Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest
- Thread starter Boney
- Start date
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
That someone really powerful got wind of the purge and demanded a total informational lockdown.
Someone at the very top. Someone who had the authority to dictate a full informational lockdown.
Which means that while we're free of the Organization, the process of purging it likely revealed a major internal security issue that the Big Boys are going all in dealing with, and they don't dare hint to a Person of Interest who isn't a veteran of this business what's going on.
Which is to say, the shitstorm's going to hit the enemies, but it's going to be a shadow war, and thanks to that shitstorm, we ended up wasting a month to no gain.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Seeking adventure in Belegar Ironhammer's reconquest of Karak Eight Peaks.
[X] Taking on Apprentices
[X] Taking on Apprentices
Separate, as they aren't that connected.
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That, for whatever reason, everything related to the conspiracy that used to pull your strings is now megaclassified.
That's my thinking now, too.
Last voting change, I promise.
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To the best of your knowledge, assess Journeywoman Mathilde Weber's level of dedication to a) the Grey College; b) the Empire; and c) humanity, factoring in her beliefs and motivations as well as any ties that bind her to the well-being of the above.
[ ] (write in; can either be Mathilde's words verbatim or an outline of what she says)
Lets see:
-College - High (seriously if we answer anything else it'd be pretty telling and dumb, if we were to profess that we hold a higher loyalty than to the Grey College when the College is asking the question, simply being unable to keep that secret is a major strike against). She owes her health, sanity and continued safety to the backing and support of the College. She would find it difficult, expensive, and often impractical to further advance her magical ability without the College's assets. Cold and practical, but simple truth.
-Empire - Significant. She is a Knight, and a Wizard. As Knight, she owes loyalty to her feudal superior in the Elector Count, and through them the Empire. As a Wizard, she owes loyalty to the College for reasons both idealistic and practical, and through the colleges, the Empire. However, as both loyalties are based on transferrence, the Empire is not her highest loyalty.
-Humanity - Modest. Mathilde is theoretically in favor of humanity in general of course, and her religious beliefs requires that she pursue the benefit of humanity's safety. However, she would find little qualms acting against segments of humanity in the pursuit of her other loyalties, particularly segments serving to the detriement of the rest of humanity.
[ ] Seeking employ as an advisor in the Provinces of the Empire.
More of the same. However, we'd suffer some conflict of interest, as we're a landowner in Stirland. This is not unknown to Feudal systems, but it complicates things if we are to serve as spymaster, though we ARE qualified to serve as Marshal or Court Wizard.
[ ] Seeking employ as an advisor in one of the Dwarfholds.
I'm not really sure what the dwarfs gain out of it. We'd probably be burning favor to get employed. Very confusing to the dwarfs.
[ ] Seeking adventure in the Zhufbar expeditions into Karak Azul.
[ ] Seeking adventure in Belegar Ironhammer's reconquest of Karak Eight Peaks.
Dungeon delving! With our new enchanter trait we can do this without giving up enchanting of course, but expeditions and reconquests are dangerous things.
More dwarf favors.
[ ] Seeking adventure as a mercenary, ideally with Asarnil the Dragonlord, and possibly build a Mercenary Company of your own.
She has the skills for it, but I don't quite see it appealing that much.
[ ] Seeking knowledge by building a branch campus of the Grey College on your estate in Stirland.
Uh...is this possible? Its certainly an interesting approach, but it'd cost quite a bit.
[ ] Seeking knowledge by investigating the phenomena and manifestations of Sylvania.
So basically poking our nose into the local spoopy environment and seeing what makes it tick. About similar time commitments to our old job, but we'd probably be the most free to poke into the Book here.
[ ] Enchantment Commissions
[ ] Enchantment Services
Not sure about the difference, but why not both of these?
In favor
[ ] Lectures and Demonstrations
[ ] Tutoring
This would probably require going back to the Colleges regularly(less for Tutoring, since this can be someone willing to travel). We'd probably be asked to demo the Matrix, but not much else at present. May change in future
Mild disfavor, unless we take the Branch Campus.
[ ] Taking on Apprentices
We probably want this. Apprentices are handy, even if they cost actions.
[ ] Interrogation
We're actually pretty good at this, though this hinges on loyalties.
[ ] Research and Development (thaumaturgical) (ie. stuff derived from Shyish-Kebabs and Qhaysh juice)
Highly interested.
[ ] Research and Cataloguing (biological)
Less interested.
[ ] Being available to investigate reports of unsanctioned magic-users.
Working with the Witch Hunters? I'm up for it.
[ ] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
I think this is a no brainer.
Hmm, need to think over it before voting.
