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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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On the subject of an active versus passive effect, note this:

BoneyM said:
The Belt isn't manually activated, it triggers when a hostile spell is cast at Mathilde. In this case it seems like the spell is on the mountain or the energy stream or on whatever the energy is going to, not Mathilde, which is why it doesn't trigger the rune.
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It isn't certain, but the spell being indirect seems to suggest to me that it isn't a targeted effect designed to affect Mathilde in particular, but a broader scale ward. I suspect that it's a sophisticated ward though that operates on multiple levels, with the 'stone is an insulator for magic' part triggering in response to some kinds of investigation, like looking at it with Magesight, 'this is the original pre-Karak unworked stone' triggering in response to people wanting to dig.

I am curious if there's an apparition or lesser daemon bound into the wards to select the right option. Sufficiently good Witchsight can read surface thoughts right out off someone's soul, and the right daemon might be capable of that.

An advantage of brining an ice witch, a dragon and an elf here as well as a bunch of dwarves is that they all have different paradigms, unlike Teclis and his students, so it may be harder to divert all their attentions at once. Deathfang may also just be able to nope such an effect.
 
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[X] Stand your ground.
[X] Stone is an excellent insulator of magic.

I still want this to be the dwarfs hiding behind a mega-rune. But dwarfs wouldn't suggest that stone is an excellent insulator of magic, so that's probably not it.

I think this whole situation is pretty excellent. Tripping face first into a malign ritual is always a good time (compared to not tripping into it and having it go off unimpeded). Depending on the scale of things and the original goal for that magic, we might even get another great deed. We are using the Protector right now, and "I stopped the nasty magic thing" could be protecting everybody in Kislev to everybody in the Empire, depending on how bad things are.

Though really, the most important thing is something else: We get to be really smug, because we noticed something neither Teclis nor Volans did. And isn't that what really matters at the end of the day?
FallenPears said:
[X] Act normal

It's not fair when the bad guys turn mountains into doomsday weapons. We can't even claim copyright cause they started centuries ago :(
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Nah, the trick is that we published/used it first. That's means we get the credit, and they're shit out of luck. Should've been faster. And now we're going to deliver a Cease and Desist letter.
 
BurnNote said:
I think this whole situation is pretty excellent. Tripping face first into a malign ritual is always a good time (compared to not tripping into it and having it go off unimpeded). Depending on the scale of things and the original goal for that magic, we might even get another great deed. We are using the Protector right now, and "I stopped the nasty magic thing" could be protecting everybody in Kislev to everybody in the Empire, depending on how bad things are.

Though really, the most important thing is something else: We get to be really smug, because we noticed something neither Teclis nor Volans did. And isn't that what really matters at the end of the day?
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I wonder if we can write a paper that works that in.
 
Alratan said:
It isn't certain, but the spell being indirect seems to suggest to me that it isn't a targeted effect designed to affect Mathilde in particular, but a broader scale ward. I suspect that it's a sophisticated ward though that operates on multiple levels, with the 'stone is an insulator for magic' part triggering in response to some kinds of investigation, like looking at it with Magesight, 'this is the original pre-Karak unworked stone' triggering in response to people wanting to dig.
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The "stone is an excellent insulator for magic" thought was put into Snorri's head as well when Mathilde asked about it out loud so it's not dependent on race or ability.
But I'll agree that it's likely a ward.
 
Asheram said:
A reminder that Runesmiths can't actually "sense" magic the way Wizards do. They know by study where it flows and pools, but they can't see it. The only people who would ask about why they can't sense any magic through the stone or leyline would be just wizards. Thus "Stone is an excellent insulator of Magic".
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Briefvoice said:
Exactly the opposite. It's designed to fool wizards, who almost never come here, rather than dwarves who come here semi-frequently. That's very suggestive that someone saw Mathilde on her way and tailored this specifically to fool a College-trained wizard who would be thinking in terms of stone as a magical insulator. I think this was set up in like the last hour.
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I think Teclis designed it and tested it by seeing whether it would fool his human apprentices.
 
