Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

[Jyn Ryvia]

You joke, but that's how Morathi works. She counts as two separate characters each with their own model and stats. They have to be in the battlefield at the same time, and any wounds allocated to Morathi-Khaine (Little Morathi) can be shuffled to The Shadow Queen (Big Morathi, who has 12 wounds). Their special mechanic is that Big Morathi can only ever suffer 3 wounds per turn max, any instakill abilities only inflict 3 wounds, and that she can't be healed.

Not what I'm looking for, but Age of Sigmar rules can be pretty cool.

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Only three wounds a turn is becoming GWs go to for 'this is a badass'. It used to be a C'tan only thing.

New Abbadon is apparently a pain in the ass for most army's, (I'm a grey knight player, so it's not that big a deal for me., damage on all turns)

Expect mr everchosen to get the same treatment in the future.

 

[Codex]

Only three rules a turn is becoming GWs go to for 'this is a badass'. It used to be a C'tan only thing.

New Abbadon is apparently a pain in the ass for most army's, (I'm a grey knight player, so it's not that big a deal for me., damage on all turns)

Expect mr everchosen to get the same treatment in the future.

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Armour of Morkar should work like that. It fits the lore from WHF far better than its current 4+ Ward against Mortal Wounds (and only Mortals for some reason?). Really weird, but I hear Archaon is still popular because of Host of the Everchosen and his ability to help shut down Endless Spells.

IMO I think they need to resculpt Dorghar sometime in the future. Maybe when Slaanesh breaks out of Uhl-Gysh so we get that Slaanesh head. Would be a great time to restructure his abilities. Well, when they're done pushing Horus Heresy and start paying attention to AoS again.

 

[Murazor]

So, as an idea that crossed my mind just now, do we think that there is some kind of potential in a paper titled "A Full Description of the Catacombs of Mount Drakenhof"? If so, it could be a source of somewhat needed college favour and publicity for the K8P library if a list of notable tomes recovered by the expedition is included (obvs. excluding those that are going to Mathilde's private library).

 

[The Laurent]

Oh, by the way, something I didn't quite get is with Heidi, the Empress-Conwoman. Something was mentioned about her age and Shallya, what was that about? I figured it'd be best to ask here.

 

[LilyWitch]

Oh, by the way, something I didn't quite get is with Heidi, the Empress-Conwoman. Something was mentioned about her age and Shallya, what was that about? I figured it'd be best to ask here.

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Apparently the feeling that the Shallyan cult provides can also reverse/slow ageing to a certain extent. So Heidi was able to appear as an ageless vampire for long enough to pretend to be one to other vampires. Supposedly.

edit: bloody autocorrect

 

[Codex]

Oh, by the way, something I didn't quite get is with Heidi, the Empress-Conwoman. Something was mentioned about her age and Shallya, what was that about? I figured it'd be best to ask here.

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Heidi is far older than she looks, this is thanks to Shallyan secret rituals of de-aging. She had to work a lot to get it, but she brushes it off as "satisfying both the Protector and Shallya". Heidi had to look youthful for a good portion of her cons, including the one where she had to pretend to be a Vampire for 13 years. And now she's pretending to be a young woman from the Haupt-Anderssens.

 

[thisisinsane]

Oh, by the way, something I didn't quite get is with Heidi, the Empress-Conwoman. Something was mentioned about her age and Shallya, what was that about? I figured it'd be best to ask here.

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She's implied that she has used a Shallya miracle to return to youth. The exact price and mechanics of this process have not been elaborated on. Was there something in particular tripping you up? Because there frankly isn't much to work with beyond the basic shape.

Edit: Ninja'd

 

[The Laurent]

She's implied that she has used a Shallya miracle to return to youth. The exact price and mechanics of this process have not been elaborated on. Was there something in particular tripping you up? Because there frankly isn't much to work with beyond the basic shape.

Edit: Ninja'd

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Got it, I was just confused if that's something that Shallya is known/rumored to do (if secret), or if her claim was relatively extraordinary as far as that goes. So I was like, "Shallya can do that??"

