So the thread says.
I am still low-key annoyed that we chose not to destroy the very mountain that Castle Drakenhof once stood upon. Blasted mountain deserves it after the crimes againstAbelhumanity it has been an accessory to...
The fact that the karaks are waystones has probably come up one of the previous times an imperial wizard has come to the defence of a Karak, or simply passed through one while adventuring, the High King probably has a method to prevent the kings of the karaks from destroying them, while still maintaining relative secrecy.Well yes, but at that point you're not giving them Mathilde's knowledge about Dwarf waystones, you're telling lies that are going to either spiral or unravel quickly at the inevitable follow-up question of 'wait, our Karaks are fueling Elven magics? why hasn't something been done to stop this?'.
I believe the idea for this was to pretty much bunker up for a few days until all the-If/when Vlag comes back, maybe(!) we make it back in time for the fight to start, but either way hope we beat the Slanneshi forces and Daemon Prince/Sorcerer inside without devastating the Expedition forces
Why would they just hang around waiting for their forces to 'die' and dissipate? I don't think that's likely at all.I believe the idea for this was to pretty much bunker up for a few days until all the chaos forces have dissipated naturally, then head in and take care of any cultists.
also, because I'm bad people and enjoy stressing people out.
Expedition Casualty list by part five (KIA, MIA, AWOL, CM, Other)
5? Winter Wolfs (Other: delivering messages)
395 Souls left on the march.
Err. I believe the headcount is, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong:
150 Rangers
50 Engineers
50 Slayers
---
13 Wizards
1 Ice Witch
---
1 Dragonlord (real dragon included!)
100 Knights of Taal's Fury
100 Winter Wolves
Which adds up to less than 500.
Which is why we'd want to bunker up. It's not even certain they'll have the wherewithal to track us down to the next waystone.Why would they just hang around waiting for their forces to 'die' and dissipate? I don't think that's likely at all.
Either way, though, if we're victorious, we still progress to Phase 2. What then?
Stone is an excellent Insulator of Magic.
I mean, Qrech was on our first list of romance options, there was clearly some temptation.Also, its weird to think, but this would be the first time Mathy, at least in story, has faced Chaos.
Skaven, as a technicality are chaos. but they aren't proccing temptation rolls or fucking with Mathy's head. (Stone is////)
Ah, we're clearly making a different assumption.Which is why we'd want to bunker up. It's not even certain they'll have the wherewithal to track us down to the next waystone.
The fact that the karaks are waystones has probably come up one of the previous times an imperial wizard has come to the defence of a Karak, or simply passed through one while adventuring,
Ah, yes. I was thinking that once they're on a timeline they are pretty much forced to come to us if they want to do some form of damage to us. Of course, now when you say it, there's the possibility that they'll wreck the rests of Vlag manually since they can't have it.Ah, we're clearly making a different assumption.
I'm assuming the Expediton is going to try to hold the line at the gates of Vlag. Are you assuming we just leave it behind, for the Daemonic forces to do whatever desperate things they want in the days before they go unstable?
Do we have any idea of what the second phase of Operation Impetuous Retaking is going to look like? Broad brush, we start off doing-
Phase 1
-Head off solo to do our 'classified Wizard Lord shit' and clog the Waystone, to not to give away explosive Dawi secrets.
-Hopefully Vlag comes back into reality- if not, pretend cutting the Warp back door off was the plan all along(?), probably promising to come back later with more experts.
-If/when Vlag comes back, maybe(!) we make it back in time for the fight to start, but either way hope we beat the Slanneshi forces and Daemon Prince/Sorcerer inside without devastating the Expedition forces.
Now you have a returned hold that's been in the Warp for centuries, hopefully low on chaotic defenders, probably still full of hazards- that worst case could perhaps still return to the Warp if the ritual is 'static' and gets powered up again via Waystone unclogging.
Phase 2?
So then, we've got some follow-up objectives, and expect a time limit of perhaps a month (per Boney, IIRC) before we've got to consider unclogging the Waystone before it's corrupted for good.
In that time, we'd be aiming to, what-
-Scout for remaining defences, traps, memetic hazards etc (probably personally at first?)
-Scout for survivors. Assess any for sanity/corruption/etc? Evacuate, perhaps.
-Figure out what will happen to Vlag if/when we unclog the Waystone. Can we be sure it won't pop back into the Warp?
I'd definitely prefer not to leave the Waystone clogged past the point of Warpstone formation and exploding it. The timescale may (just) allow us to continue on to Dum after dealing with the Slanneshi Daemons, see what's up there- but 1. then we'd probably have to head back to our clogged Waystone across the Wastes solo and 2. we're letting the Expedition go on without us? Or are people anticipating abandoning the returned Vlag 'for now'?
What post-return-of-Vlag objectives and options are we likely to be choosing between? The second phase I speculate about above sound to me like we could need to spend weeks here.
Ah, yes. I was thinking that once they're on a timeline they are pretty much forced to come to us if they want to do some form of damage to us. Of course, now when you say it, there's the possibility that they'll wreck the rests of Vlag manually since they can't have it.
What? No, Panoramia noticed, she was drawing from them to help her agricultural work the whole time. She just didn't mention it to anyone who spread the info.Mathilde lived in a fully reclaimed and waystone-activated K8P for some time before elves told her that it was a Waystone. Panoramia didn't notice either, and she was the "waystone expert".
