Underground Sea, Naggaroth

The submarine vehicle inched down the trench before it. It was winding this way and that, the walls were rather close at times and sharp stone protrusions threatened the pressure vessel. It was rather silent, its coaxial screws turning far below the speed where they would cavitate and the drive just gave off a quiet electric hum.
The vessel scanned its surroundings via a high-frequency sonar that would be inaudible for humans, but excited some of the local maritime life into a frenzy. It did not have much range, but offered a good resolution and was used to build up an exact picture of this part of the Underground Sea.
The short range meant that the end of the trench barely registered in time to stop the submersible.
A couple of submariners stared at the monitor that displayed the conundrum to them.

"Looks like another dead end to me Sir. We cannot turn in this part of the trench, it is just not wide enough. I would not like to back up, we might lose.."
"Understood Meier. How much water on top of the trench?"
"Five meters at the very least."
"Then get her up and run back to us, that fish can do with a recharge anyways. Make sure that it is maintained before we store it again, we will need it later. Navigator, do we have enough data to build a course?"
"Yes Sir. I can have the plan on your desk by next watch."
"Make it so. Good job everybody, if nothing breaks we will enter the Underground Sea in two days."

Friedel Bauer retreated to his room in U40 while the technician maneuvered the remotely controlled submersible back to the submarine that was holding station 20 kilometers before the entrance to the Underground Sea. Based on the body of a Seahake torpedo the submersible drone was far slower, equipped with a ton of sensors and could be controlled via glass fiber to a distance of 150 kilometers.

Powered by carbon gigacaps it could be reloaded as often as needed and together with its companion it would allow U 40 to scout any passage in the Underground Sea before it had to enter by their own. The crew liked the two drones for that reason alone and had christened them "Nemo" and "Dori". So far they were not getting lost.

Neustadt, Naggaroth

The Hung girl grabbed a handful of bristles and placed it on a scale. Getting the desired result half a second later she took the bristles of and pushed them in a ferrule. A few knocks on the table brought the bristles in line before a blade parted them. A wooden wedge fixed them and then the upper part of a brush went into a box to join countless others.
The girl work fast, really, really fast. And none of those who watched her had any doubts that she would keep up this speed for the rest of her shift.

The small group watched her from a few meters off. A hulking human with broad shoulders, a bit of a paunch and the lines that indicated weight lost at an age when the skin was no longer flexible enough to compensate stood before a small number of Druchii.
They were the man's height, but weighted far less than him. While he wore a cloth tunic and a leather vest together with sturdy boots they were clad in fine fabric, elegant mail and wicked spikes.

"Did the Witch King not direct you to make the important stuff only Lord Breitkop? The weapons, the sleds, the railroads? And did he not tell you to buy the other things from us, the true Elven makers?"
"Yes, he did. Unfortunately, brushes are important to many things we do, like bluing rifles or painting gun carriages. And anything I can buy from you is either far too expensive and useful only for artists or has inferior quality at outrageous prices. So we have set up a small workshop of our own, pay less and get what we need."

"But you told us that you would show us how to do better."
"Yes, this is why we are here, I do not need your complaints. The only problem I see is that I do not think you will take my advice?"
"Do you think us too stupid?"
"No, I think you are Druchii, stupid is not your problem at all. You have the assembly line process down well enough and since you buy the tools from me and the raw materials from the same sources than me that should not be a problem. The problem is something else."

"What might that be?"
"What do you not see around here?"
"Err?"
"What are you hinting at Lord Breitkopf?"
"Do you see any shackles, any chains? Maybe some nice whips besides the ones on your belts? Overseeers? No?"
"No, we don`t so how do you get them to work so quickly? Did you poison them and have the antidote?"

"No, I don`t. We treat them well, that is the secret. See that girl over there? Likes to eat well and has a bit of a sweet tooth. She has two children and she wants them to have a better education so they qualify for a nicer job when they come of age. She wants them to have their own room, so they can learn better. And she pays for an extra tutor as one of her kids, as he is not so good at math now.
She wants her children to have a good future, to live better than herself. And to achieve that she works harder and better than any whip could make her. She works for the future of her children and a tiny bit of luxury for herself. I provide that, she works her heart out for me.

