Reviews:
Guest 1: Pretty sure i answered that. Depends on which generation, if your great great great grandma was a daughter of Yin-Yin you're probably only going to last a little longer than your average noble.
Guest 2: Well besides the Deathcamps for the Orcs in WC3. The Horde have been basically painted as the solid Badguys, and do not exist as a legitimate superpower or even a viable foe by BFA. So to make them even a quarter of what Blizzard BS'd them to be without going "Muh Banshee Queen can kill two hundred men with a single arrow then shoot it." despite the writing clearly making it clear that Saurfang is a moron who can't win a battle without surpassing the maximum casualty estimations by 900% and being one of the top 5 "most brilliant" of the Horde. To give them even the slightest inkling of a even playing ground, the Horde who couldn't stand up to the challenge of existing for a year without self destructing let alone fighting anyone stronger than the Border Princess in WHFB, and the "we have God's begging for membership and our protection" Alliance. removing the Alliance BS layers of superman status are necessary. and that includes admitting to and/or playing up the Alliance's faults rathet than letting them skirt the blame as they have for decades, always having some convenient manipulative villain to blame for their crimes.
Guest 3: Cool off the port bow captain!
Guest 4: Ahh a decent insight, but we'll have to see what the Imperial angle on all of this is.
Guest 5: A plague like that isn't much in the Skaven's methodology, they are more about potency or lethality. Nurgle would more have mutation tied to such plagues. And as for the Horde while the Royal Apothecary Society would be creaming themselves for a chance to experiment with new pathogens, the rest of the Horde would have a good measure more restraint, going eye-for-eye and now admittedly eagerly looking forward to victory in the war.
Dragon King of the West: We shall see the streets run with juices of plot progression. And explanations that may lead to further mysteries or even new thoughts to explore or new destinations to see.
Hakuryuu: Ah i got yeah there. Still fun to tease but we shall see the rabbit hole of consequences that is her actions.
As for the question her correspondence unfortunately our focus character has been left obvious though likely she'll learn soon of Kyn'ra's actions. And as to what she's offered, sadly the acquired letters do not say, but it's enough that this "Lord Boyar" is willing to smuggle her out of Bechafen by the sounds of the letter.
And while both could hire Ogres there, Shandris isn't yet aware of it, and who knows Mayne Kyn'ra did hire one, or maybe she still is obvious to the tavern's existence.
And Teclis well again I'm more trying to think of where his priorities lie at any given moment. What exact details is he recieving, is it even safe to leave or had this new development caused issues with the Vortex or even a surge of chaos? And then likely to Altdorf to demand answers after being sure that the moment he turns his back some particular Slaaneshi A-hole doesn't show up.
Jak23: I'm pretty sure the Treeman's response to the question was to try and violently kill her if Irma asked them.
JiggyliFAP: Well for Shandris's several day long nap...going off the standard ger race has set she had the shortest nap in NE history, as most naps take years to millenia to wake up from. (That or a certain NE is looking for excuses to avoid the love of his life) Plus the IRL multiday unconsciousness often caused by such surgeries without proper numbing agents or modern tools. Even modern sugeries at a good sugeon's office will leave a subject resting for a extended period of time and needing minor assistance walking even with a shoulder surgery.
micelzod: Both Good questions. But we shall eventually discover it all.
Orkbane: Sadly that's where the comparison ends. The Titan forged are effectively decaying machines of a war long past manning stations and tasks rendered entirely irrelevant by later developments and replaced by inferior biological versions of themselves. The Lizardmen meanwhile think they are the first chosen and existed to shape and form the world per the dictates of the Old Ones, beings who every action shaped everything to come in warhammer fantasty...not counting the End Times or AoS which botb completely ignores all pre-existing lore for cheap "I am the Author and so it must go this way because I say so" (or to the WoW fans "This is the story we wanted to tell"). Unless the Lizardmen find a tablet with instructions on how to treat the Titan-forged the Lizardmen cultural reaction will be the default "Does not tablet error-error" followed by "exterminate" or "ignore until problem". (A lot of Warhammer can basically be summerized by those two basic reactions)
Streets of Blood
The Sentinels hunt for Kyn'ra, and her followers began within the manor. The General gathered the Sentinels and sent them scouring the Halls and securing the outside of the manor allowing Shandris and Uydron to then prepare to assault Kyn'ra's room. Shandris approached with her sword in hand and one of the Manor's shields in her other hand. At her side Uydron was already preparing to shift into a bear, the creature's mass and four inch claws would tear apart any resistance. Lastly behind them stood three more Sentinels each armed with Moonglaives ready to engage Kyn'ra in the close confines of of the Renegade's room.
