Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest
- Thread starter Boney
- Start date
- Fantasy Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
consequences
Not A Nice Person At All
- Location
- Jerkville
We go to the land of the ice and snow to the midnight sun where the eight winds blow
The hammer of the dwarves will drive our ships to old land
To fight the horde, and sing and cry
Karag Dum I am coming
The hammer of the dwarves will drive our ships to old land
To fight the horde, and sing and cry
Karag Dum I am coming
Turn 33 Social - 2486 - Part 2
The Imperial Gunnery School's branch in Karag Nar is an odd phenomenon. It exists in large part due to Prince Kazrik taking advantage of institutional ego, and if any human polity had bought the same amount of guns they would simply have sent along instructors to teach the proper firing and maintenance techniques. But 'sold cannons to a Dwarfhold' is something they're going to be boasting about for decades, and given the chance to double down on that, they happily took it, and if all they get out of it is the chance to casually say 'our branch in Karak Eight Peaks' at every opportunity they'd consider themselves to have done quite well out of the deal. Under normal circumstances, it would be fated to being an overly-dramatic label for the Undumgi arsenal and training facilities.
But these are not normal circumstances, and Belegar is no normal Dwarven King.
With the Okral returned to Karaz-a-Karak, plans are unfolding to expand the branch into a proper foundry, and Rangers are surveying nearby mountainsides for suitable locations for redoubts along the eastern half of Death Pass. Currently, the artillery of the Undumgi covers the length of Death Pass required for the path to Ulrikadrin and Barak Varr to remain open, and Belegar intends to extend that to cover the path from Karak Eight Peaks to the Dark Lands - both to ensure the Karak remains part of the safest route of the Silk Road, and so that anything unfriendly that comes from the east will be well mauled before it even sets sights upon the Eight Peaks. To do so with human-forged artillery would surely rankle the traditionalists, but it does mean that it could be established within years, rather than decades.
So gold flows to Nuln and back comes a steady stream of carefully-selected candidates. The Imperial Gunnery School wants this to go off without a hitch, so they need to ensure that they send just the right people. This is no task for a mad inventor in the tradition of Volker von Meinkopt who would reinforce everything Dwarves believe about human craftsmanship - this calls for more of a Josef Bazalgette, stolid, dependable sorts who would be content to simply create a large number of high-quality guns to proven designs without getting creative, as well as the supporting staff thereof. And as it turns out, that selection criteria has just so happened to include three candidates with the surname Burgstaller, and all indications are they won't be the last.
Authority is a funny thing. It is vitally important to the structure of society, but it does not tangibly exist, so it is very easy to claim one holds it even if they do not. That's why doing so leads to very nasty consequences from those who actually do hold it. But there's a grey area you've dipped into a time or two yourself - act as though you have that authority and people will often assume you do, and you never need to actually explicitly claim it. Even if you do get caught red-handed, its deniability is beautifully plausible, and nobody can ever really be sure whether it was intended, or whether it was simply a very fortuitous misunderstanding. For example, if someone is not technically in the employ of the Loremaster but is under their authority and has worked alongside them in the past, it can be very easy for someone to reach the conclusion that they are doing so once more when they start asking curious questions about, say, the selection criteria for the branch's latest round of recruitment. Did they take advantage of a misunderstanding of the authority they held? Or did they simply ask questions of someone who gave answers too freely?
The tricky thing is that even Adela might not know for sure. Self-deception is by no means an uncommon ability, and it could be that she convinced herself she was merely innocently asking questions when part of her knew the possibility for misunderstood authority existed. Adela is quite loyal to her family, and people have convinced themselves to do worse for lesser reasons.
Or you might be seeing skulduggery where none exists, and Adela was simply able to barter a position for her relatives in exchange for services to the Gunnery School. Either by lending it her own fledgling engineering expertise, or leveraging her contacts amongst the Dwarven engineers to make a few useful introductions, or simply by lending her abilities with fire. Quality charcoal is quite expensive and coked peat even more so, and many an unambitious Bright Wizard has paid their way through life by stoking forges with Aqshy.
Is this a problem? Well, that depends. In a perfect world, the procedure that would have chosen the branch's staff would pick those ideal for the job, and Adela's intervention has prevented that. But in the world that is, it's much more likely that if Adela hadn't put her thumb on the scale, someone else would have. And this way you have a set of levers inside the branch that you can access through Adela, should it ever prove necessary. So you simply confirm that they have the qualifications required for the positions they're filling, make a few slightly pointed comments to Adela to make sure that she knows that you know, and leave the matter at that.
