Grandlup-et-Fey, Bretonia

Yanis of Grandlup was the village elder, a post he held because of his patience, his manners, his common sense and his ability to speak to the nobles without raising their ire. He was married for 15 years, had four surviving children and good at his twin jobs of managing his lot of land and the village.
Now he was looking at his feet, kneading his cap in his hands while he pleaded with the armored giants before him.

"Noble Sers it is not my place to deny you, but what you want to take is the food that is needed to bring us through winter and the seed grain. Even if we tighten our belts as you suggest we cannot plant in spring and then how do we pay the tithe."
The riding crop cracked on his head`s side, leaving a wound that slowly bled droplets and an ear that rang.
"We are on out way to end a rebellion led by your likes. We need the food you want to hoard to get to the place the Lady needs us. Do you want to gainsay the will of the Lady."
"No Sire but here are children who need to eat and out protector the Lucien de Grandlup.."
"Is not here, he is in the good fight already and he would want us to reinforce him. Now get you lazy bones up and help to load what we need."
"Sire we.."

The riding crop ended whatever Yanis had to say for good and had simply no choice but to comply with the knight`s demands who managed to carry all the foodstuffs the village had saved. Butchering some animals on the spot and driving the rest with them they left a destitute huddle of farmers who watched Yanis who pressed a piece of cloth with snow inside against his head to stem the bleeding.

"Oh Lady, Yanis, what can we do now? We have nearly nothing left to eat let alone to plant."
"What can we do? We dig up the little these swine left us, pack up what we can carry and go."
"What, leave this place? Why?"
"Because we will starve here. And even if by some miracle our food lasts for a few more weeks how long do you believe before the next round of robbers come by."
"But go where, we are not allowed to leave without Sir Grandlup`s permission."

"Pierre, I do not know if you realise or not, but the nobles just left us here to die. And that means I will not ask them what I am allowed to do ever again in my life. Could be a short life but my life. Best we move while still can."
"And where should we go then?"
"Germany of course, only place that might take us and will not give us back to them."
"That place is totally lawless, it has pictures of naked women hanging in the open, their serfs and they will steal our girls."
"And who told you all of that?"
"Sir Grandlup of course."
"And might Sir Grandlup be a bit interested in us staying here instead of going to that place?"
"Well..."
"Well indeed. I did not want to go myself until this morning. Little problem is that we have no fucking choice now Pierre."

In the end most of the villagers went on a track that would lead them to Germany.

50 kilometers from Chatlon, Bretonia

Robert de Dubois was weary to the bone. A highly trained knight, used to exertions that would kill any ordinary man, he had taken it on him to do the work of many and now even his body and his mind had reached his limits. But no matter how much his tired eyes wanted to close and no matter how much his muscles ached and the skin chafed under armour worn far too long he would not been found wanting.

His last victory had been an important one, one that allowed his troops to push into the path that led through the great forests to Lànguile. If the traitorous serfs would erect fortifications in these making this way would be a long and bloody exercise, one to be avoided at all costs. So he pushed on regardless of exhaustion, of grumbling and of losses through the cold.

"Sir, sorry to ask but the lads compel me: How much longer before we make camp today? There are only so many hours of daylight left and we will have to erect camp."
"Godefrey, do you fear another ambush? Another attack at night of horse-stealers and arsonists?"
"I do not fear them as the Lady is with us Sire. Still…."
"Godefrey, look around you. Here is no good land around us to make camp. There is only swamp and the densest undergrowth I had the misfortune to see in a very long time. The traitors can only attack along this road and we can handle that can we? And what did your instructors tell you when before a pass or a river?"
"Cross it before the pass is blocked or the river floods."
"See and that is what we do here."
"But Sire, so many more miles. Some of the lads are in a bad way already."
"And if we keep this up they can warm up in the halls of Chatelon the day after tomorrow, maybe tomorrow already. Will that beat a thin tent and a miserable cold gruel?"
"Aye Sir."
"So you tell the lads..."

