Empire - User contributions [en]

Whisper Gallery

2013-07-08T08:26:25Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Night==
===Sobriquets===
The Whisper Gallery are also known as the ''Shadow Courtiers''; the two terms are used interchangeably.

Specific shadow courtiers (assuming such a concept is relevant) claim to have their own names and demonstrate individual personalities and quirks. However, observers note that these names and personalities seem to lack stability - more than one magician has come away convinced that the courtier she has just spoken to is the same being as a courtier they interacted with on a previous occasion, now with a different name and apparent personality.

The [[Earl#Enchanters|enchanter]] Warwick de Alyons made a study of the Whisper Gallery and identified five distinct 'flavours' of courtier (see [[#Members of the Court|below]]). Modern magicians have found his notes relatively reliable. The enchanter himself disappeared one night from his locked bedchamber less than a month after he first presented his findings to the Conclave; his sleeping husband was undisturbed by whatever happened to him but later enacted a [[Conclave session#Declaration of Emnity|declaration of emnity]] against the Courtiers, blaming them for the disappearance of his husband. The declaration stood for ten years before being overturned, allegedly in return for information leading to the recovery of tomes of Night magic believed lost during the purges of [[Emperor Nicovar]].

===Appearance===
The Whisper Gallery claim to be serpents (that is, their true form is that of winged snakes as distinct from the wyrm-form Night Eternals who ae more draconic). No magician has ever seen one assume their 'true form' however. Rather, they invariably appear as robed figures wearing full-face masks and gloves. Every part of their body is covered; some scholars have speculated that the shadow courtiers are composed entirely of living shadow inhabiting their garments rather than being physical beings. Some scholars have proposed that the Whisper Gallery as a whole might be a single entity, taking multiple forms; there does seem to be an odd continuity of knowledge among them, although this could be explained by a supernaturally developed method of communication or preternatural levels of intuition.

Also unlike other Night Eternals, the Whisper Gallery do not noticably shift their shape - their appearance as robed, masked figures is constant. This supports supposition that the Whisper Gallery may not actually be Eternals at all, but the constructs of another Eternal using them as a mask. On more than one occasion both [[Sadogua]] and [[Lashonar]] have made comments that have been interpreted to suggest that they 'created' the whisper gallery in some fashion. If there is any truth behind this hints, it is clear that the Gallery has achieved independence from their creator, and on rare occasions where courtiers have been in the company of agents of these two Eternals observers have claimed that they seemed ambivalent toward them - if not downright hostile.

They are rarely encountered individually; a meeting with the Whisper Gallery usually involves at least two of them and a [[#Members of the Court|Sommelier]]. When they gather together, they create an [[auras|aura]] that encourages mystery, circumspection and secrecy in the mortals they meet with which can make audiences a less than straightforward affair.

===Concerns===
The Whisper Gallery are obsessed with secrets. Unlike some other Night Eternals, they are equally concerned with learning secrets and with ensuring that secrets ''remain'' secrets. They have also evidenced some interest in the way that the things individuals know (or believe they know) about each other influence their interactions and desires.

The gallery collects secrets. While the courtiers themselves have referred to their "collection" the details of what form it takes seem to be fluid. They also act to preserve secrets - in the past agents of the Whisper Gallery have acted to destroy rare books containing esoteric knowledge, and even (allegedly) to assassinate scholars who have been probing into hidden lore.

The Shadow Courtiers love to interact with mortals, discussing their hopes and dreams and their innermost secrets. Individual courtiers appear to have specific interests (see [[#|Courtiers]] below).

===Boons===
On a mundane level, the Whisper Gallery are privy to an astonishing range of secrets. Before they will share something, however, they must usually be 'paid' with a secret of equal or greater value. They are known to employ mortal agents to uncover specific pieces of lore, or to protect those pieces of lore from being uncovered.

The Shadow Courtiers are closely connected to the ritual [[Whispering Shadow Courtiers]], and often evoked when it is cast - they have been known to offer boons that allow this ritual to be performed more effectively, as well as mysterious boons that allow individuals to add specific pieces of information to the 'pool' of secrets the magic draws on.

The Whisper Gallery are also known to offer boons that enhance the ability to conceal people, places or things whether through ritual such as [[Masque of the Blinded Weaver]] or [[Shroud of Mist and Shadow]]; permanently remove memories with effects such as [[Cast Off The Chain of Memory]]; or invoke [[enchantment|enchantments]] or even [[curse|curses]] that preserve secrecy such as [[Secrets of the Empty Heart]].

They are also known to have an interest in, and the ability to offer enhancements to, the [[Night Pouch]] spell (and by extension the ritual [[Secrets for the Shadow Courier]]). Some magicians have reported that they can be prevailed upon to deliver messages or even small items to anyone, anywhere in the world provided there is an area of shadow or darkness near the target.

Finally, they are known to be fascinated by and perhaps even dimly aware of the many shapes that future events might take. They enjoy hearing the results of rituals such as [[Signs and Portents]], and occasionally are known to speak prophecy - although in such vague and mysterious terms that their pronouncements are invariably incomprehensible until after the event they describe has come to pass.

===Members of the Court===
Warwick de Alyons' wrote a short treatise on the Whisper Gallery called 'The Book of Whispering Shadows' in which he identified five specific 'flavours' of Shadow Courtier. Four of the courtiers are identified by the colour of their robe and their general interest - and by the fact that there are never two matching these descriptions in the same group. The courtiers do not answer to these names, nor are they names they give themselves; rather these are viewed as being titles that have more weight than whatever name the courtier is claiming at the time.

The fifth courtier (the Sommelier) seems to be a special case, and may actually be the form taken by the Courtiers' Heralds.

'''The Lover Clad in Crimson Robes''': This courtier appears the most pleasant and engaging of the Shadow Courtiers. It is usually dressed in red, although Warwick mentions that sometimes the courtier appears in black or white robe but always with some scarlet element. It is fascinated by concepts of passionate romance, and by what motivates heroic (or villainous) deeds, especially those done in the name of love. In character it seems 'flighty' or impulsive, easily distracted, and apparently responds well to gifts of painting or sculpture.

'''The Vizier Arrayed in the Raiment of Dawn''': This courtier often takes the lead in situations where they are encountered as a group. It is usually dressed in yellow silk or gold, and with a mask to match. It encourages ambition, and is interested in the inner lives of leaders (especially but not restricted to senators; generals; cardinals and gatekeepers; archmagi and grandmasters) and reformers. In character it seems easily angered, and occasionally flies into uncontrollable rages that subside as rapidly as they arose into gloomy introspection. It appreciates deference, politeness and being treated with respect.

'''The Emerald Scholar in Sable Ribbons''': This courtier is always wrapped in green and black, and seems the most cerebral and introverted of the identified courtiers. It often presents a scholarly or even priestly appearance, and seems fascinated by educated discussion and philosophical debate. It consides itself a poet, and is said to appreciate gifts of poetry or song; it favours tragedy over all other themes however. It collects secrets that lead to, or have resulted from, tragic failure or internal flaws. It is especially interested in those who are motivated by jealousy or anger, but never seems entirely satisfied with the results its agents achieve.

'''The Incarnadine Minister''': This courtier is usually in blue, and is often arrayed like a magician. It appreciates riddles, and is often the most reserved and distant of the identifiable courtiers. It is fascinated with magic, but never seems to perform any itself. It often answers questions with questions, and appears averse to making statements. It is known to consistently encourage those it meets to perform actions, without any concern for that the outcome might be (and often appears to offer material support although such rarely materialises). It is fascinated by secret lore, especially that of the distant past, or secrets that contradict widely-held belief. It is said to hoard such dangerous secrets in the same way a dragon hoards gold

'''The Sommelier''': The fifth identifiable courtier never speaks, and is usually dressed in white. While it wears mask and gloves like the other courtiers, it rarely wears a robe. More commonly it appears as a servant or retainer, often in a [[League]] or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] style. It attends the other courtiers and their guests, bringing food and drink, arranging chairs and the like. It delivers payment, and is probably a Herald rather than a true Eternal. Also unlike the other Courtiers, flashes of skin may occasionally be seen beneath its clothing. When the Courtiers send out a Herald it is a Sommelier, often bearing a letter or small gift on a silver tray.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Soghter

2013-06-11T12:32:42Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Night==
===Sobriquets===
The most common sobriquet for Soghter is ''Changer of the Ways''.

In the [[Principalities of Jarm]], Soghter is called ''The Intrepid Dragon of Infallible Reason'', and seems to enjoy this name prompting magicians around the world to start using it. Soghter appears to share the tendency of many Night Eternals for enjoying flattery, while being largely unmoved by it. Soghter is also known as ''oroborous'' and the serpent-eating-it's-own-tail is a symbol often associated with the creature and it's fascination by cyclic behaviour.

In some parts of the world Soghter is referred to as the ''Snake-Spawner'' or ''Mother/Father of Serpents''. According to those who use this epithet, those who deal with it have a dramatically inceased incidence of [[naga]] blood in their offspring. Soghter has never admitted any link, and it is difficult to prove one way or another.

Along with [[Murit]], Soghter is sometimes called the ''Azoth'' after a theoretical alchemical compound that enacts miraculous transformations - magicians performing rituals such as [[The Eight-spoked Wheel]], [[The Retrograde Wheel]] and [[Distill the Serpent's Stone]] sometimes evoke the name during their transformations (although Soghter is better suited to rituals that transform the individual, such as [[Transmogrification of the Soul's Echo]]. Some scholars suggest that Soghter and Murit are lovers or siblings; others maintain that they are actually different facets of the same entity. A few alchemical treatises contain images of the two serpents wrapped around each other as illustrations of the way disparate substances can be combined together to create new materials. Neither Eternal seems inclined to discuss their relationship, if any.

