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[X] The vacuum must be filled. Step forward and takecommand. Fulfil Van Hal's final legacy in the manner that it begun.
[X] Do nothing with it; your role is to safeguard it.
 
What? No, I didn't say necromantic concepts, I said grab everything applicable. The book is made of solid magical gold (that would be Chamon, actually, I guess, but you get the idea), but even just prying the emeralds off the cover could make us stupendously rich.

It won't. Two thirds of the shares are still held by representatives of Stirland.
My apologies for misreading your response I suppose the issue is the tome triggers a lot of my warning signs for magical artifacts before one factors in this being the Warhammer setting.

It was actually 100% how it changes depends upon who is the next Count, or Countess of Stirland.
Shareholders: Wilhelmina Hochschild (24%), Dame Mathilde Weber (24%), Sir Markus von Pfaffbach (24%), County of Stirland (28%)
She is also the only advisor that was chosen by Van Hal and thus likely to be uninterested in continuing without him.
It is possible the other Elector Counts presuming there is a regency for the next Van Hal to replace her with their pawn, and this is true for pretty much everyone else on the advisory council of Stirland to varying extents.
 
[X] The vacuum must be filled. Step forward and take command. Fulfil Van Hal's final legacy in the manner that it begun.
[X] Do nothing with it; your role is to safeguard it.

Job's not done yet, people.
 
Imagine the chaos gods/daemons/vampires/necromancers all scratching their head trying to figure out how to stop Van Hal from purging vampire land.

"Were you able to flip anyone?"
"Shamefully, all my agents are killed by dusky."
"What about the filth cult?"
"No chance, the sewers are being toiled for poop. They were selling poop! That ain't right!"
"Any useful piece in the surrounding land?"
"Too late, dusky got the only one."
"Buggers, what abo--"

"Guys! And Salash. That pesky Van Hal just kneeled over!"
"What?"
"Yeah a skeleton got him."
"How anticlimactic."
"Siggy must be incensed. Let's rub it in next taco night."
 
There's also the probability that Wilhelmina will stick around to help out Abelhelm's kids. Be their stewardship adviser for a few turns at least. Maybe play the role of doting grandmother. She did care about Abelhelm and Stirland to an extent.
 
Really contentious vote.

Inserted tally
Adhoc vote count started by HanEmpire on Mar 5, 2018 at 11:15 PM, finished with 191 posts and 62 votes.
 
[X] The body must be escorted to it's final rest, in either Wurtbad or Altdorf. Remain by Van Hal's side. Whatever happens.
[X] Do nothing with it; your role is to safeguard it.

The "Depressed Mathilde" vote.
 
Honestly, one Nat 1 probably shouldn't have been a fatal wound...

Dude, it was a NAT 1, literally the worst possible outcome in a situation we were in due to another Nat 1. Even mindless skeletons get lucky and find the smallest opening. Honestly, BM would have been well within his rights to kill him right there.
 
I just hope this doesn't mark us losing the most endearing parts of our smol wizard.

Fortunately, the strong focus on responsibility and loyalty from these votes is a good sign, hopefully it's rewarded instead of the start of a downward spiral.
 
I'm really hoping we don't pick up a few negative traits from this. Stressed, Crisis of Faith, Depressed...
 
Honestly, one Nat 1 probably shouldn't have been a fatal wound, not against ordinary skeletons, considering that they're not super strong, and a Paranoid Elector Count should have at least been wearing a chain shirt, but what's done is done.

The real pain is going to be seeing how the plot unfolds from here, given how the whole game premise just caught fire.
Well it wasn't ONE nat 1/100.
Crucial rolls:
-Initial rush: Nat 1 on the army portion. Would have actually been less bad if Van Hal and Mathilde rolled average and got bogged down rather than penetrating deep into enemy ranks without the army.

-Cut off: Blew 3 reinforcement rolls in a row. Nat 1 on combat roll while surrounded. As per Word of QM, roll results are amplified or mitigated by circumstances. Van Hal's circumstances was "attacked from all directions as a human" and his weapon's super killy power doesn't actually help because opponents are mooks he can kill in one hit already. Mathilde mitigated here by fighting like a goddamned demon to preserve him, but on the turn he botched she failed her martial roll as well.