The tree Andy Thrope had picked was a good one. It was sturdy enough not to sway and even without the leaves that had left it a month ago the many leaves provided decent cover. One of them allowed him to lie down in the pretzel shape that allowed him steady shots and during the last hour he had become quite miserable with the damp coldness. He had promptly forgotten about it when saw the first of the enemy entering his field of fire. Oh my, this was not so good. Any and very few friends had been the only ones to make it to this position in time and they really had to slow the enemy down. And while he knew that whatever he aimed for would be hit this "favour of the Lady" thing deflected more than a few shots. And while the terrain hemmed the tin-can lovers in it also reduced the field of fire considerably. If these miserable slavers would really want it they might as well reach his slightly used English body he wanted to keep around a while longer if possible.
He had gotten a couple of surprises from that Frenchie though and while they were untested they held the promise to keep the knights out and his body together for this year at least.

Sir Lucien had the honor of being the vanguard of the column for now. While he would be the first to see the enemy he had the Lady`s blessing and a set of armour inherited from his glorious ancestors. It would keep him out of harm and allow to alert the army in time. The path was a miserable one, the cobblestones were missing in many places, no doubt built into the hut of a serf who could not be bothered to hew his own. When the horses right front hoof went into such a patch it immediately broke deeper than anticipated. The thin wooden board that had held up an inch of earth gave way and drove a simple nail into the percussion cap that waited below. It blew up with all the sound and fury of a small firecracker, a firecracker surrounded by a mixture called the "Devil`s Grandmother" by those who had the misfortune to need it. Made from chemicals that were not so hard to acquire in Germany, nail polish remover among them, they needed to be mixed with the utmost care not to blow up right there and then. Even when that stage was successfully passed the result was more temperamental than anybody sane liked and it gave only 70% of TNT`s yield.

Even that was more than enough to shoot the horse`s leg right through the body while the cobblestones converted themselves into shrapnel that tore into animal and knight alike. The horse lived for far too long and only stopped its high-pitched screams when a merciful blade ended its misery. The knight following Sir Lucien had not reined his ride in before it had encountered the next missing cobblestone and a similar explosion killed both.

Robert de Dubois had been ill-tempered before but now his rage made him forget about all the small things that had slowed him down. When he reached the place where two of his knights had been slain without ever seeing the enemy he needed whatever willpower he had give in to what his heart told him and charge forward.
His binoculars might be made by the enemy but provided terrible clarity. There were so many missing cobblestones down that road. They were spaced so that a horseman could guide his charger through it, but best dismounted and one at a time.

"Godefrey, take your troops and see what is on the other side of this, will you. Lady Isabeu, here a knight which needs your protection."
And then the assembled knights watched how the vanguard made their way through a maze that would easily kill them. And while they waited nothing happened as long as the men kept to the cobblestones. They managed to get forward by about 50 meters before the first shot could be heard. Nothing happened on the first but for a small spark on Godefry`s armour and a jerk caused by the hit. The knight stood still for a crucial second, unsure what to do when a second and third shot arrived. One of the two hit something that Robert could not see and Sir Godefrey went down. His horse bolted for a couple of meters before it triggered another explosion.

They echo of that explosion had barely died down when another Knight dropped.
"This will not work at all, damn their eyes. Lady Isabeu, I have heard that you have the powers to make the forest and swamp move for you. Can you do that for us, can you make a path besides this trap so we might bypass it?"
"Yes, the Lady has given me that power Sir Robert. But this will take a lot out of me, you might not expect any more feats of me."
"Do this and we will see that the Lady`s will is carried out."
"Very well then Sir Robert."

Andy Thrope knew that there were things in this world that defied ordinary rules and understanding. Yet knowing about that and seeing a hundred meters of trees and undergrowth move as if they deployed legs, even if slowly was a mindbender. If this went on their little roadblock would be exposed in minutes and oh wait, what was that?"

