GM Blog: Episode 26 - THIS IS A HUGE ONE! (Patreon)

So, GM blog 26. This is being posted out of order because it's important that Episode 26: The Fall of Ubersreik is put in context, and fast, because its contents are not what they seem. At all. And you all deserve to know what's going on.

But be aware. This post is huge. I know this. But there is a lot to explain, and I've been exhaustive. But, for those with no time, there is a tl;dr at the bottom of this post.

For everyone else: Let's go!

This episode has a hidden purpose. It isn't really about Ubersreik. It's really about player interaction with out-of-time (OOT) information and the nature of Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Fate.

So, what does that mean?

Settle in. I'll explain everything in this spraaaaaaawling post. You get to know the truth here, but the Players do not. And that's an important part of this. So...

...please, be careful with what you are about to learn. Don't spread this GM blog's contents in places the LAWhammer Players can see. If you do, we won't be able to watch their reactions to the things they have learned in this episode...

...and there likely will be reactions, which is exactly what Tzeentch wants.

Because Tzeentch is watching. Everything. And that includes watching the PLAYERS.

Yes, this blog post is going to be a bit deep-cut. There is going to be a lot to unpack here. Some of it is atypical for an RPG game's content. Some of it is very... meta.

But that's half the fun of using entities like Greater Daemons of Tzeentch: they play games with fate and reality. And they exist outside space and time. In short: they are giant GM tools that have more uses than may be immediately obvious. And that's fun.

So, what's happening here?

Before I explain that, I'd like to remind you of this Talent that we use. It is fundamental to not only this episode, but the entire plot of The Enemy Within as we're presenting it.

Alamennowyth has the Mist Walker Talent, and it drives several core pillars of the plot in our campaign. The Talent makes her actions, and the actions of those immediately around her, invisible to Sheerargetru, the 'Enemy' of our 'The Enemy Within'.

So, we have a Talent that screws with others being able to scry, divine, predict, or in any way know what the PCs are doing. Against this, we have a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch called Sheerargetru, an entity that knows all strands of Fate and all potential outcomes. You can see the conflict here.

Sheerargetru has a Great Plan. This Great Plan works because Sheerargetru knows every possible outcome of every cause and effect in the Warhammer world concerning the Great Plan. Sheerargetru is just that extra. Sheerargetru is infallible. The End is Certain.

However, the Mist Walker Talent screws with this. Sheerargetru chose to enact the Great Plan far away from entities that, for whatever reason, could impact the Great Plan. However, Alamennowyth, and a select group of other Elves with the Mist Walker Talent, have muscled into the Great Plan's carefully orchestrated streams of causality, and the threads of planned causality have started to fray, heading in slightly different ways from how Sheerargetru planned.

But, even this was planned for. Adjustments always need to be made, after all. Chaos can slip into even the most carefully constructed models.

We've all seen The Matrix, we all know how this works.

Yes, this is a terrible paste job of a head, but I've already spent far too long writing this blog. I've better things to do with my time than make pretty memes!

In The Matrix analogy, Alamennowyth is one of many niggling Neos that annoy Sheerargetru's Great Plan, or the Architect's Matrix. But, all Elves on the Path of Shadows are all part of the Great Plan, and are accounted for.

Sheerargetru isn't stupid. Sheerargetru is prepared for this shit.

Adjustments are constantly being made to keep the Great Plan moving towards its End. And, while impositions on the Great Plan may be intensely IRRITATING to a Greater Daemon that seeks perfection, they are nevertheless accounted for.

As far as Sheerargetru is concerned, EVERYTHING IS PLANNED and EVERY EVENTUALITY IS CERTAIN!

Yet, somehow, the unplanned ripples in the causality of events in the Mortal Realms are spreading farther than Sheerargetru expected. The Changes to the Great Plan may be incredibly tiny, but they could potentially be devastating if left unchecked.

This makes Sheerargetru curious and furious in equal measure.

Things are screwing up in super tiny ways and Sheerargetru, outside time and space, cannot see exactly why.

But, Sheerargetru is not passive.

In response to the imposed Chaos on Sheerargetru's closed model being larger than expected, Sheerargetru is taking steps to mitigate for any imperfections in the Great Plan. The Change Sheerargetru perceives in the Great Plan may be tiny - in the greater scheme of things, at least - but any deviation is unwanted. Any Chaos entering Sheerargetru's perfectly laid plans is unacceptable.

And, yes, this is intentionally ironic.

So, perhaps unexpectedly, the set-up for Episode 26 is all about Sheerargetru striking back against Change. It is not about Ubersreik, really, for all it does present information concerning the fate of that city. But, it's all set dressing for the Players.

Sheerargetru has bigger fish to fry. And, as should be expected, Sheerargetru is subtle in doing this.

I dunno about you, but this screams SUBTLE to me! It also screams BROKEN HAND! WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY LEFT CLAW! FUCKING OUCH!

So, with that all understood, what, exactly, is Sheerargetru the Oh-So-Subtle doing?

Sheerargetru is attempting to manipulate the Players (not the characters, the PLAYERS!) through Dodgy Johann. This isn't easy, as we'll note later, but it is the plan.

At the moment, at least. As Sheerargetru learns more, the plans will change.

As discussed, the PCs and their actions (their 'causes' if we're talking about the chains of cause and effect) are entirely invisible to Sheerargetru because of the proximity of Alamennowyth. However, the ripple of the PCs' influence on wider events is entirely visible.

Let me explain that in a little more detail.

Alamennowyth's ability to hide from the divination of others is entirely local, only affecting herself and those in her vicinity. So, whenever the PCs move from one place to another, the results of their actions, the 'effect' of their 'causes', are revealed to any who care to watch for such things.

And Sheerargetru is ALWAYS watching.

To reiterate that so it's clear, Alamennowyth's 'invisibility' only extends for a relatively short space around her, meaning that when she moves on, any effect she leaves behind her becomes visible to Sheerargetru. So, the causes of those effects may be hidden, but the effects themselves can be perceived. And it is these effects, put in place by invisible causes, that can reshape the Great Plan to be subtly different to Sheerargetru's intention.

And Sheerargetru does not like this.