Shandris knocked on the door once then called in to Kyn'ra. "Kyn'ra you can't escape, surrender peacefully and you will be released once the portal to Azeroth opens again. Resist and we will kill you." Shandris then listened closely and could hear a muffled voice crying out as well as the sound of heavy furniture being moved.
Shandris turned to Uydron. "Do it!" The General ordered and the Druid immediately shifted into a Bear form throwing his weight against the door breaking it down. Shandris and the rest then slipped into the room after the Druid ready to clash blades. But instead Shandris found a single maid, gagged and tied to a chair the woman was obviously in an absolute panic crying and shouting through her gag in a attempt to plead for her life with the Night Elves who had breached the room.
Swiftly Shandris cut open the knots binding the human Maid and freed the maid's mouth. The woman sobbed as the gag was removed but Shandris slapped the maid to stop her. "Where is Kyn'ra?!" The General then demanded following the slap.
"T-t-sh-she hit me when I came into deliver a letter. When I woke up she had tied me to this chair and then slipped out of the window. I-I was sitting here for...for a while." The Maid provided struggling to bring herself under control after her panic.
Shandris could feel her rage mount. "Where was she going?" The General demanded with a glare. Her gaze then turning to the open window where Kyn'ra and her bodyguards had escapped.
"I-I don't know, but she...she said 'I have some shopping to do.' as she slipped out from the room." The Maid answered, trembling still as Shandris scanned the room and walked up to the window.
Shandris sighed hearing the Maid's information. Then started marching out of the room. "Kyn'ra is somewhere in the city, and likely near the market district. Uydron, You need to guide me. And someone notify the city guard, we will need help capturing them!"
With that the Night Elves began to rush to the main doors of the manor and with a swift note from a flute calling those scatted around the manor to gather as the Sentinels under Shandris set out from the Empire Manor and into the city of Bechafen. Now for the first time since arriving Shandris walked the streets of Bechafen, but unlike when she arrived now the Night Elves ran the streets, many of the local citizens jumping, shouting in suprise. Many rushing to clear the streets both to avoid being run into with the comparatively tight city streets, and out of a clear desire to avoid the freakish looking Elves which none of them had ever seen before.
As the voices of the people rose both in protest and fear, Shandris could feel their gazes on her and could also hear the sound of guard whistles. Still now Uydron had taken on the form of a vicous Night Panther and the Druid had even already acquired the scent of other Kaldorei and now the Druid was swiftly leading the Kaldorei Hunting party on deeper into the city.
The scent of the Renegade's band lead the hunters onward finally into the merchant's district, and soon towards a tavern with a adjoining inn at its side. The place looked dirty, loud, and uncomfortable, and before he even crossed its threshold Uydron had shifted into his bear form. Shortly after Uydron came the Moonglaive and sword armed Guardian Sentinels.
Then Shandris crossed the entry witnessing the first scenes of chaos beyond the ruined door. Uydron had thrown his mass into a even larger humanoid creature with a massive stomach and a crude attempt to mimic the Imperial dress style. The grunting foe used a club to try and fend of Uydron's claws and as the creature grunted and struggled one of Kyn'ra's Warriors and a Rogue were both leaping to action against the Sentinel Guardians. But Shandris could not serve as the decisive factor for any of those battles as Kyn'ra was already retreating out of the rear of the building alongside what Shandris was certain was the rest of her followers, and between herself and her quarry stood a tavern full of angry men, many now raising knives and other much cruder weapons.
