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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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Obviously we have to take the Sofia social action, and I hope we'll take either the Middenland option or the Nordland option or both, but can we please finally take this one?

[ ] Skull River Ambush

Of all the dangling threads in our 'Following Up' section this is the dangliest, like a piece of yarn caught in Fooger's beard. Let's follow up on it already.
 
Normally I would be arguing for those salamanders about now, but we actually have the favor for the Giga-Flex already and one more turn in which to gather it, odds are good by the time we actually get around to it we will have resources to spare. We should probably get a full 8 stone set and keep the one Ulgu stone we have for an emergency in our back pocket, that is what we got it for after all, to spend on overcasting.
 
[ ] Swordplay
[ ] Sofia
[ ] Gold College

I'm fairly attracted to all of these. Gold for finally getting an update. Sofia for getting to know our partner's new apprentice (Mathilde please don't be too scary if you don't need to) and swordplay because we just got our new style and trying out against people who have been around for millennia sounds cool.

Now for the controversial pick.

[ ] Druchii Diplomats

Because getting more of a look into Druchii society and understanding their goals here seems interesting. Know your enemy very much applies, similar to how understanding Skaven society and their numerology was fascinating and useful for when we fought them (Elfcation... understand Druchii to better facilitate stabbing future Druchii). I honestly don't expect this to win but honestly none of the other options are really appealing to me.

On another note and without wishing to restart the circular Battle Magic debate, is our grounding Rod at all helpful in the case of miscating when learning (or doing) Battle magic, or is the scale of battle magic too big for it to do anything? I think this has probably been answered before but I couldn't see it obviously in the FAQ.
 
Humbaba said:
[ ] Swordplay
[ ] Sofia
[ ] Gold College

I'm fairly attracted to all of these. Gold for finally getting an update. Sofia for getting to know our partner's new apprentice (Mathilde please don't be too scary if you don't need to) and swordplay because we just got our new style and trying out against people who have been around for millennia sounds cool.

Now for the controversial pick.

[ ] Druchii Diplomats

Because getting more of a look into Druchii society and understanding their goals here seems interesting. Know your enemy very much applies, similar to how understanding Skaven society and their numerology was fascinating and useful for when we fought them (Elfcation... understand Druchii to better facilitate stabbing future Druchii). I honestly don't expect this to win but honestly none of the other options are really appealing to me.

On another note and without wishing to restart the circular Battle Magic debate, is our grounding Rod at all helpful in the case of miscating when learning (or doing) Battle magic, or is the scale of battle magic too big for it to do anything? I think this has probably been answered before but I couldn't see it obviously in the FAQ.
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I think we should use the library to get full Druchi books this purchasing round and then talk to them in a proper turn update, as is we do not know much about them and all of it is from... Bretonian sources. They are probably more detailed on how to best break dark elf raiders with a lance charge than how to talk to them
 
[] Sophia
[] Gretel
[] Gold College
[] Amber College
[] Skull River Ambush

This will probably be my vote. Wanna clear out the old ones plus a check in on Sophia.
 
Boney said:
"Ten years, just to bolster the least part of a largely intact network in a single province?"

"Ten years for wholesome harvests and healthy children and restful corpses. Ten years to change the world that Stirlandians live in."
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I love this callback.
It seems to serve as an eye-opening experience for the two, as Zlata had thought that the hard-worn stubbornness of a people who only know a life under siege only existed in Kislev, and Cadaeth had required several patient evenings explaining to her that no, there really are no other defences beyond the scant few that are plainly visible. She'd been rather taken aback when you told her that if something came from the east that those defences could not handle, then in all likelihood any of the local population that couldn't or wouldn't flee would die. She'd been significantly more taken aback when she heard the same from a local, who then told her that it had happened twice in the past century, but not to worry, if it happened again the restless dead wouldn't have long to chew on their bones before the Hunter's Daughter would bring the army down upon them.
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Welcome to the deathworld of Warhammer! We hope you enjoy your stay. :smile:
The Journeymen make tentative contact with the Council of Manhorak, confirm that the lesser naiads they were planning on cajoling into service bear no relation to the Swamp-Gods of Sylvania, and then begin their work with a gusto. A gusto that will undoubtedly fade as it sinks in that they'll be spending the next four years of their lives on this. But Roswita had had the local authorities thoroughly explain that the Wizards were taking away the bad magic and making sure it would stay away and that's all that they were doing, and then you'd had a word in a few ears to make it known that the lads could guarantee a good harvest or a bountiful lambing season in their off hours if they were made to feel welcome. A boring but important job somewhere that appreciates you with plenty of opportunities to make friends or shillings on the side is far from the worst of assignments a Wizard could be assigned.

[Stirland Tributaries underway. Estimated completion date: late 2493.]
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I would absolutely love sometching like this being the premise of a slice-of-life story. This kind of humble but magical job is so charming. Just beware the s̷k̴e̶l̶e̸t̸o̴n̸s̵.

