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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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Mopman43 said:
Shadowsteed isn't a product of Ulgu's association with illusions, it's a product of it's association with dawn and dusk.
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Alright, so use the dawn/dusk stuff to make a shadow dragon, refine it into an artificial apparition, then use the Golden Hound process to bind it into a disguise spell to function as interface and instincts.
 
Ganurath said:
Alright, so use the dawn/dusk stuff to make a shadow dragon, refine it into an artificial apparition, then use the Golden Hound process to bind it into a disguise spell to function as interface and instincts.
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The dawn/dusk stuff is about travelling at the speed of dusk. It'd work for the flying part of being a dragon, but not the rest.
 
Has anyone put forth the theory that the dwarves at Drum manged to free the local beastmen form chaos? I am not very coherent right now from pain medicine, but the talk about redemption of scraven reminded me of the theory I had about what happened.
 
RoadrunnerJ said:
Did he? I don't remember anything like that, could someone go back and look? I am in no condition to be very helpful in this unfortunately, also is that aura incompatible with not being chaos?
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Boney said:
Another cry of anger comes from Morghur, but this one is interwoven with something different, and to your Magesight Morghur begins to glow with malign energy that's as visible in the ambient Dhar as the sun amongst stars.

As the energy sinks into him the Kurgan on Morghur's back throws himself free, limping towards his horse with some difficulty as both the Beastmen and the other Kurgan close in on him, and at this distance you can't really make out much of the chaotic melee that ensues except that the Kurgan that had been on Morghur's back reaches his horse and begins to gallop to the edge of the crater, followed before long by most of the other Kurgan. Morghur roars again as the energy flowing off him throbs, and he bends down to begin to feast on the Kurgan he struck down as the Beastmen do the same to those that did not survive the melee.

At the edge of the crater, the limping Kurgan appears to be excitedly displaying his leg to the others, who crowd around until he's blocked from your view. Not long later the warband departs, horns blowing in triumph as they leave the bloodstained sands behind them. The Beastmen gather up bows and blades from the fallen and they too depart, melting back into the forest and leaving the partially-eaten bodies where they fell. Soon only Morghur remains as he goes from body to body, the snarl of Dhar in him dimming as he does so, and by the time he returns to the forest he's no longer distinct against the background energies of this place.
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Citation!
 
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Turn 35 Social - 2487 - Part 2
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    • [*] Thorek Ironbrow, to witness the arrival of the first Dwarf in Tor Lithanel for over four thousand years.
    [*] Qrech, who is putting the finishing touches on his tome on the Chaos Dwarves.
    [*] Egrimm, to try to sound out more information about the Alric situation.
    [*] The Karak Azul Architects, to get involved in the design of your Library in detail.
    [*] Vicarius Galenstra, to get to know him and his Ward.

    When you first entered Laurelorn, you took a careful and considered approach. You came on your own, went through Middenland and the Schadensumpf to avoid the sticky Nordland situation, and arranged ahead of time for an escort to meet you at the border. You made sure there was as little chance of controversy and misunderstanding as possible to make a smooth entrance into Laurelorn society.

    Thorek Ironbrow does not do that.

    He does not carefully organize his entrance with Laurelorn notables, as he takes it as a given you would have taken care of that and made sure that his arrival at some point was expected. He does not carefully circle around tricky political situations when doing so would require him to enter via a swamp: he lands a flight of Gyrocarriages in Salzenmund while flying the flag of Karak Azul and simply lets anyone who had the capacity to be an obstacle realize for themselves that they really shouldn't try it, and marches west with a score of Longbeards as an escort - and these are Clan Ironbrow Longbeards that have served under the Thunderhorn, so they're more like heavily-armoured and extravagantly-Runed Rangers than traditional Dwarven infantry, each of them carrying a crossbow and an axe with a climbing pick on the reverse.

