387YE Spring Equinox winds of war
Overview
Over the last three months, Imperial forces have engaged in military campaigns. Sometimes those engagements have been wide ranging and dramatic, other times they have been more sedate. Where there has been dramatic action, or where there are opportunities, we've given a Wind of War its own page; other military actions are discussed here.
As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of War and the Winds of Fortune is to make players aware of things their characters should know, based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing, and to maintain the Empire as a living, breathing place where all kinds of events take place beyond the scope of Anvil.
It should go without saying that we ask everyone to abide by the rules about online roleplaying with regard to the military campaign. It's important that the key in-character activity of the Empire world takes place at events. The game is busier and better if everything that can happen in the field, does happen in the field. Military planning and political discussions should happen at events. For this reason we generally discourage too much downtime roleplaying between events and put strict limits on what can be done online particularly using our forums and Facebook groups.
All that said we now present a summary of the key military activity in the Empire - both with links to the expanded Wind of War pages and notes about other important things that have happened that didn't need a full battle campaign write-up.
Along the Winding Road
From midwinter, the days get longer and the nights shorter. The promise of Spring whispers of renewal, of green shoots and pale flowers amid the frosts. A new year! The three-hundredth-and-eighty-seventh since the founding of the Empire! How changed our nations are, how unchanged the face of war. There are battles in the east and the west, with the south and the north quiet - for now.
There are victories and defeats for Imperial soldiers. The armies of the Empire have withdrawn from Therunin in the west, leaving the Druj free rein to rampage across the Navarr territory. They conquer the Tarn Valley, and pour into Peakedge Song hungry for destruction. Between courageous defenders who will not abandon their homes, and the blessings of the Tarnfather, the ancient houses of healing and life are preserved - but for how long? Worse, as Spring blooms and blossoms and slumbering life awakens beneath the soil, the Ghulai of the Tainted Basilisk, uninterrupted, complete their malignant magical workings and rouse the vallorn of Tharunind to wakefulness.
The Empire is not idle in the east. Four armies come from the south, through the night-haunted forests of Lustri across the borders into the Sarangrave. They find armies of the Druj resting here, disrupting their recovery and forcing them to fight alongside the garrison of the Tower of the Skink to try and hold Imperial soldiers back. The Bloodwater Marsh teems with life, much of it seemingly intent on eating or draining the blood from human and orc alike. The Empire is victorious, but it is slow going, and they have yet to claim a beachhead.
Further south, along the Bay of Catazar, the Imperial presence in the desolate petrified forest of Ayereed comes to an abrupt end. A force of Grendel land-troops sweeps up from the interior, and those soldiers who do not retreat are slain or captured. The Imperial beachhead in the arid south-east is brought to an abrupt end. The Salt Lords now control the southern borders of Mareave once again.
Across the Bay, the defences of the lands most at risk of attack from the sea are bolstered. Folks look to the horizon, watching for the sails that will herald a brutal invasion. In the west, in recently liberated Feroz, the Children of Wrecks launch an attack against the battered town of Oran, pirates, privateers and Imperial traitors eager to loot the imagined treasures of the late and unlamented Governor Rahab. There are few Imperial defenders to stand against them and the unnatural servants of Maelstrom that throng in the waters around their ships. Aid comes from an unexpected source, as the entire garrison of Mora's Rock under Commander Fliesarch comes to the defence of the Brass Coast. Not, they are clear, from any particular love for the Freeborn but because they despise the Children of Wrecks. The raid is turned back, and the Grendel return to their vigil in their mighty fortress.
North, then, to the Marches. Two armies fight the champions of the Jotun for control of Mournwold - and the Ore Hills are once again freed from the yoke of the barbarians. Across the border in the fens of Bregasland, however, things are very different. A host of Jotun erupt from Liathaven, through their magical fortifications at Gravenmarch, and across the marshes. The Strong Reeds rally the defenders, but it is difficult for the household militia to hold back a force of this magnitude. In the end, only the town of Otterly, on the eastern borders, remains in Marcher hands.
As the Jotun invade in the north, Imperial armies gather in the south. Five armies march out of Segura into Reinos, into the Lasambrian Hills, to bring war to the barbarians. The garrisons of the twin castles there do their best, but the Empire quickly conquers the olive groves and the fig orchards of Ribeira and almost all of Bastasor. The Lasambrians refuse to surrender, their Pride driving them to fight the Empire every step of the way. The battles continue.
