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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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If we want to stay in k8p without being loremaster, we may want to look into the archmage position. We know the hold had one at some point thanks to Bok, and I could easily see dwarves leaving the position unfilled for lack of trustworthy magic users rather than striking it alltogether. We would just be reviving old traditions, so we might be able to swing it.
 
I wonder if IC Mathilde is going to be warned ahead of time of the shitstorm the protector coin brewed or is it going to be a surprise.

Belegar will probably write back with whatever messenger was sent but would they be able to find the expedition in the chaos wastes or just stay until it returns? Not that it matters I guess, warned either way.
 
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BoneyM said:
After certain confidential information was vouchsafed to this body by a source of undoubtable repute, a Grudge is hereby leveled against the being, spirit, force, ancestor, demiurge, and/or anthropomorphic personification commonly known as Ranald,
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...So it occurs to me that while everybody has been so focused on guessing who this source of undoubtably repute is, we've overlooked something important. Namely, what the fuck sort of "confidential information" could be told that results in this sort of grudge. Because whatever it is seems to be the direct cause of this, and anything that is not just someone saying "Mathilde Weber has the soul of a dwarf" seems like it would require a very convoluted thought process to get a grudge against Ranald at the end. Hell, even that seems kinda crazy.
 
Luxon said:
Human souls have always been mutable and get changed by the power they channel.

We spent a long time channelling Gazul during Waaaagh Birdmuncha. Could have gotten a trait from it.

At least part of our soul probably is dwarven right now if anyone checks.
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A long enough time to individually judge a quarter of a million souls, or a couple of seconds. Depends on how you experienced it.
SCO said:
You know, i think the Radicals have already won. After all, the 'Ancestor Cult Conclave of the Karaz Ankor' just went totally radical and kickflipped into orbit trying to maintain tradition.
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Belebro: "Sure, that might as well happen"
Gotri: "Makes sense to me"
 
it is actually fairly important whether or not Mathilde hears this news before the trip to uzkulak.

the best thing that can be done with Ranald's "new power" (soul stealing) is to spread rumors of such within Destro slave hubs. Especially at trade confluences that are likely to propagate and spread the rumors.

I mean. How lucky, for one of Ranald's most favored agents to be deciding to visit one of the most hostile and isolated slave trade hubs of destro with unique trade connections towards the east that do not exist for other sorts of trade hubs, right at the same moment that his profile may be expanding to the pilfering of souls. Especially the souls of those who, in life, were not able to be liberated by any physical force of arms. Especially the sorts of souls which would be enslaved eternally in death.
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Why. It almost seems like an excellent time for another agent to be traveling in Marienburg as part of a peace brokerage. An opportunity to speak at one of the greatest concentrations of Ranaldites in the world of new schemes and gambits to play. You thought Stromfels was mad when his shrine was stolen? Imagine how many Manaan stonks will be earned when Ranald starts stealing souls of the drowning from that pesky shark. It's lucky to catch Manaan in a good mood after all, and Manaan cares not where the gold was before it was offered, just that it was offered to him. An accord made with the master of Marienburg perhaps? Allow him to operate on his seas and in his cities, and Stromfels will rage as his meals are snatched away? Perhaps the agent could forge a truce on two counts. One of faith and one of politics.
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On that note, I may have once thought that the consecration of Marienburg as holy city of Ranald was the best way to achieve major deity status. That seems now to have been the height of foolishness. Why steal from a temperamental, singleminded grudge fighter when you can aid him instead! After all, there is exactly one place in the old world with equal or greater Ranaldian presence to Marienburg.

Sartossa.

Why reclaim only dwarven cities hmm? Sure would be nice if there was an umgi flotilla to assist running escort for the massive dreadnoughts out of Barak Varr.

of course we would need good relations with some mercenary bands which might have knowledge of how to navigate such a hardscrabble rock as that. Ideally a close confidant trained in the finest of intrigue, ingratiated closely and trained with such a notable band.

It'd be extra lucky if there were some necromancer hunting resources freed up from a place we have deep roots with. Perhaps somewhere that has recently had an increase in ship-board combat training amongst those that we could technically qualify as staff? One with a vested economic interest in the prosperity of Barak Varr?

That said, we would probably also need some rugged and well built gunships and seasoned veterans to man them. With a campaign under their belt, ideally.
It's not like the ships we're currently on are still technically watertight monitors, with the added capability to scramble up a jagged beach on some sort of mist based road right up the coastal slums of Sartossa and towards the city proper.

No no no. The coincidences required to organize a coordinated assault of that magnitude using resources built up over all our previous travels. And what would be gained? Converting a stronghold of Destro and slavery into a Ranaldian stronghold of anti-hierarchal swashbuckling Robin Hood types? Weakening Stromfels and making Manaan laugh at the suffering? An additional port of call to funnel goods towards Barak Varr and the reinvigorated Karaz Ankor? The furthest branch chapter of the E.I.C. making mad dosh for Stirland (and us, and our allies, and Ranald)? Setting up an additional waystone in an extremely defensible and strange location which snatches up the magics of the world and funnels them away (towards Ranald) as a way to further empower him before the End Times?