Apparently it's way less obvious than you are thinking it is.
Pan was using it for her rituals for years before Mathilde got told.Panoramia didn't notice either, and she was the "waystone expert".
Yeah, and our crew had probably exceeded the entire Imperial Wizard-Hours spent in Dwarven Karaks by all previous College wizards in history combined by that point. I don't think it's obvious at all.Mathilde lived in a fully reclaimed and waystone-activated K8P for some time before elves told her that it was a Waystone. Panoramia didn't notice either, and she was the "waystone expert".
Apparently it's way less obvious than you are thinking it is.
Or wreck Kislev?Ah, yes. I was thinking that once they're on a timeline they are pretty much forced to come to us if they want to do some form of damage to us. Of course, now when you say it, there's the possibility that they'll wreck the rests of Vlag manually since they can't have it.
Nobody expect some nosey human gray wizard got a dragon for a backup.
On the other hand, Eshinfriend was not and Qrech had not been a part of the Skaven faction for several years.I mean, Qrech was on our first list of romance options, there was clearly some temptation.
Mathilde lived in a fully reclaimed and waystone-activated K8P for some time before elves told her that it was a Waystone. Panoramia didn't notice either, and she was the "waystone expert".
Apparently it's way less obvious than you are thinking it is.
If I fail, it's because of me. Not because some broken Waystone farted on the far side of the horizon. Oh! And speaking of, that's another thing to take on once I'm done with the soil. Never even heard of a circular Waystone cluster anything like this big before, there's a paper or two in that."
You are a Wizard of the Grey Order, and Wizards of the Grey Order don't spit their drinks across the table. You finish your draw on the beer calmly and place the mug carefully back down. "You know much about Waystones?"
She looks at you oddly. "Jade Order, remember? I've been pulling Ghyran out of them ever since they woke up last year."
Possibly. We could always set up a few hundred meters away and pelter them with our artillery once they attempt to leave.
Well, it's emerging there are clearly several different conceptions of that we're dubbing Phase 1 here could look like. My reservations about that plan are about drawing the attention of the whole Expediton to the Waystone network and it's feeding into the Karaks, which seems to inevitably lead to awkward, and potentially explosive, questions.With respect I'd do it this way.
Phase 1
- Take entire group towards nearest waystone, create defensive positions using fast built trenching and the land ships to make a killing field.
- Clog the waystone
Well, it's emerging there are clearly several different conceptions of that we're dubbing Phase 1 here could look like. My reservations about that plan are about drawing the attention of the whole Expediton to the Waystone network and it's feeding into the Karaks, which seems to inevitably lead to awkward, and potentially explosive, questions.
Well, it's emerging there are clearly several different conceptions of that we're dubbing Phase 1 here could look like. My reservations about that plan are about drawing the attention of the whole Expediton to the Waystone network and it's feeding into the Karaks, which seems to inevitably lead to awkward, and potentially explosive, questions.
Also while I'm at it, I had some lingering questions, clarifications from anyone that remembers is appreciated:
1. Did the rule of Dieter IV end with his execution or did he manage to flee after getting deposed?
2. Can we recycle/reuse the Helldrake scales currently attached to Mathilde's robes if we decide to make a better version?
3. How easily available would it be to purchase Helldrake scales, if we need to find more? IIRC there was a roll for loot in Barak Varr when we first bought the scales, so that implies it's uncommon and relies on luck?
4. Did Kasmir return to take up his position as Stirland's Religious advisor again, I can't remember?
5. Was getting a Nagarythian diplomat stationed as Ulthuan's ambassador decided with a dice roll, when we gave them the captured Dark Elf working with Moulder? Was quite lucky, but not sure if it was from author fiat.
6. Are K8P and KaK the only Dwarfholds to maintain a standing airforce with which to project force independently, as opposed to Barak Varr's Gyrocopters which serve as extensions of their Navy and are attached to other units?
7. Who was the 4th God that Mathilde perceived when firing the Eye of Gazul? The first 3 seems to be fairly obvious as Ranald, Grombrindal, Mork/Gork, but I'm not sure if it was confirmed the last was Horned Rat?
8. Dwarven Slayers by definition seek their deaths in enemy territory where chances are they won't be able to receive a proper burial rite. Does the Slayer ritual performed beforehand allow their souls to return to the Underearth?
@BoneyM, what's Carcasonne been doing regarding their attempts to get closer to dwarven interests?
Doesn't that fall under the same category as mining picks then? Not something to arm people with but definitely something to have on you and stick into your enemy if an axe or hammer is for some reason not in reach.
I think I'm just trying to model the Rangers and asking if something like a multi-purpose military knife similar to what modern RL militaries use is a thing that they have as standard equipment.
What's the institutional "common" knowledge Dwarves have on Waystones? Like on the non-restricted level of well connected politicians, Thanes, high level advisors and Loremasters with interest in magic stuff?
Huh? Does that mean that the Waystones in between don't drain magic out of the environment or that the environmental magic in question for some reason bypasses the Karaks and continues on its merry way towards Ulthuan?
Do we know anything about Dwarven personal courtship/wedding gifts between couples that aren't majorly important to clan politics?