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Vorgeheim -12-22-2493
"Good… good… it didn't cost as much as I thought it would. If the Cathayan merchants bring in around two million crowns a year from the tolls, that should more than cover the expenses of the guards, the construction of fortresses, and even the pay for the mercenary army to keep fighting the greenskins," I said, consulting a ledger and estimating the toll income based on what the cities protecting the pass collected.
"Not that expensive? You've spent an enormous amount of gold on something that won't bring you immediate profit… you're spending on cities, building fortresses and railroads all over the region, as well as paying a massive mercenary army to fight and burn forests in your name… on a very active frontier," Katarin retorted, reading the ledger.
"Well then… shouldn't we not go to Kislev? That would be the same thing: spending huge amounts of gold and men to drive thousands of cultists and mutants from the region," I answered, giving her a taste of her usual sarcasm.
"good one… only I don't understand how you can spend so much on a campaign and be content with so few results. Father has many campaigns planned that would allow us to exploit countless resources if we achieved victories: rebuilding Kislev, selling in the markets, and obtaining more funds to finance the armies that fight for the motherland," said Katarin.
"That's how long-term income works. Unlike Kislev, here I'm not cornered, where every coin matters and every trained soldier can change the outcome of a battle. Here I must think ahead. We're not far from Karak Eight Peaks, a great dawi fortress lost to the greenskins and now being reclaimed. Can you imagine the gifts I could receive from the dawi if I helped recover it? This anti-magic ring would be a trifle compared to what High King Thorgrim keeps in his vaults: perhaps armor from the war of the Beard, or relics even older from the Dwarfs' Golden Age. That's what I'm aiming for: something with great runic power," I replied.
"Besides, this benefits the Empire: now we have greater control over the greenskin tribes and fewer invasions from the south. That is what matters. Later I can go to Altdorf and request recruitment permits. Though I think I've already recruited as much as possible—at least until the next generation—Averland and Nuln might authorize more and raise men. I'll train and equip them with the finest weaponry in the Empire, securing cheap raw materials thanks to my betrothed's father… with that I'll expand my influence within the Empire by selling affordable arms, and gunpowder at inflated prices. It's a long-term plan that will fill my coffers," I concluded.
"I understand that part of the plan… only your expenses seem far too high for something that might bear fruit years from now, perhaps in the next decade," said Katarin.
"That's how investments work: if you expect immediate returns, it's rarely the best course; you're sacrificing something. But this will be a safe investment with swift results: within a year and a half I'll have recouped everything invested in the campaign—from supplies to recruitment to the construction of cities and fortresses—so it's relatively quick. Of course, there's always the risk of disaster: a greenskin invasion or a wave of Chaos followers. The next year, or the year after, I'll continue the campaign to dominate the remaining princes; for now we must wait for this first round of investments to take effect and then keep reinvesting," I explained.
"And what will happen when you leave? I thought you wanted to name yourself Elector Count in this region… are you investing this wealth for the benefit of others?" Katarin asked.
"At first I thought of becoming Elector Count by emptying the land of its people. But after seeing the reality—that the people here cannot be trusted—I changed my mind. I'm aiming for governance through governors, as the Emperor does: he has the power to dismiss them without needing proof of treason; it is enough to say their services are no longer required. I'll leave a group of vassals in charge in my absence, assisted by dawi administrators, and thus we'll have a stable government that extracts the maximum profit from the population," I replied.
"Let's hope nothing arises that forces you to divert your attention then… may Ursun protect these lands so your aid may serve the motherland and we may fight the corrupting forces that plague Kislev," said Katarin.
"Yes, Katarin. We leave today. I've already taken care of everything: we only need to return to Nuln, and we'll be in Kislev within days… the railway between Altdorf and Nuln is ready as well, so I can ensure it's used to move men and supplies to help Kislev as soon as possible," I answered, stretching.
"I'll make sure I'm ready for our departure," said Katarin, and at once she went to prepare her things—furniture and belongings of pure ice, as Kislevite sorceresses favored.
It didn't take long to set everything in order before departing. I made a quick recruitment among the locals of Akendorf; I had them swear the oath to Sigmar to secure their loyalty somewhat—though I disliked leaving locals armed to defend the lands, the other options didn't convince me either. Leaving thousands of my battle-hardened men as mere guards wasn't optimal: to train a veteran through dozens of battles only to have him watch roads seemed a waste. And I could not trust mercenaries: relying on the loyalty of one is like building on mud.
Still, I kept mercenary forces stationed in areas with large greenskin settlements, paying them per head they brought me and encouraging them to launch periodic skirmishes. If they thought their contractor wasn't present, they would have incentive to fight instead of lazing about.
