Who can you trust?

"And you're quite sure of this?" Harald Fareye had read the report twice now, and the look on his face showed he was far from convinced.

"No. I am definitely not sure of this. Absolutely. Categorically. Definitely. Not. I am not sure of any of this!" Cassus was nervous and rambling. The implication that his judgement was on the line was definitely not making him feel any better about any of it. Harald waited for him to calm down and then gestured for him to say his piece.

"Firstly, half of this is based on the reports of people who went on a special scouting mission arranged by the Karass. There were no impartial observers there; we have barely had a chance to speak to even a few of the people who went, and the whole thing could be a set-up by the Karass anyway."

"Secondly, what we do know is based on the assumptions that one Druj sept is about to betray and attack another Druj sept, at the very moment that we've got them on the ropes. I know betrayal is in their blood, but surely they're not that stupid?"

"Thirdly, Anka Karass told us we couldn't get a black lotus. And now we can. What's changed? None of the orcs in the Barrens trust the Karass and they know them best."

"And now the Karass tell us that only they can look after the black lotus for us. It's too convenient by half. What if they set the whole thing up so that they could get their hands on the black lotus?"

"I do not trust the Karass not to lie. I trust the Druj to lie. So no, I'm not sure of any of this. We're used to dealing with facts and certainty - why are we embroiled in all this treachery and doubt all of a sudden?"

Harald Fareye scratched the back of his head and pondered the question. "I guess that's what happens when we get into bed with the patron of spies and traitors..." he mused. That seemed to settle the matter for the prognosticator. "Cut the report back to the things we know are facts. Whatever else is going on here, there is a chance to gain a black lotus, that much we know is true. It's for the Military Council to decide what happens next."

Overview

Spied on the Thule
Citizen	Banner	Nation
Aenar de Forteair	House De Forteair	Dawn
Aiva Vortekar	House Vortekar	Dawn
Alma Groves	Heron Lance	Dawn
Arraine		Dawn
Bartholomew Lynes		Dawn
Bronn de Maur	House de Maur	Dawn
Cain Vortekar	House Vortekar	Dawn
Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco	House Cordraco	Dawn
Earl Temperance of the Groves	Amber Lance	Dawn
Guillaume	House Vexille	Dawn
Juniper Wainwright	House Du Froste	Dawn
Kilrain	House Wolfborne	Dawn
Loras Órdraig		Dawn
Reynard of De Gauvain	Winged Lions	Dawn
Rillian De Gauvain	Winged Lions	Dawn
Rodric de Corvilland		Dawn
Sebastián Fawnwood	House Fawnwood	Dawn
Sevarion Vortekar	House Vortekar	Dawn
Thalen Elric	House du Maurisol	Dawn
Titus	House Duhyre	Dawn
Willow	House Cordraco	Dawn
Éamon Ashenmourn de Cordraco	House Cordraco	Dawn
Aaron		Highguard
Abathar	Cohort of the Winter Bear	Highguard
Arlandria of the Sentinels Tower		Highguard
Barachel of Adina's Charge	Daintree Survivors	Highguard
Bartholomew of Cantiarch's Hold	Cantiarch's Hold	Highguard
Bronimir Kazyn Jarek		Highguard
Charlie Everard	Ebon's Hall	Highguard
Cyrus	Cohort of the Winter Bear	Highguard
Cyrus, of Ebon's Hall	Ebon's Hall	Highguard
Darion Vosk		Highguard
Ezekial of Adina's Charge	Daintree Survivors	Highguard
Fynch		Highguard
Jacob Everard		Highguard
Lucifer	Cohort of the Winter Bear	Highguard
Malachai of Steeplechase Toll	The Outriders	Highguard
Miriam Magdalene of the Cenotaph	Banner of the Cenotaph	Highguard
Nathaniel	Cohort of the Winter Bear	Highguard
Raziel	Cohort of the Winter Bear	Highguard
Solomon		Highguard
Zadok	The Outriders	Highguard
Celyn	Ashwood	Navarr
Conan	Larksong Striding	Navarr
Lilliana Eir Shield Hearth		Navarr
Mercia Questor's View		Navarr
Moira Therunin		Navarr
Tomos Long Trod		Navarr
Towlen Nighthaven	Deadfall	Navarr
Serrusto Caeli Rezia di Tassato		The League
Bernard Dugdale	Mournwold Sappers	The Marches
Edmund	The Bucketts	The Marches
Jack Ashton	The Fire of the Marches	The Marches
Ioseph	Banner of the Phoenix	Urizen
Jericho		Urizen
Kazan	Auxillio Medica	Urizen
Alderei the Fair	Carrion	Varushka
Black Feathered Kolnya		Varushka
Czarek Madej	Vale of Luminous End	Varushka
Davinov Egorushkin Karevelov	The Hearth & Honey	Varushka
Iarovit Zorczek Przewałski		Varushka
Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka	Wardens of the Grateful Hearth	Varushka
Miloš Stanislavsky Koval		Varushka
Nikolai Yaropolk Borislav	The Hearth & Honey	Varushka
Oleg	The Hearth & Honey	Varushka
Ostrik Vulpe	The Fox Fangs of Vaslyuk	Varushka
Radomir Illyot Shallotovich	Dark Water Vale	Varushka
Scânteie Vinovată		Varushka
Sketchemi Justicast Mentyevik	The Hearth & Honey	Varushka
Vasilmir Radovanovna Esskivic	Wardens of the Grateful Hearth	Varushka
Vedmid Yaroslav Kommisarov	Carrion	Varushka
Alya Lumidóttir	Stormspire	Wintermark
Ansel the nameless	The Winter Wolfborn	Wintermark
Asch-Fortae Shalder the Wise Reviver	Stormspire	Wintermark
Cynwulf Ashburh	Darkwolves of Argonne	Wintermark
Determination of Ice Kaisa	Saker	Wintermark
Eisa Ironlungs	Hraefnhall	Wintermark
Erlend Gunnulfsson		Wintermark
Jorma Steelhail Moralities Shield	Stormspire	Wintermark
Kali Keen-Eye	Saker	Wintermark
Lumi, Harmonist of the Dawn	Stormspire	Wintermark
Morcar Sigvardssson	Stormspire	Wintermark
Oola Dunning	Yrhara	Wintermark
Ragnhild "Honeytongue" "Thrice-Passed" Skaersdottir	Fellowship of the Broken Willow	Wintermark
Raknar	Stormspire	Wintermark
Sigarr Verinen	Stormspire	Wintermark
Thritt	Stormspire	Wintermark
Tostig Guthward	Verath	Wintermark

