Worlds Apart
Karl Franz, Emperor of the Empire, Prince of of Riekland was left working late into the night, the oil of his lamps running low as he read over reports and contemplated what missives and decrees to write. The battle of Mordheim was still fresh news yet to even reach the Imperial citizenry and of course the news of the battle was already being dictated and debated fiercely by the various agencies under the Imperial Crown. While that would relieve Karl of much of the stress of presenting the battle as a Imperial Victory, downplaying the Skaven and the threat of this 'Horde' that had aligned with them, it still left the Emperor with the issue of Volkmar's disappearance into the portal to this other realm. Additionally the rest of the Empire would soon begin learning of this other realm's 'Alliance' and with an entite army of their elves marching through Ostsrmark it seemed unlikely that Karl could present the story in such a way that would prevent uncertainty and fear from gripping the people.
What he needed was both something to distract from the implications of this 'Alliance' and it's enemies holding free passage into the Empire, bypassing the crucal passes, keeps and watch towers which slowed any invaders long enough for the Emperor to rally an army and meet the foe. He needed to present the Alliance positively without causing the Electors from entering into a scramble for position and prestige over one another. He needed to keep their dealings under his perview while allowing the Electors to think that they would be free to make deals only under his eye.
This General leading the Alliance army in his land, Shandris, she could prove useful for this. And this 'Horde' has indeed attacked the Empire, before the Cult of Sigmar could break into political turmoil, perhaps he could redirect all of their focuses, but he needed this Elf to play along. Most of their race was highly aware of such subtle political cues, so likely it wouldn't take much before she approached him to ask why he was using her, but perhaps the offer of troops and an opening of negotiations would be sufficient, and if she chose not to challenge him and simply plays along with the plan, then all the better.
The Emperor of the Empire reached for his quill refreshing the ink and preparing to write his first missive but was interrupted as a knock sounded from the door to his private chamber. Immediately his hand reached for his Runefang, Dragon Tooth, which lay in its scabbard on his desk. "Enter." The Emperor ordered knowing of only four sorts who would come seeking him in his private chamyat this time, his family, his spies, his closest friends, or assassins of which there had been fortunately scant few.
The door only opened slightly and in their usual manner a grey cloaked figure slipped into his office and Karl's hand fully grabbed the hilt of his blade until the figure pulled back their hood kneeling before their Emperor. "I have come to deliver a report nephew. One of urgent importance that could..."
"If he's in there hurry up and invite me in." Another voice, feminine demanded haughtily from outside the Emperor's chamber. This caused Immanuel-Ferrand Holswig-Schliestein, uncle to Karl Franz, leader of the Black Chamber and Wizard of the Grey College to sigh in exasperation while the Emperor could only smile in relief. Family, friends and spies, truly tonight would have to be one of note if either also planned to try the role of assassin.
"Come in Emmanuelle, I promise you that I shall neither bite nor make to woo you." Karl teasingly called to his childhood friend through the door.
Immediately Countess Emmanuelle Von Liebwitz walked through the door scoffing as she did. "As if I should fear Maria's wrath, she's too sickly to take up your Runefang in anger and I'm far too influential for one of her assassins to be the one to kill me. Besides, I'm sure you would be the one she'd strike out of jealousy if we should spend the night alone. That's why I invited your Uncle, for your own protection of course."
"Of course. Now what matter would see you so far from Nuln, invading my bed chamber, uninvited, so late at night." Karl Franz asked loosing his air of jovial familiarity and steeling himself for whatever was to come.
Emmanuelle nodded to her counterpart, and Immanuel-Ferrand reached into his robes pulling out several rolled papers laying each out for the Emperor to paruse as the spymaster spoke. "Nuln recently received a great many orders for canons to be made all coming from the Merchant Princes of Tilea, at the same time these orders were matched by the Estallian Lords and Kings. Initially the Countess and we thought this was perhaps the buildup towards a war between Tilea and Estallia."
Now Emmanuelle spoke up interjecting herself into the conversation. "Though why either state would so openly purchase so much right before a war with their rivals struck me as strange so I opened up my own channels to investigate at the same time your loving uncle did." At this the Emperor just rolled his eyes before asking them to continue, which Immanuel obliged.
"We had to track which of the lords was behind these orders and further investigation lead to a interesting discovery. These purchases seem to be leading to a joint Tilean and Eatallian military venture." The Emperor's uncle explained.
At this Karl Franz sighed hand grasping his head for a moment. "Should I be reaching out to Louen and Katarin looking to reinforce our alliances?" Certainly the idea was a worst case scenario, but Karl wouldn't put it past the Tilean Trade Princes and Eatallian Kings to try and use the Empire as their first steps towards forming a multinational dynasty and working together, while as rare as rain on a cloudless day, was certainly not a unheard of thing among the Tileians and Eatallians.
"Unfortunately this involves more than we think. I tracked the affairs of each of the nobles who made these orders, besides finding their liaisons among one another, I found a common thread anong them all. Each of the nobles who have made these orders and pushed for this joint effort, they began their efforts only after a visitation by a representative of the Order of True Insight." Immanuel-Ferrand Holswig-Schliestein explained.
At this Karl Franz sighed. "The Aguila Ultima is behind this? Should I have Lorenzo di Marco brought before one of us for answers?"
Emmanuelle shook her head. "The purchases and everything else doesn't seem to follow any of the patterns I know of, I don't think the Empire, Arabay, Bretonnia or anyone else is at risk. But where the Myrmidians are aiming this spear they're trying to forge, or if this spear will even hold together long enough to be used is a complete mystery."
