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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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pucflek said:
Mathilde gathering suitable materials. :V

You already have the pertinent information about the author, @Boney .

Alternate title: How to address taller people.
Edit: https://www.deviantart.com/kartstudiodigi adding link to author for clarity.
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It seems someone's intelligence network has gotten an updated portrait of Mathilde, since she's wearing her hair in braids now.

I hate to point it out, but the belt has a small mistake: the runes are on the backside of the buckle, with the front being an image of the mountain Drakenhof castle stood on.
 
NuclearConsensus said:
the belt thing
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This is a consistent 'mistake' in fanart of Mathilde. I count seven different portraits of Mathilde in which the belt is visible, and every single one of them has the runes on the buckle.

My headcanon is that in-universe portraits of Mathilde suffer from the same issue, and that in the future "what's drawn on the buckle of the Belt of the Unshackled Mountain" will be one of those trivia trick questions like "who invented the MAPP".
 
mathymancer said:
This is a consistent 'mistake' in fanart of Mathilde. I count seven different portraits of Mathilde in which the belt is visible, and every single one of them has the runes on the buckle.

My headcanon is that in-universe portraits of Mathilde suffer from the same issue, and that in the future "what's drawn on the buckle of the Belt of the Unshackled Mountain" will be one of those trivia trick questions like "who invented the MAPP".
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I noticed the same detail of it being consistent, which is why I waffled on pointing it out before eventually deciding to do so. It's an understandable thing, since the runes are so much more prominent in one's mind compared to the mountain. They, or more precisely, their effects, come up a lot more than the mountain does in the quest.

The same probably holds true in-universe? They're just so much more important, and impressive, that depicting them instead of the mountain is just the obvious thing to do. I imagine Kragg would be quite miffed if he found out though. He probably put them on the back for a reason!
 
NuclearConsensus said:
The same probably holds true in-universe? They're just so much more important, and impressive, that depicting them instead of the mountain is just the obvious thing to do. I imagine Kragg would be quite miffed if he found out though. He probably put them on the back for a reason!
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They're obvious to us because we know about them. Personally, I think they're on the back so nobody will know there are Runes on the belt, and that's probably true for the vast majority of people, including artists painting portraits of her.

Like, if people know the magic is in the belt they might try and steal or remove it. Better that nobody knows how she does the things enabled by the belt.
 
pucflek said:
Mathilde gathering suitable materials. :V

You already have the pertinent information about the author, @Boney .

Alternate title: How to address taller people.
Edit: https://www.deviantart.com/kartstudiodigi adding link to author for clarity.
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I really like the emotion in this. Unlike most enemies Mathilde fights, she didn't really have any strong feelings about the Wargrove of Woe. Fighting against them was a means to an end. This is the look of someone distracted by trying to keep straight the chain of doing a favour for X so they lean on Y to get Z to assist with the task she's actually trying to achieve.
 
It's Mathildian diplomacy in a nutshell—kill stuff so that their enemies have no choice but to be your friends.

It worked on Abel (Stirland League), Roswita (Alka-whatever), the dwarves (Skaven, Orcs, and Demons), Eshin Friend (Mors), and Kislev (Kul and Drycha), and the Bretonnians and the Druchi have both made it as an explicit offer (Chaos Orcs and other Druchi).
 
Nerdasaurus Rex said:
It's Mathildian diplomacy in a nutshell—kill stuff so that their enemies have no choice but to be your friends.

It worked on Abel (Stirland League), Roswita (Alka-whatever), the dwarves (Skaven, Orcs, and Demons), Eshin Friend (Mors), and Kislev (Kul and Drycha), and the Bretonnians and the Druchi have both made it as an explicit offer (Chaos Orcs and other Druchi).
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When you put it like that, it's really surprising we don't use Protector more often.
 
Boney said:
This is the look of someone distracted by trying to keep straight the chain of doing a favour for X so they lean on Y to get Z to assist with the task she's actually trying to achieve.
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Eike was completely wrong :p:V
Boney said:
When she engages in diplomacy, she does not do so in the traditional means and methods of diplomats and ambassadors. In a world of circuitous maneuvers she charts a course directly towards her intended destination. When such methods fail, they are the hallmark of one completely inept at diplomacy; when they succeed, they alter the very course of history.
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I bet the other faces would be used more often if the gambler was more of a gamble to use, like if Boney did the equivalent of flipping a coin to see if it would proc for a turn instead of auto +20 to an action. Which is still a gamble if it will succeed but it's too nice of a bonus to pass up most of the time if it's certain to happen.
 
Dark as Silver said:
Eike was completely wrong :p:V
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Otto von Bitternach, engaing in circuitous maneuvers: "I want Marienburg to call off their blockade. I have an idea: first I'll have the second fleet pick a fight with Chaos, then I'll have my agents whisper in the ears of Bretonnian and Kislevite leadership that the blockade is stopping the first fleet from joining the fight. Combine that with perssure from our allies in Barak Varr, and Ulthuan will realize that supporting Marienburg is far too risky. With them removed the Directorate won't have the guts to confront us, and Marienburg will be defanged."

Mathilde Weber, engaging in circuitous maneuvers: "I want Kislev to help me. I have an idea: I'll kill someone they dislike. I'm a goddam genius."
 
mathymancer said:
Otto von Bitternach, engaing in circuitous maneuvers: "I want Marienburg to call off their blockade. I have an idea: first I'll have the second fleet pick a fight with Chaos, then I'll have my agents whisper in the ears of Bretonnian and Kislevite leadership that the blockade is stopping the first fleet from joining the fight. Combine that with perssure from our allies in Barak Varr, and Ulthuan will realize that supporting Marienburg is far too risky. With them removed the Directorate won't have the guts to confront us, and Marienburg will be defanged."