I can do that, I am human. Can you do it Urglieth Jerres?"

Article in "Deutsches Waffen Journal" (German weapons Magazine)

Self-defense on a budget

When we all went along with the Weltensprung the new work added a number of threats to those that existed before. Captured ships might deposit a bunch of sadistic killer elves to your door. Beastmen might want to eat the contents of your fridge together with you. All kinds of critters have too many teeth and claws to know what to do with. Not even the dead stay motionless any more, your mother-in-law might be scarier in death than she ever was in life.
Yes, we have well-equipped police forces, we have the Landwehr close at hand and there is an armored paratrooper company which can be at any place in Germany under an hour these days. All of them will not help you if the threat is on your doorstep, they will make sure that your neighborhood survives. For the first five minutes or so your survival and the survival of your loved ones depends on you and nobody else.

The local government is so much more understanding these days and allow ownership and carriage of weapons as a rule, not an exception. Make sure that your criminal record looks like snow and swan's feathers, take one of the many courses or prove that you have been in the armed forces recently and you will have a weapon's permit quickly enough.
And the German industry spoils you with choice these days. Want a nice pistol, polymer frame, light trigger pull, in 10 mm auto that will only fire if gripped by the authorized user? Heckler&Koch has you covered. A handy, 20-gauge, semiautomatic shotgun made from materials you'll only need to maintain when you fired it? Mauser has an offer for you. (The latter is this author's recommendation for home defense, see last Pflugzeit article for reference)
Want to handle the rifle you handled in your army days? H&K have the G3 and the G-62 restricted to semiauto. So, if you feel the need you can find something that is suitable. So, no problems at all, right?

Well, nearly none but for one. They cost a lot of money. These days Mauser makes a nice bolt-action rifle for 1000 Marks and calls it their economy model. The new H&K P25 will set you back a month's wages easily. And if you have to ask what the new hunting rifles from Karaz-a-Karak cost you cannot afford them anyway. So, are there alternatives?

Yes, there are and we have a look at them. The citizens of the Empire, our new Germans in Nanseitochi and many others have the same needs for home defense, if not more so. And while most of us feel the pinch of high prices for many items, Imperials are dirt poor when compared to the average German.

A number of companies, like Kuhlenberg und Söhne in Altdorf, Ulrik's Werkzeug in Middenheim or Nuln Eisenwaren in Nuln make tools for defense, sports or hunting. There are also a number of smaller shops, often blacksmiths or gunsmiths who purchased a few modern tools. In a word: don't. These guns aren't as dangerous to the owner as to the target, they are freaking dangerous, period. Made from pot-metal of unsure provenience with tolerances visible to the naked eye they look like firearms, but are not.

What is available which keeps cost down and is acceptable for us?

Ulrik's Werkzeug (Ulrik's Tools) is partially owned by the Cult of Ulrik, the War God and it shows. They have acquired the license and machinery to produce the K98 rifle used by the Empire's armies and make them in Middenheim. Having been pronounced "a blessed icon of warfare" by the Cult the pride and workmanship in these weapons is visible to anybody.

There are few things that need to be said about this rifle, it is old-fashioned, heavy and some ergonomics could be better. The upside is that it shoots the first time you pull the trigger, every time you pull the trigger and will reliably reload after staying in a mud bath for a week.

The standard model with the five-round magazine will set you back 450 Marks, the one with a 20-round one 500 and the ones which shoot well enough to qualify for a scope 700. A bargain for a well-made rifle with such history and potential. They are made in 7.62 Nato, and that round will take down nearly anything. A great buy in any configuration.

Nuln Eisenwaren (Nuln Ironmongery) make even more affordable guns by using the break-open configuration. This reduces the amount of machining needed considerably and their "Budget" line has a finish that is best called functional. Their single barrel variants are suitable mostly for hunting. Yes, you have only one shot, but that is all you should need if you call yourself a hunter. And the sturdy lock combined with a free-floating barrel make for a surprisingly accurate rifle that produces sub-MOA groups out of the box. They are also rather short for their 700 mm barrel length.
If you look for something for home defense look no further than for their double-barreled shotgun. Anything that survives two hits by 12-gauge buckshot deserves to get you.

