In the Karaz Ankor, the marriage of a prince and a princess is not quite as uncommon now as it was before Kazador's many children were unleashed.
This is a consequence of Karak Azul coming into contact with the Karaz Ankor that I somehow didn't anticipate. Of course the tidal wave of eligble royal bachelors flooding from Kazador's hold would change the political climate, I just didn't consider it. King Kazador might have suddenly jumped to one of the most well connected Kings through sheer dint of numbers because of his children.
But a marriage between the heir apparent of an Old Hold and a very well-respected princess of a Young Hold would be some of the biggest news of the decade even before their involvement in the story of Karak Eight Peaks is factored in. Compounding that even further is that between the two of them they have had dealings with just about every Dwarven King and Elector Count in the Old World and made generally positive impressions across the board in the process.
I think it's sweet that Kazrik and Edda are getting the recognition they deserve. We don't hang out with them often, and they didn't make as big an impression on us as other characters like Anton or Belegar, but they deserve to be acknowledged for their impressive feats and accomplishments and I'm happy they can be together openly and happily.
As the guest list starts to swell and Hammerers and Greatswords across the continent begin to plan a trip to its southern edge, Karak Eight Peaks and Barak Varr begin to turn their eyes to security precautions to avoid a repeat of the attack on the Okral. Death Pass swarms with Undumgi, Blood River with Winter Wolves, Skull River with Rangers, and Black Fire Pass with patrols from Averland and Karak Angazhar. The Karaz Ankor is determined for this to be a joyous celebration, tinged as little as possible with the violence and tragedy that is too often the theme of Dwarven history.
May the future be prosperous for the Karaz Ankor, and this joyour celebration be a sign of things to come.
Zhufbar finds itself barraged with enquiries as to the state of the Black Waters canal, and though they must report that they are not yet ready to allow passage between the Reik and Black Gulf basins, their Steward takes the opportunity to personalize a reply to each inquiry to inform exactly how much time the project would save on a trip between their location and Karak Eight Peaks once it is completed, guaranteeing it as a common topic at the wedding among those that had to travel via Black Fire Pass.
Smart. Using the circumstances to advertise the benefits of your project. Wilhelmina isn't the only one making waves at these parties, and that's nice to see. I do hope the canal is pretty close to completion though.
Also taking advantage of the opportunity is Barak Varr's Slotchokri, the Riverine Shipwrights Guild, who have the lead ship of the newly-invented Waterfall-class passenger monitors run ragged taking passengers from Black Fire Pass to Ulrikadrin, showing off its speed and comfort to the many prominent individuals taking the trip.
This is the type of thing that is likely to be skipped over considering how dense this update is, but I am observing that there's a new "class" of passenger ship that was recently invented. Waterfall-class sounds pretty cool. It seems the Karaz Ankor are starting to favor convenience and comfort now that they're transitioning into a transportation based Empire with their control over the passes and new canals. That's good to see. May this hopefully lead to a new Golden Age.
There are two significant days in Dwarven courtship: the Barazdeg, Day of Promise, and the Harazdeg, Day of Joining. The typical Barazdeg consists of a day of festivities which culminates in pre-approved suitors presenting gifts to the maiden and her Clan for them to evaluate their worthiness, and the length of time between it and the Harazdeg can tell you a lot about the circumstances of the marriage. In this case, the Harazdeg takes place the day after the Barazdeg, which is a strong indication that the groom has already been selected and there is no need for the engaged couple to get to know each other. That or the bride's clan is utterly desperate for money or allies and needs to seal the agreement as hastily as possible, but that there's only one suitor that will be allowed to present gifts at this Barazdeg makes the circumstances of this marriage clear to all, even those who have not heard the gossip of the Prince and Princess getting a headstart on their nuptial duties and ending up with a strict and undelayable biological deadline for their marriage. There was a time millennia ago when this would be a scandal, but one of the many changes the Time of Woes made to Dwarven society is that it has become entirely willing to turn a blind eye to even the most heavily pregnant bride.
This is a lot of incredibly neat and sweet worldbuilding by Boney. I don't remember these courtship rituals in the books I read but then again I haven't read Stone and Steel and I don't have much energy to look things up at the moment. Whether it's original or not, I admire Boney's ability to make an entire paragraph about cultural practices regarding courtship and how it applies to a couple and make it interesting and enlightening, providing both character tidbits and cultural deep dives. The courtship rituals somewhat remind me of arranged marriages, which I'm well acquanted with considering my country, except the arrangements are for entirely different reasons. I'm glad Kazrik and Edda get to marry for love rather than political expedience, and that it worked out anyway. Probably lucky that they're both of roughly equal social status. Wouldn't want another Gotrek situation.