---
With yourself about to be absent from the Karak for a few months, you've made the decision to upgrade the security of your quarters even further. When Dwarves are involved and they have as much of a vested interest as the Karak does in keeping the area secure, there's really no limit to how much security they'd be willing to apply, but even they have to grudgingly admit that there's a point of diminishing returns here. All that's really needed is to make the entryway sturdy enough that any forcible entry would need to be loud enough that it would alert the entire Karag, and lengthy enough for them to still be on the outside when the Undumgi reached them.
The process of making this happen is a rather noisy one, and one that involves rather a lot of Dwarves coming in and out of the upper levels of your home, which in turn supplies ample reason to spend your time elsewhere for the duration, which only compounds the more obvious one. Going away on a multi-month trip is the sort of thing one precedes by spending an ample amount of time with their paramour, especially if that trip is off the edge of the map. This course of action turns out to be quite sound indeed. Panoramia is pleasant company even when not being weighed against a troop of Dwarven masons, and on top of the obvious benefits of spending a lot of time with her, trailing curiously in her wake as she goes about her work proves rather interesting in its own right, and not just for the parts of it where you get to watch her channel enormous amounts of Ghyran and glow quite beautifully to your Magesight.
You'd imagined that her work for the Halflings began and ended at doing magic at fields until food happened, and while that's certainly part of it, there turns out to be much more than that. Part of it is mechanical, as she determines the proper amount of water that a given field requires and works with the Halflings to determine the most reliable way to either add or remove water to reach that point. Part is alchemical, as she applies various chemicals to samples of dirt and from the results reaches conclusions about the makeup of said dirt. Part of it botanical, as she inspects underperforming plants and determines whether the blame can be placed on seed, soil, or on an interloper, and when the last turns out to be the case, she displays an understanding for the selection and deployment of toxins that would be quite terrifying if she ever turned it on something larger than a fingernail.
With her magic alone, she could make a plot of land give a single bountiful harvest no matter what state it was in. But with this full suite of techniques, she has set her sights on making an entire valley give bountiful harvests for the foreseeable future. It's not quite as immediately impressive as a superweapon, but being able to hold a kingdom is of no use if you can't feed it.
As the date of your departure approaches, a lot of the time you spend with Panoramia shifts from the fields to the privacy of her home. Not entirely for torrid purposes, though there is a certain amount of that sort of thing, but mostly for talking. Though you're both Wizards, you're from two very different Orders and had very different upbringings. Panoramia went through her Apprenticeship with her family but no faith, whereas you had faith but no family, and exploring those differences proves just as compelling as the other type of explorations.
But all good things must come to an end, and all too quickly the day comes for you to depart for Praag. And when you board a gyrocarriage with Johann and Max, it's with her smile in your thoughts and her kiss on your lips.
---
Praag is the oldest city in Kislev, and was once a rival to the capital in wealth and culture. Streets and buildings decorated with silver were ringed by vast, spiked walls lined with cannon and strengthened by Dwarven runes. For a time the Fire Spire of Praag was the center of magical research in the Old World. But that time ended with the coming of Asavar Kul and the Great War Against Chaos. Praag held out for months against the invaders and may have saved the Old World in doing so, for it gave Magnus the Pious and High King Alriksson and Teclis time enough to raise a force capable of repelling the forces of Chaos. But by the time it reached Kislev, Praag had fallen. The war was won instead at the walls of the city of Kislev, and the few buildings left standing in Praag were covered in Chaotic sigils, staring eyes, and seeping blood. All of it was torn down and the ruins burned, and some say that should have been the end for Praag.
But the Citadel of Praag never fell, and when the forces of Chaos were pushed back, the survivors that took refuge there refused to abandon their city and instead learned which parts of the rubble were less cursed than the others and rebuilt atop them. It's said that in the aftermath of the Great War, one in two children born in Praag was horribly mutated in some way or another, and that the streets would rearrange themselves each night and had to be rebuilt regularly to prevent them from shaping themselves into sigils of terrible power. The taint of those times has faded somewhat over the decades, but every night the taint of Chaos waxes once more, and black blood bubbles up from below, and the faint screams of those that were sacrificed to Chaos here echo through the darkness. Even in the noon sunlight the streets throb with Chaos taint to your Magesight, as if Morrslieb shone at full strength above.
You take a deep breath, center yourself, and put it out of your mind. You'll undoubtedly experience worse before this adventure is through. Right now the steam-wagons should have crossed into Kislev, and the first of the Wizards that are assembling to join the Expedition have probably already arrived. Your focus right now needs to be on them, not on the scars left on this part of Kislev nearly two centuries ago.
