Did we come to a conclusion on weather we wanted to take the dark elves up on their offer or stick with the high elves? I know I prefer to work with the high elves, but I recall that there wasn't a strong legal pressure against them from an empire perspective.
Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest
- Thread starter Boney
- Start date
- Fantasy Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Per his tabletop stats he's a ridiculous master swordsman as well, so that's probably a factor. And yeah, he's hell on wheels in a fight.
I've had a silly idea—we could commission 7 swords, each bearing the Rune of the Unknown plus Runesmith's choice of additional runes, and gift each one to a different college along side the style manual for Branarhune, so each college can have it's own Branarhune swordmaster. We could name them something silly, like the Windfangs, after the Runefangs.
Is there any actual indication it would take a 4th action on top of the 3 listed for it? Because while that could potentially make sense, I feel like it would be signposted as such.
Parabola
Divided Loyalties Librarian
- Location
- The Destination of Fate
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That is one beefy update, I love it. Those five actions were more than worth it for both Master Greatsword skill and Branarhune-the-trait proper. Eike's trait related to Mathilde is also threatening to give me a cuteness heart attack. Her Martial is now 13, too - hell, that's higher than Adela's was when we first met her, and better than Johann's back in Turn 20.
On the waystones front, Johann gets to show off his specialization, Hatalath and Thorek show off not just their super-skill but also their connections, Aksel gets to show off that the Hedgewise are capable of very cool things with less effort than elves, and Sarvoi continues being weirdly balanced for the sort of guy who doesn't mind using Dhar - I guess that's an elf for you.
Egrimm, Max and Cadaeth didn't manage to contribute much, but that's the downside of trying to make sure everyone is doing something each turn, I guess. Cadaeth, didn't visibly contribute much, but at least she was present, whereas Egrimm and Max weren't even mentioned; though I presume Egrimm did at least probably make the Hysh version of the Pancollegiate Fascis. I presume Max is instead focusing his attentions on spreading the tributaries to Stirland alongside Niedzwenka - if it was judged a better usage of time on his end, I don't think anyone would complain.
It does sound like Damsels will be superfluous to actually recruit in the Project proper at this point, but helping out with the Iron Orcs should still be a good in for other things which could require their collaboration - how Bretonnia fits into the map, getting introduced to Athel Loren, etc. I presume this won't interfere with people's plans too much.
It also looks like we'll probably do the Foundation next turn, which is extremely nice.
These should be 'prototype'.
In case of success, it would likely become a matter of Mathilde being unable to overcome some of the best armor in the entire setting while facing 'merely' one of the best human-sized swordfighters in the entire setting, who has a nonmagical sword.
On the waystones front, Johann gets to show off his specialization, Hatalath and Thorek show off not just their super-skill but also their connections, Aksel gets to show off that the Hedgewise are capable of very cool things with less effort than elves, and Sarvoi continues being weirdly balanced for the sort of guy who doesn't mind using Dhar - I guess that's an elf for you.
Egrimm, Max and Cadaeth didn't manage to contribute much, but that's the downside of trying to make sure everyone is doing something each turn, I guess. Cadaeth, didn't visibly contribute much, but at least she was present, whereas Egrimm and Max weren't even mentioned; though I presume Egrimm did at least probably make the Hysh version of the Pancollegiate Fascis. I presume Max is instead focusing his attentions on spreading the tributaries to Stirland alongside Niedzwenka - if it was judged a better usage of time on his end, I don't think anyone would complain.
It does sound like Damsels will be superfluous to actually recruit in the Project proper at this point, but helping out with the Iron Orcs should still be a good in for other things which could require their collaboration - how Bretonnia fits into the map, getting introduced to Athel Loren, etc. I presume this won't interfere with people's plans too much.
It also looks like we'll probably do the Foundation next turn, which is extremely nice.
These should be 'prototype'.
Ironically, depending on how Boney thinks the Speculum works (if Egrimm ends up making it as in canon), it's possible that it would just replace Mathilde's abstract martial score without actually accounting for Branarhune-the-trait, at which point his defenses would still be +0 even if his attack would be as skilled as Mathilde usually is.
Yeah, Hotek's skill was definitely better than Kragg's, but how old and skilled was Malekith when he made his sword, The Destroyer? Malekith is really more of an all-rounder than specializing in any one thing - master swordsman, general, magic-user, politician... If he made The Destroyer shortly after he left Ulthuan, I would put good odds on Kragg being better than he was at the time and dispelling it. Maybe it'd be a roll-off?
In case of success, it would likely become a matter of Mathilde being unable to overcome some of the best armor in the entire setting while facing 'merely' one of the best human-sized swordfighters in the entire setting, who has a nonmagical sword.
NavySeel
"I don't know what I'm doing."
- Location
- Places
To be honest these arguments are exactly what have resulted in us not doing it for over a decade in character and aren't something I can ever see changing.
Having some sort of at least semi-positive reputation in Ulthuan as "That human the Shadow warriors thought was competent" is something I would really like to have before Ulthuan decides they need to intervene in the project.
Also visiting Ulthuan seems like a great way to get more things to write papers about.
