Prince Charon
Just zis guy, you know?
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Clar Karond, though it is here that I was…" He looks at me with an expression of pantomimed curiosity. "What is it that the religion of your homelands calls it. 'Born again'?"
My spies reported that you can retained the services of an elf
She considers 'human' magic to be beneath her." He nods. "I understand her problem. What do I get out of this?"
"Ah? So mercenary?"
I hold up my right arm wither it and then cause it to swell with muscle before darkening the skin and lightening it again."
"I know nothing of the precise effects of Curse of Aenarion-."
"Deal."
"I would have thought that someone as well-acquainted with dwarfs as you are would understand that centuries of strife do not simply disappear."
"She was the first person to volunteer to have her mind altered. She's was inclined to suck up to powerful figures…" I shrug.
I hold up my right arm wither it and then cause it to swell with muscle before darkening the skin and lightening it again."
"No, because with dwarfs they do if you pay your fines. We might think that they're obsessive about it, but they apply their irrationally in a perfectly rational way."
"I know nothing of the precise effects of Curse of Aenarion-."
Out of curiosity, how exactly does Paul intend to settle the particular grudge held towards Elfkind for the War of The Beard?"I would have thought that someone as well-acquainted with dwarfs as you are would understand that centuries of strife do not simply disappear."
"No, because with dwarfs they do if you pay your fines. We might think that they're obsessive about it, but they apply their irrationally in a perfectly rational way."
A BIT quick of Teclis to agree to that deal, but having read of the suffering he's endured thanks to the curse, I can't say I blame him.I hold up my right arm wither it and then cause it to swell with muscle before darkening the skin and lightening it again."
"I know nothing of the precise effects of Curse of Aenarion-."
"Deal."
No, he's still alive.
I don't think that's correct.
Thank you, corrected.
I don't think that's correct.
Thank you, corrected.
No, for some reason, in Warhammer it's written 'dwarfs'.
Thank you, corrected.
Second, Paul (or maybe Grayven) needs to go to Lucifer's bar and say to the man himself "Hey handsome. Did it hurt, when you fell from heaven? Wink"
Then you really shouldn't be offering to try and fix it..."I know nothing of the precise effects of the Curse of Aenarion-."
Heh. Watch that mouth, Naggarothi, before you end up tasting shoe leather. Still, I doubt Elves have quite the same obsessiveness about their endowments that human men do... It's just more prone to coming out in their headwear than their weaponry...17th Vorhexen 2512
Mid-day
Dayrak Rainslick -late of Lord Barblash's reavers- and the leader of the Swordmasters detail stare at each other. The Swordmaster's hands are on the hilt of his sword and his body is tensed to spring into action, while Dayrak slouches at ease with his hands hooked into his belt.
"You know, the humans tell a joke about those who carry greatswords. Particularly those who rub the pommel like that."
Oh well. Mistakes made, lessons learned. And honestly, Aranei wasn't that good a person, so it came up as rather an improvement anyway.Dayrak has taken surprisingly well both to having his priorities rewritten by the orange light and to fatherhood. A disadvantage Aranei had as an early adopter: I didn't entirely know what I was doing when I worked on her, and like a poorly set bone that's left her with a few problems. By the time I got to Dayrak I'd got far better at integrating new desires and diminishing rather than scrubbing antisocial ones. It made me feel less monstrous when I saw that he still had the freedom to question and mock my decisions, because it made it clear that I hadn't just created puppets.
In case anyone's wondering, No, Dark Elves in Warhammer don't look any different to the High or Wood Elf branches. More of a tendency towards sneering, assholery and dark hair, but not so great a difference as, say, the Drow of D&D.Even if the result was that Aranei wouldn't needle someone to their face like this when I'm trying to forge an alliance.
Teclis regards him curiously.
Heh. An Elf of dark humour, eh. I find myself liking him already."From where do you hail?"
"Clar Karond, though it is here that I was…" He looks at me with an expression of pantomimed curiosity. "What is it that the religion of your homelands calls it. 'Born again'?"