---
Ice Witches spurn Praag due to the presence of the ruined Fire Spire and Ungol Hags refuse to step foot in the city unless they really need to, so there's no resident Wizard or Wizard-equivalent that courtesy demands you make your introductions to, leaving you free to establish yourself and go about business. You manage to secure surprisingly comfortable quarters at a tavern called the Bow and Bard as well as the use of a card table in the back, and then set off to winnow your way through the more reputable inns and taverns to see if any Wizards have arrived yet, as well as spreading some silver around to ensure that innkeepers know to point them your way should they encounter them. Your sweep of the city pays off immediately as you are told by the proprietress of an establishment heavy with curtains and perfumes called The Red Rose that they have a Celestial Magister currently staying with them, though not currently accepting visitors. You pass on a request for him to meet with you at his convenience, and the next morning he presents himself as requested.
"Magister Michel Solmann, at your service," he says with a bow.
You gesture at the seat across from you. "Solmann," you say. "Any relation to Klaus Solmann?"
"A cousin on my father's side," he says as he sits. "With proper attention to the portents, the gift of magic can be encouraged to run in the family."
"Are you yourself portent-inclined?" you ask, hopefully in a neutral tone.
"I'm more attuned to the Elemental side of Azyr."
"Winds and lightning and such?"
"Just so."
You nod. "What led you to join this Expedition?"
He gives you a thoughtful look before answering. "Encouragement from on high," he admits. "The signs, I hear, are murky, but it's hoped that a fistful of lightning will help tilt things towards positive outcomes."
You manage to keep from frowning. "As long as you continue to be this forthright about that sort of thing, we shouldn't have a problem. Magister Matriarch Stossel suggested there was something omenous, and perhaps ominous, about this Expedition. I'd rather that this be kept between you and I - it could cause the wrong kind of concern among the others, once they arrive."
"As you wish, Lady Magister."
"There's another of your Order that will be joining us, Journeyman Hubert Denzel. He is operating in his capacity as King Belegar's delegate to the Winter Wolves, so I'll ask you not to try to exert Collegiate authority over him - but if he's willing, I'd ask that you give him what guidance you can in matters of Azyr."
"As you wish, Lady Magister," he says once more.
---
The second new face to arrive is a Jade Wizard, heavyset and deeply tanned. "Journeyman Cyrston von Danling," he says, shaking your hand with a firm grip. "Pleased to put a face to the name."
"Pleased to put a name to the face," you reply. "Tell me about yourself."
"First generation Wizard from Solland, been on my Journey for eight years now. I have high-to-extreme seasonal attunement, which for the purposes of this expedition will mean that I will grow in power as Summer approaches, and a knack for water magics."
"Geyser?" you ask curiously.
"Still working on that one," he admits.
"Could you learn it within the next month or so?"
He hesitates. "Probably not. But I can water-dowse with some reliability."
You nod. "That could be of great use. What brings you to this Expedition?"
He shrugs. "I've been all over the Old World, but never been east of the World's Edge Mountains. This seems like a fantastic way to change that."
Not the worst motivation you've ever heard. You thank him for his time and dismiss him.
---
Third to arrive is a woman of about forty wielding what looks like a reinforced wall sconce. "Journeywoman Alexandra Kohler," she introduces herself as.
"Kohler by name or occupation?" you ask curiously. Charcoal burners tend to be hardy and careful sorts, as a proper burn takes at least a week, during which the fire must be closely watched.
"Formerly both, in the Nattern Forest. Beastmen attacked, and I discovered I could put fire to a different use."
"A fellow Stirlander. Northern or Southern Nattern?"
"Northern, a ways west of Klam."
A former subject of the Countess of Wolfsbach then, rather than of Anton. "Elemental Aqshy, then?"
"Yes, Lady Magister." You note the hesitation in her voice before using your title. Magic typically develops between the ages of 15 and 25, but outliers in either direction are hardly uncommon - indeed, the founder and first Magister Patriarch of the Bright College was a celebrated Greatsword commander when his own magic developed. Those that develop late in life often find it difficult to defer to Wizards younger in years but higher in rank. "Fire Ball, Fiery Blast, Curtain of Flame, that sort of thing."
"Inextinguishable Flame?"
"Yes. About three weeks."
"If you're willing, you could earn some Dwarven gratitude by putting that to work on their boilers - I know it won't have the full effect on fires that large, but it will save some fuel."