Further, for all Sheerargetru has planned for these broken links in the chains of the Great Plans, for unaccountable Change entering in the perfection of cause and effect it can ALWAYS perceive, Sheerargetru  does not understand what is actually happening. Indeed, Sheerargetru does not understand the Mortal Realms at all. This is the same issue mortals have with their attempts to understand the Realms of Chaos: they always perceive it through their own material filters and perceptions, making it impossible for them to truly understand what it is or how it works. Sheerargetru may understand the binding chains of unchanging cause and effect from which the Mortal Realms are composed, but it cannot fathom all the material laws that ensure this is the case. Not without actually going to the Mortal Realm, that is. But that is difficult, dangerous, and lessening.

So, although Sheerargetru may hate the chains that it perceives in the Mortal Realms, and it has worked for uncounted millennia Changing the alignment of the chains to form the Great Plan, it doesn't really understand what they are.

This is a long-winded way of saying that it doesn't realise that simply hacking Alamennowyth in two would solve its problems. That may be easy for us to understand in the Mortal Realms, but, to Sheerargetru, it's impossible to see. It's quite literally beyond Sheerargetru senses. Sheerargetru doesn't see individuals. Sheerargetru sees... let's jump to The Matrix again, and be aware that this is a loose analogy: Sheerargetru sees code, not people.

The Causality Chains of the Great Plan. Alamennowyth is the black bit that keeps changing the serifs on random code bundles in entirely random places. Fucking annoying.

The breaks in the Great Plan's chains cause Sheerargetru a great deal of irritation. They are a thorn in the paw of perfection. They should be impossible. But they are not.

But, for all Sheerargetru cannot understand or truly identify what is going on - the Mortal Realms being so very alien to Sheerargetru's senses - Sheerargetru can still impact events in ways more akin to how Sheerargetru works.

And that's what Episode 26 is about.

Sheerargetru is watching for the ripples of change that spill from the PCs' wake. Sheerargetru is attempting to identify the invisible interruptions of cause and effect where the threads of events tangle in unpredictable ways. And, as the PCs go from episode to episode and invisibly impact the Great Plan by their passing involvement, Sheerargetru is beginning to learn how they work. Sheerargetru is logging details concerning what it is up against. In particular, it can sense powerful ripples, significant breaks in the Causality Chains. A strong example of this is the direct influence of Sigmar on events. perhaps, say, like the 'THE HAMMER HAS FALLEN' event from Episode 23: No One Works As Hard As....

Yeah, that's the shit Sheerargetru can understand. That is the imposition of the Divine Realms on the Mortal Realms. That shit shakes the very cage of reality. That is detectable.

Sensing Sigmar's direct influence emanating from invisible broken links in the Causality Chains, Sheerargetru has decided to attack that part of the pattern first.

I.e.: Sheerargetru intends to weaken Sigmar's involvement.

To make that very clear: Luitpold had such an enormous, but invisible because of Alamennowyth, impact on the world because of the extraordinary vision he witnessed as an oracle. Sheerargetru detected this, and detected it was the involvement of Sigmar's. So, Sheerargetru's first attack is down the Causality Chains of Sigmar.

In other words, every time Andy uses the Oracle Talent, Sheerargetru is more likely to 'see' what the PCs are doing and thus react.

This may all sound a bit meta, and it is, but it's not too complicated: Sheerargetru is hunting the PCs but cannot see them. But it can see the effect of any impact the PCs have on events. Because of the impact the PCs have on the Great Plan, both small and large, Sheerargetru is learning how the PCs think and act, even if they act unseen. So far, the most obvious impact on the Great Plan has been the influence of a certain Augur of Sigmar. So, Sheerargetru is directly attempting to influence how Sigmar is perceived by the PCs.

But it doesn't do that in a simple way. After all, it lives outside the Mortal Realms. Beyond time and space. It works on a different level.

Metal Gear Solid's Psycho Mantis? Holy Shit! Incoming 4th Wall Break Alert!

Being outside Time and Space as the PCs understand it, Sheerargetru isn't just learning how the PCs link and act, Sheerargetru is also learning what how the Players think and act.

And this has allowed it to build a trap.

Which is what Episode 26 is.

A Player trap.

Not a PC trap.

The Players. Are in. A trap.

But will they trigger it?

Will they notice that they are being tempted from afar with forbidden knowledge?

Will they fall for Sheerargetru's manipulation and lies?

Sheerargetru's subtle whispers?

But, more importantly...

...how the fuck does any of this make any sense?

How can the Players, not the PCs, be Sheerargetru's target?

And how could the Players, not the PCs, be tempted?

And, more to the point, how does Sheerargetru even know how to do this?

Let's see if I can make this as clear as it is in my mind.

Every tug on the chains of fate that the PCs make is detected by Sheerargetru, even if the process of tugging is invisible. This allows Sheerargetru to predict what the PCs do even if they are directly invisible. To Sheerargetru, the only truly unpredictable PC is Alamennowyth. Her entire current existence is wrapped in Ladrielle's shadows - and her previous existence (all those wiped memories) have no impact upon how Alamennowyth acts. She is an 'effect' without any causes that Sheerargetru can see.

But, even she is not unpredictable if given enough time. Sheerargetru can and will learn who she is as the campaign progresses. But we're not there yet. To begin, Sheerargetru is only dealing with the obvious ripples it can see - and these are the direct impact of Sigmar upon the Causality Chains of the Great Plan. I.e.: it can see the massive impact Luitpold has made upon events in Altdorf after his oracular vision from Episode 23, even though it couldn't see the oracular event itself because it was hidden by Alamennowyth. Basically, Sigmar has found a way to impact the world in a hidden fashion, but has left massive footprints in his passing, so Sheerargetru knows he was there.

So, Sheerargetru - who, remember, is a very powerful entity - is seeking to manipulate the PCs using the information it has gleaned from Luitpold's influence on the weave of reality. It is doing this to ensure its Great Plan comes to pass. Ie, Sheerargetru needs to understand the PCs and how they act so it can predict their impact upon the Great Plan and ensure the Great, perfect Plan is executed exactly as it can ALWAYS SEE!

But, to better understand that, we have another question to consider, too: What the hell is Sheerargetru's Great Plan in the first place?