As the many guests gather in Karag Rhyn on the Barazdeg, you find a conveniently shadowed niche from which to monitor the many guests as they enter the Grimbrow Clan Hall. There's someone from just about every Dwarfhold there is, of course, including innumerable representatives from the many Valley Kings of the Vaults. Just about every Elector Count has sent at least a representative and a few are here in person, most of them traveling with an Elder from the local Imperial Dwarf population. Ostland is the only exception, likely because they're too far from any populated mountains to have any involvement in the affairs of the Karaz Ankor.
Unfortunate circumstance, and I can't help but think of the irony considering how Dynamic Alcoholism turned out. There really is no reason for Ostland to get involved in Dwarf affairs unless they decided to somehow get pretty nosy.
Kislev has sent a diplomat who has travelled the considerable distance with the nervous-looking delegation from Karak Vlag, the unnatural-seeming leanness of whom is even more pronounced when there are so many other Dwarves to compare against.
This might be the first major trip for these Karak Vlag Dwarves. I'm impressed they even managed it considering their general wariness and paranoia after so long in the Warp. I assume they still desire to reconnect with the Karaz Ankor. I still don't know how much they'll attempt to integrate back into Dwarven society, but this is at least a good sign that they'll maintain social connection at least.
The Royarch of Bretonnia has sent a representative, as have the Dukes of Carcassone, Parravon, Montfort, and Gisoreux, and their ceremonial armour stands out less in a Dwarven crowd than in most human ones.
All the mountain Dukedoms have a representative here, which makes sense. They'd be the ones that want to make a good impression to the Dwarves.
Most of the Tilean city-states have sent someone, as once it become known that Tobaro and Miragliano would be sending someone nobody wanted to be left out.
Tobaro is well known, I suppose Miragliano is close to Karak Bhufdar I think it was? I mostly remember it from Total War because it gets very little. Tileans are kind of like Dwarves. They hold grudges and they hate being one-upped by rivals. They don't know or care about this place, but they WILL come here just to rub it in their rivals faces.
Nobody from Estalia, which isn't really surprising as they're too far west to get involved with the affairs of any Dwarfhold but Barak Varr. And at first you didn't think anyone had been sent from Marienburg, but then you spot a Dwarf in the red and blue of House Fooger, the only Dwarven family on Marienburg's Directorate.
Poor Estalia gets nothing, but that is to be expected. I'm also happy that House Fooger is here. I've always had high hopes for them being one of the Marienburg houses that still maintain good relations with the Dwarves, and I'm not disappointed. I wonder if this is Arkat Fooger or a representative. Most likely a representative.
But states aren't the only ones who have sent someone, and you spot among the growing crowd someone that would otherwise be rather difficult to nail down a meeting with and make a beeline towards them as they sip thoughtfully from a flagon of ale.
"Magister Patriarch," you greet him. "Have you received the report I sent to your Order?"
He smiles at you. "Lady Magister, a very brief summary only. The staff at the College always have so very much they wish to report, and the kestrel they use only has so much carrying capacity. They relayed that the issue was an Athel Loren warhost, which was defeated in some manner."
I didn't know what a kestrel was before this. I assumed it was some sort of writing device, but turns out it was a falcon. I'm a bit surprised Paranoth is here, but I guess he might have been in the area and he wouldn't have missed a good beer and some food. I'm starting to get the impression that he likes food and drink.
"Broadly correct. It was a Dryad warweald aligned with Coeddil."
He coughs into his flagon and only just manages to keep from propelling some of it across the crowd. "Drycha?"
"Who?"
He blinks at you as he wipes his mouth. "Was it led by an Ulgu Branchwraith?"
"Yes, but I didn't get her name before I cut her in half."
He stares at you for a while, and sighs when he realizes you're serious. "I think we need more kestrels. Can you tell me the full report?"
This was funny, but also, I'm a bit surprised. I did not expect Paranoth to know so much about Drycha. Did this guy actually go into Athel Loren? Athel Loren isn't the type of place that's all that welcoming, and Boney has said that it's not like Drycha is a topic that Athel Loren actually wants to talk about. His familiarity and knowledge of the whole thing is almost as if he read the damn Army Book. Paranoth continues to surprise me. Was he boyfriends with Scarloc or something?
Yes, I know it's far feteched and odd for my brain to jump to that conclusion, but I will not apologise for having one setting.
