"It seems I have erred in overlooking what you call the Old World - an admirably egocentric label - in my research of the Gods," Cython says as it peruses the books on Kislev you've brought down into the guest room dedicated to it. "I visited it a few times in the aftermath of the Elf-Dwarf War, but their Gods seemed mostly aped from the Elves whose ruins they built upon. Hoeth and Morai-Heg as parents, Isha as the daughter, Myrmidia being the only novel element. But then they decided on a new addition to their pantheon, and I admit that at first I was as fooled as they. A horned God of savage competition and self-interest? Kurnous, clear as noon. When I next visited, the few survivors were scattered far and wide."
Heh, only a dragon would consider egocentricism to be an admirable value.
Or an elf I suppose.
More and more peeks at the Horned Rat's origins - the elder races don't look because the Horned Rat was only significantly publicly worshipped for a blink of an eye, before he went underground(heh), but the mythic associations would be interesting.
Savage competition and self-interest became a racial god of exploitative capitalism.
"We call them the 'Classical' or 'Southern' Gods," you note, "as opposed to the 'Elder' or 'Northern' Gods that the ancestors of the Empire brought with them - Taal, Rhya, Manann, and Ulric."
"The wilds, fertility, the ocean," it says dismissively. "Ulric is another puzzle. Ellinilli, perhaps?"
"I once heard a Laurelorn Elf theorize the same. Who or what are the Ellinilli?"
"Elven Gods of natural destruction fathered by Ellinill, who then grew mistrustful and devoured most of them. Some of them have grown beyond their origins - Mathlann became God of the Sea, Drakira the Goddess of Vengeance, Addaioth has been trying to become a God of Weapons. Ulric may have been a God of blizzards or similar that grew beyond His origins."
Quite nice how they just don't consider that Elven Theology might just not be sufficiently encompassing at all huh.
"Ulric is said to be brother to Taal," you note.
"It is my suspicion that mortal labels do not apply well to relationships among the Gods." It snorts. "Or perhaps they do, and they are as tumultuous and variables as those of mortals. Ask a Priest of Asuryan who sired Nethu."
"Why do you theorize that there must be so much crossover between the different pantheons?"
It tilts its head. "Why would there not be? Do two dragons share a hunting ground? Two kings a kingdom?"
You consider the point, and have to admit there could be merit to it. You've yourself witnessed Ranald in conflict, first against Stromfels and then against Mork. You've also recently read of Kislevite Gods, and Ursun's Cult is said to have fraught relationship with Ulric's. Did that reflect the relationship between the Gods, where Ulric and Ursun's conceptual territories are too similar, bringing the two into conflict because it causes them to... what? Detract from each other? Be able to prey upon each other?
Depends on the borders. We got a lot of places where two kings do indeed lay claim to the same territories, and it does pass unnoticed often enough. As long as said claims are used differently conflict could be rare enough. When different races assign different attributes to the same forces, perhaps room emerges.
A dragon's hunting grounds could overlap with a deer's forage, and neither would be the wiser for it.
"I can see the question roiling inside you like a gathering storm," Cython notes. "To Hysh, it is the moment of realization that is most satisfying, and the rest is simply the thrill of the hunt. To Ulgu, the seeking itself must energize."
You turn your attention to your Windsight, and note that indeed the Ulgu in the room has gathered around you like an aura. It's not enough for you to notice unless you're looking for it, though maybe that changes as one grows more and more attuned to a Wind. "As a Wizard, maybe," you say. "As a scholar, I'd like some hard answers."
"And as a dragon, it is a matter of great regret that I cannot hunt and eat light. We can never satisfy every facet of our nature."
Journey not the destination for Ulgu huh?
When you're closer to it, but not it. Not yet.
Sometimes I wonder if the Wind is toying with Mathilde's state of perplexed confusion as a power source.
"The Kurgan worship the Chaos Gods," you say to Cython later, after it had moved on from Kislevites to Chaos Marauders. "Which I expected. But they have a pantheon of one-two-four-eight - one sun, two moons, four Chaos Gods, and Eight Winds. It was surprising to me to read about, and then encounter, a people that consider Priests and Wizards to be so similar."
"I doubt they worship Asuryan or Lileath, so it might be erroneous worship - I doubt the celestial bodies care for or respond to worship.
Bold statements, I don't see anything fundamentally incompatible with Kurgan worshipping the two to some extent, nor that the celestial bodies need to be the physical ones, there's Dazh after all.
Their worship of..." It flips through the book. "'Ghyranek' might be an aspect of Chaos worship, perhaps a representation of Chaos Undivided. I have heard of Beastmen that worship Chaos itself and spurn the Chaos Gods.
