Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

[Dark as Silver]

The Schisms of the Karaz Ankor: A Speculative History by L.M. Mathilde Weber (Grey), with a Foreword by L.M.(E). Cython (Karag Zilfin)

Contents:

Foreword, by L.M.(E). Cython (Karag Zilfin)

Chapter 1: Against the Coming of Chaos
In which Grungni, Grimnir and Valaya lead an expedition north from the lost city of Karak Zorn against the hordes of demonkind and found the Everlasting Realm

Chapter 2: The Frozen North
In which the Norse Dwarves depart from their kin to carve a new kingdom in Norsca, now lost to much grief and sorrow

Chapter 3: Across the Desolate Plain
In which the Fire Dwarves brave the blasted wastes of the east, only to find shelter in the shadow of evil

Chapter 4: The Elfriends
In which Karaz Ghumzul turns their back on their kin, and condemns a throng to an unknown fate during the War of the Beard

Chapter 5: The Runemasters of Dum
In which Thungni's descendants ignore warnings from the north, driving the Dwarves of Dum to desperation and worse

Chapter 6: The Sundered Anvil
In which Thungni's descendants shatter like glass under their own failings, and are superseded by newer, bolder traditions from Karaks Vlag, Azul and Eight Peaks

---

Mathilde's paper on Dum was controversial, but could it have been even more controversial?

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Spoiler: That's a Grudgin'

 

[Codex]

No, it would be possible, but any 'normal' soul would need magical help in sticking around and resettling into its body, and every step of that would absolutely count as necromancy. Plenty of souls do stick around, but they usually drift or wander and become twisted in various ways by the experience, when they aren't preyed upon by older, nastier souls or other spectral gribblies or necromancers.

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I was about to ask questions about the Animus Imprisoned, but then I realised I understood now why it's such a heavily regulated spell. There is absolutely no way Mathilde knows any details about it and what it does to the soul. That sounds like the kind of spell that definitely serves as a gateway to "technically I'm not being a necromancer".

 

[DragonParadox]

I was about to ask questions about the Animus Imprisoned, but then I realised I understood now why it's such a heavily regulated spell. There is absolutely no way Mathilde knows any details about it and what it does to the soul. That sounds like the kind of spell that definitely serves as a gateway to "technically I'm not being a necromancer".

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You would likely still need necromancy to tie the soul back into the body after all that time. That said I suspect Mathilde does know what mechanisms you would have to use to trap a soul like that even if she does not know the fully Shysh way of it. She has read the Liber Mortis.

 

[Codex]

You would likely still need necromancy to tie the soul back into the body after all that time. That said I suspect Mathilde does know what mechanisms you would have to use to trap a soul like that even if she does not know the fully Shysh way of it. She has read the Liber Mortis.

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The description of the Animus Imprisoned in Realms of Sorcery says that any Priest of Morr or Amethyst Magister who knows the rituals and has the object the soul is sealed in can restore the soul to the body. There is no time limit attached as long as the body is alive. The downside is that it causes insanity for obvious reasons, but there is no Lore of Nagash involved.

That being said I don't imagine the Amethyst Order would appreciate it being done to save the lives of people. They're probably all about letting go and letting them die rather than use the spell.

 

[Boney]

The description of the Animus Imprisoned in Realms of Sorcery says that any Priest of Morr or Amethyst Magister who knows the rituals and has the object the soul is sealed in can restore the soul to the body. There is no time limit attached as long as the body is alive. The downside is that it causes insanity for obvious reasons, but there is no Lore of Nagash involved.

That being said I don't imagine the Amethyst Order would appreciate it being done to save the lives of people. They're probably all about letting go and letting them die rather than use the spell.

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The normal application of the Animus Imprisoned doesn't actually involve death, just the separation of a still-living body from a not-yet-departed soul and then their reunion. With creative application of it and powerful healing spells it could be technically possible to raise the dead without actually using spells of Necromancy. But it is still, you know, raising the dead, and it's unlikely anyone would put down the torches and pitchforks long enough to hear the argument that it has to be from the Mortis Delta region of Nehekhara to be Necromancy and otherwise it's just a sparkling crime against nature.

 

[Codex]

Ah, I've spent a while being confused about it, but it turns out the death of Asavar Kul might have been intended to be a mystery or something, because man do I (not) love all the different stories about it:

"Kislev's defenders witnessed the cavalry attack and saw the dark forces begin to turn. The city gates opened and every last Man and Dwarf rushed out to crush their besiegers. Kul himself fell during the last assault, a jagged blade punched through the back of his neck. Some say the favour of the gods was withdrawn from him at a critical moment, others that he fell to a sword thrust from one of his own lieutenants." Pg 17 Warriors of Chaos 8th Edition Army Book

"Magnus' military genius would save the day. He launched a separate attack with his cavalry and pinned the Chaos armies between three forces, throwing them into confusion. On this assault, Magnus managed to slay Asavar Kul in single combat, crushing the will of the host. Slowly the horde disintegrated and the Mutants, Beastmen, and Warbands melted away, fleeing back the way they came." Pg 11 Tome of Corruption 2nd Edition RPG Book

In DL, Egrimm says this:

"I think it's a dangerous mindset. It might be true on a large enough timescale, but I doubt it comforted Praag that Asavar Kul was knifed by a lieutenant after the Battle at the Gates of Kislev. Personally, I wonder if might be as simple as self-interest. Hysh would stop existing if the world was swallowed by the Aethyr, after all."

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I believe the contradictory nature of his death might be actually intentional. The author of Tome of Corruption actually puts in the effort of making it look like the book was written by a patriot. Personally I'm of a mind to believe the "knifed from the back" story. I don't think there would be any confusion over Kul's death if he died to a one on one fight with Magnus, because that's the kind of stuff no one forgets, so most likely he died in such an anticlimactic moment that the soldiers started making up stories about Magnus having an epic duel that's the stuff of songs. Seems like the kind of thing that would happen.

 

[Omegahugger]

But it is still, you know, raising the dead, and it's unlikely anyone would put down the torches and pitchforks long enough to hear the argument that it has to be from the Mortis Delta region of Nehekhara to be Necromancy and otherwise it's just a sparkling crime against nature.

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And this is where we see that the Imperial prejudice against raising the dead is clearly illogical and not actually based on an assessment of the merits of Dhar-based wizardry, which is why it is our solemn duty to-*insert Omegahugger rant #37*

 

[The Phoenixian]

And this is where we see that the Imperial prejudice against raising the dead is clearly illogical and not actually based on an assessment of the merits of Dhar-based wizardry, which is why it is our solemn duty to-*insert Omegahugger rant #37*

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Okay, but I don't see an implorement to push forward towards finishing our first project in full, come hell or high water, in favor of of a hopefully better research work ethic of better has to do with the ethics of necromancy.

Oh wait, rant #37, not post #37

 

[Fission Battery]

[X] Egrimm, to try to sound out more information about the Alric situation.
[X] Thorek Ironbrow, to witness the arrival of the first Dwarf in Tor Lithanel for over four thousand years.
[X] Belegar, to discuss who has been made Loremaster after you.
[X] Qrech, who is putting the finishing touches on his tome on the Chaos Dwarves.
[X] Roswita, to get a sense for who will control Sylvania after you turned down the position.