That's an important question to answer. And, fortunately, an easy one.

It wants to break all the Chains of Reality. It was to unmake the Mortal Realms so everything is the Realm of Chaos.

That may sound BIG. And it is. But the journey to the largest of goals still takes small steps. And Sheerargetru, of all Greater Daemons, is the Feathered Lord of Small Steps. It's been taking them for millennia. And now the BIG target is almost within grasp. The true End Times are within its grasp.

So what does Sheerargetru need to do to 'win'?

In short, Sheerargetru wants Karl-Franz on the throne... Actually, let's be more blunt about this. The Greater Daemon is manipulating affairs so that the version of the Warhammer world we all know and love from Warhammer 8E comes to pass. Because that version of the world leads to the End Times and Chaos winning.

Sheerargetru exists outside time and can see that every strand of Fate leads to the same end: GW's End Times. You could think of Sheerargetru as GW. GW's licensing department and studio and novels all work to make sure that officially branded Warhammer lore is written in such a manner to support Warhammer 8E's timeline and the End Times that result from that. If it doesn't, the offending lore is edited - changed, you could say - to match GW's (Sheerargetru's) needs.

'I'm not evil. I'm just drawn that way...'
And, yes, I referenced Roger Rabbit there.

Let's dive into the meat of this.

No matter what we all want. No matter what we all do. The End Times are going to happen to Warhammer if you follow the official timeline. The End Times are unavoidable. Because that's what GW (Sheerargetru) has put in place. In the past, present, and in the future. The End Times are... inevitable.

As we already know, Sheerargetru wants to destroy the Warhammer world. It is actively working to that end goal. That means that it is a walking manifestation of the End Times as written by GW. And, if my Players want to avoid that, they need to somehow stop Sheerargetru's Great Plan. The need to stop GW's Great Plan for Warhammer.

Basically, my Players are at war with what GW wrote for the End Times.

...

Yup, Sheerargetru, the great 'Enemy' of 'The Enemy Within' is a metaphor for what GW did to Warhammer. In turn, the Players stand against this. They kinda act as a metaphor for how WFRP can keep the Warhammer world alive beyond any End Times demanded by GW.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Because, really, that was always my plan for The Enemy Within. It's a campaign of Players vs Canon, so to speak. It is the central conflict that, for many, WFRP represents.

Come play The Enemy Within! Come fight against what GW did to your favourite setting! Many of us refuse to accept GW's version of the End Times and we use WFRP to facilitate our personal imaginings of how it could all play out very differently.

But, to accomplish that, we need to Change the setting in some way to be our own version, not GW's.

Y'know, like those Grognard Boxes or Optional Rules... Or, in short, what all GM's do at their WFRP tables.

Do any of us play in the same Warhammer world, after all?

LAWhammer is not Warhammer. And I imagine YOURhammer isn't either.

That is what WFRP is all about. It gives you the tools to play YOURhammer, a game based upon GW's Warhammer setting.

And that is what our Enemy Within is all about. It's about WFRP, and what it is for many players.

As I said, this gets a bit meta.

Go, on, you know you want to watch that brain exploding... Boom on YouTube.com

Assuming that you're still with me, let's get to the scheme itself.

Because Sheerargetru lies outwith space and time, so do many of its schemes. That includes Episode 26, which lies outside the knowledge of standard PC experience. But it is not outside the PLAYERS' experience. After all, the Players can watch the episode as many times as they want. Or not. It's up to them.

But, if they do watch it, absorb it, and are influenced by it, they are potentially being directly wrapped up in Sheerargetru's manipulations.

So, what, exactly, does that mean?

For all the length of this post may suggest otherwise, the plan here is simple. Episode 26 is designed to make the Players doubt reliable, in-game sources of information for their PCs. With a stress on one source, in particular: the Cult of Sigmar.

The vehicle Sheerargetru is using to influence the Players is OOT knowledge, which should not influence what a PC does, but all so often does.

We all know that Players sometimes can't help but act on OOT knowledge. Indeed, this has happened many times in our streams so far.

And I've been recording it.

It particularly influences two of the PCs - the ones that have Players who know the most Warhammer lore - and I'll give a single example of this for each so you can see what I mean.

1. Alamennowyth seems to know a great deal about magic, Elven culture, the Empire, and much more besides. This is because Lindsay does. Lindsay doesn't do this on purpose. She contributes in ways she feels makes sense. But Alamennowyth has zero Lore (Magick) or Lore (Theology) or Lore (Empire) - I ensured this was the case on purpose, I may add - but you'd not know that Alamennowyth knows so little given how she sometimes interacts.

2. Luitpold often makes decisions based on information Andy knows, especially when it comes to core plot points from The Enemy Within. He wrote chunks of it, after all, so he knows what plots to follow and which to ignore. Further, he already knows many of the NPCs in our campaign as they are similar to ones I've presented in previous WFRP games with him. Again, using the information he already knows is not conscious on his part - indeed, he tries very hard to avoid it - but it happens. A lot.

That may sound like an RPGing issue. But it isn't, really.

I knew it would happen. And it's not something I fret about. Instead, in both of those instances I created in-game justifications long ago to account for the occasional slips that were bound to happen during play. Not that Andy Leask and Lindsay know that I've built this, though...

1. Memories. Alamennowyth has thousands of years of memories that she erased from her mind so that Sheerargetru could not predict her lines of cause and effect once she was under Ladrielle's shadow. However, every time Lindsay uses OOT knowledge, allows Alamennowyth to demonstrate knowledge that she should not know, clearly some of Alamennowyth's old memories are trickling back. That means Alamennowyth becomes a tiny bit more predictable by the Sheerargetru. Which probably isn't good...

2. Revelation. Luitpold receives knowledge directly from an outside source. All of his official Auger-based visions come directly from 'Sigmar', as I promised Andy Leask back in Episode 2.3: Conflicts of Faith. Anything he adds to that mix comes from another source. And every time he is accidentally influenced by OOT knowledge, that source has a little more ability to impose its worldview on Luipold. Which probably isn't good to any one but that shadowy individual...