The Emperor nodded before looking down to his nightly work in contemplation. "Then..." The Emperor had a small epiphany. "Perhaps its time to put the Alliance to use for us. We must test these Alliance people, and I have a plan to do so. Countess von Liebwitz return to Nuln and start putting in efforts to draw Mercenaries to the North, aim to draw those most closely associated with the Trade Princes that have made these orders of the gunsmiths of Nuln. Immanuel-Ferrand Holswig-Schliestein you will use this to acquire the military plans these nobles are forming, learn their goals and objectives, kidnap mercenaries, replace their maids, whatever is needed."
The Emperor's childhood friend smirked before giving an faux bow, followed by a genuine one. "As you command my Emperor. But only because I think this is starting to look very interesting. Certainly seems like the balance of power is likely about to shift and knowing you, this is going to be good for us all."
Medwin Ramsy sighed as he and the rest of the Third Company marched, they were supposed to sweep ahead as the rest of the Alliance forces were unloading and preparing their heavy weaponry on the beaches. More than the rest of the Alliance forces the Third Company leadership and thus the troops, including Medwin and Brook Melwing, were briefed on the Horde's forces in Tirisfal. Every suapected outpost and base, the troops, their likely tactics and their leadees.
The Horde apparently were so certain that the Alliance was going for the southern approach that they had even given the supreme command to some no named Rat Mage who apparently didn't even have a army of his own. Which the Captain had explained to them meant that in reality the Horde's lesser officers were in charge and those lesser officers had given the Horde forces a directive to pull back and regroup after offering token resistance, so they could then reinforce and strike back with superior numbers. Which to counter that the Third Company had been called upon, with their speed they would keep the pressure on the retreating Horde while their durability also meant they could hold the line should the Horde's counter-attack happen.
Or at least that was the theory. "Someone get a healer over here!" Brook shouted as she kneeled next to another footman of the Company before a priest wearing armor rushed up shouting for her to go as he began to heal the man. Brook and Medwin then began to press on, leaving the man who had stepped on a goblin mine to be healed. they couldn't afford to slow down, they had to keep the pressure on the Horde or else their mission was a failure. However it seemed that the Horde in the last minute had begun laying out extensive traps, barricades, and minefields throughout the entire region. And now their retreating forces were leading the pursuing Third company into each that they could, even braving running through minefields and over traps themselves if they thought that the Alliance forces following them would be caught.
Another explosion coming from ahead told Medwin that either one of the retreating Horde had stepped on a mine, or another one of their scouts. This course couldn't continue not for much longer, either the Horde would have to run out of these damn traps, or the Third Company was going to break And in the most important conflict of their lives, barring the Legion's Invasion last year, there was no way the Third Company could afford to break, not now.
Still everyone's moral was low, mines, and being constantly on edge from the Horde forces randomly turning back to engage them was whittling away at everyone's nerves, Medwin and Brook included. And both of them, everyone really, knew this.
"Hey buddy, hold on just a little longer." Brook began planting her hand heavily on Medwin's shoulder. "I had a chance to read a map, if we're where I think, Brill should be just ahead. We should see it in the Horizon once we cross those hills just ahead."
Just ahead was a few miles, but the sentiment was reassuring. They were making progress and the Horde was failing to stop them. So the two comrades smiled at one another and began pushing forward keeping up their march and pace, only to stop as the sounds of rapid explosions echoed from ahead. No not explosions, gunfire, and it was faint, but they could hear warcries.
"Another raid?" Medwin asked while Brook listened intently but their commander answered the question for them.
"The Horde has turned and are making an all out attack, get ready we need to be ready to receive them and to relieve our scouts! Footmen, take up arms!" Their commander shouted waiving his own blade over his head as the scattered Footmen began to gather and prepare for battle.
Brook was to the back, and Medwin joined six others at the frontline, and then in formation thry marched forward each Footman on alert for the slightest sign of the Horde, and even as they matched reinforcements from further back joined them rushing forward the twenty-eight man group growing to eighty-five in the course of minutes and the front extending to fifteen men. Then the first of the retreating scouts reached them, they all were wounded, and from what Medwin could hear they weren't the first of the retreating scouts they were all that was left. The Horde had lashed out in force, it was now up to the Third Company to hold them here or loose these days progress and set the entirety of the Alliance back.
Medwin felt his nervousness build, but he steeled himself knowing just how many men were behind him relying on him, that while Anduin might not know his name or face, as part of the Third Anduin had selected him specifically for this very mission for the skills he and the men at his sides all possessed.
Still the minutes were each long and tortureus as thry all pushed forward waiting for the Horde to appear, and then in a instant before Medwin had even realized the battle had begun. There was a shout, and the Footman looked to the side, where arrows both coming towards and flying from their formation were in the air. in the middle of the front line Medwin was about to turn towards the arrows when with a roar a Tauren leading several dozen Forsaken charged towards their formation.
The Tauren endured a fireball, two gunshots and a arrow to the knee but didn't slow and the two men next to Medwin practically disappeared as the mass of flesh and rage collided into them, though soon the beast slid back its charge countered and strength matched by the Knight Captain on his steed. But Medwin had no further chance to marvel at the clash as a Forsaken was upon him. His shield knocking the warrior's first blade aside, and his sword catching his opponents in a parry that he then used to bring his blade hilt to strike the warriors helmet knocking the helm just enough to particularly obscure his foe's vision.
The Forsaken stumbled back swinging his sword wildly but Medwin braved, breaking rank and followe his foe, knocking aside his wild swings and driving his sword through the Forsaken's chest before pulling back his sword decapitating the undead. Even as he did so Medwin took a blow from a pike that made him stumble back, and Medwin struggled to keep his balance while using the force of the blow to support his falling back to rejoin the line, but the blow was followed by a thrust of the same weapon which then knocked the Footman onto his back.
