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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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[X] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.
[X] Scout the rest of the Eight Peaks, to find out what other horrors are waiting out there.
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.

I like the dwarves. These grumbling murder midgets have grown on me.
 
[] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
[] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.
[] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.

I'm a big fan of this plan. Surprised to see people worrying about ending up in too much micromanagement as Mayor, though. We really only need to take a light hand, after we establish a few important things. Like, if we spend 0-2 actions a turn on our mountain (eventually 0 more often then not) we can totally replicate the successes we had in building the watch but on a much bigger scale. All without getting dragged down in micromanagement.

Seriously, people: "Mathilde's Mountain." I'm sure King Belegar would be all too happy for Mathilde to help the Undumgi establish themselves and get all set up with Ranald the Protector to help them.
 
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[X] Write a series of papers on the magical phenomena you witnessed. Or better yet, get your Journeymanlings to do the actual writing.
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.
[X] All this time away has made you miss your friends. Visit Anton and Wilhelmina.
 
TotallyNotEvil said:
See, I absolutely get that.

But our coin hasn't recharged yet, and a turn with two-three actions of scouting the everloving shit out of K8P will be far safer and more efficient.

And, as the vote says, Karak Azul is going to scout the shit out of the place anyway. We aren't leaving ourselves blind or anything.

Voting for Karaz-a-Karak is a vote for Spymistress, but if it's like Stirland, then we pick our focus.
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Good point, it's kinda weird that there are two spymistress votes without any indication if they are mutually exclusive or not, which they shouldn't be.
Changed my vote for outer spymistress.
 
Sinsystems said:
I will say right now that I am fully against leading the town, that is not the direction I want Mathilde to go down.
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Note, it's "essentially becoming mayor" as we'd be the Leader of the manling contingent... which is all manlings currently in K8P.

It's not quite "city building quest".

If you think about it:
- Karaz-a-Karak: Spymistress
- Tower: Wizard
- Leader of the Undumgi: Leader of the Watch

This is essentially our old job, swapping undead and chaos for greenskins and skaven, and with a heaping of good ale and appreciative dwarves to go with it, with journeymanlings on the side.
noliar said:
The top three at the moment are all among my preferences but I'm a bit worried that scouting for horrors isn't one of them. Should I drop journeyman co-authors for now? the golds and Panoramia should be about next turn. Hmm
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Karak Azul is about to redeem their shame of arriving late by scouting in force.

Given their King is one of the best military commanders the dwarves currently have, I have no worries about it.

We can simply wait for the Coin to recharge, swap to Deceiver, and take a long stroll through K8P.
 
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[X] All this time away has made you miss your friends. Visit Anton and Wilhelmina
[X] You've been out of touch for a while. Head to Barak Varr and then Altdorf, and catch up with what's been happening in the Empire.
 
[X] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.
[X] Scout the rest of the Eight Peaks, to find out what other horrors are waiting out there.
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.

*pops cork off champagne bottle*

This expedition has been a resounding success. Is there a threadmark anywhere that details how Matilde's actions have changed the timeline from canon? Cuz I think there should be, at some point.
 
[X] You've been out of touch for a while. Head to Barak Varr and then Altdorf, and catch up with what's been happening in the Empire.

[X] Write a series of papers on the magical phenomena you witnessed. Or better yet, get your Journeymanlings to do the actual writing.

[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.

[X] All this time away has made you miss your friends. Visit Anton and Wilhelmina.
 
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
This suggests a future catching up on your pre-existing study topics.
 
[X] Scout the rest of the Eight Peaks, to find out what other horrors are waiting out there.

[X] Write a series of papers on the magical phenomena you witnessed. Or better yet, get your Journeymanlings to do the actual writing

[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.
 