You give him the full story, from your investigations in Gryphon's Wood to your dealings with Kislev to the showdown in the Shirokij. Paranoth nods along, asking the occasional question to clarify matters. "Whether the Schattenwald is itself evil or merely full of it is a matter of much debate," he says as you wrap up, "but it's a distinction lost on most. It is the nature of a society built on farming to be opposed to the forest, so there's no benefit of the doubt to be found for the Schattenwald. But those evils, whether they be native or invading, are largely focused in Ostland, so Ostermark likes to pretend they don't have to worry about it. Do you know much about the Boyar that Drycha was hunting?"
I suppose that's that. The Forest of Shadows is probably not evil. Just full of evil shit. Gotta respect the trees for holding out so long despite being a misterable place everybody hates.
"Boyar Kalishinivik 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."
The way that magic recognises lineage is always puzzling. My theory is that lineage only matters if the society/culture thinks it matters. In a society where Kings and Queens don't exist, "royal blood" means jackshit, but because people in this world care so much about bloodlines and succession and "right to rule" and nobility, castes and hierarchy, it ends up making it so that people are randomly more magical than others because they were born into a specific family, even if the family isn't all that magical in the first place. Power of belief and all that jazz.
"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?"
Again, he knows way more than any human should. He was definitely in Athel Loren or something. This isn't the kind of stuff you find in books.
"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?"
Mathilde got pretty defensive here. I suppose the expedition is still pretty raw for her. It wasn't a failure by any means, but it's still a sore that's nagging at her and she doesn't like it being poked at. Paranoth can also be casually insensitive, but he's also not the type to make those jabs in the first place. He's pretty good at shrugging things off. And getting lost. His mind wanders as much as he does I see. Kind of relatable.
"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."
"Well, that's worrying."
I guess Paranoth's statement on Drycha failing more than she succeeds is supposed to be humbling. Apparently Drycha's ass gets kicked more than I thought.
Also, while Paranoth has an inordinate amount of knowledge about all of this, at least he doesn't know where the Wildwood is located. I don't think any human, even one in good position, would be told where it is.
He shrugs. "If Drycha succeeds, it would probably be bad for a lot of people in the short term, but it might also bring Athel Loren to the negotiating table with their neighbours. They'd need help, and we want them to stop going on rampages every spring. In the trail of every conflagration is new growth that was impossible before." He smiles, and then looks into his now-empty flagon. "Best of luck to you and Grunfeld," he says as he moves away, making a beeline towards the many barrels forming a formidable wall on one side of the hall. You return your gaze to the crowd, and spot one part of it has already noticed that you're now unentangled and is coming towards you with as much determination as Paranoth was to the ale.
Paranoth is pretty callous. I suppose you could say he's looking at the bright side, but man, "this bad thing happening might be good because it means they'll come to us and that will make things better" is pretty cold. I suppose that's just part of his viewpoint. He was the guy that transitioned from "stop fighting" to "how can I benefit from this" in Araby pretty quick. It's probably how he survived so long.
"Mathilde, darling," Empress Heidi says as she swoops upon you, giving you a brief courtly hug. "It's always such a pleasure. Can we talk somewhere private? Very private, for preference?"
As the attendants catch up and begin to buzz with unasked-for comments on this, you spot one of the many Princes whose name begins with 'Kaz' and after racking your mind for the rest of it you get permission from them to borrow their Clan Hall, which would be currently empty but still heavily guarded. You lead the way for the Empress, discarding her courtiers in the hall and her Greatswords outside the Clan Hall to mingle with the Hammerers.
I assume the comments in question are probably asking for whatever the hell Heidi wants to do with Mathilde behind closed doors. Heidi isn't even trying to be subtle with meeting Mathilde by this point. I suppose it would be pretty difficult considering her position. Better to have people assume Mathilde is her lover than having them find out Mathilde is Heidi's partner in Ranaldism.
"Such an abrupt departure is the sort of thing that starts rumours," you observe as the doors swing shut and you run your Magesight over the room, confirming it's as empty as it seems.
She waves a hand dismissively. "Those rumours exist for every Empress, doubly so for the attractive ones. At least with you there's no way for it to cast doubt on Mandred's legitimacy."
With a mental shrug you accept that. You've never been one to care too much about gossip, and there's so much worse that can be and often is said about any given Wizard. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
At first, I felt the obligation to mention that trans people exist, but I noticed that the wording Heidi is referring to Mathilde specifically and not just women in general, which I appreciate.
"This," she says, producing a familiar wooden horse from nowhere in particular with a gentle spark of Ranaldian energy.