===Appearance===
In it's true form (inasmuch as the Night Eternals have true forms), Soghter has a black-scaled serpentine body with wings of brilliant white and eyes that shift kaleidoscopically. Evidence for this appearance seems entirely anecdotal, based on descriptions by Heralds; no Imperial magician has reported actually encountering Soghter in this form. As with all Night Eternals, Soghter is a shapeshifter and more than most it appears to revel in assuming unique appearances whenever it is encountered. It may appear to be male or female (as with most Night Eternals gender appears to have little meaning to it), but it's forms almost invariable include strong elements of either black or white. They also often include images of catterpillars and butterflies or moths, as well as other creatures that undergo profound physical changes as they mature.

===Concerns===
Soghter's primary interest is the way that living beings change naturally over time. It is fascinated by the way that a creature transforms from being young and inexperienced to being old and wise. It adores the "ceremonies of life" - the way mortals mark the transition from one life-stage to another, both for the effect they have on the individual undergoing the change and the way they affect other mortals. The change from child to youth to adult to elder to death is endlessly absorbing for Soghter.

It emphasizes the idea that only personal experience is relevant, and disdains the relevance of instruction whether by another person or via books. To have value, Soghter believes every lesson must include practical hands-on experience, and that creature learn most profoundly by ''doing'' rather than my ''listening''. It encourages people, especially young people, to take risks and seek our new experiences regardless of the concerns of their elders or peers and for this reason exposure of the young to Soghter must be carefully monitored.

The Eternal itself appears to be a creature of cycles, progressing from one state to another and then returning to the start again. Some scholars have commented that Soghter shifts in personality in a predictable sequence from child-like wonder to passionate sensate to enigmatic riddler to seeker-of-mysteries, and then back to the beginning again. It denies this cycle exists, claiming that it lives in the moment and it is ''always'' the way it is at the moment. Some magicians claim Soghter is completely insane by human standards.

Soghter is fascinated by death, seeing it as a profound transformation from one state to another rather than an end. Indeed, as a Night Eternal Soghter appears unable to accept the idea of something coming to an end. Several times it has asked to observe someone passing from life into death, and is said to find the experience profoundly moving - as being in the presence of the most absolute enigma in existence.

Change is fundamental to Soghter, but it is primarily interested in the way living creatures change. It loves the moment of enlightenment that comes when someone understands a riddle, the way the heart quickens when a creature realises it is in love and the way that mortal beings change completely between one meeting and the next.

All the Night Eternals have an affection for those with [[naga]] blood, but Soghter seems to extend this affection to beings of all lineages.

===Boons===
Soghter offers boons of transformation, whether temporary or permanent. One of its sought-after boons is the ''shedding of skin'', a gift it offers to those who wish to compeltely re-invent themselves. The recipient tears away their own skin, revealing a new being underneath. Often this being has the [[naga]] lineage, but depending on the transformation they seek any or all other details of their life may have been entirely changed - memories, skills, goals, personality, curses, illness, injury ... anything.

Its aid is not always useful. Soghter is a champion of the idea that any obstacle can be overcome by changing oneself, and this is sometimes frustrating. It may suggest that a village threatened by bandits move. or transform into sparrows, or become bandits themselves, rather than that they take action against the bandits. In one story, Soghter 'helped' a [[Varushka|Varushkan]] vale survive a flood by turning everyone in the village into salmon.

It has several times offered 'help' to those who have become trapped in stasis or stagnation - one memorable story speaks of an occasion when a [[The Marches magical traditions#Threshers|Thresher]] lured an immortal sorcerer into Soghter's domain and without pause it 'released' the wicked magician from the trap of it's immortality by transforming her into a cloud of butterflies.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Soghter

2013-06-11T12:31:37Z

Davidkibblewhite: copy/paste error

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Night==
===Sobriquets===
The most common sobriquet for Soghter is ''Changer of the Ways''.

In the [[Principalities of Jarm]], Soghter is called ''The Intrepid Dragon of Infallible Reason'', and seems to enjoy this name prompting magicians around the world to start using it. Soghter appears to share the tendency of many Night Eternals for enjoying flattery, while being largely unmoved by it. Soghter is also known as ''oroborous'' and the serpent-eating-it's-own-tail is a symbol often associated with the creature and it's fascination by cyclic behaviour.

In some parts of the world Soghter is referred to as the ''Snake-Spawner'' or ''Mother/Father of Serpents''. According to those who use this epithet, those who deal with it have a dramatically inceased incidence of [[naga]] blood in their offspring. Soghter has never admitted any link, and it is difficult to prove one way or another.

Along with [[Murit]], Soghter is sometimes called the ''Azoth'' after a theoretical alchemical compound that enacts miraculous transformations - magicians performing rituals such as [[The Eight-spoked Wheel]], [[The Retrograde Wheel]] and [[Distill the Serpent's Stone]] sometimes evoke the name during their transformations (although Soghter is better suited to rituals that transform the individual, such as [[Transmogrification of the Soul's Echo]]. Some scholars suggest that Soghter and Murit are lovers or siblings; others maintain that they are actually different facets of the same entity. A few alchemical treatises contain images of the two serpents wrapped around each other as illustrations of the way disparate substances can be combined together to create new materials. Neither Eternal seems inclined to discuss their relationship, if any,

===Appearance===
In it's true form (inasmuch as the Night Eternals have true forms), Soghter has a black-scaled serpentine body with wings of brilliant white and eyes that shift kaleidoscopically. Evidence for this appearance seems entirely anecdotal, based on descriptions by Heralds; no Imperial magician has reported actually encountering Soghter in this form. As with all Night Eternals, Soghter is a shapeshifter and more than most it appears to revel in assuming unique appearances whenever it is encountered. It may appear to be male or female (as with most Night Eternals gender appears to have little meaning to it), but it's forms almost invariable include strong elements of either black or white. They also often include images of catterpillars and butterflies or moths, as well as other creatures that undergo profound physical changes as they mature.

===Concerns===
Soghter's primary interest is the way that living beings change naturally over time. It is fascinated by the way that a creature transforms from being young and inexperienced to being old and wise. It adores the "ceremonies of life" - the way mortals mark the transition from one life-stage to another, both for the effect they have on the individual undergoing the change and the way they affect other mortals. The change from child to youth to adult to elder to death is endlessly absorbing for Soghter.

It emphasizes the idea that only personal experience is relevant, and disdains the relevance of instruction whether by another person or via books. To have value, Soghter believes every lesson must include practical hands-on experience, and that creature learn most profoundly by ''doing'' rather than my ''listening''. It encourages people, especially young people, to take risks and seek our new experiences regardless of the concerns of their elders or peers and for this reason exposure of the young to Soghter must be carefully monitored.

The Eternal itself appears to be a creature of cycles, progressing from one state to another and then returning to the start again. Some scholars have commented that Soghter shifts in personality in a predictable sequence from child-like wonder to passionate sensate to enigmatic riddler to seeker-of-mysteries, and then back to the beginning again. It denies this cycle exists, claiming that it lives in the moment and it is ''always'' the way it is at the moment. Some magicians claim Soghter is completely insane by human standards.

Soghter is fascinated by death, seeing it as a profound transformation from one state to another rather than an end. Indeed, as a Night Eternal Soghter appears unable to accept the idea of something coming to an end. Several times it has asked to observe someone passing from life into death, and is said to find the experience profoundly moving - as being in the presence of the most absolute enigma in existence.

Change is fundamental to Soghter, but it is primarily interested in the way living creatures change. It loves the moment of enlightenment that comes when someone understands a riddle, the way the heart quickens when a creature realises it is in love and the way that mortal beings change completely between one meeting and the next.

All the Night Eternals have an affection for those with [[naga]] blood, but Soghter seems to extend this affection to beings of all lineages.

===Boons===
Soghter offers boons of transformation, whether temporary or permanent. One of it's sought-after boons is the ''shedding of skin'', a gift it offers to those who wish to compeltely re-invent themselves. The recipient tears away their own skin, revealing a new being underneath. Often this being has the [[naga]] lineage, but depending on the transformation they seek any or all other details of their life may have been entirely changed - memories, skills, goals, personality, curses, illness, injury ... anything.

It's aid is not always useful. Soghter is a champion of the idea that any obstacle can be overcome by changing oneself, and this is sometimes frustrating. It may suggest that a village threatened by bandits move. or transform into sparrows, or become bandits themselves, rather than that they take action against the bandits. In one story, Soghter 'helped' a [[Varushka|Varushkan]] vale survive a flood by turning everyone in the village into salmon.

It has several times offered 'help' to those who have become trapped in stasis or stagnation - one memorable story speaks of an occasion when a [[The Marches magical traditions#Threshers|Thresher]] lured an immortal sorcerer into Soghter's domain and without pause it 'released' the wicked magician from the trap of it's immortality by transforming her into a cloud of butterflies.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Llofir

2013-06-03T12:24:18Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}

==Eternal of Spring==
===Sobriquets===
Most commonly, Llofir is sometimes ''The Quiet One'' or sometimes simply as ''Ruin''.

Like many Spring Eternals, Llofir appears to have no true discernable gender as mortals understand it; some may call it the ''Rotlord'' while others refer to it as the ''Lady of Spores.'' Occasionally it is referred to as ''The Great Fungus'' but seems almost entirely unconcerned with what names mortals give it, and appears immune to flattery.

===Appearance===
As with Eternals such as [[Yaw'nagrah]], Llofir is believed to be truly massive - an entire ecosystem with a single consciousness behind it. Where Llofir differs from other Spring Eternals is that its body is composed of fungus and molds - sometimes on an epic scale. It is known to 'bud' smaller, humanoid forms that are in some way vessels for its consciousness with which it can speak to mortals; many of these strange creatures serve as its heralds, guards and courtiers. They range in size from a few feet tall through dangerous animalistic creatures to massive, shambling horrors that move like a tide of animate matter.