Not that this Paul believes or worships any god, I expect. To paraphrase Pratchett, it'll only encourage the sods.It turned out that the violent nature of Dark Elf society caused him to keep his mordantic tendencies under control, lest he provoke someone into stabbing him. With that threat largely off the table he tends to let his tongue run free.
I nod. "Yes, that's what we call it."
Admittedly, that's a slippery slope into Tangseid territory...Teclis looks to me. "My spies reported that you can retained the services of an elf wizard, but I had no idea that the elves you claimed had settled here were Naggarothi. And I feel not a single trace of dhar about them."
"One of the ring's more subtle applications allows me to change people's desires. I encountered a group of Dark Elves raiding this village, and after I took them into custody… I didn't actually want to kill them, so I gave them the chance to volunteer to be 'de-Darked'." Huh. "Actually, that's a possible solution to your population problems. I could raid Naggaroth, repeat the process on those I capture and then transfer them-."
And it's a sad and telling fact that it took the imminent end of the world to get them to work together. Never mind that the old divisions opened right back up when they found themselves in a new setting afterwards..."No." Finreir glares at me. "I do not expect you to understand the depth of enmity between our two peoples, but the suggestion that we could become one once more is obscene."
Ah, she's busy resting? What with a newborn child under their roof..."That's.. fine, I'll keep them? Ah, anyway, Dayrak, is Klavaella-?
"NGWAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Who'd have thought a Dark Elf could be such a proud daddy?Dayrak smiles as he turns around.
"A father's work is never done. But, come! See my daughter."
To be fair, I'm sure such pointy decoration is more useful in Naggaroth, to keep the Gargoyles off the roof.He strides purposively towards the houses the Dark Elves built for themselves when they decided that even if they did force the human peasants to create something for them, it wouldn't be good enough anyway. As sea-farers, they all had reasonable carpentry skills. I had to fetch slates for the roofing and put my foot down on the issue of the giant blades that they felt needed to be stuck on every corner, but the buildings generally turned out pretty well.
Slow down there a bit, sweetcakes. Might want to at least ask permission, first? These aren't Humans, after all...Loremaster Kaleina starts after him before either of her male colleagues.
"I will conduct the examination."
Though I don't doubt Dayrak has plenty of sharp blades within easy reach and would fight like a man possessed to keep his little girl safe...I-. Dayrak is a veteran reaver, but she's a Mage Lord. I'm not really happy with her assuming that she can just walk into his house and start poking his infant offspring, especially considering the fact that I'm the only person on 'our side' who would have the slightest chance of stopping her.
"I-."
Ah, good, he's willing to enforce a little courtesy, I see.Teclis raises his right hand.
"Kaleina, ask them permission. We are here as guests."
And given that this is Mousillion, vampire capital of Bretonnia, that 'ask permission to enter' is likely rigidly observed...I nod. "They don't have any outstanding warrants. Unless you have evidence of a crime for which they have not already been sentenced, I'm going to have to ask you to observe local law."
I get stink eye, but she nods at Teclis before following Dayrak towards his home, one of the Swordmasters in turn following her.
In other words, Elf babies are Elf babies, whatever their birthplace...Hm.
"Though that does raise a point. What about their children?"
"It isn't a matter of magic. The divergence between Ulthuan and Naggaroth is cultural and historical."
And you grossly misunderstand the Dawi code of honour, if you think that..."And we're not in Naggaroth and they're developing their own culture. By the time they're of age… What are they going to have in common with the elves of Naggaroth that elves from Nagarythe don't have?"
"I would have thought that someone as well-acquainted with dwarfs as you are would understand that centuries of strife do not simply disappear."
But don't assume it'll be water under the bridge. A Dwarf may forgive a grudge, but they'll never forget it... Not for a generation or two..."No, because with dwarfs they do if you pay your fines. We might think that they're obsessive about it, but they apply their irrationally in a perfectly rational way."
