Remove ads

Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Voting will open in 5 hours, 41 minutes
Reader mode
Rafin said:
Johann has large rats, of whom I am sure that they have at least a couple of more cat-like than dog-like traits. Because they aren't either of the two.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Weren't they wolf-rat pups, and Wolf kinda sorta adopted them? Maybe as a big brother? I distinctly remember it being a thing, the pups running around with Wolf and playing with him.

It's not serious, but I'm not imagining things? Am I lol?
 
Vokivas said:
Weren't they wolf-rat pups, and Wolf kinda sorta adopted them? Maybe as a big brother? I distinctly remember it being a thing, the pups running around with Wolf and playing with him.

It's not serious, but I'm not imagining things? Am I lol?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It was a pretty notable part of the story, yeah :V. Johann and Mathilde retrieved some rat pups in one of their Skaven raids, and Johann raised them. Wolf was baffled by them until he figured them as puppies, so he basically thinks of them as weird dogs by this point.
 
Jyn Ryvia said:
BIG NAMES of the Cult of Myrmidia.

Allurian (-3567 IC to -967 IC)

Considered by many to be the greatest High Elf tactician who ever lived, Allurian wrote her earliest treatises on grand strategy during the reign of Bel Shanaar the Explorer. Allurian was a keen observer of politics and the study of the cultures and behaviours of species throughout the world, and her insights were even credited for the many military successes of Caledor the Conqueror (-2749 IC to -2199 IC). Allurian was a battlefield advisor to many of the Phoenix Kings until the reign of Tethlis the Slayer (-996 IC to -692 IC). She died alongside her king, and, like him, the manner of her death is unclear and a cause of much argument. It would be a grave mistake to call Allurian a Myrmidian, for she worshipped the Elven Pantheon and died nearly a millennium before the cult of Myrmidia came into being. However, since the translation and publication of her collected Elven War Studies, it would be fair to say that most serious Myrmidians are scholars of Allurian. Allurian's advice may be over 5000 years old at this point, but her insights into the most efficient strategies remain true even in the age of roaring cannon fire. 'Understand Allurian,' priests of Myrmidia say, 'and no enemy will ever survive contact with your plans.' The only text that Myrmidians rate as highly as a guide to how to prosecute warfare is The Book of War.

Berndt Lavaspear (-1842 IC to -1621 IC)

Berndt Lavaspear lived during the War of Vengeance when the Dwarfs struggled against the Elves. Berndt was a product of his time and most of his analysis focused on making the most of the Dwarfs' strengths while exploiting the Elves' weaknesses. Despite his limited perspective he is considered by many to be the finest Dwarf strategist who ever lived, and even Gotrek Starbreaker, who won the war's definitive victory long after Berndt had died, was said to have studied his dense and exhaustive texts. Many Myrmidians swear by Berndt's The Dwarf Art of War, though he is not as celebrated as Allurian. His text is seen as a reaction to the High Elf 's work, and he devotes huge sections to nit-picking complaints regarding Allurian's occasional oversights rather than providing workable alternatives of his own. That said, his advocates suggest that a synthesis of Allurian's insight and Berndt's critique makes for a truly versatile master strategist

The Dark Maiden (Circa 30 IC if legends are true)

The Bellona Myrmidia's 'Book of Transgressions' tells the tale of the Dark Maiden. She was rescued by Myrmidia and, in thanks, warned her of an ambush that lay ahead. Myrmidia sent her forces to flank the ambushers, resulting in the Massacre of the Three Gorges. This battle proved a turning point in the campaign. The Dark Maiden is referred to only seven times, but this has been enough for her to have an impact upon the Myrmidian cult. She is also rumoured to have produced a testament of her own, full of prophecies and world-shaking philosophical truths, though if such a work exists it has never been revealed to the wider world. Despite her relative obscurity, three separate Knightly Orders dedicate themselves to her, and two Monastic Orders practice a form of reclusive lifestyle inspired by her teachings.

