Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Everything we know about grey wizards in Divided Loyalties tells us that they're too sensible to ever get up to those kinds of games common in other factions.
Everything Mathilde tells us, certainly.

The Grey College likes to claim that their involvement in the Night of a Thousand Arcane Duels was purely about limiting the damage. So does every other College.

They're still human, and humans are very good at justifying their own actions. I'm sure if Starke did try to Sigmarize the Grey College, he'd believe that he's doing it for perfectly sensible reasons.
 
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I can't see myself ever voting to get rid of Disdain for Sigmar so long as the cost is one of the end of arc traits.

We don't get many of those, they're all interesting, many of them are character defining- losing one just to negate a previous trait doesn't sit well with me.
 
I would be much more down for waiting to purge Disdain for Sigmar until after it's done interesting narrative things if I had any faith whatsoever that the thread will stop avoiding Sigmar with a ten foot pole.

I like Sigmar, I would like to interact more with Sigmarites, I don't think anyone's voting to do that while we still have the malus.
 
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Question for the thread; Who are we sticking on the Waystone: Foundation action?
I am going to work on an effort post for my proposed plans, to be finalized when we see what new options are available, but here is the Waystone actions in my current prototype:
-[ ] Waystone: Foundation (Thorek, Hatalath, Sarvoi, Egrimm, Elrisse, Niedzwenka, Zlata)
-[ ] Tributary: International (Kislev) (Zlata, Niedzwenka, Aksel, Tochter, Cadaeth)

Here is my previous thinking on the subject:
The perspectives I am leaving out are: Cadaeth, Zlata, Aksel, Johann, and Max. I think Cadaeth's perspective is covered well enough with Sarvoi for elven enchanting and Niedzwenka for "just use spirits dummy". For Zlata and Aksel, I think Niedzwenka covers the "get a god or spirit to do it" perspective well enough, and they can spend more time in Kislev working on Tributaries / getting in trouble when no one's looking. Finally, I don't think that Johann and Max have much to contribute, while the plan already gives them interesting stuff to do for their job, but Egrimm can contribute enchanting knowledge and otherwise would just be getting sat down and told "write the damn paper already".

Adding all those people in just makes the action more complicated, and harder for Boney to write, while not adding much in my opinion.
I have added Zlata back in to the action to try ensure a more complete set of paradigms, though I think she and Niedzwenka will have the least to contribute.
 
Of course, that made the sound of her... Mathilde used paramour, but Panoramia was a bit too self-conscious of the similarity to use the wordplay in her own head... partner was too generic, lover too transient, wife a bowlful of snakes she had no desire to poke, and mate was too primal... beloved. That she liked, at least for herself.
Every Panoramia omake convinces me more and more that Mathilde should propose already—or be proposed to, I suppose, although I think that's unlikely—but this really goes for the heartstrings. Absolutely adorable.
 
Every Panoramia omake convinces me more and more that Mathilde should propose already—or be proposed to, I suppose, although I think that's unlikely—but this really goes for the heartstrings. Absolutely adorable.
Boney's said that politics prevents marriage, since it'd be a Lady Magister allying herself to Ghyran worship and a druid lineage.

There is no such thing as a group of humans too sensible to get up to those kinds of games.
Evidently there is.
 
Does that still apply with Pan having written her "I want nothing to do with your religious argument" paper? Especially since Mathilde's name is already apparently on it in some capacity.
That paper didn't declare her disinterest in the argument, it declared her great interest in the argument and her entry into it as a new faction. Mathilde was just a source of knowledge, not a co-proponent.
 
I like Sigmar, I would like to interact more with Sigmarites, I don't think anyone's voting to do that while we still have the malus.

I'm not so sure the trait has really altered the thread's voting behavior all that much in a long time to be honest. She doesn't interact with Sigmarite institutions much (but does when she needs to) but she doesn't interact with many other institutions much either, she really just doesn't have time to do stuff like that. Look at how much trouble it is to squeeze in any interaction with the cult of Ulric at the moment, which is vastly more relevant to her current situation.
 