On another note, in 7 turns is a relatively quick turnaround for the results of our first implementation of the Waystone Project. I hope we'll get to see things in Stirland again once it's done.
You run your eye over the figures in question and nod. "Couldn't have done better myself," you say honestly.
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Eike went on an entire adventure here, and the results she came up with are stunning. She picked up on her mother's lessons really well. Well done, Eike!
Keep The Wagons Rolling: Eike believes implicitly that logistical efficiency is absolutely essential for the continued survival of the Empire and its allies. +2 Learning, +3 Stewardship.
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This is absolutely correct btw.
Seen, Not Heard: Eike learned at a very young age not to draw attention to herself, an instinct that serves her very well in some ways but holds her back in others. +3 Intrigue, +1 Piety, -2 Diplomacy
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:(
When she first performs the spell successfully and magic spreads not just over her skin but through the muscles underneath, the rush of pride you feel buoys you for days.
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We can teach Eike spell masteries. We can teach Eike spell masteries. We have got to try to teach her Blessed Hands and Shadowrider before she leaves on her Journeying.
"That rather neatly illustrates the purpose of a project I'm working on. I've been building a library in Karak Eight Peaks to preserve the sorts of records and knowledge that are too often lost in disasters like this, and the Universität quarter is one of the greatest centres of learning on the continent. I want your help in convincing the colleges and universities of Nuln of the wisdom of allowing my scribes access to their libraries. In exchange, I can offer you the resources and expertise of the Karaz-a-Karak Metalsmiths Guild in restoring the foundries of the Gunnery School - all to the latest human designs, and to the highest Dwarven standards."
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This speech is a little less compelling when you realize that Mathilde is practically shouting it out. :p
Potions +3 - Extensive and Obscure Imperial / Extensive Kislevite
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@Boney I believe this should be +5. +3 for the Imperial books and +2 for the Kislevite books.

We got quite a lot of books from the Elementalists, but I'm most happy to have gotten the full +5 to Mecicine. That's the kind of basic and universally useful knowledge that's great for any fledgling library. Also-
Elementalism +6 - Extensive and Esoteric Imperial / Asur
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Confirmation that the Asur do have knowledge on Elementalism.
For this spell to become part of the Grey Order's corpus, it needs to still be learnable from parchment alone, long after you're dead and gone.
...
Following soon after is a much more prosaic note from the Library confirming that the spell has been judged learnable and useful, and has been added to the corpus of the Grey Order's Battle Magic.
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Now we know how codifying a spell works, and thankfully it's far less dangerous than we feared. All we need is quill, parchment, maybe more Ulgu books if we can find a source, and patience.

Also, with such a great demonstration, a lot of Battle Mages are going to be learning and using (the deceptively humble) Rite of Way, and that's going to have quite the impact over time.
But you feel in your bones the absence of a centrepiece, twin exemplars of Cunning and Brutality to cap off the paper and hammer the point truly home, but they fail to make themselves known no matter how many records you delve into - no cunningest of all Goblins, no mightiest of all Orcs. You frown to yourself and search for the origin of that sentiment within you, but you can find nothing to logically explain why you're so sure that something should be here, but isn't. You swallow your misgivings and put the finishing touches on the paper.
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Lingering effects of all that business... Mathilde, please be careful not to accidentally absorb a bunch of Waaagh energies. You might still be a bit receptive to them, and you don't want to become more cunning/brutal than you already are.
 
I finished the update. I have a lot of thoughts about it, but ny favorite parts are by far the Eike sections. Im really loving her sections and I'm so proud of her.

In a lot of ways, I see this update as being about legacy. From Mathilde teaching Eike, even going so far as passing on her mastery, to her codifying ROW while mentioning that it should be learnable even after she's dead, to the waystone network being supplemented in Sylvania to "change the world Stirlandans live in", to the discussions on loss of knowledge and the preservation of it through the K8P library. A lot of this update has a throughline relating to legacy and the impact you leave behind.

Side note, i bought Guards Guards, blink of the screen, reaper man, and color of magic. Thanks for the recommendations. Peace, my fat thumbs are making the writing of this post so tedious.
 
Codex said:
I finished the update. I have a lot of thoughts about it, but ny favorite parts are by far the Eike sections. Im really loving her sections and I'm so proud of her.

In a lot of ways, I see this update as being about legacy. From Mathilde teaching Eike, even going so far as passing on her mastery, to her codifying ROW while mentioning that it should be learnable even after she's dead, to the waystone network being supplemented in Sylvania to "change the world Stirlandans live in", to the discussions on loss of knowledge and the preservation of it through the K8P library. A lot of this update has a throughline relating to legacy and the impact you leave behind.

Side note, i bought Guards Guards, blink of the screen, reaper man, and color of magic. Thanks for the recommendations. Peace, my fat thumbs are making the writing of this post so tedious.
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hope you enjoy!

