Turn 18 Rumor Mill
Victory in the West - Ulthuan, the Lizardmen, and a grand albeit temporary) alliance of human nations sailed to war against the Druchii. This year saw several major victories for the forces of Order. Great Druchii fleets crumbled before the sheer number of their foes. The Allies even landed on Naggaroth and raided a few outlying settlements, carrying off treasure and rescuing slaves.
Lizards Leave War - The great armies of the Lizardmen scored incredible victories against the Dark Elves. They sank one of the irreplaceable Black Arks and advanced to the point that they threatened Clar Karond, one of the six Druchii cities and Malekith's principal dockyards. But, no sooner did the Lizardmen reach the city then did Malekith himself present them with every single Dark Elf who was remotely associated with the raid that killed that Slann. Some of the Dark Elves were dead, but most were alive, and the Witch King handed them all over to Lizardmen as an apology for the foolish actions of his underlings. In full view of the city, the cold-blooded lizardmen spent the next seven days ritually sacrificing hundreds of their new captives one after another. Then, they announced the debt paid, turned around, and headed back to Lustria.
Druchii down, but not out - Between the naval battles and the sheer number of Druchii given to the Lizardmen, the Dark Elves suffered major losses this year. However, they are far from beaten. Their six fortress cities still stand. The nomadic Druchii 'shades' still patrols the wilderness of Naggaroth launching raids on every force that dares to draw near. Their tunnels and underground rivers still give the Dark Elves the ability to raid any part of the world they wish. In order to truly defeat the Druchii, the Allies must advance into the heart of Naggaroth itself. An allied force gathers at the High Elf colony Arnheim, but Teclis cautions that, if the Phoenix King cannot rally enough support from the Asur nobles and from human allies, the invasion will end before it begins.
Amazons in Disarray - The priest queen of the amazons died this year. Some say she was assassinated. The tribe now struggles with a succession crisis. Your ambassadors say that, without the Amazons and Lizardmen providing magical support, Queen Gunilla struggles to hold onto her army's gains in Naggaroth. Some whisper that even her rule is in jeopardy.
Estalia Puts Down Roots - In addition to fighting in naval battles, the Estalians landed forces in southernmost Naggaroth, ostensibly to fight the Druchii. Some suspect they have other goals because these troops remain far south of the Dark Elves in a land that is rumored to be well suited to growing sugar, indigo, and other cash crops.
Ubishey Flourishes - The new Kislevite town of Ubishey has grown rapidly over the years to the point that it is now regarded as the fourth Kislevite city. The region thrives off of trade, especially with Heimgard, and they're said to have discovered some trick of growing crops in Troll Country. Most of the city's wealth goes into maintaining a large army, and they may soon need it as the trolls are raiding them more and more often.
The Merchant Emperor - Last year, Emperor Adolphus incorporated Averland, Wissenland, and Reikland into his power bloc. This means he has finally fully solidified his hold over all the lands of the Empire, and he wasted no time in exercising his power. He spent a fortune building new roads and canals, making travel and trade easier than ever before. He's also said to be working on legal reforms that will simplify the ridiculously complex laws of the lands and further improve internal trade. The man they call 'Adolphus the Lowborn' has been given the new and only slightly less mocking title 'Adolphus the Merchant.'
Imperial Unrest - The commoners of the Empire love Adolphus because his widespread building projects have repaired all the damage done by Grom and improved infrastructure to the greatest point in living memory. However, he is far less popular among the nobles. Your ambassadors hear constant rumors of nobles scheming against him. The schemers have a strangely high death rate, but the fallen always seem to be replaced by intriguers eager to continue their predecessor's work.
A New Holy War? - The Ulrican church that once seemed to be on its way out continues to gain converts at a rapid pace, encroaching on what has been Sigmarite territory for centuries. Tensions rose even higher this year when the Grand Theogenist Hedrich Lutzenschlager died in his sleep. The different Sigmarite factions now struggle with each other, each trying to give the position to their own chosen candidate. The Ar-Ulric quickly capitalized on what he calls 'petty political squabbling' to gain even more power and converts. In response, a handful of fanatical Sigmarites openly accused the Ar-Ulric of assasinating Lutzenschlager. Your ambassadors fear that the Empire may be on the brink of civil war between the faiths. Meanwhile, Adolphus seems distracted, as if any other matter could be more urgent...
The God-King and Queen of Norsca? - Rumor flies out from the northern land that now calls itself 'Heimgard.' All have heard that Thorfin the Conqueror has declared himself the avatar of his barbarian god. It seems he is now calling his wife the avatar of some other deity of theirs after she supposedly beat some Khornate champion. People hold their breath and wait to see what the rulers will do next in the name of their 'divine right.' The Old World still remember the Araby's invasion of Estalia.
Blood for the Blood God! - The end of the year saw a sudden massive increase in Khorne cultist activity. It's as if the god ordered every last one of his followers to go on simultaneous rampages. Strangely enough, all the Khornates in the Empire seem to be making their way north. Fortunately, no major force comes south from the Chaos Wastes. From what you can tell, it sounds like Slaanesh and Tzeentch have seized the opportunity to launch a joint attack on their hated rival.
Grom the Victorious! - As the dust settles and news filters out from the Dark Lands, you learn that Grom has achieved a great victory. The goblin warboss now holds all the lands south of the plain of Zharr, controlling fully two thirds of the Dark Lands, including four major Chaos Dwarf holds. Grom now gathers his strength in the fortress city called 'the Gates of Zharr.' There he is said to rule over all of the remaining greenskin in the Dark Lands. Wild rumors surround the goblin. Some claim that after being near fatally wounded by a cannonball, Grom has grown even more massive to the point that he would be large for even an orc warboss.
Chaos Dwarfs Crumble! - The only significant holdings that the Chaos Dwarfs have left is their capitol of Zharr-Naggrund and Uzkulak, which lies near Kislev. Their remaining land is rich with metal and gems, but it's barren even by the standards of the Dark Lands. Some suspect the Chaos Dwarfs will starve before Grom can even get to them.
Ulthuan Produces Wondrous New Artifacts!!! - Loremaster Teclis shocked the world as he announced he has made an astounding new discovery. He can create new Waystones that he claims are capable of weakening the foul wind of Dhar. Marienburg is said to have already paid a fortune to get enough to protect the Wasteland and every one of its colonies. The Lizardmen have also expressed an interested. Other nations prove a little more skeptical about these claims.