I think choosing to believe that the guy who is explicitly really deeply into the worship of one particular god would not, when given the leadership of an institution that is not presently equally deeply into the worship of that god, try and change said institution to be into the worship of said god extremely optimistic, especially when the worshippers of said god are noted for proselytising.
 
Turn 42 - 2490.5 - Escalation
[*] [LIBRARY] Library of Mournings: Linguistics, Hoeth
[*] [DWARF] No purchase.
[*] [COLLEGE] A translation of the Indic Aqshy books obtained from the Elementalists (1 CF)
[*] [OTHER] No purchase.

Tally

Most libraries guard their corpus not only from vandalism, but also from unauthorized duplication. Go into almost any library on the continent and start copying out the entirety of a book and it won't take very long for you to start getting dirty looks from the librarian, which will begin escalating into action if you don't take the hint. But the Library of Mournings in Tor Lithanel hasn't known a rival for five thousand years and has been open to the Eonir public for all that time, so they see no problem with their visitors making their own copies. Said visitors are also almost universally literate and underemployed. With a sprinkling of silver, a horde of Eonir descend on the shelves you've targeted and begin to make you copies of the Elven religious texts on Hoeth - which would be more difficult to access in a human library, but Elves consider the Gods to be reflections of the Elven soul and so only feel a need to protect the deepest divine secrets of them - and on the study of linguistics, which in Elven texts are largely focused on the descent of primordial Eltharin from Anoqeyån, the supposed origins of Anoqeyån in the tongue of the mysterious 'Old Ones', and the further devolution of Eltharin into the dialects of the ten kingdoms and the languages of the Elven diaspora.

In theory, you reflect as you skim the first wave of incoming books, Hoeth should be a God you'd have a lot of respect for, as a deity concerned solely with the pursuit of knowledge is one that would align very commonly with your own interests. But in many of the depictions of Him He seems to be a very passive force, and often said to be opposed by Asuryan as the embodiment of tradition and therefore helpless to intervene in worldly affairs any more than He already has. The most prominent tale involves Asuryan burning a significant portion of Hoeth's library for one reason or another - usually for Hoeth's teaching of the Elves in aggregate, but sometimes for one specific piece of knowledge. Sometimes that piece is the knowledge that made the Great Vortex possible, which gives Asuryan a more direct motive in this punishment, as He is no longer as able to corporeally intervene in a world that is no longer awash in magical energies. Perhaps all this is merely a mythologization of the destruction of the Library of Caledor or Saphethion, but that doesn't seem entirely convincing to you, as the blame for both of these can be laid directly at the feet of Malekith. Unless - you frown and leaf back through the pages - are the actions of Malekith being blamed on Asuryan here? From a Hoethian point of view, is the Sundering the result of a divine mishandling on the part of the Emperor of the Heavens? That would be a particularly spicy take.

In any case, you find that you prefer Verena, who has much more of a focus on using knowledge for good, rather than simply acquiring it for its own sake. She also has a sword, and would be much less likely to meekly sit back and accept the destruction of Her personal library.

You also arrange for the translation into Reikspiel of the Indic texts on Aqshy that you acquired from the Elementalists after confirming that there aren't any to be found among those texts - perhaps the Elementalists kept or lost the translations, or perhaps the books came from an Indic-speaking Elementalist that left the books to the College upon their death. Finding someone who speaks Indic, is knowledgeable enough about magical theory to accurately translate treatises on Aqshy, can be trusted with that knowledge, and can be convinced to drop whatever they're doing in favour of making translations is one of those minor miracles that the Collegiate infrastructure manages on a daily basis, and you receive the translations back with gratifying promptness. While you're not the most versed in Collegiate Aqshy theory, you spot a few key differences immediately, with the eight Teclisean Winds being split into five 'positive' Winds - Hysh, Azyr, Aqshy, Ghyran, and Chamon - and the three 'negative' Winds of Ghur, Ulgu, and Shyish. According to Indic philosophy - or at least what you understand of the portion of it you're able to glimpse through these few books - the presence of instinct, confusion, and fatalism are unnatural states to be minimized, while the presence of inspiration, foresight, passion, nurturing, and logic are natural states to be encouraged. This means that under Indic doctrine, their equivalent of Amethyst, Amber, and Grey Wizards are Battle Wizards, while practitioners of the other five Winds give rise to what you might recognize as more typical Magisters.