I assume that the spell used here is in someway connected to Poor Man's Face:
"Any valuables you or your allies carry become impossible to find by any search that is against your will or without your knowledge; even if a bag full of gold coins is turned inside-out, the inspectors find only a few crumbs and half a biscuit, or similar worthless items. Priests believe Ranald keeps the valuables for you for the duration, and teach that the Trickster God may not give back items that he likes overmuch." Page 229 Tome of Salvation 2E
I would find it amusing if the horse counts as a valuable, and I suppose that it does. It would also be a dick move if Ranald decided to just keep the horse for whatever reason, but he's not that much of a jerk. This is a serious situation.
"Has it stopped working?" you ask, taking it from her and frowning down at it. The Ulgu within does look... degraded? No, more eroded, gradually shifted from constant pressure that shouldn't exist.
"Quite the opposite, and that's what worries me."
You neigh at it, and it gives a rather vigorous whinny in response, far louder and more lively than the one you had weaved into it years ago. "Ah," you say faintly.
I like the casual way in which Mathilde just neighs at the horse. Previously, Heidi just unamusedly said "neigh" into the horse and it worked, so it proves that you don't need to actually do it.
"Mandred's interested in knights these days, and he'd have one of his dolls atop that and having it defeat all kinds of enemies. He used to complain that it wasn't 'bold' enough. Then it started getting louder and longer."
"And I take it there haven't been any visit from Grey Order enchanters." She shakes her head. "Didn't think so. This is entirely instinctive work. It bothered him, and the Ulgu in it responded to his will. Just a little bit, but over time that's enough for such a simple change. Has he been drawing in any energy?"
Gradual instinctive enchantment. This is a really neat way to reveal Mandred's magical abilities. Kudos to Boney for figuring it out. Every time we question how something is going to happen, he always comes in with a steel chair finding some creative way of doing it I didn't expect.
"No, thankfully. I'd have brought him with me if he was."
"Then I think you already know what this means."
"I know. I'm not here to talk to my Grey Wizard friend, I'm here to talk to Mandred's Godmother. You're..." She looks at you, considering. "Deceiver and Protector by nature, right?"
You consider that. "I suppose so. Night Prowler situationally, Gambler when I need to and when I want to get His attention."
I know it's not what I should be focusing on, but I find it nice that Heidi is easily calling Mathilde her friend, instead of just a friend of a friend. I suppose Mathilde is the only one who sees and knows the real Heidi, and there is a certain level of relief of just being herself. That's why she's able to come here and be so vulnerable. She has no one else to turn to, not even her god, for this sort of help.
In terms of Mathilde's designations, Protector is obvious. Deceiver is a funny one though. Mathilde lies, but she doesn't outright do it often. What she does, however, is that she states things in such a way that it causes a specific interpretation, and she doesn't correct people on it. She puts on a poker face while people twist themselves into the wrong conclusion. It's such an amusing interpretation of the "Deceiver" because she doesn't outright lie all that often.
"Right. You're sort of balanced, you have a relationship with all of Him. But my relationship is entirely with the Gambler. Even when I deceive, I'm... well, look at me. The stakes don't get higher than this, do they? That's the Ranald I know. I take risks, the boldest and most stylish ones I can find, and He's right there alongside me and together we ride out the aftermath and pick the pockets of those who couldn't. And I think that's why Mandred is the way he is now. Just as he shaped that horse, I shaped him."
"Or it could be purely inherited. Just as you are a magic-user, so is he. Or environmental, we get a lot of Apprentices out of Altdorf and some think it's something to do with the city itself, not just because the locals are familiar with us or because we're there to spot them." Or it could be you. There's only two children you've been involved in the lives of, and now both of them have turned out to have the potential to be Wizards. What are the odds that that's sheer coincidence?
It seems to me that Heidi is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, constantly chasing the high of thrilling, high octane adventures. She's been going her life with only Ranald by her side, but now she's developing complicated feelings because she can't treat her son as a pawn.
Also, I would find it funny if Boney gave Mathilde some secret background trait for making children more magical as a result of the ridiculous double 100 on the children. Keep Mathilde away from the children. She'll turn them all magical.
She considers that, chewing on her lip. "Well, even if that's true, it doesn't change that I need your input. I've been thinking about this ever since I noticed it, and it's not fretting about it I've been doing. I've been looking looking forward to it. I should be worried for my son, and don't get me wrong, I am, but more than that I'm looking forward to what might happen. And I'll roll those dice again and again until they all come up ones and I go to meet the father-in-law of our mutual friend, but for Mandred? For my son?"
Father-in-law of our mutual friend. Morr. Does Heidi know that Shallya and Ranald are married and have children? Or is she assuming just like Mathilde pre-Father? She could be a shipper who interprets Shallya and Ranald's relationship like Mathilde used to, or she might know that Ranald is a Father. Can't know for certain, but that cuaght my eye.