[ ] (write in; can either be Mathilde's words verbatim or an outline of what she says)
Lets see:
-College - High (seriously if we answer anything else it'd be pretty telling and dumb, if we were to profess that we hold a higher loyalty than to the Grey College when the College is asking the question, simply being unable to keep that secret is a major strike against). She owes her health, sanity and continued safety to the backing and support of the College. She would find it difficult, expensive, and often impractical to further advance her magical ability without the College's assets. Cold and practical, but simple truth.
-Empire - Significant. She is a Knight, and a Wizard. As Knight, she owes loyalty to her feudal superior in the Elector Count, and through them the Empire. As a Wizard, she owes loyalty to the College for reasons both idealistic and practical, and through the colleges, the Empire. However, as both loyalties are based on transferrence, the Empire is not her highest loyalty.
-Humanity - Modest. Mathilde is theoretically in favor of humanity in general of course, and her religious beliefs requires that she pursue the benefit of humanity's safety. However, she would find little qualms acting against segments of humanity in the pursuit of her other loyalties, particularly segments serving to the detriement of the rest of humanity.
[ ] Seeking employ as an advisor in the Provinces of the Empire.
More of the same. However, we'd suffer some conflict of interest, as we're a landowner in Stirland. This is not unknown to Feudal systems, but it complicates things if we are to serve as spymaster, though we ARE qualified to serve as Marshal or Court Wizard.
[ ] Seeking employ as an advisor in one of the Dwarfholds.
I'm not really sure what the dwarfs gain out of it. We'd probably be burning favor to get employed. Very confusing to the dwarfs.
[ ] Seeking adventure in the Zhufbar expeditions into Karak Azul.
[ ] Seeking adventure in Belegar Ironhammer's reconquest of Karak Eight Peaks.
Dungeon delving! With our new enchanter trait we can do this without giving up enchanting of course, but expeditions and reconquests are dangerous things.
More dwarf favors.
[ ] Seeking adventure as a mercenary, ideally with Asarnil the Dragonlord, and possibly build a Mercenary Company of your own.
She has the skills for it, but I don't quite see it appealing that much.
[ ] Seeking knowledge by building a branch campus of the Grey College on your estate in Stirland.
Uh...is this possible? Its certainly an interesting approach, but it'd cost quite a bit.
[ ] Seeking knowledge by investigating the phenomena and manifestations of Sylvania.
So basically poking our nose into the local spoopy environment and seeing what makes it tick. About similar time commitments to our old job, but we'd probably be the most free to poke into the Book here.
[ ] Enchantment Commissions
[ ] Enchantment Services
Not sure about the difference, but why not both of these?
In favor
[ ] Lectures and Demonstrations
[ ] Tutoring
This would probably require going back to the Colleges regularly(less for Tutoring, since this can be someone willing to travel). We'd probably be asked to demo the Matrix, but not much else at present. May change in future
Mild disfavor, unless we take the Branch Campus.
[ ] Taking on Apprentices
We probably want this. Apprentices are handy, even if they cost actions.
[ ] Interrogation
We're actually pretty good at this, though this hinges on loyalties.
[ ] Research and Development (thaumaturgical) (ie. stuff derived from Shyish-Kebabs and Qhaysh juice)
Highly interested.
[ ] Research and Cataloguing (biological)
Less interested.
[ ] Being available to investigate reports of unsanctioned magic-users.
Working with the Witch Hunters? I'm up for it.
[ ] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
I think this is a no brainer.
Hmm, need to think over it before voting.
Omegahugger
Inattentive Idiot
I was 40% joking, but I can't help myself now.
[X] Plan No Man Left Behind
-[X] Totally-brilliant-loyalty-write-in-to-be-cribbed-from-smarter-people-later
-[X] Seeking adventure as the second coming of Nagash, searching for ways to overcome the final enemy of life. (you won't actually write this on the paper, but choose it if this is what you want Mathilde to do)
-[X] Research and Development (thaumaturgical) (ie. stuff derived from Shyish-Kebabs and Qhaysh juice)
-[X] Research and Cataloguing (biological)
-[X] Being available to investigate reports of unsanctioned magic-users.
-[X] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
Don't worry, lectures and demonstrations will come later, but it'll probably take more than five years before we are ready for that.
... Keeping my vote as is for now, even if it's outdated.
King Arthur
The Once and Future King
Hrmmmm
[ ] Seeking adventure as the second coming of Nagash, searching for ways to overcome the final enemy of life. (you won't actually write this on the paper, but choose it if this is what you want Mathilde to do)
Temptation .... rising.