So, having established that at least two of the PCs accidentally use OOT knowledge to influence their actions, what happens when Sheerargetru provides knowledge to all of the Players in Episode 26? Will any of them be tempted to use OOT information to influence their PC actions?

And does that mean that all of Episode 26 is a giant lie to trick the Players?

No, it isn't. Most of it was based on the truth. After all, it's told by an unreliable narrator. But wrapping some lies into a wider truth simply makes it much harder for the Players to spot the lies.

Especially as there are very few BIG lies.

So, if the Players do use any information they learn in this episode - ie: use OOT information their characters cannot and do not know - they will be falling for the Greater Daemon's temptation. As Players. Not PCs.

And that is awesome fun.

Let's all watch to see if it happens!

Andy, GMing.

For example, if the players stop trusting the Grand Theogonist and the Cult of Sigmar because both were outed as directly influenced by the 'Greater Daemon' in Episode 26, even though their characters have no access to that information, then that's brilliant: Sheerargetru has successfully steered the PCs away from Sigmar! Sheerargetru is winning!

Because, let me be clear, the Grand Theogonist - at this point, at least - definitely is not possessed by Sheerargetru.

Episode 26 lies about this.

On purpose.

And if the Players use this knowledge, they are being directly manipulated by Sheerargetru.

Yikes!

Put simply, Sheerargetru is after the PCs!

Got it?

Great.

That was a fair bit to digest over many words.

Did it all make sense?

I hope so. But we're not quite done yet. We have one last bit to cover before we dive into the episode's events.

I'm being fair with Sheerargetru's manipulation.

What do I mean with that?

Well, I'm not going to have a Greater Daemon influence the Players without informing them that it could happen. Indirectly, at least.

That's why Episode 26 opens with breaking the fourth wall with 'Dodgy Johann'. That is actually designed to be a hint for the Players.

After all, if Johann can talk directly to you, the audience, or to the Players, then surely other entities can do that, too, right?

Indeed, cautious Players may immediately have that concern!

Because that is indeed what is happening in this episode.

Sheerargetru is breaking the fourth wall through the use of 'Dodgy Johann' (in truth, through the use of another daemon, Sarthorael, but I'll get on to that in a mo'). Sheerargetru is a fucking Greater Daemon of Tzeentch. Of course it is spinning plans that are utterly impossible to be understood by PCs. Plans that involve threads of Fate across multiple realities.

Plans that involve the Players themselves.

Plans that involve tricking the Players!

:O

Proof of evil as demonstrated by kitten. 100% effective.

Ahem...

Let's finally dive into what Episode 26 presented, eh?

Let's get to the bullet points!

• 'Dodgy Johann' The episode opens with 'Dodgy Johann' making his way through central Reikland. This is not a trick. It is an actual event that occurs in our game world. Johann had been mulling the 'Hammer Has Fallen' conclusion to Episode 25: Onward to Death, and was considering ways around the restrictions of the Tome of Fates he carries so he can better understand what has happened. He knows the 'Hammer Has Fallen' pronouncement was likely divine in origin, and probably from a prophet or similar. He also knows it was a sign of the End Times as the Tome confirmed that. As he contemplated that seers and gods could 'see' outside events, he suddenly realised something else: if 'Dodgy Johann' himself was important - if carrying the Tome of Fates made him someone of note - then, maybe, just maybe, he was being watched? And, if so, could that somehow grant him access to the mercurial Tome of Fates...?

• The Tome Of Fates? 'The Tome of Fates. It reveals the secrets of the past, the present and what may come to be. Most would think me fortunate to own such a book, but I can only use it in service to others. That is my curse.' - The Advisor, Total War: Warhammer III 
  'Johann' has been trying to freely use the Tome of Fates since he first opened it many years ago. It's a magical artefact filled with the knowledge of Sarthorael the Watcher, a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch that exists across multiple realities (Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, and given 40K is our future, Sarthorael exists in the 'real world' - that's something to chew on for what's about to happen...).  
  In the early sections of the episode, 'Johann' realises he can use the Book of Fates he is cursed to carry if he is in the service of someone watching him. And what if that someone wanted access to the book's contents, just like he did? After all, 'Johann' wanted to know where the 'Hammer Has Fallen' chain of events started. But, was he alone in wanting to know that?
  As it turns out, the answer was no, he was not alone in wanting to know that. After all, the PLAYERS wanted to know more... As did many other viewers...
  As 'Johann' decided to test his theory, he was delighted to see the pages of the book open, granting 'Johann' access to the information he wanted to know.
  So, why did this happen?
  This was YOU and the PLAYERS granting 'Johann' access to answers as 'Johann' was acting in service to YOU and the PLAYERS.
  But, the information 'Johann' gleans is also sadly tainted by the influence of Sheerargetru, as we'll discuss later.

• 'Dodgy Johann'? So, as the last point makes clear, the character the players have called 'Dodgy Johann' is the Advisor from Total War: Warhammer. Or, at least, a version of him. Total War: Warhammer's three games offer more than one potential outcome for that character. Our game uses only one potential version and adapts it a little for WFRP. This is the version that has survived Total War: Warhammer III, but has yet to arrive at the End Times of Total War: Warhammer I; indeed, he's trying to either stave that off or, if the worst should occur, to Ascend before it happens. He had once believed he was free of the curse of the Tome of Fates, but has found, in time, that all he has done is empower it and the daemon it contains, Sarthorael, even further. And he is scared.

• So, Who Is 'Johann'? During the episode, our version of the Advisor claims to be High Chanter Johann Alric, the Saviour of Apesto (a city in Tilea also marked as Apestos on some maps). He is, or perhaps was, a Lord Magister of the Light Order and the former master of Patriarch Egrimm van Horstmann. In our game, he originally opened the Tome of Fates in desperation. War was plaguing the Empire and Johann's apprentice had just fallen to Chaos, tearing the Colleges of Magic apart and threatening the integrity of the Empire as a whole. Johann also deeply desired to stop a plague unleashed by Egrimm, the so-called God's Rot, as it had infected his wife. Needless to say, it did not turn out well for poor Johann, as the first ever Total War: Warhammer cinematic makes clear. Sarthorael was pretty happy with affairs, though, which you'll see if you watch that video.

