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Pflugzeit -8-17-2493

"Ah… just peace of mind," I said, stretching now that I no longer had to bear the crushing burden of keeping my magic contained within my body to avoid being detected by the amulets of witch hunters or warrior priests.

"Your lie seems to have worked… well enough," said Katarin, her eyes cold as she raised an eyebrow. "Though we almost died… no, I almost died, surrounded by greenskins with no way out."

"The past is past, Katarin… be more optimistic, look to the future," I replied with a smile.

"Easy for you to say, isn't it?" she shot back, folding her arms and fixing me with her stare.

"Calm down… no need for those murderous eyes, my dear betrothed… I'll make sure Kislev is properly compensated for your brave actions…" As I spoke, I opened my gromril plate armor, shifted the chainmail beneath, and finally removed the elven collar I had hidden for so long.

The moment I took it off, all my amulets began to vibrate violently. Katarin stared at me, stunned.

"Well… perhaps not," I said, quickly slipping the collar back on.

"What… what was that?" she asked, doubt heavy in her voice.

"Seems I still need the collar if I want to live a normal life," I answered, turning the elven metal over in my hands.

"What kind of arcane artifact can hide such an outpouring of the Winds?" said Katarin, her eyes still wide.

"A gift from my master… an arcane collar crafted by the elves of Ulthuan under the supervision of the mages of the White Tower. So yes, it must be an artifact of great power. I had thought of giving it to you, but it seems I'll still need it. If you were startled to see me without it, I can only imagine what the Empire's magisters will say if they ever see me unprotected," I said, tucking the collar back under the mail, hidden from prying eyes.

"I wasn't frightened… but I was surprised," she admitted. "I saw you in that Karak… if you truly wield all that power, I can't imagine what else you could do."

"Plenty of very interesting things come to mind… though I must ensure everything goes smoothly first. Too many of those ideas are… somewhat risky," I replied with a smile as I adjusted my armor.

"Now there's a surprise," said Katarin dryly. "But you shouldn't flaunt your magic. If you suddenly appear as a master of Chamon, casting spells without chants or rituals, suspicion will fall on you everywhere and—"

I pressed a finger to her lips. "Someone's coming," I whispered, sensing presences approaching my tent.

A moment later, a man entered. "My lord, the Grand Theogonist wishes to speak with you about how to carry the campaign forward," said one of my men-at-arms, clad in runic plate armor, bowing deeply.

"I shall attend at once," I answered. Then I turned to Katarin. "I'll make sure the next shipment of weapons is ready when the rail line to Kislev is."

Katarin nodded, and I left the tent, heading toward the Grand Theogonist's altar. There, in the heart of the camp, a temporary shrine to Sigmar had been erected on the very ground where a fortress would soon rise. The clergy insisted that the central keep must become a cathedral to their god—and I had no intention of opposing them, since it would be their gold and their men defending it.

The sight that greeted me made me pause. Dozens of priests of Sigmar knelt in prayer before Ghal Maraz, set upon a pedestal. Men of faith streamed in ceaselessly to prostrate themselves before the hammer, raising prayers with tears in their eyes. For them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment: to pray before the very weapon of the first Emperor and god of the Empire.

I continued on, watching as thousands of dawi and laborers fortified the area. The magma-crusted ground made work difficult, though for the dwarfs it was only an obstacle that meant more time.

I entered the Grand Theogonist's pavilion, where he was surrounded by his archlectors and witch hunters, all reporting on the battlefront.

"Blessings of Sigmar, champion of the divine," said the Grand Theogonist, looking at me.

"Blessings of Sigmar, Grand Theogonist," I replied, stepping toward the circle of clergy.

"I know you are still adjusting to our Lord's new blessing, but we must continue with the great campaign before us. We must cleanse the pass of greenskins. According to our pegasi scouts, a massive tribe is gathering in the area, the final obstacle to securing the campaign. Once that tribe is destroyed, there will be no risk left to the workers," said the Grand Theogonist.

"Yes, I know. When I emerged from the dawi karak where our Lord's hammer lay, I saw with my own eyes how a vast horde of greenskins was massing nearby. From my griffon, I could see them everywhere. We face a great concentration under a single warlord, which means they'll soon attack us," I answered.

"And what do you recommend?" asked one of the archlectors, fixing his eyes on me.

"Let them come to us," I said. "We have dozens of cannons, thousands of firearms, and the Empire fights greenskins best on the defense. I can send my men to provoke them, force them to attack, and if possible split them into isolated groups we can crush one by one. But we must be well fortified. Cannons in place, fields of fire prepared, multiple lines of musketeers firing in sequence, and ample powder ready for every gun and cannon so they cannot overrun us before we're set."

"It seems a prudent idea," said the Grand Theogonist. "We have the means to withstand such an assault. We must gain as much time as possible reinforcing our defenses and be ready for their inevitable attack. And when we have the victory, we shall return to Altdorf to deliver the hammer to its rightful bearer."