The inevitable result of this is that these Indic books on Aqshy are very different to Collegiate ones. Where the Colleges focus on the brute force that the fires of Aqshy can bring to bear, these books focus on the ability of the Wind of Fire to instill bravery and passion. An Indic Bright Wizard would be more of a leader than an artillery piece on the battlefield, and outside of it their most visible roles would be as leaders of festivals and counsellors against melancholia. There's also a bodily component of all this you don't quite understand that says that Aqshy concentrates most readily in the thumb, the eyes, and the stomach, and references to a pair of deities apparently associated with the Wind of Fire. You don't know if any of this would be compatible with the Collegiate use of Aqshy, but you shrug and send a note to the Bright College letting them know where to find the books if they're interested.

---

It's hard not to think that despite only being two years into the Project, you're on the verge of completing your analysis of the Elven model. Sure, some of the indications so far is that the foundation might contain the bulk of the complexity, and yes, finishing that analysis is far from being able to replicate them in their entirety, but it's still an exciting milestone. Also exciting is that you've begun actually delivering tangible results to the Empire with the erection of fresh tributaries in Stirland. A small step, in the same way that a pebble bouncing down a cornice might be small.

Another milestone that passed almost without notice was your fortieth birthday. You don't feel forty, but then again, you suppose you don't know what forty is supposed to feel like. What you feel like is, well, like yourself, only more so. Are you getting physically older, or have you immersed yourself enough in magic to hold the tyranny of time at bay? Or maybe the answer is more prosaic than that, and the reason you're not yet feeling your years is that you've kept yourself in good fitness for most of your adult life. You've been trying to watch yourself as you perform your morning sword drills, and you don't think you're slowing down. Or maybe you're gaining skill faster than you're losing speed. Eventually you recognize the circular nature of these thoughts and do your best to abandon them, turning as much of your attention as you can to your plan for the coming months.




You have five action points (AP) you can apply without engaging in overwork. For every two AP spent across all members of WEB-MAT, including recruiting new members, you can spend one 'free' additional AP with any member of WEB-MAT. WEB-MAT actions are performed by Mathilde alongside that person when possible, such as studying something alongside that person, cowriting a paper together, one teaching the other, both of them learning something new, et cetera.
Current overwork status: [+] [ ] [ ]
Each box will be filled by one action of overwork, and will take the two turns after that to fade as you recover. The first box incurs no penalty. The second will give a -10 penalty to all actions during the first turn of recovery. The third will give a -20 penalty to all actions on both turns of recovery.
Overwork incurs no penalties on the turns taken, only on the turns recovering from it. You can take as many actions of overwork as you have unfilled boxes.
When you use overwork it fills the left-most empty box, so [-][ ][ ] becomes [-][+][ ], not [+][-][ ]. All boxes recover in parallel and independent from one another, but second and third apply maluses on your actions during that cooldown period.


WEB-MAT: Magister Maximilian de Gaynesford, Gold Wizard
[ ] MAX: Learning: specify what and from who. You may pay for a trainer.
[ ] MAX: Study an artefact: specify which.
[ ] MAX: Receive dictation: specify which two papers or one book will be written.

WEB-MAT: Magister Johann, Gold Wizard
[ ] JOHANN: Learning: specify what and from who. You may pay for a trainer.
[ ] JOHANN: Study an artefact: specify which.
[ ] JOHANN: Write a paper: specify which.