===Concerns===
The Quiet One is usually described as calm, placid and extremely long-sighted. Where other Spring Eternals live in the moment, Llofir seems utterly disconnected from concerns of past and future. It in some way exemplifies ideas of natural rot, corruption, decomposition and decay - the way things tend to break down into simpler forms, from which new things arise. It is also fascinated with disease and sickness, and the way they cause healthy organisms to fall apart or become weak.

Some magicians believe that Llofir's interest in rot and decay extends beyond the physical, literal manifestation of decomposition and include the philosophical idea that complex structures such as societies and Empire also need to be periodically killed and broken down so that new societies can grow from the 'mulch' they leave behind. This would be a very sophisticated position for a Spring Eternal to take, but not entirely inconsistent with the 'long view' that Llofir appears to take.

===Boons===
The Great Fungus has a few boons of interest to magicians; some have to do with encouraging decay and collapse, or the destruction of crafted goods or structures. Others have to do with the hallucinogenic or poisonous properties of many fungi, while some magicians have successfully bartered for the Quiet One's support in the form of the loan of his fungal servitors.

One boon he is usually happy to give is substances that help in the performance of rituals such as [[Rot's Rightful Claim]], [[Turns the Circle]] and similar effects that either encourage decomposition, or destroy undead and unliving corpses. Llofir is widely believed to have an uncharacteristic hatred for things which inhabit dead flesh and prevent it rotting.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Roshanwe

2013-05-20T11:11:04Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Day==
===Sobriquets===
Roshanwe is usually called the ''Navigator'' or the ''Walker on the Littoral''. While Roshanwe appears in both male and female vessels, it is usually referred to as 'she' by casual scholars of the Eternals.

Other names often have maritime connotations; she is called the ''mariner'', the ''beacon'', the ''elder pharos'', the ''fisherman'', the ''weaver of nets'' and the ''beachcomber''. Her association with the ocean is metaphoric rather than strictly literal; while she may serve as a patron of explorers, she is not especially concerned with either sea trade or naval battle.

===Appearance===
Roshanwe appears as a humanoid with strong [[merrow]] characteristics. It is often dressed very simply, usually in the style of a fisherman, sailor, navigator, corsair or mariner. It seems to have a strong connection to the sea. It appears to be female more often than male, but concepts of gender have little meaning to this highly spiritual being.

The Eternal is said to make i's home at the point where they sky of the Realm of Day touches the ocean. Unlike many other Eternals of Day, Roshanwe appears to possess a deep understanding of humans, and expresses emotions such as joy, amusement and pleasure in a comprehensible way. She appears to consider the ability of thinking beings to understand each other to be of paramount experience, and has even been known to express pity for Eternals such as [[Sinokenon]] or [[Phaleron]] who have difficulty relating to humans.

The Navigator is usually accompanied by a small group of Heralds referred to as it's disciples. They are philosophical creatures that love to engage in debate with mortals and each other; noted scholar of the Realm of Day Elinora de Ys claimed once that "''Left to their own devices, the Heralds of Roshanwe will engage in heated philosophical debate with the rocks, the trees and the sun itself.''"

===Concerns===
Roshanwe represents the spirit of discovery, of seeking the truth and revealing it.

Roshanwe claims to have embraced the Way; she does not reveal precise details, saying only that a persuasive missionary sought her out and engaged in a spirited debate that lasted ''for eternity, and for no time, as is the way of ideas''. At the end of the debate, Roshanwe embraced the tenets of the virtue of [[wisdom]]. The Eternal refuses to divulge the name of the missionary who converted her, saying only that it is ''obvious'', but she has confirmed that the priest (if it was a priest) was a human woman and that it took place before the Empire was founded. While Roshanwe sees the value of the other Virtues, she does not embrace them in the same way she embraces Wisdom.

She has served as a patron for magicians of the order of the [[Sevenfold Path]] in the past, but her real affection lies with the [[Urizen economic interests#Torchbearers|Torchbearers]], and similar societies that dedicate themselves to uncovering the truth and revealing it to others.

She is closely associated with the rune [[Sular]].

===Boons===
Roshanwe despises secrets, especially those that are kept for malicious or spiteful reasons. However, she considers the quest for wisdom and knowledge to be more important than the possession of that knowledge; as such she is loathe to answer important questions, instead preferring to lead others to uncover the truth themselves.

While Roshanwe is not herself especially interested in foreign trade, she is known to offer aid to mariners of all stripes and may be evoked during the performance of rituals such as [[Sular's Promise]].

<ic>"I understand the urgency, I truly do, but I will not, cannot, tell you the name you seek. If I do that, I would deny you the chance to discover the truth, which goes far beyond the syllables of a name - and what is a name, truly?

"Didn't the prophets put it best when they said 'Wisdom is not always knowing the answer; wisdom is finding the right question'? Or do you contest the truth behind 'test what you learn; only fools accept hearsay as truth'?

"Ah, would you not call them prophets, those who went before you? That is interesting ... what word would you use,? I wonder, why does the word 'prophet' make you uncomfortable? Please, sit, and let us discuss your reasoning ..."</ic>

[[Category:Eternals]]

Murit

2013-05-20T11:03:22Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Night==
===Sobriquets===
Most often Murit is known as the "''Shaper''" thanks to its frequent association with artisans.

It is also commonly known as the "''Dragonsmith''", partly due to its common appearance and partly due to its propensity for constructing powerful creatures in the same way it apparently constructs objects. In parts of [[Wintermark]] and [[The Marches]] it is known as the "''Night-forge''", although that name is used interchangeably to refer to the domain that Murit claims in the Realm of Night. Some [[Kallavesi]] [[Wintermark magical traditions#Mystics|mystics]] and [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecaries]] know it as the ''Silver Kettle'' and invoke its name when mixing complex potions. It is also sometimes called the ''All-consuming-fire'' in reference to the way the changes it fosters and the miracles it creates can be as destructive as they can be inspiring.

Along with [[Soghter]], Murit is known as the ''Azoth'' after a theoretical alchemical compound that enacts miraculous transformations - magicians performing rituals such as [[The Eight-spoked Wheel]], [[The Retrograde Wheel]] and [[Distill the Serpent's Stone]] often evoke the name during their transformations. Some scholars suggest that Murit and Soghter are lovers or siblings; others maintain that they are actually different facets of the same entity. Neither Eternal seems inclined to discuss their relationship, if any, but a few alchemical treatises contain images of the two serpents wrapped around each other as illustrations of the way disparate substances can be combined together to create new materials.

===Appearance===
Murit is believed to be a winged serpent, with scales of gold and sapphire and feathered wings resembling beautifully coloured glass. Evidence for this appearance seems entirely anecdotal, based on descriptions by Heralds; no Imperial magician has reported actually encountering Murit in this form. As with all Night Eternals, Murit is a consummate shapeshifter and it most often appears as a saurian humanoid with backwards sweeping horns and feathers, usually clad in a long skirt or kilt and carrying an item emblematic of its interest in crafting - usually either a large smith's hammer, or a pestle-and-mortar. It may appear to be male or female, and as with many Night Eternals gender appears to have little meaning to this shapeshifting crafter.

Humanoid Heralds of Murit often appear as strongly-lineaged Naga. Murit is also known to create artefacts that seem to possess many of the qualities of a Herald - odd magical powers, a personality and specific agendas. These 'living artefacts' are often released into the world, where they can cause great disruption - some form symbiotic relationships with mortal wielders, while others are said to entirely dominate weak willed wielders. Murit seems to view these items as its children, and is known to take a dim view of those who destroy them.

Murit is also known to create unique one-of-a-kind creatures. It seems to see little distinction between creating a great emerald dragon that vomits gouts of vitriol and a delicate songbird that sings in the voice of a harp. While Murit is occasionally accused of creating creatures such as the [[Legendary beasts#Mandowla|mandowla]], its refusal to revisit earlier works means that these entities invariably remain one-of-a-kind rather than spawning entire species. Unfortunately, they also tend to be naturally immortal unless killed and in the past this has caused problems when they have slipped into the mortal realm. Murit seems to feel little responsibility for their actions.

===Concerns===
The dragonsmith is fascinated by the way that two things can be combined to create a new thing, greater than the sum of the parts. It is especially interested in miraculous transformations that result from the union of mundane substances or situations. The arts of the [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecary]] and the [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisan]] are of especial interest to Murit, as is the magical pursuit of mortal alchemy. It is also endlessly fascinated by the changes that can occur when individuals come together, and the way meetings between people can cascade to create profound transformations in the world for good or ill.

Murit's fascination with change and transformation is entirely devoid of a moral component; it sees no difference between a great change that slaughters hundreds and one that exalts them. It often seems to be the magnitude of the change that it finds fascinating, not the implications for those changes.

Like many Night Eternals, Murit adores art and artists. A timeless piece of art can transform those who look on it, inspiring them to creation of their own. It is a little less interested in the artists themselves, believing that the work itself and the way others perceive it is more interesting than the intent or design of the artist. To Murit, a heartfelt song in a faltering voice that brings a tear to the eye is more 'beautiful' than a technically brilliant sculpture.

Murit is known to despise trade, and those who sell the fruits of their labour are disdained by this enigmatic Eternal. The creations of artifice, magic and apothecary should be regarded as an end result in themselves, or freely given with no expectations to assist allies, to destroy enemies, or simply for the unfettered joy of seeing the changes that they enact on the world as they move through it. Obviously this can make it difficult to gain a boon from Murit as it will rarely name a simple payment for a task.

The night-forge is a being driven by novelty; all of its creations are unique. Murit has no interest in recreating a past creation, and is offended by requests that it does so. It considers itself an artist, and believes that no true artist should repeat its work.