However before the Forsaken could finish Medwin by standing over him and thrusting his pike down into Medwin's chest another Footman rushed up and planted his sword into the face of the Forsaken. The Forsaken screamed falling back, and the other footman grabbed Medwin helping him up as they felt the power of a healing spell reinvigorating them as they returned to the line. The fight was now one of endurance, rebuffing melee attackers while spells, arrows and bullets flew between both sides of the conflict. But the densely packed Third Company, with their dense armor and notable natural endurance were able to be healed and sustained by magic far more easily than their foe.
So long as the Third Company held together they would outlast any foe. Even as bullets rattled his armor, as magic lighting struck him, as blades passed his guard, Medwin endured. Periodic magic and potions sustaining him even as explosions tried to weaken the Footmen. The fight remained frantic and the horror inflicted by the Forsaken kept all the Footmen tense and their struggles remained unending, even the Knight Captain and his Tauren foe were still locked in combat.
Then Medwin was stuck, a white flashing spell blinded him just as a flood of Horde warriors rushed their line. The light blinded him the world and all sound fading away and this lasted for some time, seconds, minutes, Medwin did not know. But then the world returned and Medwin stumbled regaining his footing as he now stood in a field of corpses. Though as he looked about he was thankfully not alone, though the sight only lead to more confusion.
The Third Company was both fast and endurant, they could reach any field before their enemies and allies and hold it for as long as demanded, but they were similarly cursed with limited supplies, none of the complex and thus limiting supply trains the other Companies relief on, supply trains that were the favorite target of Adventurers. But this meant they were always short on ammo, risking food shortages, and short on potions, so after every engagement time was set aside to scavenge for supplies if they were able.
"Medwin... Ha, guys I found our errant cock!" Brook's voice came from behind the confused Footman who snapped his view back to her, and he saw that behind her their Knight Captain, arm in a sling was also walking towards him.
"Good to see your still alive pecker." Their leader congratulated.
"What?" Was all Medwin could ask causing Brook to laugh even harder.
"Wow, you weren't even consciously doing it, that's, that's fucking hilarious. Dude, some Horde Mage turned you into a fucking rooster. and you started clucking like crazy and went around pecking and scratching like a... a chicken possessed, swear you even actually killed one of them. you were such a nuisance you fucking distracted them, and..." Brook nearly fell over laughing. " and a whole bunch of them just stopped fighting just to try and kill you, because you kept pecking at their feet."
A small band of the footmen walked towards Medwin. "All hail the conquering chicken!" Medwin still felt confused, but rolled with what they were telling him.
"I just... did my part."
The Knight Captain however wouldn't let the conversation continue. "Thats enough everyone back on the march, we're regrouping with the rest of the Company, lets see if see if we can press for more ground, the whole Alliance is watching us and depending on us!"
"The attack seems to have stalled the Alliance forces, however our losses seem to exceed theirs." Executor Zygand explained to the dismissive Thanquol.
"They should have kill-killed them all. Cowards fear-run rather than fight for their land." The Grey Seer proclaimed while being either oblivious or ignoring the angry glares cast his direction.
The Headman watched silently from beside the Skaven, and then the Headman stepped away summoning Kersti to his side so to whisper to his coconspirator. "We need to secure Professor Tillux, hide him more, or dig a tunnel for escape."
"Ah, I got-have it! We-we will dig a tunnel to es... to flank the weak-dumb Alliance when they come to siege the town!" Thanquol shouted leaping up and seemingly congratulating himself.
Hearing this the Skeletal undead that had been left behind by Aleksandr Von Carstien, Haddihl, finally moved and spoke for the first time since arriving. The sound of the creatures voice was that of wind crossing over bones yet came across deep and reverberating at the same time. "You can not successfully dig a siege tunnel under such conditions. You would need the Alliance to be held back long enough for the work to take place. And with your troops dying out in the field against the Alliance forces, you have nothing to hold them with."
"And what do you suggest?" Now Executor Zygand demanded of his Mallus Necromantic counterpart.
"Subject yourselves to the whims of my Masters, their might can hold Brill, for a time, offer them whatever you think this town, and your lives are worth." The Undead warrior answered.
Though rather than any of the advisors, now it was Kersti who interjected, angrily challenging the skeleton. "And what about your own lives? You're just going to reuse to fight and allow the Alliance to slaughter you?"
"Our Masters shall soon depart from thy abodes, they have no reason to dally here, or even on Azeroth for much longer. And our souls already are our masters to do with as they please, the ancient dead have no reason to concern ourselves with the distinction between our deaths." The Skeleton rattled off, causing each and every Forsaken to glare disgustedly at the willing slave in their midst. A slave who had just suggested they offer themselves to its Master.
However the offer wasn't something they could ignore, the Headman reasoned to himself, and Thanquol seemed to already be considering it. "Fine, fetch your Masters, let's hear what prive they think their services are worth." The Headman spoke up, taking the initiative which earned him a outraged and suspicious glance from Thanquol and a absolutely incensed stare from every other Forsaken in the room. Meanwhile Haddihl gave a stiff bow, and marched from the room.
"You would actually have us..." Executor Zygand began but was cut off as Kersti's fist connected with the Headman's face sending him sprawling onto Thanquol, the aged rat cursing in squeekish from where he was pinned to his seat under the Forsaken middle man.
"You prideless, cowardly shit! You would actually make a deal with those who bind souls? Did you forget where we come from? What we've endured..." Kersti raged at her counterpart, for once the one offended rather than the one attempting to offend others.
"You will cease this behavior at once Adventurer or find yourself confined in the stockade! And you what's the meaning of this, we have no consensus on weather or not we should even consider the offer of these Vampiric Undead or not." Executor Zygand stopped Kersti and then turned to the Headman who was pulling himself up and away from Thanquol who had fortunately stopped cursing and was now looking every which way with suspicion while his massive Rat Ogre bodyguard was now close at hand ready to shield its master, even from the Headman.
