Coffee, Code, and Chronicles

The Purple Hand is an insidious cult dedicated the Chaos god of Tzeentch, known also as the The Changer of Ways. The cult seeks to bring the downfall of the Empire and in the upheaval realize a quest of power that will bring about change, in its most primal sense. This goal is affected through the manipulation and infiltration of Cult members in political and religious positions as well as the corruption of those already in power.  The cult is highly effective in these positions and sows rumors that pit many factions against each other to affect Tzeentch's goal. Unfortunately, the Purple Hand's power makes other cults of the Ruinous Powers envious rivals. The strife attenuates the Purple Hand's plans as other cults work against them. Khorne cultists may murder the best agents of the Purple Hand. Nurgle cultists may sow sickness in a district of a city that a well placed agent may have an interest in for rents or commerce. Slannesh cultists will leverage a vice a particular ...

There once was a ranger so bold,   Who joined a wild band for some gold.   On a dwarven steamship,     Mid the waves' furious grip,   His head flew off—lost in the cold   So goes the tale of the Owly in many port taverns on the Sea of Claws. Untold is that his murderer met summary justice in the labyrinthine decks of the HIS Potemkin.

Niklos Kaunitz was born under the sign of Mummet the Fool in 2497 IC. Raised by an artistic father that traded in calligraphy for social and official business, Niklos was expected to carry on his father's trade. While he was naturally gifted with a brush and ink, he was bored with “learning his letters." Niklos instead found trading his physical talents as muscle earned far better coin, to one that didn't have a lot of expenses living under another's roof. When the roof was no longer available, Niklos's coin didn't go as far. He still could earn with his fists. Niklos's follow through in a fight was earning him a reputation. You owed Niklos in a card game and couldn't pay, pray he pulled his punches and left you with coin for a drink to numb pain. Niklos ran a few games in Übersreik before the Institute crossed his path. He was about to petition “the Guild" for more tables for games and cement his position as a racketeer. Yet Niklos soon found hims...

In the Old World, magic and miracles are real. A powerful wizard may pull on the ropes of color energy known as the Winds of Magic to cast a spell and a pious priest may utter a practiced prayer to invoke his god's blessing or curse. In each practice, enough wielding of the winds or the touch of a god will mark the individual. Some believe these marks not to be a symbol of power or blessing, but a sign of corruption, and for the magic user and priest these marks may earn them a sentence of cleansing by fire in the town square. For the Celestial, or Blue, Wizard, the mark may manifest as an Aura of Tranquility or more commonly Disturbing or Alarming Visions with no context or meaning. A Celestial Wizard may also be enveloped the scent of fresh air; an advantage in the dung filled streets of an Imperial City, but disturbing to animals and many denizens. For the priest, similar marks may appear. A priestess of Myrmidia for example may become vengeful to a fault. Develop a kinship with...

The Lady of the Lake is Bretonnia's patron goddess. “The Lady" and her cult is the very foundation of the kingdoms of Bretonnia. Appearing before the knight Gilles le Breton and his closest counsel more that 1500 years ago, on the eve of a great battle, she blessed each them and with a sip from a magical grail, made them the first Grail Knights. They went into battle the next day to defeat a massive Greenskin army of Orcs and Goblins. The victory cemented the feudal system of Bretonnia. Rarely worshipped outside Bretonnia, within the Empire The Lady is seen as a servant of the goddess Myrmidia. Blasphemy, even heresy, in Bretonnia, this understanding aligns well with Myrmidia's warlike aspect and martial ken. In some seminaries, especially Myrmidian, the teaching goes so far as to state that The Lady is just another name for Myrmidia. Then there is the question of The Lady's most faithful servants and messengers, the Grail Damsels. It is whispered these messengers are ...

Knob. Poor Knob. Faithful Knob. Earnest Knob. Knob the squire. Knob the flea. Knob the load. Throughout the Empire, there are zealots of every sanctioned and outlawed cult. Always a sight to behold, and sometimes fear, these zealots can be mere street barkers, sign bearers, or the celibate and poor faithful priests serving their cult. On the other extreme are the fanatics, the flagellants, and the gangs of screaming men (and women) throwing themselves on the shield walls of greenskin, zombie, or mutant armies in far flung parts of the Old World. Knob is closer to the former than the latter. He is an Sigmar anchorite, and a very bad one as he will often find himself much like a hermit, wandering from place to place, alone, only to begin troubling some faithful for company. Knob is often encountered in fervent prayer atop a forgotten pier in a harbor or fallen tree or tree stump in a river. Awakened by a ship's bell or the sounds of men shouting on a passing vessel, Knob will begin e...