WEB-MAT: Lord Magister Egrimm van Horstmann, Light Wizard
[ ] EGRIMM: Attempt a Windherder enchantment with Egrimm (specify what)
[ ] EGRIMM: Learning: specify what from who. You may pay for a trainer.
[ ] EGRIMM: Study an artefact: specify which.
[ ] EGRIMM: Write a paper: specify which.

WEB-MAT: Other
[ ] WEB-MAT: Hunt an apparition with a member of WEB-MAT (specify who and which)
[ ] WEB-MAT: Attempt to recruit someone to WEB-MAT (specify who)
[ ] WEB-MAT: Enchant or otherwise modify your Gyrocarriage (specify how)


The Waystone Project, Recruitment

[ ] Attempt to bring an Order into the Waystone Project (specify which)
[ ] Attempt to bring a non-Order magical tradition into the Waystone Project (specify which)
[ ] Attempt to bring a human Cult into the Waystone Project (specify which)
[ ] Attempt to bring a Major House or Ward into the Waystone Project (specify which)
[ ] Attempt to bring a Karak's Runesmiths into the Waystone Project (specify which)


The Waystone Project, Research

[ ] Waystone: Foundation
[ ] Waystone: Attempt to secure a supply of Titan-metal (NEW)
Specify source: Ogres, Cathay.
[ ] Waystone: Experiment with alternatives to the Waystone Rune (NEW)
[-] Waystone: Build a Waystone
Requires Capstone, Runes, Foundation, and Leylines to be fully and successfully completed.

[ ] Waystone: Nexuses
Specify which: Marienburg (Almshoven and Fort Solace), Forest of Shadows (Brass Keep, Blood Fane, Tower of Melkhior), Mordheim, Los Cabos, Bugman's Brewery.
[ ] Waystone: Tributaries
Specify which type: Scythian, Lornalim.
[ ] Waystone: Mapping
Specify two of: Bretonnia, Tilea, Estalia, Araby, Badlands.
[ ] Waystone: Other Networks
Specify which: Karaz Ankor, Kislev, Laurelorn, Athel Loren, Nehekhara.


The Waystone Project, Development

[ ] Waystone: Tributary Design (select one or multiple: Ranaldian, Druidic, Ice Witch, Runesmith, Teclisean)
[-] Waystone: Tributary Prototype (no untested designs available)
[ ] Waystone: Leyline Prototype (select transmission medium: Air, Material, Road (NEW))
[ ] Waystone: Leyline Keyphrase Negotiation (select one: Ulthuan, Naggaroth)


The Waystone Project, Deployment

[ ] Tributary: Haléthan (specify province)
Roots of Stone requires a Nordland or Ostland Hedgewise caster to be used outside of Nordland, Ostland, or Ostermark.
[ ] Tributary: Dreaming Wood (specify province)
Liminal Germination requires the caster to spend a significant amount of time in the local Dreaming Wood. This is safe-ish in Nordland, Reikland, Hochland, and Talabecland, dangerous in Middenland, Ostland, and Ostermark, and impossible in other provinces.
[ ] Tributary: Water Spirit (specify province)
Aethyric Impluvium requires the presence of a Water Spirit, the easiest source of which would be cooperation with the Cult of Taal and Rhya, the Elementalists, or Hag Witches.
[ ] Tributary: International (specify country)
Share information and expertise on how and where to create the tributaries to supplement existing Waystone networks.


For the above options, remember to also state who you will be researching or performing this with. You can specify as many or as few members of the Project as you please, as well as bringing in people from outside the Project if you pay for their services or convince them in some other way. If the only ones involved are members of WEB-MAT the action can count as a WEB-MAT action. In general the fastest progress will be made by involving only those with the most applicable knowledge, but also keep in mind how each individual might feel about being included or excluded in a particular investigation. For the Tributary actions, the details of how exactly it is pursued will be the subject of a subvote after Mathilde investigates the options and possibilities, but will generally involve getting the okay of local authorities, then finding, recruiting, or striking deals with people with the ability and inclination to spend the next several years creating tributaries.