 

[Andres]

[X] Vicarius Galenstra, to get to know him and his Ward.
[X] The Karak Azul Architects, to get involved in the design of your Library in detail.

 

[Mopman43]

Beastmen only have one genuinely major event in their history. Gorthor's Beastherd. Aside from that it's all the same thing, and page after page of the book is basically reinforcing how horrible the Beastmen are and how wretched their society is. It's just not a pleasant book. At least the Skaven book was entertaining.

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For what it's worth, you might like 6th edition Beastmen slightly more?

It's my understanding that it generally presents them as more of a society than 7th edition.

 

[Codex]

World Events:

Ok, so this post is going to be a long one. I decided to compile a significant collection of the "goings on/conflict areas" and stuff that occured from the start of the quest to now, but not the ones that we're all familiar with. I'm sure everyone here knows most of the details about Marienburg, Sylvania, Karak Eight Peaks and Laurelorn, so I'm compiling stuff that could more easily be forgotten:

Spoiler: Old

You even have a rare chance to talk to Anton as he returns from Zhufbar; they're apparently quite pleased, in their understated Dwarvish way, that the manlings are taking action against the blasted dead, but they're too engaged in battle with some sort of beastmen in their lower hold and the greenskins in their immediate surrounds to sally forth in the immediate future.

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"So!" states the apparent leader of the dwarves, who when viewed from the front appeared to be made entirely of neatly-braided, fiery-red beard. "You're the manling out to try his luck against the bloodsuckers!" Van Hal smiles and glances pointedly down at the skull he's scraping the last traces of flesh off, and the dwarf chuckles. "Point well made. Our rangers are of the opinion that the grobi that besieged Zhufbar sought shelter in that pathetic excuse for a fortress, only to be eaten by the lot you were chasing. Not the best end to the tale, but the extinction of the Crooked Eye tribe will settle a fair few Grudges, I dare say."

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First, Zhufbar. They were besieged by Skaven and Crooked Eye Greenskins at the same time during the Purge of the Haunted Hills, and I think the Third Skaven Civil War was either happening at this time or it had recently ended not sure. The Skaven were driven back, and the Greenskins of the "Crooked Eye" went extinct according to Thane Thori Stoneheart. They participated in the Siege of Drakenhof. They were then given a ton of good quality Niter from Stirland that resulted in the expansion of the ranks of their Thunderers, and they're currently working with Barak Varr and the EIC to make a canal connecting the Black Water to the Aver Reach and are as such busy clearing out the Black Water and surrounding area of gribblies.

Averland's occupied with the remnants of a Waagh that swept in from the mountains a couple of years back. Ostermark, as you know, is occupied with the forests around Mordheim. There's tensions between Middenland and Nordland over some stretch of unoccupied forest or another. Ostland is busy dealing with beastmen spilling over the border from Kislev. There's an Elector's Meet in 2477, some dwarves are trying to take back some hold in the middle of the Badlands and have asked the Empire for aid.

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This is a summary of a bunch of stuff from very early on by Boney. Most of these are mentioned again later, but Averland clearing out the remnants of a Waaagh happened around the Purge of Haunted Hills which is why they didn't participate. I believe they're done by now. The Ostlanders suffer from Beastmen pouring from over the border, Ostermark are clearing out the Dead Woods for their canal project.

"I was with the forces of Ostermark as they marched on the Dead Wood," she says breathlessly, apparently awestruck. "We truly did plan to strike into Sylvania, but the horrors of that place! Mordheim was supposed to be long dead, but it was a battleground between Beastmen and Vampires and swarmed with the dead and with chaos alike. By the time it was pacified and every last building was pulled down, Stirland's campaign was over and the Drakenhofs had fallen."

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Pan describes the Mordheim campaign in the Dead Woods as a war between Beastmen and Vampires. I'm not sure if the Beastmen came from Kislev, were inhabitants of these woods, or if they were part of the Beastherd that will be mentioned later. The Vampires here are unknown.

"Ah, Nordland," she says with a sigh. "We'd not have been open to new friends and found our new God if they had stuck to their accord, so perhaps in a roundabout way we should thank them. With humans encroaching along the Salz and the Demst, our Laurelorn was getting uncomfortably crowded, and the Beastmen smelled opportunity. We couldn't encircle the Warherd without endangering too many of our people, so we had to settle for evicting them into what you call the Schadensumpf - which is quite a suitable name for it, by the way - when that lovely Boris, who was on his way home with his army after stamping out a warherd near Bokel, swept in from the south and between our two forces we quite thoroughly fertilized the marsh. Things developed from there."

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This is Cadaeth's description of the Middenland/Laurelorn alliance against the Beastherds. This will be relevant later as it is possibly referenced several times, as I don't think they eliminated all of them. Reminder that this happened around 2475 IC or something like that, so quite a while ago.

Your questions are derailed when you notice the neatly-bound beard you've always known has disappeared, and instead faint wisps of smoke emanate constantly from his shockingly bare chin and cheeks. Amid grumbling at himself, he tells of his pursuit through the Middle Mountains of a Tzaangor Beastlord that had survived the extermination of their Warherd, but in a magical battle that had stretched from Hovelhof to Mierach, he had finally won by feinting with a deliberately malformed spell and then striking as the Tzaangor leapt on the opportunity. The result, it seems, was... that.

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Here we get a hint of a "Tzaangor Beastlord who survived the destruction of his warherd". This beastlord might have been the beastlord of the herd that attacked Laurelorn and escaped into the Forest of Shadows, as it is later said that there were "remnants" of a beastherd in Ostland that Asarnil stomped on his way through.

Also, I should mention that Hovelhof is in the western edges of the Middle Mountains in Hochland, and Mierach is significantly farther to the east all the way in Ostland. It's kind of ridiculous how wide spanning this duel was.

"Kohler by name or occupation?" you ask curiously. Charcoal burners tend to be hardy and careful sorts, as a proper burn takes at least a week, during which the fire must be closely watched.

"Formerly both, in the Nattern Forest. Beastmen attacked, and I discovered I could put fire to a different use."

"A fellow Stirlander. Northern or Southern Nattern?"

"Northern, a ways west of Klam."

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Assuming her apprenticeship took the average time of 10 years or so and she hasn't been a journeywoman for long, she might have been attacked by Beastmen soon after the destruction of the Warherd in Laurelorn. It's possible that the beastmen scattered all over the Empire after their defeat.

"I'm glad. Thank you." You look at Solmann thoughtfully. "What did you do for your journeying?"

"I fought alongside the Drakwald Patrols in Hochland, mostly minor skirmishes with Forest Goblins and Beastmen. Waaagh and Peace was a great help in the last year of my Journeying, by the way. I also assisted with the administration of the College of Sorcery in Hergig."

"Oh? My former Master was up there a few years back, pursuing a Tzaangor through the Middle Mountains."

"Would this be Magister Regimand?" You nod. "I met him a time or two. Never got to fight alongside him personally, but the information he left us when he was done kept us busy for a year."

