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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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I'm voting for a fairly diverse cast because I expect the regular aspects of Dwarven culture to be coverd by the more formal parts of Eike's education, and the kind of multiculturalism that we're trying to build at K8P is an important value that can't easily be thaught anywhere else.

[x] Belegar Ironhammer
[x] Kragg the Grim
[x] Cython
[x] The We
[x] Panoramia, Hluodwica, and the Halflings
 
[X] Belegar Ironhammer
[X] Kazrik and the Dwarves of Karak Azul
[X] Dreng, Clan Huzkul, and the Cult of Grimnir
[X] Edda and the Cult of Valaya

I'm hopeful that eventually our research into how Waystones drain/handle Dhar (or even just something as basic as limited to casting near a Waystone) will let us revisit Ulgu Tongs in the future without breaching the articles.
 
I keep hoping for an Anton Interrupt every time Horstmann is mentioned. With the way we roll sometimes, I think Anton dropping a poorly disguised Teclis ("Calls himself Silcet. Lovely chap, excellent recommendations, I even checked with Asarnil!") on the project is about the only way Horstmann is getting outed before he manages to break the world. And probably blame Mathilde.
 
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[x] Belegar Ironhammer
[x] Kragg the Grim
[x] Cython
[x] The We
[x] Panoramia, Hluodwica, and the Halflings
 
[x] Belegar Ironhammer
[x] Kazrik and the Dwarves of Karak Azul
[x] Dreng, Clan Huzkul, and the Cult of Grimnir
[x] Panoramia, Hluodwica, and the Halflings

So, the reason for my choices here are simple. Belegar is our close friend and to Mathilde represents the very best of dwarves, so giving Eike an in with her makes a lot of sense. Kazrik and Dreng are here because that gives her exposure to the day-to-day dwarves, the ones she's most likely to interact with. Pan, Hluodwica, and the halflings are my last pick because they're a significant part of the Karak Eight Peak economy, and by the sounds of it Eike isn't really any more familiar with halflings than she is dwarves.
 
I wonder if it would be possible to temporarily capture a wind in such a way, that the path of escape would lead to a simple spell effect.

Like, use Ulgu to leave a specific path for something like Aqshy to escape from, seeing how the winds seem to still vaguely follow along paths of least resistance. Would it then be possible to use the escape as makeshift fireball or explosion?

Perhaps the Wind of Ulgu would be as pleased by the trickery as Aqshy would be by an explosive escape.
 
HebrideanStarfis said:
I keep hoping for an Anton Interrupt every time Horstmann is mentioned. With the way we roll sometimes, I think Anton dropping a poorly disguised Teclis ("Calls himself Silcet. Lovely chap, excellent recommendations, I even checked with Asarnil!") on the project is about the only way Horstmann is getting outed before he manages to break the world. And probably blame Mathilde.
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A reminder than Horstmann's loyalties in this quest are not necessarily his canon ones; BoneyM has turned him into Schrodinger's traitor.
 
MacroDaemon said:
I wonder if it would be possible to temporarily capture a wind in such a way, that the path of escape would lead to a simple spell effect.

Like, use Ulgu to leave a specific path for something like Aqshy to escape from, seeing how the winds seem to still vaguely follow along paths of least resistance. Would it then be possible to use the escape as makeshift fireball or explosion?

Perhaps the Wind of Ulgu would be as pleased by the trickery as Aqshy would be by an explosive escape.
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Either there are variables hidden from Mathilde, or the Winds have an element of true randomness in how they react to a given situation. This makes reliable, reproducible results impossible to create. Order can only be imposed on a Wind by direct control with a soul, or by fundamentally changing its nature. Wind magic works via the former, Necromancy and Runes work via the latter. High magic appears to work via both simultaneously.
 
NSMS said:
A reminder than Horstmann's loyalties in this quest are not necessarily his canon ones; BoneyM has turned him into Schrodinger's traitor.
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Honestly I'd put the Lady magister we met this update as a traitor over Horstmann from everything we've seen so far.
BoneyM said:
"You may have observed that it was not a capstone standing alone, high in the sky, but an enormous structure built of many pieces. A fact that the person you met could stand to be reminded of." She muses a moment longer,
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BoneyM said:
The smile she gives in reply seems to owe nothing to friendliness. "No thanks necessary. The pleasure will be mine."
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[X] Belegar Ironhammer
[X] Gotri, the K8P Air Corps, and the Cult of Morgrim
[X] Kazrik and the Dwarves of Karak Azul
[X] Francesco, Soizic, and the Undumgi
 
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[X] Edda and the Cult of Valaya
[X] Kazrik and the Dwarves of Karak Azul

I really like this duo. Edda is an example of a dwarf you need to adjust to and accommodate for, while Kazrik is a dwarf capable of bridging the cultural gap from the other direction. The ability to distinguish these two groups will make future connections much smoother. It also should be easy to weave together an update with these two characters, since their relationship provides a lot of material.

