you remember your decision to check with her about the budget of your predecessor, and when asked about it she hesitates and confesses that she's yet to find the records. That shocks you; you know for a fact that the records for an entire province would take up at least an entire room, having seen the Grey College's own archives. She seems surprised at this, apparently having been looking for a single ledger or similar.
You volunteer to help her out and she agrees, and the two of you spend a great deal of time scouring the castle, finding empty room after empty room but no record of the archives, and over time her attitude towards you thaws. As you get to know her, she tells you that she's known the new Elector Count since he was barely more than a boy, and has been the paymaster for hiring, equipping, housing and feeding soldiers and mercenaries for his campaigns against the undead for fifteen years. As such, when he was granted the current position, she was his choice for his Steward.
Having repaired the relationship you inadvertently damaged with the woman so close to your new liege, you would consider all the effort you spent poking around well-spent. Then one day, on a hunch, you were poking around the rooms nearest to the treasury (attracting a number of suspicious stares from the Greatswords guarding it) when you notice, under the ever-present scent of stale air and dampness, the familiar scent of papyrus - very faint, but not quite faded.
Looking closer at the empty room, you find slight impressions in the stone where heavy shelves stood for what may have been centuries, and the scratch-marks from when they were finally dragged away. And finally, in an overlooked crevice, you pull fistful after fistful of crumpled paper where a mouse once made a nest. Numbers and names are barely visible, but they're definitely records of taxes flowing in, and the date attached to it is centuries old. Stirland's archives were definitely here, and when you inform Wilhelmina of your discovery, the two of you agree that there's no innocent explanation for why they were here no longer. She thanks you for your help, sincerely and warmly.
Rolls:
[ASKING FOR PERSONAL PAY: Req 40, Diplomacy, 32+9=41. Slight relation hit with Wilhelmina, +50 personal gold/turn.]
[ASKING FOR OPERATIONAL BUDGET: Req 40, Stewardship, 25+10=35. Wilhelmina requires convincing.]
[BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS: Req 50, Stewardship, 52+10=62. Wilhelmina agrees with your requirements, +200 discretionary gold this turn only. Further gold will require further negotiations.]
[TRACKING DOWN THE PAYROLL: Req 60, Intrigue, 92+12=104. There was none to be found, but you uncovered evidence that it was deliberately taken, endearing yourself to Wilhelmina and to Van Hal.]
---
With the payroll for your predecessor out of reach, you set your sights on the more mundane staff. You ask your newfound friend, who is refilling the castle with maids and servants when not occupied with panicking about the disappearance of Stirland's entire tax code, that you want to speak to anyone who previously worked at the castle. Next thing you know, the town crier's announcement that the castle was hiring was also saying that previous experience would be highly regarded. And a trickle of previous workers enters your office over the months as the castle's staff increases.
The first, at catching sight of someone in the robes and hat of a wizard, ran right out screaming. Okay, then.
Thankfully, the second is made of sterner stuff, though the former scullery maid doesn't know much. All she knows is that the former spymaster was wealthy, though not a noble. You have a word with Wilhelmina, and the kitchen staff is increased by one.
After that, it goes easier, as Wilhelmina explains during interviews it's just a part of the vetting process and assures them that the scary mage will just ask a few harmless questions and if they go along with it everything will be okay. The rest of them go smoothly, and you collect enough scraps of information to start putting a picture together. An image forms of a trader with a stranglehold on the road from Talabecland to Averland, using his position to push out competitors and being allowed to do so because it increased his ability to accumulate information. Wurtbad, Tarshof, Potting, Worden, Vigaun, every town and village along the Old Dwarf Road was dominated by his influence.
But as you piece it all together, you notice a discordant note in the symphony. Everyone you spoke to gave you overlapping information so nobody was just making it up, but there are contradictions that throw off your attempts to get a glimpse of what's going on. And the contradictions are too perfectly misleading, and they all come from the same source.
