250 Kilometers from World Oak, Athel Loren

Isirlad ad`Garolin felt the forest around her, as was right and proper. All Asrai were connected to Athel Loren, Spellsingers much more so. And around the small hamlet the ad`Garolins called their home there were very few pieces of green that had not been influenced by her in one way or another. She had nudged the trees to grow here and not there so that her people could plant. She had asked saplings to grow into homes for her extended family and she had respectfully asked for the wood of the fallen from their kind. She was at peace with the forest as it was with her.

The winter had killed parts of it, as it always had, and had forced the rest into hibernation. Smaller pieces of green had ended with autumn, leaving seeds behind to repeat the cycle next year. Insects had lain their eggs long ago and were now dried husks at best. The birds were gone and many animals had gone into hibernation. The trees, the ones that made up Athel Loren the entity that was a forest, did the same. The broad-leaves that made up the vast majority of Athel Loren's population had dropped their leaves and allowed most of the sap to drain from their branches. Anything else would risk damage due to freezing and so the silent giants had gone to sleep a hair's breadth away from death.

The Asrai reacted to so much death and rest around them. They huddled together in their houses and spent time together more as Elves and less as symbionts of the Great Forest. These were the quiet months, the months for introspection and a bit melancholic.

Isirlad ad' Garolin felt none of that right now and neither did the members of her clan that had stayed in the hamlet. Most of the clan had gone south to fight some invaders when the council had commanded them. They had not seen any of them again so far, but the Empyrean had brought terrible news. The old Asrai doubted that she would see many of them again in this life.

Now she stood with the rest of her clan. She had taken her old wards and fetishes from their cask, she had taken up her old cloak again. How light it had seemed to be then and how heavy and constricting it was now. She was not alone in that. Ancient armor covered limbs barely younger or did not fit children who should not wear it for years. The ad´Garolin members fit to fight had gone when the call came, now the others had to make a stand. They were too old or too young, they had never trained much or fought so long before. An unknown enemy had snuffed out the lives of those far better prepared to fight and now they formed a last desperate line to defend hearth and home.

Isirlad had felt the enemy coming, a curious and threatening thing that could be perceived in the Warp. There was so much anger and hate, so much madness, so much energy. There were the warp shadows of mages the likes she had never seen. There were parts of Athel Loren, but parts that hated the Asrai so much that it hurt.

And now the others could feel the enemy too. There were the screams that echoed through the forest, wordless echoes that only conveyed hate and murder. There were the vibrations of many, huge things marching their way. The ground started to shake and snow dropped from the branches around the Asrai. She saw her clan, she saw limbs shaking and knuckles getting whiter from gripping spear and bow. She did not see anybody leaving his place in the line nor anybody suggesting they flee. This place was the ad`Garolin clan, here they had lived and here they would die. And with every passing moment it became clearer that they would die together, here and now.

It was something of a relief when the first enemy could be seen, now the fears had concrete form and now they could be fought. Asrai are quick, very much so. Even the older members of the clan had better reflexes than any human and there was no excuse not hitting an enemy who was so close. Just that the enemy was not what they had expected. There were no Chaos Marauders, no Beastmen or Greenskins. There were the spirits of the forest themselves, the Dryads and the Treekin. They were not the foe, they were part of the Athel Loren that protected all. They might be mischievous and a few of them might be murderous, but so many of them? The Dryads ran forward at a speed rivaling any horse and rebounded from tree to tree, changing direction every time. They had claws of the hardest wood and teeth that rivaled the real thing. They had branches like cruel whips, thorns and the will to kill all.