Their attached groups are also useful choices. The cult of Valaya is the heart of every dwarven settlement and a good relationship with them means Eike will always have some initial foot in the door even in unusual holds. Azul is the opposite. A very specific, but powerful opportunity for her future.

[X] Panoramia, Hluodwica, and the Halflings

The Halflings at K8P are people who very deliberately joined their fate with the dwarves, and thus they will be able to offer an additional perspective to Mathilde's on how to live alongside them.
 
MacroDaemon said:
I wonder if it would be possible to temporarily capture a wind in such a way, that the path of escape would lead to a simple spell effect.
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This kind of idea is probably going to come up a lot. Perhaps we could use some kind of torus, as everyone knows fusion is easy, which is why we use it to power everything.

Enchantment remains our most reliable path to multi-wind magic. The slight downside in terms of preparation and needing to anticipate our needs are an acceptable price to pay.
 
DragonParadox said:
I do not think there is such an intermediary step. If you are say using Ulgu to make fog than once you have cast the spell it is fog, it cannot be converted into some other substance and it does not flow r behave like Ulgu,
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I wasn't saying we create an intermediary step, I mean we create something entirely new, just copy some of properties of Winds. Ulgu can be transformed into mists but also non-physical phenomena, able to interact with shadows, minds and even time, space and dimensions. Based on Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma creating mists that mess with time (or at least the perception thereof) I don't see a reason we couldn't create a spell which creates a substances which affects Winds, just modelled similarly to Ulgu but with lesser effects. After all the Winds already are a derived substance themselves.

BoneyM said:
This sounds like exactly the question that someone whispers at you from an alley shortly before you get mugged by Tzeentch.
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I'm, ah, hmm, is this a negative? Because based on our track record divine muggings are just making me more excited :p

(Really though, is this a "No, this is a terrible idea and Mathilde knows this"?)
 
FallenPears said:
I'm, ah, hmm, is this a negative? Because based on our track record divine muggings are just making me more excited :p

(Really though, is this a "No, this is a terrible idea and Mathilde knows this"?)
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To figure out if something is possible with magic, step one is to decide which Wind it aligns with. Some things do not align with a Wind. Some things align with something else. The idea of creating a pseudo-Wind that has the positive properties of that Wind without its negative is the sort of thing that aligns as fundamentally with Tzeentch as fire aligns with Aqshy.
 
FallenPears said:
(Really though, is this a "No, this is a terrible idea and Mathilde knows this"?)
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It's a 'what? No, sorry, what?'

Like, I feel like you're doing a bit. You want Ulgu, with all the properties of Ulgu, able to be controlled by a mage who only uses Ulgu, but without any of the actual problems with the Winds? And you want to make this hypothetical substance using an Ulgu spell? Forget tongs if we can manage that, because if we can forge new magical essences with arbitrary properties and completely bereft of any of the weaknesses of its magical source, we're gods. Like, literally. We've just cracked how to forge new laws of reality to manipulate the other seven, less impressive winds.
 
FallenPears said:
I wasn't saying we create an intermediary step, I mean we create something entirely new, just copy some of properties of Winds. Ulgu can be transformed into mists but also non-physical phenomena, able to interact with shadows, minds and even time, space and dimensions. Based on Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma creating mists that mess with time (or at least the perception thereof) I don't see a reason we couldn't create a spell which creates a substances which affects Winds, just modelled similarly to Ulgu but with lesser effects. After all the Winds already are a derived substance themselves.
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Honestly, this sounds like trying to make a river flow upstream by setting a dam on fire and hoping the resulting smoke scares the water away.
 
I've approached the following vote from the perspective of "what aspects of K8P culture will be most important for Eike in the future" rather than "what would be the funnest to read". Apologies to all Kragg fans.

