Architectural Practice Obst, Wiesbaden, Germany
Roland and Andrea Obst were pensioners for two years. Unlike many others in these hard times, the Obsts had sufficient benefits and money stashed away to really enjoy being pensioners. But despite this, the pair still worked three days a week in their old practice, now led by their daughter Swenja.
The two loved their jobs, so they decided to stay on for a few more years. The Obsts had delivered their customers a full package, if they wanted to have that. Roland had built the houses and Andrea, who was an interior designer, was responsible for the rest.
Like all other walks of life, building and furnishing houses had become "interesting" since the Weltensprung. Even a decade had done nothing but reinforce the changes wrought by the event.
For builders like Roland, the Weltensprung had brought many bad things and some good. One of the good surprises was imperial concrete, which was better than the Earth version. That was one reason why the Warhammer people could build structures exceeding their pre-Weltensprung tech level.
What was nerve-wrecking in the early years and partly still was getting the various materials to build a house. Some were gone forever, being Earth-specific, others were limited until the German industry could expand or reopen production. Another case were the materials the Warhammer nations produced themselves or were equivalents of those from Earth.
Roland was glad that his daughter had it easier now than in the "early days". While getting some special woods or stones could still be a nightmare, others became accessible more and more. Roland remembered all too well a contract from roughly a year after the Weltensprung. His customer had insisted on a rose-tinted marble being used in parts of the house.
Well, the Empire possessed deposits of that type of marble, so no problem there. But a problem was that these marble was gathered in the Ostermark, on the other side of the Empire . And at that time the Ostermark province was not connected to the Railway net.
Getting the marble to Germany, at an acceptable price and in an equally acceptable time frame, that had been an adventure. Roland had traveled into the eastern Empire to get the marble, a voyage he would tell his grandkids about, when they were older.
Today, with a vastly larger railway net crisscrossing Germany, Nanseitoshi and the Empire, getting that marble needed only a telephone call. But for some stuff an architect still had to go "von Humboldt" to obtain it.
Another change compared to Earth was a steadily rising demand for historical design, at least the facades, but in parts the interior as well. Gründerzeit, Wilhelmine and Jugendstil (Art Noveau), sometime even Imperial design were requested more and more.
Not only by private citizens, but firms and administration too. One example was Stuttgart. Heavily bombed in WW2, the area at the Market Place had been rebuild quick in the fifties, with a rather plain design. Six years after arrival on Warhammer, the City and the merchants decided to reconstruct the Market Place with an ensemble of externally old-style buildings, roughly following old photos.
Very obvious to see with "Breuninger". Breuninger, one of Germany´s largest, oldest and best known department stores, had always had interesting interior design and was creative with exterior decoration, but it still had been the old post-war "concrete bunker". Today the Breuninger complex´ exterior was rebuilt to Gründerzeit glory.
This shift, since many officials had long followed the Charta of Athens and lobby groups, had many little components. But one of the most important were the construction crews and Empire architects, that was clear in Roland´s mind. The arrival on Warhammer had plunged the German construction business into chaos, unsurprisingly. For all it´s deficits, the Empire had some strengths too and one of those was it´s own construction business. They might not have been high-tech back then, neither all that well-organized, but a society which could build structures like the Castles Wittgenstein or Drakenhof, mighty border forts, the Colleges of Magic or harbors like Salzenmünd knew something about house-building. And where to get materials.
In the time it took for the German construction companies to get their North again, Imperial ones made their move. Having gotten money from clever, willing-to-risk-it, or farseeing Germans, several Imperial firms went into Germany. First for comparatively simple buildings, but later on with more knowledge they established themselves.
When the German companies were back on their feet, the construction business landscape had changed. While many German businesses were stil in the "race", Imperial businesses from Nordland, Hochland, Reikland, Wissenland and Sylvania had extended their operations well into Germany. Today it was not unusual to see company signs with hometown names like Eichenwäldchen, Dietershafen, Steingard, Tempelhof or Kemperbad, to name a few, at construction sites.