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Here Solmann mentions fighting beastmen and forest goblins in Hochland and meeting Regimand during his duties after pursuing the Beastlord. Again, another remnant of the Beastherd might have sought the forests of Hochland.

The Empress barely thinks for a moment. "Estalia's just being silly, there's no way they're going to be able to drag Tilea or Bretonnia into the fight between Skeggi and Swamp Town. Bretonnia are sabre-rattling at Athel Loren, so they won't be causing trouble in our direction. But honestly dear, between Drachenfels and Ostland I don't see a third front being viable."

"I was afraid you'd say that. Could Averland-" The Empress snorts indelicately. "Point. Talabecland?"

"They're busy trying desperately to convince Karak Kadrin not to declare a Grudge against them. I did tell you that they'd try to pull the rug out from under Ostermark. And Ostermark would back the Slayer Keep, so they're out too."

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Here we learn about a few things. First, Estalia was/is involved in some fight between the New World colonies, specifically against the Norscan Skeggi, and they're trying to get Bretonnia and Tilea involved. Bretonnia were sabre rattling at Athel Loren for one reason or another. We knew that Drachenfels was recently awoken and the Reikland military mobilised. There's of course the trade conflict between Talabecland and Ostermark over the canal. Ostland keeps getting screwed over.

"Santa Magritta and Nuevo Luccini nearby, as well as the ruins of Cadavo and Dalmark Town. There's rumours Bretonnia is interested in founding a colony as well, and there's an outpost of the Sea Elves nearby up the coast called Arnheim. Patrols from there regularly do their best to suppress piracy in the region."

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Here the Chancellor of the Imperial Treasury is saying that there are rumors Bretonnia is interested in founding a colony in the New World. Perhaps Estalia really did manage to get Bretonnia involved in the "fight between Skeggi and Swamp Town".

"You know Reicthard." The dragon snorts, and dives back down into the tunnel it had emerged from. "Good day's work, this," he says to you, spinning the projection as he considers it from multiple angles. "Ubersreik isn't as strategically important as Helmgart, but an enormous amount of trade goes through Grey Lady Pass and on up the Teufel. They build down, properly seal it off, and they can treble granary space and build a proper cistern and still have enough room left over that they can build residential down there and properly ban people from building outside the walls, and it can ride out the usual trouble from next time Drachenfels or the Bretonnians or the Grey Mountain greenskins cause a ruckus."

"Will they, though?"

He snorts. "Of course not. The Guildmasters will say they'll consider it and as soon as the Emperor's attention turns away they'll just keep pocketing their profits. So we fall back on something more ephemeral than gold - we take those promises your King has been throwing around of late and call in the assistance of Karak Azgaraz. Ubersreik owes the Emperor, the Emperor owes the Colleges, your King probably ends up owing Karak Norn, and everyone's better off except the Skaven."

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The Skaven civil war was taken advantage of to attack and depose the undercity of Ubersreik. It should hopefully be reinforced by Karak Azgaraz over the following years.

Before you head off to Stirland, you take the time to shake down the rattled locals of Ubersreik for news from Bretonnia, and while there's no news of Black Chasm, there's a great deal of proclamations as to a great victory won over 'beastmen' in Mousillon. From what you know of the accursed dukedom, that's one less variety of horror in a place filled with them, but you suppose it's still an improvement for those unfortunate enough to live in Bretonnia's answer to Sylvania. Most of the credit for Ubersreik and Mousillon will go to the warriors, and perhaps only a few will ever know that it was you that made it possible, but you know, and so does the Grey College.

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No response from Black Chasm, but Bretonnia took advantage of the civil war to win a "great victory" over the Skaven of Mousillon.

Last you heard, Asarnil and Deathfang were helping Kislev see off an invasion of Ogrish invaders called 'Yhetees', but that was a number of years ago. Normally that would make it difficult to track a mercenary down, but this is one mercenary that does not travel unnoticed. You don't have to poke your nose into too many Kislev taverns to find a group of drinking Kossars, who are only too happy to tell stories of their draconic ally, including when they parted ways. That takes you to Ostland, where Asarnil picked up even more pay from the Grand Prince in exchange for stamping out the scattered Yhetee stragglers, and also a worrying Beastherd that was in the area. From there they travelled further west to Nordland, where thankfully he was not hired to get involved in the whole Laurelorn business, but instead kept travelling west... which gives you a sinking feeling in your gut.

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Yhetees are Ogres who inhabit very tall and cold mountains and are mutated by the light of Morrisleb. They mostly inhabit the Ancient Giant Lands where the Ogres wiped out the Sky Titans (the ancestors of giants). I have no idea why they infested Kislev, but they did and then they flooded into Ostland. Asarnil wiped them out as well as a "worrying beastherd in the area".

"Apart from that, we've been sticking with the Knights. They see as religious obligation what comes naturally to us, so it usually works out. Mostly been in Ostland, dealing with Norscans from the north and those- what did they call them?"

"Yhetees."

"Yhetees from the east. Dragon got most of them, but the rest scattered and a lot of them ended up in Ostland, and we had to stamp them out before they made it to the Middle Mountains. The Knights collected the claws for us, and figuring out what they're good for should keep us busy for a while. Don't usually see their kind this far west, so there's not been much study on them.

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Apparently Ostland doesn't just have to deal with Beastmen, Yhetees and crazy necromancers (will talk about it later), but they also were suffering from Norscan invasions. They just can't catch a break.

The Empire might hypothetically want to retake Westerland at some point, but not now, not when Stirland's occupied with Vampires, Wissenland is still licking its wounds after the attack on Under-Nuln, Ostland is dealing with Yhetees, and things between Middenland and Nordland are still tense.

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Oh yeah, Wissenland got its ass kicked by Clan Skab, Marienburg is imposing sanctions/an embargo and trying to sabotage the canals, and Middenland/Nordland are quarelling. Usual stuff.

"The Dukhlys Forest is swarming with Forest Goblins, but traders keep the road cleared and me and the Redbeards will see to the rest. They'll be isolated, but not much more so than Karak Kadrin has been, and Kislev will be glad to have them back."

You smile. "I'm glad. Karak Vlag makes the whole Expedition worthwhile."

He nods firmly. "That it does."

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Citharus sighs in disappointment. "Maybe Drachenfels, then, or Marienburg. Or some new hotspot. There's always something." He looks over at you. "What about Karak Eight Peaks, Lady Magister? Any adventures that way?"

You shake your head. "Not in recent years. There's still enemy strongholds nearby, Iron Rock and Thunder Mountain and Black Crag and the like, but that would be rather overambitious." You give it some thought. "If nothing else is stirring there might be work in southern Stirland, where the Dwarves are building the canal. The Black Water is full of nasties that might be stirred up by the construction, Karak Varn is uncomfortably close, there's still survivors from the Ghoul Woods in the area. You should be able to pick up some straightforward bounties. Or you could come back out here. Karak Vlag is going to need to rebuild its ties with the greater world, and the Dukhlys Forest is home to a fair number of Forest Goblins, and I'm sure Snorri would be happy to have you helping out the Redbeards."

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Karak Vlag is back, so the road leading to it through Dukhlys forest needs to be cleared. Mathilde briefly mentions other adventures people could look for.