-Rescue: First turn of healing failed due to Kasmir being too hard to find. Second turn, Kasmir arrived, but failed to invoke Sigmar. Third turn we learned that the Light Wizard exploded due to another nat 1, Kasmir tried to heal again, but botched again under the stress, Mathilde tries her own praying, but Ranald is not that strong as gods go, and healing is outside his area of focus. She failed.

Overall, we got plenty of chances to mitigate the fail or to recover, but rolled horribly for every single recovery.


I'd say it moved into high gear really, plot wise. We're now the suspiciously competent Spymaster high in the trust of the former Elector and in control of the legal system AND a third of the economy, along with a Steward in personal ownership of a third of the economy, and a Chancellor who's buddies with basically half the country despite his clear incompetence.

The Moot is going to be deeply uneasy because they committed hard due to an Elector who's not into Revanchism, and the replacement might be going at the Moot again. The treasury is going to be barebones from paying for a freaking dragon and so many cannons.

Whoever takes over would be in for a hell of a time and they don't even know if they can trust us, but have no choice because you can't fire your Spymaster.
 
[X] The vacuum must be filled. Step forward and take command. Fulfil Van Hal's final legacy in the manner that it begun.
[X] Do nothing with it; your role is to safeguard it.
 
[X] The vacuum must be filled. Step forward and take command. Fulfil Van Hal's final legacy in the manner that it begun.
[X] Do nothing with it; your role is to safeguard it.

He will be missed. Loved Van Hal, but there's always consequences. Great quest so far.
 
Sure is a shame that Van Hal is super dead forever and there's absolutely no incredibly convenient way to change that sitting in this tent with us.
It's like people don't like fun around here, or something!

Undead Van Hal and Necromancer Weber would have THE MOST interesting conversation of the entire quest.
I'm really hoping we don't pick up a few negative traits from this. Stressed, Crisis of Faith, Depressed...
We were contemplating ventilating Markus's skull. I damn well HOPE there's at least emotional fallout from all this. That's how narratives work.
 

In an alternate Universe, user MoneyB wrote....



Your father, Abelhelm Van Hal, is dead.

The news came by Imperial Courier- he had, for some time, been the Elector Count of Stirland, of all things. He had seen fit to do as any good Stirlander and any Van Hal does, and stick his fist into Sylvania. It was going rather well, apparently, made it all the way to Drakenhof, until an anticlimactic group of skeletons got the drop on him. You are his child, and thus sworn to carry on the mission of purging the mistake of your ancestor. But you are also the next in line for the County of Stirland, and you are willing to carry out that duty as well. But you are young, and you will need a regent to help manage things while you learn. Several of your father's Privy Council have offered to stay on out of loyalty to him, but only one can be your regent. Will it be:


[] Wilhelmina Hochshild, the Steward

A companion from your father's tours as a Witch Hunter, Wilhelmina managed his finances through all of his campaigns and when he was selected for the County, he chose to bring her along as a trusted friend. However, in their time in Stirland, she became the manager of a state trading company that seeks to profit as much as it can, thus allowing Stirland to profit. While she is in charge, this shouldn't be a problem. Her sons, however, are less than loyal to your father's memory...

[] Mathilde Weber, the Spymistress

A wizard from the Grey Order, Mathilde was assigned to your father's council by….someone. She proved extremely loyal however, carrying out her duties as spymistress to the point that some rather insalubrious rumours began circulating. According to your father's coded letters, there was something there, but he died before anything could come of it. She is a highly capable Shadowmancer, and has an established intelligence network already in place. She is also highly dedicated to your late father's memory, and will guard you with her life if need be. One of Abelhelm's closest companions, she was clearly hit very hard by his demise, and is sometimes prone to depressive moods or rages.

[] Anton II Kiesinger, the Chancellor

Left over from the administration before your father's, Anton is the highly popular son of one of the Barons of Western Stirland. He was instrumental in getting the amount of support your father's campaign into Sylvania received, and is possibly one of the most honest men you have ever met. Unfortunately, he is the most honest man you have ever met, and also one of the most trusting.

[] Other
Let someone else be the regent, someone you have no information on.
 
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[X] The vacuum must be filled. Step forward and take command. Fulfil Van Hal's final legacy in the manner that it begun.
[X] Do nothing with it; your role is to safeguard it.
 
...well shit
i really liked the guy as well, what are the chances that we would roll that badly on EVERYTHING?
Seriously, that can't be normal.
 
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