This refers to the wind of Ghyran?
But as for the Winds, to worship them as Gods is incorrect, but why is it incorrect?"
"I assume you're going for something deeper than 'because Winds aren't Gods'."
"Correct. What is the vital difference between these two varieties of foreign energy with distinct preferences?"
A hefty question, but one you are not approaching unassisted. "Winds are reliable and ambient. 'I do not wish to trust the continued benevolence of a deity whose need for my faith and dedication might far outweigh my own need for His or Her aid.' That was said by Volans, the first leader of the Empire's Colleges of Magic."
"It is a vital difference, and one that makes all the difference in the wisdom of adopting one or the other. The Winds are available freely, acting according to their nature in the same way that air and water and soil are. But I observe that though Hysh asked nothing of me, it has dictated as much of my life and preferences and activites as the most demanding God. Could you say differently?"
You consider the question, and have to admit that as much of a constant presence Ranald is in your life, Ulgu is more so. "No, I couldn't. Are you suggesting that the Winds are, what, Gods playing the long game?"
Maybe the relationship is the other way round.
The Gods are proto-Winds, not anchored so deeply into the immutable nature of the world, but rather in the malleable minds of mortals. So where the Winds are only personalities without minds, they have minds.
Something like that.
"I do not believe that to be the case," Cython says, ruffling its wings in a draconic shrug. "But I have yet to find a way to prove that it isn't. There are many theories as to why the energies of the Aethyr change so drastically and fundamentally when they enter this world, and that there are Eight guarding the entrance to this world and countering the corruption of the Four is far from the least likely of those theories. There is also an argument to be made that the Winds are Gods that exist primarily in this world, where the other Gods exist primarily in the other. To prove or disprove either requires more insight into the nature of the Gods than I possess." It grins, a sudden flash of glinting vertices. "Yet."
Wonder how much buy into Theurgy investigations could Cython dish out...
To all to whom these Letters shall come, Greeting; The Warden of the University of Altdorf, on the recommendation of the Council of Masters and by virtue of the authority in them vested, have conferred on Quirin Waramunt who has satisfactorily pursued the Studies and passed the Examinations required therefor, the Degree of Baccalaureate Philosophiae in the Social Science of Near Eastern Studies with all the Rights, Privileges, and Honours thereunto appertaining. Given this Eighth Day of Vorgeheim, Two Thousand Four Hundred and Eighty-Five.
The framed certificate is on display on the wall of Qrech's cell, nestled amongst the many shelves filled with books and carved wooden figures. Qrech chitters with pride every time his eyes fall upon it, but judging by the papers resting upon his desk Qrech is far from finished with his terrorizing of the University of Altdorf. Ever since he learned that an advanced degree would confer upon him the title of 'Doctor' his eyes have been set on it, apparently as a balm to a sense of inadequacy that every Skaven of House Moulder who do not participate in the art of their Clan feels.
:3
Doctor Qrech next!
Its a lifelong goal!
"And then I shall teach," Qrech says, in between carefully gnawing a fresh point onto his quill. "And in doing so, reveal the vulnerabilities of the Chaos Dwarves to the surface races. Every blow that weakens them will strengthen Moulder." He seems to mean it, but there was more conviction and pride in his voice at the start than at the end. He seems to be trying to convince himself that the comfort he's found in his academic niche is still serving his distant Clan.
Took a while to set in, but it seems his loyalties may be wavering a bit.
Not by much however.
That said, its not like we'd object to Qrech building upon ways and means to screw his old nemesis over.
And then he perks up and waves a claw at his bookshelf. "And when all respect my words as master of the doom of the eastern foes? A book. All Qrech's knowledge carved onto wood and stamped onto a hundred, a thousand copies. And when those books grow old, copied into new books. I have read of the Ambush at Mount Cragg, words from ten lifetimes ago. The Battle of Kurgel's Gulch from fifty lifetimes ago. The song of Sir Baldrin of Brionne from seventy lifetimes ago." He chitters, patting the spines of his books. "Qrech will die, but Qrech's words will outlive all. Even the favoured who get the long-life concoctions. Even Throt. Even Lord Verminkin."
Immortaliy in words. We know the Skaven have books, but how many of them survive more than one owner after their writer, before being destroyed to withhold it from rivals?
