Remove ads

Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Reader mode
Codex said:
If it's Drycha behind this, then she's as much of an "Asrai" as Archaon is "Imperial". She utterly and completely despises Elves and wants to wipe them all out from the face of the earth because she blames them for everything wrong with the world.

You know that comic where a guy falls off his bike, clutches his knees and calls out someone's name for no reason, blaming them for it? That's Drycha.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Fair enough, though my point was mainly that whatever is in the woods, we might not have to muck about with it directly. Whether that's elves or Drycha is beside the point, since they both sound like something we want to steer clear of.
 
mathymancer said:
By the way, the spell the Hedgewise used was almost certainly this one:

With thanks to @Codex for writing the definitive Hedgewise primer.

The whole breaking a bone thing is a quest original effect, I think - there's a Hedgewise spell that uses a bone buried under a hedge as a component but it doesn't really fit how it was used here.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The majority of the magical effects present in the update, including the stuff that the villagers have, are present in my primer. I was going to go over them, but it eases up on me if someone else does it. These are three different spells available in my primer:
Boney said:
Every axe of the village has runes carved in the haft by thorns cut when Mannsleib was in wane. Every man of the village wears a pouch of bat-leather filled with herbs to ward off misfortune and maladies, and every woman the wings of a dragonfly to ward off the attention of the dead and damned.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I know Boney would have 100% done this without me, but it makes me proud to know that I helped make things easier for him in one way shape or form.
 
Great update!
Concluded or opportune for me.
We know enough about it that we can file it away, in my opinion, but since we are interested in working with Kislev it does give us an intriguing opportunity to use.
 
Angelform said:
We have learned much, little of it good.

The most far-reaching thing we learned is that the Hedgewise, regardless of what secrets they may have, would be nigh-worthless for the Waystone Project. They lean far too much towards Mysticism to be able to translate their knowledge into a framework others can use. Thorek in particular would be utterly alien paradigm.
A shame but better to learn that now than during, or worse yet after, recruitment.

Neither of those are something we want to mess with. Not without a darn good reason and plenty of backup.
The Ice Witches might be an opportunity, but there is a hefty cost to it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

To be honest I think trying to judge any magical tradition by a few hours interacting with one practitioner would be a bit premature. The most we have learned here was that they do indeed lean towards mysticism more than the colleges, though we could have assumed that with reasonable confidence even before this brief interaction just by the nature of who their members are. They simply do not have the means to be systematic and rigorous and without the foundation of elf teaching they would have no foundation to build that rigor on.

Hell the simple fact that the Hedgewise found a place that was 'as steeped in their magic as the colleges' without an elf arch-mage to make it for them is deeply impressive.
 
Incomplete seems like the max dwarf infection vote; but the other work with Kislev/local authorities options are also interesting.

At any rate leaving it right now seems like doing only half of the job; it'd certainly be a stain on Mathilde's overachieving reputation.

Angelform said:
The most far-reaching thing we learned is that the Hedgewise, regardless of what secrets they may have, would be nigh-worthless for the Waystone Project. They lean far too much towards Mysticism to be able to translate their knowledge into a framework others can use. Thorek in particular would be utterly alien paradigm.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Differing paradigms is just what we need - the more alien they are the less likely are they to be redundant to elf knowledge. Thorek is going to be very far away from any magical paradigm regardless - just because elves or the standard College paradigm might be more... 'scientific' that doesn't really make it friendlier to Runesmithing.
 
Boney said:
[ ] Opportune
There are individuals and organizations within Kislev you would benefit from a closer relationship with, and this presents an opportunity to forge those relationships. Offer your services to Kislev in restoring order to the region.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
We really should have shifted our coin to it's new face. Since we're already here this deep, we might as well be blatant with our recruitment offers to Kislev. Especially since we know there is something going on with their Waystone, or at least the path the energy of their waystone takes.
 