"They'd allow that?" she asks.
"I've earned some goodwill for Wizards among the Dwarves, and this Expedition isn't exactly made up of staunch traditionalists."
She nods. "Very well. Thank you, Lady Magister."
"Why have you joined this Expedition?"
"Recognition and promotion," she says simply.
You nod. "Fair enough. Thank you for your time."
---
The final Wizards arrive as a group - a handsome and well-groomed young Magister that must be Egrimm van Horstmann, and three Journeymen who trail behind him like ducklings of his own. "Lady Magister," he says with an easy smile. "I've heard good things."
"And your former Master vouched for your own abilities. May we both live up to our reputations. Who are your fellows?"
"Journeymen Citharus and Barbitus, and Journeywoman Timpania," he says, indicating them in turn. Citharus is short and heavyset, Barbitus taller and thin, and Timpania slender and shifting from side to side with nervous energy. "I'm not quite a Choirmaster, but I can lead a quartet, and they are some of the most talented harmonists of their generation."
"Are they here with you?"
"I'm happy to take them under my wing and we can accomplish more together than we can apart, but their purposes here is their Journeying, rather than obligation to their College."
"I see. Your capabilities?"
"We wield the scouring light of purity. Shem's Burning Gaze and Pillar of Radiance for if we're lucky, Banish and Daemonbane for if we're not."
You nod, grudgingly impressed. Those are some potent spells. "Very well. I'll leave your juniors under your authority. If we could have a word in private?"
"Of course." He ushers his ducklings out of the room, and closes the door with a click. "What is it you want to talk about?"
"I want to be sure there'll be no misunderstandings about the chain of command here. You are here at the order of your Magister Patriarch, yes, but I am here as the representative of King Belegar. Everyone on this Expedition is under Dwarven authority, and all Wizards of the Colleges on this Expedition are, directly or indirectly, under mine."
He smiles and nods. "I have no problems with that."
"Glad to hear it. Thank you for your time."
---
Wizards Recruited:
Magister Egrimm van Horstmann, with Journeyman Citharus, Journeyman Barbitus, and Journeywoman Timpania, of the Order of Light
Shem's Burning Gaze, Banish, Daemonbane, Ill-bane, Light's Demand, Pillar of Radiance, Radiant Gaze
Magister Michel Solmann of the Celestial College
Lightning Bolt, Clear Sky, Wind Blast, Lightning Storm
Journeyman Cyrston von Danling of the Order of Life
Leaf Fall, Spring Bloom, Summer Heat, Winter Frost, River's Whisper, Ferment
Journeywoman Alexandra Kohler of the Bright Order
Curtain of Flame, Fiery Blast, Fire Ball, Inextinguishable Flame, Ruin and Destruction
- Next update in progress.
But these are not normal circumstances, and Belegar is no normal Dwarven King.
With the Okral returned to Karaz-a-Karak, plans are unfolding to expand the branch into a proper foundry, and Rangers are surveying nearby mountainsides for suitable locations for redoubts along the eastern half of Death Pass. Currently, the artillery of the Undumgi covers the length of Death Pass required for the path to Ulrikadrin and Barak Varr to remain open, and Belegar intends to extend that to cover the path from Karak Eight Peaks to the Dark Lands - both to ensure the Karak remains part of the safest route of the Silk Road, and so that anything unfriendly that comes from the east will be well mauled before it even sets sights upon the Eight Peaks. To do so with human-forged artillery would surely rankle the traditionalists, but it does mean that it could be established within years, rather than decades.
So gold flows to Nuln and back comes a steady stream of carefully-selected candidates. The Imperial Gunnery School wants this to go off without a hitch, so they need to ensure that they send just the right people. This is no task for a mad inventor in the tradition of Volker von Meinkopt who would reinforce everything Dwarves believe about human craftsmanship - this calls for more of a Josef Bazalgette, stolid, dependable sorts who would be content to simply create a large number of high-quality guns to proven designs without getting creative, as well as the supporting staff thereof. And as it turns out, that selection criteria has just so happened to include three candidates with the surname Burgstaller, and all indications are they won't be the last.
Authority is a funny thing. It is vitally important to the structure of society, but it does not tangibly exist, so it is very easy to claim one holds it even if they do not. That's why doing so leads to very nasty consequences from those who actually do hold it. But there's a grey area you've dipped into a time or two yourself - act as though you have that authority and people will often assume you do, and you never need to actually explicitly claim it. Even if you do get caught red-handed, its deniability is beautifully plausible, and nobody can ever really be sure whether it was intended, or whether it was simply a very fortuitous misunderstanding. For example, if someone is not technically in the employ of the Loremaster but is under their authority and has worked alongside them in the past, it can be very easy for someone to reach the conclusion that they are doing so once more when they start asking curious questions about, say, the selection criteria for the branch's latest round of recruitment. Did they take advantage of a misunderstanding of the authority they held? Or did they simply ask questions of someone who gave answers too freely?