Then the General jumped into action with the rest of the Sentinels behind her. Already several arrows wounded or pinned the angry tavern goers, while a full force backhanded blow from Shandris sent one burly man stumbling to his side where a swift kidney kick stunned the human. Shandris silently thanked Elune that human was obviously drunk and off balance otherwise that fight would have been far more challenging. But while it took seconds for Shandris to fight her way through the room with her hunters behind her, and the other druids healing those who were clashing with the massive man creature and members of Kyn'ra's retinue granting victory to Shandris's side, it only took half as many for Kyn'ra and her company to slip into a narrow street behind the tavern.
As bells rung and whistles blew Shandris with a victorious but bloodied Uydron behind her and the rest of her Sentinels, minus those staying to detain Kyn'ra's followers, took to the narrow street. After the Renegade Kaldorei and her deranged followers they ran. Shandris now followed hot on the heels of the renegade and her followers. Kyn'ra loosing arrows at the Sentinels while her followers did what they could to slow their pursuers down. Meanwhile Shandris and the Sentinels fired back and pressed on even as the sounds of whistles and bells started to envelope the Market district.
In the manor he was set to inherit Captain Gerard Sessler slowly walked the halls. The sounds of the Captain's Azerothean guests had faded away leaving only the Manor's quiet staff dutifully cleaning. While he had been in the study reading the quiet had been a welcome turn of events allowing the man to read various books, including a ancient text called 'The Style of Combat' which came from far Cathay but depicted a methodology of thinking which supposedly allowed Generals to better lead their armies.
But when Gerard stepped out from the study and into the manor halls the missing sounds of the Sentinels practicing, the Druids, and the Pioneers set the Captain's senses on edge.
"It's too silent." The Captain stated before starting to search the manor. Even as the Captain swiftly but quietly and subtly searched from room to room, he could see the staff and his troops all going about their day. And as his search continued the unnerving sense that he was being intently watched, by an malicious or at least mischievous and cruel spirit of some kind filled the Captain. So even as Captain Gerard Sessler walked the halls of his future home he cautiously but subtly tried to watch for movement or any presence behind him.
As the Captain pressed on moving from one hall to the next a sickeningly sweet laughter filled the hall. "Captain you have to be the most interesting man I've had the pleasure to work with. Look at you trying to stalk the halls." Hearing this Sessler sighed to himself. Lady Nacht and his own common sense had warned him about Irma Schoff. The Diplomat had claimed that the woman was from one of the Empire's many intelligence agencies a minor one more intent on library work than anything else, but the feeling that one of the infamous Emperor's Eyes or something far worse was looking at him behind the cheery smile and bright eyes of Irma always filled the Captain.
"Lady Irma, I was looking for our Kaldorei..." The Captain began but was soon cut off by the laughter of the clear spy before him.
"Don't worry Captain, they've simply..." Now the Captain cut off the woman with his own rising voice.
"Simply what? And all of them, both the Elves and the Pioneers, I assume together?" The Captain demanded with growing frustration in his voice.
"Oh I can assure you, I made sure that they are all certainly at the same place. And should things go smoothly, then like a blacksmith hammering out imperfections steel they shall be reforged into stronger Alliance and hopefully one more easily brought to serve the Empire's needs. And if not, well I can still assure you..." Now rather than Captain Sessler's wrathful voice cutting off the agent, the distant sound of bells and whistles stopped her and after slightly straining even Gerard could hear the sound that was stopping the annoyance before him.
"And I suppose I'm supposed to believe there isn't a relation between that, and what you likely unleashed on this city?" The Captain stated with a cold venom in his voice and a stare that now Irma was wilting under.
"Well, since we are so concerned for their safety, how about you gather the men and chase after them. I'll see if I can't try and track them down for you, maybe make this whole situation even easier. You know find them and keep them safe or keep this situation from escalating. " The woman stated, her voice shaking and in a swift rambling tone.
Gerard Sessler appraised Irma Schoff for several hard seconds, his intent glare unwavering even as the woman seemed to tremble before him with nervousness. Then with a huff the Captain stated, "Fine, but I am holding you accountable for everything that has happened" and then the Captain turned and walked away, his next destination the rooms he had converted for his soldiers to stay in.
If Captain Sessler had looked back, before Irma Schoff had slipped away down the corridor, he might have seen the change in the woman's expression. As the Captain was leaving Irma hardend her look, reaching into her dress drawing a well hidden short sword before she took off running down the halls and then into the streets of Bechafen.