A word in the ear of the nearest Greatsword later, and the stablehand that fed you misinformation is tossed into a cell in Eagle Castle's dungeons.
[WERE PREVIOUS WORKERS TEMPTED?: Req 50, Wilhelmina's Stewardship, 51+15=66. Several were found.]
[FIRST WORKER: Req 30, Diplomacy, 5+9=14. Oh dear.]
[SECOND WORKER: Req 40, Diplomacy, 47+9=56. She's happy to answer a few questions if you can help her get her job back.]
[HOW MUCH DOES SHE KNOW?: Roll, 25. Not much.]
[THIRD WORKER: Req 30, Diplomacy, 80+9=89. Word gets out that you're not going to turn people into toads.]
[HOW MUCH DO THE REST OF THEM KNOW?: Rolls, 64, 44, 6, 34.]
[DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIRD GUY: Req 60, Intrigue, 99+12=111. No. No you do not.]
---
Third priority: the search. Apart from your predecessor's notes, there's now also the archives to find. That would take a really big secret room, but a number of badly-printed books that circulated among the apprentices of the Colleges of Magic lead you to believe that castles like this are utterly riddled with secret rooms, passages, and devices, as well as describing in detail various torrid activities that may go on in them.
After thinking back on what tended to happen to plucky young female protagonists that went searching for secret passages in dark castles, you decide to wait for a day when Ulgu was strong, just in case. And to bring a few extra knives. Finally, on a day when the mists rolling through the streets were matched by the storm flashing overhead and grey magic was so thick in the air you could taste it, you went roaming through the castle, twisting every wall sconce and pushing every protruding brick.
Things get to a poor start when an overly enthusiastic twist leads to a wall sconce breaking off in your hand, scattering burning candle wax over the flagstones. You blow out the candle and place it gently on the floor, hoping whoever finds it thinks it fell on its own. Your prodding of suspicious-looking bricks doesn't break anything, but it doesn't get results either.
After several more days of fruitless searching, you're almost convinced that this castle is free of secrets when you notice that the doors for the servants' quarters you're currently haunting are placed in regular intervals, except for in one spot, where the place a door should be is occupied by an incongruous wall hanging. You triumphantly tear it down and find a door boarded up with rusty nails, and without even a moment's hesitation you begin levering out the nails with your knife and pulling the wooden planks free. You've finally found a secret of Eagle Castle!
And just as the last plank is pulled free, a secret of Eagle Castle finds you.
The door bursts open and a hideously gaunt figure staggers towards you, folds of skin dangling from an emaciated form and cracked teeth revealed by a rattling moan. Shock holds you in place for only half a second before you're backpedalling out of the grasp of the creature. You swipe wildly with the knife, cutting nothing but air, but your other reflex is more successful - the candles on the wall flicker and the shadows lengthen, and then they throw themselves forward and wrap around your frame. In the familiar embrace of Ulgu, you are safe.
So you stand your ground, allowing the creature to approach, and as cracked nails scrabble for purchase against the shadows covering you, you stab it in the face.
Well, then. That never happened in the books you read.
The room beyond seems no different to any other servant's rooms, except for the bloody scratchmarks on every wall. You fetch a couple of Greatswords and get them to haul the hopefully dead creature into the cell next to the former stablehand.
[WALL SCONCES: Req ??, Intrigue, 28+12=40. It was like that when I got here.]
[PROTRUDING BRICKS: Req ??, Intrigue, 62+12=74. Could adventure novels have lied to me?]
[ANYTHING ELSE?: Req ??, ??, 3+??= oh dear.]
[APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF CAUTION: Higher is better, Intrigue, 3+12=15. No caution shown. Seriously, you should stop reading adventure novels.]
[ROLL TO NOT GET EATEN: Req 40, Martial, 58+7=65. You succeed at not getting eaten.]
[ROLL TO MAKE HIM EAT STEEL: Req 40, Martial, 15+7=22. Nothing's getting eaten.]
[ROLL FOR MAGICAL REFLEXES: Req 60, Roll, 80. Aetheryical armour activate.]