 

[thisisinsane]

Got it, I was just confused if that's something that Shallya is known/rumored to do (if secret), or if her claim was relatively extraordinary as far as that goes. So I was like, "Shallya can do that??"

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Shallya is obviously associated with healing and there are rumors in canon that her father Mor avoids her because he is afraid of her convincing him to prevent anyone from dieing. I don't think it's an advertised or speculated ability, but I don't think it would be overly shocking to the people of the world either. On the other hand, my sources are the quests on this site and occational wiki dives so take my word with my own weight in salt.

 

[Codex]

Got it, I was just confused if that's something that Shallya is known/rumored to do (if secret), or if her claim was relatively extraordinary as far as that goes. So I was like, "Shallya can do that??"

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There are legends that say that Morr, Shallya's father, made sure that Shallya could ever focus on one person at a time, because otherwise nobody would die and Death was his job. It's a legend, but the existence of such implications bakes the idea into the Faith. She's pretty damn strong, albeit she's underestimated because of her area of influence and how powerful Nurgle is as a God of Chaos.

EDIT: I might as well hand in the Loremaster card if everybody's beating me to the punch.

 

[mathymancer]

I've never really thought about it, but it is a bit strange, isn't it? Shallya has some miracles that delay suffering and delay disease, and I suppose keeping someone young for a time is another case of Shallya delaying an inevitable fate. But Shallya also commands her followers to not halt a soul when it is time for it to depart, and stopping someone from dying from old age seems like a prime example of it.

I also wonder how much this fits with the theory that Shallya is Isha. Prolonged youth seems to fit less with Isha and more with the maiden Lileath. We even have an example of this, with the youthful looking Damsels.

 

[LilyWitch]

The idea that she can slow or reverse aging is unique to this Quest as far as I can tell but it's not *that* out there as an extension of her abilities and desire to reduce suffering. Though it's worth noting we don't actually know if Heidi is telling the truth there.

 

[Codex]

My theory is that Heidi proved to Shallya through her deeds that her continued existence on the mortal plane is of greater value than her eventual death, because her living for longer would help prevent more suffering in the long term. That is the primary way I can reconcile it, because Shallya is not extending the life of someone unless they provide a very good reason, and usually that means preventing suffering.

 

[Mopman43]

Pretty sure Mathilde saw another diety's power in Heidi.

Suppose for all we know she's a Khaine cultist keeping young with Morathi's ritual, but Shallya seems more likely.

 

[Codex]

Pretty sure Mathilde saw another diety's power in Heidi.

Suppose for all we know she's a Khaine cultist keeping young with Morathi's ritual, but Shallya seems more likely.

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Pretty sure Ranald has a say on what other God stakes a claim on someone he favors greatly enough that he spent his ill gotten gains from Mork and Gork on. Khaine is pretty up there for Gods he wouldn't tolerate, right below the Chaos Gods.

 

[Redshirt Army]

Got it, I was just confused if that's something that Shallya is known/rumored to do (if secret), or if her claim was relatively extraordinary as far as that goes. So I was like, "Shallya can do that??"

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In DL, at least, the cult of Shallya does not publicly state that they have that capacity, so Mathilde learning that they apparently can was a surprise to her too.

All indications are that this is a Big Deal in-setting, and apparently getting it to happen once was enough of an effort that Heidi has no plans on trying to go for a repeat.

So it's all vague and speculative, but it looks like Heidi went on an Epic Quest at some point in the past and got rewarded with a genuine Divine Miracle of Shallya for it, as opposed to it being a service any noble could acquire with a big enough donation to the Shallyan church.

 

[Codex]

I made some updates to some informationals. First is an extension of Goendul's profile:

Goendul is a practical and grounded individual, described by Mathilde as "someone with Hubert's practicality, but still within the Celestial College in more than name." She is a straightforward individual who sees portents and omens as a means to an end, rather than an end by itself. Goendul has been operating in Sylvania for a little while, perceiving the least bad omens (as there are never good omens) and trying her best to mitigate the damage. Goendul's desire to join the mining expedition was partly because she was in the area, but largely because the Omens were good, which meant someone had tipped the scales (likely Ranald through the Gambler coin), which meant things would go very well or be very interesting. She also had a desire to meet Mathilde, to see the "one who has cast such a long shadow in this land".