Leonardo di Miragliano (1978 IC to 2027 IC)

Leonardo is commonly cited as the greatest human genius, a master of art and science whose insights and achievements remain peerless despite 500 years of subsequent progress. Myrmidia is often referred to as the patron of the science of war, and Leonardo was a devotee of the goddess. He devoted his work to her, depicting her likeness and deeds in many artworks, in particular the magnificent imagery of the domed fresco in Wurtbad's temple. He is also famed for his military engineering work, including the invention and fabrication of twelve steam tanks. Those who knew Leonardo said that he intended his war machines as a votive offering to the goddess (though the fact that he was sponsored in his work by patrons as wealthy as Prince Cosimo of Miragliano and Prince Stephan Franz of Altdorf certainly helped). The Imperial School of Engineers is careful to position itself as a secular institution, with a moderate Sigmarite bias (such attitudes being deemed as fit and proper for any major institution in Altdorf ). As a divinity with a particular association with the science of war, Myrmidia has many admirers within the school. Soldiers of the rank and file may well deem Myrmidia an officer's deity, but she has some of her most fervent admirers within the ranks of the engineers.

Mana-Lisi Galeazzo (2369 IC to 2401 IC)

Mana-Lisi was the daughter of Old General Galeazzo, castellan of Monte Castello. When the Orc horde of Ugluth the Vile attacked the fortress in 2401 IC, the defenders found themselves massively outnumbered. When Galeazzo was struck down Mana-Lisi hid his body, donned his armour, and led his troops as they proceeded to repulse three further attacks. During the last of these assaults, Mana-Lisi lost her helm, and the men uncovered the ruse. Their morale was nearly broken, and they began to talk of risking everything in a desperate sally. Mana-Lisi, a student of Myrmidian strategy, pointed out to the wavering men that if the Orcs were allowed to enter the fortress they would defile Tintoverdi's greatest masterpiece, The Five Seasons, which adorned the banqueting room. This was widely regarded as the finest fresco in the world, and she asked those who wished to defend the work to remain, whilst the others could go. Shamed by her bravery, the soldiers fought to the last. Three months later a relief force from Luccini liberated the castle, finding just twenty-five pikemen alive inside. Mana-Lisi herself had been slain by a Goblin arrow. To this day many mercenaries bear the heraldry of Myrmidia depicted with the face of Mana-Lisi.

Ennio Mordini (2369 IC to 2411 IC and then 2416 IC to Present)

Mordini was one of the most renowned mercenary commanders of Tilea's Era of Enlightenment. He claimed he was blessed by both Myrmidia and Morr, and it was said that to serve under his command was to court victory and cheat death. Ennio worked for Duke Fabriano of Lumbrusco, a princedom by the the Apuccini Mountains. Behind Ennio's back the Duke and his rival, the Duke of Organza, came to an agreement. Fabriano ordered Ennio to march on Organza, sending the mercenary to his death in a well-prepared ambush. Five years later, an army of mail-clad skeletons marched out of the mountains under the tattered banner of Mordini. They cut the armies of Lambrusco to ribbons and razed the city to the ground. It is said that Mordini has now re-fortified the city and established a court of the dead there.

Borgio the Besieger (2452 IC to 2305 IC)

Borgio, the Prince of Miragliano, was nicknamed 'The Besieger' as a result of his many successful military campaigns. During his life he fought against every major principality in Tilea. A student of Myrmidian tactics, Borgio implemented many strategic techniques, from employing cunning ruses in battle to inspiring his troops by leading by example and even mucking in with the construction of moats and earthworks. In 2489 IC, he defeated Remas at the Battle of Villa Vennia, where he famously goaded the Reman army over a freezing river and into an ambush. In 2495 IC, he defeated Verezzo in the Battle of Via Veddia where he is said to have hidden half his forces behind a small hill. In 2497 IC, he defeated Trantio in the Battle of Vittoria Viccia after luring them into an encirclement. He was found dead in his bath in 2305 IC, after having been stabbed with a poisoned toasting fork.