Teclis chuckles quietly. "I suppose they do have that going for them. Alas, High Elves are creatures of passion as much as-"
Ah, there's a familiar voice.
Or at least a much-put-upon squire. Still, I take it Mallobaude doesn't trust the Elves to join in the defence of the village, despite them being a lot more likely to succeed at it...I frown as I fly upwards to check-. Yes, Mallobaude's taking advantage of the autumn slow down in farm work to try and train local volunteers as men-at-arms. This is a fairly standard practice in Bretonnia, and it would relieve pressure on the small number of elf professional soldiers and on me if they could handle small numbers of attackers. Or at least contribute meaningfully to their own defence. And then there's the fact that according to Bretonnian custom, a local likely lad should have been appointed Knight Errant by now.
Heh. And now I realise where one of the Arcane Sorcery items got its inspiration: The Eternal Stair terrain piece. Still, good to see he's not one for flashiness where it's not needed.They're not being that enthusiastic. They've basically survived by having nothing worth taking. By not being worth the trouble to drag out of hiding. Getting organised makes them start to look like they're worth coming after.
There's an odd rumbling sound below me, and a moment later Teclis rises up next to me on a pillar of rock with a stone staircase wrapped around it. The whole thing is covered in moss and shrouded in mist, which-. Well, that's magic for you.
Despite Paul's best efforts to convince him otherwise?Mallobaude grabs onto a teenage boy and corrects his stance, moving his wooden sword into a proper guard.
"The local Knight of the Realm?"
Elf's got a point, you're racking up quite the list of owed boons."Technically, he's a Questing Knight. Ah, look, I need to ask a favour."
"Another favour."
Ah, trying to do something good for the lady Aranei, eh?"No, the others serve our mutual interest. This is just for me."
He shrugs. "You can ask."
"I'd like for you to arrange for someone to teach my girlfriend High Magic."
...Which doesn't leave a lot of of options...He bows his head slightly, shaking it. "I'm sorry, but while humans might in theory be capable of learning to use qhaysh eventually, your species' relatively short lifespan makes it a practical impossibility."
"Ah, good news! She's not human."
Given the only other alternatives consist of a Beastman, a Vampire or a very lost Wood Elf, I can understand that moment of confusion and trepidation.He looks at me, and-.
"The.. Dark Elves' sorceress. You're bedding her."
...Besides the goodwill of someone who is effectively a demigod?"She was the first person to volunteer to have her mind altered. She's was inclined to suck up to powerful figures…" I shrug. "I didn't fully consider the likely consequence of leaving that desire in place. She's still using dhar, but obviously I'd prefer it if she moved away from that. I've bought a few books from the Imperial Colleges of Magic, but…"
"She considers 'human' magic to be beneath her." He nods. "I understand her problem. What do I get out of this?"
Good point. I doubt his ego would allow that."Ah? So mercenary?"
"Why should I ask for less than the dwarfs?"
Ah, here we go..."Fair enough." I look him over. "I could probably fix your body up, if you like."
His eyes narrow.
"What do you mean by-?"
With raises a terrifying idea: Teclis with his full magical might and all the physicality of his twin brother Tyrion? He might not be so skilled in the use of arms, but he would be quite the nightmare in melee, well on par with a Chaos Sorceror...I hold up my right arm wither it and then cause it to swell with muscle before darkening the skin and lightening it again."
"I know nothing of the precise effects of Curse of Aenarion-."
"Deal."
In case anyone's wondering, No, Dark Elves in Warhammer don't look any different to the High or Wood Elf branches. More of a tendency towards sneering, assholery and dark hair, but not so great a difference as, say, the Drow of D&D.
Admittedly, that's a slippery slope into Tangseid territory...
the upside, there's a good chance he'll come out of this considerably more virile. Ladies...
He did, it was another in the long list of characters Zoat wrote out for being too powerful.I think Zoat mentioned that Lucifer is no longer in his bar owner stage.
Granted that didn't exactly last long in the comics.
Neither did I, and I know little of WH in general, but after a short wiki crawl..."I know nothing of the precise effects of the Curse of Aenarion-."