Across the Empire itself, in Astolat, in Reikos, in Upwold, and Tassato, the rest of the Imperial armies prepare themselves for the year to come. Just over the borders from the fighting, readying themselves, recovering from the battles of the three-hundredth-and-eighty-sixth year of the Empire. The road calls to them, the winding road to battle, to death, and to glory.
Battle opportunities
Imperial prognosticators have identified TBC possible major conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate at the coming summit. The Military Council will muster on Friday night, and the generals will select two of them to be taken up by Imperial heroes. At the moment the full details of these opportunities are not clear; more information will be provided nearer to the event.
All battle opportunities are Combat Highly Likely environments.
| Territory | Opportunity | Location | Opposition | Day | Learn More | CS Briefing |
| Bregasland | Block the path | Sal-Ott Meet, Ottermire | Jotun | Saturday | Glory at the End | PDF Link |
| Reinos | Seize the township | Grismont Road, Bastasor | Jotun | Either Day | Tame Your Fears | PDF Link |
| Sarangrave | Influence the vallorn | Mirereach, Bendol | Druj | Sunday | Miles of Tricks and Trials | PDF Link |
| Nation | Force Weight |
|---|---|
| Brass Coast | 17 |
| Dawn | 61 |
| Highguard | 26 |
| Imperial Orcs | 5 |
| League | 23 |
| Marches | 26 |
| Navarr | 58 |
| Urizen | 13 |
| Varushka | 17 |
| Wintermark | 61 |
The sides for the battles will be chosen by the generals in the Muster of the Imperial Military Council on Friday night. Each of the two battles must have at least 149 and at most 158 force weight sent on it.
Battle participation
If you have your own orc mask please do bring it along as we're keen to ensure we can field a force predominantly comprised of barbarian orcs. If you are unable to wear a mask, then all battle opportunities have limited roles for human barbarian combatants and low-combat roles such as healers, support mages, artisans, messengers and attendants. Player elite monster units (EMUs) are expected to monster as their barbarian orc units, and should not include human combatants.
- The Bregasland opportunity involves monstering as Jotun orcs. Due to the nature of this battle there will be _very_ limited numbers of human yegarra roles.
We will ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of Jotun orcs as normal. You can help by wearing any Jotun, Marcher, or Wintermark-style kit or armour you have, as well as any iconic Jotun weaponry, particularly axes, maces, and circular shields. You can find out more about the iconic Jotun look here, but the key element for portraying the northern Jotun is leather and fur over maile as their iconic look.
- The Reinos opportunity involves monstering as Jotun orcs, human yegarra, and some Lasambrian Jotun.
We will ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of Jotun orcs as normal. You can help by wearing any Jotun, Marcher, or Wintermark-style kit or armour you have, as well as any iconic Jotun weaponry, particularly axes, maces, and circular shields. You can find out more about the iconic Jotun look here, but the key element for portraying the northern Jotun is leather and fur over mail as their iconic look. Lasambrian Jotun can be portrayed by incorporating elements of Freeborn kit or orange material alongside your normal monstering gear.
- The Sarangrave opportunity involves forces composed primarily of Druj orcs
We will ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of Druj orcs as normal. If you have your own orc mask please do bring it along as we're keen to ensure we can field a force predominantly comprised of Druj orcs. You can help by wearing leather or plate armour you have, as well as any iconic Druj weaponry, particularly swords, spears and great weapons, as well as bows of all types. You can find out more about the iconic Druj look here, but the key element for portraying the Druj is a mantle and ragged material layers that echo natural greens, browns, greys, and black, with occasional bright accent colours as their iconic look.
IMPORTANT - we will not be reusing any orc masks to players for these battle opportunities. Our orc masks will only be used once this event and then washed ready for the next event. We are continuing the provision of battle opportunities with non-orc enemies until such a time as we have sufficient masks to run two fully orc-masked battles.
Conjunctions
The Sentinel Gate also allows smaller groups of Imperial citizens to reach locations all over the Empire where their intervention might change the course of events. Many of these conjunctions involve combat, but there are also a variety of other opportunities presented by the magic of the Gate.
