I admit, my strongest opinion on what to do next is that it NOT be a quest to steal/dig up an artifact, especially not one we intend to use ourselves. For me, the rapid personal power advancement of quests is a way to be rewarded for doing cool stuff. Doing the research to cash in on our snekjuicer and That Which Shall Not Be Discussed is just receiving delayed rewards, but going through a whole arc for the primary purpose of the end of arc reward isn't my idea of fun.
So what the are our options post securing a foothold on Karak Eight Peaks, if we don't want to go down the Heist route?
1. Investigate Stirland and Sylvania and tackle Magical threats that Roswita and her Witch Hunters may not be able to address.
2. The reconquest of Karak Eight Peaks may take many years. Help Belegar establish a long run and sustainable stream of resources and support for the continued reconquest of Eight Peaks. Given the cruciality of Artillery, we might look to expanding our Nitrate production holdings to ensure the continual supply of artillery ammunition.
3. Return to the College, and study human Runecraft, Anti-Skaven tactics, expand our Black Ops arsenal further and publish and try to monetize our MAP Spell.
3a. Karak Eight Peaks will benefit from a stream of Journeymen who seek to accumulate combat experience joining the long term campaign to retake Karak Eight Peaks. Try to gauge further interest from the Colleges, in light of initial successes.
3b. Publish an account of the campaign in Karak Eight Peaks as propaganda among both the Dwarf Holds and the Empire.
4. Investigate the Northern Conflict and the Ulrican Schism. A strong cult of Ulric helps counter-balance the domination of the Sigmarites, and we have little love for the Sigmarites.
5. Explore the various cults of Ranald, and see what can be done to aid them and our god.
6. Look for a new court position in another Electoral Court.
7. Take on an Apprentice for the Grey Order, or mentor a Grey Order Journeyman.
8. Spend a few months with Anton and either try to match him with a Mage, or date him.
9. Join up with Asinarii's mercenary band.
10. Turn on Protector and wander the Empire, trusting Ranald to point you to things that need protecting.
I think there is little worry that the quest would vote for Artifact hunting post-Karak Eight Peaks. I've listed at least ten possibilities we could engage in post Karak Eight Peaks, and I am sure this list is hardly exhaustive.
Personally, I'd actually would vote for a Middenhiem option if it comes up. We have an inside with the Ulricans after all, and helping the Ulricans out to stick it to the Sigmarites sounds like something appealing to Mathilde.
...also I have this idea of Mathilde travelling around the Shire Stirland doing fireworks shows like Gandalf, ostensibly to help peasants become more familiar with gunpowder, rocketry and generally reducing the backlash from modernizing the military, but also (and at least as importantly) fishing around for any youngsters that rather need a collage education they can only get in Altdorf. Not really to get an apprentice of our very own, but dropping off a feisty young thing to the Bright College to learn how to really indulge that pyromania for the good of the Empire is probably worth something to the colleges as an institution.
If we go down the recruit Peasant potential wizards route, I think we would soon have to learn to interact with the Hedgefolk, since they are on the lookout for the Blessed Few, who are ironically prime College recruitment material. Odds are very, very high that in rural areas, the potential apprentices that we want to bring in to the college who aren't picked up by the Witch Hunters or other College recruiters, are likely in rural areas where Hedgefolks have a strong underground presence. The good news is that much of the Hedgefolk are made up of Ranald worshipers, so putting on our hat as a sort-of Priestess of Ranald could work.
The Hedgefolk, known by many names such as "Cunning Folk" in Middenland or the "Wise Ones" in Wissenland, are Human practitioners in the Old World of the ancient and secret magical art of Hedgecraft, such as the making of potions, amulets and other petty magical items. This disparate group of...
warhammerfantasy.fandom.com
Honestly, I can see Regimald advising us to join in ongoing multi-generational Grey Order operations to "collegize" the Hedge Folk, if we tell him that we intend to go down to the Stirland countryside and look for children and teenagers who have Magesight.