BoneyM said:
eventually, to place its famous outer gates, which had been inscribed with scenes of the founding Dwarves exterminating the terrible beasts that made their homes in nearby caves.
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@BoneyM, speaking of infohazard and things thought and known 'out of nowhere' - did Mathilde actually read description of Karak Vlag detailed enough to know placement of gates and what was drawn on them? Or is it something that she 'just happened' to think about?
 
DiceOfStupidity said:
Speaking of infohazard, and things thought and know 'out of nowhere' - did Mathilde actually read description of Karak Vlag detailed enough to know placement of gates and what was drawn on them? Or is it something that she 'just happened' to think about?
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It's part of why I'm also suggesting she's subconsciously seeing through the infohazard. She's learned, but she's describing it as if she's actually seeing it.
 
Asheram said:
Teclis doing f*****y upon a Dwarven Karag, especially one who had just been lost to chaos, would be cause for another war.
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He might think it might not if he hid it enough that no-one noticed it for two hundred years, and expected Dum to fall any month after he made it.

And honestly, unless this is something done by Teclis the only chance for divided loyalties-related stress on this journey would have been around the side quest for the za goblet(unless we run into an undead horde), that's not nearly enough divided loyalties for this quest.
 
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Briefvoice said:
Are you suggesting that Karak Vlag has been here all along; it's just that no one can see it?
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Ayup. One really thorough infohazard. Any attempts to probe it will return that "stone is an excellent insulator for magic", any attempts to excavate will make them dig in the wrong spots and get disheartened.

The reason I think it's actually runeworks is because it's the perfect defense against chaos hordes. It's a pass that can shut its gates and effectively become invisible, with everyone looking at it ending up staring at an unmarred cliff wall.
 
Asheram said:
It's part of why I'm also suggesting she's subconsciously seeing through the infohazard. She's learned, but she's describing it as if she's actually seeing it.
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There is also another aspect of it - Mathilde seen stream of magic flowing in and 'ending', and stated that it had to be used. But if is was being gathered and shaped into ritual, then this enormous amount of energy gathered over centuries would be much easier to spot than merely incoming stream of magic. A hell waiting to be unleashed. She sees nothing... but is still on verge of panic, convinced of a danger.
 
[x] Stand your ground
[X] Stone is an excellent insulator of magic.

Tbh, these two lines would fit in a Dwarven/Wizard motivational poster.
fictionfan said:
The greatest magic user in the world has ever seen was killed by an assassin when he was busy with a big ritual. We might have the chance to do the same thing right now.
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Can you give more details about this?
FallenPears said:
It's not fair when the bad guys turn mountains into doomsday weapons. We can't even claim copyright cause they started centuries ago
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Look at it this way: in the same vein that "no survivors=no witnesses" is a legit stealth strategy, they can't DMCA us if we blow up their mountain-mounted doomsday weapon first.
 
On the topic of Ulgu dragons, it would be interesting to ask Cython some time if any have existed, or could in principle exist.

I'm less confident about asking Deathfang.
 
[X] Stand your ground

If the trap was sprung on our way back we'd be even more fucked. Acting unpredictable may be our best defense

Also: we have no idea if they know we know. Also, would rather not give the cognitohazard time to sway us that 'everything is actually fine, stone is an excellent magical insulator'.
 
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Asheram said:
That might just be Mathilde though. She always expects an ambush.
Still, it might be part of any such defense system.
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Best case this, the constant top-shelf infohazard is what the energy is used for, and that was done by runelord or someone alied to dawi. Effect that possibly went awry to wipe out defenders (i.e.: effect kept convincing them they are undeground buried in stone). But I doubt we are that lucky.
 
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DiceOfStupidity said:
Best case this, the constant top-shelf infohazard is what the energy is used for, and that was done by runelord or someone alied to dawi. Effect that possibly went awry to wipe out defenders (i.e.: effect hept convincing them they are undeground, in buried in stone). But I doubt we are that lucky.
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It's my personal theory and I'm sticking to it. Also, we are pretty lucky. :V
 
@BoneyM
Assuming that there is a large magical attack/portal from the mountain targeting the expedition for us to disrupt, is there anything to be gained by rounding up the other wizards and trying to disrupt the attack together? Are we meaningfully capable of cooperation? How much would the distance back to the expedition reduce our ability to disrupt something?
 
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