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I'd be happy to trade information on, say, greenskins and chaos dwarves in return for magical texts they've looted from third parties.
Mopman43
Mountain-Hermit of Nitpeak
- Location
- Vermont
Well, we might be able to itemize a Cathaycation as part of the Waystone Project.
pucflek
Verified simpleton
- Location
- Czech Republic
I would bet on Kragg either way. Back when these sort of questions were being brought up, it went something like "yeah sure, elves are great craftsmen too, but if you want antimagic, Dwarfs are the undisputed masters".
I would, however, be surprised to learn that Mathilde even managed to get within swording distance of Malekith either way.
- Location
- Earth
I so enjoy Sarvoi here.
He knows exactly what he's doing.
Poor Thorek who thought the best of us
- Location
- Moscow
Greasus Goldtooth is around already, or so the rumours go. Tradelord Greasus.
I'm really hoping to get through this arc without having to make a Waystone-scale thaumotopographical survey map of the continent. Let's just go with 'yes, it can scale'.
Yes.
No.
pucflek
Verified simpleton
- Location
- Czech Republic
Is this why Triton is so cranky?
I don't think we can walk 50 feet in Ulthuan without running into something to write a paper about.
That is a good point. Still would love to do the apparation first Just to see the sheer horror when the elf's realize what we have done. But that can be gotten from the dwarfs and wood elf's too.
NavySeel
"I don't know what I'm doing."
- Location
- Places
Mathilde writes a paper about all 500 forms of elven disdain and condescension she encounters.
The Imperial diplomats would read it.Mathilde writes a paper about all 500 forms of elven disdain and condescension she encounters.
NavySeel
"I don't know what I'm doing."
- Location
- Places
Mathilde prepares a special version for them that she wrote as though trying to explain the concepts to a goblin and a small child at the same time. So that they have a chance to get used to it.
As funny as the idea is, (and definitely naming them something punny with Moonlit Wit serving as the M for her name
), considering part of her duties as a grey wizard is hunting down black magisters, spreading knowledge of the sword style to the other colleges seems counterproductive. Especially if we're going to make a shadow sword spell for the style for other grey mages to use.
- Location
- Who knows?
So Boneys answered yes. In other words there is a way of disguising/incorporating this bit as of Waystone infrastructure as cutsey provincial cookout stations. (Oh god I'm imagining Tears of the Kingdom/Breathe of the Wild cookpots dotted around the wilderness bad brain)
I am giving pointed glances towards the Halfling's silly little Maypole aka one of the few remaining functional Waystones in Stirland.
Halflings Stay Winning (TM)
Tasoli
Life is for Living
- Location
- Behind the Keyboard.
I am pretty sure Elves already did apparations since Gehena is an elf name and his hounds is a known spell.
- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- She/They
Liking the discussion so far, don't have much to add. It would be kinda awesome if someone went through each of the Waystone contributers and built out timelines of where they were and what they did; I'm getting the strong impression that there have been ADVENTURES off screen, and it would be cool to know the who and what so omake could color in some of the gaps.
Just thinking Johann's survey trip of the karaks, for example. Like, three sentences in story, but I bet I could write 10,000 words on it easily enough.
This is weird to me because it contradicts my experience actually fighting people with shields. Are the manuals you read based on sword-and-buckler dueling? It would be appropriate there, I think, with small shields and only one opponent.
But for larger shields, my experience has been that the further they stick it out, the easier it is to get around (high cross, darkside wrap, various stabs) and the easier it is to use the visual blockage it creates. People who are good with big shields tend to keep them very close to their bodies, braced so hip and shoulder can absorb impacts rather than using arm strength, and move it by bending and twisting their torso rather than with an arm. The closer you keep it the faster you can move and react, the easier it is to see your opponent, and the fewer angles you leave open.
Just thinking Johann's survey trip of the karaks, for example. Like, three sentences in story, but I bet I could write 10,000 words on it easily enough.
This is weird to me because it contradicts my experience actually fighting people with shields. Are the manuals you read based on sword-and-buckler dueling? It would be appropriate there, I think, with small shields and only one opponent.
But for larger shields, my experience has been that the further they stick it out, the easier it is to get around (high cross, darkside wrap, various stabs) and the easier it is to use the visual blockage it creates. People who are good with big shields tend to keep them very close to their bodies, braced so hip and shoulder can absorb impacts rather than using arm strength, and move it by bending and twisting their torso rather than with an arm. The closer you keep it the faster you can move and react, the easier it is to see your opponent, and the fewer angles you leave open.
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That a mighty bold aspiration to have knowing this crowd of posters…
- Location
- Washington
As long as "handling a continent's worth of Dhar" is doable for the high elves but not trivial the bluff works. Indeed, as long as we can make a good show if BELIEVING it's doable but not trivial the bluff works. If they tell us not to do it because they can't fix it, well, you know what would really convince us they're not lying? Pass codes to just hook it into the network directly.
And of course if it is in fact trivial to deal with, that just means we can in fact dump a continent's worth of dhar into Marienburg guilt free.