There were arrows in the air, they flew true and some indeed found their mark. Poisons covering the arrowheads were meant for humans, they did nothing to the forest spirits. A few fell anyway, far too many continued. They were upon the circle of Asrai in what seemed the blink of an eye. Long branches wrapped themselves around spears, claws ripped at shields and flesh with equal fury. Spears went into what would have been eyes or mouths if the enemy had been human. In some cases that was enough, in others the Dryads kept fighting as if nothing had happened. Isirlad had opened herself to the Empyrean like she had not done for hundreds of years. Any other time of the year she could have called for the forest around her, it would have been a powerful ally. She protected her people as best as she could, making their skin harder and strengthening their limbs. She despaired with every member of her clan killed and vowed terrible revenge. The Asrai Spellsinger knew that this spell was dangerous, that she should not attempt it and still it was her best chance to inflict telling damage.
She drew her sight inwards, looked for the small things that lived in the Warp and that would…

There was something that was hot and cold at the same time that pierced her breast. Something hot and liquid filled her mouth and she could no longer draw breath. When she looked into the mundane world she saw the branch that protruded from her. Something had penetrated her from behind, had not even found her worthy of an open attack. And then came the moment when her attacker withdrew its limbs. The pain and blood loss were all what was needed to shut down her physical body there and then. Her mind was severed from her body violently and she felt the pull that would bring her into Athel Loren's final embrace.

She was surrounded by a forest she had shaped for most of her life. She had left bits of herself in every little branch and tree and she called on that. Her very home gave her the strength to stay just that little bit longer that she needed to give a final service to her clan. Her mind looked around, taking a measure of the enemy. She despaired at the numbers, she was taken aback when she recognized the giant treeman that marched at the center. It was a good thing she no longer had a body, she would have frozen when she realized the contents of a warded box in the enemy's midst. Only in this state could she fathom its possible use and not freeze. With the last of her strength she sent a message at the only person she could think of who could make a difference in the time allowed.

Denmark-Bridge finally opened!

Today Bjarne Olsen, Prime minister of Denmark cut the traditional band to officially open the so called Denmark-Bridge. When Germany got flung to Warhammer during the Great Change or the Weltensprung as the Germans call it, Denmark lost it´s land connection and the Tondern district.

The Danes at least can be relieved about Tondern, it stayed with Germany, unlike some parts of Earth which have not been translocated somewhere around on Earth. Neither were they found by Germany on the other world. Nobody knows what happened to them.

Tondern today is a coastal district of Germany, like during the times of the German Empire and an important launch site of the German Space Program.

For nations still searching for vanished parts of themselves, let it be said that everything bordering Germany was transported with Germany "en bloc" as was the case with Swiss Tamins-Reichenau. It did not happen in the case of Wang Chan, which found itself an island in what is the Warhammer world´s version of Africa.

The so called Wasteland with it´s capital Marienburg, which got exchanged with Germany, had not the shape of the latter, as is quite obvious. So Denmark became an archipelago, since between Northern Schleswig and the nearest spot in the Wasteland is a water obstacle of more than 30 kilometers width.

Building new roads across this newest part of Earth and it´s neighbors is complicated as the last years showed more than once. Orc tribes, an often shifting landscape, rapidly changing ground conditions are just some features the builders and their companies had and have to deal with. Not to forget the higher than normal magical background "radiation".

There are voices which say that the Wasteland will never become such an important crossroad as Germany was. Considering the problems and the comparably low population this is not an unreasonable position, at least for a long time.

While Marienburg is a real and true city, if still largely Renaissance level, even by Earth standards, it is by far the only one in the Wasteland which could become a metropolis some day.

This possibility is apparent even today. The Denmark-Bridge is connected with Marienburg, from there a road leads to Groningen in the Netherlands. This road is the first completed long distance road in the Wasteland and shows the growing importance of Marienburg at least regionally. Eleven years for road and bridge are a long time considering this project had a priority stamp on it. How fast that was, at least on the background of building in a very difficult terrain, can be seen further south. The reconstruction of the former German part of Europe route 6, which connects the Wasteland towns Fort Solace and Oostwald with the rest of Earth by modern road, is still not finished. But at least the road head is nearing the border of the Czech Republic.

One thing which will help both the Wasteland and Denmark now that a modern road connects at least Netherlands and Denmark again, is that the Wasteland according to Magister Vanderschantz arrived on Earth "tilted, bent and upside down". For whatever reason. But then again, from what we gained from Germany, their land is "tilted" a bit towards North-Northwest compared to Germany´s position on Earth.

It seems the magic disaster which led to the "Great Change" tried to crudely fit in the Wasteland and Germany at their new positions. And in the case of the Wasteland, it seems that more changes were needed or the land was more malleable than Germany.