Zero Gravitas said:
Incomplete seems like the max dwarf infection vote; but the other work with Kislev/local authorities options are also interesting.

At any rate leaving it right now seems like doing only half of the job; it'd certainly be a stain on Mathilde's overachieving reputation.



Differing paradigms is just what we need - the more alien they are the less likely are they to be redundant to elf knowledge. Thorek is going to be very far away from any magical paradigm regardless - just because elves or the standard College paradigm might be more... 'scientific' that doesn't really make it friendlier to Runesmithing.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I mean eh... we know elf magic and runesmithing worked together in the Golden Age, which we can say for no other magical tradition.

That said the colleges are not the Archmages of the Tower of Hoeth, much less are they the elf mages of the Golden Age, nor is Thorek a runelord of that long passed time. We cannot do it the way they did, I think exploring alternative routes, even at the risk of dead ends is more than worth the risk.
 
Just going to Kislev and saying "so I discovered this thing on the Southern Oblast border with Ostermark, what do you want to do about it?" Seems like a good plan to me. Don't really have to get involved further if we don't want to go up against Drycha, but informing Kislev seems like something we should do.
 
Boney said:
Ryazan
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Heh, was it you or GW that sneaked a real city name here?

Stopping here should be fine, but I think we should at least consult with Laurelorn. Even if they have no interest in getting involved, they may provide some insight about what could be going on, and Mathilde is one of the best people to simply ask.
 
OK so from gathered context we can be pretty certain that Haletha is ranalds daughter, which can inform our further handling of the Nordland Hedgewise. Also we do want Kislev on board of the waystone project, if not now then latter, and being able to call in a favor for that will be helpful. Also if it's drycha then why is she in the forst of shadows? She hates elves, might this be a host to threaten Laurelorn?
 
Codex said:
The majority of the magical effects present in the update, including the stuff that the villagers have, are present in my primer. I was going to go over them, but it eases up on me if someone else does it. These are three different spells available in my primer:
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If this is an invitation then I am happy to accept.


Codex said:
Dagger of the Art: Using a thorn cut when Mannisleb is new, you craft a wooden dagger. The weapon is magical and deals significant additional damage to spirits and "Chaos Tainted Creatures". The Dagger lasts for roughly a minute, but you can struggle to make it last a bit longer.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The axes are enchanted magical weapons, extra strong against spirits and Chaos. This isn't the Hedgewise making the lumberjacks better at lumberjacking, this is the Hedgewise helping a community living next to some very spooky creatures defend itself.
Codex said:
Protection Pouch: Using a small leather pouch made from the flesh of a bat, the user creates a few small purple herbs. Whoever holds all of these herbs have a bonus to resisting magic, poison and disease for as long as it lasts. The herbs last for 1 week per magic level.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The pouchs defend against disease, which is always nice, and against poison and magic which again is relevant to people living next to the Forest of Shadows.
Codex said:
Sightstep: Using the wings of a dragonfly that has been killed with a silver pin, the user obscures themself with the Hedge. Individuals with the "magical sense" skill get nothing from one who has cast sightstep. Daemons, Spirits and ethereal creatures find it much harder to detect whoever has cast the spell.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The dragonfly wings 'ward off the attention of the dead and damned', just as the update says.

In addition, there are some other effects alluded to:
Boney said:
And despite their relative isolation, the rare dalliances that the young women of the village are able to enjoy with Ostermark cityfolk and Kislevite sailors very reliably provide fresh branches to what could otherwise be very narrow and gnarled family trees.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This is probably thanks to the fertility spell Haletha's Joy:
Codex said:
Haletha's Joy: Using a rod of poplar polished with beeswax on Sonnstill, the user can bless a couple. Assuming the partners are fertile, conception is guaranteed. Lasts for 1 day per magic level or until it is used up.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Boney said:
And when the young and strong are away delivering the bounty of Gerdouen to the city, they do so believing that their mothers and aunts are watching over them from the other side of the Hedge - which must be as welcome for the journey to and back as it would be frustrating when presented with the many intriguing and expensive varieties of sin available in the city.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This probably means that the Hedgewise send someone using Hedgewalk to accompany those men:
Codex said:
Hedgewalk: Using a bone that has been buried beneath a hedgerow for 1 month, the user sends their spirit into the Hedge. The body is considered helpless while the soul can wander. The soul is still limited by physical boundaries, but is completely invisible and silent to anyone in the physical realm. Spirits, ethereal creatures and Daemons are visible and may be interacted with. The soul cannot interact with things in the physical realm. The spell lasts for one hour per magic level, but can end prematurely by touching the physical body with the spirit.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

