Johannes Pratze:
Johannes listened to Rhuobhe's agitated elaboration. As they had learned before this was a most passionate topic to the Elf.
Admittedly it bordered on Johannes' attention span and it took some concentration to unravel actual content.
"So you don't know whether the beastmen are night active or day active either?"
"
I am not sure. Despite it being my goal, their extermination, reliable knowledge is lacking ... and they change, too. That's why I only say things I'm certain of. But good guess would be looking at them, if they have night-time animal eyes, they see in the dark. Their natures are mockeries of natural order, after all. Some mimicry may exist."
Johannes Pratze:
"Sorry, you lost me there: what have Elven Rune Stones to do with beastmen or Herdstones?"
Elf raised finger, then focused inwardly trying to remember and translate again what he knew.
"
Elven Runestones serve similar purpose as water-gates on rivers serve in Empire. Regulate flow of magic in the world, so it's less harmful. Geheimnisnatch only once per year instead of every full moon. Some serve as seals on ancient undying evils, I guess. Like human prisons for those you can't just execute and get on with life afterwards. The goal and concept is to protect, regulate and suppress the worst of what magic can bring. This is the explanation from a priest of elf god of magic I understood. Destroying them causes trouble of the magical kind and some elves are as vengeful as dwarves, since nobody in Laurenorn can build them anymore."
His face soured at the last admission, then he continued speaking.
"
The Beastmen Herdstones? Outside of being demonic altars, like you said good priest, they serve as totems, graves of respected war-leaders ... generally a monument to some foul leader's memory. Magically they are a mockery and danger. They make magic twist the surroundings with more beastmen taint, warp the land, trees and animals nearby. Beastmen generally erect those in places where they defiled a temple, toppled a Runestone or their demonic masters told the shaman to erect in particular location. They amplify, warp and curse the magic flow ... almost like a poisoner who drips poison in the community well. Cursed things they are."
Johannes Pratze:
"I was not aware that mutants and beastmen threaten the Empire together."
"But since we had that birdfooted mutant among the beastmen it does make sense indeed."
"
I don't know much, just read about how humans abandon cursed children in the woods and how sometime later a beastman resembling that cursed child may lead a warband to burn that village down. Evil using people's kindness to cause more harm, basically. Beastmen raising these mutants as one of them seems like logical point, right?"
Johannes Pratze:
"And you're saying that the size of their horns mark superiority? And with mutants not having horns, they are clearly treated as inferior? I would have assumed the mutants to be more intelligent or rational than beastmen. You know, them being humans before mutation."
"The beastmen we fought were rather bent on mayhem and destruction, less tactics or strategy. Certainly cunning."
"
They live as savages, envy and hate everything that isn't them ... including civilization of elves, humans or dwarves. Why would they value intellect? And some of those mutants were abandoned infants. I doubt they managed to learn much."
Johannes Pratze:
"So you say it's their shamans that are the true leaders of a herd?"
"
Certainly in some cases. But it's like a priest performing also the duties of a mayor. I think. More typically the strongest in a tribe leads it, while a shaman advises the current leader. Then next leader ... after the previous dies or is replaced less brutally."
Johannes Pratze:
"And they derive their power from their unholy altars which are the herdstone? So destroying a herdstone would deprive a shaman of its power?"
"
Would destroying a temple of a dedicated priest deprive him of his holy blessings? They are foul mockery of all we hold dear, that includes virtues like piety. Destruction of those unholy altars is certainly advisable, but it would often be easier to kill the shaman first. Like shaman not being a house-sized slab of stone for example."
Johannes Pratze:
"Looks to me we definitely need to learn whether a shaman is at the heart of this. And if there is, then there's bound to be a herdstone we would need to destroy, too."
"
And call human army for that. With witch hunters from your main temple, trained in destruction of unholy artifacts. I don't wish to cause harm with well intentioned but wrongly done destruction of such an altar of evil, to for example invoke a curse on the land that'll kill every plant from horizon to horizon or set the forest on fire with us inside."
Johannes Pratze:
Johannes then listened to Bert's musings.
"It's not as if each and every herdstone is the same, right? Only when we know its size we may determine what it takes to destroy or topple or remove."
Elf nodded.
"
Some are nothing more than statues to the glory of evil, yes. But I'm afraid that I lack knowledge and experience on how to tell the difference. I only read about those things ... most of not-beastmen who see these do it as victims and sacrifices."
Johannes Pratze:
"Either way, unless you have experience with gunpowder... and the crowns to purchase.", he trailed off as he remembered those bombs of the smugglers.
"
I wish I had the crowns to learn more human alchemy. It's a fascinating study and may lead to even more interesting prospects. When alchemists don't blow themselves up, or poison someone with shoddy concoction."
Johannes Pratze:
"A lure for the shaman only? No doubt a good idea. I think magic would be a good attraction. After all, as I understood there's only one shaman per tribe, right? So essentially any other magic is direct competition that requires his full attention."
"
I believe that may be true. Especially if we have people ready to shot the shaman dead before it casts magic. I heard of only one beastmen shaman that's immortal. It ressurects every hundred years or so."
Johannes Pratze:
Bert's question about how the beastmen would react if their leaders were put out were to the point and he looked at Rhuobhe for the Elf's assessment.
"
They are savages, of course that they'll do as greenskins do in such situation. Mess it'll be."