The Nordlanders are Haléthans and as such are largely concentrated east of the Salz to watch over the Forest of Shadows, so they don't really have any bad blood with the Elves."

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With the Ostlander Hedgefolk having been eviscerated by a necromancer, the Nordlander Hedgefolk sure have a tough job trying to keep an eye on a forest that just can't stop spawning gribbly after gribbly.

And now there's some sort of ruckus occuring in the Shirokij Forest in Kislev's Southern Oblast close to the Talabec and Ostermark are mobilising.

Overall, there's a lot of beastman related attacks isn't it? We've never gotten involved in it, but the Beastmen seem to be very active lately.

Spoiler: New

Here we shall talk of more recent happenings.

First, Carcassonne:

Duke Huebald frowns, and exchanges a look with his wife, who nods. "We shall speak unrelatedly of other matters that we are pressed with, but nonetheless able to overcome with thanks to the Lady, so we need no mystical assistance with," she says. "To demonstrate the truth of our chivalrous nature, and so how worthy partners we would be."

"Iron Orcs," the Duke says. "Like Black Orcs, but with the armour set into their skin, bearing runes of the Dark Gods. They come from the mountains in greater numbers every year." You grimace at that. Though the greenskins almost always stay true to their native Gods of Gork and Mork, that 'almost' covers more than enough nasty examples to give any ruler cause for concern, and motivation to seek esoteric answers - even if their societal rules prevent them from saying so outright.

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"As far as you are aware," she echoes. "As far as I am aware, too. But we would have to become much further aware for that to be a safe endeavour. And the effort of becoming so much further aware is effort that could be spent elsewhere - such as, for example, the Iron Orcs of the Irrana Mountains. But if you were to come to us with something more tangible than dreams, then perhaps we might be tempted." She gives you a parting smile and a little wave before she disappears back into the crowd.

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Carcassonne is the southernmost Bretonnian Dukedom. Thanks to a special update, Carcassonne have developed fledgeling contacts with the Dwarves of the Grey Mountains. Currently, they are struggling against the Iron Orcs, a group of Orcs that have forsaken Gork and Mork and wield Chaos Armor. They would be glad to be rid of them, such that they would even consider contributing to the Waystone Project as a result.

The Canals are progressing in development. They are not finished, but they are certain to boost trade with the Southern Kingdoms such as Estalia and Araby. Some of Marienburg's interests are threatened by the canal, but not all, as evidenced by Arkat Fooger's opinion:

"So now you'll be able to row from Black Water to the Aver, so what?" Arkat Fooger, head of House Fooger and the only Dwarf on Marienburg's ruling council, says to you. "Marienburg isn't built on a single accident of geography. Idiots think Marienburg has a stranglehold on the Empire, but what difference does it really make that all sea trade goes through us? Bretonnian trade can as easily go through Helmgart as through us, Tilean trade already has the River of Echoes, the Karaz Ankor is half built on the Empire's borders and the rest could go through Black Fire Pass. If some idiot has bet their shirt on something like supplying Arabyan coffee to Averheim then they're sunk, but if that's the foundation of a family then they're already underwater. No, what this means is that for a few years a bunch of amateurs and dilettantes are going to try to undercut Marienburg by going through Barak Varr, and apart from a handful of goods from Estalia and Araby they'll find that Marienburg has more going for it than the Reik and most of the routes will be back through us in ten years."

"Not everyone from Marienburg seems to agree."

"Pfah, it's because they're manlings. Right and proper they put their elders in charge, but their elders have maybe a decade of living left in them, and they go whenever they go instead of when they're at peace with going. They feel Morr's breath on their neck, and it makes them as hasty as a beardling in a brothel. Things going back to normal ten years from now might as well be never for them, because it means that they'll be less rich for the rest of their lives. So they fret and moan and rattle their sabres until they do something stupid enough to get their hands slapped and remember they've got a lot more to lose than to gain."

"Stupid things such as...?"

He snorts. "I take it you're getting at that business with the mine on the river? I'd be happy to throw the de Roelefs under the boat since they're the ones that stand to lose the most from the canals, but truth of the matter is I haven't a clue. All I know is that if anyone had come to me with an idea like that, I'd have buried them myself and saved you the trouble. Things like this, the big problem is that you aren't limited to the few who might actually benefit, there's also all the people who are stupid enough to think they might benefit."

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Khazrak One Eye is dead without Boris losing an eye:

"Damned slow it seems to me, but at what I'm told is a breakneck pace for Elves. One of their Houses has taken responsibility for the Ulrican faith among the Eonir and is building a temple to Him in their city, and the Graf couldn't be happier. This whole matter was an unexpected windfall after an already advantageous beginning - the Beastlord who he was pursuing into that swamp is one that he had faced before and taken the eye of, and ever since it seemed determined to avenge itself upon the citizens of Middenland. The timely intervention of the Eonir helped bring the matter to a close, where otherwise it would have just been one more bloody chapter in an already too-long saga."

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Nordland is still mad at Laurelorn and Middenland but they can't do anything. Middenland and Laurelorn want to trade but have to wait for things to slow down:

"Oh, Nordland is still furious, and they keep nudging the Nordlander Ulricans into mumbling something condemning about it all, but honestly they got their hands caught in the cookie jar and they need to take their lumps and be thankful they're not getting what Drakwald got. The only real problem is where to go from here. They want to start trading and so do we, but they refuse to build a road through their swamp - can't blame them, considering how useful it was against the Beastmen - and the only other alternatives will piss off Nordland or Marienburg or both. So perhaps we just have to be patient and let things simmer down before we escalate things even further."

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Stirland's condition:

"Gustav," you say as you approach the former Outrider and current Marshal of Stirland, clasping his arm in yours. The two of you didn't work together for long enough to quite call each other close friends in comparison to the relationships you'd built with Wilhelmina and Markus, but the two of you did fight alongside each other against the horrors of Sylvania. "How fares Stirland?"

"Well enough that I'm getting nervous," he replies. "One of the remaining Vampires now decorates the Grand Countess' mantlepiece, and the other has fled into the swamp and is being pursued by what seems like half the Battle Wizards in the Empire. Sylvania is once more ruled by Stirland in truth rather than just on paper."

"That is welcome news. What's to become of the administration thereof?"

"There's talk of establishing a Markgraf, but no firm details yet. Rumour has it that Baron Anton was offered it and was sensible enough to turn it down. It looks like the Black Guard are going to get the County of Tempelhof and Kasmir has been talking a lot about a local religious coalition getting control of the Barony of Mikalsdorf, but Waldenhof and Nachthafen are still untaken. The problem with Sylvania is anyone competent enough to stand a chance has much better offers from literally everywhere else. But we have to fill those seats or the Vampires'll do it for us."

You nod and commiserate with him for a while before moving on.

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Sylvania is now free of major Vampire presence, and while a Markgraf hasn't been installed yet, Templehof now belongs to the Black Guard and Mikalsdorf now belongs the "Council of Manhorak:

The full 'council' seems to be of Manhorak and His sons: Bylorak, Fennorak, Darmorak, and Grimorak. General response seems rather confused, but nobody seems all that unhappy about a cult who's really into drowning vampires.