Last season the Karass came to the Empire with a daring plan - employ the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak to spy on the Thule and the Druj both. According to Anka Karass, the Thule were invading Ulnak in a desperate attempt to seize one or more of the Druj black lotus plants. With their help, a large enough force could thwart those efforts, preventing the Thule claiming one of the plants. Instead of the four thousand strength of military units that was needed to ensure the Thule could not take a black lotus, the Empire encourage a massive force of scouts, nearly ten thousand strong to undertake the venture.

Somewhat to people's surprise the expedition appears to have succeeded beyond anyone's imagination - including that of the Karass. Anka Karass claimed there would be no chance to claim a black lotus plant but it appears the Karass elder had failed to fully understand the magic of the Sentinel Gate. It seems fate has other plans.

Battle: Claim the Prize

Reports from the military units that joined the orcs of the northern wastes this season are few and far between, only rumour and half-details are known. Those who journeyed into the deep woodlands of Ulnak will know more as they gather in Anvil, and it will take far longer for the civil service to compile any semblance of the truth. Exact details of what they saw won't be publicly available until after the summit - people interested in the details will need to speak with those who went to find out more.

What has been reported indicates a sizeable force of Druj have moved from Oerwealt in the north-west into the Ghul'thak Forest at the territory's heart. These orcs are arkad fighters under the banner of the Amber Scorpion, led by the buruk tepel Taramid Skinwreath. These barbarians have not moved to undertake a military operation or counter the actions of the Thule. Instead, they have under taken a fast-paced and well-executed movement of fighters, serfs, and materiel at the behest of the vicious herbalist that commands them. The sept once dwelt in Ossium, before the Varushkans claimed that land, and it appears they are on the move once again. This information is priceless - it means that the sept will be moving their black lotus with them. This incredibly rare plan is of huge value to most orcs - capturing one would be a hammer blow to the enemy.

There is just one problem. The Thule are advancing on the Druj positions, intent on capturing any black lotus they can find in the Forest of Ulnak. It was one thing to use spies and scouts to thwart their intelligence, it is another thing entirely to swoop in and steal one of these rare plants. The Empire cannot use magic to bring several hundred fighters into pitched battle with the head of a Druj sept and then steal a black lotus plant without the Thule discovering what has happened. When that happens they are going to be furious with the Empire.