You should stay away from their double-barreled rifles. The company has not yet mastered the balancing of two barrel's vibrations which is not easy in mass production. They will not shoot accurately for more than a hundred meters, even if they look like the big guns used to take down rhino and elephant.
That said Nuln Eisenwaren will set you up for 300 to 400 Marks. You won`t buy any bragging right with them, but honest shooting irons.

"The gods made man, Kuhlenberg made them equal."
Well, better well plagiarized than badly self-made and Colt is unlikely to sue them. Kuhlenberg has specialized in revolvers, which reflect the needs of an Imperial citizen well. They are mechanically simple, utterly reliable even with so-so ammunition and require minimal maintenance. They are also easier to manufacture as most tolerances can be off a bit.

Kuhlenberg offers several models, from a snubnose five-round model firing 9mm rounds from half-moon clips to a really nice Colt Python copy. There is even a model that still allows the loading of black powder and self-made bullets, with percussion caps for those who face problems acquiring more standard ammo.

The top of the line is a Colt Python with a 4" barrel in 0.357 Magnum. A nice piece made from stainless steel. But, did they have to call it Reichsrevolver (Imperial Revolver), really now?

Glade of Kings, Athel Loren

Pierre Trosieme checked the soldier before him. Everything was just so, as it had been ten minutes ago when he made the last check. He did it anyways and turned for an inspection when it was his turn.
He and the platoon from what used to be the 11th Stormtroopers and was now 3rd regular brigade in a shrinking army was about to participate in something no human ever ha
Every vernal equinox Orion was reborn, from the spirit of Kurnous, from the memories he had acquired in a long life and the body of a Wild Rider. For the last 5000 years this had been an event that only Asrai would perceive, today would be different.
Today, Pierre Troisime and his platoon would represent the Bretonian Republic to the Asrai and their gods. There was considerable pressure not to fail.

"We look rather smashing, let's find a party."

Leave it to Walter Theodoric St. Helier to lighten the mood. He was about as tall as the Rebels, but out massed the strongest of them by half easily. And even while there was a small paunch, that was not where most of that mass had gone to. A powerful physique was topped by a graying hair and beard. But while Walter tried to sound casual Pierre saw that he was turned out just so. The Asari elder assigned to shepherd the humans hovered right behind him.

"Gentlemen, it is time. The ceremony is about to begin."

The good thing about being in the new model army was that there was a drill for everything. No need to reinvent the wheel, just go with what had been drummed into their heads so many times that it worked without conscious thought.

"Tenshun. Single file march."

That brought everybody into gear and they went from their assigned quarters onto the path that led them to the Glade of Kings. Soldiers learn to march so that they can move on foot effectively as a group. They also learn it to march when it is needed to where they are needed, no matter what. The same drill that had led Pierre and his platoon into battle now allowed them to move purposefully while they were watched with curiosity, with alarm, with surprise and hate. They marched past Asrai old and young, past warriors and civilians, male and female elves. They did not walk past a single other human and they marched without missing a single step. They marched through a crowd that allowed them to pass to the place that had been assigned to them. That was where their march and their formation broke and where they found their dead comrades.

They were all there, Pierre the former taxi driver, who had driven Walter where sanity had no entrance. Lieutenant Hugo, whose death had left Pierre to form the Stormtroopers final stand was besides the Rebels who had died with him. There were the Glade Guard and the Wild hunt and a hauntingly beautiful Asrai Spellweaver.

All of them were rendered to the finest detail, all of them as large as life, all of them made from the finest living wood. No artist, human or otherwise, could have done better and here they were. They were depicted as if they were guarding the Glade and by what Pierre had learned about the Asrai they might very well do so.

"They started to grow that way once the snow was gone Sir Walther."
"Who ordered this then Dwanja?"
"No one did. Athel Loren felt that it was just and right, so they grew that way. We will remember them for as long as there is an Athel Loren and as long as Asrai draw breath."
"We are honored Mistress."
"That you are. Now if you could form to the left….

