Beria and Talleyrand's efforts yielded some results.
Katarin's time in Marienburg was nothing short of disastrous. The Tsarina was unable to secure sufficient funds from the merchant lords, but she managed to hold her ground. She refused to sell Kislev's claims or adopt a Romanov "heir" as the merchants had suggested. With the support of Marienburg's Grand Duke Schultz, Katarin chose to remain in the city. As a Sanctuary-level figure, she accepted Schultz's patronage but also agreed to follow his directives.
In addition, Katarin struck a deal with Ryan and Veronica. Under the guise of being an honorary visiting professor of the Sorceress Assembly, she received additional financial support. In return, she agreed to an understanding with Ryan: at an "appropriate time," she would return to Kislev. Until then, she promised not to meddle in Kislev's affairs.
For now, the Old World enjoyed a rare period of peace. After Archaon's invasion, tranquility blanketed much of the continent. Though wars continued here and there, most of the forces of Order could finally savor this hard-won respite.
At the start of the Imperial Year 2516, an announcement from the Ice Wizard Tower drew attention. Section Seven revealed that Teresa, the Vice Speaker of the Garland Council, was pregnant and expecting a baby girl. Ryan declared the child legitimate and named her Cyrille Trovik.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Gray Mountains within the Duchy of Parravon, a serf named Aiden Hubbard stumbled upon a gathering undead army while hunting. His report immediately caught the attention of the Eastern Theater Governor. Duke François, the Second Marshal, personally led an army to crush the vampire baron Aranack von Carstein's forces. For his discovery, Aiden Hubbard was celebrated nationwide, drawing the attention of even the Lady of the Lake. Ryan personally knighted him in a rare instance of promotion.
However, this event turned out to be yet another probe orchestrated by the Lich King, Arkhan.
Unfortunately for Aiden, his arrogance proved to be his undoing. Eager to boast about his deeds and display his prowess, the newly knighted Aiden joined a mission to purge the undead deep within the mountains. Two weeks after being knighted, he met his end. After toppling a zombie with his warhorse, he dismounted to cut off its head as a trophy. To his misfortune, the zombie wasn't truly dead. It grabbed him as he dismounted and tore out his throat.
Aiden, both lucky and unlucky, quickly became the subject of ridicule throughout the Old World.
Midyear, a Greenskin warlord named Azgham the Annihilator appeared in the northern World's Edge Mountains. Initially, he achieved a string of victories during his invasion of the Empire's northern provinces. Exhibiting rare tactical acumen for a Greenskin, Azgham's rampage came to a sudden halt during the Battle of Oswald. There, he faced the Grandmaster of the Order of the Knights Panther, Werner von Kreistadt. As their duel reached its climax, Azgham inexplicably froze. Seizing the opportunity, Werner struck him down, severing his head. Without their leader, the Greenskin army collapsed and was wiped out.
The Empire discovered that Azgham had been wearing the Crown of Sorcery, an ancient artifact tied to Nagash, the Great Necromancer. The artifact was immediately sent to Altdorf for safekeeping. Imperial Alchemist Balthasar Gelt was said to be devising a way to permanently seal it.
However, en route to Altdorf, the escorting force was ambushed by a powerful undead contingent. Manfred von Carstein, the last Vampire Count, killed the escorting Moor Knights, Knights of the Everlasting Light, and Golden Scythe Knights. He seized the Crown of Sorcery and disappeared into the northern Chaos Wastes.
This event cast a dark shadow over the Old World.
Later that year, the Elector Count of Hochland, Edbrand Ludenhof, rushed to Nuln when his eldest son, Conrad, fell gravely ill. Despite the efforts of Nuln's finest doctors, alchemists, and priests, the boy's condition worsened. Just as all seemed lost, a mysterious robed figure offered a potion that promised a cure.
The Elector Count was ready to accept, but Frederic, the eldest son of Countess Emmanuelle von Liebwitz, exposed the figure's disguise. The stranger was none other than Festus the Leechlord, Nurgle's chosen champion. In the ensuing chaos, Festus fled. Conrad was ultimately cured using enchanted Wood Elf berry wine provided by Frederic.
In the Imperial Year 2517, after a period of recuperation, Ryan launched a new campaign.
The campaign unfolded on two fronts. Ryan personally led an army in a punitive expedition against Norsca, burning and pillaging most of the coastal Norscan settlements. The infamous World Walkers tribe was nearly annihilated, and Wulfrik the Wanderer barely escaped with his life, now a true "wanderer."
Simultaneously, Marshals Calard and Rokossovsky marched eastward to join Marshal Raun near Erengrad for a larger operation. Rokossovsky formulated the "Eastern Prag Campaign Plan."
The two-month campaign resulted in the complete recapture of Kislev's southern lands beyond the Lynsk River. With the aid of Kislevite locals, they began fortifying three key cities as permanent military strongholds.
The recently crowned Troll King, Throngrok, was defeated in Troll Country by the combined forces of Calard, Raun, and Rokossovsky. The Troll King, despite being pierced by thirteen lances and slashed over thirty times, survived and retreated north of the Mourning Mountains to lick his wounds and plan his return.
This series of victories, later dubbed "Ryan's Scorched Fields," was hailed as another masterpiece in the illustrious military career of Bretonnia's greatest king.
Mid-2517 saw an unusual alliance. Vampire Lord Zacharias the Everliving led a massive undead army against Wissenland. Just as Wissenland's defenders were on the verge of collapse, reinforcements arrived—but it was not what anyone expected.
The Tomb King Queen Khalida of Lybaras led her army of ancient Nehekharans into battle, joining forces with the Wissenland defenders to repel Zacharias.