Goendul's power comes primarily from being in the open sky, and she needs to recharge under the sky if she's separated from it, or need access to it for certain abilities. Despite that, she has proven herself an incredibly competent and powerful Battlemage with a repertoire of Battle Magic Spells, such as Iceshard Blizzard, Urannon's Thunderbolt, Curse of the Midnight Winds and Chain Lightning, alongside the expected portent and divinatory abilities.

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Second is an extension to Ionel's profile:

Ionel seems to be quite knowledgable on the subject of Vampire dissection, as demonstrated by his butchering of a Varghulf. He has also stated that being close to the Drak gave him some measure of power, implying that perhaps the source of his power (Darmorak in Dark Moor) is perhaps connected to the Drak, likely through the headwaters, although he didn't elaborate. Ionel has some sort of Miracle that allowed him to transform the blood stored in Druthor (Strigoi)'s stomach into swamp water, and he possessed some odd glowing mossy substance that he rubbed on his wounds that he sustained. He refused healing from Mathilde, likely under the reason that the scars would prove his legitimacy as Darmorak's High Priest and provide influence to Manhorak's least known Son.

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I added Ioana and Mihnea's ultimate fate to their statuses under Stirland, but since Gustav was not helpful enough to specify who is decorating Roswita's mantlepiece and who ran away to the swamp, I had to make some assumptions based on perceived competence, which could well be false:

Ioana: Lahmian Vampire in control over the County of Waldenhof. More powerful than Mihnea and in an off again on again relationship with him. Currently being sieged by Roswita's forces with her trade revenue cut. Stronger forces as a result of cannibalising Mihnea's forces. Never got the handle on animal summoning, so she summons them before a fight instead of during, hoping to scare people away instead of getting into confrontations. According to Gustav, either Mihnea or Ioana has fled to the swamp and is being pursued by half of Sylvania's Battle Wizards. Considering the other is decorating Roswita's mantlepiece, it's likely the more competent one is the one who's done that.

Mihnea: Lahmian Vampire in control over the Barony of Mikalsdorf. Lacks magical ability and tried to supplement it with shoddy magical artifacts that Mathilde destroyed. In a more precarious position than Ioana, but his stronghold is protected by defensible wetlands so Roswita resorted to performing a siege. Trade revenue cut by Roswita. According to Gustav Jungfreud, one of either Ioana or Mihnea is decorating Roswita's mantlepiece, and Mihnea is the more likely individual.

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I added Druthor under Stirland. Another skull for the skull shelf:

Druthor: A Strigoi Ghoul King who took up the ruins of Castle Drakenhof as his lair alongside his not-fully-grown Terrorgheist who he likely fed some blood to in order to create a pact. He possessed a nest that contained a bunch of Ghouls and seemed to share it with an unnamed Varghulf. Druthor's lair was infiltrated while he was out on a hunt and his Ghouls were scattered, his Varghulf companion slain and butchered, and then ambushed as he was coming back by Mathilde's mining expedition. His Terrorgheist died and his skull was claimed. He possessed a weakness to Ithilmar, relatively rare.

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I apparently forgot to update Reinhild's profile. Additions in bold:

Reinhild Gerber: Imperial Gunnery School of Nuln graduate. Redhead with cropped hair, a missing ear and a patent on a repeating rifle possibly inspired by Dwarven revolvers. One of Anton's possible suitors, she was perfectly fine being his friend and engineering partner, providing the basis for the Gerber-Kiesinger Rifle that was later modified by Anton's knowledge from Gotri and advice from a Zhufbar Grandmaster Engineer. Close friends with Anton, to a physical degree, although neither desire to marry. Whether their relationship is romantic or platonic with benefits is unknown.

