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Nachhexen-2-2493
I approached the Cathedral of Sigmar once the dreaded Witching had passed, when nearly everyone had remained locked inside their homes —myself included— for I needed some rest from the endless burden of campaigns still ahead. Though I would have liked to return to Reinsfeld and enjoy my luxuries, this year would be a busy one, and likely the rest of the decade as well, until the Empire was cleansed of its internal rot and I could turn my gaze outward.
On this occasion, the cathedral was occupied only by the highest members of the clergy, with the presence of the Reiksguard and the Emperor, who was already inside, waiting for me to speak with the Grand Theogonist.
"Albrecht…" said the Grand Theogonist the moment I stepped into the cathedral, his gaze fixed on me from atop the great stairway that led to the colossal statue of the Twin-Tailed Comet. "I wish to speak with you at once," he added, surrounded by archlectors, with the Emperor at his side.
I walked forward, stopping at the foot of the steps.
"Come up. I will not accuse you yet. I want to hear from your own mouth why you accepted this strange marriage," said the Grand Theogonist.
I ascended until I stood before him.
"Young Albrecht, I want to believe this was done with Sigmar's faith in mind. Certainly, it opens the way for the Cult to expand into new frontiers, and I know it could be so —as with your project in Bretonnia, attempting to illuminate their lives with Sigmar's truth. But a marriage to an unlicensed sorceress… that is excessive," said the Grand Theogonist sternly.
"I know… I truly know," I replied, my voice somewhat nervous as I prepared the ground for my tale. "But during my time in Kislev… I had three visions, Great Theogonist. Sigmar himself showed me glimpses of the future to come… and I must confess: the first vision terrified me."
"Speak. Sigmar always speaks the truth through his champion. I wish to hear and interpret these dreams," said Yorri, the Theogonist, never breaking eye contact.
"When I was set on striking Kislev to reclaim my honor before the dawi, after the broken treaty and the Tzar's refusal to pay me what was owed, that night, as I slept, a vision of Sigmar appeared before me. I saw Kislev utterly desolate, scourged by unspeakable atrocities. Men, women, and children falling into the hands of the corrupted, thousands mutating or being sacrificed to profane gods. The Empire suffered a similar fate: all its great cities falling beneath the greatest invasion yet, led by a new Champion of Chaos," I said, shaking my head and closing my eyes.
The Theogonist stared at me, wide-eyed.
"The vision showed me how each Imperial city fell, how altars of the dead were raised in the names of the profane. Portals opened everywhere… and in the rear, an endless horde of ratmen surged, cutting off all defense of the Empire. I saw the Empire die, fighting alone. And I saw my own death as well," I added with a bitter smile after taking a deep breath.
"I saw myself fighting against an endless tide of daemons. No matter how many I slew, they never ended. At last, my body was torn apart by daemon weapons, unable to withstand any longer, and I fell… to be claimed by profane champions," I concluded gravely.
The Grand Theogonist exchanged looks with the archlectors, and even the Emperor himself seemed shaken by what he heard.
"The End Times… they are near…" said the Theogonist, less severe now, showing genuine concern.
"I fear so, Great Theogonist. That was enough to make me abandon my plan to strike Kislev… If Sigmar wished to convince me, He succeeded. I would not attack them further, even if it meant tarnishing my honor before the dawi. The second and third visions, fortunately, were much more… merciful, if one could say so," I replied.
"Continue, Albrecht. What else did Sigmar show you?" asked the Archlector of Reikland.
"The second left me with the most doubts. This one was meant only for me. I saw a prosperous Kislev, with temples of Sigmar rising alongside Imperial banners, replacing those of the Tzar. I was there, gazing at that land, and at my side stood Princess Katarin. In her arms, she bore two children, and we were united. My interpretation was the union of my house with the throne of Kislev to carry Sigmar's light. That is why I asked the Emperor to intercede in my name —for I had attacked Kislev before, and with my lack of diplomatic skill, it was better he negotiate," I explained.
"That dream is… difficult to interpret. It could indeed be a solution… but considering the first dream, of the End Times, it is evident that Sigmar commands unity," said the Grand Theogonist, glancing at the other clerics, who nodded silently.
"And the third?" asked one of the archlectors, watching me intently.
"The third dispelled my doubts. It was not immediate that I asked the Emperor to intercede. I debated whether Sigmar's command was for a military alliance, or something more. But this last vision resolved my uncertainty. In it, I was with Katarin, the Princess of Kislev, in a cavern… and we found…" I paused, letting the suspense hang.
"What did you find?" asked the Grand Theogonist, almost anxiously.
"The true Ghal Maraz," I answered.
The Emperor's eyes widened. "How is it that… how…?" he muttered, glancing around. "How do you know it is false?"
"Because Sigmar revealed it to His Champion —that much is clear. It is one of the Empire's most closely guarded secrets," replied the Grand Theogonist. "And here is the proof: he knows. He knows the truth. Where did you find Ghal Maraz?" he asked, nearly grasping my hands.
"In Black Fire Pass. That is where Ghal Maraz lies. Those were my dreams, Great Theogonist. Do you think I misinterpreted what only the clergy of Sigmar might understand?" I asked, feigning concern.