Anyway, Marienburg and its rather densely settled surrounding area were the southern part of the Wasteland on Warhammer. Today Marienburg lies where Hamburg once was, its district connected with the Netherlands.

This will now help them to adapt and grow on Earth, since they are positioned close to an important road. Marienburg is already profiting from their magical services and sea trade. They are quite behind, except in magical knowledge, which is of limited, but useful importance on Earth, since the power level is much lower here than on Warhammer. But Marienburg today has its first container harbor, not to compare with the one of modern Hamburg at this date, but they are growing instead of the decline before magic became proven.

Berlin Appartment, Sigmarsday Evening

Ottokar Proktor was about to call it a day. He should have left his job behind in his office, but this world had a habit of producing a crisis every day. He had still found a bit of time for his favorite Jazz recording and now his mind had slowed to the point where sleep was an option.

That option vanished into nothingness when his doorbell rang. There were only a very few people who knew this apartment and they would normally not visit him without calling ahead. His smartphone displayed the three different video cameras when he asked for it, and what they showed made him check for his gun. He opened the door a few seconds later and stepped back a bit when the being before the door entered his apartment.

Ottokar Proktor was very rarely surprised, now he was. Silva ad`Garolin went to her knee before the German.

"Help me Ottokar Proktor, you are my only hope."

Altdorf, Klement household

"Uff"
The reed basket was full of wet clothing and Anne sat it on the table with a thunk before she got rid of her overcoat.

"The household should really get a decent washing machine, this going to the laundromat is getting old. And to think Herr Klement earns money with them..."
"The hand-operated kind dear, you would like doing that much laundry that way even less. I did it for a year before that laundromat opened up."
Gertrud was the older and slightly heavier version of Anne , the newest maid in the Klement household.

"I bet there were less clothes back then."
"Yes, but once Herr Klement did business with the Germans he wanted to have his clothes washed ever so often. But back then he and his wife had a chest each, now they have a wardrobe. But back then you`d have no overcoat and no underwear to change either."
"No idea, I was five when the Germans came, I don`t remember much from that time."
"Oh my, it is not that long ago Anne."
"It is a dozen years now Gertrud."

Both women shook their heads while they arranged the wet clothes on the washing lines to dry.
They heard a regular thumping from the small courtyard while they were at it.

"Better Hans then me, this carpet beating is hard work."
"You are right about that and no mistake. But you should have seen the thresh we put on the floor before when we changed it twice a year. Lots of creepy-crawlies inside, especially in summer."
"Still seems a lot of work, cleaning the carpets every week."
"Well, the old man is in Germany often and they give him ideas, as does this German Shallya healer. That`s why we wash the plates every time and all that. Herr Klement believes that you get sick if you don`t. Foolishness if you ask me, but nobody does. And while we talk foolishness, don`t think the young Herr will ever give you more than a few crowns or another pair of earrings. And if you get a bun in the oven they`ll fire you for sure."

Both women were working in silence after that. Anna thought it better not to mention that the Germans offered a solution to that too and young Laurenz paid for that.

Berlin apartment

Ottokar Proktor`s dining table was rarely used given how few people the German opened his apartment to. Now three beings sat around it and none of them were happy. Ottokar was nondescript in any way, medium height, slightly pudgy build and with features one would forget in a minute.
The two others would definitely be remembered as they were elves in the prime of their years, with slender figures, beautiful faces and even skin.

"You definitely know how to wake us up Silva. I managed to have a satellite redirected yesterday evening and the results are just in. A large group of somethings are moving fast through Athel Loren from the south. And whatever they are, they make the magic indicators sing like there is no tomorrow. I cashed in a few favors and a Recce Tornado will take a closer look later today. For now, we treat your report as genuine and I'd really appreciate if you two could tell me a bit more."
"I went through the memories of the vision again Herr Proktor. The treekin that are attacking the Asrai are led by none other than Coeddil and if he is there then there is Drycha too. And they bring the Ambermatta"
"I have some intel on Coeddil and Drycha, but that was never verified. I`ll admit to never having heard of this Ambermatta. Care to fill me in?"