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Edda has stepped down as Steward of Karak Eight Peaks as a result of pregnancy, and she is now officially married to Prince Kazrik of Karak Azul. The Steward to replace her is Viceroy Francesco Caravello of Karak Nar, due to his skills as a merchant and his trustworthiness as part of the Undumgi:

With Edda having established Dwarven industry so thoroughly, we have the opportunity to turn our attention to less traditional methods, so I'm going to make Francesco Caravello the new Steward when the time comes. There's going to be a lot of trade negotiations happening once the five passes are fully secured, and he has the knowledge and he's proven himself trustworthy.

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There are also rumors of a new Overtyrant in the Mountains of Mourne, likely Greasus Goldtooth, which might have led to the migration of Ogres out of the mountain that emptied Uzkulak's stock of livestock:

And I want him keeping an eye on the east, too - there's rumours of a new Overtyrant among the Ogres, and that could really interfere with trade.

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As such, Belegar has decided to look to the future with his Loremaster, and chose Okri Drakkison of Clan Bronzebeard, a promising young Engineer from Karak Norn, who comes from a splinter clan of K8P's former engineering Clan Stonebeard. His father is said to be a genius with steam and hydraulics, and that could do a lot for fleshing out the Engineering of K8P beyond flight:

"More or less. So if we don't have troubles today, we should lay in for the troubles of tomorrow. I've brought in a promising young Engineer named Okri Drakkisson of Clan Bronzebeard - Karak Norn's offshoot of Karak Drazh's Stonebeards, cousins to the Karak Eight Peaks Stonebeards."

"'Promising' and 'young' seem a bit less than what Karak Eight Peaks could have attracted," you observe sceptically.

"Aye, though I've heard good things about him. I'm hoping that through him I can bring in others from his Clan to refound the Karak Drazh Stonebeards, one more general in purpose than the modern Gyrocopter-focused Karak Eight Peaks Stonebeards. His father would be the real catch, he's said to be a genius with steam and hydraulics."

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Here are some of Okri's ideas and plans for the future:

"Aye, and build I will. That Gotri does his best but his heart is in the sky, he's more familiar with a swashplate than an inclined plane. The way of the future is in Dwarf-portable weaponry, and Zhufbar's Drakegun is just the start. I had a few ideas to start with, but having seen some of the reading material you managed to nab from the former inhabitants of here, I've got much more than a few now. Been working with the manling engineers here, including that Zharrzhufokri of yours, and have been exchanging letters with the Gorlzhufokral to hammer out a few ideas. We refound Karak Eight Peaks Ironbreakers, give 'em something that holds real punch but can still be carried around, and pile 'em into those flying machines of Gotri's, and we'll be able to deliver a proper kicking to anywhere that needs it on a moment's notice."

You allow him to talk your ear half off about said ideas, including an entirely mechanical equivalent of the Ratling Gun, an explosive charge launcher based on Adela's design but not reliant on being carried by a Bright Wizard, and refinements to be made to the current Drakegun designs to extend their range and increase the damage inflicted upon those caught on the wrong end on them, before you thank him for his time and escape. He's clearly ambitious and seems to know what he's talking about, but you can't help but feel he might be biting off more than he can chew. You're intimately familiar with the inside of a Ratling Gun and the many insane yet inspired ways it exploits the nature of warpstone to function. Is there really any chance of a machine so portable as to be carried to be able to replicate its functioning? Surely not.

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The High King has reactivated the Eyes of Grimnir and plans to retake Mt.Silverspear within the coming decades, his plans are to ensure complete Dwarven dominance over overland routes to the Far East:

"No more. For the first time in three thousand years, there is a Dwarfhold anchoring four of the five navigable passes through our mountains. If we had all five, we would be in a position to reach agreements with the Umgi nations to guarantee the safety of travellers and the vigilance against threats from the east, in exchange for a portion of the wealth that passes through our mountains and promises of mutual support against significant threats. But we cannot yet claim to rule the mountains that our Ancestors left to us. So in the coming years, mercenary forces from Barak Varr will work to secure the western approach to Mad Dog Pass, while Watchtower-Clans who have been living in the Grey Mountains for millennia will re-establish themselves in their ancient homes with every assistance from Karaz-a-Karak. And when sufficient forces have been gathered, I will personally lead an attack to retake Mount Silverspear and return it to the control of Clan Gunnisson. As we all know, it fell to the greenskins during the early centuries of the Time of Woes in what is now known as the Silver Road Wars. What few remember is that part of the reason it was lost is that an ancient wonder from the time of the Ancestor Gods that watched over the Silver Road was blinded by those tumultuous times.

"But now..." High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer spreads his arms, and each of the jewels inset on the walls begins to glow. "The Eyes of Grimnir will open once more." With a wave of illumination, an image projects from each one of the thousands of jewels, each showing a different part of a long, rocky road through the mountains. The images change after a few seconds, and then there's a low tone as one becomes framed in red light, and the image grows until it centers on a band of Goblins riding wolves along the road. Another tone sounds, and another image is framed in red, this time warning of a small group of Orcs on a mountainside peering over a rocky barrier at the road below. As more tones sound, the High King's smile grows. "That which is wrong with the world that we cannot fix with the blades of our axes, we shall surely rebuild."

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King Byrnnoth in particular has plans for Mad Dog Pass, primarily hiring mercenaries to clear the way around the pass and take control over the Howling River to ensure that the Pass is taken care of with the use of minimal manpower.

People are most likely familiar with Mathilde's personal adventures, so I will not cover the Drycha and Alberich events specifically to a great degree. However, the adventures have granted some clues to different things that might be of note. First:

Near the border with Talabecland, you peruse an ancient structure too overgrown to identify that the Longshanks have chased cultists of the not-quite-forbidden but quite disreputable Goddess Dark Helgis out of several times in recent weeks.

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This might be nothing, but just recently, Gehenna mentioned taking down a Cult of Styriss (illegal god of poachers) within Ostermark that were punching outside their weight class who were using Anath Raema runes. This might have some sort of connection. Or perhaps not. Something is odd in Ostermark.

Something is happening in around the area of Karak Ungor:

You consider Goblin bodies being fished out of the Talabec upstream of Bechafen, too battered and waterlogged to determine whether they are Forest or Night or regular Goblins and whether they originated in northeast Ostermark, southernmost Kislev, or in the World's Edge Mountains around Karak Ungor.

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"And the Boyar of Fort Jakova has remained in Fort Jakova - unrest in the mountains, he says.

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Goblin bodies drifting downriver and the Boyar of Fort Jakova indicating unrest in the mountains. Considering Fort Jakova's position around the headwaters of the Urskoy and its proximity to Karak Ungor, that implies something is occuring there.

Maneater is in the Empire:

You have an unnerving conversation with an uncharacteristically canny Ogre leading a group of his fellows in the employ of Ostermark, who appears surprisingly cooperative despite his sobriquet of 'Maneater' and tells you at length in heavily accented Reikspiel about the unusually large pack of giant wolves his Ogres had chased down, defeated, and consumed.

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He has yet to make his name as a mercenary and cause the Ogre Mercenary renaissance that leads to them migrating westwards, but he has earned his nickname and might or might not be on the way to fame.