Imperial prognosticators have detected a conjunction to the Fetid Heart in the Ghul'thak Forest within Ulnak. The Sentinel Gate will enable travel to the location on the Sunday of the Summer Solstice.

Objective: Seize a Black Lotus plant

• Thule forces are pursuing Taramid Skinwreath, a buruk tepel in possession of a rare plant of the Mallum
• Imperial heroes can attempt to seize the flower from the battlefield
• If the flower is struck or water lost from its container, the plant will die
• Taking this battle is guaranteed to create a major diplomatic incident with the Thule

The Karass promised the Empire that if they sent their spies to Ulnak there would be no possibility of seizing a black lotus, but there would be opportunities to stop the Thule capturing them. It seems that the Empire's newest and perhaps questionably reliable allies have opted to under-promise and over-deliver.

The heroes of the Empire have an opportunity to capture the black lotus carried by the buruk tepel Taramid Skinwreath. Recovering the plant will not be easy however. The first step is likely need a deft strike to drive off Taramid's guards and kill the accomplished herbalist. Once Skinwreath defeated, the careful extraction of the plant itself can be attempted. It is certain that the buruk tepel and many of his subordinates in the area will fight to the death to protect the black lotus, or reclaim the plant if it is captured.

The specimen is being transported in a large shallow basin, reminiscent of a communal font found within a Highborn chapterhouse. The Karass warn that it will be heavy and require several unoccupied individuals to move it easily. The black lotus must remain within the basin as it is moved back to the portal, through the Sentinel Gate, and back to Anvil. If the lotus is struck, or the basin dropped, then the impact will destroy the delicate bloom. Likewise, if too much of the water in which the plant is sustained is allowed to slop out, then it will quickly wither from lack of moisture and perish.

Opportunity: Capture the Treasures of Ulnak

• The orcs here are moving many of Skinwreath's personal valuables to safety
• There will be unusual and rare items to recover during the battle
• Magistrates caution that some of the objects recovered may be illegal in the Empire

Skinwreath's forces are not only moving the precious black lotus away from the clutches of the Thule, they are also attempting to transport many of the Amber Scorpion's most treasured items. Some of these may amount to little more than trinkets in the eyes of the Empire - worth mere rings in a Freeborn bazaars or League emporium. Others however may have greater utility or interest to different parts of Imperial society.

One notable treasure is a sealed colony of Black Wealt Wasps. These vicious inch-long insects are incredibly territorial and will ruthlessly attack any creature that approaches their hive. The Amber Scorpion sept have learned to "domesticate" these creatures and keep nests of them around their most prized herb gardens. Adept at keeping foraging animals - or would-be thieves - away. If a nest can be recovered it would allow a citizen to upgrade a single herb garden to produce two additional realmsroot, which grow well near the wasps. However, if the nest is dropped or damaged whilst it is recovered, then the wasps may break free of their sealed hive and go on the offensive. Anyone in the immediate vicinity would be injured by repeated venomous and debilitating stings.

The Black Wealt Wasps should be fine, but the magistrates have warned that some treasures may be illegal and advised citizens to converse with the legal authorities before taking them away.

Threat: Defeat Yaw'nagrah's Heralds

• Servants of Old Bloodbark are supporting the Druj barbarians in Ulnak, spreading unnatural vitality to keep the orcs fighting
• Far from the bounds of the Empire these heralds are able to draw more readily on their patron's power
• These heralds need to be targeted with Turns the Circle at magnitude 8 to destroy them

The Green Mother is assisting the forces of Skinweath as he transports the precious black lotus plant to safety. Accompanying the orcs are a number of the Maids of the Mother, powerful mages from Yaw'nagrah's dominion in the spring realm. These alluring creatures are walking fonts of enervating magic, their every touch a powerful invocation of healing and vitality. They have been witnessed moving lithely among the orcs, healing fatal blows and restoring rent limbs with but a gesture. The presence of these heralds will bolster the already formidable capabilities of the Druj in sustaining the fighting abilities of the their fighters, enabling the walking wounded to return to the fight more quickly, and helping when orcs fall during combat.

The potent spring magic that flows via the Maids of the Mother not only benefits the orcs that surround them, but strengthens their own ability to shrug off damage and knit back together injuries they sustain. Even when a herald is lain low, the healing power of the realm will swiftly regenerate their form, and they will rise again after a short time. Fatal blows that would instantly kill any other foe will not be sufficient to permanently kill one of these spring drudges. Casting Turns the Circle at magnitude 8 is required to draw on the more ruinous elements of the spring realm and turn the herald back into vegetative matter.

