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Geneline Ogre (incomplete) have been found
Geneline Manavore is incomplete. Greatly increase hunger and greatly decrease magical sensitivity. Unable to extract nutrients/magic from purely magical creatures (elentals and daemons).
Geneline has Magical Imprinting but no magical imprint. Geneline will automatically adapt and be conditioned to be loyal to the being who imprints them. (current collective default: the Great Maw)
Geneline corruption resistance is in conflict with Manavore and Magical Imprinting
Would you look at that, Old Ones unfinished project to make soldiers against Chaos. And now I have it. If I can finish this, I can get myself another race of powerful creatures. A big if at that. Judging from the genelines, these ogres were supposed to be the vanguard against Chaos and daemons if Manavore is complete. Maybe this is why the ogres are sequestered to the Mountains of Mourn by the Old Ones because of them being unfinished. Not to ntion the ability to sustain themselves by eating magic and daemon. Then there’s the Magical Imprinting. At least it is complete. But it seems like that it is accidentally triggered when the ogres first see the Great Maw that they subconsciously imprint on it because the Great Maw represents endless hunger that the ogres also have while Firebellies are ogres that imprint on their volcano god, the Fire Mouth or sothing. The Magical Imprinting also looks like a safety asure so that they are loyal to the Old Ones. Finally, there’s the corruption resistance. I guess this is also the biggest hurdle for the Ogre to be finished in ti by the Old Ones. Making a geneline that actively resist corruption and magical mutation but also have to make it compatible with geneline that are specifically linked to magic.
As for how Magical Imprinting triggers while also being blocked by Corruption Resistance, it must be a matter of survival that one geneline is prioritized over the other. I don’t know about the Great Maw but from what I know about the Firebellies, they co to exist after one particular ogre survives eating the lava extracted from their Volcano God. As of now, I think I can imprint the ogre I am currently having. I don’t know about converting the rest of the ogres. But it will be nothing short of impossible unless they willingly join. Which I also doubt. They look pretty content following their current way of life.
After this, all that is left is formalizing the alliance with Zhao Ming. Thinking back, he is quite a shrewd person. Despite his gregarious appearance and personality, he is very good at scheming. While he has an alliance with the ogres, last I check, Cathay doesn’t exactly like the ogres. I think I have read the notion of Cathay wanting to exterminate the ogres but I don’t know if this is only from a certain faction or the entire Cathay in general. Should the alliance not pan out, my herd will battle the arriving ogres along with Cathay soldiers with their Dragon Lord. I don’t know what his plans are but if he manages to minimize his people's casualties, judging from the number of ogres that arrived, the ogres will be quite weakened should I win. If this happens, there’s a chance he might want to restart diplomatic talks. But since the alliance pan out, what’s better than one powerful alliance if not two. Not to ntion two allies that will keep each other in check. With how easy he can call the ogres, he can call the ogres again if there’s a problem with my herd and he can call my herd for help in case the ogres step out of line. If he went for the friend of all playbook, should one of the allies make trouble, he will call for assistance on the other. Only for his representative to co late and just in ti before the conflict escalates at least or before the conflict fully erupts at most. Thus reinforcing his neutral and friendly position. All the while minimizing the casualties on his end. But that is a problem for tomorrow. Now I lie on my fur bed and sleep.
—
Woke up in the morning as usual. Already my belly is huge with pregnancy. Should be giving birth to my ogre child sowhere in the afternoon. Surprisingly the ogre chieftain that fucks still around. Already awake but just sitting silently. Staring then looking away when I make eye contact.
“What? You need sothing?” As I said that and sat up, he just stood and left the tent. Followed with a raucous cheer from the ogres. I get up and leave the tent to see what the ruckus are.
“OUR CHIEFTAIN FINALLY FUCKS!” So of the ogres shouts loudly and the cheer gets even louder when I open my tent flap and leave the tent. This is certainly new. So of the ogres co around and bump the chieftain’s shoulder in congratulation.
“So that’s what you find pretty.” One of the ogres said that which resulted in a loud sucker punch that knocked him out of consciousness. The ogres cheer even more while I can see how the sides of the chieftain’s face and ears are fully red. He then quickly left, the rest of the ogres giving way while also loudly laughing and such. Never expect a cute reaction from an ogre but here we are. Think I will need to know his na later. Am I smiling? Anyway, I shake my head as I return to my tent for now and wait until I give birth. After that, all that is left is formalizing so trade with Zhao Ming and I can return to Drakwald and prepare.
Few hours later, I gave birth to another twin. Female and male ogre babies. Golden is their skin and they still have so horns and hooves but most of their features are humanoid. From a glance, they are no different than Ungors, the lowest caste of the beastn. But their size is anything but.
“If you keep giving birth to even bigger things like this, I ask to be bigger too.” Mal, the three-eyed shaman complains. The baby is just a bit smaller than the Cygor babies but still it is almost as big as her.
“Very well. Do you want it now?” I ask her. Excluding my children, she has been the one that stays with the longest. Being the caretaker of my newborn and such. She nods and I alter her geneline. Making her half size bigger than before.