• Sarthoraewho? Haha, Sarthorael the Watcher is a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch bound into the Tome of Fates that Johann currently carries. In LAWhammer, this binding happened over 2500 years ago and was enacted by an ancient Dwarf Runesmith named Wulfan. Yes, you read that correctly, a Dwarf runesmith was binding Daemons. I'll get onto that in a much later GM blog as the Tome of Fates is central to the story of Sheerargetru, the 'Enemy' in our The Enemy Within. Sheerargetru, in our game, is another Greater Daemon of Tzeentch that the same Dwarf attempted to bind. And kinda did... But not quite... And Sigmar is involved... The real, mortal one... There is a story there...

• So, Johann... Johann figures out that there are almost certainly outside parties very keen to know the same things that he wants to know, and that they are likely observing him, so he gives that a go. And he is delighted to enter the service of... someone. In turn, that allows him to see events as they happened in Altdorf.

• Enter Service? Yes. Johann is in the service of another party for the entire episode, which allows him to see what happened on Hexenstag 2512. But, who is he in service to? Sheerargetru. And, by extension, the Players. And You. The Tome, which binds Johann, has Sarthorael within it, a Greater Daemon that lies outside time and space and exists in multiple realities. Including ours. It is this knowledge that Sheerargetru taps into.

• Does Sarthorael Like That? No. Having Sheerargetru use the Tome of Fates pisses Sarthorael off no end, as it doesn't want its pawn, Johann, used by a rival. But the laws of its binding within the Mortal Realms make it almost impossible for Sarthorael to deny Sheerargetru. But it does complain as much as it can! If you didn't know already, Sarthorael sometimes manifests as the white corvid that hangs around Johann - and, yes, that means we've already seen a Greater Daemon in our streams more than once! And Sarthorael ain't happy. Indeed, Sarthorael will spend a significant amount of energy from this point forward distancing Sheerargetru from Johann. Johann belongs to Sarthorael. No one else! But, it is significantly constrained in what it can do, so this will take time. For the moment, Johann serves Sheerargetru. And Sheerargetru is manipulating Johann, and what he 'sees', in order to influence the Players.

• So, Johann Isn't Dodgy? In this instance, not really, for all the daemonic involvement. He has no memories of what happened in the Volkshalle, even though he was there, as I'll discuss below, so he doesn't realise that some of what he utters out loud to you, the Players, and other viewers, are lies. But that won't last long. Sarthorael will reveal the truth to him with the Tome. And Johann then has some decisions of his own to make concerning Sheerargetru and the Great Plan. But, let's put that aside for the moment and dive into what Johann saw...

• To The Party! The representatives of the Reikland Estates were invited to a party in the Volkshalle to celebrate the New Year and avoid the horrors of Hexensnacht at the beginning of 2512. Of the 63 recognised Reikland Estates, 31 turned up, as well as a mixture of other luminaries, ambassadors, nobles, et al. None expected that a vote would be dropped on them later by Karl-Franz.

• A Vote? Yes, the Reikland Diet, a parliament that meets in the Volkshalle and is comprised of the rulers of the 63 Reikland Estates, is about to make a vote. The Reikland Diet shares sovereignty with the Prince of Reikland. The Diet can be summoned to session in an emergency by the Prince of Reikland for matters concerning war or high heresy. Any Reikland Diet vote needs a simple majority of its 63 Estates to pass. So, 32 votes, which is thus the minimum quorum. Normally, the Diet meets irregularly to either form or ratify decrees and requires all members to receive at least a week's notice before the Diet sits. Obviously, the meeting on Hexensnacht had no notice provided. There is a little more in the Reikland Diet in the Politics section found in this article.

• Can The Reikland Diet Meet Anywhere Other Than The Volkshalle? Not without notice and a solid reason. Hence the invitation to the Volkshalle for the Hexenstag party. Because a vote elsewhere wouldn't count, and the vote was the reason KF organised the party.

• Whose Idea Was It, Again? Ostensibly Karl-Franz. In truth, it is the plan of the Purple Hand. We've yet to dive into that rancid mess of a cult with any depth in our GM blogs. Let's just say that it's working to the orders of Sheerargetru and leave it at that for the moment.

• So, Those One-off PCs: Were They Really All At The Volkshalle? Have The Lies Begun Yet? No major lies yet. Those five attended the party and the following gathering of the Reikland Diet. However, there are lies and omissions concerning them all, most of which are minor and will become obvious when you meet them 'properly' during a later Episode. Let's quickly discuss each as a refresher.
  Kyoko Koishikawa. Played by Sage. Kyoko was at the party as the Ambassador of Nippon. Kyoko detected the influence of a great spirit long before the party, which is why she attended. She intended to pacify it. Permanently.
  Leipmund Holzkrug. Andy Leask played him. Leipmund is the High Lord Ambassador for Reikland and its spymaster. An enormously influential figure whose family used to rule Altdorf and Reikland as a whole. Lots of chat about him in our Kalegan streams. He was not expected to attend the party. He did so out of curiosity having spotted Altdorf troop movements in deep winter. He suspected, correctly, that something was up with the innocent Volkshalle party. In short, nothing in this episode surprises him, but the events were not known to him beforehand.
  Mette I of House Viden. This was Cath. Princess Mette is one of the most powerful, yet little-known, figures of Reikland. She rules a small principality downriver from Kemperbad and is very rarely found outside her court. The fact she accepted the invitation to the Volkshalle came as a shock to those organising the party.
  Salza of House Uhland. Lindsay portrayed her. The Duchess of Auld Uhland was 'taking a break from her husband'. In truth, she was avoiding witch hunters patrolling her lands as she herself was one of the 'Blessed Few', a Hedge Witch, and a very important one. She is also, as truthfully revealed by Johann, the mother of Reikheld Mair, Elrick's Master, who was conceived with Boris Todbringer. Salza has no knowledge of this.
  Witold I of House Mackensen. This was Ed's. The Duke of Mackenstein, Witold was only at the party to persuade, coerce, scam, beg, or otherwise secure funds for his duchy. He was also not expected to attend. He is also fully aware of everything that Wittgenstein Castle represents and has seen Magnus's Edict concerning what it was doing.