[ ] Seeking adventure as the second coming of Nagash, searching for ways to overcome the final enemy of life. (you won't actually write this on the paper, but choose it if this is what you want Mathilde to do)
Temptation .... rising.
It's the 'stay where you are and remain involved in what you're already involved in' option while also getting a big pile of new characters and plots and troubles dropped in your lap to keep this from becoming Bucolic Hermit Researcher Quest. The 'branch' would probably be pretty modest, at least for a while; another Magister and a couple of Apprentices-in-Perpetuity, perhaps.
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DarkLight140
Credit to Team
- Location
- Lost in my thoughts
Does this imply trying to work for an Elector Count, or could it just be working with an applicable noble, i.e. going up to Anton and saying "will you pay me to move in and wizard up your barony" would fall under this?
On the one hand, I very much do want to build a branch campus of the Grey College as one of our long-term objectives and wouldn't mind that being our next big project at all. On the other hand, "the middle of nowhere that we happen to own" isn't exactly the ideal location for a branch campus, so I'm not sure why we'd do that on our estate instead of seeking a better place (either in terms of natural affinity to ulgu or in terms of practical ability to do things like access resources and travel to the rest of the Empire) and working to get all the rights needed to establish ourselves there.
I don't think I can vote for this option as written, unfortunately.
Signing up to go on adventures and war seems like the sort of thing that will stop this from being part of our spare time, but there's no way the vote will swing for an option that doesn't involve adventure. I guess we'll never get to crack open these mysteries and exploit them properly unless the College demands it as our job.
This whole vote seems fine unplanned to me. Just have people vote for everything they like and the items that get the absolute most votes overall rise to the top. Unless there's a specific reason that you think planned votes would be better here?
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[X] Plan Stranger in A Dawi Land
-[X] Seeking adventure in Belegar Ironhammer's reconquest of Karak Eight Peaks
-[X] Interrogation
-[X] Enchantment Services
-[X] Research and Development (thaumaturgical)
-[X] Research and Cataloguing (biological)
-[X] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
-[X] Seeking adventure in Belegar Ironhammer's reconquest of Karak Eight Peaks
-[X] Interrogation
-[X] Enchantment Services
-[X] Research and Development (thaumaturgical)
-[X] Research and Cataloguing (biological)
-[X] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
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Clarified it in the post, it's Electors specifically.
"How do we get someone to let us build what they see as a Satanic dirty bomb on their doorstep" is a pretty significant problem that could be very neatly sidestepped by building it on a Wizard's land.
You might be right. It'd be a question of where to draw the cut-off because there's no specification for how many responsibilities you have, but that could just be a judgement call on my part...
Okay super promise last vote change now.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
In general perhaps, but if we take one of the more militant 5 year plans we probably don't want a tiny tagalong.
Cool, that's an interesting start.
Keep in mind that for the Shadow college, a remote campus up in the mountain that's a short ride by Shadow Steed to Wurtbad, which gives access to the riverine trade network of the Empire...is not exactly bad.
Also not many wizards are landowners. They'd have to earn it after becoming a wizard, and most Electors are leery of the idea.
That's true but if it's a consolation, if you're off punching orcs in the Badlands they'll only send the more self-sufficient apprentices your way.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Huh.
I kind of do like the idea of setting up our own branch campus. There's little in the way of natural resources to risk, it's out of the way of most of the province, and it's a place we legally earned--with the backing of the Grey College behind it, it's not something that Witch Hunters could use to cause us much grief either.
The biggest headache is that it competes with helping out with Eight Peaks, argggh.
I kind of do like the idea of setting up our own branch campus. There's little in the way of natural resources to risk, it's out of the way of most of the province, and it's a place we legally earned--with the backing of the Grey College behind it, it's not something that Witch Hunters could use to cause us much grief either.
The biggest headache is that it competes with helping out with Eight Peaks, argggh.
DarkLight140
Credit to Team
- Location
- Lost in my thoughts
Oh, definitely. But "how do you convince a noble to okay this" seems like a great step two for the task that could be a plot and a half on its own as we 1) search Stirland for the best possible place, then 2) figure out what the person who owns it would want in exchange for giving the Greys permission to move in and wizard things up in perpetuity, then 3) set things up to make a compelling pitch. That's a story in the making that would be really interesting to do.
In contrast, "I already own this so it's convenient, just build some extra buildings and start shipping in supplies and personnel" strikes me as relatively uninteresting. The storylines emergent from that which come to mind would be 1) wizardly internal politics, or 2) people throwing fits over all these wizards moving in... which we can still do in the other plotline anyway.