I recruited ten thousand locals and handed them all the old weapons I could salvage from my victories in the region. I left some of our finest veterans as instructors: their task would be to protect the fortresses under construction and secure the roads used by Cathayan caravans. Many of the most trusted captains I appointed as administrators of the new territories; the local dawi were left as co-administrators—though many couldn't read or write, their role was partly ceremonial and partly a guarantee of order. The true administrators of trust were the dawi; they were not the same as their mountain cousins, but they shared a similar sense of duty, though less unyielding.
I left fortresses guarding the key areas, fortified the rivers to the west and south, and negotiated with the dawi, who looked favorably upon the Imperial annexation of the region. With everything ready to depart, I wrapped up the last preparations and prepared to march.
While my forces marched north, I took a short detour to Barak Varr, where I met with the Dwarf King of the city to update the agreement on the underground district of Marienburg. It seemed they had accepted our terms: we would not excessively interfere with their legal control of the district and would grant them broad autonomy—the dawi would largely self-govern—in exchange for paying the proper taxes. Their only demand was that Imperial courts not meddle in their internal disputes.
With no disagreements, and after talks with their representatives, I managed to purchase three ships from the dawi, who promised to send them to Marienburg once completed. They would be dwarf warships to guard our coasts; the crews would reside in Marienburg, but the vessels would be operated by the dawi themselves. It was a good bargain struck with those dwarf kings.
With that concluded, I rejoined the marching column. Within a few days we were back at Black Fire Pass, where we found the Cult of Sigmar's fortress still under construction, aided by the dawi of Karak-Norm. It was a fortification that had not ceased to grow: colossal walls nearly matching the height of the surrounding hills. Though much of it was still being built, there was no doubt that once completed it would be an almost impregnable bastion of the Empire.
We were warmly received by the Cult. I negotiated with the arch-lector in charge of the new fortress so that the Cult would finance churches in my new territories; they accepted immediately. They pledged to build ten churches and send a hundred warrior-priests and witch hunters to secure the region against corruption.
Our march through Averland was swift and uneventful: the weather favored us, and the reports indicated my lands were stable—only a minor naval attack had been intercepted by the Imperial fleet. Everything seemed calm, and the harvest promised to be bountiful.
Instead of wasting time and gold in Altdorf on wedding ceremonies and pomp, I boarded the train and we sped north to Kislev. If anyone asked, I would say it was on urgent business for the Cult; that would not be a lie.
I do not believe the God of Humanity cares whether I go and slaughter thousands of mutants, or face Chaos champions in battle, while aiding a state that will serve as the first shield against the great invasion to come. That, for now, was far more important than any courtly pageantry.
So we gathered a vast amount of supplies in Nuln and Altdorf; once we connected to the railway, it took us barely a day to reach Kislev—literally a journey of hours instead of the weeks it would have taken by march. The railway carried us from Altdorf to Bechafen in a single day.
Of course, not the entire army traveled at once: for now the line was triple—two tracks for smooth two-way travel, and a third dedicated solely to moving materials from Kislev back to Reinsfeld or Marienburg as needed. Progress had been rapid: the line already reached Kislev, and my workers were busy extending it toward Praag to make the journeys even more productive.
"How is it possible that it's summer and still this cold here?" I said as I stepped off the train, followed by Katarin, who smiled as she gazed upon the lands of her nation.
"Kislev is no land for the weak… summers are not warm, but they are bearable; winters are harsh, like the people of Kislev. Let us not waste time: let's go to the palace to see if my father is here," Katarin replied.
"You go. I need to organize the materiel we brought. We have a mountain of weapons to prepare for your father," I told her as I walked over to my men unloading crates full of muskets recently manufactured for Kislev.
There was a bustle at the station: a crowd gathered around us, watching with curiosity as we unloaded supplies and weaponry. Soon city guards arrived in fine armor—clearly in the service of the Tsar—and before long Katarin appeared again, now accompanied by her father. He arrived astride his enormous war bear, while she rode close by on a proud white horse.
Clearly understanding the purpose of their arrival, I ordered more of my men to unload the crates containing the muskets.
Once they were stacked, row upon row of boxes revealed the rifles neatly arranged inside.
The Tsar Boris immediately dismounted from his bear and began inspecting the weapons.
"How many have you brought?" was his first question to me.
"Straight to the point, eh… Twenty thousand of these. Could have been more, but I still have to supply the Imperial army, replacing losses from training. The rest of the crates are ammunition and powder we brought along," I replied, while my men continued to unload crate after crate.
"How many men will come to our aid?" asked the Tsar, thoughtful but with a smile that kept spreading across his face.
"Forty thousand. They'll arrive and spend a few days in Kislev to acclimatize and get used to their new winter gear… I can already see it will be a hard campaign," I answered.
"Excellent… Let us discuss the price of everything at the palace," said the Tsar, leading me toward the city.
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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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