Pierre Troisieme was good at standing at parade rest, he had more than sufficient practice at it. Working his calves he made sure that his circulation was kept up while remaining still. The number of Asrai watching the humans decreased rapidly and the hum of many voices died down soon. The rustling and creaking from the Treekin ceased and even the wind ceased to make any sound.
And then two figures appeared from the shadow of the Oak straightening as they emerged from its embrace and faced their people. That broke the silence that had gripped the Glade of Kings and a cheer rose from all assembled. The world might have gone mad, old alliances had been tested to their breaking point and blood had colored the winter snow.

Their gods had still risen from their slumber, Orion had still been reborn and the Asrai would continue. The cheers that rose to the sky were always joyous, this time they contained a measure of relief.
Pierre was presented with another opportunity to practice his parade ground skills when Ariel and Orion were clothed again, fed and welcomed according to rituals that were old when Bretonia was an unborn dream. Asrai clan leaders renewed their oaths of fealty and their Gods promised their favor.

It lasted for two hours and felt like two eternities for the Rebels who could not relate to much of this. Things were coming to end when a murmur went through the assembled mass. Ariel had just finished her benediction of the Asrai and should have stepped back as she had done 5231 times before. She did not, instead rising a bit higher before addressing her people.
She was about half a kilometer from Pierre, she spoke a language that the Sergeant knew only fragments of. It made no difference, she was a goddess and if she wanted that everybody on this Glade could understand her reality better allow that. The Rebels heard her as if they were standing in front of her and she would speak fluent Breton. Their ears were not really involved in registering the speech and they could have cared less.

"My people, today we celebrate my awakening and my husband' s return. We celebrate winter's end and the beginning of a joyous cycle of life and growth. We have done this many time in the past and will do so in an unimaginable future. Every word we all say, every gesture we make and every item we use is etched in unbending ritual, giving us a bond that is next to unbreakable.

And yet, this day is not as the many that came before. It is the same day; the stars are at their assigned points. You my people, are in the right place and we did the things we ought to. But we have honored guests here who are not of the Asrai. Never before have those not of the Asrai been allowed to watch these events. But the humans we have taken as our guests have earned that right. They do not have our bond with Athel Loren, they pray to different Gods, they have lit fire in this place dearest to Athel Loren. And yet we welcome them as friends, we bid them our thanks, we call them saviors.

The reason for that is simply that there would not have been this rebirth if not for the humans fighting for the Breton Republic. Without them an unholy alliance of Lileath's mages, mad treekin and rebellious Forest Spirits would have overrun the Glade Guard and destroyed the Oak of Ages. Orion could not be resurrected, I would be dead and maybe sacred Athel Loren itself would have been destroyed.
These humans formed the thin line that had been all that stood between the Oak of Ages and the foe. Assaulted by maddened Treekin and treacherous Dryads they stood and fought till our enemies were no more.
They have shown us skill and honor, they have offered Athel Loren their blood and the forest has accepted it as its own. These humans belong here as any one of us does.

They are not just friends in need, they are the signs of new times. Athel Loren has sheltered us for so long that it is hard to imagine the world outside. We have fought the same foes since time immemorial. We have made very sure that no thinking enemy would enter Athel Loren unbidden and slain the unthinking Beastmen when the time was right. Things stayed as they were for so long that change seemed impossible or simply the squabbling of those not a part of Athel Loren.
Whether this was wise before I cannot say, we have done it and survived. Now the world has changed more in a dozen years than it did in a dozen centuries before. A new people have entered this world, the Germans. They come from a different world and they brought the change with them. These changes allow beings to talk with other without delay no matter the distance, to travel to any corner of this world without delay and to bring the mightiest host of Chaos to heel. Some powers in this world have risen with these changes, some have decayed to nothingness. Not all of these changes are good and Athel Loren is threatened and sheltered in ways unimaginable before.

We can decry these changes, we can call the Germans all kind of names, we can grieve for the old times and cherish their memory. We cannot ignore them. We have to look at the changes outside of Athel Loren, we have to learn and we have to adapt. If we do this right then Athel Loren will be a safer place than ever before. If we do not adapt we will perish.
So we will look out into this new world and we will learn its new ways so that we can keep what is really important to us. We will send ambassadors to the powers that will have them, we will take up such trade as it is offered to us, we will send our students to learn where they are invited. We will learn who can be Athel Loren's friend and who will be its foe.
We are lucky my people, we already have found our first friends and some of them are among us."