While most Eternals have little interest in the inhabitants of other Realms, Murit is known to actively oppose many of the powers of the Autumn Realm. It has several times worked directly against the schemes of Eternals such as [[Basileus Kade]], [[Callidus]] and [[Ephisis]] but reserves special distaste for the forgemistress [[Estavus]] which it seems to view as the epitome of small-minded industry. Unable to directly oppose their aims, it is forced to work through proxies. Some magicians have enlisted Murit intentionally with stories of the plans of these Eternals, and Murit revels in the opportunity to disrupt their designs.

===Boons===
The most common boons Murit grants are those that make it easier to transform elements and materials, or assist in the practice of alchemy, artisan or apothecary. Its gifts often bring with them a burning drive to create new things, and there are stories of artisans who have literally worked themselves to death in pursuit of a new masterwork.

Murit also likes to introduce new creatures and individuals to each other and observe their reactions. In this vein, it is also known to entrust some of its artefact-Heralds to mortals, on the understanding they will protect them and introduce them to new situations.

The Empire is fascinating to Murit; the way a powerful structure has arisen from a foundation of different nations and people. However, the Empire has been in existence for nearly four centuries now and some [[Urizen magical traditions#Stargazers|stagazers]] have suggested that Murit may be becoming bored with the relative stability of Imperial life. While Murit is not malignant, they allege that the ''all-consuming-fire'' has begun questing around for interesting 'new elements' to introduce to the Empire in a quest to see what happens. These same magicians suggest that Murit has set in motion several strategems aimed at undermining the [[Imperial Bourse]], although they are unwilling or unable to provide specifics.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Empress Giselle

2013-04-24T13:50:00Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
===Reign: 331 YE - 346 YE <label type="info">TBC</label>===

===Called: The Unwise===

====Early Life and Election====
Empress Giselle de [[Sarvos]] was a born politician; clever, manipulative and cunning. Her guild, the Alvetti carta, were long-established players in the games of the Jewelled City and she enjoyed every advantage growing up. While she was not [[Lineage|lineaged]] herself, she had ties with several [[The League lineage and species attitudes|reckoner guilds]] both through her mother, a [[naga]], and her [[merrow]] husband Teodore von [[Tassato|Mestra]]. She never lacked for useful information about the political and financial affairs of her allies and rivals. Through a delicate web of blackmail and patronage she cultivated agents and business interests throughout the [[The League|League]], and made a special point of extending her reach to [[Madruga#Siroc|Siroc]], [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]] as well.

She made little secret of her love for the League. Wherever she could exert influence, she encouraged the prosperity of the League as a whole. While she obviously favoured her supporters, she was not selfish with her patronage and favoured League citizens over citizens of other nations wherever possible. While her interests were primarily economic and political, she made regular charitable donations to the [[Bishop|bishops]] of [[Prosperity]] and [[Pride]], and was an active patroness of the church of the [[League religious beliefs|Little Mother]]. She encouraged politically minded League bishops to take active part in [[Imperial Synod|Synod]] politics; even before she became Empress the League [[National Assembly]] enjoyed an unparalleled influence over religious matters. She was even-handed in her largesse - despite being a child of the bay of Catazar she was as active in [[Temeschwar]] and [[Holberg]] as she was in Sarvos and [[Tassato]]

Some historians credit her with actively fanning the flames of Senatorial worry after the loss of [[Spiral]] in 331 YE, encouraging the idea that the Empire would need unified leadership in the wake of that crisis, Most historians see her as being more opportunistic; recognising the chance to increase her power and the power of the [[The League|League]] she loved, she did exactly what she had done to become a merchant prince; employ blackmail, bribery and patronage to bring as many senators as possible under her influence.

====Reign====
Unfortunately the approach that had made her a successful merchant prince helped made her a dangerously ineffective Empress. Her skills were honed on the subtle battlefields of the League, and they proved to be much less effective on the larger stage of Imperial politics. She made little effort to conceal her love for her own nation, which immediately made her unpopular. While she was free with her patronage, those who refused it were often cut off completely from the Throne; in some cases she actively blocked their future careers if she considered them a threat to her allies, her nation or her own position. Her habit of playing her supporters off against one another to safeguard her own position deepened the divisions in the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]]. Her agents, alert for signs of dissension and potential blackmail material encouraged an atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia.

Under her benign gaze an atmosphere of nepotism flourished in the Empire as never before. She even exerted influence over the election of several Senators, and for many years the [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] Senator for [[Madruga]] was in her pocket following extensive 'loans' to her political campaign. She even managed to exert some influence over the selection of senators in [[Dawn]] and the [[The Marches|Marches]] by favouring her allies with gifts of money to help them claim their Senate seats.

Her allies in the [[Imperial Conclave|conclave]] never lacked for crystallized mana, and for a brief period in 338 YE five of the six Archmagi were magicians of the League, each owing their position to the patronage of the Empress. Efforts by the Synod to express their disapproval for her methods were repeatedly stymied either by priests who owed patronage to her or by priests who simply approved of her bold character. Few could fault her virtues - without a doubt she was proud, ambitious, prosperous and loyal. She simply directed her virtue more towards her nation that toward the Empire.

After months of wrangling with the Synod, Giselle made an outrageous and extremely unwise claim to be a reincarnation of the Paragon [[Empress Richilde]] despite a complete lack of evidence. Encouraged to use [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]], in 341 YE she scandalised the Synod by taking her husband Teodore as her guide, whose confirmation of her past-life as Richilde was considered transparent and unconvincing in the extreme. In what many saw as an attempt to emulate [[Aldones di Sarvos]], she completely misread the mood of the Synod. Giselle merely succeeded in alienating several of her Dawnish supporters and outraging many of her supporters in the Synod. It proved to be a turning point in her reign.

Further scandal was to follow; in 342 YE damaging letters between the throne, the Senator of Madruga and the Aldermen of Meade came to light in which it became clear that she was trying to encourage the cities of Meade and Siroc to secede from their nations and join the League. It ended the political career of the Freeborn senator, and saw relationships between the [[The Marches|Marcher]] [[Marcher household|households]] and the [[Market Towns]] sour even further. Giselle was able to distance herself from the plan, but in the process was forced to abandon some of her supporters who bore the brunt of Freeborn and Marcher ire in the Senate.

For many these revelations were the final straw. By 344 YE it became clear that not even her supporters in the [[Imperial Synod|Synod]] could quiet the growing dissatisfaction at the methods and her obvious favouritism towards the League. Before she could be publicly censured, however, the [[Druj]] barbarians and their subject tribes launched a series of attacks along the eastern borders of the Empire, ranging deep into the [[The Barrens|Barrens]] and attacking the outskirts of [[Semmerholm]] and [[Weirwater]]. In the face of this aggression, and massive political pressure from the Senators of [[Dawn|Dawnish]], the Empress made a hurried reconciliation with the Synod, and turned her attention to the defence of the Empire.

====Death and Legacy====
After two years of campaigning against the [[Druj]], Empress Giselle was killed at [[Holberg]] during an ill-fated attempt to defend the territory. She repeatedly ignored the advice of her Generals - that the apparent weakness in the Druj lines was clearly a trap. Her refusal to listen lead to the resignation of the Marcher General Maria of [[Upwold]] and the Brass Coast General Xavier i Torelia i Riqueza, and she personally removed the Dawnish Generals Leon de Rousillon (coincidentally uncle of her successor to the throne, [[Emperor Hugh]]) and Elaine de Ballion when they point-blank refused to send Dawnish troops to the aid of Holberg.

Exactly what happened at Holberg is not clear, but Giselle and her husband were killed as the Imperial forces were defeated - the Druj and their allies took the territory and lay siege to the city to this day. The Empress, riddled with deadly venom, survived long enough to refuse the honour of being interred in the [[Necropolis]] and instead insisted on being entombed in her beloved [[The League|League]] alongside her husband. She was placed in a massive marble tomb in [[Sarvos#Caricomare|Caricomare]] where she rested for only two years before the Alivetti estates were devastated in the storms that sank the streets and drowned that part of the city.

Following her death, the [[Imperial Synod|Synod]] wielded the power of [[National Assembly#Revocation of office|revocation]] against several senators who owed their position to her patronage, much to the chagrin of those priests who still saw her as a larger-than-life character strong in the virtues of pride, prosperity and even loyalty. The resulting divisions persisted for many years.

Her own guild, and several others that had been tied to her patronage, suffered near-catastrophic reversals of fortune; the Alivetti in particular were left almost destitute (by League standards). Historians point ironically to her love of the League, and the fact that it was during her reign that the League suffered one of its greatest setbacks (the loss of Holberg).

It was decades before the reputation of the League recovered from the taint of having had such an inwardly-focused Empress, and to this day many citizens of the League consider her reign to have been a low-point, rather than a high point, in their history. There is no doubt that Giselle was a clever manipulator, but her skills did not transition well to the wider canvas of Imperial politics. She was charismatic, but personal magnetism was insufficient to win her enemies to her cause. She understood politics, but she woefully misunderstood how complex the Imperial political arenas actually were.

Her reign is used as an object lesson of the dangers of overconfidence, of under-estimating the political savvy of the other nations, of the damage that can be done by placing someone who loves their nation more than the Empire on the Imperial Throne, and of the importance of listening to one's generals.


<ic>"She loved unwisely, and too well."</ic>..