[NOW IT'S JUST UNFAIR: Req 30, Martial, 64+7=71. Combat concluded.]
---
Better clean the... whatever that was... off you, because it's time for the ceremony. Thankfully your normal grey robes count as formal dress, because otherwise you wouldn't have a thing to wear.
The castle buzzes with activities as guests arrive and are shown to newly-cleaned rooms, the now-familiar smell of damp overlaid with woodsmoke and perfume. The nobility of Stirland are apparently quite keen to have a look at their new Lord. According to what you know of Stirland's political borders, there should only be less than twenty guests. You count them off on your fingers and toes - three Barons, six Counts (only human Counts count), two Countesses, one Grand Mayor, one Lord Mayor, one regular Mayor but he's the Mayor of Wurtbad so he gets an invite, two High Priests, and one Knight Commander. So why there's at least a hundred overdressed nobles filling the great hall and spilling into the courtyard, you have no idea. Still, you have a job to do, so you dive into the fray.
You're quickly lost in a sea of faces you don't recognize, but you soon spot Anton talking animatedly to someone that looks like him plus thirty years, so you head over and are introduced to Baron Anton Kiesinger I. You're introduced as 'a friend from work', which you're pretty sure isn't one of your official titles, but okay. Anton Senior quickly takes to you, and is perfectly willing to tell you what he knows, which is little.
"Old Whatshisface, he was all about the north-south road. To get to the west he wouldn't just have to get through me, he'd have to get through the shitfight of a situation with the Countess of Flensburg and the Grand Mayor of Flensburg, so he never bothered. Everything west of Sonningwiese could have been annexed by the Moot and he wouldn't have cared."
You listen politely to a series of further comments about the Flensburg Problem, taking mental notes in case it becomes your problem in the future, then Anton Senior spots a young woman he's apparently quite keen on getting Anton Junior married to and they hurry off. Having been seen talking to Someone Important, however, you're barely given a chance to look around before you're swept up into a conversational circle of various courtiers and hangers on, eager to bask in your reflected importance. You wait for a lull in the conversation and ask if anyone knows anyone who would know of your predecessor, and eager to look important, one of them introduces you to their liege, who turns out to be the Count of Schramleben. In this manner you bounce from noble to noble, collecting fragments of information and at one point being cornered by a drunken noble blabbering about his collection of Elven art (of elves, rather than by elves, you gather), until you finally strike a goldmine.
Count Artur von Treitschke of Franzen has a great deal to say about the man he identifies as Wilhelm von Tarshof, after you finally get him to understand the question and bring him another cup of wine. "Franzen, you see, is located on the branch between the River Aver and the River Lammer," he says, full of self-importance and slightly slurring, "and Baron Helmuth of Purgg and I worked together to facilitate north-south trade in competition with the so-called 'Stirlandian League' of von Tarshof. Oh, he never acknowledged any connection with them, but he's not the only one that can pay people to follow other people. So we worked around him. Goods would go up the River Lammer to Ohlsdorf, along the road to Purgg, then down the River Teichd and just like that, they're in Talabecland. A little excise for me, a little excise for him, and none for von Tarshof, who was taking a slice out of trade at every town and village along the Old Dwarf Road, unless you were in his League." The Count takes a drink of his wine. "Then Helmuth had an accident, or so it was said. He fell down some stairs, which may or may not have been related to the fourteen stab wounds in his back. Possibly contagious, since all three of his heirs caught the same thing. And just like that the Barony reverts to the Elector Count." He pauses to collect his thoughts, then peers at you suspiciously. "Who are you, anyway? One of Krebs' daughters?"
You make your excuses and melt back into the crowd, your mind buzzing.
You were too busy networking to pay much attention, but everyone agreed afterwards it had been a lovely ceremony, and that Anton had outdone himself.
[HOW MANY VIPs DO YOU FIND: Roll, 57. Five VIPs.]
[FIRST GUEST: Roll, 30.]