For most conjunctions, the Civil Service has identified the Imperial titles that are the most appropriate to take overall responsibility for ensuring that a response is organised. Whilst the individual has been named by the Civil Service, there is no legal requirement for them to coordinate a response or travel on the conjunction. They may delegate oversight to another individual of their choosing. As always, Imperial war scouts will be on hand at the Sentinel Gate to provide further information to any citizens wanting to learn more. They can provide updates on the barbarians' goals, guidance on how to engage the enemy troops or advice on how to avoid casualties and return back to Anvil in safety.
Sometimes it is necessary for us to make small adjustments to the timing or size of encounters at the time of this publication and when an encounter runs at an event. Details for the conjunctions on Friday will be finalised on Friday afternoon of the event before time-in (18:00) whilst details for the conjunctions on Saturday will be finalised on Saturday before time-in (10:00). Please check the details of any conjunction you are interested in as soon as possible to ensure that you have the full and up-to-date information; it might also be sensible to check again shortly before the planned time of the encounter. You can check the details of a conjunction by casting Detect Magic (Discover Conjunction) on the Sentinel Gate in the presence of a referee.
It's very important to pay attention to the accessibility note for each conjunction, which covers the likelihood of combat. Further details about the accessibility of a conjunction are available both before and during the event. You can learn more about this on the accessibility page.
Friday
| Time | People | Duration | Combat | Location | Responsibility | Overview/Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:20 | 5 | 15 mins | Unlikely | Spiral, Apulus, The Cellar Below | Voice of Vigilance | Meet with followers of Berechiah |
| 18:30 | 80 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Therunin, Sweetglades, Broken Copse | Champion of Vigilance | Kill the Lord of Thorns |
| 18:45 | 15 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Bregasland, Grey Fens, Drowner's Dell | Keeper of the Breadbasket | Kill all the greenteeth |
| 19:00 | 90 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Morrow, Altis, Canticulous Valley | Archmage of Winter | Perform Ward of the Black Waste |
| 19:15 | 15 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Holberg, Misericorde, Sacrifice Point | Red-Eyed Reaper | Kill all the greenteeth |
| 20:30 | 80 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | The Barrens, Hope's Rest, Field of Triumph | High Exorcist | Exorcise the tortured souls |
| 20:45 | 15 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Skarsind, Pakaanan's Pass, Osweald | Custodian of the Brilliant Shore | Intercept the cult's vanguard |
| 21:00 | 80 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Therunin, Peakedge Song, Catrin's Glade | Eastern Broker | Rescue the Axou warrior |
| 21:10 | 10 | 30 mins | Possible | Sermersuaq, Stark, Njord Beach Hut | Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind | Investigate the body |
| 21:15 | 15 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Kallavesa, Wittal Grove, Whittling Grove | Strategos of Wintermark | Intercept the bandits |
| 21:30 | 80 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Therunin, Eastring, Tainted Meadow | Blaze Dunning | Destroy the miasma pillar |
| 21:30 | No bows or crossbows after this time | |||||
| 22:20 | 10 | 15 mins | Unlikely | Segura, Burnish, Meadow of Dust and Glass | Curator of the Blood Red River | Draw and name constellations |
| 22:40 | 10 | 15 mins | Unlikely | Segura, Burnish, Meadow of Dust and Glass | Azure Sutannir | Create lore and mythology for the constellations |
| 00:20 | 5 | 25 mins | Unlikely | Skarsind, Pakaanan's Pass, Cave of Bones | Alistair de Vere | Bargain with Tuki of the Little Bones |
Saturday
| Time | People | Duration | Combat | Location | Responsibility | Overview/Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:35 | 8 | 60 mins | Unlikely | Kallavesa, West Marsh, Gull Isle | Imperial Consul | Meet with the godhi |
| 14:30 | 65 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Ossium, Drownbark Forest, Makgore's Grove | Cabalist of the Hollow Stone | Defeat the wreckers |
| 15:00 | 75 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Tassato, Madeiras, Lucrezia's Orchard | Tongs Barossa de Tassato Regario | Kill the wreckers |
| 15:30 | 75 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Zenith, Iteri, Lutum Woods | Warmage | Retrieve the ilium |
| 15:45 | Cadets only | 20 mins | Suitable For Cadets | Sarvos, Uccelini, Smugglers Copse | Cadet Commander | Interrogate the Grendel captain |
| 17:00 | 75 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Mournwold, Alderly, Boar's Hall | Stanley of Chalkdown | Kill Einar the Cunning |
| 17:15 | 100 | 75 mins | Possible | The Barrens, The Untrod Groves, Tournament Square | Enchanter Morien de Carsenere | Attend the tournament of the Earl of the Groves |
| 17:30 | 75 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Kallavesa, Kallavesa Marsh, Hufi's Glen | Woundbinder of the Mark | Defeat the yegarra |
| 18:00 | 65 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Mitwold, Meade March, John's Holt | Bailiff of Meade | Defeat the yegarra |
| 20:00 | 65 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Bregasland, The Rushes, Sallow's Shallows | General of the Strong Reeds | Recover the plundered goods |
| 20:30 | 65 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Reinos, Ribeira, Carmo's Sheepfold | General of the Summer Storm | Kill Carmo Stoneblade |
| 21:00 | 65 | 20 mins | Highly Likely | Reinos, Pedreira, Getshold | Champion of Prosperity | Recover Bulangiin Karadghra |
| 21:30 | No bows or crossbows after this time | |||||
Stronger Than Law (Ossium)
Alert! The traitor Zavetta Voglanova is allied with the Children of Wrecks, and will be bringing storm and plunder to our lands. We are stronger than any traitor - we will defend our homes.