Where it came to architects, the situation was similar. Today a lot of joint ventures existed, where in the early days after the Weltensprung Imperial architects get knowledge in exchange for connections and logistics into the Empire. The Obsts themselves had such an arrangement with an architect from Middenheim. While nowadays this was not needed any longer, with new schools, better transportation and all, but most bureaus stayed merged, having found together. As such, the influence of Imperial architects was not to underestimate.
Schönebeck, close to Magdeburg
The pub could serve as a miniature for the town it was in, both had seen better times and both had more patrons before. A lot of Schönebeck`s industry had died with the German reunification and what they had gained after that did not make up in the number of jobs. The car accessory company that had made up a large part of what growth there had been had laid off half of its workforce after the Weltensprung. The small yard for riverine barges that had been founded later employed less than 20% of what had been lost. The many public sector jobs had lost a lot of their income during the last years, adding to the misery. In all Schönebeck had only ¾ of the population it had in 1990.
The pub was one of many and economically viable only because the family that ran it owned the premises and paid themselves a pittance. Many of the patrons were middle-aged and older, grey, wrinkled skin spoke of too much time spent indoors and nondescript clothing of hard economic times. The table in the corner held a corner bench and some chairs, it was occupied by a half-dozen men who met here for more years than they liked to count.
"Have you heard they open the Schiffshotel again?"
"No, why is that? They could not get enough guests in the last years, so what changed?"
"They are going to put some Breton refugees there."
"Of all places why the fuck here? This is not a big city, nobody stood at the railway station cheering them."
"Hard to do when they did not bring them here by rail. But the normal centers are full and they are looking for winterproof accommodation."
"Wonderful. I have to pay through the nose for my heating bill and they`ll waste god-knows-how-many liters of heating oil on that old barge, at our expanse of course."
"Yes and none of them has a passport when he gets into Germany. There could be all kinds of people among them and our oh-so-clever government has no idea who enters Germany."
"And I hear there are more than 20 million serfs that might want to come here, especially when they hear how well they are treated here. We cannot be home for every lazy bloke who seeks a better life."
"Yup. And they`ll get German lessons, clothing and some cash."
"Just wonderful. When my Emmy was bad a German I had to pay for the tuition, they get it free of charge."
"Yes and you`ll get competition."
"What do you mean?"
"You are a bricklayer, ain`t you? Go to the next construction site bigger than a simple house and you`ll have a hard time finding anybody who speaks German. And Bretons are there by the carload lot. Said to follow orders, have a strong back and be cheap about it."
"And haven`t they just stated that minimum wage is suspended for refugees who need training for their jobs. How many "apprentices" do you think you will see in the next months. And you really think you`ll earn 17 marks per hour this year? I don`t think so."
"Fuck this, if they are so strong and young they should be in Bretonia, fighting for their country."
"Amen to that. I have seen a couple of them in Magdeburg last week. All nice new clothes and good shoes I tell you. Gawked like apes at everything."
"Fuck, these guys are from a different culture, they`ll never blend in. Why can`t they go to Tilea or Estelia?"
"Because we give them new clothes, feed them and heat them while they can sit on their lazy asses."
"And now coming to a town near you. I cannot eat so much as I want to puke."
"And these guys are not used to our way of life. You should see them looking at pictures of any nice chick with few clothes. Come next summer they`ll see the real article on the beach and in the public pool which they can visit free of charge of course. You want to bet they`ll do nothing when they see that?"
"Oh fuck…."
The evening went on for quite a while and a lot of "Köstrizer" beer was consumed. The Schiffshotel, an old ship that had been beached and used as a hotel for more than 60 years burned two nights later. As it was still under renovation and the fire started at night nobody was injured, arson was suspected.