===Giselle in Play===
Giselle was on the throne between 30 and 40 years before the beginning of the campaign. The Empress made little secret of her love for the League, and many of her manipulations are common knowledge. Her reign is marked with a political shift towards the League, and is a period of turmoil and political upheaval within the Empire. It is possible that a character might belong to a Marcher [[Marcher household|household]], Dawnish [[noble house]] or League [[Guild]] that was involved in Giselle's machinations. A parent or grandparent might have been one of those people who owed high political office to Giselle's patronage - or whose career was effectively ruined by a refusal to play by her rules. The Generals who warned Giselle against the Druj trap in Holberg are now seen as wise tacticians, and set a fine example for chracters who might want to follow in their footsteps.

Those close to the Empress mostly suffered reversals of fortune when she left the throne, but not all of them - the Alivetti guild still exists, for example,, albeit in a much reduced state. Playing members of a group ruined following their support of Giselle who are now looking to recover from past legacies, or even to re-interpret Giselle in a more positive political light, could make for a potentially fascinating story arc.

The Empress is a recent historical character, and unlike earlier emperors and empresses much of what is known is considered factual. She is very much a political character who makes mistakes due in part to her fierce love of the League, and in part to her overconfidence. She is manipulative, but she is not a super-villain. Backgrounds that reveals Empress Giselle was influenced by outside forces, to have been a figurehead for her husband, or to have arranged the Druj threat against Dawn to further her political career, for example, are unlikely to be accepted.

[[Category:History]]

Emperor Guntherm

2013-04-24T13:36:51Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
===Reign: 237 YE - 243 YE <label type="info">TBC</label>===

===Called: The Bold ''or'' The Bloodthirsty===

====Early Life and Election====
Guntherm Hefthammer was a [[Steinr]] warrior who rose to prominence in wars against the Jotun.
====Reign====
Guntherm was committed to expanding the reach of the Empire, and chafed under the economic restrictions placed by his predecessor, [[Empress Mariika]]. He proposed and received support for numerous campaigns to the east and west, as well as several probing attacks against the [[Thule]] to the north.

The early part of his reign is mostly concerned with the defence of Imperial territories; the treasury was dedicated to a program of castle and fortress building that helped reinforce key borderlands areas against the barbarians. With these fortifications in place, Guntherm launched an all-out attack on the barbarians, claiming a great deal of land. However, his troops were largely unable to hold the territories they took and a massive betrayal by the [[Druj]] in 239 YE saw Guntherm trapped fighting a war on three fronts.

In response, Guntherm arranged a peace treaty with the Jotun for the next two years, and turned the full attention of the Imperial armies on the Druj. With brutal efficiency, the Imperial war-machine drove the Druj eastward, delivering a series of crushing attacks from which they would take decades to recover. At the completion of the two-year peace-treaty, the Jotun invaded Sermersuaq and Guntherm returned to fighting their armies and reclaiming lost territory.

Dramatists tend to paint Guntherm as a gung-ho warrior, but historians point to his practicality in matters of warfare. As he reportedly said to the Military Council before proposing a treaty with the Jotun: "''fighting on one front is barely a war, but trying to fight on three fronts gets everyone killed.''"

====Death and Legacy====
Guntherm died fighting the Jotun, suffering a severely fractured skull. He lapsed in and out of consciousness for three days. During this time he repeated his desire to be interred in the [[Necropolis]] of [[Highguard]], claiming that while he was a [[Steinr]], he was also an Emperor and it was only fitting he lie alongside his peers.

There was some resistance from his family, but in the end Guntherm was carried to Pharos and interred in a hall of black marble and granite where he lies in state to this day. Persistent rumours arose shortly after his internment that his body had been stolen and re-interred in the swamps of [[Kallavesa]] by his daughters Brigid and Jaara.
[[Category:History]]

Highguard military concerns

2013-04-18T13:26:57Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

<quote>“We are the thunder on the earth, we are the steel tide that drowns the foe.”</quote>
{{CaptionedImage|file=HighArmour1.jpg|title=Film: Lord of the Rings|width=350|align=right}}
Highguard has a military heritage of which it is justly proud. Most Highborn serve with one of the two Highborn armies as part of their “coming-of-age”. This service is considered necessary to the formation of Highborn character, and maintains the connection between the people of today and their warrior ancestry. Most skills can be put to use in a military context, although those serving as medics, quartermasters and ancillary troops do not earn as much respect as their more warlike colleagues.

Most Highborn return to their [[chapter]] after leaving the army. The most skilled soldiers become part of the elite guards that protect the chapter against barbarians and other threats. These warriors, called guardians, train daily with their brethren learning to fight as a unit in close formation. Chapters outfit their guardians with weapons and armour and most provide a surcoat adorned with the chapter’s heraldic device, usually in black and white or similarly contrasting colours. Some groups of guardians choose to specialise, training to become cataphracts or unconquered, in line with the oldest martial traditions of the Highborn.

In the earliest days of Highguard, the cataphracts rode into battle on mighty warhorses, devastating their enemies with shield and lance. Today the horses are gone, but the cataphracts remain, embodying a warrior tradition that embraces the highest virtues of the Imperial Faith. Heavily armoured, they serve as living standards, encouraging and supporting those who fight alongside them with their commitment to achieving victory. The best of them burn with fervour, filling them with righteous fury when they face the enemies of the Empire in close combat. Likewise, when an army must fall back, it is the cataphracts who guard the retreat.

The counterpart to the cataphracts are the [[unconquered]]. These skilled warriors undertake scouting missions, employ sabotage and terror as weapons to weaken their foes, and seek out specific targets on a battlefield. In contrast to the archers and skirmishers of many other nations, the unconquered favour medium armour and short bows, and are not shy about engaging in close combat with hand weapons if the tides of battle make retreat-and-fire an unappealing option.

The unconquered are used to operating with a high level of autonomy, often behind enemy lines or in unknown territory. Despite this independence, the best of them know that they operate as one part of a larger plan, that their duty is to ensure that the forces they accompany achieve victory. Unconquered who arrogantly assume they can win the day all by themselves generally meet unpleasant ends.

Highborn generals and soldiers alike embrace the concept of a vigilant war. This principle teaches that strong defences and pre-emptive strikes are the most effective way to curtail an enemy’s ability to be an aggressor, minimising the impact on civilians, and making it the most practical and moral solution to the matter of war. On the battlefield their troops work together to utterly overwhelm their enemies as quickly as possible, cataphracts driving them from the field while the unconquered deny them any chance to regroup and counter-attack.

==Imperial Armies==
Highguard fields two [[imperial armies]]; the ''Granite Pillar'' and the ''Seventh Wave''.

===The Granite Pillar===
The champions of the Granite Pillar are usually arrayed in heavy armour with shield and sword, supported by cataphracts and martially inclined [[magister|magisters]]. They practice tactics designed to emphasise their [[Military keywords#Resilient|resilience]], and are always accompanied by military chaplains who dedicate themselves to supporting and blessing the soldiers, helping them to remain focused on the battlefield and highlighting the virtues of [[Loyalty]], [[Courage]] and [[Pride]].

The first Highborn General leads the Granite Pillar army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Summer solstice each year.

===The Seventh Wave===
While the core of the Seventh Wave is heavily armoured champions, it is supported by a number of unconquered, scouts, skirmishers and magicians. The army makes great use of mixed-arms tactics, supporting shield-and-sword with bow, or bow with pole-arm and pike. They receive a small bonus in a [[Military keywords#Skirmish|number of situations]].

The second Highborn General leads the Seventh Wave, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Autumn equinox each year.

[[Category:Highguard]]
[[Category:Nations]]

The Marches military concerns

2013-04-18T13:24:50Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

<quote-right by="Marcher Traditional">War is a thrice-ploughed field.</quote-right>
{{CaptionedImage|file=MarchesYeomen4.jpg|align=right|title=Film: Ironclad|width=450}}
The rich Marcher soil gives rise to great military strength and three of the Empire's armies come from the Marches. Marcher generals have a reputation for being cautious, and for valuing victory more than personal glory. War is seen as work, hard dirty work, something to achieve over months of effort, not something to be won or lost in a moment. It is also seen as a shared responsibility, something that everyone who can must face together. On campaign, even Marcher generals who can't fight for whatever reason are expected to share the same risks and privations as the common soldier, one yeoman amongst many.

Powerful [[Marcher Household|households]] field ranks of heavily-armoured yeomen wearing their colours and fighting together. Neighbours well-used to working together fight shoulder to shoulder. The expectation of loyalty and sacrifice can make a Marcher household a fearsomely cohesive force. Traditional rivalries are put to one side when a Marcher army faces a force of outsiders, and folk who would go out of their way to avoid acknowledging each other will fight back to back against a band of invading orcs.

The strength of the Marcher forces is derived from their long hours of toil. Arms hardened by days at the forge, cutting a forest, or threshing grain are strong enough for any fight. It is common for Marchers to wield weapons made from the tools of their labour; bills used for cutting hedges and great hammers used for driving piles are pressed into service of war. The wealthiest may march in a harness of plate but plenty have nothing more than a hard leather tunic or quilted jack they have made themselves. Their true strength is their loyalty and discipline; at their best a Marcher army is a great hedge of steel, moving inexorably forward like a harvest-gang through a field of wheat.

Service to the Empire in one of the Marcher armies is considered an excellent coming of age for the sons and daughters of a yeoman. This offers them a chance to learn a little of the outside world and to earn enough to purchase their own farm and become yeomen themselves. For a nation that prides itself on its military prowess, it also ensures a steady stream of soldiers with practical experience of battle.

== Beaters ==
Beaters roam through the Marches, learning every part of the land, watching for thieves, vagrants and other ne’er-do-wells. Beaters are often instrumental in settling land disputes between neighbours and they still play a vital role in the tradition of [[The Marches culture and customs#The beating of the bounds|beating the bounds]]. Beaters often live off the land and most are skilled woodsmen or hunters. They serve as an informal police force, investigating crimes and tracking criminals. While an individual beater often associates with one or more households, they make no secret of the fact that they maintain an informal network among themselves.