BoneyM said:
Elector Count spymasters are largely concerned with the obedience of the peasantry, the obedience of the nobility, stamping out anyone believing in things they shouldn't, and keeping an eye on the neighbours. Dwarves have the same concern but go about them in different ways, so the Spymaster would mostly be focused on non-Dwarves - greenskins, Dragon Ogres, regular Ogres, Chaos Dwarves, Nehekhara, and so on. You'd also have to keep an eye on the Undumgi, the Halflings and the Ulricans. There aren't many manlings near enough to be an immediate concern but you would have to make sure the Border Princes don't become a problem.
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Nice to know its contextualized differently but under that, is actually realtively similar to our old job when you add in the Undumgi.
 
[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.
[X] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
 
[X] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.

[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.

[X] Write a series of papers on the magical phenomena you witnessed. Or better yet, get your Journeymanlings to do the actual writing.

[X] You're going to have a rough time explaining your windfall to the Bursars. Better to get that over with.
 
BoneyM said:
"Do you ever wish-" Panoramia cuts herself off. But it's a fair question.

"I wasn't born a Dame. If I didn't have magic, I'd be in a thatch hut on a tiny farm, probably on my fifth or sixth child right now, unless a plague or a famine or some roaming terror from Sylvania had carried me off." That's the easy part of the question, but it's not what she was asking. What if you weren't of the Grey? "I love Ulgu, but I probably would have loved any other Wind if I'd ended up elsewhere. The duties of the Grey Order are possibly the heaviest - except maybe Shyish." A nod of accord from all. Nobody envied the Amethyst Order. "I'd probably be happy amongst the Gold," you say, nodding at Maximilian. "Just before my Magister examination, I realized I could be happy if all I focused on was learning all I could - as long as I had someone else write my papers for me." You nod to Esbern and Seija. "And the Amber... I've spent a lot of days on the back of my Shadowhorse, and I've found the wild can be addictive. If I had thinking company instead of magic in the shape of a horse, I might want to spend my entire life there." Finally, to Panoramia again. "As for Jade... I visited your College, once. It was beautiful. It would be nice if the products of my work was the same." You pause as your mind flits through the other options. Bright Order Mathilde? Likely even more at home on a battlefield than you are already. Celestial and Light Order, though... no thanks. "But look." You wave a hand at bulk of Karag Nar, stretching high above you. "Karag Nar. In the past thousand years, the only humans to ever know that name would have been a handful of Dwarven history obsessive at the University of Altdorf. Now it's looking like humans are going to be living in it. Karak Eight Peaks won't be a historical footnote, it will be a home for Dwarves and for Halflings and for men. The throats I slit yesterday were ugly, but the better tomorrow they've bought is beautiful." Your mind goes back seven years, to the first time your actions had resulted in blood. "We deal death to the corrupt to prevent the suffering of the innocent."

The moment stretches, as your fellow wizards allow you to spend another few seconds lost in memory.
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Mathilde herself engaging in a bit of "What If?" speculation. And none of those possible futures matter, no regrets here, I've done something beautiful with my throat-slitting.

BoneyM said:
And, it seems, you were right to be concerned. Perhaps your reputation had reached even the greenskins, perhaps Mork had whispered in some ears to be on the look out, perhaps it was as simple as one magic-user recognizing another. Inside the Citadel an Ork thrust his head forward, uncaring of the pain as it hit the carved stone to either side of the arrowslit he had been peeking through, and a shockwave of green energy flew forth from the motion directly at you.
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This is the most incredible display of Orkish magic I've ever seen. Nothing so fancy as a fireball, nah, just take my fucking headbutt and put in over there.

BoneyM said:
Perhaps he was masked by the crackling energies of the Waaagh from the charge of a thousand Orcs, perhaps he was unusually cunning, perhaps you expected a longer wind-up time than a single headbutt. If you had nothing to rely on but your wits, you would have eaten a magical headbutt directly to the face. But the raw and wild magic was met by a rising wave of tamed Runic magic. The energies of the spell are shattered as a Rune on your belt glows red-hot and a similar fire burns inside the brain of the Orc that cast it.
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Have I mentioned how incredibly OP our defense stat is? Because on top of Kragg's Fuck You Belt, she has that insta-heal button. Favors are worth far, far more than mere money.