In Middenland, the legendary Beastman warlord Kazrak One-Eye crowned himself the Supreme Beastlord of Drakwald. Vowing revenge for the Three Kings Battle, he launched raids on nearby villages. However, with Boris Todbringer's army arriving, the severely weakened Beastmen, having lost most of their elite forces during the Three Kings Battle, were forced to retreat deep into the Drakwald Forest.
The year ended with an epic battle near Altdorf. Emperor Karl Franz, during a routine patrol to clear the Bloodpine Forest of Greenskin Spider Tribes, encountered a massive Goblin horde led by the self-proclaimed "Spider King," Rakknik. The two armies clashed in a brutal engagement.
Karl Franz used most of his provincial infantry and a few elite Greatswords as bait while hiding his elite Reiksguard and personal army in reserve. As the Greenskins committed their full forces, the Emperor sprang his trap, leading a devastating countercharge alongside the Reiksguard, the Franz Guard, and the arriving Gryphon Knights.
The plan succeeded, routing the Greenskins. However, just as victory seemed assured, Rakknik arrived with reinforcements. Using a minor Waaagh! spell, he struck down the Emperor, nearly killing him.
At this critical moment, Deathclaw, Karl Franz's griffon, heroically protected its master until the Emperor regained consciousness. Mounting Deathclaw, Karl Franz leaped into the air and struck Rakknik down with the warhammer Ghal Maraz, ending the battle and securing a hard-won victory.
Thus, the Imperial Year 2517 came to a close.
Time flew by, and the Imperial Year 2518 arrived.
In February, Alfred Damian von Lane, the Western Bretonnian Archbishop of the Church of Justice, was leading prayers in the ancient district of Freyja in Mousillon. Under Alfred's efforts, the Church of Justice had gained a significant following in the region. While the Lady of the Lake Church remained the state religion, Alfred was one of the most beloved figures in Mousillon. He provided safety, education, and hope to the common people, founding schools that even the children of serfs could attend.
After finishing his daily lessons and prayers, Alfred returned to the cathedral.
Now in his forties, Alfred had grown a long beard. As a rising figure in the Church of Justice, Alfred enjoyed significant autonomy. As Ryan had once remarked, Alfred was fortunate to have a clean slate, allowing him to build an entirely new organization from the ground up.
Yet Alfred faced his own troubles.
The first of these was his four-year-old son, Bruce Wayne. It had recently been discovered that the boy possessed magical talent—a double-edged sword in this world. Such children were often ostracized by their peers and faced a difficult choice: either be taken by Morgiana, the Fay Enchantress, or sent abroad to a magical academy.
Alfred wanted to keep his son close and raise him himself, but this was simply not an option.
Initially, Alfred planned to send Bruce to the Imperial College of Magic. However, recent events in Bretonnia gave him pause.
Five boys who had been taken by the Lady of the Lake returned after over a decade. They were hailed as "Children of Bretonnia" and elevated to the rank of knights, enjoying privileges equivalent to the Lady's Prophets. All were powerful warriors, on the cusp of reaching Sanctuary level.
It turned out that not all boys taken by the Lady were lost forever—some could return, transformed into extraordinary individuals.
As a father, Alfred couldn't help but hope for the best for his son. But what if Bruce didn't return?
While wrestling with this dilemma, Alfred was interrupted by an urgent report: "Archbishop, an emergency message from Altdorf!"
Taking the sealed letter bearing the mark of Grand Theogonist Volkmar, Alfred's face turned grim as he read its contents.
"What's the situation, Archbishop?" a paladin asked.
After rereading the letter several times, Alfred furrowed his golden brows. "Grave news. A massive Chaos warband led by Khorne's chosen champion, Grak'Zor Fire-Axe, has entered the Empire. The Grand Theogonist has received a divine revelation: this warband must be destroyed before they desecrate the ancient seals hidden in the Great Forest."
"The Grand Theogonist has commanded all Church districts across the Old World to muster their forces and march to war," Alfred declared. "Very well. Order our forces to assemble! We will answer the call!"
"Yes, Archbishop!" the paladin replied, rushing to relay the orders.
The Freyja district burst into activity as troops mobilized for the first time in years. Under Alfred's leadership, along with dozens of Templar Knights and Hospital Knights, they prepared to cross the Gray Mountains and join the Church of Justice's grand army in Altdorf.
Before departing, Alfred made a brief visit to Ryan's castle in Jean to inform him of the situation.
Four days later, in the reception hall of Ryan's ducal castle.
"The Church of Justice is summoning the armies of the Old World?" Ryan said, standing before a stained-glass window with his back to Alfred. The Knight King exuded an aura of calm authority. "This is... unusual."
"It's a rare occurrence, Your Majesty," Alfred replied, now too reverent to address Ryan as an old friend. "As Archbishop, I must answer Volkmar's call."
"That's fine. Go with confidence," Ryan said, nodding without turning around. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Where are the Chaos forces?"
"In the Shadow Forest of Ostermark. We'll need to cross the Talabec River," Alfred replied, handing the letter to Olica, who passed it to Ryan. "It's said the forest contains ancient seals dating back to the time of the Savior. They're holding back powerful Chaos artifacts and creatures. We must stop the invaders."
Ryan read Volkmar's letter, which described the seals weakening due to recent disturbances in the Winds of Magic. Chaos forces were growing bolder, and the gods of the Old World had taken notice, issuing one divine decree after another.
This was... the beginning of the apocalypse.
And Alfred's march was its harbinger.
Ryan clenched the letter in his hand.
It's happening sooner than expected.
The Great Ward of the Old Ones was beginning to fail completely.
"Go, Alfred!" Ryan finally turned around.
"May the Lady and the God of Justice bless you!"
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