From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 58 (Ill met in Salzenmund)

 

27 Jahrdrung, 2500

Salzenmund, Nordland

We are finally here, in my future capital of Salzenmund, the city of Silver and Salt.

I had not planned on going north before the marriage, and the appointments were in order, but I grew impatient, so here I am.

There is another purpose as well: I've summed my elite regiment and supporting troops to the north, and I must pave the way for them, so to speak. Make sure they are welcomed properly. I don't want to find my own men at war with my own domain. That would be silly!

Speaking of roads, the Nordland roads are atrocious, barely usable outside the dry season. In that, they are not unlike the roads of Middenland, only worse.

The trip to Salzenmund was interesting: mud, a ruined bridge, more mud, a keep filled with lazy soldiers, mud, beastmen having pillaged several villages, lax defenses at Beekerhoven, yet more mud, and finally a warm welcome before the Crimson Gate of Salzenmund. Captain Sigrun of the Salzenmund Greatswords, I think, shall be a welcome addition to my little flock. She's only got one eye, but a lot of big swords.

I shall not bore you with little details. Suffice to say that we are well-established at the castle. Baron Werner von Nikse, uncle to the late Annika-Elise of Middenheim, proved far more agreeable than I have dared hope.

I also made contact with the guilds, temples, and other key institutions, such as the city council. I think we shall all be splendid friends. They are understandably a bit apprehensive, especially with Katarina being a Todbringer and all, but my first act was to LOWER taxes from crippling to merely high. I think that has brought us both time and goodwill.

I have so many plans for Salzenmund - and Nordland.

But now we must leave again. The local - and quite eccentric - lady wizard invited us to witness another strike on Morrslieb last night. I say strike, because, looking through her massive telescope, I saw it for way it was. An attack from the earth on the moon. The same as this winter, but much greater in magnitude. Huge chunks of rock - warpstone - are hurtling towards the ground as I write this. They will be scattered, of course, but the epicenter will be the Middle Mountains.

That is where I must go now.

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 57 (Into the sewer once more)

11 Jahrdrung, 2500

Middenheim, Middenland 

The Skaven infestation of Middenheim was worse than expected, but it has been dealt with.

How is it that whenever I decide to do something, I end up doing something else instead?

It's those waking nights when the others are asleep. Then, my imagination and creativity run wild.

Couple with a certain tendency to always seek out trouble and jump into the pie with both feet.

We ventured deep underground, where we discovered the lair of Gray Seer (which seems to be a title used for a particular breed of foul Skaven sorcerers). At the lair were both Skaven and human cultists of the Yellow Fang, and some undead. Also, a shrine to the Horned Rat.

Later we followed the path of the ratmen into the deep bowels of the mountain, where my men and the dwarfs, seconded by the Komission, fought a grueling battle in the dark against an entire horde of the things. To think that there was an entire town of the cruel, filthy things down below our streets...

We rooted out every last one of them. That we could find, anyway. And I'm not stupid enough to think they won't be back. The same applies to the abominable Yellow Fang. We've pulled its teeth, hopefully for good, but even if that isn't the case, its "cause" has been set back many years.

We tore down the statues of their black "god" and reclaimed the Flame of Ulric. Which is very much real and a potent artifact of magic, not some gas pipes. I've returned the flame to the temple of Ulric, so now I have a new faction that calls me friend. But there is one thing to ponder: the flame was magic, elven magic. Powerful, yes, but not divine. Quite the mystery.

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 56 (They dug too deep/wings of fury)

 

4 Jahrdrung, 2500

Middenheim, Middenland 

I can't seem to leave the North...

One thing led to another, and suddenly, I found myself riding east to the Middle Mountains in search of more Skaven. A mining town had gone quiet, as in completely dead, and we discovered quite the lair of vile ratmen beneath the mountains. We took care of them, and Baron Heinrich is now garrisoning the site with a reinforced battalion.

We also ran into some horribly mutated griffons. Slaughtered them all, of course. I suspect they came from the Middle Mountains. Were they exposed to warpstone? Did a chunk of Morrslieb land there? I suspect so, but it is impossible to be certain.

The Skaven were in possession of a lot of gunpowder, locally made up by Brass Keep. I should probably investigate, but I don't feel like it. Instead, I've returned to Middenheim and have sent for my finest regiment. I shall wait for them here, then go north to visit my Nordland holdings.

Made a few new friends along the way: a peddler (who now works as a spy for me in Salzenmund), a huntress, and a forest baron.

A Prince and an Elector, married to high nobility. Who would have thought it possible? And in the future? Marienburg? Araby? Perhaps even Lustria?

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 55 (Power under the throne - aka something ratty in Middenheim)

 

26 Nachhexen, 2500

Middenheim, Middenland 

I am returned to the City of the White Wolf.

Why?

Perhaps I could bear to be apart from my lovely wife-to-be, Katarina? Perhaps I feared for the life of my future father-in-law, Boris? Perhaps I felt the call of the Wolf? Ankh commanded me? I grew restless?

It matters not why. I am here now - and twice the hero of yesteryear.

