Since no mechanics are given, I'll analyze everything based on 2 factors:
First, their potential to power us up. Second, their potential to introduce future plot hooks.
As for the potential to power us up, well, I have a unique philosophy: anything that powers us during a battle is less useful than anything that allows us to act before a battle to change the tide, which in turn is less useful that anything that lets us continuously build our own side's power before we even know there is a battle.
As there were no options given that were outright bad, I'll split stuff in 3 categories: suboptimal are things I think we shouldn't vote for, not because they are bad, but because they are less good, optimal are things I think are good to vote, even if I would not vote for them for and preferred are things I will be voting for
Suboptimal
Starting with bundling all the ones that have the same problem
[ ] Battle: Understanding of Greenskins
This wasn't the first time you clashed against the greenskins and it certainly won't be the last, and you've recently received a fair few accolades for your ability to get inside their head. Perhaps you should deepen that.
[ ] Battle: Understanding of Skaven
Those that fight against the Skaven usually do so unprepared and ignorant. You've had the rare opportunity to witness four different Skaven Clans in combat while knowing what you were seeing.
[ ] Karak: Understanding of Greenskins
Perhaps more important than being able to hold your own against the greenskins in times of war is being able to manage them as neighbours in times of peace.
[ ] Karak: Understanding of Skaven
The ratmen have a mind very few are able to get into, and between Frederick's memoirs and Qrech's insights it might be no human could eventually achieve the understanding that you could.
These ones are just choosing a prefered threat and going hog. Not a good thing for a rounded character.
[ ] Battle: Surreptitious Intervention
Or perhaps you should focus not on when you lead the battles, but when you turned them more personally. Eyes and blades in the right places can make all the difference.
Only useful during a battle. No.
[ ] Battle: Shoulder to Shoulder
One of the strongest statements a general can make is joining the front line. Perhaps that's a skillset you should cultivate in yourself.
It incentivizes placing ourselves in danger, plus its highly situational
[ ] Battle: When In Doubt
Of the lessons that the Dwarves can teach, perhaps the strongest is that there's rarely a bad time to be strengthening your fortifications.
Normally, it would be my jam, but we cannot help the dwarves do better what the dwarves allready do best.
[ ] Karak: Cartographer
Being able to explore, record, and subsequently navigate unfriendly territory is an incredibly useful and often underrated skill.
I may be underating it too, but I doubt it'll help us much, 9 out of 10 times there are better uses of our times than scouting, and the remaining 1 we can allready scout better than most professionals.
[ ] Karak: Light Fingers
It's not theft, it's espionage. The enemies of the Empire and the Karaz Ankor have all sorts of interesting and portable items that would do a lot of good in friendly hands, from supplies to devices to paperwork.
Useful, but same problems as Cartographer
[ ] Personal: Unphased
You've seen a lot of terrible things. You were responsible for some of them. It is necessary to grow at least a little numb to the horrors of the world, so that one can continue to combat them.
We are allready brave enough.
[ ] Personal: The Mom Friend
As a friend, you have something of an interventionist streak. Perhaps you should embrace this, and make it your mission to ensure that those closest to you live their best lives.
I do not want a meddler skill that will leave us with less time.
[ ] Personal: The Mentor
Gosh, the Ducklings are so fun. And not just because they so easily fall for what Panoramia has learned to see through. They have so much to learn, and you have so much to teach them, and one day the Old World will be filled with movers and shakers that you have helped blossom.
Same as above. We are helping them, we should continue to do so, its not our primary mission.
optimal
[ ] Battle: Trucemaker
You may not have the diplomatic chops to make lasting peace, but 'if we fight each other now, we both die' is much easier to sell, and can radically shift the balance of a conflict.
[ ] Personal: Poker Face
Acting like you always know what's going on has gone from a source of personal amusement to a vital diplomatic first line of defence. Perhaps this should be cultivated into a deeper understanding of the art of bluffing with no cards.
I would not support either of those normally, but we really need diplo
[ ] Karak: Polyglot
Between Khazalid and Queekish, you've found there's a great deal of benefits to expanding your linguistic lexicon.
How handy that'll come depends on how much we travel. Not risking it, but I get why one would.
[ ] Karak: Surveillance
A careful eye upon those that don't know about said eye can reveal all sorts of information, more than making up for how difficult it might be to get that eye into place.
Always a good thing to not be caught with your pants down.
[ ] Karak: Collegiate
How independent the Colleges are from each other depends a great deal on your perspective. There can be a lot of value in bridging those gaps.
More delegating ability means compounding power. Only reason I am not choosing that is because windherder is even better
[ ] Personal: Ancestor-Gods
Most worship many Gods, but in the Empire you've only felt drawn to one. Perhaps your time amongst the Karaz Ankor, walking where the Ancestor-Gods once walked and feeling the power of Gazul, has changed that for you.
Mathilde goes full native, and I cannot say no to that. Its just... not very useful overall
[ ] Personal: Xeno-Affinity
Your circle of friends and acquaintances includes Dwarves, Halflings, seven flavours of Wizard, spiders, a wolf, a litter of Wolf-Rats, and to your surprise, one Skaven. Who can predict the benefits to cultivating an ability to find friendship amongst those most different from you?
Ahhh, this is just too nice for our progression as a character and the dream of an omniordercultural K8P
prefered
[X] Battle: General of Fog
Perhaps you should embrace the role of General that fate seems to insist on thrusting upon you, and deepen your understanding of deriving and concealing information on the battlefield.
Useful before and during a battle, both while we command and while we go hero unit? Not my favourite cup of tea, but this is just too versalite
[X] Karak: Windherder
It's said the High Elves can achieve miracles by using the Winds in parallel. You'll have to make do with using them in series, having other people handle the other Winds, and making sure they keep a safe distance from each other. But cultivating this ability expands the possibilities exactly eightfold.
The next step to ultimate arcane power? It gives both optimal storytelling and optimal compounding power potential.
[X] Personal: Mountain Mystic
Your unconventional relationship with an unconventional God has so far gone mostly unnoticed. Perhaps word might begin to spread amongst the faithful that far from the sects, orders and brotherhoods of the Empire, one walks with only Ranald for company.
I am contractually obligated to vote for Ranald, sorry. It opens all kind of interesting plot hooks.