...also, is it possible that Athel Loren sent someone after our Ghyran nut, which is likely an acorn from the Oak of Ages? Has Mathilde procrastinating on her backlog finally doomed us all, as was once prophecized?
 
[X] Opportune

This has the opportunity to give us not just ice witches but hag witches, who are most interested in the southern oblast. On top of that if we ask for elf help with an issue in Kislev is is less of a concern than if we had done the same for an imperial one. Granted we would have to sell them on the benefits of getting Kislev involved in the conflict but I think we can swing that.
 
I like this conclusion overall. I was ambivalent about the Hedgewise at first, with some positive inclinations out of pure general curiosity, but the amount of hype and expectations that built up around them was exhausting. They seem to prefer to be left alone and I couldn't be happier about that.
mathymancer said:
...also, is it possible that Athel Loren sent someone after our Ghyran nut, which is likely an acorn from the Oak of Ages?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Boney said:
An Asrai warhost or a murder of Dryads, ... And it means you can go back to your leaders and tell them that Ostermark need only ride out the ripples from the creature splashing about."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
They are hunting a Squirrel of the Ages that got away, calling it now.
WorldSlayer said:
Incomplete seems like a good choice. We can get some bonus points with Kislev by telling them what's up (if they don't already know) and working with them to work out more details about the situation.

Going further by offering them promise to help out is both personally risky for Mathilde and Johann since wood elves are dangerous and could also eat into our next turn's actions even if things go well.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Paranoth told us that he needs us to investigate because he will be busy with countering druidic influence that will get a boost from having someone on the Waystone Project. The same druidic influence that Panoramia is stressing about, so going above and beyond here could be indirectly beneficial for her.

[X] Opportune
 
Last edited:
Boney said:
"Will this be a ritual? What will it entail?"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's both a spell and a ritual. (Or a ritual and a spell.) Because it's more powerful/resonant if it's at the boundary between the two.
"Tch. Colleges." She reaches into a bowl on the mantle and pulls out a fistful of ash, which she throws at the northern wall. The timbers shudder and begin to part, but instead of the village that should be beyond you find yourself looking with mundane senses at something you have only ever seen with Magesight. The life of the river and the forest beyond unfolds before you in overlaid energies, the soft, faint slow-souls of the trees and the darting energies of animals twinkling like dying embers. But beyond all of the mundane energies of forest life and the occasional flaring oddity that seems to sense your attention and dart out of the way, is a blazing sun of shadowed energies.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Here's that "sevirscope" idea the thread has long theorized about. Turns out the Hedgewise invented it long ago.

This also presents an obvious problem with the concept: Be very very careful when looking up. Because what you see can look back at you.
The matter is:
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
[ ] Slaying Time!
Trees can only sate Branulhune's hunger for so long. Seek victory and glory in vanquishing the enemies of Order! :V
Potus said:
I'm curious to see who the other magesight roll was for
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I'd guess it was a roll to find out if Drycha was able to identify Mathilde looking at her, and possibly find where Mathilde was viewing her from. Luckily, it looks like we avoided that, probably.
 
Last edited:
[X] Opportune
There are individuals and organizations within Kislev you would benefit from a closer relationship with, and this presents an opportunity to forge those relationships. Offer your services to Kislev in restoring order to the region.
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top