"Yes… although I have no plans to return to Altdorf, at least not for the moment," I replied with a smile.

"But… and your ceremony, Champion of Sigmar," the Grand Theogonist countered. "I was to officiate your marriage to… the witch… the princess of Kislev. Sigmar Himself blesses the union, and it would be best for the benefit of both peoples that the ceremony be completed as soon as possible."

"About that… I have my army here. Returning to Altdorf would be complicated, so I must be efficient, Grand Theogonist. Every day must be used to secure the Imperial frontiers. The best course is to seize the moment and launch a campaign into the Border Princes. That way we can quickly establish a rail line between the Empire and Karaz-A-Karak, fulfilling the promise made to High King Thorgrim, to use the lands that once belonged to the dawi and build this fortress."

"Well, you are right, Champion of Sigmar… delaying the ceremony to launch a campaign already at hand is prudent. But how much do you plan to conquer?" asked the Grand Theogonist.

"Hmmm… given the strength of my forces… all of it… yes, all of it," I answered, nodding my head.

"Ah… I think this must be consulted with the Chosen of Sigmar. I may speak on internal matters of Imperial politics, but foreign policy belongs solely to the Emperor. An open war with the Princes would be watched closely by all our neighbors, especially so soon after the war with Bretonnia. To conquer all the Border Princes would be, without doubt, hard to accept without heavy diplomatic protest," said the Grand Theogonist.

"The Emperor will accept. He will see that my intentions are to secure the Imperial borders—above all to end the bloodletting in that region from endless wars between princes and their feuds. It is necessary for the Empire, since we must honor our duty to High King Thorgrim. The more feasible it is to move troops between our spheres of influence, the more we can aid our allies in reclaiming their lost Karaks… and in times of need, they can aid us as well, without relying on the fickle loyalty of a Border Prince who could sever the rail line," I replied.

"That… will be difficult…" said one archlector, folding his arms.

"We must be swift and brutal. Reforge the South March of the Empire, build fortresses to halt the advance of greenskins, and keep the beastmen under control in that region. With that, we will have secure lines of communication with the dawi, in excellent condition," I answered firmly.

"Well… leaving aside all this talk of conquering other realms of Man, we must focus on what lies before us: the greenskins massed against us," said the Grand Theogonist.

"My cannons will be positioned, and my men ready, Grand Theogonist. We shall await battle with eagerness. When I judge us prepared, we will fight. Until then, we will launch small skirmishes against them to reduce their numbers, while avoiding drawing the full horde upon us," I answered.

Once the meeting ended, we quickly began preparations: digging trenches to place multiple lines of musketeers, as well as emplacing cannons on elevated ground with perfect fields of fire. The hardened, crystalized earth of the pass made the work heavy, but also ensured that a direct greenskin charge would be far harder to execute. At the same time, cavalry patrols were dispatched to hunt down small warbands, while the first foundations of the fortress began to rise.

As the days passed, all our cannons were positioned, ready to unleash a massive barrage across the pass as soon as the enemy dared to advance. Huge stocks of powder and shot were stored in small powder magazines placed strategically, so no front would run out of supply at the critical moment.

We also recalled all our troops scattered on lesser missions. Many had been deployed across the hills and mountains, hunting down small groups of greenskins and Chaos beasts. Among these operations was the clearing of an abandoned dawi Karak held by goblins, where I sent my personal cavalry alongside the shotguns designed by my dwarf engineer. The result was swift—the fortress was purged within hours. The goblins, unable to withstand the hail of shot, fell in droves.

It seemed the greenskins had gathered there because the Karak's acoustics gave them perfect echoes. They spent hours growling and shrieking, filling the valley with dreadful cries that unsettled my men. Its cleansing, however, resounded even further: the booming of shotguns echoed through the mountains, and the agonized howls of a goblin shaman—who tried in vain to curse me, thwarted by my runic ring—rattled for long moments before dying away. For my soldiers, and especially for the clergy of Sigmar, it was a relief to know those noises had been nothing but goblins… now silenced forever. With the fortress once more in dawi hands, we had an ally at the gates of our campaign, able to send reinforcements in case of dire need.

The days passed, preparations ended, and at last we were ready to receive the great green tide. We had dozens of cannons, multiple repeater cannons, organ guns, and more than eight lines of musketeers, all entrenched to fire in unison. It was a wall of iron, fire, and powder prepared to tear apart any advance.

"Just as Sigmar once did, the green threat shall be crushed," I said as I watched my riders gallop toward the pass to provoke the greenskins and draw their gaze.

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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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I have two offers for you:If we reach 25 comments I can give you the next chapter to continue the story or… for those who prefer information, I can update details about the Empire, Bretonnia, Estalia, Tilea, and Kislev, showing the current balances and problems and also update information about the domains of MC, at your choice.