For his part the Headman collected himself easily and straight before answering. "We're going to need everything we can possibly get our hands on if we want to survive, let alone slow down the Alliance any more or earn some measure of victory. What do you expect them to take prisoners, to treat us justly, spare the town that has been a bastion of Undeath for over a decade? If the Alliance enters Brill we are all dead and Brill will be taken off the map, and we are anywhere between hours to days away from that exact thing happening. Lord Thanquol is right that we should be focused on hurting the Alliance because we can't stop them. And who better to help us than the Vampires?"
However Kirsti was having none of it. "What bullshit! What about this allows us to survive, why don't we just escape now then?"
However her rebuke didn't come from the Headman, or from a Thanquol who looked ready to start shouting at the Undead ranger, instead the voice of Executor Zygand then shouted in rebuke. "Because then we would be abandoning Lordaeron! As long as Sylvanas is our Queen, as long as we are home in Lordaeron, we can not abide any invaders trying to take our home from us. We've given our lives multiple times over for our land and homes, no one will take that from us. Even after everything has passed into the grave we shall remain! Lord Thanquol I'll see about getting whatever tunneling equipment we can use, you settle matters with the Von Carstiens!"
To the Headman's eyes it looked like Thanquol was about to protest but the Rat stopped himself. "Yes-yea after all only Brilliant Thanquol can ensure we have smartest, most cleaver plot to defeat stupid Alliance foes, Yesss."
However the Headman focused more on Kersti, storming over and glaring down at her. "Get your team together, they will need to help get Professor Tillux and his equipment to safety."
Kersti just glared up even as she gave a level answer. "They aren't in on the take, I'm going to have to explain everything to them, explain what shit you've been having me do for you and your precious money rat... and I guess now your favorite bloodsuckers."
"Do it and they get a share of the profits to match yours, give me any more shit for doing what's needed to let us survive the Alliance, and I'm cutting your share down. Got it?" The Headman's voice was calm and unwavering, his threat blunt but effective.
"Crystal, sir, I'll go get the team." And Kersti then stormsd out from the Town Hall, just minutes before the doors burst open with a dramatic flash of lighting in the darkening clowd filled skies.
Immediately Aleksandr and Tarei confidently sauntered into the Town Hall while a clearly nervous Thanquol, and the rest of the military council watched. Behind them several heavily armored skeletons followed along with another pale skinned Dreanei who seemed to bear a similar aura to Tarei.
The Vampire Lord smirked and then finally spoke, his deep smooth voice filled with arrogance. "Hath thou summoned me, oh little Lord of Rats?"
"Nnyyyguh!" Thanquol grunted glaring towards the Von Carstien and his spawn as they walked to the strategy table. "Yes-Yes, We thought it might be good to make your lazy corpse useful. So what would it take to make you fight-kill the Alliance while we bravely dig to safe-victory."
The Vampire's smirk never waveded even as the unidentified third snarled her hands revealing themselves to be claws unnatural to Dreanei anatomy, but Tarei simply looked at the third which caused them to calm themselves. And before that Aleksandr's smirk widened and he in what seemed to only be a single step, crossed the distance to Thanquol and stood over the Skaven looming over his counterpart.
"Thy allies and tactics be so unbecoming that you hath come crawling to mine side. You hath sought to beg for mine forces to supply you with the victory you are too lowly to acquire on thy own. But is there anything a pathetic Rat has that would interest mine tastes?" Aleksandr's grin widened as he glared down on Thanquol who, despite trembling matched the Vampire's gaze with a glare of his own.
"What are you asking for Vampire?" Zygand demanded, from across the table casting their glare at the Vampire.
"Ahh, the true source of mine summons. Then, little corpse, what are thine powers, what riches or which sacrifices are you wishing to part thine with to satisfy my tastes. Is thy own victory worthy of parting ways with your treasury, with your captives and slaves or allies into mine service." Aleksandr asked pulling away from Thanquol, and the Executor was looking up from his papers where he was arranging for the digging equipment.
"Yes-Yes they pay treasure and worthless meat-things to Dead-thing for service!" Thanquol cried out in impatient exasperation.
"No! These are lives we're negotiating here, Grey Seer. This isn't something to be taken lightly, as a priest of your people I would expect you to understand that." The Executor snapped at the Grey Seer prompting the Headman to interject.
"My Lords, I think what we mean is just how much treasure and how many prisoners are we willing to hand over to the Von Carstiens in exchange for their services, and of course my Lord Aleksandr hiw much are you asking for?" While the rest of the Forsaken glared, the Headman pressed on with the deal.
And in return Aleksandr smiled more genuinely. "Thine bloodline requires at least two chest of thy treasures, and enough, warm bodies laborers, to serve as the serfs of my lineage. At least twenty should suffice"
Executor Zygand scoffed now standing at his seat, while the Headman already was heading off the coming protest. "As appointed commander of Tirisfal's defense, Mighty Grey Seer Thanquol. Should this be sufficient?"
In his seat Thanquol glared at Aleksandr before smirking. "Eighteen!"
"Thy offer was none less than twenty, rat." The Von Carstien Lord hissed back.
"And as appointment Commander-Warlord of Horde army-fighters here I say eighteen, and if you refuse I will keep you in Brill until the Alliance comes-arrives!" Thanquol now threatened with a malicious look in his eye.
"Thy foolishness knows no limit. I will take no fewer than nineteen for the sake of mine own sires." Aleksandr responded his own fist flexing to reveal inhuman claws.
"Yes-Yea, two boxes of the Brill-gold and nineteen meat-things for dumb dead-thing. Now, Go-go make Brill unbeatable by cheating Alliance-cowards!" Thanquol ordered then decidedly turned away from Aleksandr ignoring the Vampire.