The tricky thing is that even Adela might not know for sure. Self-deception is by no means an uncommon ability, and it could be that she convinced herself she was merely innocently asking questions when part of her knew the possibility for misunderstood authority existed. Adela is quite loyal to her family, and people have convinced themselves to do worse for lesser reasons.
Or you might be seeing skulduggery where none exists, and Adela was simply able to barter a position for her relatives in exchange for services to the Gunnery School. Either by lending it her own fledgling engineering expertise, or leveraging her contacts amongst the Dwarven engineers to make a few useful introductions, or simply by lending her abilities with fire. Quality charcoal is quite expensive and coked peat even more so, and many an unambitious Bright Wizard has paid their way through life by stoking forges with Aqshy.
Is this a problem? Well, that depends. In a perfect world, the procedure that would have chosen the branch's staff would pick those ideal for the job, and Adela's intervention has prevented that. But in the world that is, it's much more likely that if Adela hadn't put her thumb on the scale, someone else would have. And this way you have a set of levers inside the branch that you can access through Adela, should it ever prove necessary. So you simply confirm that they have the qualifications required for the positions they're filling, make a few slightly pointed comments to Adela to make sure that she knows that you know, and leave the matter at that.
---
With yourself about to be absent from the Karak for a few months, you've made the decision to upgrade the security of your quarters even further. When Dwarves are involved and they have as much of a vested interest as the Karak does in keeping the area secure, there's really no limit to how much security they'd be willing to apply, but even they have to grudgingly admit that there's a point of diminishing returns here. All that's really needed is to make the entryway sturdy enough that any forcible entry would need to be loud enough that it would alert the entire Karag, and lengthy enough for them to still be on the outside when the Undumgi reached them.
The process of making this happen is a rather noisy one, and one that involves rather a lot of Dwarves coming in and out of the upper levels of your home, which in turn supplies ample reason to spend your time elsewhere for the duration, which only compounds the more obvious one. Going away on a multi-month trip is the sort of thing one precedes by spending an ample amount of time with their paramour, especially if that trip is off the edge of the map. This course of action turns out to be quite sound indeed. Panoramia is pleasant company even when not being weighed against a troop of Dwarven masons, and on top of the obvious benefits of spending a lot of time with her, trailing curiously in her wake as she goes about her work proves rather interesting in its own right, and not just for the parts of it where you get to watch her channel enormous amounts of Ghyran and glow quite beautifully to your Magesight.
You'd imagined that her work for the Halflings began and ended at doing magic at fields until food happened, and while that's certainly part of it, there turns out to be much more than that. Part of it is mechanical, as she determines the proper amount of water that a given field requires and works with the Halflings to determine the most reliable way to either add or remove water to reach that point. Part is alchemical, as she applies various chemicals to samples of dirt and from the results reaches conclusions about the makeup of said dirt. Part of it botanical, as she inspects underperforming plants and determines whether the blame can be placed on seed, soil, or on an interloper, and when the last turns out to be the case, she displays an understanding for the selection and deployment of toxins that would be quite terrifying if she ever turned it on something larger than a fingernail.
With her magic alone, she could make a plot of land give a single bountiful harvest no matter what state it was in. But with this full suite of techniques, she has set her sights on making an entire valley give bountiful harvests for the foreseeable future. It's not quite as immediately impressive as a superweapon, but being able to hold a kingdom is of no use if you can't feed it.
As the date of your departure approaches, a lot of the time you spend with Panoramia shifts from the fields to the privacy of her home. Not entirely for torrid purposes, though there is a certain amount of that sort of thing, but mostly for talking. Though you're both Wizards, you're from two very different Orders and had very different upbringings. Panoramia went through her Apprenticeship with her family but no faith, whereas you had faith but no family, and exploring those differences proves just as compelling as the other type of explorations.
But all good things must come to an end, and all too quickly the day comes for you to depart for Praag. And when you board a gyrocarriage with Johann and Max, it's with her smile in your thoughts and her kiss on your lips.