The beaters watch the boundaries and defend them against trespass until its forces can muster. They also remain vigilant for internal threats. In addition to the orcs that still occupy the more inaccessible hills and wild forests of the Marches, there are bands of Féni, the ancient people driven from the fertile lowlands centuries ago. These primitive humans cover their skin in green and yellow tattoos and launch raids against civilised Marchers to steal cattle or crops. If something or someone is raiding out of the forests or hills then the beaters are the ones who are called on to hunt it.

In time of war, beaters serve the Marches as scouts, ranging ahead of the main force. Their experience watching the boundaries of the nation makes them useful light troops, particularly in forested areas, an excellent complement to the heavily armoured yeomen.

==Imperial Armies==
The Marches field three [[imperial armies]]; the ''Drakes'', the ''Strong Reeds'' and the ''Bounders''.

===The Drakes===
First lead by the legendary Tom Drake, this army is well-supplied and has excellent [[Military keywords#Logistics|logistics]], allowing it to recover casualties much more swiftly than normal. Many of the soldiers in this army come from [[Mitwold]], and this has lead to a reputation for dogged determination and occasional internal conflict away from the battlefield. Its ranks have been swelled in recent years with soldiers displaced from the [[Mournwold]], which has helped exacerbate the sitaution,

The first Marcher General leads the Drakes army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Summer solstice each year.

===The Strong Reeds===
Initially raised from the people of [[Bregasland]], there is still a strong territorial bias in the soldiers of this army. They have a great deal of experience fighting in [[Military keywords#Swamp|marshy]] environments, and have several times in their history fought alongside the [[Wintermark]] armies in [[Kallavesa]].

The second Marcher General leads the Strong Reeds army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Winter solstice each year.

===Bounders===
This adaptable army attracts many [[The Marches military concerns#Beaters|beaters]] who support a solid core of [[Upwold]] soldiers and a small cadre of dedicated battlefield magicians. They are skilled [[Military keywords#Skirmish|skirmish]] fighters, able to gain a small advantage in many situations.

The third Marcher General leads the Bounders army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Autumn equinox each year.

<ic>

The Marcher officer walked out into the middle of the gathered mob, slow and casual, thumbs tucked into his belt. He took a long look around.

“Who here’s got a neighbour they can’t stand?”

The circle of Marchers looked tentatively one to another, a few raised hands and chuckles.

“Quite a few of you, I see. So let me ask you this – raiders come to burn their farm, would you go help them?”

Nods, fist shaking, raised bills and bows.

“Course you would, only common sense; they burn that farm this week, could be yours the week after, couldn’t it?”

He pointed at the gaudily dressed Free Company officers swaggering about in the League lines on their flank.

“See them? I don’t like ‘em. I don’t like their plumes, I don’t like them silly pantaloons, I don’t like the perfumed piss they call wine, or the way they put on airs when they talk, or their grub what’s so full of spices it gives me the gallopin’ trots. Nope, I don’t like ‘em, not one bit. But, them? They’re our neighbours.”

He pointed to the other end of the valley, where thousands of grey-skinned orcs covered the ground like blades of grass on a pasture.

“And those motherless bastards? They’re going to try and burn down our neighbour’s barn.”

Rumbling growl, stamping feet, billhooks banged on the ground.

“We proposin’ to let em?”

Full throated roar, weapons brandished, rising chant.

“Right then, let’s go pull the idiot neighbour’s arse out of the fire, eh?”

</ic>

[[Category:The Marches]]
[[Category:Nations]]

Wintermark military concerns

2013-04-18T13:20:56Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{CaptionedImage|file=WinterWarriors.jpg|width=590|align=right}}Wintermark has a strong warrior culture. Everyone wants to be a hero, and there are many opportunities for heroic action on the battlefield. This means that while [[heroism]] does not have to mean fighting, it does for many Winterfolk. The warrior culture crosses all three traditions; while outsiders may think of the Steinr warrior in chain with runebound weapon and shield when they envision a Winterfolk warrior, the Suaq and the Kallavesi traditions stretch back to a time before the first Steinr set foot in Hahnmark.

The Steinr generally prefer close melee to archery or skirmishing, most often fighting with a one-handed weapon and shield and wearing layers of mail and thick leather. Their generals are often larger-than-life figures who lead from the front and seek out the counsel of the warbands they will lead before planning their strategies – but who brook no disagreement once the plan is decided.

The Suaq employ their hunting craft equally well in the forest and on the battlefield; their archers give close support to their spearmen who in turn look to attack the flanks and other weak points in their enemy's lines. Suaq generals pick their battles carefully, looking to make best use of the terrain and any situational advantage they can create for their army.

Kallavesi warriors tend to favour the axe, either a shorter axe in either hand or a long handled axe near as tall as a man. In battle they often try to take on the demeanour of a ferocious animal such as a boar, wolf or bear. They are alert for omens, reading the flow of the battle around them and anticipating threats and opportunities. Kallavesi generals work closely with the shamans to pick the most auspicious locations and strategies for a battle.

The generals of Wintermark, regardless of tradition, have a responsibility for their people and are expected to call a retreat if it becomes appropriate. A futile death is not a good death and once the order is given, warriors withdraw without shame or ridicule. Winterfolk strive not to rout – when they retreat it is a matter of tactics.

==Bannermen==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Wintermark3.jpg|align=left|width=300|caption=Costume by Jo Perridge}}
At the heart of most Wintermark forces is one or more bannermen. The bannermen are an old Steinr tradition. They are warriors, men or women, whose role is to inspire and enthuse the rest of the warband. Most bannermen are skilled warriors, but their purpose is to rouse the courage and fighting spirit of their band. The traditional responsibility of the bannermen is to carry a warband's banner, a difficult and dangerous job that makes it impossible to carry a shield. Even if they are not personally carrying the banner, they tend to stay close to it as it is the heart of the unit.

Bannermen find many ways to motivate their colleagues. Steinr bannermen often carry instruments of war, drums, horns and the like to perform music on the battlefield to lift spirits. Kallavesi bannermen prefer to anoint their fellows with oils and use ancient tales to remind their comrades of past heroes. Some Suaq bannermen prefer to lead their warriors in song while others learn the chirurgeon's art.

Winterfolk generals know that the bannermen are key to the battle, and encourage the Thanes to pick wisely; a few good bannermen can change the course of the battle with their skills. In some situations a good bannerman is more important than the Thanes who actually command, because their presence can keep a group of warriors focused and prevent them routing. A wise general traditionally wants to have the bannermen present when strategy is discussed. While the Thanes may have insight into the situation, it is the bannermen who are relied on to remember the plan and make sure their comrades keep to it.

==Grimnir==
Especially important are the Grimnir, the doctors and healers of Wintermark. They combine the study of herbs and traditional healing methods with practical experience that is invaluable to the militaristic Wintermark society. While they have an important role to play on the battlefield, they have a wider role to see to the health of everyone in their hall.

While Winterfolk warriors are highly valued, those who keep those warriors alive and healthy are valued even higher. By ancient tradition the Grimnir are forbidden from the front lines of any conflict; they are expected to hang back and keep themselves out of harms way. After all, a dead doctor heals no warriors. Some Grimnir push this tradition to the limit, staying just behind the front line, but most take their responsibility seriously and carry out their work a safe distance away from the fighting.

The Grimnir are denied the obvious chances for [[heroism]] that warriors can find on the battlefield. Instead they work to the last to save the lives of their comrades rather than concerning themselves with renown. Wintermark warriors acknowledge this sacrifice, treating the Grimnir with a profound respect. The Grimnir can be all that stands between a warrior and a lingering, painful, futile death. During a battle it is normal for a Grimnir to be accompanied by a few warriors, often those whose life they have saved. Unlike the Grimnir, these warriors do not hang back; they are expected to fight their way through to the wounded and bring them to be tended by the Grimnir.

The Grimnir tradition began with the Suaq. In the past, the healers of a Suaq tribe did not accompany the hunters into the wilderness but instead maintained the camp and prepared to heal those who were injured by wild beasts. The Steinr added their own traditions wherein the chirurgeon responsible for tending the wounded was also entrusted with the task of maintaining the hall or home – "''good health is founded on a strong hearth''". Consequently, while most Thanes aspire to be powerful warriors, it is not uncommon for a Thane to be a sworn Grimnir, seeing to the health of everyone who lives in their hall.

==Imperial Armies==
Wintermark fields two [[imperial armies]]; the ''Fist of the Mountains'' and the ''Green Shield Army''.

===The Fist of the Mountains===
This army is especially adept at fighting in [[Military keywords#Mountains|mountainous terrain]]. They are supported by a number of miners, engineers, ex-prospectors and advised by [[Wintermark magical traditions#Icewalkers|icewalkers]] and [[Wintermark culture and customs#Art and History|scops]] versed in the lore of the mountainous places of the Empire. Their soldiers are known for their caution and for their ability to fight in tight spaces over vertiginous drops.

The first Wintermark General leads the Fist of the Mountains army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Summer solstice each year.

===The Green Shield Army===
The army of the Green Shield is as skilled at fighting in [[Military keywords#Forests|forests]] as the Fist of the Mountains is in broken terrain. They have a long history of supporting the [[Varushka|Varushkan]] and [[Navarr]] armies on campaign. Each soldier is equipped with an axe and a wooden shield with a green covering, usually decorated with a symbol in gold or white that marks the regiment the soldier belongs to. They are one of the few armies outside Navarr that have any experience fighting vallornspawn, usually in [[Hercynia]].

The second Wintermark General leads the Green Shield Army, and is appointed (or re-appointed) at the Winter solstice each year.

