Franz Lohner's Chronicle - Watchful Peace
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.
Dearest Diary … You don’t mind if you and me share a moment of calm, do you? Because it’s still pretty damn stressful out there.
That’s not to say it’s all bad, of course. Things have settled down a bit since I last scribbled out my thoughts. I don’t think we’re gonna have outright war within the Ubersreik Five, thank Sigmar. But even so, we’re a long way from normal. Of course, what exactly constitutes “normal” has never had what you might call the benefit of a majority opinion, but the one thing we can all agree on is that having a beloved friend and teammate become a dread Necromancer is definitely not that!
Kruber’s convinced that our Sienna isn’t really our Sienna at all, but is somehow under the thrall of her dead sister. Gotta say that I’m not sure whether or not I hope that’s true. Means that Sienna not being herself is because Sienna really isn’t herself. But it also conjures the spectre – no pun intended – that she’s a prisoner in her own body … if she’s there at all. Might be better if she’d just lost her marbles, all things considered, but it’s a close one.
As for Kruber? Well, I don’t have the heart to burst his bubble. Underneath that magnificent moustache he’s clearly taking things hard. There’s a saying about this. Something about refusing to accept the facts and a river in Nehekhara. Damned if I can remember it, mind.
Anyway, it’s playing merry hell with our business, I can tell you. Saltzpyre refuses to go on any mission that Sienna’s on. Says it’s down to a lack of trust, but between you and me, I reckon he’s more worried about his own behaviour than hers. A lifetime polishing Sigmar’s spiritual buttons ain’t lightly cast aside, and I can only imagine what he’s suppressing to let things go on as they are.
Funny that. Never saw Salty as the gallant sort, but folk can surprise you.
Kerillian’s the other way with it, of course. Won’t let Sienna out of her sight. Right now I can’t tell if she’s got a bad case of the Krubers, or because – out of everyone – she has the most experience of treating with dark powers. She ain’t exactly one for talking about her feelings at the best of times, and nowadays ain’t those, not by a long chalk.
But you know, I think Bardin’s taking it hardest. Dwarfs are practical folk first and foremost, and it’s killing him that there’s no practical solution to what’s overtaken Sienna. Doesn’t help that darkness is different for dwarfs than the rest of us. When they go a bit funny, it normally comes out as obsession, not a slide into the nefarious. He’s travelled further than most of us and seen more, but this … Well, it’s new to him, and we all know how dwarfs hate change.
What about me? Honestly, I just want everything back the way it was. The keep’s quiet now. Everyone’s watching each other like hawks. Never thought I’d miss the bickering and backbiting, but there it is.
I really should do something, I know that, but it ain’t just Bardin who’s out of his depth. What we really need is a good crisis to shake things up, Sigmar help me for saying so.