Robert de Dubois watched the first knight drop his shield and slowly succumb to the hit that had penetrated shield and armour. There were two flat "cracks" and a sound like hammers hitting anvils before the next one dropped. He was about to step forward when the next shot landed with a different sound, and the light seemed to go out of their surroundings. When the two stalwarts had been killed they had exposed Isabeu for a short second and whoever tried to thwart them had taken the shot. No longer would his knights have her support, the favour of the Lady was their`s no longer. A deep pall settled over Robert`s force and a deep burning rage made the Knight push his horse forward. He would ride through this, he would kill this cowards one inch at a time or die trying. He had just reached the path when the vision stopped him as surely as any brick wall.

Robert de Dubois did not speak to his men during the retreat, he was far too taken by the vision of the grail that led him. He would never learn that only the first 30 meters of road had been mined, the rest of the removed cobblestones just covered earth.

Tiran County, Ulthuan

Hiratok stopped the engine of his Porsche Tractor when he approached the Four Oaks locks. A year ago he would have had to stop here as tractors would not be allowed in Caledor but the death of prince Imrik had stopped that particular madness. Now he pull the barges connected to his tractor for more a few kilometers before the channel reached the river Aelfs where hauling by animal or tractor would no longer do. This was a boring job if there ever was one and his behind was getting quite numb but it was one of the best jobs a farmer could have in winter. He and his tractor replaced two team of six horses each, could use the Porsche`s electric lights and his nephew help to haul during night-time and were paid accordingly.

He woke his nephew up so that he could drive the tractor into the lock and walked forward to operate the gates when he found something was off. The something was the sound of another diesel engine very similar to his tractor even a bit more muffled but there was no tractor on the tow path. When he looked around he saw the source of the noise, a very long boat moved towards the locks from the other side and a bit of blue smoke rose from a stack not unlike the exhaust on his Porsche. The boat was interesting, at 2.2 meters about as broad as the barges he towed it was considerably longer than them at roughly 20 meters of length. It towed a barge of similar length behind.

The first 15 meters were given to a cargo space hidden by a series of tarpaulins, aft of that was cabin made of wood with several round windows and an open stern on which an elf operated the tiller.
The young-seeming Asur approached him while he turned the crank that would operate the sluice gate.

"Gendaril of the House of Calfak."
"Well met Gendarik. I am Elder Hiratok of Tiran."
"Well met Hiratok."
"Sorry, we will need another half hour to get through this lock."
"Nobody can make these works faster Hiratok, no reason to be sorry."
"Interesting craft you have there, may I ask what that is."

"You are looking at Teren Lunte, the first of its kind in all of Caledor. It is a boat powered by the same diesel engine as that in your tractor."
"Ah and how does that engine drive the boat? I see no paddle wheel or anything."
"Below the waterline at the stern is something the boat builder calls a screw but which looks like the wings of a windmill to me. It drives the boat through the water just fine."
"Looks like it, you seemed to be going a bit faster than I can pull my barges."
"Yes, that and I can go up rivers as long as the current is not too fast."
"And all your crew is in that cabin?"
"All my crew is me, my wife and the oldest son. That is easily enough for her and enough space for us."

"So three people can transport what-50 tons of cargo or so-30 or 40 kilometers a day? What does this world come to? And what will I do when more of your kind of boat turn up?"
"Oh lots of stuff to move these days, I think there will be enough to do for all of us."
"Looks like it for sure, now tell me what do you…"
Hiratok had just seen his first narrowboat, built to fit the many locks of Ulthuan`s channels. He would see many more during the next decades and they would remain popular long after rail roads took their place.

It was after he had passed the lock that he realized that he saw something incredible. He had thought that using tractors to move barges was the height of innovation and he had would do this for many years to come. Now he could actually see that in 10 years or so he would need something else to do in the winter months. And could it be that the diesel-powered barge was also not to last long?

Kopernicus Space Station,

Nathan Alpers watched the "Zwilling" approaching the Space Station with baited breath. The spaceship and its approach vector was nothing out of the ordinary. DLR had five of them by now and as they had proven to be reliable they were used quite often. Things were actually at the point where DLR mulled adding another module to the space station and offering a trip to Kopernicus for 10 million Marks or so. Zwilling`s comparatively low payload and low costs per launch made for a lively schedule, usually one of these flights went up to Kopernicus every two weeks but few of them were as important as this one.