For Irma the plot had been relatively simple, yet the Sentinels had been slower on the uptake than she had hoped them to be. Now Kyn'ra was legitimately performing treason, or what could at least be passed off as treason for the Alliance and the Sentinels were proving too slow to handle the woman. And now based off the sounds likely a small battle was taking place in Bechafen's streets.
Shandris was proving to be far less useful than Irma had hoped in this. Sure the woman seemed to lack the same honed sense of a killer that Irma was used to, but the woman had shown the proper skill and strength needed. Yet still now, it would be up to Irma to find the Renegade Night Elf and the Sentinel General, and when the opportunity presents itself, she will drive this sword through the heart of her prey completing the power struggle between the two Elves.
But first, Irma had to duck aside so a rushing patrol of Bechafen's guard's did not see her. No one could know that the Imperial Agent was here. Eyes and Ears. both friend and foe alike were sure to be scattered throughout the city and an assassination like this was only useful if committed unforseen by one whose coming and going was never noticed.
Shandris drew and loosed another shot, and again the Renegade ahead of her ducked the shot before turning down another of Bechafen's narrow streets. As the Renegade disappeared into the street another group of Ostermark's soldiers spotted Shandris and the Sentinels and with a shout one raised a crossbow firing at the Sentinels but Uydron lept into the bolt his bear mass absorbing the bolt and allowing him to shrug off the attack. Already another of the Druids was voicing their intent to swiftly heal him once they were in the clear.
The Empire's state troops raced agead shields and swords and spears at the ready, but the Sentinel Defenders stepped forward throwing their Moonglaives with precision enough to strike the weapons and shields of the lead most soldiers stalling their charge and freeeing the Sentinels to push forward. And so Shandris and the Sentinels raced down the even narrower side street that Kyn'ra had fled down racing in two columns until they nearly stumbled into another street. There Shandris caught sight of Kyn'ra's supporters racing away towards the city walls and with a immediate shout the General and her Sentinels gave pursuit.
As they ran those with bows or crossbows among Kyn'ra's group tried to fire back at the Sentinel though between their armor and ability to dodge those shots meant little. All about the street between the group several Empire citizen lay just now trying to stand back up after the Pioneers had plowed through them. But Shandris couldn't afford to give these poor people proper courtesy and her Sentinels and she also plowed through those of the crowd who were returning to their feet.
Shandris as she ran stepping over the people below her notched and fired another arrow this time aimed at one of Kyn'ra's Warriors. Almost immediately as the arrow was released a voice cried out over the din of the running battle.
"General look out!" A voice shouted out in Common with a thick Stormwind accent, and the sound of a collision thumped behind the General. Shandris allowed Uydron then to take the lead of the chase, as she slowed to look behind her, there one of the Empire Citizens had tackled what was clearly one of Kyn'ra's Rogues, the Citizen even drew a dagger which had the seal of Stormwind on itshilt. "Go I have him." The citizen, the spy stated in common and Shandris didn't spare the man a second glance as she rejoined the chase.
Now in the middle of the Sentinels during the chase Shandris could watch the battle taking in more detail. The small injuries and cuts caused by close hits with arrows, the Empire citizens unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire, and the many twists, turns and buildings Kyn'ra and her followers were leading them all through. Even as they ran on Kyn'ra's group ran headfirst into another whistle blowing patrol of Imperial State Troops. Ten troops lightly armored with spears, swords, and two crossbows stood now chance against the arrows of the Renegade nor her Warriors and Rogues who raced ahead breaking their defensive line. But that had drawn the chase close enough that now Moonglaives flew, one striking one of Kyn'ra's hunters square in the back causing him to stumble.
The Hunter fell onto his back, but as he fell the Hunter chose to fight firing arrow after arrow into the Sentinels. One striking a Sentinel in the neck dropping the brave woman and diverting a druid to heal her, another arrow tripped a Sentinel defender by striking their shin armor, and another deflected near harmlessly off the bear skull of Uydron's shape shifted head. The Bear formed druid spared the Hunter little, dragging the Hunter with his fanged maw and striking the still struggling Hunter with his claws before bating the hunter aside and pressing forward. Shandris could hear the Druid who had delayed immediately moved from their healed comrade to treat and detain the battered and broken Hunter.