Sartosa infighting:

An uptick in traffic through Barak Varr, apparently as a result of more infighting than usual among the pirates of Sartosa.

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According to the canon timeline, this might be because of Borgio the Besieger kidnapping the Pirate Princess of Sartosa and ransoming her. Or it could be something else.

Couronne and Wasteland conflict?

And rumours of unrest between Marienburg and Couronne, possible a reignition of the eternal question of where, exactly, the border between Couronne and the Wasteland can be found.

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Drycha desired royal blood, so she sought Boyar Kalashnivik of Kislev for her goals:

"Boyar Kalashinivik of Resvynhaf. The Praag branch of that family was aligned with the Tzarina Kattarin the Bloody and were purged, but the Resvynhaf branch was spared. The Tsarevich and the Ice Witches are going to be investigating him to decide whether that was a mistake."

"It probably was if Drycha's after him. Either he has something that he shouldn't, or he has blood in him that he shouldn't. Royal blood is always potent, and magic doesn't care if it's human or vampire, Kislevite or Nehekharan."

"You think Drycha has her own agenda, rather than operating for Athel Loren as a whole?"

He gives you a strange look. "Of course, the same agenda she's always had."

"And what is that?"

He looks baffled. "How do you know Coeddil's name, but not- oh, did Laurelorn tell you about him?" You nod. "It makes sense that they would be a bit behind on things. Of its Treeman Elders, Athel Loren only has Durthu left, as Adanhu was killed and Coeddil corrupted by the endless battles against Morghur." He frowns. "Well, apparently endless. Are you sure it was him you saw up at Karag Dum?"

"I am, and so are the very many people that were also credited with my paper on the subject."

"Mm. By all accounts he's impossible to mistake for anything else. I do wish you'd been able to get some hard answers about what that was all about."

You manage to keep from bristling. "So do I, but my duty was to the Expedition, rather than my curiosity."

He nods. "Of course. No criticism intended. What was I getting at?"

"Coeddil and Drycha?"

"That's right. Coeddil attempted regicide, and was imprisoned somewhere within Athel Loren. Drycha has been scouring the continent for magical power ever since, in what we assume is an effort to free him. Many shrines and temples in Bretonnia and the Empire have been looted by her forces over the centuries, and the Amber Brotherhood have fended off several attacks by her on the Amber Hills. She fails more than she succeeds, sometimes by the efforts of defenders, sometimes due to being pursued by Athel Loren loyalists. But just like the one that corrupted her master, her nature grants her the privilege of coming back no matter how many times she is struck down, and every success takes her closer to her eventual goal."

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The Ice Witches are to investigate the Kalashniviks to determine their loyalties thanks to a favor asked by Tsarevitch Boris.

Former Elector Count and Magus Alberich was planning on performing a ritual to prove his worth to the Chaos Gods that Mathilde interrupted by killing him. There are still mysteries to be uncovered regarding the incident, particularly regarding his accomplices and the nature of his empowerment:

There are still unanswered questions, of course. Though a number of groups that happened to be in the direction Alberich was headed are rounded up, they all prove to have innocent explanations for their presence, so if he had accomplices they've managed to escape and will now be laying very low indeed. You don't know where he was hiding out, and though it could have been simply a rented and flea-infested room at a tavern somewhere in the Ratholds, it could also have been something more elaborate, and if so is now one more hidden mystery among many to be found in the city's slums. And to the Longshanks, Alberich's identity remains a mystery.

There's also the question of Alberich's empowerment. Despite his severe injuries, Alberich only grew faster in the few minutes between the beginning of your encounter and its climax, and for a man to move with the sinuous grace of a lesser Daemon of the Tempter implies more attention than you'd expect the Dark Gods to pay to matters like this. You are also very aware that you had more company than that of Ranald on this night's work, and you don't mean your colleagues among the Longshanks. Perhaps you should not have given a wolf's howl with sword in hand while pursuing a Slaaneshi Magus through the streets of a holy city. That is an uncomfortable density of resonances, and you feel uncomfortably watched from multiple angles right now.

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This is Mathilde's first clue to the Everchosen Tournament. This increased turbulence within the Chaos Cults might also be connected:

"The methods seem like the Violent, the pageantry of the Tempter, the echo of past events smacks of the Changer, and the mood this'd be inflicting on the rest of the Unfähigers rounds out the Four. There's been a fair bit of activity from that lot lately, and this is the sort of game They like to play."

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[ ] Research: Underworld Turbulence
'A fair bit of activity from that lot lately' is not really actionable. See if anyone knows exactly what's got the Chaos cults of the Empire in a tizzy lately.

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The conflict between Talabecland-Ostermark over the canals has apparently been settled, but a few sparks remain for possible exploitation:

"Thank you for coming," you say, as the magic conceals you from prying eyes. "I wasn't expecting you to be here so soon, though."

"I was up in Bek, keeping an eye on the biggest agitators for Talabecland-Ostermark conflict over the canals. A favour for Lady Magister Wilhelmine."

"I thought that business was settled years back?"

"It was, but there's a few sparks left. They'd usually go out on their own if left be, but we can't really trust the Empire's many enemies to pass up such an opportunity to sow discord, can we? So while there's even a hint of bitterness, it's best to keep a careful eye on the situation. But it can wait. What's the trouble here?"

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Nuln's failed raid against the Skaven under their city, Clan Skab, has led to them increasing hostilities, which has led to Elector Count Konstantin to ask for Mathilde's help. Considering she refused him, he has likely found a replacement and is looking to deal with the problem:

"I always thought he was a story for children, chasing the rats through the street with his hammer. Anyway, apparently we've got Clan Skab under us, whatever that means."

You're glad you checked your books before setting out. "The nine most powerful Skaven Clans have a seat on their ruling Council. Clan Skab is one of them. They produce an inordinate amount of Stormvermin, the black-furred warrior caste, and train them to a higher standard than other Clans, and a lot of their wealth and influence comes from selling their services as bodyguards."

"So, none of the tricks with monsters and strange guns?"

"They probably do have them. That'd be what they'd spend their wealth and influence acquiring."

"Damn. Anyway, that's the score. You're good at killing rats, and we've got a lot of rats that need killing. You'll have all the resources of Wissenland behind you, and if you're like the Dark Lady and want to build a creepy tower, you can have the Iron Isle - it's the size of a city block but the Dwarves get annoyed if we try to do anything with it, but they like you, right?"

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A few issues and projects of note within the Karaz Ankor:

"I'm sure Karak Vlag could use assistence in making sense of the world they've returned to." He thinks for a moment more. "Zhufbar has a nest of Fire Dragons in one of their upper halls that has resisted every conventional attempt to evict them. Karak Norn always has strange and mystical troubles of one sort or another. Barak Varr has some sort of plan for Sartosa, which was an outpost of theirs long ago, but in modern times has proven able to resist any conventional assault - and there's also talk about something in the Border Princes to stamp out the pirate problems, you might be able to help with whatever that turns out to be. Karaz-a-Karak might be meaning to take a poke at Mount Silverspear - when I met with the Grey Mountains Clans they let slip that they're apparently also in talks with Karaz-a-Karak. If that's the case, they'd probably need something novel to avoid it going the same way as the Silver Road Wars. The current Emperor is asking for Dwarven assistance in securing under-Ubersreik... and undoubtedly there's plenty more that I'd hear word of once the Karaz Ankor realizes that you'd be available to help out."