Valancourt of Nuln (2455 to the present day)

Notable Myrmidian strategists tend to devote themselves to understanding the grand sweep of war, how best to deploy an army, position a battalion, or utilise a regiment. The training of individual soldiers is considered important, but Valancourt of Nuln is unusual in that he has dedicated his life to the pursuit of expertise in the strategy and mastery of single combat. He is one of the most sought-after tutors of fencing in the Old World, and his students include Johann von Mecklenburg, the late Count Leos von Liebwitz, and, it is rumoured, the master assassin Vespero 'the Wasp' of Luccini. Valancourt is a controversial figure within the Myrmidian cult. His prices are extortionate, leading critics to claim that the Myrmidians are an elitist cult with little to offer common folk. Valancourt defends himself by pointing out that he leads a rather humble life, donating most of his earnings to the Temple of Myrmidia in Nuln.

Giovanni Marmalodi (2477 IC to the present day)

Marmalodi is a Myrmidian priest from Tobaro who has become a noted expert in siege warfare. His Treatise on the Deliverance of Castles is considered the definitive guide to the storming of fortresses by Tobarans. Marmalodi's style is brusque and unsentimental, and more politically-minded Myrmidians feel that he makes for a poor example of a figurehead. They point to his advice that fortress gates be made to be no more than four feet high in order to foil attacks by Giants and Ogres and cite it as a typical example of what happens if military strategy is prioritised over other obvious considerations. This lack of perspective has made Giovanni a figure of fun in cities such as Verezzo and Miragliano.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The lack of estalian names is rather curious.
 
As long as they can still make out and remember the outfit, Mathilde wouldn't be hard to recognize. What other Lady Magister wears a Witch Hunter hat and a belt covered in Dwarven Runes?
 
@Boney
If we interact with people aligned with Ranald's daughters while using The Father, can we dial Mathilde's tendency for terrible puns and wordplay up to 11 around them?

I feel that maximizing the quantity of Dad Jokes in the world is something that should fall under the purview of The Father, if it doesn't already.
 
HavocKeeper said:
What other Lady Magister wears a Witch Hunter hat and a belt covered in Dwarven Runes?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
A small correction, but the runes on the belt aren't actually visible when Mathilde is wearing it. They're on the backside of the buckle.
Boney said:
You examine the item, and find it to be a belt made of chainmail links of blackened steel, with a large buckle etched with a simple mountain; extremely common in Dwarven fashion, but you recognize it as the mountain that Castle Drakenhof was once built upon. And on the reverse, etched deep into the steel and filled back in with what could only be pure gromril, are three runes
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
MooseHowl said:
@Boney
If we interact with people aligned with Ranald's daughters while using The Father, can we dial Mathilde's tendency for terrible puns and wordplay up to 11 around them?

I feel that maximizing the quantity of Dad Jokes in the world is something that should fall under the purview of The Father, if it doesn't already.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Mathilde firing off dad jokes like depth charges, trying to hit the hidden daughters lurking somewhere out there? It's a hell of an image, I'll give it that.
 
Boney said:
Mathilde firing off dad jokes like depth charges, trying to hit the hidden daughters lurking somewhere out there? It's a hell of an image, I'll give it that.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I meant after we identify them, not just at random. As Ranald's dad-by-proxy to his daughters I suppose.

Punning mercilessly to total strangers would be a bit weird.
 
Jyn Ryvia said:
Mana-Lisi Galeazzo (2369 IC to 2401 IC)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Most of your posts is stuff that rings a bell to some extent. They've really done a great job at maintaining the identity of Tilea/Myrmidia from older Editions while expanding on it and they made reasonable changes. One interesting thing though, is this name.

Primarily because apparently they changed the name of the canonical character Mona Lissa from 5th Edition, who has the exact same story as you've presented, to Mana-Lisi. I guess it's slightly better since it's not just one extra S on the artwork's name.
 