Kyn'ra was starting to lose her followers to attrition from this running battle, yet Shandris knew she could lose both the Renegade and her Pioneer following at any moment. Indeed as the thought and plans to ensure that they didn't lose track of Kyn'ra passed Shandris's mind a small group of five of Bechafen's Guards emerged from a building between the two groups, all five armed with clubs and shields shouting and then running into the Sentinels who were both closer to them and not running away from the Guards. Sentinel Defeners and another Druid steppes forth to clash with the Guards as Uydron shrugged them off their clubs almost laughably bouncing off of him, though from the grunt Shandris was certain the blows had still hurt the Druid.
And then the Renegade Pioneers and the Sentinels were clear of the street and running into another alley of the city, though this one was wider than most others. While Kyn'ra had lost several of her followers over the chase, so too had Shandris lost several Sentinels, either detaining the captured prisoners or because of injury. Still by attrition Shandris knew she was winning, and if Kyn'ra slowed at all the General and her Sentinels would overtake the Renegade ending her flight.
"It's over Kyn'ra! Surrender and I'll see to a fair trial for you when we return to Teldrassil, and I will see to your protection personally!" Shandris knew it was unlikely to work, but she still needed to apepal to the morality and better judgement of the Pioneers. She needed to remind them that surrender was not only a option, but one that came with benefits.
However Kyn'ra never even entertained the thought and nor did the Pioneers following her. Instead they pressed to further flee from the judgement and justice of the Sentinels. An makeshift barricade of wood logs arrayed to be moved to the sawmills later lay at the other end of the alley. Much further and the Pioneers would find themselves slowed down by those logs and then the Sentinels arrows, blades and claws would be atop them. The Pioneers reached the Logs and while somw tried to climb others prepared to ward off the Sentinels.
Shandris Nooked an arrow, but then a shout, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gun firing, followed by the whizzing of a ball shot passing by and then thing into one of the Sentinels interrupted the General and stopped the pursuit. More Pioneers? A Trap? What was going on, and who had just tried to shoot her and her Sentinels?
Then one of the borded windows of this back alley clunked, closing from when it had been held open, thick white gun smoke filling the air around it. Then the door opened and a line of human soldiers, different from the state troops rushed in-between the two groups. These men were, simply put, thick, with biceps as thick around as Shandris' thigh and thick breastplates and shields while each held a pistol attached to their belt by a short rope. On their belts each had a rather effective looking battle axe each uncovered and ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.
Even the Pioneers in confusion slowed down significantly watching everything unfolding before them as now other humans, different looking from those of Ostermark came out of the building each weilding a bow that Shandris' expert gaze was able to immediately analyze. By the standards of the Kaldorei these men were equivalent to young huntresses skilled, practiced but comparatively unseasoned. Next to their Stormwind counterparts however, these men had far more experience using their bows than any Footmen employed by the Kingdom.
"What is this? Get out of our way, those are criminals and we are here to detain them!" Shandris ordered with haste, a growing pit in her stomach telling her that Kyn'ra was now slipping out of her fingers.
"нет, я думаю, что нет (No, I think not). These people are my guests whom I invited to visit and stay in my land." A heavy, thickly accented voice slurred out from the doorway as a new human drunkenly sauntered out and into the alley. This human was even larger than the others, his arms were as thick as Shandris' waist and his fat stomach under his fine cloths seemed underlayed with a terrifyingly thick layer of muscle beneath.
The man stepped into the head of the row of armored soldiers between Shandris and her objective. In his right hand an axe whose head was half as large as Shandris' torso was tall, in the human's left hand the meaty leg of some bird that the human noble was still eating.
"If you try to harbor these fugitives, I will see to it that the Empire seizes your domain and that they are returned to my custody. You are going against your own Empire's wishes and causing unnecessary strain between the Empire and the Alliance, Lord Boyar." Shandris ended her statement with a tone of finality. Certainly this was the ambitious Lord Boyar that Kyn'ra had been in contact with. In fact Shandris smirked at the noble imagining the calculations he must be making trying to decide if a treacherous woman like Kyn'ra was worth risking his noble title over.