[SECOND GUEST: Roll, 97.]
[THIRD GUEST: Roll, 56.]
[FOURTH GUEST: Roll, 4.]
[IGNORANCE OR HOSTILITY: 72+9=81. They're just harmlessly drunk.]
[FIFTH GUEST: Roll, 69.]
---
Throughout the month, you penned several letters and sent them back to Altdorf, trying to get a read on the political situation that led to your current occupation. Your first is to your Master, a straightforward letter of mindbogglingly dull and stilted descriptions of entirely normal days that, when decrypted, is a pointed request for information; if not about matters of which he cannot speak, then in general. The second set of letters is to some former classmates of yours; you try to keep the gloating that they're still Apprentices and you're a Spymaster for an entire province out of the letter, but the complete lack of response suggests you may have failed. The third is not to any specific person, but to the Grey College as a whole; you send in a formal request for information as a member of the Grey College serving the Empire, and wait for it to be processed and responded to.
When your Master writes back, you're in awe at the masterpiece of encryption before you. A handful of entirely natural-sounding paragraphs telling you of goings-on in the College and asking after your health and how your new position is going, as well as gently reminding you to continue your studies. For a while you think he's just sent you a normal response to chide you for trying to guilt him, but then you finally work out the key and the paragraphs decrypt into information more precious than gold.
Wilhelmina Hochschild is the only Councillor that Van Hal actually chose. Everyone else was thrust upon him, as you were. Brother Kasmir Heinz was hand-picked by the Grand Theogonist for loyalty to the Cult of Sigmar over any secular authority. Detlef Schultz was the concession that bought Talabecland's vote for Van Hal, though his qualifications are solid. And Professor Lucrezio de Verezzo was a head scholar of military history from the University of Altdorf, until proof of embezzlement on a massive scale from the University was found. He had been failing half his students, retroactively removing them from the University's ledgers, then pocketing the money that had been paid to the University for their education. But the entire issue was hushed up, and he had been placed firmly under the thumb of the Emperor's spymaster and sent to Stirland.
The information from the College itself is nowhere near as earthshattering. It is simply an accounting of Van Hal's career, culminating in the extermination of a small army of Strigoi vampires under Talabheim. Interestingly, the minutiae of his career reveals that he's hired wizards on dozens of occasions to assist with his endless war against the Undead, and that he's never really lived up to the name of 'Witch Hunter' - though he definitely showed no hesitation to put the torch to the necromancers he encountered. The letter also reveals that Van Hal was the first choice of the three Cult of Sigmar votes, the Emperor, Wissenland, the Moot, and Averland, and the vote was finished when Talabecland was won over.
[LETTER TO MASTER: Req 40, Learning, 95+13: Guilt Trip Deployed.]
[LETTER TO CLASSMATES: Req 50, Diplomacy 15+9: Well, what could they possibly know, anyway? They're still Apprentices.]
[LETTER TO THE COLLEGE: Req 60 Intrigue 60+12: The wheels turn, and spit out information.]
Finally, one evening you return to your room to find a letter lodged into the doorjamb. You open it, hoping for more correspondence from Altdorf, and instead find a page of gibberish. Oddly familiar gibberish. Then you sigh, close your eyes, and consult the cipher table that still glows on the inside of your eyelids whenever you think about it.
Prepare a report on the abilities and relationships of Stirland's diplomat. Encode it using the cipher you have been given. A rider will arrive at the castle in three months time; give them the report.
---
At the end of six months, the Council is called to report in on their process. Van Hal is still dressed in his Witch Hunter's gear, though the Runefang on his hip emits all the authority he needs.
Professor de Verezzo is first, explaining in a lecturer's drone how the military of Stirland is vastly under-strength, and many of its soldiers exist only on paper and the salary that they are supposedly drawing was being channeled... somewhere. He has sketched out a number of plans for recruiting to bring Stirland's actual strength back up to its theoretical one, each expensive and time-consuming.