Dragonofelder said:
Cython keeps members of his own race AS PETS??? For shame, ice-boi. For shame.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Don't kinkshame.
Codex said:
To be fair to those people, one of Shallya's strictures is "Don't waste your energy on your own happiness". It's a bit of a stretch to take this from your own happiness and extend it to everyone else, but I can see the thought process since Shallya seems to encourage a miserable clergy.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Knowing what I know, I wonder how they prevent massive burnout and mental illness among their own ranks.
 
Rafin said:
Knowing what I know, I wonder how they prevent massive burnout and mental illness among their own ranks.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I don't think they do. Keep in mind this is Warhammer, it is not a nice place and mental health as much as any other aspect of public health is not going to somehow be up to modern standards. And there is no spell to fix this... well OK there may be but that is Gold Magic. I seem to recall that back when we were talking about Eike in the context of her faith Boney said that the matter of self-care was one which the Cult of Shayla has strong debates on. So they at least acknowledge it, but that is not the same as all of them being in agreement as to how it should be addressed.

At a guess what efforts are made have to do with cycling out people who are burning out. It probably helps that they have traveling priests, so when someone with a very stressful job looks like they can no longer do it their fellows can just go 'right you are off on the road'. The wiggle room in that stricture is 'what does it mean to say you?' So an individual Shaylan asking for leave or some anti-stress measures would be in trouble with the strictures, but their boss telling them to take a break is probably fine in most places. That does put a lot of pressure on those who work alone or in small groups though.
 
Shallya is a force of good for the planet, so to maintain the "dark" nature of the setting, they made being a Shallyan an absolutely miserable experience. That's just Warhammer for you.
 
Shallyan worship is pretty fragmented. Many temples probably take a more or less moderate stance on that. I mean, there's Shallyans who burn down villages to prevent the spread of plague.

At a guess, the interpretation ranges from "No happiness, only working" aka memetic woobie Panacea, to "don't masturbate" (because there's always a sex take), to "only heal others unless you're seriously hurt" (because being perfectly healthy all the time would be nice, but also take a lot of magic juice), to "heal all equally, don't prefer your own loved ones".

And some of those are genuinely good things to do, even if it's a bit reaching to take them out of the stricture we have. But given that they're not centralized, and the inevitable errors in oral transmission or in transcription, there's probably a dozen versions with different phrasing floating around, each favoring a different interpretation.
 
BurnNote said:
Shallyan worship is pretty fragmented. Many temples probably take a more or less moderate stance on that. I mean, there's Shallyans who burn down villages to prevent the spread of plague.

At a guess, the interpretation ranges from "No happiness, only working" aka memetic woobie Panacea, to "don't masturbate" (because there's always a sex take), to "only heal others unless you're seriously hurt" (because being perfectly healthy all the time would be nice, but also take a lot of magic juice), to "heal all equally, don't prefer your own loved ones".

And some of those are genuinely good things to do, even if it's a bit reaching to take them out of the stricture we have. But given that they're not centralized, and the inevitable errors in oral transmission or in transcription, there's probably a dozen versions with different phrasing floating around, each favoring a different interpretation.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I would even say that they are the most fragmented of the major cults, possibly even more then some of the illegal ones.

So having a range of interpretations is expected.
 
Jyn Ryvia said:
I would even say that they are the most fragmented of the major cults, possibly even more then some of the illegal ones.

So having a range of interpretations is expected.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Verena is more fragmented. At least the Cult of Shallya has a nominal Head and primary temple in Couronne. Verena doesn't have one because each Temple is effectively self governing sects of their own. Shallyans at least cooperate with each other sometimes to maximise their ability to help other people.
 
Codex said:
Verena is more fragmented. At least the Cult of Shallya has a nominal Head and primary temple in Couronne. Verena doesn't have one because each Temple is effectively self governing sects of their own. Shallyans at least cooperate with each other sometimes to maximise their ability to help other people.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
right, forget about the cult of Verena and Ranald.

I think I always think of the Cult of Shallya as the most fragmented because its the one that is most often described as directly or indirectly affected by its lack of holistic coordination or willingness to play for the long game over 'help now'.
 
Last edited:
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Voting will open in 5 hours, 41 minutes
Remove ads
Back
Top