ARANEI: The Teclis, High Loremaster of Hoeth, instructing me in the ways of Qhyash? Oh, how BRILLIANT, My Lord! Yes, I understand your intention! I shall apply all my arts, seduce this Archmage and steal all of his greatest arcane secrets for our benefit!"I'd like for you to arrange for someone to teach my girlfriend High Magic."
Hmm. How attractive will Teclis be after Paul fixes his body?ARANEI: The Teclis, High Loremaster of Hoeth, instructing me in the ways of Qhyash? Oh, how BRILLIANT, My Lord! Yes, I understand your intention! I shall apply all my arts, seduce this Archmage and steal all of his greatest arcane secrets for our benefit!
PAUL: .....Aranei I made a deal with Teclis, and he's willing teach you what he knows. That's all. There's no need to seduce ANYONE.
ARANEI: (a little disappointed) Oh... Are you sure?
PAUL: QUITE sure. (turns to Teclis) Don't worry, she won't try anything. No seduction attempts whatsoever.
(Teclis looks Aranei up and down appreciatively, and turns back to Paul...)
TECLIS: (a little disappointed) Are you sure?
Well, his twin is supposedly one of the most handsome elves on Ulthuan, so there's certainly a strong likelihood of Teclis being made almost identical to him.... unless any vanity he might have compels him to ask for an extra feature or two, like larger muscles for example.
any vanity he might have compels him to ask for an extra feature or two, like larger muscles for example.
The problem is, what does that do to his intuitive grasp of magic? Teclis didn't become the greatest wizard purely by studying extra hard; he had a knack for it was his brother did warfare. What if the Curse was the reason for that?Neither did I, and I know little of WH in general, but after a short wiki crawl...
- Wow, Teclis is a legit good guy. Could fit in with the JL.
- The curse is ill-defined, soft magic. If it's an ongoing effect, any cure OL can pull off might be temporary (although quite desirable, as "conventional" medical intervention also seems to work), or worst case, shift the effects to something nastier, such as neurological or psychological decreptitude.
OTOH, OL might be able to pull off a full cure, too. Both seem plausible.
Kind of. The dwarfs don't really have the people to fully reoccupy it.Well this is turning out rather productive for everyone involved.
Wonder what other things Paol's done with the Dwarfs.
Actually if he killed Skarsnik does that mean Karak Eight Peaks is part of the Karaz Ankor again?
But... He did become the greatest wizard by studying extra hard...The problem is, what does that do to his intuitive grasp of magic? Teclis didn't become the greatest wizard purely by studying extra hard; he had a knack for it was his brother did warfare. What if the Curse was teh reason for that?
There is plenty of disagreement about how the species of short tough people should be spelled including alot disagreement not how the different plurals work and when they should be used.
The problem is, what does that do to his intuitive grasp of magic? Teclis didn't become the greatest wizard purely by studying extra hard; he had a knack for it was his brother did warfare. What if the Curse was teh reason for that?
Is it not Dawi?In a purely pedantic sense "dwarfs" is more correct than "dwarves". Words of Norse origin are pluralised by adding an "s", not with "ves". The entire reason "dwarves" is a thing at all is because Tolkien got it wrong and browbeat his editor when the poor man tried to correct him on it.
Of course, in a real world sense "ves" is is equally, if not more, correct because English is a consensus language and more people use "ves" than "s".
Basically it can go either way; I personally like "s" because having a sharp sound applied pedantically is basically peak dorf.
It gets worse when you consider that dwarfs tend to be in fantasy universes with many different fantasy languages. Considering that the English language custom is usually to steal words from other languages which language should we steal it from?
I suspect it might be for the same reason they are 'orks' instead of 'orcs', legal judo (or avoidance thereof) with the Tolkien Foundation.
"Obscene" definitely sums up The End Times."No." Finreir glares at me. "I do not expect you to understand the depth of enmity between our two peoples, but the suggestion that we could become one once more is obscene."