Mathilde Weber, engaging in circuitous maneuvers: "I want Kislev to help me. I have an idea: I'll kill someone they dislike. I'm a goddam genius."
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Nerdasaurus Rex said:
It's Mathildian diplomacy in a nutshell—kill stuff so that their enemies have no choice but to be your friends.
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Dark as Silver said:
Eike was completely wrong :p:V
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"What is the plan, Master?"
"After we get there, we'll do a little talking, a little stabbing, some schmoozing, some stabbing, some convincing, and finally some stabbing."
"... You said stabbing three times, Master."
"I like stabbing! And it's super effective under the right circumstances. Everyone in this world has somebody they want dead."
"I see..."
 
Boney said:
I really like the emotion in this. Unlike most enemies Mathilde fights, she didn't really have any strong feelings about the Wargrove of Woe. Fighting against them was a means to an end. This is the look of someone distracted by trying to keep straight the chain of doing a favour for X so they lean on Y to get Z to assist with the task she's actually trying to achieve.
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She might have been putting more thought into matchmaking Boris with the Ice Witch that wanted to jump him.
 
The logical conclusion of Mathildian diplomacy is that we can become friends with Khorne just by killing a lot of Slaaneshi cultists and demons.

Which is something we've done a lot off. And indeed, there's already evidence that we might have already attracted His eye...
 
Dark as Silver said:
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I would defend Otto and point out that unlike Mathilde he can't bend reality to his whims. As far as the Imperial upper crust go he's probably significantly above average. Barring a Magicostracy Academia revolution (wildly unpopular with the commoners) he gets the nod for playing international diplomacy competently in the Empire's interests while only harming Chaos (and the poor bloody sailors).

I also rated the post funny, naturally.
 
JevvyPython said:
I would defend Otto and point out that unlike Mathilde he can't bend reality to his whims. As far as the Imperial upper crust go he's probably significantly above average. Barring a Magicostracy Academia revolution (wildly unpopular with the commoners) he gets the nod for playing international diplomacy competently in the Empire's interests while only harming Chaos (and the poor bloody sailors).

I also rated the post funny, naturally.
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I mean the ultimate irony there is that his position is also, "I want to stab your enemy, but I can't because of those nasty marienburgers, we should be friends."
All diplomacy ultimately reduces to the same thing. :V:V:V
 
Nerdasaurus Rex said:
It's Mathildian diplomacy in a nutshell—kill stuff so that their enemies have no choice but to be your friends.
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...Damn you for this phrasing, because you've left me no choice but to make it. Sadly my image manipulation skills are terrible, so you'll have to accept it in text form.

Mathilde Weber's Diplomacy School

"So, you want to diplomatically unite the races of Order to save the world?
"Well, that's great! A new alliance of old allies for a new time!
"But most of you have a job expectancy of, like, a day so I'll get to the point. Your best bet is to find out who your targets hate the most and then kill them, so you become the middle woman who's liked by all sides. That works for me, so that's my advice.
"Oh, and try to make sure one of your early marks has an epic blacksmith that can make you an epic blade."
"But what if we haven't trained for combat and prefer to negotiate by talking?"
"Talking? That's a bad strategy, son, plus it's boring. Stabbing is what I do; I'd stick to that.
"I hope this has been helpful!"
 
Dark as Silver said:
I mean the ultimate irony there is that his position is also, "I want to stab your enemy, but I can't because of those nasty marienburgers, we should be friends."
All diplomacy ultimately reduces to the same thing. :V:V:V
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Of course, but the difference is that the masterful Otto leaves the stabbing on the table. He'd like to but unfortunately he can't unless he gets what he wants.

Mathilde just stabs the enemy and hopes you give her something nice afterwards. It only works because she stabs so many enemies of so many people it averages out to account for the freeloaders.
 
JevvyPython said:
Of course, but the difference is that the masterful Otto leaves the stabbing on the table. He'd like to but unfortunately he can't unless he gets what he wants.

Mathilde just stabs the enemy and hopes you give her something nice afterwards. It only works because she stabs so many enemies of so many people it averages out to account for the freeloaders.
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We have never encountered the freeloader problem as far as I remember. Probably because no one wants to test the patience of the diplomat who jus bisected Drycha
 
Besides, even in the cases where nobody is giving us credit or goodies for killing something, our defeated foes will still generously donate their no-longer-in-use loot stash belongings.
 
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Just binged through this quest and ho boy was it a doozy. Thanks for everything you wrote so far, Boney, I enjoyed it a lot :)

When I started reading, I was a bit concerned when I saw that the last threadmark is from January, but since you're so active in the thread I assume the quest isn't actually dead :D
 
pucflek said:
Mathilde gathering suitable materials. :V

You already have the pertinent information about the author, @Boney .

Alternate title: How to address taller people.
Edit: https://www.deviantart.com/kartstudiodigi adding link to author for clarity.
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I think this is my favorite picture of Mathilde at the moment. It is amazing. I adore the art style here. And colour cordination fits a grey wizard very well with mostly grey picture with blue and ornage highlights. Also details on Mathildes robes and sword are a lot of like how I imagine her to be.

There is two embers close the her face that made me think she had earrings on with orange stones at first but it seems not.

Cheers mate to you and the artist this is good.
 
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