Black Pyramid, close to Khemri, Nehekhara
Nagash had no body these days, not in the way he would understand that concept in years long past. His many deaths and resurrections had seen to that and had transformed him from somebody with a body, a mind and a soul into a concept, a set of memories etched into the Empyrean, a knowledge of lore without equal and an ambition that would burn worlds if it were to enter the real. Having a focus in what the mortals called real was still important and so he had crafted several sets of bones, his own and those of his enemies, of artifacts and relics. He could enter any of these sets at need, either when his henchmen performed the rituals or if he used those inside the Black Pyramid.
He ran a terrible risk using this set. The pyramid was empty but for his undead, yet it was surrounded by a sea of enemies. Close to his greatest creation were Settra`s forces. He who had united Nehekhara when he was still alive had done the same again when he rose from death and ended the squabbling between the Tomb Kings. His army was great, he commanded powerful mages and had a will that would not be subdued but for his total destruction. Farther off but incredibly more dangerous than mighty Settra were the Germans and their allies. When Nagash was alive he had seen the utterly mundane constructs some of Nehekhara`s kings used and had not been impressed by them. Who could have thought that so much might could be had by studying the mundane, by using its drab but dependable forces and by organizing a society around them? When he had enticed Ramhotep the Visionary to send his forces against the Germans he had watched the slaughter with incredulity and horror. Guns that could rain down death for 30 miles in any direction. Strange metal birds that dropped fire from the sky and armored chariots that were invulnerable to anything and could kill what they wanted. He saw, he despaired, he thought and he knew he had to acquire more power if he were to withstand them.
He had set the long-held plan in motion and sent his personal troops towards Valaya`s gate. He had refrained from angering the Dawi before, he did not need more enemies. Now their power seemed feeble in comparison and their anger a cheap price to pay for the power he simply had to have. He had sent his best and had prepared them with a spell he had developed in many centuries for underground combat. His minions would fight and when they died they would burn, denying his enemies the very air they needed to breathe. A good plan, a plan that had to succeed, a plan that would have succeeded but for the thrice-damned Germans who had stepped in his way again. It was during the battle before the gate that he learned of the real threat in this world. He had allowed Arkhan the Black to summon him just to be confronted by this threat. He had been killed by the hammer once already, he would recognize it everywhere and at any time. That hammer`s signature in the warp had been greatly enhanced since then, had become a force to be reckoned with by itself. The man that wielded it was strange, mighty enough by himself, but there were hints of a being inside the hammer and the man, a being that he thought having encountered before. Both had been enclosed into an armor that enhanced strength and protected against nearly anything Nagash could throw at it. This was a deadly combination and he had fled the battlefield immediately.
If he wanted to become what he knew he must he had to find new powers, new allies. He had thought about learning about this technology thing, but by any estimation this would mean establishing huge manufactories, acquire exotic materials and tons of knowledge. He could only use the best of undead for most things in such an undertaking and he doubted that the Germans would stand by and watch him build up forces. He also wasn`t happy with leading an army where the real power would be with his underlings, not him. He needed something soon and he needed it so badly that he decided to take a huge risk.
He transferred himself into the body in the Black Pyramid, hoped that he would not be detected and used the stored magic within to meditate and search for answers. He was taking a break presently; his mind could only do so much. He glided through the corridors, making his way from the central chamber to the chamber holding the ritual circle that served as a gateway between bodies. The body here wore like a sleeve was in accordance with his power and his estimation of his standing in this world, frightening and huge. The rooms and especially the passageways were shaped with armored humans in mind, not giants. His passage casually pushed heavy stones aside which had kept their place since Sigmar wore his hammer. He was about to enter the ritual circle to replenish himself when he saw the small reflection of something.