    You hear later that they were shadowed by a band of Forestborn scouts the entire way, more out of fascination than concern because you had indeed made sure the Elves had known he would be coming, and that the Dwarves apparently spent some time contemplating the ruins of Kor Immarmor before continuing west along the road to Tor Lithanel. Forewarned by a message delivered by a Radiant - one of a great many type of minor forest spirit called 'spites' that the Grey Lords are said to have bound into the service of Laurelorn - you are waiting at the gates of Tor Lithanel when they finally arrive. It seems you're not the only one, as there seems to be a more Elves than usual that just happen to be casually loitering in the area, and there's a lot of looks going your way that quickly redirect themselves when you look back at them. Novelty, you've learned, is always in high demand at Tor Lithanel, and if nothing else, this experience promises to be that. There's a murmur of interest as for the first time in millennia a party of Dwarves emerges from the treeline at the other side of the Schaukel and set eyes upon the marble walls of Tor Lithanel. They must have taken a moment to compose themselves just before emerging from the trees, as their beards are on full display rather than tucked into their belts for marching.

    If you weren't watching for it, you might have missed the moments of hesitancy in the Dwarven approach, first as they emerged from the trees, second as they reached the bridge, and third when they emerged through the gateway into the city, finding no gatekeeper or official greeting anywhere, only loitering, curious onlookers. Every Dwarven Karak would have challenged a visiting party before now, but Laurelorn's external defences are much further out than the walls of Tor Lithanel and have been watching him since the moment he left Salzenmund. But Thorek will not show a moment of unsureness to the Elves, and you're sure that if he had to he'd have kept marching deeper into the city without pausing and figured something out on the way. Thankfully your presence there that gives him something to work with, and he changes from his course to approach you.

    "Loremaster," he says to you.

    "Runelord," you reply.

    His eyes run over the gathered onlookers. "No guard on the gate. Their defences must either be very good or very bad. Is there to be some kind of official greeting?"

    You nod - the messenger-Radiant had set off a flurry of activity in Tor Lithanel, though none of that activity had included someone to greet the visitors at the gates. Tor Lithanel's protocols still weren't used to dealing with outsiders. "Members of the High Council are gathering in the Agora to greet you."

    "Not their Queen?"

    "She will be observing, but foreign relations is the business of the High Council."

    "Hmph," is his only response to that. Clearly off-balance and skeptical, but reserving judgement rather than reflexively griping about societal differences - rare restraint for a Dwarf of his age. "Lead the way."

    ---

    Tor Lithanel has very many open green areas, but the Agora is foremost of them all. Located at the centre of the city and flanked on one side by the Queen's Silver Tower and on the other by the Temple of Asuryan, the only break in the otherwise open space is a single golden-veined lornalim towering high enough to make a bid for Tor Lithanel's fourth tower, and the circle of marble flagstones around it that marks where the High Council convenes. It's unexpectedly unfurnished, but having taken the opportunity to watch the proceedings of the High Council unfold - a privilege available to all residents and visitors to Tor Lithanel - you quickly saw why. Each of the members of the High Council has an intricately-decorated ivory folding chair as a symbol of their office, and the exact arrangement of who is sitting where at any given time is a visible indication of the current state of politics. Today those chairs are clustered together in a single bloc to signify unity in welcoming the newest guest to Tor Lithanel, though what speaks volumes is the chairs that aren't present, ostensibly because they were unable to be present at such short notice. You're sure that if you were able to put names to faces, you'd find that almost all of those present are those that are in favour of ties with foreign powers, and almost all of those not are those opposed to it. Watching from just outside the circle of marble is the Queen and her Champion for the Triumvirate, with the Warden of the Sun notably absent.

    As Thorek approaches, there is a crack of metal on marble as the Arbiter slams the haft of his ceremonial halberd on the flagstones. "Master Runelord Thorek Ironbrow of Karak Azul," he intones, his eyes locked on the approaching Dwarf, his expression unreadable. The Arbiter was the very first of the Queen's Champions, making him one of very few beings still living who fought in the War of Vengeance.

    One of the Elves stands. "On behalf of the High Council, House Miriel greets you, Cytho-cro-kel. To this day the metalwork of Karak Azul is renowned in Tor Lithanel." You suppress a wince at the clumsy attempt at conforming the curt syllables of Khazalid into a complimentary Eltharin pun as Thorek glances sideways at you for a translation - which you perform as best you can, finally settling on 'wise artisan' as the least bad interpretation of the epithet.

    "Tell them that I've heard much of them from the manlings and they seem more struck from the mold of Bel Shanaar than Caledor the Second, so I see reason to hope that our time together will echo our earliest shared history, rather than the last of it." Suppressing another wince, you translate the general gist of good repute and high hopes.