Miroslav Temnavoda, Varushkan Assembly, Winter Solstice 386YE, Vote: 338-0- Wreckers are moving to pillage Marshstand Skerry
- This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
- The Cabalist of the Hollow Stone is responsible for defeating the wreckers
- This conjunction is against barbarians; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
Dozens of ships sail along the Barren sea; for fleet captains from Dawn, the northern League, and Varushka it is their route to the rest of the world. There was absolutely nothing untoward about the seemingly simple merchant ship that docked in southern Bittershore. Nothing to suggest they were anything other than a band of Varushkan merchants on their way home from a successful season of trade. Then the first reports came of an attack along the Iron Roads, of travellers butchered and looted. The Alabaster Watchers, a warden fellowship inspired by the judgement raised by Miroslav Temnavoda, encountered the band and attempted to bring them to Imperial justice before retreating. Now, the newly revealed wreckers are making their way to Marshstand Skerry to loot and pillage it on the orders of Zavetta Voglavnova, though the traitor has not been seen.
The call has gone out to the Cabalist of the Hollow Stone, Vasili Zoryakovich Zverokaz, to come to the defence of the skerry. The wreckers are still some distance from the skerry, and the expectation of the Alabaster Watchers is that they will use the opportunity to rest in an old, long-abandoned wayhouse. The Sentinel Gate will open close to the wayhouse, in truth barely more than a dilapidated set of palisades, around five minutes before the wreckers arrive, potentially allowing the Imperials the chance to ready an ambush.
An Unwelcome Return (Tassato)
Sarvos be alert! Maurizia Spada di Sarvos is a traitor allied with the Children of Wrecks. She has plans to raid and plunder Sarvos. Our Ambition for the strength of Sarvos demands that you protect your city!!!
Tongs Barossa de Tassato Regario, League Assembly, Winter Solstice 386YE, Vote: 106-0- Wreckers are moving to curse Tassato
- This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
- Tongs Barossa de Tassato Regario is responsible for killing the wreckers
- This conjunction is against barbarians; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
In Madeiras, a group of wreckers are making their way towards the Circle of Decay, a regio of the Spring realm aligned to the resonance of ruin. The wreckers, guided by Maurizia Spada di Sarvos, are expected to arrive at the regio on the last day of the summit, and if they are not stopped, will curse the Tassato. This band of wreckers sailed up the Gancio, past the lost home of Maurizia, and hauled their boat onto shore a few weeks before the Spring Equinox.
A group of officer cadets from Five Cities Military Academy were on a planned action in Madeiras with several Jackals in Madeiras. The officer cadets managed to spot the wrecker's ship and, investigating further, tracked the band on a direct path to the regio. If they are not stopped, then they will curse Tassato with Thunderous Deluge, and slip away in the centre of the Empire. The Sentinel Gate will open in the path of the wreckers. It is the responsibility of Tongs Barossa de Tassato Regario to kill the wreckers before they can perform the ritual.