[[Category:Wintermark]]
[[Category:Nations]]

Army qualities

2013-04-18T13:19:32Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}

[[Imperial armies]] (also called campaign armies) possess qualities that give them advantages in certain situations. These ''keywords'' reflect the flavour of the army and the nation to which it belongs. A [[military unit]] assigned to assist a campaign army does not usually gain the benefit of these keywords - the smaller unit's own keywords apply instead.

==List of Keywords==

===Basic Keywords===
====Logistics====
An army with good ''logistics'' has excellent access to supplies and the organisation to make sure they get to where they are needed. They might also have access to magic or surgical skills that help individual soldiers recover quickly.
'''Effect:''' The army recovers casualties 5% faster.

====Offensive====
An ''offensive'' army focuses on inflicting casualties on the enemies. This might reflect a bloodthirsty nature, or access to powerful weapons especially bows or crossbows.
'''Effect:''' The army inflicts 5% additional casualties.

====Resilient====
A ''resilient'' army may have superior armour, represent a higher-than-average number of soldiers with great endurance or fortitude, or have access to magical healing (preventing deaths and helping soldiers recovery quickly from their wounds) or magicians who focus on controlling and reducing the ability of the enemy to fight.
'''Effect:''' The army suffers 5% less casualties.

====Siege====
An army trained in ''siege'' warfare is adept at attacking fortifications. usually this means the army has the expertise to quickly construct catapults, trebuchets and siege towers as well as some expertise in rationing resources and countering enemy engineers. It may also reflect an army with experience fighting in the cramped conditions of a city or castle.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a significant advantage to sieges, whether attacking or defending.

====Marsh====
An army experienced in fighting in a ''marsh'' gains significant advantages over less experienced armies. They tend to be more comfortable operating in smaller units, may favour ranged weapons, and have the support of magicians or surgeons trained to deal with insect bites, poisonous vermin and disease. They also tend to have a bit of specialist equipment, such as waterproof cloaks.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in swamp or marsh terrain.

====Mountains====
Fighting in ''mountains'' is a risky business. Armies with this keyword tend to have especially skilled scouts and cartographers who track passes, valleys and the like and are always ready to suggest ways to make the best use of the broken terrain. They also tend to have equipment or supplies to help them deal with cold, altitude or difficult terrain.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in mountainous or hilly terrain.

====Forests====
Fighting in a ''forest'' is a frustrating undertaking. Trees make it difficult for armies to form up, and so an army with experience fighting in this kind of terrain often split up into several smaller units capable of operating for several days without supervision. Their ability to operate in diffuse formations gives them a significant advantage over armies less versed in guerilla warfare.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in forested terrain.

====Plains====
The wide open spaces of the ''plains'' offer their own advantages and disadvantages. It is very hard for a campaign army to surprise anyone, and cover is often minimal. An army experienced in fighting in the open is often very adaptive, using formations that help it to respond to attacks from any direction, and often possesses special abilities to communicate orders quickly through the use of flags or mirrors. Soldiers in such an army tend to be especially fit, used to moving quickly in full harness to outflank their foes.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in plains or fields terrain.

====Coastal====
A ''coastal'' army often includes mariners among its soldiers, and is usually supported by boats or even ships. This is the closest the Empire gets to a naval force. The army is experienced at making beachhead landings, taking advantage of water to move troops quickly to where they are needed.
'''Effect:''' Each ''other'' Imperial army on the same campaign gains a 5% bonus to offense while you are in coastal terrain.

====Skirmish====
A ''skirmish'' army is trained specifically to adapt to the terrain and circumstances they find themselves in, avoiding diect engagements until the last moment, and harrying supply lines and unprotected flanks.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a small advantage in any situation where another keyword does not apply.

===Advanced Keywords===
====Strong====
The [[Imperial Orcs]] field two armies that are ''strong''. A strong army is larger than a normal imperial army, possessing a greater base strength. This requires commensurately greater logistical support, as can be imagined, and such armies are sometimes vulnerable to concerted attacks against their supplies.
'''Effect:''' The army has a basic army strength of roughly 7,500 soldiers.

====Fast====
The soldiers of a ''fast'' army are trained to move quickly for long periods of time, carrying their gear. Overland, they can outpace most other armies of similar size. The logistics of the army are often focused towards helping soldiers move, and recovering from forced march.
'''Effect:''' The army can move one additional territory each downtime.

====Magic====
The [[Urizen]] army contains many magicians, and soldiers trained to fight alongside magicians. Such armies integrate magical and martial tactics to both harry their opponents and to help their troops recover quickly from battle.
'''Effect:''' The army inflicts 5% greater casualties on an opposing force, and also recovers from casualties 5% faster.

[[Category:Military Council]]

Army qualities

2013-04-18T13:18:51Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}

[[Imperial armies]] (also called campaign armies) possess qualities that give them advantages in certain situations. These ''keywords'' reflect the flavour of the army and the nation to which it belongs. A [[military unit]] assigned to assist a campaign army does not usually gain the benefit of these keywords - the smaller unit's own keywords apply instead.

==List of Keywords==

===Basic Keywords===
====Logistics====
An army with good ''logistics'' has excellent access to supplies and the organisation to make sure they get to where they are needed. They might also have access to magic or surgical skills that help individual soldiers recover quickly.
'''Effect:''' The army recovers casualties 5% faster.

====Offensive====
An ''offensive'' army focuses on inflicting casualties on the enemies. This might reflect a bloodthirsty nature, or access to powerful weapons especially bows or crossbows.
'''Effect:''' The army inflicts 5% additional casualties.

====Resilient====
A ''resilient'' army may have superior armour, represent a higher-than-average number of soldiers with great endurance or fortitude, or have access to magical healing (preventing deaths and helping soldiers recovery quickly from their wounds) or magicians who focus on controlling and reducing the ability of the enemy to fight.
'''Effect:''' The army suffers 5% less casualties.

====Siege====
An army trained in ''siege'' warfare is adept at attacking fortifications. usually this means the army has the expertise to quickly construct catapults, trebuchets and siege towers as well as some expertise in rationing resources and countering enemy engineers. It may also reflect an army with experience fighting in the cramped conditions of a city or castle.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a significant advantage to sieges, whether attacking or defending.

====Marsh====
An army experienced in fighting in a ''marsh'' gains significant advantages over less experienced armies. They tend to be more comfortable operating in smaller units, may favour ranged weapons, and have the support of magicians or surgeons trained to deal with insect bites, poisonous vermin and disease. They also tend to have a bit of specialist equipment, such as waterproof cloaks.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in swamp or marsh terrain.

====Mountains====
Fighting in ''mountains'' is a risky business. Armies with this keyword tend to have especially skilled scouts and cartographers who track passes, valleys and the like and are always ready to suggest ways to make the best use of the broken terrain. They also tend to have equipment or supplies to help them deal with cold, altitude or difficult terrain.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in mountainous or hilly terrain.

====Forests====
Fighting in a ''forest'' is a frustrating undertaking. Trees make it difficult for armies to form up, and so an army with experience fighting in this kind of terrain often split up into several smaller units capable of operating for several days without supervision. Their ability to operate in diffuse formations gives them a significant advantage over armies less versed in guerilla warfare.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in forested terrain.

====Plains====
The wide open spaces of the ''plains'' offer their own advantages and disadvantages. It is very hard for a campaign army to surprise anyone, and cover is often minimal. An army experienced in fighting in the open is often very adaptive, using formations that help it to respond to attacks from any direction, and often possesses special abilities to communicate orders quickly through the use of flags or mirrors. Soldiers in such an army tend to be especially fit, used to moving quickly in full harness to outflank their foes.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in plains or fields terrain.

====Coastal====
A ''coastal'' army often includes mariners among its soldiers, and is usually supported by boats or even ships. This is the closest the Empire gets to a naval force. The army is experienced at making beachhead landings, taking advantage of water to move troops quickly to where they are needed.
'''Effect:''' Each ''other'' Imperial army on the same campaign gains a 5% bonus to offense while you are in coastal terrain.

====Skirmish====
A ''skirmish'' army is trained specifically to adapt to the terrain and circumstances they find themselves in, avoiding diect engagements until the last moment, and harrying supply lines and unprotected flanks.
'''Effect:''' The army gains a small advantage in any situation where another keyword does not apply.

===Advanced Keywords===
====Strong====
The [[Imperial Orcs]] field two armies that are ''strong''. A strong army is larger than a normal imperial army, possessing a greater base strength. This requires commensurately greater logistical support, as can be imagined, and such armies are sometimes vulnerable to concerted attacks against their supplies.
'''Effect:''' The army has a basic army strength of roughtly 7,500 soldiers.

====Fast====
The soldiers of a ''fast'' army are trained to move quickly for long periods of time, carrying their gear. Overland, they can outpace most other armies of similar size. The logistics of the army are often focused towards helping soldiers move, and recovering from forced march.
'''Effect:''' The army can move one additional territory each downtime.

====Magic====
The [[Urizen]] army contains many magicians, and soldiers trained to fight alongside magicians. Such armies integrate magical and martial tactics to both harry their opponents and to help their troops recover quickly from battle.
'''Effect:''' The army inflicts 5% greater casualties on an opposing force, and also recovers from casualties 5% faster.

[[Category:Military Council]]

Sinokenon

2013-04-17T13:19:37Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Day==
===Sobriquets===
According to the Eternals, Sinokenon is a word in an extinct language meaning 'Unity'; some texts refer to Sinokenon as "''Unity''" in another language.

It is the ''Apex'' and ''The Turning Mirror''; sometimes it is called ''Throne of the Sun'' and at other times ''The Wheel of Light''.

===Appearance===
As with [[Leviathan]], few mortals have actually seen Sinokenon directly. It is most usually encountered as a blinding light and a clear voice, sometimes male and sometimes female. Occasionally magicians have described encounters with a great turning mirror, a shimmering sphere or mass of rings that are in constant motion. Some even speak about encountering a metallic construct or a stern but calm man or woman, usually in the garb of [[Highguard]], [[Urizen]] or [[Navarr]], but most scholars believe these are encounters with mandarins acting on Sinokenon's behalf.