No no no. Inconceivable. It'd take rolling so many sixes for that, you'd have to be a god of luck consistently being juiced out of your mind by stolen divinity and successful capers to pull that off
 
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BeepSmile said:
@NexusEye I see your post and think to myself: There is nothing about this I understand.
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It's a scene from Gravity Falls. There's one character saying to the other that they don't understand the thing they're looking at, and I believe the images pasted on top of them are Dwarf Fortress dwarves. The thing they're looking at has Mathilde pasted over it. The line is from Gravity Falls, and also something Boney posted recently.

Going into any further detail would be absolutely massive spoilers for Gravity Falls, and I recommend not examining too closely if you haven't seen it.
 
Oh god, what if spreading the word to the slaves that praying to Ranald before their deaths allows Ranald to «steal» them procs the protector coin to them and their families.

It's like a self fulfilling prophecy. Ranald you magnificent bastard.

I guess we didn't think too deeply on the implications of this face.
 
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JowKeen said:
it is actually fairly important whether or not Mathilde hears this news before the trip to uzkulak.

the best thing that can be done with Ranald's "new power" (soul stealing) is to spread rumors of such within Destro slave hubs. Especially at trade confluences that are likely to propagate and spread the rumors.

I mean. How lucky, for one of Ranald's most favored agents to be deciding to visit one of the most hostile and isolated slave trade hubs of destro with unique trade connections towards the east that do not exist for other sorts of trade hubs, right at the same moment that his profile may be expanding to the pilfering of souls. Especially the souls of those who, in life, were not able to be liberated by any physical force of arms. Especially the sorts of souls which would be enslaved eternally in death.
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I'm not particularly familiar with Warhammer lore outside of this quest, so most of this post went over my head, but spreading Ranaldism among slaves in Uzkulak actually sounds like a fantastic idea. Ranald is exactly the kind of god they need. Not only for that soul-pilfering, but also because Ranald is great for defying oppressive power structures. All of Ranald's aspects, save for perhaps the Gambler, are perfect for the situation they're in. The ability to deceive, hide from, and steal from their oppressors, who have them outmatched in raw force...

EDIT: I don't think this is the right time for that kind of project, though. That feels like something we should spend a good amount of time and effort on, and not like something we can do while we have duties to this Expedition.

EDIT2: I think it would be a good idea to take a turn focusing on our religious side after we return from this expedition, like learning more about dwarven gods, and getting in touch with Ranaldians to see how people normally worship Ranald... and of course, learn how we actually should go about spreading Ranaldism.

Also, it occurs to me that Uzkulak isn't the only place we can pull this stuff: we could give it a shot for any society where the lower class is heavily oppressed. Heck, maybe we could even subvert Skaven this way, seeing as they engage in lots of slavery and oppression... and it seems like their evils are primarily caused by the horrific manipulation of their authorities, especially the Horned Rat, rather than from some inherent badness.
 
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Yeah, I'm totally on board with spreading the good word of Ranald in Uzkulak, the chaos dwarves deserve whatever mischief he brings, and slaves are like catnip for his protector aspect.
 
Taking antagonistic action against the Chaos Dwarves in their designated neutral zone on the outbound leg of our voyage seems like a very very bad idea.

Going there to look around and get some worldbuilding from Boney is valid. Going there to buy stuff is reasonable if a little morally questionable. Going there in the hopes of getting intel relevant to the remainder of our expedition might involve taking a risk, but at least it's a risk that justifies itself for the sake of the mission. Going there to cause trouble for the Chaos Dwarves in a way that might splash back onto the expedition as a whole is really shortsighted. At the very least, wait until we're on our way home!
 
Spreading Ranaldism in these sorts of places also gives us something like a spy network in those places, which could be fantastically useful. And if we eventually want to launch an attack, we have a decent number of allies in the city who could assist us.

EDIT: And yeah, I agree with picklepikkl, while I think there are great ideas here I really don't think this is the right time for it.
 
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I'd like to just scout it out. But I'm super down for coming back later and spreading the good word though.
 
Alliterate said:
"So, if I'm officially a proper, proven Dawi..."
"...Don't say it."
"And proper Dawi only worship authentic Ancestor Gods, as is right and proper..."
"..."
"Does that make Ranald..."
Belegar grimaces, while Ulthar scratches his chin, thoughtfully.

Mathilde thus achieves her long-held wish of legitimatising Ranald worship, very much (not) as expected. :V
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You joke, but the idea of a Dwarf God having Ranald's portfolio is oddly intriguing, for the societal implications alone. Imagine Dawi God! Ranald instead of Hashtut, fo rexample...
 
I think the combes are more likely to be useful to our expedition, functioning as potential hidey holes, and potentially carrying supplies. So I'd suggest checking out the combes now, and scouting out Uzkulak on our way back to K8P.
 
Honestly, At least part of the reason I want to go to Chaos Vegas is so that it's on Mathilde's radar as a place she knows about, and possibly has ideas about. Maybe she never returns, or maybe the thread has a great idea and a decade down the line Mathilde finally spends the AP to come back and enact that great idea, similar to how Stirland options keep showing up.
 
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I'm going to commission Panoramia and Matildha together. But I'm a little unsure what color Panoramia's hair is. I checked and couldn't find it anywhere. Does blond and brown eyes sound good overall for her?
 
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