"Then by thy leave, Executor. Mine blood hath a battle to claim victory in, in thy stead. My valiant Corpse Host." And with the statement Aleksandr bowed in a deep and proper bow before turning on his heel and strutting out from the town hall.
On his side of the table Executor Zygand trembled in rage and could only glare at the combo that was the Headman and Thanquol. "You so easily sell ourselves and our pride just for a uncertain help from an arrogant slave master?"
"Don't pretend to be so self righteous. We've seen slaves in our arena pits in the past, and this is a matter of all of our survival. Dying again is something I would rather avoid. Plus he demanded warm bodies, never said from what race, or side."
The Headsman's confidence did not spread to the rest of the Forsaken in the building, most of whom simply glared at the entire exchange.
Reviews:
Guest 1: If by Less Xenophobic we're talking the same level as Generation Tech/Generation Films 'Humanity First' movement, where all aliens must acknowledge that humans are all inherently good wonderful people too pure to be tainted by their foul cultures, and must submit to the kind loving hand of humanity or prove their evil nature that must be quashed. then yes. but the Empire where at times certain non-humans and their teachings are put before reason and evidence or forbid the Alliance's levels where the good of humanity should be ignored and placed in the hands of non-humans who clearly do not have lur best interests at heart (except for the fact that WoW's writers forces them to even at the expense of their own species wide survival) then no... just fuck no. The Emperor was a Closed Minded, Xenophobic (to the levels of humanity first not the current imperium or Stellaris), ideological zealot, why should the Imperium be any different when they worship him as the pinnacle of humanity all should idealize and aspire to and seek guidance and aid from at "best" and as God, being the pinnacle of all things known by humanity, that we should idealize and aspire towards and pray to for guidance and aid, at "worst".
Guest 2: Shandris is stuck on this other world trying to buy a army.
Guest 3: It's a siege, and a siege against a undead foe...or so I'd want to say, but the Forsaken are functionally more like psuedo-living in a manner closer to, and more resource intensive than, a Vampire. But the largest burden of supply is on Anduin, since he hasn't encircled Lordaeron, and if he loses his naval routes, and then if his allies can't make a land route for supply his forces will fail. Sylvanas had the city of Lordaeron, and in theory over a decade to build the city up and to build a suitable stockpile of supplies for supporting a siege defense. And I mean since the Forsaken have the benefit of scavenging a lot of their materials on top of their manufacturing she should hold the advantage... unless a green idiot Leroy Jenkins all over her perfectly good defense forcing her into a open field battle beyond the range of the support her archers and gunmen on the wall can provide.
Guest 4: This is Warhammer Fantasy and Warcraft, if the question isn't involving them in some way, I'm not going to answer 7 times out of 10 anymore.
Guest 5: Warhammer you have to go by the sources, lore and gameplay. On tabletop elves are Strength and Toughness 3 which covers everything from a inbred with clubbed feet and ulcers, half starved to death, twelve year old all the way to a peak example of physical fitness Clydesdale Horse. Roleplay and Lore Elves are not only as tough and strong, but often able to perform feats that require beyond human strength to perform.
Well those lesser creatures even use terms to describe themselves that sound vaguely like demeaning words in the tounge of the Asur. So it would only make sense that they are descendants of lesser beings.
Guest 6: Bias has me saying First Age Elves they walk alongside Gods and are treated as their students and peers, but certainly not equals. The High Elves in the time of the polar collapses were powerful, technically moreso, but they're not as refined and not directly aided by their Gods and similar equivalents, walking among them.
Guest 7: Now
BloodRedRoses11: Via the grand power of knowing "not to interrupt your enemy _".
Dragon King of the West: Well i mean you check the WoW fandom and all you see is 'Anduin the wuss/baby boi'. But part of the problem with the Siege of Lordaeron for me always was "and they suprise the Horde by hitting North Coast" how is that a suprise? its pretty much the ONLY fucking shoreline that doesn't have a choke point... everywhere BUT there has one or more choke points, so Anduin's only options unless Blizzard is willing to actually write a half competent add-on story that talks of other major paths players never have and never will see... well there's three paths into Tirisfal and North Coast is the only one that he doesn't have to pass through Horde fortresses to get to.
The people of Azeroth OBVIOUSLY hate actually guarding walls and want to run blindly into the enemy as every cutscene, mission, and lore blurb they have proves. And even to such a detriment that Lordaeron fell to the Alliance in the course of a week or two in lore. and you can't claim well cannons and magic exist, the Ottomans had cannons firing the largest projectiles to have ever been fired out of a cannon and it still took them longer than the entire 4th Great War and well magic on both sides more or less cancels out magic (unless where talking the magic of plot)... but well the Horde did have Saurfang on their side and did suffer severe unnecessary casualties following him in a litteral suicide charge out from a perfectly defendable city.
But back to North Coast, the lack of any real defenses always irks me, because D-Day Eisenhower was certain it would fail, and the Allies had multiple possible beach fronts they could land on, convinced all the German high command save for a single General insisted that they would land on another beach, and the Germans had 2/3 of their army locked in with the Soviets and of that remaining third had to spread those forces across occupying France and holding Italy and contending with the Italian tendency to switch sides on the drop of a hat. All those conditions meant there was vastly far less that can be committed to the defenses at Normandy than the Horde could have put into North Coast... and yet the Alliance found nothing on the beaches with no reason given why besides apologists going "well Sylvanas had a plan" which seems to be "destroy my own city and kill my own troops assuming the enemy are too stupid to use resources easily available to them."
So an actual cleaver use of forces, and of SI:7 assets is my way of showing how it should have/could have been achieved.
deadliestfan: Oathbreaker! quickly Brigly Undeadsson get me axe!