He had not bent down and looked at the floor for a very long time but now he did it. It was curiosity that governed the move and desperation that filled the mind when he had a closer look. Inside the crushed ribcage of a rat a green plate held colorful baubles, silver lines and strange sigils. He knew of one power and one power only which made such. The Germans had made their way into this very pyramid, the place where he was the most exposed in aeons. He needed to transfer himself back into his fortress at the Sour Sea and…
No, he would not do that. He was Nagash and he would not cower like a frightened child about to be scolded by its parents. He was Nagash and his destiny was to ascend to the Empyrean and replace the gods. He would search for the lore he needed, he would seize the power he wanted and he would teach these upstarts to respect his very home. He would do so or cease to be. The giant made of bones made his way back into the center of Pyramid. He entered the gibbet-like structure in its center and watched the cage close around him. Releasing the control of his body he projected his essence into the warp using energies the pyramid around him had accumulated for thousands of years.
Khemri, Nehekhara, same time
The buildings around Manfred von Carstein were meant to impress. They were of the dimension to serve giants and reduced anybody who walked through them to ant size. There were endless corridors, walls that seemed to reach for the heavens, entrances that would allow the passage of sail ships and endless rows of statues and pillars. The way he and his companions walked was lines with the undead knights that had guarded them in life, the ushers that were to serve them having their post for thousands of years. The air was filled with the smell of bone dust and dry rot and his ears heard the movements of dry joints and the creak of dry leather.
Only his mind was able to partake in the conversation with those around him as there were no lungs to move air past vocal cords dried into uselessness. There was very little of that and he expected nothing less. The trio made their way up seemingly endless stairs before a dark entrance swallowed them whole. The room that awaited them was filled with beautiful vases, paintings in a style lost to the world, enough gold and jewels to pay for a kingdom and death.
Undead lined the walls holding the same arms since millenia, mummies made their rounds and more skeletons awaited their masters orders. The huge throne had been here for a long time. It had the symbols that denoted the former kingdoms that the throne`s occupant had united both in life and death. And it had a huge undead, wearing a crown, having a sword at his side and being clad in a set of superlative armor.
To those with the senses to perceive them the undead was surrounded by an aura that made him an immovable object and an irresistible force. Here was an absolute ruler, one who did not know what "no" meant and who ruled absolutely or not at all.
Settra the Imperishable was Khemri`s one and only King, now that he was dead more than ever.
Manfred von Carstein had been told a dozen times that he would have to prostate himself, an advise he had accepted with amusement. He was certainly not amused now and just hoped that his companions were indeed able to get him out of here alive.
He was still looking at the dust when his mind picked up the voice that had not changed in so many years.
"Khalida Neferher and Neferata ask us for a common audience and they bring a pet. You three really know how to rouse my curiosity. I hope that you can entertain us in equal measure."
"Mighty Lion of the infinite desert, we come here as we have found a threat to the kingdom. We are too weak to thwart this ourselves so we beseech the Hawk of the Heaven for guidance and strength."
"Neferata, you are not talking to the weak humans you can entice. You are talking to us and we will not remove a threat to you like one of your bloodswains."
"Highness, this was never our intention. We have news for your attention and will gladly submit to your judgment if we are in error. We just ask permission to show you the proof of our claim."
"Very well, show your so called proof."
"Yes Mighty Lion."
"What is this, pet?"
"This is called a laptop, a thinking machine, highness. It is not what I want to show, I will just use it to show the events that transpired inside the Black Pyramid ten days ago."
"Get on with it then."
The video was not very long, by Manfred`s standards it was grainy and lacked color. It caused a scream heard only with the minds that could be heard by every being in this city.
"Settra is not to be deceived, Settra rules.
Manfred von Carstein, you vouch for this this video?"
"With my life Mighty Lion."
"Oh yes, that you do. And yes, you were right to bring this to our attention. If this is right we might forgive you your spying without our permission. And oh yes, we will take care of this. Nagash, the betrayer, Nagash the muderer, Nagash, the one who broke the compact with out gods. Nagash who is finally in our grasp.
Generals, rouse the hosts. Assemble the armies, animate the Ushtabi and call the priests. We will go on a hunt and we will have revenge on Nagash."