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This is Aksel's own words regarding the condition of the Nordlander Hedgewise who reside within the Forest of Shadows, indicating that things have been going well for them as of late:

"It's good times for my lot," he says to you as you settle down. "Most of the Ostland Blessed are dead, which is unfortunate, but it means that their families are coming out of the east for protection, joining with us. Old families with a lot of old secrets and a lot of proven wisdom. And the business in the west has people a lot more willing to face the dangers of the Forest, and having a lot more respect for those that protect them from those dangers. Word is you've a part in that."

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Mathilde's conversation with the We reveals that they are in a very good position and are considering splitting, and she's managed to convince them to try out splitting their nest into Kvinn-Wyr to serve as KAU's librarians at the cost of Gold-Food:

"I hear that you're considering splitting," you say to the spokesspider inside what you take to be a meeting room within its nest, as the floor is free of webbing and they have acquired a few battered chairs from somewhere.

"Sufficient food, very good many-food. Black-Crag-green-four-legs hunting is four-eighths sufficient, small-food is one-eighths sufficient, gold-food is three-eighths sufficient. Gauntlet-We will be closer to Black-Crag-green-four-legs, can hunt deeper into their tunnels. Could also hunt in old tunnels of the smaller-not-green-four-legs, or in the above. Different nest in different place, will learn different hunts. Gold-food means can spend much time learning without no-food."

Click to shrink...

The room goes silent as the constant background noise of the hive's activity goes silent, as the entire attentions of the We are focused upon this decision. "Split-We will try book-nest," it eventually declares. "If many-food continues, split-We will build We-nest in book-nest. Otherwise must no-food to Black-Crag-tunnel."

You smile at the warning. "That is acceptable."

"We will lay eggs for split-We. Will be ready for split in..." It takes a while to think. Above-ground timekeeping has not come naturally to the We. "Six-eights above-fire."

Six weeks, then. Thankfully, the base-eight thinking of the We translates easy to an eight-day week. "I will have the masons ready to build a chamber or chambers for their nest to their specifications, and I will organize trainers to teach them how to maintain a book-nest."

That last bit is easier said than done, but the reputation of a Dwarven King is a useful thing. You smile to yourself as you picture the announcement soon to be distributed to scholarly guilds and learning institutions throughout the Old World. 'King Belegar of Karak Eight Peaks seeks Loremasters and Scholars to train a colony of large and non-hostile spiders in librarianship...'

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Mathilde's donation of the Organ Vat has resulted in the discovery of the Skaven's adrenal gland cloning process and furthering the medical knowledge of anatomy. It has also resulted in the discovery of cures for at least two conditions:

Unfortunately for you and me, but fortunately for the advancement of knowledge, one of them blabbed to the Physicians Guild, and now those buggers are running around giving it to everyone for everything. I can't get them to stop - might be there's not a power in the world that could get them to stop selling the latest nostrums - but I can bully them into telling me what they've found, and I have."

She opens a drawer and pulls out a notebook and flips through it until she finds what she's looking for, and continues on. "Drinking it does nothing but make the physician richer, as expected, but things get interesting when you're a bit more creative with it. Applied as a vapour has proven very effective as a tonic against croup and anhelitus, but when injected it causes the subject to feel anxious and jittery, of all things."

You consider that. "That sounds like a perfectly reasonable reaction to being stabbed by a physician, regardless of the substance involved."

"I tried it myself. The heart beats faster, the body sweats, the hands shake, fatigue is banished. Rather similar to the feeling one gets during a confrontation."

"Might this be related to the phenomenon of 'Black Hunger' among the Skaven?"

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Mathilde's village is currently prospering with a new sheep breed being introduced for its fine wool and intelligence and Mathilde approving another Sheep breed well known for its milk for crossbreeding. The quest for the ultimate sheep begins:

You learn that the headsman you knew is still given the respect due to a headsman, but over the years the unofficial authority has unofficially migrated to his son, Rolf, your Steward for these lands. You find him older, more confident, and now with a flock of his own and several children, one of whom is named Mathilde. He leaps straight to business, showing you a trio of rams kept in a fenced-in area of pasture just outside the keep. "Estalian mayor sheep, m'lady," Rolf says. "Imported from Averland, who imported them from Tilea, who stole them from Estalia. You did tell me that if I saw an opportunity to invest I should take it, and I had your EIC check the seller to make sure they were reputable." He pauses as if waiting for you to react, and continues on once he's sure you're not going to do so. "It has a reputation for very fine wool, but more important, they're smarter than the average sheep. Problem we're having up here is the ragwort, it springs up all over the place if other plants die off and leave room for it, like during drought or if you overgraze. So in bad times there's more ragwort than anything else, and it's poison if a beast eats enough of it, and sheep ain't got the sense to avoid it. The mayor sheep is smart enough not to eat too much of it, and almost as tough as the local breed, so we're breeding them in to the local flocks."

You give a thoughtful nod, as though you're at all qualified to pass judgement on animal husbandry. "I see. That seems a sensible idea."

"I'd also like to bring in some East Westerlander rams to try to improve milk production in our ewes. You said I could make improvements without asking, but problem with these is that they're a lowland sheep. I could let the mayor sheep out with the other flocks tomorrow and they'd be mostly fine, but lowland sheep don't do well up here, and it could take generations of crossbreeding them until we get something that does. Until then I'd need to bring in provender from Tarshof, that'd come to a shilling per head per month, more during the winter, so maybe as much as a crown per head per year. To maintain a breeding population until there's enough of the local blood in them to survive up here, without breeding out the extra milk..." He inhales through his teeth. "Could get as high as a hundred crowns, and no guarantee that it'd prove worth it in the end."

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The Reiklander Hedgewise are currently in some sort of theological conflict with the Sigmarites, which caused them to lay low such that Aksel couldn't contact them. Something happened in Reikland:

After Marienburg you keep your eyes peeled for even a thin trickle of outbound energy which you presume to indicate a currently-unused 'backup' leyline, but you find nothing but the bright streams coming in from Talabheim and Nuln. Aksel tries to get in touch with his counterparts in Reikland, but with the Reikland Hedgewise engaged in some sort of theological conflict with the Sigmarites and therefore being especially hunted by the Templars, he's unable to do so.

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Further clarification on the Council of Manhorak and one of their High Priests:

Under what you assume to be Kasmir's direction, the Council of Manhorak has structured itself along monastic lines, and so the High Priest of Darmorak is titled the Abbot of Dark Moor. Of the four, it's the one you know next to nothing about. Bylorhof is where the worship of Bylorak kept one corner free of Vampiric influence, and Grim Moor and Hel Fenn were the sites of the defeats of Konrad and Mannfred von Carstein, and, presumably, where they still remain. All you really know is its approximate location on a map, but that location is at the headwaters of the Templa, nestled up against the mountains and no more than twenty miles from both Castle Drakenhof and Zhufbar. Abbot Ionel himself is a beardless man in his forties with kind eyes, long brown hair and a limp, who walks with the aid of a walking stick topped with an axe head and wears a long, curved dagger on his waist, both of which are made of a dull grey metal you'd guess to be bog iron. He's here as a demonstration of both authority and responsibility, and speaks of Vampires in general and Von Carsteins in particular with a quiet and tightly-controlled loathing.