Environment: Miasma of despair

• The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma
• The miasma causes WEAKNESS unless you have a way to overcome it

The entire area at Fetid Heart, is under the effect of the Druj miasma, a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Anyone entering the area will need to protect themselves from the clawing dread or succumb to a weakening terror that creeps into their mind.

The primary effect of the miasma is that it weakens anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to overcome it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an anointing, but particularly heroic individuals, or those in possession of certain enchantments or magic items may also be able to counteract the effect. In particular, those of the changeling lineage are able to fight the effects of the miasma, by only by becoming extremely angry - which can cause problems all its own.

The Karass Connection

• If the heroes recover a living black lotus plant the Military Council will need to decide what to do with it
• The Karass warn that the Empire does not have the skills required to keep the plant alive
• If an Imperial studies the plant it will die, but they will gain a single usable dose of black lotus powder before that happens
• If the Council put the plant in the care of the Karass they claim they will keep it alive
• The plant should be far too big for any enterprising maggot to attempt to pilfer it

If the black lotus can be returned to Anvil, intact, then it will be down to the Military Council to decide what to do with the plant, as it is a spoil of war. The Karass claim that the Empire lacks the skills required to keep the delicate plant alive. Assuming they are telling the truth, if the the Council choose a single Imperial herbalist to study the plant it will die by the next summit - but it will be possible to harvest the seeds of the plant to make a single dose of black lotus powder.

The alternative is to place the plant in the care of the Karass's expert botanists, the rootwise led by an orc called Tannuk. They say that the rootwise will tend to the plant, keeping it alive. That will allow Imperial herbalists to learn more about the black lotus in time for the Winter Solstice - with which the Karass offer their full cooperation, as long as the plant is unharmed. The Karass are insistent that they will ensure that the Empire can have as much black lotus powder as the plant produces: they claim not to care about the seeds or the powder, but rather the survival of the plant itself, which they say is of paramount spiritual importance to all orcs.

It is entirely possible that the Karass are lying about any or all of the things they have said about the black lotus. The plant may survive if the Empire places it in the care of a skilled apothecary. Or the Karass might attempt to flee with the plant if it is put in their care. The Military Council will need to take advice and decide carefully who to trust. If they decide to take the risk of placing it in the care of the Karass, they can hand it over to the Herald of the Council who will make the arrangements.

The Thule Complication

• The Thule will be furious with the Empire if they steal the black lotus
• It will create a diplomatic incident
• The one thing the Thule can't do is claim this breaks the treaty

If the Empire seize the black lotus plant, it will create a significant diplomatic incident. The Thule will quickly learn of it, and they will be fuming. They will claim that the Empire have stolen something from them of enormous value. The Empire's position is defensible, at least in legal terms, because this action doesn't actually violate the treaty. The Empire are attacking the Druj and taking the black lotus from them. The Empire could even argue that the Thule invited them to fight in the Forest of Ulnak.

Of course, the Thule will try to argue that this action violates the spirit of the treaty. The Thule are unhappy that they believe they have received precious little help in their war with the Druj - and then the Empire steals a priceless treasure out from under their nose. They are bound to make demands for some kind of reparations.

Protect Lenna Karass (The Barrens)

• The conjunction gives a chance to prevent Lenna Karass being captured
• Success will prevent the Druj taking the Karass shaman prisoner
• A small Druj warband is moving quickly through the area
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• The Envoy to the Karass is responsible for intercepting the Druj
• There may be innocent people present on this conjunction; magistrates advise caution must be taken to avoid innocent casualties

The Empire are not the only ones able to infiltrate their enemy's lands. The Druj held the Barrens for many years, at least in the East, and they know these lands well. A small but well-armed band of Druj raiders have slipped over the border and into Saltmarsh with the intention of capturing Lenna Karass, one of the young shamans of the Karass tribe. It is not clear why one young shaman is worth the effort, but those who took part in the expedition to Ulnak may know more, the shaman was apparently involved with that effort.

Anka Karass is gravely concerned and has asked the Envoy to the Karass if there is anything they can do to help. The Druj have a long history of punishing traitors, Anka Karass believes the raid is part of a wider plan to coerce and punish the sept for getting too close to the Empire. If the Empire cannot protect the Karass from Druj vengeance, then the Karass will need to be careful to limit their cooperation.

