Letting the Band know is different from immediately trying to convince them to move into the Xaos lands en masse. The way it reads now, the MC is concealing potentially vital intelligence information from the Band. The MC could instead present that information with caveats about how scouts will need to verify things first. It is indeed a big shift in mindset and such shifts take time which is all the more reason to start the process early. The stranger is of questionable veracity, but most of the remaining information on the Xaos lands comes from the Hegemony whose truthfulness is even more doubtful depending on the MC’s views. The MC might also choose to convey Horion’s tale of the Xaos lands for a slightly more detailed briefing to the band. I do not mean to make light of the dangers of the Xaos lands which both stories emphasize in horror, but the MC must weigh those dangers against Theurges armed with oil of vitriol flying overhead.
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that phials of aetherial blood are probably the most valuable items in the band other than possibly the enchanted spears for very small bands. It seems to me that any remaining phials could be dealt with at the same time that the MC hands over the MC’s weapons. Some wisard MCs might prefer to hide remaining phials for later personal use while other wisard MCs might want to entrust them to Yebben where they might be of use if needed while the MC is away. It just feels like a rather important oversight to never mention what becomes of such valuable items when (depending on choices) Horion mentions that aetherial blood cannot be carried across a Xaos ward.
At the start of Chapter 4, we have the option to spend wealth to win over the Yeomanry but that option is not currently present at the end of Chapter 2. I suggest that if it is not too much trouble, the option to win over the Yeomanry should also be present at the end of Chapter 2. As someone who has played the game many times, I know to save funds at the end of Chapter 2 for Yeomanry public relations in Chapter 4 but that would not be obvious to someone playing for the first time.
I always play an INT 2 MC but I only recently played a hidden wisard. So I only recently actually earned the “Stand and Fight” achievement. Having earned that achievement, I would say that the bigger achievement was killing the Theurges in the tent all at once followed by destroying the Phalangite supply train. Both of those felt like important victories but standing and fighting after that just felt like a mistake even though we won. I suggest that there be an achievement for destroying the Phalangite supply train and possibly one for killing the Theurges.
I nominate destroying the Phalangite supply train and killing the Theurges as other candidates in the threat perception category. Using the “trick” on the sheep raid in Chapter 3 might also be worth a small bump to threat perception considering that the MC fielded over 100 “bandits” several days into open grasslands who then all slip away so far as we are told.
EDIT: The History section of the World Index addresses whether the first Thaumatarch actually discovered Theurgy.
On a purely cosmetic note concerning the 10 weeks of winter in Chapter 2, I suggest that the main screen for each week should indicate the week number at the top. If you lose track of the week, then I am unaware of a way to find it out during the week so you run the risk of assigning scouts to missions that won’t complete before the end of winter.
Also, if you get the chance, I still suggest that the text should be changed regarding how a wisard MC feels about the Tagmatarch with the permanently enchanted blade. The Theurges are the true threat since if not for them, a wisard MC could lift and then drop the Tagmatarch.