[X] Panoramia, Hluodwica, and the Halflings

Food! It's the lifeblood of civilisations. Without the flow of food from fields to cities, nations are doomed to collapse. Interfere with the chain at any point, and you can cripple your enemies. Instilling the importance of how food is made, how it is transported, how it is prepared and how it is eaten is super important for the head of a trade guild. Additionally, Halflings are a valuable friend and ally to Stirland, and building that friendship early will be useful much further down the line.

also I want to see Pan interact with Eike

BoneyM said:
[ ] Belegar Ironhammer
[ ] Kazrik and the Dwarves of Karak Azul
[ ] Dreng, Clan Huzkul, and the Cult of Grimnir
[ ] Edda and the Cult of Valaya
[ ] Gotri, the K8P Air Corps, and the Cult of Morgrim
[ ] Gunnars and the Cult of Gazul
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Honestly, I'm having difficulty picking which two dwarves she should meet. Sure, it'll be interesting for us if she meets the We, Cython, or Kragg, but Eike is here to learn about Dwarven culture. I think Gotri is a good call; not only is he the head of engineering, which is an incredibly important skill and commodity in the empire, but he's also a radical and I think letting Eike see the two sides of Dwarven politics will be good for her. That means the other dwarf should be some sort of conservative—Edda, Dreng and Kazrik probably fit the bill the best there. I'm going to push aside Dreng, as I don't think military would be a good perspective at this time, which puts us between Kazrik and Edda. Kazrik grew up in the isolated Karak Azul—if there's anyone who's a proper Dwarven traditionalist, it's his people. He's also great at interacting with humans and has an interest in them, as well as an interest in trade relations and remaining connected to the world. Edda, meanwhile, is much less accustomed to humans, but represents the very beating heart of Dwarven culture—the Cult of Valaya, ancestor goddess of home and family. Knowing how people present themselves is one thing—knowing how they act at home is another, and is valuable market data. That said, I am concerned for what Edda will be able to contribute in this meeting—she's well known for not quite understanding humans.

When I started writing this out, I was leaning towards Edda, but I've convinced myself of Kazrik—I think he'll find a way to benefit from these meeting as well.

[X] Kazrik and the Dwarves of Karak Azul
[X] Gotri, the K8P Air Corps, and the Cult of Morgrim

So Food, a Traditionalist and a Radical. I think that's a fair balance for Eike to learn from. I think I'll also throw in an approval vote for Edda as well, however, as I think there is still some value in that relationship.

[X] Edda and the Cult of Valaya
 
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[X] Panoramia, Hluodwica, and the Halflings


Not sure about other options, but I want to see a scene of Panoramia being introduced to a kid by her girlfriend, and whether she thinks it's some sort of a hint.
 
The3rdCorinthian said:
Honestly I'd put the Lady magister we met this update as a traitor over Horstmann from everything we've seen so far.
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I just read all that as being part of the complicated internal political relationship she necessarily has with on-and-off-again Magister Patriarch Alric-who-won't-retire-gracefully, and this being a chance to show him the College isn't an organ that runs purely to his whims (by taking away one of his toys).
Modestly sinister sure, but just in a boardroom politics kind of way.
 
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BoneyM said:
To figure out if something is possible with magic, step one is to decide which Wind it aligns with. Some things do not align with a Wind. Some things align with something else. The idea of creating a pseudo-Wind that has the positive properties of that Wind without its negative is the sort of thing that aligns as fundamentally with Tzeentch as fire aligns with Aqshy.
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Ah, I was assuming that Winds align with Winds so this would be no problem, any Wind could do this, and not necessarily going for positives and negatives in terms of properties but just reducing everything, with the control hence being greater as it is instilled by souls, being external to the Wind. Shame, thank you for explaining.

Execute/Dumbo said:
It's a 'what? No, sorry, what?'

Like, I feel like you're doing a bit. You want Ulgu, with all the properties of Ulgu, able to be controlled by a mage who only uses Ulgu, but without any of the actual problems with the Winds? And you want to make this hypothetical substance using an Ulgu spell? Forget tongs if we can manage that, because if we can forge new magical essences with arbitrary properties and completely bereft of any of the weaknesses of its magical source, we're gods. Like, literally. We've just cracked how to forge new laws of reality to manipulate the other seven, less impressive winds.
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I wanted a weaker Wind, with the properties of Wind just reduced so that we could take a softer touch, derived from the stronger Wind. I hardly think that's the same.
 
Alliterate said:
I just read all that as being part of the complicated internal political relationship she necesssrily has with on-and-off-again Magister Patriarch Alric-who-won't-retire-gracefully, and this being a chance to show him the College isn't an organ that runs purely to his whims (by taking away one of his toys).
Modestly sinister sure, but just in a boardroom politics kind of way.
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I mean sure, but its infinitely more sinister than literally everything Horstmann has done so far.

Though TBF, Tzeentch. He could totally have been evil this whole time and everything was totally part of the Plan (TM).
 
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