---
Praag is the oldest city in Kislev, and was once a rival to the capital in wealth and culture. Streets and buildings decorated with silver were ringed by vast, spiked walls lined with cannon and strengthened by Dwarven runes. For a time the Fire Spire of Praag was the center of magical research in the Old World. But that time ended with the coming of Asavar Kul and the Great War Against Chaos. Praag held out for months against the invaders and may have saved the Old World in doing so, for it gave Magnus the Pious and High King Alriksson and Teclis time enough to raise a force capable of repelling the forces of Chaos. But by the time it reached Kislev, Praag had fallen. The war was won instead at the walls of the city of Kislev, and the few buildings left standing in Praag were covered in Chaotic sigils, staring eyes, and seeping blood. All of it was torn down and the ruins burned, and some say that should have been the end for Praag.
But the Citadel of Praag never fell, and when the forces of Chaos were pushed back, the survivors that took refuge there refused to abandon their city and instead learned which parts of the rubble were less cursed than the others and rebuilt atop them. It's said that in the aftermath of the Great War, one in two children born in Praag was horribly mutated in some way or another, and that the streets would rearrange themselves each night and had to be rebuilt regularly to prevent them from shaping themselves into sigils of terrible power. The taint of those times has faded somewhat over the decades, but every night the taint of Chaos waxes once more, and black blood bubbles up from below, and the faint screams of those that were sacrificed to Chaos here echo through the darkness. Even in the noon sunlight the streets throb with Chaos taint to your Magesight, as if Morrslieb shone at full strength above.
You take a deep breath, center yourself, and put it out of your mind. You'll undoubtedly experience worse before this adventure is through. Right now the steam-wagons should have crossed into Kislev, and the first of the Wizards that are assembling to join the Expedition have probably already arrived. Your focus right now needs to be on them, not on the scars left on this part of Kislev nearly two centuries ago.
---
Ice Witches spurn Praag due to the presence of the ruined Fire Spire and Ungol Hags refuse to step foot in the city unless they really need to, so there's no resident Wizard or Wizard-equivalent that courtesy demands you make your introductions to, leaving you free to establish yourself and go about business. You manage to secure surprisingly comfortable quarters at a tavern called the Bow and Bard as well as the use of a card table in the back, and then set off to winnow your way through the more reputable inns and taverns to see if any Wizards have arrived yet, as well as spreading some silver around to ensure that innkeepers know to point them your way should they encounter them. Your sweep of the city pays off immediately as you are told by the proprietress of an establishment heavy with curtains and perfumes called The Red Rose that they have a Celestial Magister currently staying with them, though not currently accepting visitors. You pass on a request for him to meet with you at his convenience, and the next morning he presents himself as requested.
"Magister Michel Solmann, at your service," he says with a bow.
You gesture at the seat across from you. "Solmann," you say. "Any relation to Klaus Solmann?"
"A cousin on my father's side," he says as he sits. "With proper attention to the portents, the gift of magic can be encouraged to run in the family."
"Are you yourself portent-inclined?" you ask, hopefully in a neutral tone.
"I'm more attuned to the Elemental side of Azyr."
"Winds and lightning and such?"
"Just so."
You nod. "What led you to join this Expedition?"
He gives you a thoughtful look before answering. "Encouragement from on high," he admits. "The signs, I hear, are murky, but it's hoped that a fistful of lightning will help tilt things towards positive outcomes."
You manage to keep from frowning. "As long as you continue to be this forthright about that sort of thing, we shouldn't have a problem. Magister Matriarch Stossel suggested there was something omenous, and perhaps ominous, about this Expedition. I'd rather that this be kept between you and I - it could cause the wrong kind of concern among the others, once they arrive."
"As you wish, Lady Magister."
"There's another of your Order that will be joining us, Journeyman Hubert Denzel. He is operating in his capacity as King Belegar's delegate to the Winter Wolves, so I'll ask you not to try to exert Collegiate authority over him - but if he's willing, I'd ask that you give him what guidance you can in matters of Azyr."
"As you wish, Lady Magister," he says once more.
---
The second new face to arrive is a Jade Wizard, heavyset and deeply tanned. "Journeyman Cyrston von Danling," he says, shaking your hand with a firm grip. "Pleased to put a face to the name."
"Pleased to put a name to the face," you reply. "Tell me about yourself."
"First generation Wizard from Solland, been on my Journey for eight years now. I have high-to-extreme seasonal attunement, which for the purposes of this expedition will mean that I will grow in power as Summer approaches, and a knack for water magics."
"Geyser?" you ask curiously.
"Still working on that one," he admits.
"Could you learn it within the next month or so?"