"Qrech has many advantages," he says with clear pride. "One Professor has personally fought Chaos Dwarves. Did so during an attack on his caravan. A paltry skirmish with their lowest soldiers. Very respected, treated as an authority." He sniffs. "Qrech has lead small armies against the Eastern Dwarves. Qrech has slain them. Qrech has feasted on their flesh. Qrech has seen Bull Centaurs and Daemonsmiths and K'Daai. Qrech's victory is assured."
Professor: "Citation needed"
Qrech: "REEEEE!!!!!"
"Gods above," Wilhelmina says, settling back gingerly into the well-cushioned seat on the balcony of the EIC's headquarters. "The years sneak up on you. I've spent too many years sitting on hard wooden carriage seats and the bill's come due."
"From the paperwork, you don't seem to have lost a step," you observe as you sit yourself on a significantly less cushioned one.
"Here's hoping you're right, and it's just my back that's playing up. It's easy to hunker down, we'll really see how well I'm doing when that canal is finally done and we have to fight off everyone with a boat and a dream."
Just time catching up.
She wasn't all that young when we met her as it is.
"Anyway, what brings you here today?"
"I wanted to spend some time with Eike, get to know my future partner."
"Good idea, better to inculcate the proper terror of the Grey Order early on. My sons might have turned out worth a damn if I had you around to scare them into submission. Tillie!" A few moments later a frazzled-looking assistant pokes her head out. "Go get Eike and bring her up."
...I'm starting to realize a little why her sons turned out the way they did.
"Do you want to be there while I talk to her?"
She shrugs. "Probably for the best not to, she and I haven't been getting along of late. Inherited my temper, probably." You let that pass uncommented as Wilhelmina hauls herself back up with a groan.
Thats not a good sign.
A few minutes after Wilhelmina disappears back inside, Eike appears at the doorway. "You wanted to see me, Dame Weber?"
"Take a seat," you say. She moves to do so, but hesitates halfway. "Something wrong?"
"Your shadow is looking at me," she says - her voice wary rather than outright scared, to her credit.
"It does that. It's harmless, it moves around a bit but in other respects it's like any other shadow."
Eike takes a seat, still watching the shadow. "Is that a Wizard thing?"
"A Grey Wizard thing, yes. Give it a poke if it will make you feel better." She does so hesitantly, then with a frown of concentration as her pokes try to chase the retreating shadow along the wall. You take the opportunity to give her a once-over - she's neatly if plainly dressed, sports a few inkstains, and seems to be in good health. Under your Windsight she's largely untouched, but close scrutiny reveals a few traces of Chamon and Aqshy. She'd probably been in tutoring before being called to meet you which could explain the Wind of Metal. The Wind of Fire is tricky, it could be the result of enthusiasm or annoyance, so it's hard to draw any conclusions from that. You refocus on the physical world as the shadow finally retreats entirely from Eike's reach and she turns back to you. "You're going to be my partner in the EIC one day," you comment.
She nods firmly. "When oma retires. Going to Keep The Wagons Rolling and help everyone by getting the things where they need to be." You can practically hear the capital letters in her voice as she parrots a phrase she probably heard from Wilhelmina.
You smile. "That's one way to describe what we do."
"Oma says that you're here to Keep Us Honest and it's a good thing that I'd be in charge because if my father was you'd have to shoot him." She eyes the revolvers on your hip curiously. "Would you?"
"If I had to," you admit. "Getting everything where it needs to be is important. Some people think they can make money by interfering with that."
"They try to Skin The Sheep," she says, nodding. "Oma says not to, and that when my Dooming said to 'beware the cloven hoof' it wasn't talking about sheep, and it's a metaphor anyway."
Inquisitive, intelligent, apparently fairly brave.
Not bad materials.
"Oma says not to, and that when my Dooming said to 'beware the cloven hoof' it wasn't talking about sheep, and it's a metaphor anyway."
"She's probably right." You consider all the other possible cloven-hoofed dangers, and decide to move the conversation along.
Daemons, beastmen, for all we know she'd get run over by a goat at the ripe age of 90
"So if you've had your Dooming, have you had your Quickening too?"
She makes a face. "The Priestess explained a whole bunch of things she said I'll be interested in one day."
You nod. The Dooming and the Quickening is supposed to happen at about the same time, but in small villages they happen whenever the right Priests come by, so you'd ended up never having yours. "And what did you do after?" you ask casually.
Mathilde never got the Talk huh.
Hrm, probably a decent idea to get the sex ed out of the way before puberty hits and they're too distracted by hormones to consider anything, especially with the limited supply of relevant personnel.
Since they'd go off to apprenticeships after that, you can't count on their parents doing it.
"Fed the doves. I had to go to the park to do it because oma said if I fed them here they'd hang around and poop on her chair."