On the healing that may be true, but efficiency means little in the face of perpetual rapid absolute healing, so figuring out why or what limit there is is more important.
Death Knights in general are on the Higher End of the Warcraft power scale. Blademasters are presented as more powerful than PCs, and Deathknights are supposed to be their equals or edging out over them due to magic... which is a bit paradoxical since DK are PCs but thats still the thing, there are vastly more PCs/Adventurers than there are DK... unless your on a server with edgy dark guys who listen to "hard metal" (like the MLP theme song)
For now places like Mulgore are able to produce so much that the hunger shouldn't be a issue unless logistics get cut, also while I always consider the Black Hunger as a factor, particularly post battle when it's most depicted in lore, I don't think of it as all that impactful day to day for the Skaven as they're somehow able to build a society at all, and somehow have enough self restraint to actually farm.
For the peasents, the tabletop it flips, lore its covered in a weird distinction as they don't receive it, their lords "property" is blessed as so they may or may not receive it, but they think they got it.
Hakuryuu: Well Sulvanas just has more experience governing an actually diverse people, rather than governing the leaders who then blindly set aside the will and good of their peoples to fulfill her wishes. Anduin though is far better with cultural awareness, and being able to learn via observation, which combining whats already great about him by default and having him learn from the Empire and he'd actually be a amazing leader. And one who wont run away for stupid reasons, leaving a empty throne.
The Scarlet Crucade exists still even in BFA, they littered Stormwind with propaganda fliers claiming Anduin is a Undead lover. Which is kinda a stupid claim but its theirs to make and Stormwind has apparently absolute freedom of press. And of course despite everyone's "nuhaaa Alliance doesn't permit bad people to be bad in their territory, because they only good the good with goody goodness" even by BFA the Crucade's recruitment was open and practicing, to very limited success, in Stormwind City. So the Organization is multi continental with a multitude of camps and bases and locations in Stormwind and the Alliance where they can acquire military equipment and conduct recruitment without restriction. But certainly he would appeal to them, and with their leadership and everything being in such a weird state thanks to Blizzard being Blizzard, they may well wish to align with him.
JiggyliFAP: Shhh, don't tell Velen the benefits of koolaid ;).
Sadly besides Blizzard being... well Blizzard when it comes to writing, they're also going the way of Wizards of the Coast which, seriously can anyone whose started DnD from 4th ed on actually name the lore of DnD, and do so without pulling from Pathfinder or even distinguish Pathfinder Lore from DnD's lore? They, Wizards of the Coast, stripped their setting of any form and have done so so horrifically that the only thing perserving it was a certain open form patent structure they held that encouraged people to use their format rather than compete with them. Blizzard is breaking down their own setting similarly out of sheer laziness, but rumored oncoming cycle of firings, the return of staff, and some particular leaks are hopeful for the long term at least.
Well dip into 40K and they can turn entities who expressly are anti-warp whose existences delete souls. And fantasy yes, yes they can, particularly via a good example in the Beastfiends because if you take out the Daemonic aspect of their being the Beastfiends are essentially soulless flesh husks of pure sentience and animal instinct, and there actually have been similar beings in Warhammer including the Vampires (remember they more or less replace/transform their soul into a locus of Dhar magic) But as you also answered your own question, yes the potential interaction from there would be hilarious, because Chaos corruption does have its failings entities can either retain a pure soul, or have a corrupted soul and body but still have a mind that resists chaos... there might be one where "but my body" but when you've lost your mind and soul how is the flesh anything of significance since you know it will be soon to follow.
Ok thats one Dragon, now you just have a half dozen more to go, three life gods, dozens of Naaru, two Titans, a Titan Watcher... and again, the people put blind faith in these guys with their version of "safeguards" and "checks and balances" to be to further empower these same people, only for Blizzard to go "and now they fall to corruption again, but its totally different this time because the element is different." Because one of the long standing things about Blizzard is their obsession with reskins, even when they have the PC performance and data space, Blizzard's first instinct is just to reskin a pre-existing asset, even if it's to the game's detriment.
Which fleeing the Horned Rat is always smart, but let us not also forget of all the "Chaos Gods" he is the only one we know for absolute fact manifested in the material world and not within the realm of chaos, or in a space of the chaos wastes that makes the whole thing questionable if you were in the warp or material plane at the time. Which gives the Skaven more reason to fear him, and to fear that he might walk on over to Azeroth (because they're glorious idiots)
Going to the Machine of Death, I'll use a metaphor here, the Machine of Death is water, and Azerothean souls are rocks, and wood. Mallus and their souls are up in the gasseus state, not all air that's under the water bubbles up to the surface. But Azeroth Souls while "breaking" stay in chunks and don't disperse, where Mallus souls over time lose all form following something more that can be related to a eastern theological take of humanity being one soul or fragmented from one being.
There's the thing, and you put it in and overlooked it. The Lich King's "power" from the helm is only Mind Control, yet the Lich King has vastly more power than that and two out of three Lich King's had the ability to raise dead and create Death Knights before even becoming the Lich King, and our Third Lich King had the entirety of the Scourge to psychically pull from for experience in those fields. So no helm of Domination needed for those aspects which really then limits what the Helm is, almost like the Helm does what's on the name.
A little too focused on the River there. They can still walk the roads. But yeah, thats the other paradoxical end of the spectrum with seemingly no in-between (because Blizzard never seems to put anything actually reasonable in their stories) I mean the Defias Brotherhood's members abandoned their leaders and entire cause in what a decade since their founding? And one of said leaders just outright forgot that she and her father were genocial maniacs and instead was too busy sucking up to the very same people who helped get her father killed, and who tried to kill her on multiple occasions.
Virgin Empire Adventurers and Mercs "hey got a job for us?" vs the Chad Questing Knights "I see a Dragon, i shall kill it and take its stuff for ze lady."