He hesitates. "Probably not. But I can water-dowse with some reliability."
You nod. "That could be of great use. What brings you to this Expedition?"
He shrugs. "I've been all over the Old World, but never been east of the World's Edge Mountains. This seems like a fantastic way to change that."
Not the worst motivation you've ever heard. You thank him for his time and dismiss him.
---
Third to arrive is a woman of about forty wielding what looks like a reinforced wall sconce. "Journeywoman Alexandra Kohler," she introduces herself as.
"Kohler by name or occupation?" you ask curiously. Charcoal burners tend to be hardy and careful sorts, as a proper burn takes at least a week, during which the fire must be closely watched.
"Formerly both, in the Nattern Forest. Beastmen attacked, and I discovered I could put fire to a different use."
"A fellow Stirlander. Northern or Southern Nattern?"
"Northern, a ways west of Klam."
A former subject of the Countess of Wolfsbach then, rather than of Anton. "Elemental Aqshy, then?"
"Yes, Lady Magister." You note the hesitation in her voice before using your title. Magic typically develops between the ages of 15 and 25, but outliers in either direction are hardly uncommon - indeed, the founder and first Magister Patriarch of the Bright College was a celebrated Greatsword commander when his own magic developed. Those that develop late in life often find it difficult to defer to Wizards younger in years but higher in rank. "Fire Ball, Fiery Blast, Curtain of Flame, that sort of thing."
"Inextinguishable Flame?"
"Yes. About three weeks."
"If you're willing, you could earn some Dwarven gratitude by putting that to work on their boilers - I know it won't have the full effect on fires that large, but it will save some fuel."
"They'd allow that?" she asks.
"I've earned some goodwill for Wizards among the Dwarves, and this Expedition isn't exactly made up of staunch traditionalists."
She nods. "Very well. Thank you, Lady Magister."
"Why have you joined this Expedition?"
"Recognition and promotion," she says simply.
You nod. "Fair enough. Thank you for your time."
---
The final Wizards arrive as a group - a handsome and well-groomed young Magister that must be Egrimm van Horstmann, and three Journeymen who trail behind him like ducklings of his own. "Lady Magister," he says with an easy smile. "I've heard good things."
"And your former Master vouched for your own abilities. May we both live up to our reputations. Who are your fellows?"
"Journeymen Citharus and Barbitus, and Journeywoman Timpania," he says, indicating them in turn. Citharus is short and heavyset, Barbitus taller and thin, and Timpania slender and shifting from side to side with nervous energy. "I'm not quite a Choirmaster, but I can lead a quartet, and they are some of the most talented harmonists of their generation."
"Are they here with you?"
"I'm happy to take them under my wing and we can accomplish more together than we can apart, but their purposes here is their Journeying, rather than obligation to their College."
"I see. Your capabilities?"
"We wield the scouring light of purity. Shem's Burning Gaze and Pillar of Radiance for if we're lucky, Banish and Daemonbane for if we're not."
You nod, grudgingly impressed. Those are some potent spells. "Very well. I'll leave your juniors under your authority. If we could have a word in private?"
"Of course." He ushers his ducklings out of the room, and closes the door with a click. "What is it you want to talk about?"
"I want to be sure there'll be no misunderstandings about the chain of command here. You are here at the order of your Magister Patriarch, yes, but I am here as the representative of King Belegar. Everyone on this Expedition is under Dwarven authority, and all Wizards of the Colleges on this Expedition are, directly or indirectly, under mine."
He smiles and nods. "I have no problems with that."
"Glad to hear it. Thank you for your time."
---
Wizards Recruited:
Magister Egrimm van Horstmann, with Journeyman Citharus, Journeyman Barbitus, and Journeywoman Timpania, of the Order of Light
Shem's Burning Gaze, Banish, Daemonbane, Ill-bane, Light's Demand, Pillar of Radiance, Radiant Gaze
Magister Michel Solmann of the Celestial College
Lightning Bolt, Clear Sky, Wind Blast, Lightning Storm
Journeyman Cyrston von Danling of the Order of Life
Leaf Fall, Spring Bloom, Summer Heat, Winter Frost, River's Whisper, Ferment
Journeywoman Alexandra Kohler of the Bright Order
Curtain of Flame, Fiery Blast, Fire Ball, Inextinguishable Flame, Ruin and Destruction
- Next update in progress.
Last edited:
NSMS
Probably evil, unfortunately.
- Location
- A rapidly widening tear in the fabric of reality
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Location
- France
It's great to see this update again! I hope that things are going better for you IRL, @BoneyM!