You nod. She's a Shallyan, then. You can work with that.
Shallyan. Thats a good place to start at for a faith. Could do worse.
"Done?" Wilhelmina says distractedly as you enter her office.
"Seems like a decent kid," you say, and note Wilhelmina's frown. "You don't agree?"
"She's ten, she's supposed to be an adult now, but she's nowhere near where she should be. Her tutors say she's getting there, but I half-suspect they're just saying that so I don't fire them. She seemed so bright when I adopted her."
"If she's getting there, she'll get there. Are you in a hurry to retire?"
"Far from it. I just don't want what I build collapsing the second I settle down or keel over."
And...its starting to occur to me now that the very same traits which makes her such a brutally effective businesswoman also made her a terrible parent. Controlling, domineering and fastidious nature is great for subordinates, poor for kids if you want them both capable of independent thought and not intent on spiting you to their graves.
"Short version: Sylvania's still quiet and those last two holdouts are still besieged, and there's rumours that Roswita fill finally finish it this coming spring - but then, there's been rumours of that for every spring since she showed up. Piracy is still huge, still taking big chunks out of the competition, still taking very few chunks out of us - those galleys have been a big help in filling gaps in River Warden schedules."
...Marienburg's really pulling out the stops huh, if we're STILL getting chunks bitten off even with our own galleys.
Ominous when paired to the idea of the sieges.
She slides over papers and you run your eyes over the distilled reports to see if anything jumps out at you. "Outbreak of disease among the canal workers?"
"Bad meat or bad water," Wilhelmina says with a shrug. "It happens, especially with that many people in one place. The Dwarves say it shouldn't set back the schedule too much."
"You think it's natural?"
"You don't?"
"It'd be normal most of the time, but this is a Dwarven project in a remote area. They'd be supplying food and water, and they'd be making sure they were clean."
"Surely the Marienburgers wouldn't..." She frowns. "They wouldn't, would they? I mean, sure, piracy and sabotage, but fomenting disease? That would be..." Her frown deepens. "I'll have a word with some Witch Hunters."
"Good. I do hope that it's nothing, but if they're willing to even flirt with the Ruinous Powers like that..."
...shit, thats how they talked themselves into dodging a grudge. If they attacked the dwarves it'd be a grudge. If they directly attacked the human workers on the dwarf project, it'd be a grudge.
If the humans kept getting sick, well, Umgi, they get sick all the time - a dwarf wouldn't be as badly affected even if they went down there and ate human food and drink. Its not
poison, so its not like they could test for that.
If they really did it, it'd solve the casus belli issue real quick though...
You raise your eyebrows as Wilhelmina drops two bulging purses on the table. "Business has been that good?"
She shakes her head exasperatedly. "It's not your cut, it's already yours. You haven't touched the profits from that factory since you first left for Eight Peaks."
"Oh, right." You frown and eye the purses, trying to calculate if the Bursar is going to get snippy about this.
Bursar: "Its been half a decade, I've been sort of waiting."
"Bloody Wizards. That shadow of yours and the smoke and the candles playing up, that's par for the course. But 'oh, right'? That's just not natural. It's enough money to buy a house and you just had it sitting there."
"I am supposed to be under a Vow of Poverty," you protest. "That's why I asked you to plough it all into expanding instead of buying me out."
"Which I did, but I'm not taking your actual money to do so. There's a line and that's it."
Oh hah, she does have business ethics. She could withhold and reinvest profits, but she can't accept taking money for nothing.
She shakes her head again and rummages in her papers. "Right, gong farming. I kept the model you were using - subscription to pay for the collectors, fertilizer sales to pay for the factories. Where it already existed it was mostly ad hoc for fertilizer, only a few big towns were doing it for cleanliness and health, so Rudiger was able to use the threat of undercutting and a promise of better wages to absorb what there was without much trouble. We've broken ground on factories in Blutdorf and Franzen, should be ready when the first round of the material is ready for processing. The only question is the output." She eyes you across the desk.
That should be good for public health too.
[X] Plan to set up EIC gunpowder production in Stirland
...lets make it bad for vampire health.
I think people have the wrong idea about the gunnery school.
I don't think it was a warning about something happening to the k8p school.
I think something is going to happen to the Nurn school, and k8ps is going to have to take up some of the slack.
I think its less of a warning and more of a Portentous Site. You have Radical Dwarf Engineers working in close proximity to human engineers. There's going to be idea exchanges. There's going to be innovation, and thats going to be
political.
The powder supply is as far as you can get from its main significance.