At the very least, being able to vote on which approach we want to take if we're interested in establishing such a campus would be nice instead of auto-locking to the latter.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We don't have to do it NOW. We won't be in Eight Peaks forever after all. I quite like it as something to try later on.
[X] Plan Collegiate Loyalties
-[X] Grey College - High
--[X] Debt of gratitude for retaining sanity and health through being born with magic.
--[X] Familial loyalty to Master
--[X] Academic interest in the preservation and perpetuation of discoveries
--[X] Self preservation in maintaining Wizard status within Empire for safety reasons.
--[X] Ambition in maintaining access to College resources and knowledge for the purpose of self improvement in the field of magic. It is very unlikely to obtain knowledge of similar depth in any one area, and impossible to do so for broader areas.
-[X] Empire - High
--[X] Belief in the ideal of Mankind United under the Empire for the betterment of all.
--[X] Obedience to the Laws of the Empire as the premier force for Order in the world.
--[X] Oath to the Articles of Magic, to act in the interests of the Empire.
--[X] Duty as a Wizard of the Grey College to obey the Grey College, transferred from duty of the Grey College to follow the lead of the collective Colleges, transfered from the collective Colleges loyalty to the Empire.
--[X] Duty as a Knight of Stirland to the Elector Count of Stirland, transferred from the duty of the duty of the Elector Count to the Empire
--[X] Self preservation from the Enemies of Man, Undead, Orc and Chaos would be free to wreak havoc without the intact Empire to protect its people from those.
--[X] Practical utility in acquiring assets, equipment and common services requires the continuance of civilization.
-[X] Humanity - Modest
--[X] Religious beliefs mandate the protection and furtherance of humanity.
--[X] Personal ethics seeks to minimize unnecessary harm to humanity in general.
[X] Seeking knowledge by building a branch campus of the Grey College on your estate in Stirland.
[X] Enchantment Commissions
[X] Enchantment Services
[X] Lectures and Demonstrations
[X] Taking on Apprentices
[X] Interrogation
[X] Research and Development (thaumaturgical) (ie. stuff derived from Shyish-Kebabs and Qhaysh juice)
[X] Being available to investigate reports of unsanctioned magic-users.
[X] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
-[X] Grey College - High
--[X] Debt of gratitude for retaining sanity and health through being born with magic.
--[X] Familial loyalty to Master
--[X] Academic interest in the preservation and perpetuation of discoveries
--[X] Self preservation in maintaining Wizard status within Empire for safety reasons.
--[X] Ambition in maintaining access to College resources and knowledge for the purpose of self improvement in the field of magic. It is very unlikely to obtain knowledge of similar depth in any one area, and impossible to do so for broader areas.
-[X] Empire - High
--[X] Belief in the ideal of Mankind United under the Empire for the betterment of all.
--[X] Obedience to the Laws of the Empire as the premier force for Order in the world.
--[X] Oath to the Articles of Magic, to act in the interests of the Empire.
--[X] Duty as a Wizard of the Grey College to obey the Grey College, transferred from duty of the Grey College to follow the lead of the collective Colleges, transfered from the collective Colleges loyalty to the Empire.
--[X] Duty as a Knight of Stirland to the Elector Count of Stirland, transferred from the duty of the duty of the Elector Count to the Empire
--[X] Self preservation from the Enemies of Man, Undead, Orc and Chaos would be free to wreak havoc without the intact Empire to protect its people from those.
--[X] Practical utility in acquiring assets, equipment and common services requires the continuance of civilization.
-[X] Humanity - Modest
--[X] Religious beliefs mandate the protection and furtherance of humanity.
--[X] Personal ethics seeks to minimize unnecessary harm to humanity in general.
[X] Seeking knowledge by building a branch campus of the Grey College on your estate in Stirland.
[X] Enchantment Commissions
[X] Enchantment Services
[X] Lectures and Demonstrations
[X] Taking on Apprentices
[X] Interrogation
[X] Research and Development (thaumaturgical) (ie. stuff derived from Shyish-Kebabs and Qhaysh juice)
[X] Being available to investigate reports of unsanctioned magic-users.
[X] Being available to intervene in matters of great import as needed
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- Location
- Australia
By law, our highest loyalty is supposed to be to the Empire. Saying that we're more loyal to the Grey College than the Empire is breaking an article of magic, which as I understand it is treason.
I might be missing something here, what do you see as 'best possible place' apart from 1) remote and 2) friendly landlord? Unlike a lot of other winds Ulgu doesn't really have sites naturally rich in it, just times of day.
Edit: This has proven to be a product of my tropical upbringing, where fog was a thing that happened to other people.
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