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Goendul comments on Mathilde's reputation in Stirland/Sylvania and the rumors that surround her. Inflated but hold an element of truth:

She smiles. "I meant you." Ah. "Many locals believe that like the Countess' Chaplain, you never left Sylvania after the Drakenhof campaign, and spent years carving a bloody swathe of vengeance across the land. That you slew the Singing King, liberated Nachthafen, purged Teufelheim, saved the Grand Countess from assassins, and laid curses upon the Lahmians of Mikalsdorf and Waldenhof."

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A minor noble by the name of Nyklaus is rumored to be interested in the title of Markgraf of Sylvania:

To you, this is a curiosity, but to Roswita Van Hal and to whoever she ends up putting in charge of Sylvania - you'd heard a rumour that a minor noble by the name of Nyklaus had actually shown some interest in the task - this could be used to cement the claims of human hands on this corrupted province.

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[BeepSmile]

If you gaze long enough into civilization, civilization will gaze back into you, apparently.

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At this point it's progressed to the point where Civilization and Beastmen are full on making eyes together and are trying to build up the courage to ask the other out for drinks this saturday.

 

[Codex]

@Boney I have a question:

"I really need to start a Leicheberg to Halstedt road," Van Hal groans as he enters his office, and takes the mug of brandy from you gratefully - you fished the bottle out of his bottom drawer while waiting for him. "Thanks. Blasted Sylvania - Stirland could be a wealthy and productive land without that millstone around our collective necks."

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You skim a single page on the neglected barony of Texing, which reverted to the Elector Count after the owning family died off. Decent farmland and some timber industry, but isolated from the rest of Stirland. Perhaps that would change if Van Hal keeps building roads - a Leicheberg-Halstedt road could easily go through Hirtenfeld. Another single-page report, on Sigmaringen and Countess Alexandra von Munsterburg - the least prosperous of the southern counties, but still well off. A pious and quiet land filled with shrines and shepherds, only mildly terrorized by monsters wandering down from the mountains from time to time.

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Both Van Hal and Mathilde considered that a Leicheberg-Halstedt road would be excellent for boosted trade/contact within Stirland, and if I've got my geography right, it would make supply trains from Western Stirland to the Sylvanian front more convenient? Did Roswita make that road, or was she too busy with other stuff? I know that the "Haunted Highway" between Langwald-Leicheberg was mentioned as quite prosperous, and it allows for direct line between the northern parts of Stirland and Fort Redemption, but anything coming from Western Stirland either has to go south or north so they can get to Sylvania because the terrain leading straight through to Leicheberg is too broken.

I'm also curious if she sold Texing to anyone yet or if she's still keeping it in reserve.

 

[Boney]

@Boney I have a question:

Both Van Hal and Mathilde considered that a Leicheberg-Halstedt road would be excellent for boosted trade/contact within Stirland, and if I've got my geography right, it would make supply trains from Western Stirland to the Sylvanian front more convenient? Did Roswita make that road, or was she too busy with other stuff? I know that the "Haunted Highway" between Langwald-Leicheberg was mentioned as quite prosperous, and it allows for direct line between the northern parts of Stirland and Fort Redemption, but anything coming from Western Stirland either has to go south or north so they can get to Sylvania because the terrain leading straight through to Leicheberg is too broken.

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It's a peacetime project, and Roswita has never ruled a Stirland at peace.

I'm also curious if she sold Texing to anyone yet or if she's still keeping it in reserve.

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She hasn't handed out anything yet, she might be intending to permanently fold it into the Elector Count's lands or she might be keeping it as a bargaining chip.

 

[Codex]

It's a peacetime project, and Roswita has never ruled a Stirland at peace.

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I knew this intellectually, but seeing it written like this really does make me sad.

 

[Redshirt Army]

if it's something I'm actually interested in I can be insanely productive

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*stares at incredibly extensive and high quality DL information gathering work, put together in shockingly little time*

That's an understatement.

 

[Nerdasaurus Rex]

[Snip]

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This is amazing, and showcases how excellent Boney is at making the world feel active and alive.

You could add the rumours of displaced ogres we heard about at Uzkulak as well. Between them and the Yethees it seems like something is happening in the ogre kingdoms—although it could just be business as usual for them.

There's a Hall of Livestock, which you visit very briefly as you find an empty room that will likely smell of dung for the rest of time; an extremely weary-seeming Officiant tells you there's nothing currently in, as an Ogre tribe pushed out of their hunting grounds bought everything there was.

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[veekie]

Beastmen: "We are the Children of Chaos, we have no need of the trappings of civilization, we will tear down the monuments of the civilized world and return all to savagery."

Also Beastmen: "Lol look at these idiot centaurs that don't even know how to sign their name on our big ceremonial menhir to record attendance at our conference, how gauche of them."

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Probably because a lot of imperial adjacent beastherds have a relatively large population of mutants fleeing Empire persecution, and it makes for a more appealing narrative than their being driven out to frame it as their rejecting civilization.

...while behaving pretty much like hobo Empire, because thats what they know of how to do things.

 

[Ptolemy03]

Hi all, new to the quest and just finished catching up yesterday. It's been a blast but I have one question. Isn't Egrimm a secret Chaos worshipper?

 

[Burned_Cookie]

Hi all, new to the quest and just finished catching up yesterday. It's been a blast but I have one question. Isn't Egrimm a secret Chaos worshipper?

Click to shrink...

Maybe. Maybe not. We do not know. Does anyone really ever know anything?

 

[deathofrats0808]

Hi all, new to the quest and just finished catching up yesterday. It's been a blast but I have one question. Isn't Egrimm a secret Chaos worshipper?

Click to shrink...

Canonically, yes. However, due to the power of butterflies, he might not be in the quest. He might also be, but thus far he hasn't been shown to be, so the thread is being suspicious, yet not condemning him as yet.

 

[Jreengus]

Hi all, new to the quest and just finished catching up yesterday. It's been a blast but I have one question. Isn't Egrimm a secret Chaos worshipper?

Click to shrink...

Further to what others have said his official backstory where Alric tortures him and kills his sister for the lulz is not quest cannon.

 

[Nerdasaurus Rex]

Hi all, new to the quest and just finished catching up yesterday. It's been a blast but I have one question. Isn't Egrimm a secret Chaos worshipper?

Click to shrink...

Egrimm's official canon backstory isn't a part of DL canon, but Boney did roll a secret origin story for him, so he might be up to something, we just don't know what.

My personal theory is that he is a secret Ranaldite.

There's like, no evidence for that, mind you. Just me being a bit tin-foily.

 

[Codex]

I understand that this isn't directly relevant to DL right now, and obviously there already is a thread for Total War, but the trailer for Cathay is out:


The reason I'm taking note is that the end of the trailer has a visualisation of a Celestial Dragon for maybe the first time?

I somehow doubt Dragomas' transformation looks quite like that though.