MILITARY OF STIRLAND: Poor. Only 25,000 men of the 40,000 on the books actually exist.
Anton is next, and basks in a rare word of praise from Van Hal. As you know, the ceremonies went off without a hitch, and Van Hal managed to negotiate the social maze of the upper classes without any significant troubles. The general impression of him is that he's going to be occupied entirely with Sylvania and will keep his nose out of whatever mischief the nobility decides to distract themselves with.
NOBLE RELATIONS: Good. The nobility think Van Hal is going to leave them be.
Wilhelmina's examination into the tax rolls hit a massive snag right at the start, in that none could be found. The centuries of accumulated ledgers, contracts and documents that tracked who owed what were completely absent, and she credits you with discovering that they had been taken away deliberately. Wilhelmina had, however, put on a surprisingly lovely gown and mingled with the nobility present at the ceremony, and convinced most of them to send their own copies of the taxation ledgers, making them think she was investigating the possibility of the former Elector Count skimming taxes owed to the Empire rather than a desperate attempt to rebuild Stirland's tax code. She also reports that the treasury is full enough to keep the state running, but the next few years are going to be lean.
WEALTH OF STIRLAND: Poor.
INCOME OF STIRLAND: Poor; will fall to Terrible if the nobles realize that they could just not pay taxes and get away with it.
Brother Kasmir reports on his efforts to liaise with the religious authorities in Stirland, almost entirely Sigmarites and Morrites. The Sigmarites report no major problems, but they seem to have developed a habit of ignoring the temporal power of Stirland's Elector Count due to unnamed issues with the previous holders of the office. It is only the fact that Van Hal has such a strong record of service to Sigmar that makes them willing to give him a chance.
The Morrites, it seems, have entered a renaissance, with record numbers of initiates to the priesthood and regular services being held in major towns. In Stirland, Morr is no longer invoked only in funerals; he is seen as a constant guardian against the assaults of the Undead. However, they, too, are standoffish towards the Elector Count, though they are willing to be won over, especially if he fulfils his stated goals of protecting against the Sylvanian taint.
SIGMARITE INFLUENCE: Good
SIGMARITE RELATIONS: Average
MORRITE INFLUENCE: Great
MORRITE RELATIONS: Average
Herr Schultz reports the castle's condition is fixable, but it will take some time to do so; it seems few townsmen are willing to work in the castle, and workers had to be brought in from surrounding villages, where news of whatever has spooked the locals had not spread. He also reports that the Greatswords have made themselves at home in the castle's barracks, but they represent the only defences of the castle - the cannon are long gone and the armoury has been emptied. On the bright side, none of these problems make the castle any less defensible - the outer walls are still solid and the gate mechanisms are working perfectly.
He brings up the sealed east wing, and is immediately told to disregard it. Hmm.
EAGLE CASTLE CONDITION: Poor; repairs ongoing.
Finally, it is your turn to report.
You can write in a report here, allowing you to either make yourself look good, underplay the importance of something that went wrong, curry favour with someone else present, or to massage the facts to fit an agenda of yours. Otherwise, you will be judged on results alone. How horrible. Please try to keep it punchy - your Elector Count is a man of action.
[] Write In
Suggest courses of action for the next six months; the Elector Count is likely to choose one of them. You can use this to your advantage. One possibility is to suggest things that align with your personal goals, another is to suggest things you can do easily and have plenty of time left over to spend elsewhere. However, if there's a pressing concern the Elector Count has that is not covered by what you put forward, he may 'write in' your orders, and cause a relationship hit due to losing respect for your abilities. Votes for this will be in plan format - the more options you give the Elector Count, the greater chance he'll pick one, but the less you can steer his instructions.
[] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it must be destroyed.
[] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
[] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, he must be found.
[] There is a risk of enemy agents infiltrating the castle staff - they must be watched.
[] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
[] There was an incident with a... something. You killed it, but there may be more. The castle should be searched from top to bottom.
[] A dozen centuries of tax ledgers and records don't just vanish. They need to be found.