    Another member of the High Council stands and delivers a very similar message on behalf of House Ellemakil, and after you translate that for Thorek you have to confirm that, yes, they are saying pretty much the same thing twice. Then thrice more, as House Tindomiel, House Mardil and House Filuan all apparently want their name attached to this endeavour enough to try to mash Khazalid and Eltharin together into a suitable wordplay, and manage each time to land upon something that could easily come across as an insult if it wasn't being translated by someone being very careful to avoid exactly that.

    When the ordeal finally winds down, you lead the unimpressed Thorek back out of the Agora and towards the manor you're currently calling home. "Was that as pointless as it seemed?" Thorek asks you.

    "Those wordplays were the Elven equivalent of them inviting you to a meal in their Clan Hall. They're indicating their support for your presence here, and leaving the door open for individual overtures from you." You consult a list you've made a habit of always having on hand in Tor Lithanel. "Miriel are dedicated to Vaul, so they're probably interested in Dwarven artisanry - seemingly very much so, as they're normally one of the isolationist Houses. Ellemakil are the ones most focused on building ties with Middenland, so they're probably supporting this as an extension of that. Tindomiel are one of the more magic-inclined Houses, so they might be the ones with the highest hopes for the Project itself. Mardil are traders, so they might be angling for some sort of trade link with the Karaz Ankor. Filuan... I'm not sure what their angle would be. They're Avelornian and Isha... Ishaists? Ishaites? So they might just be loyalists to the Queen as a descendant of the Everqueen, I suppose."

    "Which of them would speak Reikspiel?" Thorek asks.

    "All of them would have access to translators. Ellemakil are the ones who would be most likely to have members that speak it themselves."

    "I'll reach out to some of them, then. The War of Vengeance might never have happened if we paid more attention to Elven politics, though I'm hoping this splinter state will prove less labyrinthine than their forebears." He runs his eyes over the street. "We'll be here for the next week anyway - I've been told what useful materials might be found in Elven forests by Karak Norn Runesmiths, and I aim to see whether some of them can be bought with gold, rather than steel."

    You're reminded that Thorek is cannier and more willing to engage in politics than most Dwarves, and you wonder if it might have been better to go with a Runesmith that would have disdained the lot and stuck to the work at hand. But it's too late to change course now. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," you say, "or if there's anything that should be done to make your wing of the manor more suitable for when the Project begins in earnest."

    "Would they object to us digging out a few levels of sub-basements?"

    "I'm afraid so. The root networks under the city are apparently quite substantial and considered very necessary."

    He sighs. "Then we'll just have to endure."

    ---

    Egrimm, you have learned, keeps close ties with many of his Light Order contemporaries, and you often find him sorting through and sending out correspondence to them. It takes little nudging for him to open up about the topic of most of them: the internal politics of his Order, particularly the power struggle at the top. Alric, it seems, is ousted from the Magister Patriarch position in all but name, with Mira assuming control of everything but the external-facing branches of its infrastructure. It becomes routine that every few days Egrimm catches you up on the latest developments, half venting at the chaos this is causing within his Order and half exulting in the misfortune he feels his former Master deserves. Mira seems to be trying to execute a takeover in a way that leaves Alric with his dignity and doesn't embarrass the Light Order, while Alric and his few remaining loyalists seem determined to fight to the last. And one unfortunate side-effect of Mira's early success is that now she and her supporters are left to keep the College operating normally while Alric is freed from those responsibilities and able to spend all his efforts and attention on seeking support.

    Through Egrimm's reports and corroborated by a letter here and there to the Provostry to confirm what few details could be confirmed from the outside, you hear of Alric quickly learning that Mira's preparations for this takeover have been extensive and long-running, and there are no friendly ears left to him in Altdorf. A more sensible Wizard might have accepted defeat at this point, but at his core Alric seems to be incapable of knowing when to quit, and he starts looking further afield. You hear of his talks with Grand Count Konstantin of Wissenland, and how they sputter to a halt after Mira tips off her hopefully soon-to-be counterpart of the Amethyst Order, and Elspeth von Draken needs only exert a fraction of her influence for Alric to find that Wissenland is no longer interested in the Light Order's partnership in certain sensitive matters. You hear of him trying to insert himself into the Sylvania situation and being politely but firmly evicted after he demonstrates he's more interested in digging into the fate of the late Magister Patriarch Hexensohn than he is on making any sort of contribution to the ongoing campaign. And then he starts worming his way into Talabecland, and though the Jade and Ambers stand ready to repulse any attempts by him to gain influence within the Royal Academy, he seems to be working instead on some sort of internal matter amongst Talabecland's nobility that neither Egrimm nor the Provostry seem to be able to give you any insight into. News dries up, and you find yourself feeling like you've read half of a story only to find that the rest of it is missing.