“What would you na them?” Mal asks after. Carrying the two newborns with more ease. To this I think for a while. I don’t know how ogres nad themselves. But it should be as crude as orks and beastn. Or should I na them using mongolian nas which the ogres of Warhamr Fantasy partially inspired of. I know they are mostly inspired by a mix of many nomadic cultures but that is the extent of it.
After thinking for a while, I have decided on their na.
“The girl’s na will be Khutulun while the Boy’s na will be Jaghatai.” I decided to just give them so popular nas. Hopefully both can do their na justice. It is also a transition from our mostly tribal culture as this is practically the beastn’s first step into civilizing themselves. My plan is not to be too civilized. Just enough to be accepted by other civilized factions. Mal just nodded.
“One more thing. The human lord wants to et with you.” Mal said before leaving and I got up. Let’s finish this.
—
In the afternoon, in Zhao Ming’s office with Kal, lak, and Solas along with Zhao Ming’s two dragonblooded children and a few advisors.
I pressed my palm together in front of my face as I closed my eyes as I felt the closest thing of feeling embarrassed. Zhao Ming calmly sips his tea, leaving to my thoughts. Let’s see. Kal and Solas have impregnated all prostitutes in a certain brothel. This is to be expected. But now the owner of the whorehouse demands compensation as apparently impregnating a prostitute is counted as buying their life which is not cheap and both of them have bred all of them. Many of which are also apparently a high class courtesan that Solas managed to charm. There’s also the fake gold debacle. Second, Lak did not buy anything yesterday and no one teaches her about money. She just strutted into so stores and took what she and her shamans wanted without paying. Apparently the store clerks do not make a fuss as we are still celebrating our newfound alliance. Thirdly, in hindsight, I should have done sothing but I have beco too laissez faire with my children and now Zhao Ming has been footing the bill from both problems.
I don’t know I can still get second hand embarrassnt from being notified that your children have done sothing.
“I have enough gold to properly compensate you.” I have to notify Marissith about the money issue too.
“You have money?” He asks in genuine curiosity. Not expecting beastn to have money.
“Yes. we just never use it so I forgot to teach my children about it.” Technically we just acquire it as it is Laurelorn’s gold. To this he only hums. His expression is unreadable.
“Very well then. Since you already have money, we can start trading quickly enough just like with the ogres.”
With that, the trade deals proceed as usual. The feast has emptied Shang-Yang food supply and therefore will be importing food from my domain. I buy gunpowder and negotiate steady supply for the materials. The tariff of the cathayan caravan using my gate. On this the discussion is a bit more complicated. It is clear the rchants from the Empire will be very reluctant to use a teleportation gate made by beastn. While it is agreed that Cathayan caravan will therefore do this first, then there’s the problem of a huge cathayan caravan suddenly appearing in Drakwald between Middenheim and Marienburg. This alone can reignite the conflict between the two provinces and there’s still Reikland in the south that can complicate the situation. Not to ntion Cathay cannot exactly suddenly stop using the Ivory Road to trade as it will slight Greasus Goldtooth and his ogre kingdom.
All in all, the current idea is to let small caravans in an express trade as soon as the winter ends. This way, this will stoke so of the Empire’s rchants' greed to finally use my gate, all the while Cathay’s caravan will spread the word of a sowhat civilized beastn tribe that trades and allied with Cathay. Ti to ride that Cathayan prestige as my shield. Once the Empire’s rchants do use my gate, we will enact a strict quota on how many caravans can use my gate. The quota will be mostly for the Empire’s and Araby’s trade caravan as Cathay still has to trade with the ogres and Ind. This will effectively cut Cathayan caravans travel length by half thus expediting the profit.
“One more thing,” Zhao Ming rubs his beard before continuing. “A certain ambitious rchant from Araby has fronted a query if it is possible to open another gate near Lashiek, I believe it is one of their independent cities.”
“Soone asks that!?” I raise my voice. Surprised this is even possible that I didn’t even think about the possibility at all.
“Yes. So, what do you think?”
“No.” I answered imdiately.
“Really? Decided so quickly?” He raised his eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“May I know why?” He asks again.
Gotrek and Felix are there. If I rember the tiline correctly, both are currently in Araby and I refuse to get near them. Mostly because Gotrek and Felix are the closest thing to the main characters in Warhamr Fantasy, even more than Ubersreik Five. So I am not too keen to find out if they have plot armor or not.
“It will take too much ti to get there. The most efficient way to travel there is by sea and I have no ans to do that at the mont.” I made up so excuse. The idea for a third base is appealing, yes. But then I will need to split my force even more and my attention will be further divided.
“I see.” Zhao Ming nods and accepts my answer. It would seem this rchant from Araby does not have high expectations that his request can be done.
“Hmmm. It seems like I am forgetting sothing.” I said as I felt like I had missed sothing.
“If you forget it then maybe it is not that important. Now let’s continue our discussion.”
—
At the sa ti, in the morning off the north coast of Laurelorn
“See anything!?” A dark elven scout shouts to the one checking the river where Manaan runs off to.
“Nothing! How about there!?” the scout that watches the land shouts back.
“Nothing!” answered the scout watching the sea
Following Manaan’s order, the Black Ark stays in position. It is almost afternoon and all waited in bated fearful breath on what Manaan would call a surprise. If they can sail away they would. But a flock of albatross flies far above the black ark, circling, watching, and they are not too keen on repeating what happens below deck.
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