The Bargain (Zenith)
- Wreckers are retreating back to the river Couros with looted ilium
- This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
- The Warmage is responsible for killing the wreckers and retrieving the ilium
- This conjunction is against barbarians; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
Tuomas of Pirenea, one of the traitors who managed to survive the Battle for Visten last season, has ventured further into their old nation. Withdrawing back from the battle to the sea, they sailed up the Couros into Iteri. Tuomas and their band of followers struck at their target a few days before the Spring Equinox. Now, the wreckers are fleeing through the western glades of Zenith with ilium and other wealth looted from the Alliance of the Sky, the offshoot spire that sprung up following the ruination of the Arch of the Sky.
The gang of wreckers are returning to their ship, behind them are the majority laden down with the heavier treasures. If the Warmage, Ilysses of the Lighthouse at Nikephoros, can kill the wreckers present and retrieve the star-metal, then the rest of the wreckers will scatter and prove easy targets for the garrisons and citadels of Urizen.
A Quiet Place (Kallavesa)
- A group of bandits are travelling to the shores of the Gullet
- This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
- The Strategos of Wintermark is responsible for intercepting the bandits before they reach the shores of the Gullet
- There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
Kallavesa has been tumultuous this season. Delicious food and drink has flowed freely, yegarra have crossed the Westmere to strike at Hufi's Garden, and now a strange little toad creature has warned the people of Rundhal of bandits journeying to the shores of the Gullet.
The strange little toad creature, which introduces itself as The Magentic Magus (even though its colouring is much closer to violet than magenta), gives a warning of what the bandits are trying to achieve. This group has laid down a trap for the Salagiin ships, and are moving to slaughter the merchants and claim their ilium. The mystics and scops have asked the Strategos of Wintermark, Aeolwulf, to intercept the bandits. Given that this threatens the safety of the Salagiin traders, it is hoped that the incumbent Mediator of Fisk, Thritt, will offer what aid they can.
Floating like Snow (Skarsind)
- A vanguard of cultists of the Claw are travelling through Pakanaan's Pass
- This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
- The Custodian of the Brilliant Shore is responsible for killing the cultists
- There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
A few weeks before the Spring Equinox, there are disturbed mutterings of bandits in eastern Skarsind. These are dismissed by most folk as nothing more than worries - though others take up the task of walking the paths on the lookout for ne'er-do-wells. Just a week before the summit, just after dusk, they strike. Howling in the twilight, they launch themselves at one of the caravans from the Brilliant Shore, overwhelming the guards and escaping with almost a dozen wains of white granite.
They are spotted again by a patrol from The Will, who they manage to evade. The patrol reports that the entire group is making for the newly reopened Pakanaan's Pass back into Sermersuaq. If the vanguard can be defeated then the rest - those travelling with the wagons - will be easy pickings. If not, then whoever wins the auction for the Brilliant Shore will receive only 17 wains of white granite at the Summer Solstice.
Military Considerations
Several territory pages now contain details of strategic obstacles presented or advantages provided by movement through or fighting in those lands. There are also several fortifications that follow different rules. Several armies or nations have special rules or opportunities related to the orders they can issue, which should be borne in mind when discussing military strategies during the Autumn Equinox.
- Billeting: Any Imperial army can take the Billet order in Bregasland, Mitwold, Mournwold, or Upwold. Link
- Dawn:
- Dawnish armies cannot take the Cautious Advance order or the Give Ground order. Link
- The borders of the Barrens are patrolled by citizens of the territory as a result of the mandate enacted by Ser Tunic. The Druj require 25 victory points to claim a beachhead in the Barrens.
- Imperial Orcs
- The Marches:
- Marcher armies cannot take the Give Ground order. Link
- The Strong Reeds receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Bregasland. Link
- The Tusks receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Mournwold. Link
- The Drakes receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Mitwold. Link
- The Bounders receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Upwold. Link
- Urizen:
- Varushka:
- Wintermark:
- Wintermark armies can take the Fight with Honour order. Link.
- Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun will gain 10% more victory points but inflict 20% less casualties. Link
- Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun have their casualties taken reduced by 10%. This effect continues as long as the Winterfolk continue to fight honourably. Link
Click Expand to see military considerations that are less relevant at the current time but are still active.
- Zenith: Any Highborn or Urizen army attacking into Zenith from Morrow gains a 20% bonus to any territory captured and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link
- Morrow: Any Highborn or Urizen army that defends in Morrow against an army attacking from Zenith gains a 20% bonus to defend territory and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link