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I updated Edda and Kazrik to say that they're married to each other. Additions in bold:

Edda Grimbow: Member of the Karak Izor royal Grimbow clan and one of K8P's settlers and councillors, acting as Belegar's steward. She is ambitious and had her eyes set on becoming a queen, perhaps by marrying Belegar as her family intended, but she fell in love with and got involved in a relationship with Prince Kazrik, her fellow councillor. Focused on traditional Dwarven trade, she has an eye for machines and organisation but an inability to understand humans, leading to a deficiency when dealing with human production and trade. Scarred and Blooded as a result of leading Karak Izor's forces during the Battle for the Caldera. Edda has stepped down from her position as Steward of K8P as a result of her being with child, causing hurried nupital negotiations between her family and Kazrik's. Her family in K8P are overjoyed, her family in Karak Izor not so much. She is currently married to Kazrik.

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Kazrik: Prince of Karak Azul and King Kazador's son, he is Karak Eight Peaks diplomat and Princess Edda's paramour. Very friendly, personable and curious individual with an affinity for humans, he blossomed in his role as a diplomat despite his inexperience to grant the nascent Karak success after success. Embarrassed and mortified by his father's antics. Despite it being unusual, he practices Runesmithing in his spare time under Thorek Ironbrow. Not heresy as he is descended from Thungni, but unusual as he is royalty. He is currently married to Edda after a surprise pregnancy caused hurried nupital negotiations.

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Finally, some Tarni updates. Additions in bold:

Cleric Tarni: Cleric of Gazul vouched for by Gunnars, she joined the Drakenhof mining mission as the Order of Guardian's representative to deal with Undead. She is short, even for a Dwarf, she is quiet, intense, wiry and seems to be constantly watching Mathilde, although Mathilde can't tell if it's out of caution or curiosity. She wears dull black mail and wields a greatsword posessing an eerie blue glow that Mathilde is familiar with (likely the Flame of Gazul). As a Cleric of Gazul, Tarni's past is unspoken, but her fluent Reiklander Reikspiel and clumsy Grey Mountain Khazalid accent says quite a bit. She might be a canonical character from 1st Edition. Tarni is definitely not used to Dwarven endeavours, as proven by her matching the humans in speed when going through Drakenhof's tunnels, but she possesses a deep and wide ranging knowledge and understanding of various types of Undead and their weaknesses, as befits a Witch Hunter. She seemed to prefer staying back and using her crossbow, fitted with bolts tipped with the majority of the common Vampiric weaknesses. Notably she possesses Gromril and Ithilmar tips.

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I also added Nyklaus under Stirland with some attached notes:

Nyklaus: A minor noble rumored to hold interest in taking up Roswita's offer to serve as Markgraf of Sylvania. Name holds some resemblance to Count Noctilus' old name, but that could be a coincidence. Canonical timeline note: Nyklaus becomes Noctilus after Karl Franz becomes Emperor. DL Note: Horstmann is evil in canon, so don't take it for granted that Nyklaus is the same man.

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I also updated the Compilation of World News informational under the Player Created Informational post. It's under New and references Mathilde's reputation in Stirland and Nyklaus being interested in becoming Markgraf.

Right now I'm just contemplating whether it's worth it to continue updating my multitude of posts by this point. The only reason I made them was so that I could help clear up other people's confusion and serve as a reference point, but at this point, everything's become so convoluted and complicated that I suspect it's impenetrable. Am I actually helping anybody? I don't know. I think I'm actually helping myself remember stuff most of all. But if people don't go back to reference my work then I wonder if all this effort is worth it.

 

[Nerdasaurus Rex]

What fascinates me is that the power of Shallya's blessing seems to coexist with the divine power of Ranald withi Heidi's body, without curdling to Dhar or having any other negative effect.

It's the closest we've seen to someone holding two sources of magic within themselves without suffering for it. I suspect it's because the Shallyan effect is passive, and as such Heidi doesn't have to channel two opposing mindsets for it.