Lovely Laurelorn
[ ] Explore one of the Wards of Laurelorn (specify which: Storm, Rain, Frost)

Self-Improvement:
[ ] Receive training: specify who and what. (acquaintances may train you for free, or you can hire someone with money or favours)
[ ] Attempt to learn Battle Magic at the Grey College. (1 College Favour per attempt)
[ ] Attempt to gain control of one of your Arcane Marks (specify which)
[ ] Try to see through Pall of Darkness with your improved magical senses.
[ ] Practice shooting while invisible. (applies to Substance of Shadow and Invisibility)
[ ] Attempt to finish off the Grey College spellbook by learning Shadow of Death, Cloak Activity, and the MAPP.

Research and Publishing:
[ ] Study an artefact: select which.
[ ] Write a paper: select which.
[ ] Write something else: write in.
Once per turn, you can write a paper or write a 'something else' without spending an action thanks to your Tower of Serenity.
[ ] The Second Secret of Dhar teaches how to collapse it upon itself. Practice upon local Dhar taint, and very cautiously see if this works with Warpstone.

Aethyric Vitae (20 gallons):
[ ] Create Orbs of Sorcery solo (requires one of each Power Stone)
Mathilde will have full control over what happens with the resultant Orbs, including the option of presenting the full collection as a shockingly impressive fait accompli. Any Power Stones Mathilde does not have will be acquired for 5 CF each.
[ ] Create Orbs of Sorcery with College buy-in (no cost)
Mathilde will not have to source her own materials, but will have to negotiate in advance what happens with the resultant Orbs.
[ ] Attempt to create a liminal realm

Enchantment and Spell Creation:
[ ] Enchant an item: specify what and how (current skill level allows for Fiendishly Complex spells and lower; you may use Windherder to attempt to enchant something with spells from different Winds)
[ ] Attempt to create a spell (see Approved Spells threadmark)
[ ] Attempt to capture an Apparition (specify which)
[ ] Turn a staff (specify for whom) (optional: specify from what)

Foreign Relations:
[ ] Enter into negotiations with the Druchii delegation to Laurelorn
The Druchii have proffered magical knowledge and advance information on Karond Kar corsair movements in exchange for information on and samples of interesting creatures and phenomena of the Old World, but all kinds of other deals could be negotiated.
[ ] Involve yourself in current affairs: specify what and how.
Current examples: Eastern Stirland pacification, Marienburg affair, Black Waters project, Cult of Ulric schism
[ ] [ ] [ ] Travel to Nagarythe at the invitation of Ambassador Daroir, and join their eternal war against Naggarothi invaders for three months.

Personal Relations:
[ ] Spend time assisting or ingratiating yourself with someone else: specify who and how.
[ ] Spend time investigating a character without their knowledge: specify who.
[ ] Teach Eike (specify what)
[ ] Wolf is fully grown, very smart, and a Very Good Boy. Train him further. (specify what he will be taught)
[ ] Wolf is fully grown and very magical. Deepen your familiar bond. (may unlock a new familiar ability; risks obsession)


The Eastern Imperial Company
Your share of EIC profits: 220 crowns / turn
Current Focus of the EIC: Eastern Stirland
EIC Handler: The Hochlander