"When my people refused to leave for Ulthuan they needed a new place to live. At the same time Athel Loren was under attack by Dawi axes. So, the Spirits of the forest and Asrai formed an alliance. Most of the ancient treemen were in favor of that, but a faction, led by Coeddil, were not. They did not want us as part of Athel Loren as they feared what would happen to it. That Coeddil once fought a Beastmen abomination that might have poisoned his mind when he died did not help matters. Athel Loren was divided on the issue for many centuries till Coeddil tried to kill the Wild Hunt`s members while Ariel slept. He was nearly successful, but Ariel woke in time. She imprisoned the treeman and many other Spirits in the Wildwoods so this might never happen again. The Asrai have an eternal guard that watches over their prison, but I fear they were overwhelmed somehow.

Drycha is one of the fiercest Forest Spirits around. She is old enough to remember Athel Loren before the Asrai and she never wanted us in. Every Dryad and every Treekind who fell in battle is one who was killed because of us somehow. She has tried to free Coeddil several times already and it is more than likely that she succeeded this time.

The Ambermatta is something out of our earliest legends and from a prophesy. The name can be best translated as "The End of Times". It is said that the fell gods forged it for Morghur, the Beastman known as Shadowgrave who wants to corrupt Athel Loren. The Ambermatta is made from the blackest of ice, able to corrupt and kill anything of treekind it is able to pierce. The prophecy states that this would be hammered into the Oak of Ages, the center of Athel Loren during winter. It would kill the Oak and corrupt Ariel so that Orion can no longer be resurrected and she would eventually die. Athel Loren, the Gestalt of all who are part of the forest is centered in the World Oak, if it dies so does Athel Loren itself. And it seems the Bretonian Rebels are involved in all of this. Ottokar Proktor, this needs to be stopped."

"Allow me the question why the Asrai cannot do this themselves then."

"This is the depth of winter Herr Proktor. Some foul magic allows Coeddil`s forces to move as it were summer, but the treekin loyal to the gods and Athel Loren are in deep slumber. We cannot access the paths of the Worldroot at this time of the year, so we cannot bring enough warriors in for defense. Embarrassing as this might be, we need Reiksbund aid. This is in your interest as well, the paths of the Worldroot reach all over this planet and connect all forests. It will be hard to say where the destruction will stop if the World Oak is murdered in such a fashion. And don`t you Germans preach that Forests are important for all of our survival?"

"See what this world does to us, we have to work with legends and prophesies. If the guys at NSA could see us now…Well, that is beside the point. First off, I do not buy the Rebel involvement, they simply lack motive and really do not need another enemy. I`d also think they lack the means, but given that they seem to have a Lady of their own, so I would not vouch for that. We have some contacts in that camp, I have already sent some feelers out. Be that as it may, you will have to slow whatever is on its way to the World Oak down considerably. Currently they are about 200 kilometers from the World Oak and they are quite fast. They will be at the Oak in five to seven days."

"This is the reason I sought your help Herr Proktor. Without the Paths of the Worldroot we will not be able to bring in enough Asrai warriors to defeat the attack. It would be very hard to kill the Treemen anyway without aid, we normally rely on them to defeat enemies of their size and strength. We will fight them, but I doubt that we can hold them for any length of time."
"Ottokar, we both know that the Reiksbund Paladins have a ready platoon at 24-hour alert, and the Bundeswehr has a company of Armored Infantry for the same purpose. But even if the Reiksbund does not want to risk their armored behinds a Tornado strike could reduce this assault to matchsticks within two hours or so."

"Yes Aeolus, these and others would be able to intervene. But to do so they need a resolution by the Bundestag and that is in recess already."
"So, any enemy can attack the Reiksbund till these worthies are back from skiing?"
"No, there are mechanisms in place to prevent that. But as you may have noticed, Athel Loren is not part of the Reiksbund. The council of Elders has not asked for assistance and even if they`d do so parliament still has to decide. And sorry to say so, the Asrai are still not on our list of friends, Monschau is still remembered too well. Even if I call in all relevant markers I very much doubt that we could get things done within two weeks and I cannot predict the outcome."
"So you cannot help Athel Loren at all?"
"I did not say that, did I?"