 

[Alratan]

What fascinates me is that the power of Shallya's blessing seems to coexist with the divine power of Ranald withi Heidi's body, without curdling to Dhar or having any other negative effect.

It's the closest we've seen to someone holding two sources of magic within themselves without suffering for it. I suspect it's because the Shallyan effect is passive, and as such Heidi doesn't have to channel two opposing mindsets for it.

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I'm not sure if we've seen any elven high mages, because they can have one type of divine and up to eight flavours of arcane magic running around their system at once.

 

[K von Carstein]

What fascinates me is that the power of Shallya's blessing seems to coexist with the divine power of Ranald withi Heidi's body, without curdling to Dhar or having any other negative effect.

It's the closest we've seen to someone holding two sources of magic within themselves without suffering for it. I suspect it's because the Shallyan effect is passive, and as such Heidi doesn't have to channel two opposing mindsets for it.

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Or maybe the gods have enough control over their own magic to prevent it from mixing with another god's?
Bretonnian Damsels also have 2 different Winds in their souls, and are priestesses. Maybe the Lady grant them some method of control too.

 

[Alratan]

Or maybe the gods have enough control over their own magic to prevent it from mixing with another god's?
Bretonnian Damsels also have 2 different Winds in their souls, and are priestesses. Maybe the Lady grant them some method of control too.

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Or three, if they're prophetesses. Although it's speculated they're sorcerers, and use divine magic to manipulate arcane magic like a necromancer uses Shyish to manipulate Dhar.

 

[Nerdasaurus Rex]

I'm not sure if we've seen any elven high mages, because they can have one type of divine and up to eight flavours of arcane magic running around their system at once.

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Elves don't put the magic inside their souls, they grasp it without taking it in.

 

[Romv]

What fascinates me is that the power of Shallya's blessing seems to coexist with the divine power of Ranald withi Heidi's body, without curdling to Dhar or having any other negative effect.

It's the closest we've seen to someone holding two sources of magic within themselves without suffering for it. I suspect it's because the Shallyan effect is passive, and as such Heidi doesn't have to channel two opposing mindsets for it.

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Do we even know if divine magic curdles into Dhar? Especially if there's no Winds involved.

 

[Nonevah]

I made some updates to some informationals. First is an extension of Goendul's profile:

Second is an extension to Ionel's profile:

I added Ioana and Mihnea's ultimate fate to their statuses under Stirland, but since Gustav was not helpful enough to specify who is decorating Roswita's mantlepiece and who ran away to the swamp, I had to make some assumptions based on perceived competence, which could well be false:

I added Druthor under Stirland. Another skull for the skull shelf:

I apparently forgot to update Reinhild's profile. Additions in bold:

I updated Edda and Kazrik to say that they're married to each other. Additions in bold:


Finally, some Tarni updates. Additions in bold:

I also added Nyklaus under Stirland with some attached notes:

I also updated the Compilation of World News informational under the Player Created Informational post. It's under New and references Mathilde's reputation in Stirland and Nyklaus being interested in becoming Markgraf.

Right now I'm just contemplating whether it's worth it to continue updating my multitude of posts by this point. The only reason I made them was so that I could help clear up other people's confusion and serve as a reference point, but at this point, everything's become so convoluted and complicated that I suspect it's impenetrable. Am I actually helping anybody? I don't know. I think I'm actually helping myself remember stuff most of all. But if people don't go back to reference my work then I wonder if all this effort is worth it.

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Now that I remember that this is a thing, I'll make sure to use it when i'm having trouble remembering who characters are.

 

[Alratan]

Elves don't put the magic inside their souls, they grasp it without taking it in.

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All arcane and divine spellcasting involves channeling magic through your soul. That's how they form spells. They just have immutable enough souls that they aren't changed by the process of doing so, unlike humans. Teclis taught the Colleges the basic elven forms of spellcasting, they cast the learn the spells they cast in the same way. They innovate their own versions, but the basic process is the same.

It's (at least some forms of) witchcraft that doesn't.