The clergy of Sigmar exchanged looks.
"Young Albrecht, if we succeed in finding the hammer wielded by our lord Deus Sigmar, there can be no doubt that your dreams are true, and that a terrible storm draws near. We must prepare. Clearly, Sigmar has chosen to forge an alliance for this event. If that is so, I myself will officiate your marriage. If it is Sigmar's design, I have no choice but to obey. We must march at once to seek Ghal Maraz," declared the Grand Theogonist.
"If it is not too much trouble, Grand Theogonist, in two months I had planned to finance a great military campaign into that region. If you gather your men by then, we can unite our forces and search for Ghal Maraz in safety. It will be far better than rushing blindly and waiting for reinforcements to begin the quest," I replied.
"Two months… two months? Young Albrecht, it is Ghal Maraz we are speaking of…" one of the Archlectors exclaimed, incredulous.
"The hammer has been lost for over two millennia… we can wait two months, so that the search is swift and we can cleanse the region of greenskins and mutants that infest it. The General and Champion of Sigmar clearly knows what he speaks of regarding military campaigns," said the Grand Theogonist.
The rest of Sigmar's clergy remained silent.
"Then we must waste no time. All religious orders must be summoned, all our men mobilized, and every resource of the clergy employed to obtain Ghal Maraz," said one of the Archlectors.
"Indeed. When the time comes, we shall march to Black Fire Pass and reclaim what has always belonged to our Lord," affirmed the Grand Theogonist.
"Then I will begin mobilizing at once. In the meantime, I shall cleanse the forests of Reikland, so that my men gain experience hunting beastmen. But without doubt I shall march with around forty thousand soldiers to aid in the search for our Lord's hammer," I told the Grand Theogonist.
"We are grateful for your aid, and I pray with all my heart that the vision Sigmar granted you soon comes to pass. The Empire must be ready for when the fell hosts march against us once more. We shall be prepared and united as never before," said the Grand Theogonist again.
"With your permission, I shall depart at once for the forests of Reikland, to cleanse them of the filth of the mutants," I said, descending the steps.
"Albrecht," said the Emperor, following me.
"What is it?" I asked as I made my way down swiftly.
"Then… is it true? Those dreams of yours…?" said the Emperor, visibly concerned.
"It is. Sigmar has often guided me to victory or aided me in moments of doubt, but now He has shown me something terrible. As you know, He revealed to me the End Times… the fate of the Empire, should we fail in our plans," I answered gravely.
"Indeed… we must be stronger than ever. We must drive forward our plans at the meeting with the other Electors. Your visions must be made known, so that the Cult of Sigmar sees the need to act in unity," said the Emperor.
"Exactly. For now, I shall do as I said: cleanse Reikland of the beastmen, hurling my army against them, and leave everything as secure as possible before marching to Black Fire Pass to begin the search for the hammer," I replied.
"And what of the meeting in the Volkshalle?" asked the Emperor.
"I have no time for petty politics. Just tell them my vote is for Joachim, nothing more. If you wish, I will leave a signed letter, but I must begin at once. If I mean to cleanse the forests of Reikland, I should have started yesterday," I said as I strode away quickly toward my mansion.
The Emperor nodded and returned to his palace, while I did the same, preparing to set out on my mission to secure the Empire's internal borders.
I wasted no time reaching my mansion, only to find several witch hunters at the gate, attempting to force their way in against the resistance of my guards.
"What is happening here?" I asked, watching the witch hunters who blocked the entrance to my home.
"The answer is obvious," one of them said, pointing at me. My medallion vibrated fiercely.
"There is witchcraft on your property, and you had better give us a very good explanation," the hunter added.
"She is my betrothed… a mage of Kislev, with diplomatic immunity and tolerated by the Grand Theogonist. So unless you want to end up in a cell yourself for overstepping your authority, I suggest you stop pointing your finger at me," I answered, locking my gaze on his.
"Eh…" he faltered, glancing at his companions, who began to retreat. "We were not informed… my apologies, Champion of Sigmar," he finally said, withdrawing from the gate of my mansion.
I entered at once to see what had happened.
"Katarin… you certainly made yourself comfortable," I said upon seeing that one of the chambers I had given her had been completely transformed into ice. She sat upon a throne of solid frost, surrounded by her sorceresses and guards, likewise accommodated on frozen seats.
"The room was empty, so I decided to decorate it a little," she said with a faint smile.
"You realize the witch hunters were outside? You came within a breath of fanatics trying to burn you," I warned her.
"It would be foolish of them to attack our newly forged alliance," she replied calmly.
"No one knows much of the alliance yet, Katarin. You must restrain yourself from using magic, at least until we have the Teogonist's sanction and I see what I can arrange with the Colleges of Magic to prevent such incidents," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"Of course," she replied, staring at me intently.
"Good… now come. We march south. There are beastmen to kill, and you will accompany me. You will earn the respect of the Cult of Sigmar," I told her.
Katarin narrowed her eyes, glanced at her escort, and finally answered: "Very well… I will help you."
I nodded, and at once began sending letters to my captains and to Marienburg to organize the mobilization. Our first objective would be the Skaag Hills: to cleanse that region of beasts before pressing further south and securing the Empire's internal borders once and for all.
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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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