BoneyM said:
Meanwhile in the Citadel, the greatest magic-user amongst them tied in vain to remember... something? His seared brain ached as again and again he reached for information he knew was there, but arcane fire had taken from him. His underlings were a little better off, and the two that survived tried to assist their fellows as best they can. The Waaagh energy that linked all greenskins solidified, and a tendril extended from the Citadel and was drawn towards the mob of fighting Orcs. You stare at it, feeling almost insulted. Surely this must be a trick. Not even greenskins would be so careless as to- but no, you can see clear as day that what you see in front of you is what there is. The shamans are trying to form an aethyric link between themselves and the Waaagh energy below them, and presumably once the link was formed they'd imbue it with magic and change its nature to one that would enhance the combat abilities of the Orc. It would be utterly trivial to reach out and sever the half-formed link, and you have to reach out and slap Maximilian's hand absently as he reaches to do so. With infuriating slowness, the link stretches forward... and just as it connects with the battlefield before you, you give it a poke.

Just a little one. Not enough to dispel or even disrupt the spell. All it does is pierce the aethyric membrane in exactly the right place so that instead of a single line through which the shamans can send energy, the link has become an enormous straw through which energy can travel. And the magically-created aethyric link of Waaagh energy was a thousand times easier for ambient Waaagh energy to travel through than the air between the fighting Orcs, and on the other side, amongst the shamans, the air permeated with Waaagh energy from the previous explosion was a thousand times more suited to Waaagh energies than the battlefield outside, with thousands of Dwarves and unfriendly mages and the disapproving gaze of Kragg.

In the space of a few seconds, every jot of Waaagh energy that had surrounded the fighting Orcs flew up the aethyric link and into the shamans' chamber.
In the space of a few seconds, the shamans were filled with the bloodlust of thousands of fighting Orcs, and their bodies barely contained the energy long enough for them to gouge fatal wounds in one another with bulging muscles.
In the space of a few seconds, every single Orc was robbed of the aura they had never known the absence of.

In the space of a few seconds, the battle is won.

Not a single man pauses to question his fortune as his adversary freezes in confusion and terror and the sudden disconnect from the Waaagh. Each cuts down the Orc in front of them, and then the next nearest, and then levels their pike and charges forward at those that had a moment ago been charging them, and barely a scrap of resistance is met before they disappear into the Citadel and out of sight.
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Holy shit, that is an incredibly funny way to display a compelled miscast of that magnitude.

BoneyM said:
"Spoke to Kragg," King Belegar says, shaking you from your ponderings. "He said a whole lot about how only a greenskin could be stupid enough to allow the opening that they allowed you. But after that, he said that he had no choice to concede that you were clever to exploit it the way you did, rather than just batting the spell aside. Needless to say, that's the highest of praise anyone, man or Dawi, is likely to get from him."
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Most gratifying part of this entire quest. Kragg-senpai not only noticed us, but gave us a compliment.

BoneyM said:
"Expedition's done," he says. "Could keep it going a while longer and throw more lives against the other Karags, but I'd rather use the current high spirits to purchase lives instead of deaths. The men..." he pauses. "Hard to summarize them. There's the Stirland men, there's the Ulrican men, there's the Knights, and then there's the... everyone else. Wouldn't be a problem except the everyone else turned out to be hard as stone. So those that accept my offer will be the Undumgi."

"Watchpost men?" you hazard.