Lol recheck Drums of War, I have had some particulars on what can and can not go through which might give some extra insight into the origin or at least functionality of the portals.
More than that Be'lakor's goal is to be a God. And from his perspective the Old Ones are chumps. They kinda are but they also got dealt a unfair hand and are fucking impressive for being so successful with such unfair bullshit put against them, also well MMO power creep is a bitch, reducing them to belt accessories and mount harness fodder. Like Blizzard has full on gone DBZ Frieza going into the Android arc (Ackchyually you mean it was officially the "Trunks arc"... shut the fuck up me!) where they took the last seasons big bad, and literally turned him into worthless cannon fodder to hype up a old man and a fucking clown who wouldn't make it past more than a dozen episodes... and then when Nastalgia bait was needed bullshit the most bullshit power boost ever.
again mostly agree with the next but there's nitpicks but it'll take too much to get into splitting the hairs there and bring up IRL examples and try to then disseminate what aspects would be applicable. So skipping down... da da da da, Fuck what DF did to the Bronze Dragonflight they took their coolest detail and ruined it... da da, well Only Azerothean on Azerothean spying gets to the level of knowing the innermost thoughts and soul of the other side... mostly because everyone seems to openly spell out their plans and leave a step by step series of instructions on how to defeat them just lying about in public spaces, but even then Skaven figuring out Headman, no but they have very little reason to care outside innate species wide paranoia.
Skipping slightly. Check Saurfang's flank again, he went through Felwood, the only gameplay map actual land route then goes through Moonglade effectively Adolffang went through WoW Belgum to bypass the Malginotion defensive line. People complain that my Horde actions would put the Circle on the Alliance side and the Horde "wouldn't invade or attack them" and here we have the fan beloved Saurfang marching a army through their capital province without orders from Sylvanas. And considering how petty some of these WoW factions can be (of course Saurfang has "im a goodguy so i can do what i want without repercussions") then the Circle had every reason to throw in with the Alliance for BFA since Saurfang violated their territory to win a war and genocide the race most beloved of the circle, and thats the canon war of the Thorns complete with Blizzard not bothering to look at a map or think the repercussions of their actions through. (Maybe if you don't make your entire world securable via a lone choke point flanks and tactics would be believable and achievable)
pt3, So this is from a understanding of Wine (not beer so there could be diffrences) But anything aged over 90 years is going to lose alcohol content, and anything aged over 200 years is basically alcohol purified juice and so then the flavor better be actually good because that stuff so pure it'll either be great or nasty. So Azerotheans with their "10 quitzillion year oldest eva, bestest drink ever fuck you anyone else who wants to try and claim otherwise because WoW bestest ever" extremely meta the authors trying to dick measure greatest alcohol of all of Azeroth...well a millar lite is going to get you drunk much faster. But well it's WoW you can't take their lore at face value because otherwise their humans are stock standard humans drinking 220% pure alcohol, Warhammer you can take more at face value, but most of their stuff is more local legend in style rather than "the Gods drink one cup this and get drunk, joe next door drank 100 barrels and was stock sober" But well its all mostly Blizzards fault since they simultaneously want you to take the story super serious, while writing like its a episode phineas and ferb, complete with back yard space rocket launching roller coasters that no one ever notices.
as for the blood elves, so i need you to look up the words addiction, tolerance and overdose. I mean there are tons of humans, Night Elves, and others who use vastly more magic on the daily than the Blood Elves were, and yet they were not magic addicts. But the Blood Elves being well trademark stupid elves, did the stupid elf thing of being stupid and made it so they burn through their mana at a constant rate to the point it starts eating away at their own mana and even lifeforce. and of course not mechanically represented, but its shown narratively enough to suggest that technically without mana draining they shouldn't be able to cast magic at all at the time of Burning Crucade... until the pattented Blizzard "this bandaid fixes all the problems ever until we decide otherwise".
And I'm not saying specifically that they're going to have a hard time, I'm saying its going to be more resource intensive. like the WoW game doesn't feature this at all so to any wow player this will be a mind blowing idea, but simple region effect spells and abilities cost 10% more to cast.
but as for the Horde and Alliance researching, well of course but here's the thing, its WoW narratives, its either ignored just because we ignore it for the sake of ignoring it because ignore it. or we hyper focus on it and start several wars over it. Its like the USA and middle eastern oil, sure they have about as much oil in Alaska and elsewhere in the USA they could pump themselves as they import from thr Middle East meaning they can quietly sit their peacefully using their own oil, but on the other hand they can team up with Britain, France and Germany to destabilize or invade middle eastern counties to take their oil at increased all around cost. The peaceful option is never going to even be considered not even by Anduin, the Horde and Alliance are too structured around competing over resources unnecessarily, and then waging wars that then never once directly bring those resources into it, instead doing stupid round about methods that involve a certain Dwarf whos should be fucking dead, telling players how awful someone making things from Azeroth's Blood is and how those people are pure evil, them giving them things made from Azeroth's blood.
to your chapter bit. Yeah Poor Günther for perspective would have never been a Knight and more likely would have become a member of the Pistolkorps if he had gone that way in life.
Sadly those horse are treated as seperate breeds despite effectively being the same freaking horse... (and demonstrably dumber than the Pony my mother owned despite claims of near sapience).
As for the Armor on the necks, its actually semi common, but typically built into the helmet of soldiers IRL. Knights had a mailed drape coming from their helmet, and the Roman Helmet is designed with a lip on the back, that not only shields the neck, but works with the natural human instinct to flinch becoming effectively a extra layer of armor on the shoulder should the Legionare turn their head away from a blow towards their shoulder which with their shields and most likely fighting style as for the video i sharded with Deadliestfan would be a very common target for enemy combatants.