Instead the man broke into a deep laughter before choking and coughing for a moment. "You are as bad as the dumb girl over there. My name isn't Boyar, that's my damned rank you half witted knife ears. Boyar Dyalov Androniki, of the Tzardom of Kislev, and again before this woman had been declared a criminal by your lot I invited her to my domain and even paid proper tribute to the Ice Court to ensure there is no issues of authority, as if I need the Icey Tzarina's permission to defend my land. Now I will be taking my guns, my mercanaries and I'll be heading home."
The man's mocking tone filled Shandris with a soft rage that took the General a second to supress. And in the time she took to supress her rage, Shandris then considered her options. Uydron could charge the line and try to force a opening, then the last of the Guardians and Sentinels could push through to attack the men beyond and the Pioneers hopefully capturing them in a engagement before Kyn'ra could escape.
However launching an attack would be costly, those archers were at the ready. Meaning Shandris could maybe get three or four shots off at most before they unleashed their volley into the Sentinels and those guns at the front would be able to fire even before that and if they focused on Uydron even the endurance of a bear wouldn't stop so many bullets without severely hindering the Druid, then the Sentinels would have to push through the armored soldiers at the front and even with the other three druids remaining supporting them there was bound to be casualties if it came to blow.
Still Shandris prepared her bow and everything tensed only for a chill to fill the alley and a sudden wall of ice to rise to chest height between the Sentinels and the Kislevittes. Shandris blinked for a moment as out from the same door that Boyar Dyalov had come from now a woman in fancy winter garbs marched to stand between the Noble and the Sentinels. The woman looked young, yet her icy glare seemed to send shivers down Uydron's spine and even forced the Boyar to take several steps back.
Shandris stared in total incomprehension as the woman began railing into the Boyar. Was this mage his wife, or someone of important rank she didn't know, but now the General had to entirely reassess her battle plan. Magic casters were much rarer in this world, but the reach of their magical abilities and the scope of power a long caster could call upon seemed greater than most adventurers. Though Shandris had been boasted to by Jaina Proudmoor that if anyone had bothered putting in nearly the same level of study and effort she did then anyone could be as powerful as her, implying that the adventurers Shandris knew and worked with simply refused to dedicate themselves to the magical arts 'properly'. Somehow Shandris felt Jaina was just excusing her own magical superiority and blaming others for not having her innate talent.
"Как вы думаете, что вы делаете? У меня было ваше слово, но теперь вы, похоже, намерены начать дипломатический инцидент на территории Империи. Вы хотите отправиться в Кислев, на Ледовый корт после того, как причинили столько неприятностей? (What do you think you are doing? I had your word, yet now you seem intent on starting a diplomatic incident in the Empire's territory. You wish to go to Kislev, to the Ice Court after causing such trouble?)" The Young Icy maiden nearly shouted into the Boyar's face.
Then the Boyar smiled and spoke back in a placating tone while Shandris and Uydron stared on in amazed silence. "нет, нет. Как было оговорено в нашей сделке, я собирал свои военные припасы для подавления северных племен. Если я потеряю этих людей, то часть того, что я купил, уйдет. Я просто защищал их. Я намерен проехать через Кислев, поклявшись в своей преданности царице, прежде чем отправиться домой, а затем на Север. Никаких инцидентов, никакого позора. (No, No. As our deal stated I was collecting my war supplies to suppress the northern tribes. If i lose these people there goes a portion of what i bought. I was merely defending them. I intend to pass through Kislev swearing my devotion to the Tzarina before heading home and then into the North. No incidents, no shame.)." The man stated apparently claming the woman who then turned her cold stare to Shandris before speaking in a heavily accented voice.
"Neither you, nor we have reason to fight or permission from the Empire to fight on their land. Go home..." The woman turned her glare to the Boyar behind her. "...everyone." And with that the ice wall formed by the woman transformed into a cloud of snow, momentarily blinding Shandris and the Sentinels but once it had cleared the Kislevittes were returning to the building they ahd come from, and Kyn'ra and her Pioneers were gone.