• Let's Party! Each of the PCs were given some simple tasks to enact during each part of Episode 26. I didn't worry too much if the PCs nailed the characters at hand as the entire story was told by Johann, the most unreliable of unreliable narrators. Indeed, many of the core character beats the Players were provided to portray were missed during the fun and laughter, and that was not only okay, it was better as it would add an air of inaccuracy to those characters when they were met later, which was appropriate for this session. So, what did each PC have to do at the start of the party?
  Kyoko. Get everyone to agree to attend her Ambassador's Reception at the Nipponese Embassy next week. Presumably, they would have Ferrero Rocher... Sage largely managed this.
  Leipmund. Ask each PC pointed questions about their current activities and their upcoming plans. Andy did not succeed at this, although he did make a token effort.
  Mette. Ask each PC in turn how they manage to escape their entourages during events of this ilk. Cath failed to do this individually but did ask the questions generally.
  Salza. Flirt with each PC at least once and invite each to a different isolated location after the party. Lindsay failed at the invitation part, but managed the rest.
  Witold. Grumble at every question asked of him, but answer each expansively and volubly. Then tell each PC about a different trouble currently faced by Mackenstein. Ed did not do too well at the specifics, but did well enough at the general tone of Witold.

• Here Comes The Emperor! The Emperor arrives after the sun goes down and Morrslieb rises in the sky, which ensures most will not leave. And he is on business. This is where everything changes, and also the last point where Johann largely tells the whole truth. Things are about to get... dodgy, but it's not Johann's fault. He's being tricked by Sheerargetru here.
  Again, the PCs each had a task to enact at this point in affairs.
  Kyoko. Request the right to stay in the Volkshalle after she is told to leave. Sage did this, kinda, as you'll see when you watch the episode.
  Leipmund. Demand to know exactly what is going on. Which Andy did.
  Mette. Demand that Ambassador Kyoko be allowed to stay on as her advisor after she is told to leave, as is Mette's right as a Reikland royal. Cath got the order of this a little off, but it all landed largely as intended.
  Salza. Complain about the festivities being interrupted, which Lindsay did.
  Witold. Grumble loudly to EVERYONE about the party being interrupted. This happened. Kinda.

• Zenechar Trott. Let's not forget everybody's favourite duke to hate. Was Zenechar there and did he refuse to take part in any vote posed by the Prince of Altdorf? Yes, he was there. And, yes, he walked out. He was having none of Karl-Franz's clear manipulations. Zenechar was not expected to attend the party, so none were upset to see him go. Zenechar is roundly hated by most Reiklander nobles, largely because they all know he is a liar and a mercenary peddler, but is a little too powerful to put in his place. It's more complicated than that, but we can discuss that in another blog post.

• There Will Be A Vote! Karl-Franz's party states that a vote will be called, and why, and small lies abound from Johann here, mostly about KF's motivations. Again, each of the PCs had a job to do in this section of the session. Let's cover that first, then cover the... mess.
  Kyoko. She had to advise Mette that not all is as it seems. At all. And that the problem lies with the prince's party. Sage largely did this. Kyoko could sense that not all was right - indeed, she would move to resolve that as soon as the vote was finished. More on that soon.
  Leipmund. Ask if the scroll supposedly sent by Magnus had been verified by the Cult of Sigmar, which happened.
  Mette. State that it cannot be right to remove the title of a Reikland Estate! And demand that the prince explain himself! This also happened.
  Salza. Explain, vociferously, that the entire suggestion of the vote was utterly unacceptable. The High Lord Steward must intervene - the only man allowed to judge a Reikland Estate. This didn't quite happen as stated but did in the 'real' version.
  Witold. Make it clear that the prince's vote would result in civil war. The Jungfreuds, after all, are well positioned. How does the prince intend to avoid this? This happened a bit in the episode. This happened A LOT in the 'real' version.

• So, What Are We Voting For? And this is where things get difficult. Dodgy Johann explained a variety of reasons KF called the vote. Let's let what happened in the stream stand and instead speak to some of what 'actually' happened...

• Who Called The Vote? It was Karl-Franz. Not a proxy. Not a third party. Not someone forcing his hand. Kinda... We'll get on to some specifics around this in about 20 episodes or so when we're diving into the Horned Rat material. But, for the moment, let's keep it simple. KF called the vote. He planned it weeks ago. He organised for the Volkshalle party on Hexenstag to gather representatives of the Reikland Estates. He planned the crashing of the Hexensnacht party to hold his vote. He wanted Ubersreik removed from the Jungfreuds. Further, KF knows that he'll never be able to pull a stunt like this again as everyone is now wise to the 'loophole' he used and will ensure such a thing never happens again.

• Was The Purple Hand Behind The Vote? Yes. But Karl-Franz enacted the vote. And believed in it. And knows nothing about the Purple Hand at all.

• And Is Sheerargetru Behind The Purple Hand? Absolutely. The Purple Hand is very much under Sheerargetru's control.

• So, Why Seize Ubersreik? As far as KF was concerned, for multiple reasons, but mostly because it is his city by right and he thinks the Jungfreuds are unworthy. Sure, the 'Chaos Hordes have prophesy' line used in the stream was presented to him, but it was not believed in the slightest. However, he did use that intelligence to convince his High Lord Judge, Agatha Böhrn, to release the 'heresy' and the 'war' clauses for the Reikland Diet that allowed him to call an immediate vote without warning. She was sceptical of the reasoning, but the rules as written were vague enough to allow it if the Prince had the support of confirmed sources in the Colleges of Magic and Cult of Sigmar if the Order of the Anvil agreed, which KF had. Johann, of course, mentioned none of this detail. Further, he didn't go into KF's real reasons for the vote either, most of which were somewhat mundane:
  - KF had proof the Jungfreuds were actively working to support civil war in Reikland (this is false - but once Ubersreik was seized, the Jungfreuds did immediately move to support civil war, albeit reluctantly, so it ended up being true).
  - KF had proof the Jungfreuds were planning an invasion into Wallenstein to reinstate the Walfens as true Archdukes over all of old Upper Teufel. Given KF has very close ties to Duke Ferdinand II of Wallenstein, he was very concerned about this (again, his 'proof' is false, although as Episode 9.4: Reawakenings shows, it happens as a result of KF's actions - tricksy Purple Hand).
  - KF was fully within his rights to remove the Jungfreuds from Ubersreik as it is officially his land as he is the substantive holder of the Archduke of Upper Teufel title, so he was doing nothing outside his rights and power for all the High Lord Judge told him he should seek the support of the Volkshalle (this is all true, but it's complicated - A Guide to Ubersreik from the WFRP Starter Set dives into this a little).
  - KF is rumoured to be screwing the Archduke of Upper Teufel's daughter after taking her as a 'hostage' to ensure House Walfen towed the line (again, check Episode 9.4 for more on this). And that... well... it is a whole thing, and is not well known, and is inaccurate. Nevertheless, because of these rumours and because of his actions, and because KF has seen some 'real' 'letters concerning this', KF is certain the Walfens are against him and that the Jungfreuds have joined with them (again, this is entirely false, although as Episode 9.4 shows, it will likely happen).