You also miss the other aspects of them Rieksguard. 1) Their Rieksguard Knights, their income is guaranteed, and their wealth is already assured, more the problem is getting people to believe them when they say they'll pay their debts later. Since WoW society is based off modern society and a mans word and oath in modern society is seen as near worthless and Honor even less. Where Rieksguard come from a society where one's oath and Honor actually carry weight. So long as you aren't dishonorable if they say they'll pay you back (and they have the money which they do) you know they're going to pay you back. and 2) their Rieksguard Knights, discipline is also a huge thing among them with few other Knights, particularly those of other secular orders, can match their professionalism. but they are still Empire nobility and with how those on Azeroth treat their Gods let alone their nobles, well expecting one of them to shrug off and laught at a egg being thrown their way as a prank like a "proper" Stormwind noble should, or not cracking down after having their wife killed by a rock thrown by a peasent "because thats the right thing to do", yeah they're gonna kill a bitch.
Blistrox is definitely put up against the wrong enemy so sucks to be him. While he should have a few spells that can ground the Gryphons, does that really help him all that much...and what happened to his warp dust, he needs his warp dust to ground a entire flying army. What Brilliant Alliance Spy could have possibly sabotaged his entire army such that he can't win? Who scheme-plotted his downfall so, surely it can only be the best of the Alliance's best, or a traitor from within perhaps a Eschin spy from one of the other Plaguelords?
All shall know the power of Patrick the Pure greatest mortal to ever walk upon Azeroth.
micelzod: Alliance are arrogant to the point of true ignorance of what is right in front of their face, but they certainly aren't stupid, and when its something they know, or a idiot would be conquerer who just hands them all his secrets on a silver platter, they're unstoppable and peak brilliance...
Ravenguard0009: Pushing on multiple fronts to distract from main push is actually a fairly long standing tactic that has been depicted as far back as the Ancient Egyptians. Not everyone can have the entire German High Command wanting to entirely strip the beachfront of all defenses.
As for the paratrooper footmen... sadly its worse than that as they (Blizzard) seem to think they're a good idea for every situation. Need someone to engage targets mid air? paratroopers. Need to reinforce the interior of a enclosed building? paratroopers. Attacking a cave? paratroopers.
Orkbane: Their a trade based society, anyone who can deny them a place to land is a threat. But Cryx can fly their mechs up to them and well Cryx specializes in piracy and destroying ships from below. Cygnar also has the range to hurt them pretty bad. And their more diesel punk, but the Iron Harvest Americans would curb stomp them. Ankh-Morpork's City Watch would also be able to justly fine them for the crimes of not following the city's proper regulations by following the city's regulations, if the Undead aren't too busy protesting for fair hourly wages and civil rights of course. And of course in the name of the daughter Columbia shall purge those heathens for the sins of not being the right race.
1233254234: Each holds their own fields, Elves are better tradesmen, while the Dwarves are better metal smiths and engineers. And small detail can play a huge amount into the entirety of the distinction. because there are a wide array of historical armors that rely on the reinforcement of nonmetal materials to perfect their protection, to such a extent that modern people are somewhat idiots thinking that societies were throwing unarmored peasents into the field when in actuality the soldiers were equipped in decent cost effective body armor that was also ergonomic.
As such, and you can see this reflected in their armies, if you want to be able to do a wide array of things such as sprint, wade through high brush, or cross rivers and fight all at the same time, Elven armor, you want to laugh off a Giant's club, dwarfen plate.
You're second layer, Dwarf, runes preserve better than raw magic. And I in almost any setting want to die of old age.
While Daith is perhaps the better smith, this is like comparing a "folded 10 trillion times katana", vs a standard European longsword. Daith has a little too much emphasis on a process using inferior/less abundant materials to make something good, vs materials of such quality and quantities that even a crudely made item will be better. There's a reason why smiths have fewer legends about them in europe, an entire continent, than Japan, a single country. A difference of nearly 1 to 10 in land area, and 1 to 5 in population. even if Kragg and Alarik are "less skilled" unless it's the magnum opus vs the magnum opus I'm choosing Kragg and Alarik's products over Daith, both for that second point, and for the quality/quantity of materials, and a little of just what's being made, I don't want to have to go collect my arrows every time i fire them.
The Gods are ironically a sort of inverse of the first point. Vaul is only good for weapons and shields and armor, while Grungi covers a everything from mining of gems and metals, to construction work, to armor. So a Vaul product every single time please.
Jak23: For the same reason neither Creationists, nor Evolutionists (who are sane at least) don't go about worshipping cephalopods.Just because they came first doesn't make them Gods. The Dwarfs are a little weird since technically their form of worship would allow for the praise of the Old Ones, but I'm assuming racial pride is far more important than anything else (the Chaos Dwarfs refuse to go undivided chaos nor for the big four the other races go for but worship their own unique god instead). And Elves, well their giant self deluded assholes, their own Gods have deluded themselves into believing that they are remnants of a race from some alternative dimension and thus above the Old Ones... and if you go into End Times... basically 90% of the End Times never would have happened if not for one Elf God being so delusional she lost touch with all sense of reality and doomed herself and the Elves by trying to live out her own insane delusions. Seriously GW fucked themselves over with the End Times by making 99.9% of the prophecies, and certain to happen events of the End Times never happen, killing 99% of the world off screen, and making the whole thing hinge off of less than half a dozen characters acting insanely OOC and basically going "if i kill everyone then i save everyone from dying." and the Elven God's are half of that fucking cast and sadly they're the only ones in that group where that's half believable because of how selfish and self deluded the Elves are, if it wasn't for the fact that their magic and military might would make the most magical beings of Azeroth question their own power, no one would ever give a damn about the insane ramblings of a species who makes Sigvald's relationship with his own reflection seem normal.