The first AP spent in this category is free. Any additional choices cost 1 AP.
[ ] EIC: Completely hand over management of the EIC intelligence apparatus to the Hochlander.
[ ] EIC: Found an auditors division, to make sure the ledgers are in order.
[ ] EIC: Insert agents into a particular province, cult, company, or institution to start gathering their secrets. (specify who)
[ ] EIC: Reach out to Roswita, and have the EIC start passing on tips about any tax evasion or other naughtiness by the EIC's rivals.
[ ] EIC: Improve and expand the EIC's paramilitary river navy. (optional: specify how)
[ ] EIC: Have the EIC keep tabs on mercenaries so that they can be more easily hired if needed.
[ ] EIC: Gather as much Ithilmar from throughout the Old World as possible to resell to the Eonir for a one-time profit
[ ] EIC: Attempt to establish a trade route with the Eonir (pick one: ore)
[ ] EIC: Negotiate and plan a magical route through the Schadensumpf to allow for easier trade with the Eonir without compromising their defences

Kron-Azril-Ungol
Status: Being colonized by a new We, training and recruiting human and Halfling scribes from Karak Eight Peaks, open to braver members of the general public.
The first AP spent in this category is free. Any additional choices cost 1 AP.
[ ] Begin copying the full corpus of a Partner Library. (specify which) (NEW)
Current options: Grand University of Nuln, Aquila Academy of Nuln, Imperial School of Engineers, Imperial Gunnery School, Minor Colleges of Nuln, The Mootland Genealogical Library
[ ] Seek the publishing contacts to start acquiring large amounts of books from a nearby realm (specify which: Bretonnia, Kislev, Tilea/Estalia, Araby)
Gives wide and easy access within a language, but is subject to local restrictions and is a less efficient use of the Library's acquisition budget than other methods.
[ ] Seek an exchange arrangement with another Library or a Karak's archives to be able to make copies of their corpus (specify which, eg: Great Library of Marienburg, Great Library of Altdorf, Ancient Library of Carroburg, Karaz-a-Karak Archives, Karak Vlag Archives)
Difficulty will depend on the size, prestige, and disposition of the library in question, and the relative impressiveness of Kron-Azril-Ungol.
[ ] Seek an agreement with a Cult to have access to their libraries (specify which, eg: Verenans, Myrmidians, Sigmarites)
Difficulty will vary heavily depending on the Cult in question, but can allow access to rare tomes and esoteric subjects.
[ ] Set up a no-questions-asked bounty system for books within the Cult of Ranald
Results will be unreliable and depending on what is sought may result in blowback, but this may allow you to acquire books that would otherwise be entirely inaccessible.


Apprentice Eike Hochschild
Diplomacy: 7+1+1+1-2=8
Martial: 8+2+1+1+1=13
Stewardship: 6+3+1+1=11
Intrigue: ?
Piety: ?
Learning: 12+2=14
Magic: 1+1=2


Traits:
Grey Wizard: She has the ability and education to wield the winds of Ulgu, the grey magic of shadow and illusion.
Apprentice: She has reached the level of training where she is able to begin learning the simplest of spells. Her Master is Lady Magister Mathilde Weber.
In Awe of Mathilde: Every story Eike grew up hearing about Mathilde has convinced her to make the most of the opportunity to learn from her directly. This will be replaced by one of Mathilde's traits at some point during her Apprenticeship.
Seen, Not Heard: Eike learned at a very young age that there are few benefits and many drawbacks to drawing 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
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
Mark of Ulgu: She bears the Mark of Ulgu upon her right arm, signifying the claim that the Wind has laid on her soul. +1 Magic.


Diplomacy:
Colleges of Magic (1/3)
Empire of Man: Under the tutelage of her grandmother, she has achieved a solid understanding of the provinces of the Empire. +1 Diplomacy
Eonir of Laurelorn: A period of immersion in Tor Lithanel during her teenage years gave her a solid understanding of the Eonir. +1 Diplomacy
???
Politicking (1/3)

Martial:
Fitness: Beneath her robes lies the muscle of a warrior rather than the soft flesh of a typical wizard. +2 Martial
Greatsword: Eike has developed a basic understanding of the Tilean spadone style, with a few Imperial flourishes. +1 Martial
Greatsword, Advanced (1/3)
Naval Tactics: She has a fascination with the many historical sea battles in the Sea of Claws. +1 Martial
Naval Tactics - The Empire (1/3)
Pistols: She was taught to wield her grandmother's weapon of choice from a young age. +1 Martial

Intrigue:
???