If the Empire can save Lenna Karass from falling into the Druj hands, the grateful sept will try to improve the tribute offered to the Envoy to the Karass. They do not have knowledge of any potions that are not in Imperial lore - they are at pains to say that their rootwise are botanists, not herbalists - but they can change the herbs delivered to the Envoy, as requested. If Lenna Karass is saved, all the true vervain delivered to the trading post will be replaced with cerulean mazzarine.

The Envoy to the Karass is due to be elected during the summit, it is the responsibility of whoever is appointed to intercept the Druj.

Who's the Thief? (Forest of Ulnak)

• The conjunction gives a chance to cast Winds of Mundane Silence on a powerful day regio in the Forest of Ulnak
• Success will prevent the Thule seizing the black lotus plant of the Sawscaled Vipers this season
• Druj forces will try to defend the Day regio
• Imperial magicians will need to use Turns the Circle to destroy the evidence of their attack
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• The Archmage of Day is responsible for deciding who to send and how to take advantage of the regio
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

It seems that there is at least one other black lotus plant in the Forest of Ulnak. According to the reports, the Hunting Scorpion, the scouts and soldiers who serve the Amber Scorpion sept, are searching under the direction of Taramid Skinwreath for the black lotus plant they believe is owned by the Sawscaled Vipers. Apparently they are not the only ones. The Thule have somehow also discovered that the Sawscaled Vipers have a black lotus - that two are at play here - and are moving into position to seize the priceless plant along with the one Taramid possesses.

Such a plan is always difficult - the Druj move the plants round regularly, so the Thule need accurate information that is up-to-date. To get it, a small band of warlocks are moving on a day regio, the powerful Islet of Calm in Gloomsea. These Eyes of the Dragon are agents of Hinodir of the Bright Orb, and they bear with them a powerful boon, the Certain Eye, granted to them by Seer Clad In Veils Of Light. They need to activate the boon at a strong day regio near the target to find the exact location of the black lotus plant.

This is exactly the kind of opportunity that Anka Karass envisaged. A chance to thwart the Thule and prevent them laying their hands on the black lotus plant belonging to the Sawscaled Vipers. If the regio can be destroyed, the Eyes of the Dragon will be unable to use the boon, and if that happens, their chance to claim a black lotus plant this season will be lost. It will need to be done quickly, the Thule are expected to arrive at the regio with forces of their own within the hour.

Destroying the regio is hard - it requires a powerful ritual Wind of Mundane Silence that is magnitude 150. It can be done, it is well within the capabilities of Imperial magicians, but it is difficult to perform away from Anvil. Unfortunately it may not be the only ritual the magicians need to perform. The Thule are due to arrive in the area in force, shortly after the conjunction ends - if they discover a destroyed regio and the bodies of the slain Druj, they will use magic to converse with the dead and find out what happened.

The way to prevent that is to cast a simple Spring ritual, Turns the Circle, on each and every Druj corpse. If that happens, then by the time the Thule arrive the regio will be gone... and with it any evidence that the Empire were ever here. The Thule have no reason to suspect an Imperial presence here, they will just assume the Druj destroyed the regio before they could get to it and have retreated. So if the Empire can destroy all the bodies, then the expedition will be a complete success.

As the conjunction requires the Empire to thwart the efforts of Kimus, in league with the Thule, the civil service have asked the Archmage of Day, Gralka, to take responsibility for it. There is no opportunity here to gain a black lotus plant, but the Empire could stop the Thule claiming one and taking it back to Otkodov.

Kaela's Gift

Secured through a bargain with the Winter Archmage, the gift allows any Imperial citizen in the hands of the Druj to choose to die painlessly. No corpse remains for the Druj to defile, to impale, or to use to taunt the living - the body turns to dust and ashes. This gift extends across the entire eastern Empire, into the Mallum, Brocéliande, and Therunin.

The gift allows any Imperial citizens fighting in the vallorn miasma to choose death and dissolution before their bodies could be infested with the vallorn's sick version of immortality.

OOC Note: Using the gift requires thirty seconds of appropriate roleplaying. This ability may be used by player characters captured by the Druj during an event or who is dying in an area of vallorn miasma; if you do so you should ensure that you mark your character as dead as soon as you can so that your egregore is aware of your death. There is, however, one drawback to this, as Imperial magicians may soon discover: anyone who takes advantage of this ability cannot be contacted with Whispers through the Black Gate.

This ability is an exception to the normal rules on using abilities while terminal; a terminal character can use this ability if they are captured by the Druj or fallen in vallorn miasma.