"Watchpost would be dokaraz. Mingol if it's built in the lowlands. Und is a watchpost carved into a mountain, which needless to say is the best kind there is, just as these men have proven themselves. Anyway, they'll be set up in Karag Nar. Immediate access to the East Gate, and they'll have outposts at Und-Uzgar and at the Underway entrance. The Winter Wolves will build their new chapterhouse at the top of the valley on the other side, they like it nice and cold and up a mountain is the only place you get that down here. The Ulricans are talking of making a home in the valley, under the theocratic authority of the Wolves - it's not set in stone yet, they're going to set up a sawmill in the valley while they decide if they like the place. I'll gladly buy all the timber they can cut from it, and if they decide to move on they'll have a little more in their coffers. Stirlanders are taking their pay and heading home to buy a slightly larger field and a slightly larger cottage. The Halflings were already in, and once the defensive wall against Kvinn-Wyr is set up they'll start building homes throughout the Eastern Valley. And Clan Ungrund and Clan Huzkul and the Clans from Karak Izor will call Karag Lhune home." He sighs, a little happily and a little wistfully. "There'll be war on our doorstep, but such is the case for damn near everyone in these times. We'll keep pushing back what Grobi remain, and sure as the seasons turn, the Thaggoraki will make a play before too long. Karak Azul's lads will arrive any day, and there'll be plenty of work for them to do, and I daresay when word gets out that we've succeeded as much as we have, we'll be beard-deep in those seeking treasure and glory.
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Ladies, Gentlemen, and Those Who Lieth Betwixt, this world has become just a little bit brighter.

BoneyM said:
"The question remains, however, of where your own self will be." You raise an eyebrow. "I told you you're forever welcome here and that won't change, but I daresay you seek more than just a mountain over your head and ale in your belly. Near half a year ago, you told me you were strollendreki. Seeking a worthy purpose. If you think you've found one, tell me what it is and if it's within my power I'll move mountains to make it so. Otherwise, I daresay there'd be plenty of distraction to be found here in my Karak, for as long as you desire it." He watches you for a moment, and undoubtedly sees the lack of answer in you. "No rush. The next few months are going to be a mess, and there'll be a thousand and one ways to keep yourself busy until then."
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I'm going to start crying now.
 
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[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.
[X] Write a series of papers on the magical phenomena you witnessed. Or better yet, get your Journeymanlings to do the actual writing.
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
 
As long as the mayor thing doesn't last much more than a couple of years neccessary for Mathilde to help dwarven avalanche keep on rolling and for the shameful magical research backlog to let up, I am all for it.
 
Lazurman said:
*pops cork off champagne bottle*

This expedition has been a resounding success. Is there a threadmark anywhere that details how Matilde's actions have changed the timeline from canon? Cuz I think there should be, at some point.
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There isn't, but I can attempt a rough guess at one particular chain of events:

  • Abelhelm van Hal, leading a joint force of humans, halflings, dwarfs, wizards, and one dragonrider elf, dies on campaign in Stirland/Sylvania.
  • Mathilde Weber assumes command of the campaign and leads it to a successful conclusion with the destruction of Drakenhof, striking out several thousand-year-old Dwarf grudges in the process.
  • The dwarfs are pleasantly inspired by this success of joint forces to see if they can strike out some more thousand-year-old grudges that way.
  • Belegar suggests that now would be a great time to revisit his clan's thousand-year-old grudge in particular.
  • Expedition to Karak Eight Peaks assembles fifty years earlier than in canon.
  • Expedition takes on a lot more human help than in canon, plus wizards and halflings.
  • Mathilde Weber rides her Shadowsteed at great speed to deliver last-minute messages to dwarfholds of "Expedition now guys, last call if you want in on it, also look how much the manlings are helping and you aren't"
  • Expedition gets more dwarfs along than in canon, too.
  • Mathilde Weber sets fire to Doom Diver wings, disguises herself as skaven, shoots goblin leader, starts skaven-goblin infighting, and scouts out trolls, making dwarf attack on Karag Lhune a lot more favorable.
  • Expedition to Karak Eight Peaks now thoroughly diverged from canon. (Originally it went for the Citadel first and got stuck there.)
 
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[X] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.
 
[X] There's a lot of prime real estate currently unclaimed. Stake out a prime position for a wizard's tower.
[X] Travel to Karaz-a-Karak with King Belegar for the striking out of several well-aged grudges.
[X] You could help the Undumgi and the Ulricans establish themselves.
[X] Scout the rest of the Eight Peaks, to find out what other horrors are waiting out there.
 
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