Stewardship:
Accounting: As heir apparent of the EIC, she has been taught the arcane art of double-entry bookkeeping. +1 Stewardship
Trade: She has a basic understanding of the endless flow of goods and gold that keeps civilization running. +1 Stewardship

Piety:
Old World Pantheon (Northern) (1/3)
Old World Pantheon (Southern): Having grown up in the softer corners of the Empire, she is familiar with the more civilized of the Empire's Gods.
Shallya (1/3)

Learning:
Economics (Old World) (2/3)

Languages:
Reikspiel
Lingua Praestantia
Tar-Eltharin (Eonir accent)

Magic:
Waaaghbane (2/5)

Spells known:
Drop, Glowing Light, Magic Dart, Marsh Lights, Sleep
Aethyric Armour (Mastery - Indefatigable)
Specify which of the above actions Eike will be present for and (hopefully) learning from, as well as what she will be directed to study when she's not doing so. Her study may involve lessons you pay for, or tutoring from your employees and allies. These do not cost AP.
[ ] Eike Actions:
[ ] Eike Study:


Ranald's Coin - specify which face it will be set to
[ ] The Gambler: specify an action this will apply to.
A +20 bonus to up to two dice rolls resulting from a single chosen action.
[ ] The Night Prowler
As long as you are outside of private property and within a town or city, nobody will question your presence and nobody will be able to find you if you do not wish them to.
[ ] The Deceiver: specify how this will be used.
Lies you have developed beforehand will be delivered perfectly. The listener may believe you to be mistaken, but they will never believe that you are lying. Cannot be used to tell truths.
[ ] The Protector
When you act in a way that defends an individual or group from a danger that you did not cause, they will become aware of what you have done and will believe you acted selflessly in doing so. Rule of thumb: if you have to explain why this might apply, it probably doesn't.
[ ] The Father
Ranald's daughters, and Their followers, will recognize you as being worthy of trust and faith.


Ranald's Coin (note from Ranald: don't)
Vampire skulls
Branulhune - investigate the odd flash when it is desummoned underwater

Books and rubbings from an Asur explorer of Lustria and the Southlands
The Vampire Prophecies of W'Soran
Vlad von Carstein's study notes of the Carstein Ring
Ghyran Nut
Kurgan Shrine to Mannslieb
Kurgan enchanted weapons
Note: Fresh and Refreshed papers confer a +10 bonus; faded ones a -10 malus.
Papers get one step less 'fresh' each turn: Fresh; Fading; Mostly Faded: Faded. Only the first and last have an effect on the diceroll.


Observations on the Windfall north of the Dark Lands (FADED)

Preliminary paper on Aethyric Vitae (TIMELESS)
Coins of Nehekhara's Fifth Dynasty (TIMELESS)


You can literally write the book on a topic for the same amount of effort as two papers; this can be split over multiple turns. You don't need to have all the pieces to do so, but it would be more efficient and impressive if you did.
Aethyric Vitae (missing: creating Orbs of Sorcery, creating liminal realm)
Branarhune
The Currency of Strygos
The Currency of Tylos
Coins of Nehekhara's Fourth Dynasty
Coins of Nehekhara's Sixth Dynasty



- There will be a twelve hour moratorium.
- I had previously posted about the possibility of adding something like 'Test whether Vitae that has never been exposed to any magical energies has unique properties' to the list of research possibilities since it is a reasonable possibility that Mathilde might have thought to pursue after reading the Elementalist books, but on further thought I've decided against it as it would not have satisfying or interesting results, and I think it's more important that this quest be an interesting experience than it be a strictly accurate depiction of even the least satisfying parts of R&D.
 
