You give it some thought, and spot another way you could come at it. "There's a lot of magical power being sucked up into where the Karak was," you say, avoiding any explicit mention of the Waystones. "That would be how they're able to move it back and forth. If they'd just swallowed it up they wouldn't be able to do that, but this way they can use it as a backdoor into reality."
"It's the sort of thing they do," Ruprecht says. "The beginning of the Great War Against Chaos was marked by a daemonic assault from within Nuln."
"And a lost Dwarfhold returning as a daemonic stronghold is the sort of sick joke they enjoy," Joerg agrees, to scowls from the Dwarves.
"If I interrupt that power supply," you continue, "it would cut short the effect. I believe that would result in Karak Vlag returning permanently to reality."
"You believe," Borek echoes. "The other possibility being that it is lost permanently?"
"That's possible too," you admit, "but it's the less likely of the possibilities. From what little I understand of the
Aethyr, for it to still be able to move back and forth after so long an absence would indicate that the Hold itself is acting as an anchor."
"Even in the worst case scenario, we rob Chaos of a major avenue of attack," Snorri says.
"And any survivors are doomed to Chaos," Gotrek points out.
"They're already lost. I'm sure they'd rather their Hold be snatched back from the realm of daemons than it be lost with them."
"How long would it take to return?" Borek asks.
"Depends on the exact nature of the magic at work. It could be instant, or it could take some time - hours or days. But no longer than that. If they maintained their grip on it with magic from the
Aethyr, it would have eroded its ability to return long ago," you reply.
"Can they reverse whatever it is you're doing that would cut off the power?" Joerg asks.
"I'd be doing so at a point to the north, they would need to reverse it at the same place. And with the magic cut off, it would no longer be pointing the way - it would take me months of scouring the mountains to find the correct point if I didn't have it to guide me."
"Once they're returned, any daemons within it would not have long before they begin to decay," Joerg says thoughtfully. "No storm of magic, and the Chaos Wastes are not currently waxing. And there's no population centers nearby for them to capture for sacrifices. Two days, three if Morrslieb is full."
Snorri thinks for a moment. "About a hundred miles to Novchozy, but that's in a direct line over mountains. A hundred and fifty to Sepukzy if they follow the Pass and then cut through the Dukhlys Forest. Two hundred to Volksgrad if they follow the road."
"If unimpeded, they may be able to make it to Volksgrad," Joerg admits. "They'd have enough cunning to know if they follow the road, they'll find people eventually."
"How large a force are we talking about?" Borek asks warily.
Eyes turn to you, and you shrug. "If they are still besieging inhabitants, they could react to what has just happened by redoubling their assault, or they could pull back while they consider what just happened. If it's fully taken and waiting for use as a new access point to reality, there might only be a few daemons standing guard over it, or using it as a home while it's not in use - the forces of the Tempter would be focused on defending it from the other Chaos Gods, the forces for which would be on the outside. If it's the work of a single ambitious Daemon rather than the orders of the Tempter, then they and their followers would likely be calling it home."
"Could we barricade the entrance before it returns?" Ruprecht asks. "Trap them inside and wait for them to decay?"
Snorri shakes his head. "Dwarfholds have many hidden entrances to prevent that tactic from being used against us, and they are not hidden from the inside. The Daemons would be able to find them, and we would not."
"Them spilling out of the main entrance rather than slipping out some hidden exit would be to our advantage," Gotrek says thoughtfully. "We could bring up the steam-wagons and build an enfilade of broadsides."
"We can't risk the steam-wagons," Borek says instantly. "If all goes wrong, they will be our only method of withdrawal. If this is to be done, we can shift the guns to positions around the entrance."
"If they cannot reverse the blockage of magical energies, their only other alternative is to find people to sacrifice," Joerg says. "If we fortify a chokepoint to the west of here, we have almost as advantageous a position as if we besieged the entrance, with the added possibility of them heading east or deeper into the mountains and dissipating harmlessly."
"Could your Knights not harass them to slow them down enough that they cannot reach the people of Kislev?" Borek asks. "It would mean much less risk to the future of the Expedition."
"We could, though there would be a chance that a fraction of them will slip through. If it happens it would be a small enough force that Kislevite authorities would likely be able to deal with it before too much damage is done."
"Any slipping through would be a failure," Ruprecht disagrees. "We would have the blood of their victims on our hands."
"Could Kislev not deal with it?" Borek asks. "Mathilde, you are able to move swiftly when necessary, are you not?"
"I am," you say.
"So we have her take a message west to warn Kislevite authorities, then she goes to perform her magic, then catches up to us partway through the
Zorn Uzkul. Is this a possibility?"
You consider it. It would mean having to observe the Karak until the magic dissipates and the Waystone can be safely unclogged, but you're mobile enough on your
Shadowsteed to be able to easily catch up after doing so. "It is."
"Hardly the stuff of songs," Ruprecht says.
"Leaving an empty Dwarfhold in our wake does not sit well with me," Snorri says.
"If we can snatch two Dwarfholds instead of one from the forces of Chaos, it is our responsibility to do so," Ruprecht says.
As the debate goes on, it becomes clear that things are split fairly evenly between the different possibilities. Snorri wants to meet the Daemons head-on, Gotrek wants to fight from a fortified position or not at all, Borek wants to minimize risk to the steam-wagons, Joerg is drawn to the more pragmatic ideas, and Ruprecht favours going all-in on wiping out the daemons. Though Borek is in command of the Expedition, you're fairly sure he's too canny to dictate a response that the majority of his council is against. It looks like you're in a position to tip the scales, once you decide which way you want them to tip.
Argue in favour of:
[ ] Fortify the Karak entrance with the steam-wagons.
Ruprecht, Snorri, and Gotrek are in favour of this idea.
[ ] Fortify the Karak entrance, but keep the steam-wagons disengaged.
Joerg, Gotrek and Borek are in favour of this idea.
[ ] Fortify the road to Kislev to keep the Daemons isolated from population centers.
Joerg, Ruprecht, and Snorri are in favour of this idea.
[ ] Harass the Daemons with cavalry to slow them down enough that they cannot reach population centers in time.
Joerg, Gotrek, and Borek are in favour of this idea.
[ ] Send a warning west, clog the Waystone, and move on.
Joerg, Gotrek, and Borek are in favour of this idea.
[ ] Other (write in)
- There will be a one hour moratorium.
- Any of the fortify plans will take about a day to set up.
- Writing in an idea may or may not succeed; consider the positions supported by the other Councillors to decide whether they're likely to be in favour of a new idea.