[] Seriously what is up with the East Wing.
[] If I had proper facilities, I could do better work. Please fund me moving out of my terrible, musty guest room.
[] I need a proper information network. Please fund me wandering around making friends.
[] Other (write in)
Shadow Turn.
Meanwhile in a parallell universe, user MoneyB wrote:
Uncertain Loyalties - an Advisors Quest
I hope you guys enjoy the Mage-Tolerant Witch Hunter Indiana MacGyver-Jones you've spent so many shinies on, because I'm calling in your debts, with the critglitches starting right now.
Martial:
[x] Commander Stentz
Stentz is a man of both military and social skills, and his experience in a mercenary company suggests that he's more than just a time-server like some regulars. His
--IMPERIAL INTERRUPT--
[X] Professor Verezzo will be your new marshal, by Imperial arrangement.
Professor Verezzo may not be fired for 5 years (10 turns).
Diplomacy:
[x] Anton II Kiesinger
You've settled on continuity of office for the chancellor, both for information and to keep the local nobles happy. (Diplomacy 12 revealed, traits on index page.)
Stewardship:
[x] Frau Wilhelmina
Happily, it turns out Wilhelmina has managed logistics for Witch Hunters before! She's reasonably skilled at both supply and strategy, as well as favorably inclined to you by default. (Stewardship 11, Martial 14 revealed, traits on index page.)
Intrigue:
[x] Delay Intrigue appointment
Between a mage, a foreigner, and a set of mysterious notes, you've firmly resolved to get some more sensible candidates in. It can't be too urgent, you are a professional Witch Hunter after all. You have significant experience with gribblies trying to shank you in your sleep, you can handle a few months more while you actually read up on
--MYSTERIOUS INTERRUPT--
[X] Journeywoman Weber will be your new spymaster. You don't know who's arranged this, but there's a very short list of suspects that can arrange for wizards to be sent about like this.
Journeywoman Weber may not be fired for 5 years (10 turns).
Faith:
[x] Brother Kasmir
A hard man, a devout man, Kasmir seems like just what you need to be your strong right hand in your efforts pacifying Sylvania and getting the other priests in line behind you for this endeavor.
--THEOGONIST INTER...rupt?
Oh. You picked the candidate they were going to assign to you anyway. Here I was expecting you to pick the Morrite. Anyway, the Grand Theogonist set this as a condition to support you as Elector Count. (Faith 16 revealed, traits on index page.)
Brother Kasmir may not be fired for 5 years (10 turns).
Learning:
[x] Delay Learning appointment
The presented candidates were insatisfactory for various reasons. You've decided to look for someone more suitably unique matching your ambitions
--TALABECLAND INTERRUPT--
[X] Herr Schultz will be your new loremaster, arranged by Talabecland in exchange for supporting you as Elector Count.
Herr Schultz may not be fired for 5 years (10 turns).
ahahaha enjoy starting your turn with half your advisors still unknown and four of them placed here by political horsetrading
that counts as one critglitch's worth of paying off your debt of shinies
You called nothing. The thread title is literally "uncertain loyalties", you don't get credit for saying several of the candidates are here at the behest of outside backers.
Our Steward has Martial 14, while our Marshal is somewhere in the 8 to 13 range? Great. Just great. We're going to have council infighting and position envy all day here.
Hey, look on the bright side. Of the ones we did get to pick, we managed to not pick the Lustful Steward. So at least we won't have love triangles and relationship drama on top of a mostly-disloyal, irremovable council.
I don't mind the result itself here, but I would like to complain about the mechanical implementation. MoneyB, next time you do something like this, do you think you could state up front that the critglitch is going to annul four of our votes and just ask us for the other two? Because it seems like quite a bit of wasted effort discussing and planning what to do on four positions where we didn't really have a choice.
QM, I don't think you answered my question last update. Is "Young" a negative trait with stat penalties that wear off as Anton gets more experience? Or is it more of a social descriptor that other people will treat him with less respect?
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.