    "This is what he does," Egrimm says to you. "He's a mediocre administrator but, for all his faults, he is still an extremely potent Wizard with keen insight, and extremely good at burnishing any deed into a legend. He's looking for another Apesto so he can ride it back into power."

    "I think I may be noticing a pattern," you say. "He's thwarted in Nuln by the Lady Matriarch of the Amethysts, so he starts poking around the fate of her predecessor. He's thwarted by Roswita, and then he turns his attention to Talabecland, where she tracked the peat smuggling to."

    "Roswita? Van Hal?" You nod. "That's right, you worked with her father. Did you get to know her then?"

    "No, I never knew she existed until she inherited. I got to know her later, as part of being Loremaster to Karak Eight Peaks."

    "You didn't continue on after she inherited?" Egrimm asks, his voice carefully neutral but his eyes searching.

    "It was her decision." You consider leaving it at that, but think better of it. "She had something of a phobia of magic - understandable, given her family history. I've worked with her since then, and don't hold any ill will towards her." That wasn't always the case, but Egrimm doesn't need to know the inner thoughts of your younger self.

    "Ah. Yes, well, you could be right. I don't think Alric would go out of his way to outright sabotage figures that prominent over being slighted, but if there's a way for him to get what he wants while also getting his own back, he'll take it."

    "Well, he's unlikely to succeed in Talabecland if that's what he's after. The Elector Countess used those merchants as the exemplar for The Neglected Front, and in the process of gathering the information for that she uncovered enough evidence to damn them a dozen times over."

    "In any case, he seems to have found something there to keep him busy," Egrimm says, flipping through a handful of letters. "I don't like that I'm not hearing any more of it. It would be just like him to manage some last-minute comeback and yank all his puppets back into line."

    "If it comes to that, I can make it more trouble than it's worth to pull you away from the project. We've got one of the most prominent Runelords of the Karaz Ankor personally involved, as well as an Elven Archmage who was old when Sigmar was young. Nobody's going to want to uproot such a promising tree before it bears fruit."

    "Mm," Egrimm says, clearly unconvinced. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
     
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    • Boney said:
    And then he starts worming his way into Talabecland, and though the Jade and Ambers stand ready to repulse any attempts by him to gain influence within the Royal Academy, he seems to be working instead on some sort of internal matter amongst Talabecland's nobility that neither Egrimm nor the Provostry seem to be able to give you any insight into. News dries up, and you find yourself feeling like you've read half of a story only to find that the rest of it is missing.
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    Boney said:
    "In any case, he seems to have found something there to keep him busy," Egrimm says, flipping through a handful of letters. "I don't like that I'm not hearing any more of it. It would be just like him to manage some last-minute comeback and yank all his puppets back into line."
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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but Talabecland is the province with the Karnos cult, correct? Perhaps Alric stumbled into them? I know the Hochlander cleared it of possibly being a source of trouble, but that doesn't mean Alric can't find some way to use it to his advantage, if he's as wily as Egrimm tells it.
     
    Damn, it really is unfortunate that for all his good qualities, Alric simply doesn't know when to quit. All this effort could be spent in a better way. I guess there's hope that his actions will benefit the Empire even if his misguided ambition doesn't succeed.
     
    Alric. Alric is starting to fall bit by bit. Will this simply be Von Horstman's revenge? Or will the fates have flipped these two fates and now a supreme Patriarch is falling to chaos bit by bit.
    This is really really distressing news. But I'm also interested if he's willing to move here in an attempt to salvage his ever tattered reputation.
    Eigrimm won't like that at first but they could reconcile... If Alric eats enough humble pie.(Never gonna happen).
     
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