Franz Lohner’s Chronicle - Nasties in the North

An absent-minded man of mysteries, Franz Lohner relies on his bulging journal to keep track of occurrences, intrigues and arguments around Taal's Horn Keep. Sometimes his notes are even useful, believe it or not. The Franz Lohner Chronicles are extracts from that journal.

So, the good news is that I’ve finally got a bit of an explanation for why I’ve had a sense of foreboding of late. The bad news is that I’d rather have never put a name to my pains, because in this particular case that name is “The Chaos Wastes”, and as you might expect, that’s a lot of pain to go around.

Oleysa’s being a bit cagey about it all - big surprise there - but old Franz Lohner ain’t exactly a man without resources of his own, but just as I feared our little forays in search of the Citadel of Eternity have destabilised an already … what’s the word? Febrile, that’s it … situation. Created a power vacuum didn’t we? One which the ratmen and the high mucky-muck Be’lakor, the Dark Master, have been racing to fill. Well, seems that contest’s over, and it weren’t the ratmen what did the winning. Reports are fractured, but there are tales of entire armies of the little buggers getting swallowed up into the shadows and not coming out again. Gives me the shudders just thinking about it.

Now, I’m not normally one to weep for the skaven getting a seeing to, but this don’t exactly feel like good news. Be’lakor’s a schemer, and he’s a darn sight cleverer than most of the folks we go up against, and that’s before you take into account that he’s a bloody daemon. Doesn’t do to go meddling in the affairs of daemons at the best of times, and these definitely aren’t the best of times.

In fact, I’m starting to get the impression that maybe we’ve been used. Things have been a bit odd ever since Saltzpyre “suddenly” had this notion to go looking for the blessed place. I mean, look at Kerillian. Look at Salty himself, for that matter. Then you’ve got Sofia Fuegonasus cackling from the wings like a grand dame at a Tilean production of The Poison Queen. My cup runneth over, verily it does. I don’t like it. Not one bit.

Might be I need to pull in a few favours if I’m getting to the bottom of this. If Olesya’s not going to help, I’d better find someone who will. I’ve plenty of contacts left from my mercenary days, and they can’t all be stuck in life or death battle up on the Kislev border, can they? 

Well, not every last one, surely? I’ll handle it. I always do. But it would be nicer to have a helping hand around here. You need to face it, Franz old son - you’re not getting any younger. Most days, I’m surprised you’ve kept the Ubersreik Five out of trouble as long as you have. They’re a full time job, and no mistake. Maybe Okri can help out a bit? Trick with him is to make it a challenge. 

“Oi, Okri. I bet even you can’t find out what Be’lakor’s up to in the Chaos Wastes!”

Yeah. That oughta do it.

Let’s see what develops.