Close to the Black Pyramid, Khemri, Nehekhara
The great river had once been known as Vitae. It had watered Nehekhara, its annual floods had replenished the fields and its water had quenched the thirst of a great civilization. Now its color was that of blood, the smell was of death and the only thirst it would quench was that for madness and suffering. Poisoning the river and killing Nehekhara was just one of Nagash`s many crimes and possibly not even the greatest of them.
Manfred von Carstein watched the barge that made its way upriver to an ancient pier that had been used to offload the barges bringing materials for the pyramids in the past. The river might be poison, but it had still allowed a ship to swim, a motorized barge that carried his contribution to Settra`s campaign to end Nagash. The king had indeed called out the army and it was an impressive sight. Blocks upon blocks of undead infantry and archers patiently marched through the sand. Chariots moved on the flanks or their front and raised huge clouds of sand. There were rows of statues which had not been in their place last week. Many times greater than any mortal warrior they wielded huge weapons and still retained the hardness of the stone they were made of. Catapults stood ready in the back and there were rough patches of sand that probably hid the units below. The armies arrived as soon as the boats and the pontoon bridge his people had helped erect ferried them across the river. Dust clouds to the horizon indicated that more armies were on the way to this battle.
Manfred von Carstein would have been more than impressed a decade ago, but during that short time he had received a different idea about what a mighty army might look like. Still, it was staring to get hard to find a larger piece of real estate that was not covered by an undead with the will and means to kill. His otherworldly senses told him of more and more practitioners of the art who joined the effort. He knew that the Reiksbund was monitoring things, by the barely-visible plane that was orbiting high above, by his own reports and by other means. If things were to escalate they would probably get involved too. This was surely enough to end that threat to all unlife, it simply had to be.
His contribution might be the least visible, but it was the lynchpin on which Settra had built his strategy. Now he just needed to make sure that the humans he had hired would not run away screaming when confronted by the army they were supposed to support. He stood in the way of the truck that made its way up the stone pier and it stopped among the whistling of its air brakes. A human stepped from the cabin while another stood up through a hatch in the truck`s roof. He pointed his rifle at the sky, but it was clear that he was uneasy.
"Herr Baatz, good to see you made it in time."
"You`ve arranged for quite some party I see."
The words were brave, but there was a tension in the man, the voice had a slight timbre and the old Vampire could smell the man`s fear. Manfred knew he had been exposed to his undead while he was in Drakenhof, the carnival of undead before Baatz here was a different proposition. And yet, while Baatz obviously felt that fear, he did a commendable job of not falling prey to it.
"I hope you have reserved a place for me in that truck Herr Baatz, I will show you where to go and make sure you arrive."
"Lead the way then Sir."
Two hours later a couple of tents shielded the humans from view of most of the army. Settra, his Herald and Manfred`s companions nearly made up for that in pucker factor for his mercs, but so far they held up well.
Currently everybody was looking at a couple of fat cylinders which had a diameter of about two meters.
"So what have your hirelings brought before us? I fail to sense the power you have promised."
"Herr Baatz, please answer the King`s question."
"Mighty ..Lion of the Desert, these are shaped charges, specially made by my company for this occasion. They use explosives that are focused into one direction and will cut through anything we know."
"What does that mean?"
"The charge will convert its copper cladding into plasma, err a flame Mighty Lion. This flame will go through a great lot of material."
"What is a great lot?"
"The test went through 12 meters of granite Highness."
"That is about 13 strides Mighty Lion."
"So this will give me a tunnel through the pyramid`s wall?"
"Yes mighty Lion and we could employ another one if needed."
"That could be an aid for sure. Is there anything else?"
"Yes Mighty Lion. We brought thermal lances which burn through any known material. We can drill long holes through any blockade, fill them with explosives and turn them into rubble. We also brought enough propane with us to flood rooms and then explode the air inside."
"You will do this for us then, do it well and Settra will reward you. Do not fail us."
"I do not plan to Mighty Lion."