Regarding the update itself:
Regarding the update itself:
- I hadn't even imagined that Adela's nespotism could have relied on her connection to us! That's not great, to say the least. I'd assumed that she'd made it work by circulating info to her family very fast to they knew where and when to apply (possibly with some bribes or services rendered to whoever is in charge of applicants). Ah well, at least we have some nice leverage now.
- The phrase "doing magic at fields until food happened" is great. I wonder if she talks like that to Panoramia?
- The description of the curse city and the intros to the other wizards are fun, but I didn't quite understand every detail. Why did the Stirlander hesitate before saying our title? Was it because she's older than we are?
Last edited:
QuietlyObserving
The Railgun That Walks Like a Bear
- Location
- Here.
Man, if this was a Total War rogue army, it would be an absolute nightmare to deal with.
- Location
- Germany
Nah, they have so many Wizards that their Wind-reserve would run out in the first minute of combat after one big casting-conflagration.
After which all of those would just be sub-par melee heroes that would achieve less than a squad of Captains.
In the game-balance at least...
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Maybe if we were going somewhere besides up north. We don't have so much a Wind-reserve as a wind-torrent.
ConfusedCanuck
Where did it all go wrong?
- Location
- Neverland
I can't help but worry that Egrimm is here with 3 ducklings of his own. I know I shouldn't assume in a quest like this but I will be pushing to keep an eye on him this entire time.
Asheram
Not quite altogether
- Location
- Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground
Nepotism is something foul, but sometimes it can be useful to have some familial leverage when it comes to office politics.
Good spells and he seems happy enough to follow our orders, but it's still Horstmann. Well, knocking on wood that we'll all live through this.
- Location
- Germany
Sure, I'm just talking about the game-limitation.
The usefulness of more than two or three wizards drops sharply, even if you are in a magic-rich area in that game.
There are specific traits to increase your reserves that counter it somewhat, but for long battles it's still a mechanical limit.
Not really relevant to the story though.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Even if all the wizards are using different winds?
- Location
- Germany
It's a fixed amount of "mana" that every caster in your army shares, so yes.
the only thing not setting off my panic buttons is that I cant see how fucking with the expedition would help his long term goals.
Very, very happy to see the update, and we're finally on our way.
The moment with Panoramia is very sweet, thank you.
And one thing I always love about this Quest is the amount of details to just about everything within Fantasy, case in point Praag and doing justice to it status of the Cursed City and how someone like Mathilde would see it, and feel it.
And we're meet our Wizards...they a good lot. And Horstmann...
The moment with Panoramia is very sweet, thank you.
And one thing I always love about this Quest is the amount of details to just about everything within Fantasy, case in point Praag and doing justice to it status of the Cursed City and how someone like Mathilde would see it, and feel it.
And we're meet our Wizards...they a good lot. And Horstmann...
- Location
- Canada
Total War Warhammer gives you two values for magic every battle: A 'wind pool,' and a 'wind reserve'. The wind pool is how much mana you can throw around in a given time,and its size is determined by the grace of Ranald + the area you're in + the traits of your wizards, maybe (not sure about that last one).
The wind reserve is how fast that pool recharges and how much recharge you'll get over the battle (the more the reserve drops, the slower you'll recharge). It's affected by the area you're in + wizard traits.
The only exceptions to this rule are magical abilities hero units have (which, while technically using the winds in some cases probably, don't count b/c of them being heroes and in some cases clerics cheating with divine magic), magical items, and 'charged' magical constructs, like the Tomb King Hierotitan which has a limited number of casts for every spell that don't rely on the external wind pool.
Last edited:
- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
Even if Horstmann is corrupt, which is far from certain, he won't actually act against the expedition directly - he'd be more likely to use the opportunity to ingratiate himself further and pick up some chaos loot.
Which isn't to say we shouldn't keep an eye on him - it would be out-of-character for Mathilde "Johann is too friendly so he must be up to something" Weber to not keep an eye out anyway - but we shouldn't be more alert to him than, say, the other Magister who joined.
Which isn't to say we shouldn't keep an eye on him - it would be out-of-character for Mathilde "Johann is too friendly so he must be up to something" Weber to not keep an eye out anyway - but we shouldn't be more alert to him than, say, the other Magister who joined.
Last edited:
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
Yes, which she was specifically having trouble with because she joined the Colleges later in life.
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
Oh yeah, excessive paranoia about Horstmann would almost certainly do more damage than any skulduggery he actually got up to. Besides which, my bet is that he hasn't fallen to chaos in this quest.