• Why Does KF Believe All This False Stuff? Mostly because it was pushed upon him by his elder brother, a Grey Wizard who often masquerades as a different relative to ensure KF's rule is not challenged. Grey Guardian Immanuelle-Ferrand (GGIF) is the High Chancellor of the Empire, which is code for saying he's the Empire's spymaster. He claims he knows everything and is very convincing. Perhaps coincidentally, Immanuelle-Ferrand also hates Sigismund of House Jungfreud with a searing passion that burns brighter than the light of a thousand Sölls. Sigismund outed Immanuelle-Ferrand as a wizard almost 15 years ago, an event that ensured GGIF would never be emperor.

• So, is Immanuelle-Ferrand A Purple Hand Cultist? Hell no, he's just as manipulated in this regard as everyone else. GGIF's a late-onset wizard who almost certainly is a terrible fit for the powers that the Grey College offers, but is also very powerful in Ulgu, so it is what it is. He's a meddler in minds and politics on behalf of his family. KF has quite the legend in court and elsewhere as an extraordinary statesman, a 'truth' that is ferociously enforced by his elder brother.

• Ubersreik Is All KF's Doing Then? Yes and no. Yes he did it. But, if he knew all the facts, he would not have done it. However, during the vote, he is convinced he is in the right.

• So Why Do It All On Hexenstag? Because all the likely dissenters to his decree, those who would have voted against it becoming an Edict, would be rightly busy on that day. Forcing the meeting on the day was a suggestion by 'Johann' and KF reluctantly saw it for the stroke of genius it was, especially given the Northern Prophecy concerning the Duke of Ubersreik involved 2512. KF didn't think too hard on just how convenient that all was. However, KF is also not entirely himself just now, so making dodgy decisions of that sort is not entirely his fault. But, more on that in a much later blog.

• So, KF Sorted It All? No, Kurt Helborg, the Reiksmarshal, orchestrated the actual assault on Ubersreik. It was conceived over four months earlier, and it was planned to be as bloodless as possible to preserve lives. And it was almost bloodless. All-in-all, it was an exceedingly well-executed strategy that used the signal towers from Death on the Reik for the almost instantaneous communication that was required after the vote concluded. However, one tower was still unbuilt come Hexensnacht (and would be for months after as Episode 14: Signals From Beyond shows), so a plan was put in place to bridge the gap using a Luminark of Hysh. This is the same Luminark that was the central plot point for the planned but never released Ubersreik Adventure One of Our Luminarks is Missing, and the source of the lenses in the Heart of Glass adventure. This was the planned outcome for those towers and the Luminark from before we even printed the WFRP Starter Set - I was tying all the releases together from the outset.

• But Why Ubersreik? The real reason? The Purple Hand were being hounded by the Jungfreuds, who had discovered their influence in Altdorf. Indeed, the Hand was manipulating the Imperial family! So, a plan was put in place by the Purple Hand to make life very hard for the Jungfreuds - although not until after some failed assassination attempts. This was discussed at some length in Episode 9.7: The Last House of Joy.

• Gotcha. What happens next, then? Everyone in the Volkshalle was given time to discuss the decree issued by KF and whether they would support it as a Reikland Edict. Again, the PCs were all given things to do:
  Kyoko. Explain that something is seriously off and that the Light Wizard, 'Dodgy Johann', is the likely suspect. Sage mentioned this, so job done.
  Leipmund. Explain that Altdorf Troops left the city five days ago in secret. Likely in preparation of the Edict being passed. He should also note that a Luminark left Altdorf 10 days ago, too. Andy did this.
  Mette. Demonstrate extreme distrust of everything that is happening. Which Cath did.
  Salza. Had to repeatedly ask if anyone thought proceedings would take much longer? And Lindsay kinda did.
  Witold. Was to present that there was nothing to discuss. The prince and emperor had to be supported in all things. And, yes, Ed largely did that.

• So, Lies? We're getting there. Let's sort the interviews and the end of the vote first.

• Okay, Interviews? Yup, each PC (other than Kyoko) was taken aside to have a meeting with KF, Kurt Helborg, and Thyrus Gormann, with Johann hanging around in the background. KF wanted to reinforce the importance of voting correctly to everyone. Again, each of the PCs had a predetermined direction to take:
  Leipmund. Demand to know what is really going down. And Andy did.
  Mette. Explain that the Light Wizard, 'Johann', is really kinda dodgy. And Cath did.
  Salza. Be extremely polite and don't do anything to out yourself as a Hedge Witch. Better in with KF than outside with the Sigmarites... And Lindsay did that with aplomb.
  Witold. Support KF everything he says in exchange for financial remuneration for Wittgenstein. Which sorta happened. So, we're all good.

• The Vote. All PCs voted for the decree. With a majority reached, the decree was ratified as the Ubersreik Edict. And history was made.

• Wait, What About The... Err... Little Estates? The Turnip Guy. Ah, yes, those. Let me grab a quotation from our World Anvil entry on this:
  Currently, there are 63 accepted Reikland Estates, although the true number is likely larger. Smaller Reikland Estates of just a few miles across, the so-called Little Estates (Unberogen: Kleinestände), are in such obscure locations, or simply so easy to miss, that occasionally old estates forgotten or thought lost to Morr are rediscovered.