The payload module that took the place of a "Merkur" capsule during unmanned flights held a treasure beyond ordinary wealth. It contained a new mainframe, a support tank and nearly a hundred kilogram of Nanites. They had been modified from those found in the tanks in the Citadel of Lead and would work at microgravity just fine. These nanites were as adapt at recycling than at producing new stuff. A software called "Nathan Junior" would allow Kopernicus` crew to break down things from discarded fuel tanks and satellites no longer needed to material taken from the "Sage" satellites left by the old ones. So instead of shooting things into orbit at still-amazing prices they could build what was needed up here, repair instead of replace and save serious money on the many projects that DLR had in its program.

The nanites would be complemented by several 3-D printers who worked with metal or plastics that would make the stuff not needing a technology which was probably 50% understood and 100% beyond replication by the Germans.

Nathan had not need to worry too much, the capsule detached well and the space station`s arms moved it into its permanent docking place without too much hassle. The nanites would be checked several times, produce a number of trial items and then went to work for real. The first order of business was a number of modules that would slot in into the standard satellite frames already in orbit for communication, they would allow limited internet access all around the Warhammer World.

Castle Drakenhof, Sylvania

The last ten years had transformed Castle Drakenhof more than the ten decades before. As Sylvania was rich in oil the Germans needed so much money had started to flow into Count von Carstein`s coffers in amounts he had never envisioned. That money could buy things he had never dreamt of before. There was central heating and warm water, there were fine stereo sets and TV`s, there was air condition and elevators. While a lot of it was making life better for the mortal denizens of the castle that too was a sign of the modern times. While there was money and the promise that the Empire would not end his reign with their new-found power there was a definite loss of autonomy and the needs of the realm`s humans had gained greater priority than ever.

The count still wore the clothes of a Sylvanian noble, but they were made from cloths that had not existed on this world a few years ago and a Siemens smartphone rested in a vest pocket.

The count made his way down to what used to be Drakenhof`s dungeons and passed several heavily reinforced doors guarded by automated defences and high-level undead. The rooms beyond that reminded him of the facilities used by the Reiksbund forces in the lower levels of Skavenblight. That was a memory which made even him wince, he had never ever been closer to ending his existence then there and he had learned things he`d rather not when he looked the Horned Rat in the eye for the briefest of moments. He really wanted to avoid a repeat performance and what was done in these rooms was an attempt to prevent exactly that.

The unadorned bedrock that made up the walls in these rooms was partially hidden by monitors, maps and racks full of stuff about which Manfred had next to no idea but for their elevated price tag. The Germans who sat before all these monitors and keyboard and whatnot were an interesting bunch. Their skin colour was about as white as the count`s, they wore hooded shirts that bore colourful logos and their culinary tastes left something to be desired. That they consumed expensive coffee by carload lots was only to be tolerated as they worked hard and did things that Manfred certainly could not.

Their leader somehow saw him while he still had his back to the approaching noble, turned his exotic chair around and executed a bow that was so clumsy that Manfred normally would see it as insolence.

"Count Manfred, thanks for coming so quickly."
"You told me you need my confirmation for something."
"Yes Sir, let me show this to you on the big screen over there."

Both man and monster approached a 60" screen that mirrored the picture on Gregor Kopka`s pad. Currently it showed something like an x-ray picture of a mountain and the ground below, a mountain honeycombed with chambers, caverns and tunnels. The centre of the mountain had a blacked-out area.

"We received the last uploads from the snake-eaters four days ago Sir. We managed to integrate that data into our model as you can see, we have amended the south-western quadrant. We also mapped all entrances into the inner sanctum, we found two new ones here and here. This is what intelligence we can extract from your iUndead in the present mode of operation. If we want to learn more we have to activate phase two."