Shandris froze in shock as the fact that she had lost Kyn'ra processed. No, by Elune no! The damned Renegade had escaped her, because of interstate politics that were a complete rarity on Azeroth. Still did Shandris even have a move to make? Now the General felt entirely uncertain.
Then the whistling caught up and the Sentinels had to turn and face a group of twenty shield and club armed soldiers of the Empire. Shandris wasn't certain of what to make of this but certainly intended to talk her way out of whatever issues the running battle had caused the Empire. But as the General stepped forward the shadows between the Sentinels and the State Troops seemed to lenghten and deepen and then a gray clad woman seemed to walk out from nowhere between both groups.
"I will take responsibility for them. Wolfram wished to meet with these ones today anyway." The Gray cloaked woman stated before turning to Shandris.
It took Shandris several moments before recognition set in. Luitgard Reichen, had been a Gray Wizard under command of the Ostermark army at Mordheim, but had traveled ahead to inform the Elector Count of the army of Sentinels traveling to his city. It seemed that once again this Gray Wizard was helping smooth relations with the Empire again.
"Luitgard, I am relieved to see you again." Shandris stated walking forward reaching out for a handshake, something most humans liked.
"Save it. The Elector Count demanded your presence this morning, and he will have it." The Wizard stated her face carefully neutral.
"I hope we are not in some sort of trouble with him." Uydron snarked as he shifted back into his Kaldorei form.
"How am I supposed to know, though I would guess so with what you caused. Wounded citizens, beheaded corpses, and destroyed property littered across the city. It will cost plenty to make up for all that." The female Wizard stated, now with a sly smirk. Though something in her statement gave Shandris Feathermoon reason for pause.
"Beheaded Corpses?" The General of the Sentinel Army asked cautiously, barely avoiding a sense of dread.
The Grey Wizard sighed, before pointing at the Sentinels. "Follow." The order was short, soft and quick but all the Kaldorei obeyed. The walk was quick and short but eventually the Wizard and those she eacorted came across the scene. Two dead bodies lay, each with their heads neatly removed. One of the Rogue that had tried to ambush Shandris, the other the Imperial Citizen, no the SI:7 spy who had rescued her.
"I don't know which of your people did it, but killing a Imperial citizen, even if to strike down a enemy is a severe offense for most." The Wizard stated nonchalantly.
Shandris wanted to speak up, but all the signs that the man was a SI:7 spy were gone, and even then what could Shandris even say to this. How had this man died? Who killed not only him but the Rogue as well? Now too much mystery seemed to loom over the general as she considered the last few days.
"Now, you are to meet Wolfram Hertwig in his court. Let's try not to make this into a trial?" The Grey Wizard stated plainly and with a tone of exhaustion.
Irma lay on the battlements looking out from Bechafen into the roads beyond. Kyn'ra, her followers and now a entite detachment of Kislevitte Kossars marched on the road to the North East of the Capital of Ostermark. She had failed, the presence of that Ice Witch and now this small army meant that Kyn'ra's life was beyond her reach. She had been too cautious perhaps? No now wasn't the time for self reflection or blame, now was the time to prepare.
What the actual fallout from the Pioneers escapping north and fighting against marauders or other savages would be Irma Schoff did not know, but the political fallout would certainly sour things for a short time. So on that end she would need to work to smooth the negotiation process between the Alliance forces and Ostermark until Lady Emmanuelle Nacht arrived.
And while plenty of difficulty now presented itself for Irma Schoff she had been able to witness enough of the fighting abilities of the Pioneers and the Sentinels to start making speculations as to their abilities and their full capability when in combat.
But with both groups splitting Irma needed to send out a message. Someone else would have to keep a eye on and record the Pioneers progress in Kislev, if Irma followed after them she'd be exposing herself and ruining her current position. Also the Sentinels were still the main body, and actual military force from the Alliance. So following them and extracting information was more important than pursuing some hapless adventurers and their deranged leader.
So thusly self decided Irma began her slow journey back to Gmehling Manor, each step careful to keep herself out of sight and in the shadows. Already Irma's mind was listing the possibilities of negotiations between Ostermark and the Night Elves, what outcomes would Lady Nacht wish for, and which Irma should focus on delivering.