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Unless - you frown and leaf back through the pages - are the actions of Malekith being blamed on Asuryan here? From a Hoethian point of view, is the Sundering the result of a divine mishandling on the part of the Emperor of the Heavens? That would be a particularly spicy take.

"Malekith is a victim of Asuryan's incompetence" is one hell of a spicy take, but also one that could lead to the foundations of an Eonir-Druchii alliance. Kinda glad we picked up those books now, that's an interesting insight.

Also the Indic Aqshy books remind me of a scene from Jim Butcher's Codex Alera, where in the first book a fire mage uses a torch to incite bravery in his own army and primal fear in the enemy.

The effect is noticeably more devastating than if he'd simply set them all on fire.
 
Perhaps all this is merely a mythologization of the destruction of the Library of Caledor or Saphethion, but that doesn't seem entirely convincing to you, as the blame for both of these can be laid directly at the feet of Malekith. Unless - you frown and leaf back through the pages - are the actions of Malekith being blamed on Asuryan here? From a Hoethian point of view, is the Sundering the result of a divine mishandling on the part of the Emperor of the Heavens? That would be a particularly spicy take.
Ooh, spicy. Given that this is the Eonir insight on Hoeth, I'm not surprised they've deviated somewhat from the norm, and that they didn't include anything about the myth with the Sword of Tlanxla.

It's hard not to think that despite only being two years into the Project, you're on the verge of completing your analysis of the Elven model. Sure, some of the indications so far is that the capstone might contain the bulk of the complexity, and yes, finishing that analysis is far from being able to replicate them in their entirety, but it's still an exciting milestone.
Is this meant to say the Foundation instead of the capstone? Or does it mean the capstone in a non-prototype, actually-getting-to-implement-it-alongside-everything-else context?

[ ] Waystone: Attempt to secure a supply of Titan-metal (NEW)
I feel like this one might be more trouble than it's worth, honestly. If our three prototypes don't suffice, maybe then we should do it. There's several reasons why the Dark Lands tend to be the ending of a lot of daring traders and desperate debtors.

[ ] Waystone: Experiment with alternatives to the Waystone Rune (NEW)
...This one feels like overkill, too perfectionist. What we have is good for our purposes, for now.

[ ] Waystone: Leyline Prototype (select transmission medium: Air, Material, Road (NEW))
Hmm. Roads as a possibility is intriguing, because the Old Dwarf Road is right there, but also, most other roads tend to be rather easier to destroy or fall into disuse than rivers are.

- I had previously posted about the possibility of adding something like 'Test whether Vitae that has never been exposed to any magical energies has unique properties' to the list of research possibilities since it is a reasonable possibility that Mathilde might have thought to pursue after reading the Elementalist books, but on further thought I've decided against it as it would not have satisfying or interesting results, and I think it's more important that this quest be an interesting experience than it be a strictly accurate depiction of even the least satisfying parts of R&D.
Valid, that sounds like the sort of thing you'd rather avoid from a quest perspective.
 
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I saw that the update's name was "Escalation", and nearly had a heart attack.
Same, though I thought it was about us moving up higher, in some form.

Another milestone that passed almost without notice was your fortieth birthday. You don't feel forty, but then again, you suppose you don't know what forty is supposed to feel like. What you feel like is, well, like yourself, only more so. Are you getting physically older, or have you immersed yourself enough in magic to hold the tyranny of time at bay?
I turned 30 last year, trust me, that vibe does not go away easy.

"Malekith is a victim of Asuryan's incompetence" is one hell of a spicy take, but also one that could lead to the foundations of an Eonir-Druchii alliance. Kinda glad we picked up those books now, that's an interesting insight.
Luthien the Morningstar would like to know your location
 
That Rune was chosen for a project mostly performed with Elven labour across the entire world. There might be a better choice for the Project's current circumstances.
Is it only available this turn (as opposed to last turn) because the Capstone research last turn revealed that our alternatives for that might not have room for the Rune on top of whatever is already going on here?
 
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