"The part where you can no longer guarantee that our eavesdropping will not be detected."
"Yes, Sir that is so. If we could control the undead directly it would be far easier, but currently the drones are on their own once they enter the fortress. Now we want to do is much more complex and that means more chances to fuck-up. We have done what we could to minimise these chances but they are still there, I´d be lying if I say otherwise. So now you have to decide if we want to press on or not."

By ordinary standards Count Manfred of Carstein was dead so it was no surprise when he stood still as no living being could, with unmoving eyes and a chest devoid of the simulated breath he entertained.

"Do it."
"Yes Sir."

Two days later the skeleton passed the same barred gate that had hindered its progress so many times before. He stood still for a moment when a column of undead crossed his way and during that time several mummified rats left the wicker basket on his back. They followed a lich into the depths of the fortress when the gate was opened to him a day later, carrying cameras and other surveillance gear with them.

80 kilometers from Chatlon, Bretonia

Robert de Dubois had consumed neither food not had he taken to the flask at his hip for quite a while. He was alone in a landscape that mixed a light grey heavens from which copious snow drifted downwards to a ground that was covered by it into featurelessness. His comrades had made camp more than a few kilometers back and he seemed to be just by himself. He felt neither cold, nor thirst, nor hunger or loneliness as he followed the vision that had guided him ever since taking his knights back from the mined path. Even if he were pressed he could not have described what he saw in that vision, only that following its course was what he needed to do.

His horse brought him before a sheer cliff face that held an opening into some sort of cave. The golden glow that emerged from it promised a warmth that was of no interest to the knight, there were other things that beckoned him inside. He dismounted and left his horse where it was, spending no thought on whether it would be here upon his return or if he would return at all. The small tunnel that led to the outside quickly enlarged itself into a larger cavern that was lit not from any fire or any other mundane means but the being that was in its centre. To Robert`s eyes she was a beautiful woman, the kind the bards sang about but would never do her justice, the kind that was to be adored and admired from afar, the thought of desiring her would never present herself. She smiled when she saw him and he would never know whether that smile reached her eyes as he never looked at them. He went on one knee, drew his sword, placed it tip to the ground and his forehead against the hilt.

What he had to say was the hardest thing he ever did in his life and he still did. Ever since he had been able to talk and walk he had been taught to speak the truth and nothing but.

"Mylady, I am not worthy. I lack in years, I lack in experience, I have not been on a quest and I have led my troops into a retreat."

"Robert, you have used "I" three times in once sentence and never once mentioned Bretonia, the country we all serve. With you, as with all knights I select it is about serving Bretonia, about doing what is best for her. And when I find men of courage, integrity and honour, men who love Bretonia I grant them the grail so that they can do what needs to be done. The Grail is not a reward Robert, it is a commitment between the land and the Knight, it is a sign that he took up the duty and the means to do what needs doing without regard to personal advancement. Yes, you are young Robert, you have been kept in a German gaol, you have not taken part in many tournaments and you have not spent time on a quest to show your mettle. But Bretonia is undergoing trials as never before, has to wage a war like none we ever fought against an enemy we never expected to face. It takes a special kind of knight to wage such a war, a knight not afraid about his standing with his peers, not afraid to shed blood when needed, to retreat in the face of traps and to strike at the enemy wherever he might be. The fight you took up in this war was your quest Robert, whether you knew this or not and you are worthy.

Come now, Robert, drink from the Grail and enter the brotherhood of those who fight for this land."

Robert de Dubois drank from the Grail and the liquid burned its way into his stomach, set a fire to his chest and sent tendrils of lava through his veins. He did not scream as that would have taken power he no longer had and did not fall as his muscles cramped in place.
The forces of the Empyrean went through his body and his mind, activated parts normally dormant, opened doors normally closed and imposed order where normally was chaos. The man who stood up was Robert de Dubois, none of what had made him so had been lost and at the same time he had gained so much that he might as well be a different being.

"Sir Robert, arise and take command of the forces that now huddle in defeat. Train them well so that they can win the battles before us. Stamp out the treason in the lands under our control."

"I will do thy bidding Mylady."