She grimaces. "Part of me keeps saying that he's not a chip I should be anteing, but another part of me keeps saying that he's already in the game and this just gives him one more tool to play it with. He's got the wrong father to live a safe life no matter what I do, so maybe I should see to it that he's as well-armed as possible. And even if it comes out in the worst way and it ruins any chance of him being Emperor, he's still going to be the next Grand Prince of Reikland, and we've had a hundred Emperors and thousands of Elector Counts but never a Wizard Elector, and that could do so much. The Empire would still have Marienburg if we trusted Wizards more, and Mandred could fix that. You're his godmother, you're a Wizard, and you have a more well-rounded relationship with our God than I do. And you're the only one, apart from Him, that I can talk to about this. Please, give me your advice."
This actually hit pretty hard. Heidi is desperate and vulnerable and she's clearly showing it. She isn't wearing the confident mask that she always does and that makes a lot of sense, but it is a new thing. I suppose she isn't used to this kind of situation. I don't know hwo would be.
Also, in regards to the "Marienburg would still be with us if we trusted Wizards". What is she referring to exactly? That Dieter cancelling the Colleges pulled too much manpower from the Marienburg situation? That having the Wizards onside would have made Grootscher Marsh winnable? I'm not too sure about that.
You take a deep breath and do your best to think. Your first instinct is that Mandred being a Wizard wouldn't work because that would almost certainly make it impossible for him to be Emperor, so he should be fitted with magic dampeners now so that he never develops the ability to call on the Winds at all. But the idea of taking someone who has the chance to see and touch the beauty of the Winds and smothering that gift in them is one you would feel great horror at recommending. You would rather lose your eyes and hands than your capacity for magic, so how could you justify crippling your godchild?
Damn, that's a serious statement. As usual, Mathilde views Magic as more of a blessing than a curse. She doesn't like the idea of being born without magic, and she could never condone ripping it out of someone she cares about. In this, I agree with her. No way would I condone this.
And besides that, it would be far from the end of the world if someone else became Emperor. Grand Duke Feuerbach of Talabecland is the most likely candidate now, but he's also a decade older than Luitpold and unlikely to outlive him. Given time for the younger Elector Counts to build a legend for themselves... Emperor Boris of Middenland, the man who made friendship with Laurelorn possible? Emperor Wolfram of Ostermark, who is responsible for the push for Dwarven infrastructure that is on the verge of revolutionizing travel in the Old World? Empress Roswita of Stirland, even? Who's to say that any of these would be worse than Emperor Mandred II? The boy is seven, it's far too early to have any idea of how good an Emperor he could be.
Of these I would appreciate Roswita the most. Having an Empress to tease sounds fun. Boris isn't as cute and it's hard to get a reaction out of Heidi, but Roswita is an excellent straight man to bounce lame puns and jokes off of.
And Heidi's not wrong about what a Wizard Elector Count could accomplish. Every Wizard lives with the knowledge that their right to exist is based solely on the Articles of Imperial Magic, and if that is withdrawn - as all Emperors have the power to do, as one Emperor has done - then the life of every Wizard is forfeit. It has been less than a lifetime since the Colleges suffered a fifteen-year siege as a result of their tenuous legal protections being withdrawn. But Grand Prince Mandred of Reikland, a Magister of the Colleges? He could lay down legal protections that could prevent the Colleges from ever having to depend on walls and enchantments to survive again.
Not gonna lie, this option sounds very appealing.
Or there's a third path, the same path as his mother walks. He could be taught to wield the divine magic of Ranald, and cement even further the influence that your God will have over the potential future Emperor. But this might be the riskiest option of all, as while the Empress might be able to pass unnoticed as a worshipper of Ranald, a potential future Emperor himself would be under far greater scrutiny, possibly that of Sigmar Himself. Mandred as an anointed of Ranald would need to inherit every scrap of cunning from his mother to have any hope of passing unnoticed. And being outed as a worshipper of Ranald - more than that, as someone so favoured by Ranald as to be granted the power to wield miracles - would be at least as bad as being a Wizard for his chances of becoming Emperor, and could even damage his claim to inheriting the title of Grand Prince of Reikland.
You turn the horse over in your hands as you try to reach a decision.
This one, not so much. It's a lot of risk for what I see as not a lot of reward. There is no harm in him not being Emperor. Sure it ends the Reikland Dynasty, but I'm not much of a fan of encouraging dynasties anyway.
Sure. I want Wizard Mandred. Let's go:
[X] Wizard