I am pleased to write that we've uncovered - and stopped - a Skaven plot to weaken or even overthrow Middenheim. The Yellow Fang is a cult dedicated to the, perhaps not true worship, but the overlordship, of the vile ratmen. Can you believe it? I scarce can't. The Dark Powers are vile and dangerous and despicable, but at least they are mightily and strangely seductive. But to bow down before walking, talking rats, so filthy and base as to be impossible to write down? Incomprehensible.

Be that as it may. We've cleaned out the Yellow Fang and stopped an attempt at the Graf's life (well, he actually stopped that one himself). Furthermore, I am no longer alone in recognizing the threat posed from below. The Komission will double its efforts to monitor the Undercity.

I am even more pleased to write that I've taken my relationship with Katarina to new heights. The Graf seems not to object to our deepening affection. Indeed, I think that perhaps we shall be married for real. And what will Katarina's dowry amount to? No less than Nordland.

I am less pleased to write that Thesalva, Ulfberth, and Anna have apparently gone on a trip to Nordland. I cannot imagine why. Indeed, it is my firm belief that they have not but are instead undercover closer by. I shall soon be proven right.

In the meantime, I shall enjoy Middenheim, and prepare to return to Altdorf.

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 54 (Return to Altdorf)

12 Nachhexen, 2500

Altdorf, Reikland 

I have returned to Altdorf.

But now that I am here, I long for the northern lights again. For the longest time, I had imagined my destiny to lie in the South, in Solland or Araby. But it is to Ulric's domain I must go. At least for now.

The trip south was not uneventful. We caught one lieutenant of the Purple Hand fleeing Middenheim. An unexpected boon but a welcome one, to be sure. We also witnessed a strange green lightning flicker between the Middle Mountains and Morrslieb, followed by chunks of what I believe to be warpstone falling from the sky. The smaller fragments may have burned up like shooting stars, but some larger lumps have surely impacted the world. To the far north, for the most part, I believe. 

The Emperor seemed most pleased about my report from Middenheim and made vague promises for grand rewards. I like better concrete results, but I shall be patient since he is my Emperor. 

Princess Isadora - or Bella as she insists I call her (I refuse, of course) - was also most pleased to meet me again, and we had a most wonderful time. She would make a fine wife, I am sure, but she is not for me. My path lies with the Todbringers. I am certain of this.

Liebe Mutter was also pleased to hear of the Komission. She will continue to work towards uniting the disparate witch-hunting communities into one unified Inquisition.

I had a strange vision one night of a hammer hidden in a cave. I am sure it was Ghal Maraz, the hammer of Sigmar, though I do not yet understand the significance of this vision. I tried asking Ankh, but it was no vision of his.

From the Journal of one Wigmar Heck, pt 53 (Power behind the throne)

 

2 Nachhexen, 2500

Middenheim, Middenland

Since last I wrote, many things have transpired: 

The Winter Carnival is over. 

We have saved the City of the White Wolf. 

And a New Year has begun. 

Can you believe it!

We exposed the plot(s) of the Purple Hand and thwarted their attempt to place Middenheim under their control. The leader of the Hand, Karl Heinz Wassmeier, last of the Law Lords of Middenheim, plummeted to his fiery death on the last day of the Carnival. Some of his underlings are still at large, but his chief co-conspirators have all been named and are being hunted by the new Komission of Public Safety even as I write this.

After saving his city, the Graf seems most taken with me. As does his daughter, the sweet, unmarried  Princess Katarina. Seeing as I am a widower... a man is allowed to dream, is he not?

All is not well in the City of the White Wolf, however. Ar-Ulric lies slain, and the vile ratmen have stolen the sacred flame. Or so I think, at least. I have yet to gain universal acceptance for the existence of the Skaven below our lands. But no matter, I know the truth and will work diligently to expose their vile works.

Finally, the last scion of the House of Wittgenstein escaped the city, and the scepter hidden in his basement vanished as well. Where has he gone to? What will he do next? Shall we meet again? I do not know. But I have written letters to Libe Mutter. We'll be looking for him until the end of time. He'll get his due.

We shall now return to Altdorf, but I will be back in spring to escort Katarina Todbring to a ball the Emperor will host in her honor.

I think this year shall be even better than the last.

Magic/Ankh priest retcon

 

Sooo, despite Priest Magic ratings having been detailed (including a specific post on Ankh), there is some confusion as to how MR ratings actually go:

https://warhammerstormofshadows.blogspot.com/2023/02/magic-revision-short-version.html

https://warhammerstormofshadows.blogspot.com/2022/09/priests-of-ankh-akh-special-rules.html

The easiest solution - short of actually following RAW 😇 - is to tweak the Ankh priest rules. These guys are much more like Wizards anyway, so they just get the same MR as Wizards do. It's hugely unfair (for other priests and wizards), but the Old World is grim and dark and whatever 😛 Plus, it actually kind of fits, so at the end of the day, everyone is happier.

Wigmar still gets the +1 MR bonus as long as he's the Chosen One of Ankh. So once he hits Anointed, he's at 4 and caps at 5 with High Priest.