• So, Those Estates Could Just Vote? Seems Unlikely. It is. Each had to prove their rights and be ratified with a 'simple' vote of the Reikland Diet (a majority of sitting Reikland Estates at an official meeting of the Diet; those missing a 'simple' vote can appeal the outcome using a process that has never officially been used), as well as receiving the approval of the prince of Altdorf. All of this occurred, but Johann did not relate it. So, the Estates voted the Little Estates into the Diet and KF approved it as Prince. By the time all of that had occurred, it was midnight before the final vote happened. Unlike Johann's presentation, it was a loooooong evening.

• Alright. Gottit. Let's get to those lies, then! Yes, let's. There were many smaller ones, mostly involving how characters were motivated or how the sequence of events occurred, but none of those are particularly important. It's the three tied to Sigmar that are important.

• LIE 1: Grand Theogonist. Not a Daemon. Or possessed. Let's see if any Player uses that info. Poor innocent Yorri. The Grand Theogonist did support the Ubersreik Edict and personally attended to ensure it passed. He did so after receiving confirmation that the Jungfreuds had fallen to heresy (a lie spread by the Purple Hand, using the stories of temples of Sigmar in Ubersreik being repurposed to other gods - which did happen once when Luitpold did it before being kicked out of the Order of the Torch! So, yes, Luitpold is partly responsible for the Grand Theogonist voting how he did).

• LIE 2: The Order of the Gilded Boar. The High Priestess leading the Order of the Boar, a friend of Luitpold's who was seen in Episode 2.3: Conflicts of Faith and Episode 24.3: The Ice Cave, is not a cultist of Tzeentch. She is a devout Sigmarite and a strong potential ally. Let's see if Luitpold tries to break ties with her...

• LIE 3: Mette. The princess was not killed. And her province was not eradicated by KF's troops. The suggestions that she was killed and her lands stripped were 100% lies to ensure the Players do not later seek out her potentially sympathetic ear as she is an extraordinarily powerful voice in Reikland given she holds many ancient rights as royalty that no other Reikland Estate other than Altdorf shares. She is also blessed by Sigmar. She did not like what happened in the Volkshalle on Hexensnacht at all. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sheerargetru would rather Mette was not involved with its schemes, and would rather everyone else thought she was dead. Her province is obscure enough that the only way to ascertain what happened there is to visit Onlreik, and that seems very unlikely to happen as far as the PCs are concerned.

• OMMISSIONS. There were too many of these to account for. Johann was led to be super dodgy by Sheerargetru and only stuck to the highlights, somewhat obscuring the nitty gritty detail of what happened that night. But, in short, the evening was long, drawn out, involved a lot of debate and prayer, and had much more involvement from Leipmund and Khelgar Gormann who were both working the hall like crazy.

• So, Kyoko and Her Embassy. WTF happened there? Are you thinking of Yume's family embassy as detailed in Episode 2.4: Ghost From The Past?  Well, there is a lot to say on this. But, to be short, Johann, when advising KF, learns from the Tome of Fates that Kyoko's husband and daughter could end the schemes of Sheerargetru and Sarthorael permanently by rendering them benign. Johann is excited to learn this news and immediately seeks out Kyoko to appeal for her aid, but this is too much for Sarthorael. To cut a long story short, Sarthorael intervenes and transfers Johann's memories of the event into the Book of Fates. This leaves Johann with no recollections from that Hexensnacht, which he confirmed in the episode. The Purple Hand is then directed by Sheerargetru - who had learned of what Johann had seen in the book because Sheerargetru is the weaver of all fates - to eradicate the Nipponese embassy and all connections related to Ume's father and Ume herself. Sheerargetru learned of Ume's Ranaldan second life from the Book of Fates. Sheerargetru planned to bring Ume on side to deploy her against powerful daemonic enemies, so prepared a master to teach her, but Ume disappeared from Sheerargetru's eye in Delbren after encountering the party and Alamennowyth's shadows (which all happened in a pre-stream episode - but we'll cover that a little more in a later episode). Sheerargetru immediately sent agents to secure her, but she was nowhere to be found. This terrifies the Greater Daemon as Ume is an unknown quantity that now lies outside its view.

• WHAT? YUME IS FATED TO FALL TO CHAOS? Yes. It was preordained for her and her fox to fall. But Ume vanished from Sheerargetru's sight because of Alamennowyth. And Sheerargetru is not at all happy about this. In The Matrix terms, a very important and very dangerous piece of code is now beyond its grasp. #NotHappy

• And The Tahme Army At The End? 100% true. But not marching on Altdorf, for all many think it may be. Trott isn't that foolish. He has neighbouring provinces he can conquer and loot first, one of which is essential to the plans of the Jungfreuds. What is sure is that civil war has broken in Reikland. So, yeah...

• Ogres, My Lord! Sorry, I couldn't resist that. You can listen all day if you wish.

Phew! That was a huuuuuuuuuuge blog!

I hope it all made sense. While I'm here, please pardon me for being a bit sneaky and claiming that the stream would be the 'holder of all the Ubersreik answers'. It was sorta true, but the real reason for the stream was much more Player focused. But that white lie was all part of selling the episode to the Players, so I'm cool with it.

TL;DR: This episode was there to fill the PCs with OOC knowledge that they will hopefully pursue because they are being manipulated by a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch. The episode claimed there was a Greater Daemon in the Cult of Sigmar. There is not. It also claimed that some Sigmarites had fallen to Chaos. They have not. Lastly, the princess that Dodgy Johann claimed was dead is not.

Also, was the vote all a manipulation by the Purple Hand? Yup, pretty much, all at the organisation of Sheerargetru. But Karl-Franz honestly thought he was doing what was best for the Empire as he saw the Jungfreuds as an existential threat to Magnus's Peace.

Until next time, LAWhammerers!

Andy

PS: I wrote this very quickly. There are likely typos and things I missed. If so, please point them out and I'll fix it.
PPS: Please make sure not to share any of this with the LAWhammer Players!
PPPS: I have edited this post a few times to catch those typoes - but no content has been affected. Honest. You can trust me, right.
PPPPS: Njawrr'thakh 'Lzimbarr Tzeentch