(I would go in order of Guards Guards, Reaper Man, Color of Magic and then Blin of the Screen. Expecting that Color of Magic will be the weakest of them.)
 
DragonParadox said:
I think we should use the library to get full Druchi books this purchasing round and then talk to them in a proper turn update, as is we do not know much about them and all of it is from... Bretonian sources. They are probably more detailed on how to best break dark elf raiders with a lance charge than how to talk to them
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Turn updates means competing for AP though.

Either way I'm not too attached to it, it's just the most interesting of the remaining options for me.

Also, because I slightly misread your post at first.:

>Bretonnian Sources.
>More detailed on how to best break dark elf raiders with a lance than talk to them

Oh my. Mathilde's romance Shelf strikes again!
 
@Boney, how to the dwarfs feel about the Elementalists having dwarf books on both Hashut and the Chaos Dwarfs? Presumably not angry enough to try to go burn them out of their campus but have any grudges been declared against whoever shared those?
 
I really, really would recommend that we do all the Enoir Dip-relevant actions this turn, and then the follow up actions like the gold college after the Gigaflex.

[ ] Middenland
See how the Ulricans are going with their new Eonir coreligionists.
[ ] Nordland
See what's going on with the Ulrican schismatics that Nordland is backing.
[ ] Druchii Diplomats
Check in on these unexpected visitors to Tor Lithanel.

also this

[ ] House Filuan
House Filuan seems to be pursuing the import of large amounts of marble, much more than might be needed for small goods or maintenance. See if you can find out what sort of construction project might be in the works.

There is a non-zero chance that someone else is planning a bridge: if it is, this might be a chance to get in on it with them rather then competing with them.
 
Update!

Boney said:
Meanwhile, you, Zlata, and Cadaeth have been busy surveying the Waystone network of Stirland-Sylvanian border, finding it in about as good a condition as you could reasonably have hoped. It seems to serve as an eye-opening experience for the two
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I love the unexpected finds of relatability with Zlata and… faint horror? With Cadaeth. Feels like another subtle step towards uniting the good peoples of the Old World. Fuzzies.

Boney said:
Trait discovered:
Keep The Wagons Rolling: Eike believes implicitly that logistical efficiency is absolutely essential for the continued survival of the Empire and its allies. +2 Learning, +3 Stewardship.
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Wagons? On the Dammerlichtreitors apprentice? Eike. Chariots. Battle Magic Chariots. You have, oh, 25 years sounds reasonable? I believe in you!

Boney said:
Trait discovered:
Seen, Not Heard: Eike learned at a very young age not to draw attention to herself, an instinct that serves her very well in some ways but holds her back in others. +3 Intrigue, +1 Piety, -2 Diplomacy
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Tragic… but another potentially useful trait here. Diplomacy is a dump stat anyway!

Boney said:
Eike's understanding of Ulgu has already been shaped enough by your tutelage for her to follow along without even realizing that she's having to do so. When she first performs the spell successfully and magic spreads not just over her skin but through the muscles underneath, the rush of pride you feel buoys you for days.
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Same, Mathilde. Same.

Eike is truly the best.

Boney said:
The Elementalists, who the Grand Count had apparently included in the deal, apparently became very cooperative the moment they were told that the Grand Count would happily 'trade the lot of you for a spiked culverin', and that they should be rather thankful that he'd been given better terms than that
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Fucking hell lmao. Savage. Thankfully Elementalists are probably pretty good at dealing with burns.

Boney said:
They raised them with the Elector Count, and then had no real counterargument for when he asked how many cannon foundries they were going to build for him.
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This guy!

Shame about the cult, but I have an image of Verena glaring at a laughing Ranald over having stolen all her books. Good laugh.

Boney said:
[Rite of Way codified, proved in battle, and adopted. +8 College Favour.]
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Proven in Battle, hell yeah!

I had wondered how the spell was learned and applied so quickly, thanks Ranald! Should have known.

NexusEye said:
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Oi! No dissing! All good Libraries need a healthy fiction section!

Sinsystems said:
Obvious solution is task her to go undercover at some kind of theater institution with a lot of public speaking and stage performances.
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Insert Oshi no Ko joke here.

Mopman43 said:
She is, in every respect, more capable in combat than Mathilde was on her first outings.

So, good start.
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You think Roswita would be up for us hiding a zombie or three in her castle and setting Eike loose on the structure as martial training?

BurnNote said:
To be clear, teaching Eike BM spells is dumb and wildly irresponsible and we shouldn't do it. It would just be hilarious.
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I mean she's gonna need all the help she can get if she wants to retake that Dwarf Karak she needs in order for us to let her graduate, sounds reasonable to me :p
 
Yeah checking on Gold Order skaven loot makes a lot of sense to me. We should do it.

IT might be also interesting to invite Asarnil to Lourleron for social action. He might be interested to spend some time there and it would be a flex to Eonir about our connections.
 
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