Most audiences are with the mandarins of Sinokenon, lesser Eternals in their own right who are part of Sinokenon's hierarchical ministry. They often pursue their own agendas, and may send out their own Heralds to deal with mortals.

===Concerns===

Sinokenon has two main concerns; the creation and operation of hierarchies, and the concept of predictable change. It encourages others to band together, usually into hierarchical societies but not always. While Sinokenon likes defined hierarchies (and clearly believes they are the best social model), it encourages individuals to form communities and create something greater than the sum of the parts.

Loyalty fascinates it, and it believes that power and responsibility flow in both directions between individuals. The ideal hierarchy has leaders who are responsible to those they lead and those who in turn lead them. The ideal laws are those that encourage behaviour that supports society and shape behaviour, and that promote the good of the many over the needs of the few, or the one.

It also believes in slow change, the idea that things can approach an ideal state through steady progress. It promotes the idea that sudden change or change for it's own sake is as damaging as stagnation. Perfection is a state that transcends stagnation - something that is ideal no longer needs to change, because it has reached its apex. Sinokenon is known to be fascinated by the Imperial faith and the idea of individual (and thus presumably societal) perfection through multiple reincarnations.

Sinokenon also encourages the idea that the future can be extrapolated from current or past events. By studying the way events unfold, it is possible to learn to predict what will happen in response to certain other events.

The Empire is of interest to Sinokenon because it sees in it an aspiration to create an ideal society. It is also known to be fascinated by several foreign nations, especially [[The Commonwealth]] and [[The Sumaah Republic]].

===Boons===

Sinokenon is adept at creating bonds between individuals, and has special interest in [[Groups#Covens|covens]], [[Groups#Banners|banners]] and other form of [[Groups#Bands|band]]. It seems to dislike temporary co-operation and instead prefers individuals to form groups of increasing size and complexity. It is known to be fascinated by the egregores, which serve as foci to help unite a large group of people. The ''Apex'' is also known to be able to slow or reverse transformations, but also to encourage changes that it considers help an individual move towards their ideal state.

On a more mundane level, Sinokenon has a great many agents and servitors that form part of it's hierarchy. The mandarins are powerful in their own right, but it is also the Day Eternal most likely to offer the assistance of Eternal troops. It has access to a great deal of information as well, especially about societies, political structures and large-scale events. If it has a weakness it is that it is better at suggesting developments and outcomes in the future than discussing the causes and subtleties of events.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Meraud

2013-04-15T13:02:30Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Summer==
===Sobriquets===
Meraud is sometimes called ''The Summer Enchanter''.

In addition Meraud is sometimes called ''The Golden Magician'' or ''The Lord of Summer Stars''. In [[Varushka]] he is called ''The Fire Mage'' and characterised as a particularly meddlesome [[Varushka magical traditions#Volhov|volhov]]. He is sometimes called ''The Lord of the Lake'' in reference to his tower, which is apparently built on a great shrouded lake in the Summer Realm.

===Appearance===
Meraud appears as a magician with golden skin and a leonine mane. His body is often marked with spiral designs that shift and change over time - he claims that each spiral represents the skein of a mortal life that he is observing. He bears either a bandolier of wands, a pair of rods or a single staff. In all cases, these implements bear enchantments that help Meraud in his role of the master of Summer magics.

Traditionally he appears in a flowing robe, with a pointed hat similar to those favoured by itinerant [[Varushka magical traditions#Volhov|volhov]]. He also commonly appears as a resplendent [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] [[hakima]] in red and gold with a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagelmust tagelmust], and as a [[Varushka|Varushkan]] [[Varushka magical traditions#Volhoc|volhov]] with a glowing staff. His seal, which often appears on a banner or as part of his costume, is a lion with a staff in it's mouth.

Sometimes Meraud likes to appear incognito, disguising himself with simple enchantments. When he does so, he is always marked out by his apparent strong [[changeling]] [[lineage]], by his manner and by the fact that he cannot refuse to answer to his name if he is challenged.

If there is a danger to dealing with Meraud it is that he is extremely mercurial even by the standards of the Summer Eternals. He is prone to sudden enthusiasms and obsessions and unexpected outbursts of wrathful temper. He is said to have a poor memory, and finds it difficult to focus on the past or the future, always being more concerned about the here-and-now.

Meraud is often accompanied by apprentices and journeymen. Usually these are Heralds or Eternals, sometimes they are mortal youths who study magic with Meraud. According to these apprentices, Meraud's tower is a great castle that stands in the centre of an enchanted lake and serves as an academy of magical study. The few mortal children who have spent a season as a guest of Meraud have reported that it is an impossibly magical place full of golden fire, strange adventures and majestic fantastical beasts.

===Concerns===
The Golden Magician loves magic. He loves the power that it gives an individual, and the way that it can achieve acts of unparalleled potence. He is capable of performing magic himself, and most commonly performs powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] or potent acts of destruction or creation. He is something of a paradox - he regards the process of ''becoming'' powerful as less important than the act of ''being'' powerful. He approves as much of the magician who uses his [[Spell list#Heal|heal]] spell to support his allies as he does of the coven that masters a powerful ritual. It is ''using'' magic that is important, not hoarding it.

He is always pleased to hear stories of mortals using their magic to overcome challenges and obstacles, and is known to enjoy setting such challenges himself on occasion. His enthusiasm is not always a positive thing - he sometimes creates obstacles and challenges without telling anyone what he is doing, disrupting and endangering mortal lives in the process.

He is especially prone to offer patronage to the [[Rod and Shield]] [[Conclave order|order]] and the [[Celestial Arch]], but also has a soft-spot for the [[Unfettered Mind]], finding their enthusiasm and inventiveness endlessly exciting. Those magicians who consistently develop new rituals, especially in the Summer Realm, or find impressive ways to use existing magic to overcome challenges, often attract his attention.

In [[Wintermark]] he is associated with the runes [[Verys]] and [[Tykonus]].

===Boons===
Meraud offers boons to magicians, enhancing and empowering their mastery of Summer lore. More than many other magically-inclined Eternals, Meraud also favours those who specialise in raw spellcasting especially those who use [[Spell list#Empower|empower]] and the various other offensive incantations.

He is known to have little interest in most crafted items, but to be endlessly fascinated by the items mortals craft to increase and use their magical power - robes, implements, mage armour and ritual paraphernalia especially. He is said to be capable of creating several unique magical staffs, and may do so for the correct inducements.

On occasion Meraud may be prevailed upon to help perform an impossible act - a powerful magical creation or destruction. In the past he has helped to call down a star to devastate an enemy fortification, created an unquenchable forest fire, and carved a great citadel out of the side of a mountain. He demands a high price for such assistance, and it usually involves a small fortune in crystalised mana.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Lashonar

2013-04-15T12:54:02Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Night==
===Sobriquets===
Lashonar is most commonly called ''Gibbering Lashonar'' or ''Lashonar the Loquacious''.

It has a number of other names, and seems to make titles up for itself whenever the fancy takes it. Previous examples include ''Guardian of the Southern Skies'', ''Keeper of the Gates of Wisdom'', ''Eater-of-Silence'', ''Speaker in Dreams'' and ''Conscience-of-Kings''.

===Appearance===
Lashonar is a serpent - a sinuous body with great feathered wings who seems at home in the air or on the ground. It is very rare indeed to encounter Lashonar in this shape. Like all Eternals of Night it is a clever shapeshifter and takes on other forms as the mood takes it. The two most common appearances are as a colourfully-dressed bird-like man or woman usually clad in the style of [[The League]] or [[The Brass Coast]], or as a wall of shifting colours that speaks with several voices.

To say Lashonar is talkative would be an understatement of epic proportions. It is almost constantly speaking, humming, whistling or making some other quiet noise. It flicks from subject to subject erratically, and appears to have a very short attention span - but is capable of suddenly circling back round to surprise those it is talking to with sudden insights or queries.

When meeting with Lashonar a magician is warned to be careful to avoid direct questions, especially questions to which the only appropriate answers are 'yes' and 'no'. Lashonar reacts unpredictably to questioning; general queries such as "''How are you?''" or those relating to opinion or supposition such as "''Why do you think that is?''" are usually safe. Specific questions are dangerous - one [[Earl#Enchanter|enchanter]] was struck with a malediction that forced them to verbalise their innermost thoughts as a consequence of asking Lashonar exactly why it was interested in a certain bard.

Heralds of Lashonar often have a bird-like appearance, and many have a reputation for being petty thieves. They are generally as loquacious as the Conscience-of-Kings, and tend to view visits to the mortal Realm as an amusing holiday rather than a serious duty..

===Concerns===
Lashonar exists to communicate, and is quite capable of conversing with itself if it has nobody to talk to. Indeed Lashonar has been observed arguing both sides of a question with equal vigour, and occasionally creates duplicates that appear to house variant personalities, simply for the joy of being able to engage in multiple conversations at once. Lashonar is often characterised as insane, but this is unfair - rather it's mind operates very differently from that of a human and it is simply trying to vocalise the many insights that assail it every moment.

All forms of active communication are important to Lashonar. It is largely disinterested in written communications with the exception of letters (especially love letters) which it is believed to eat after it has read them. It adores singing, poetry, stoytelling and drama; furious debates; gossip and rumour; and the solving of mysteries. It loves to hear secrets, but often finds itself at odds with the [[Whisper Gallery]]; where that group of Eternals hoard secrets, Lashonar effectively destroys them by sharing them with all and sundry.

The Eater-of-Silence loves innuendo, subtle references, double-meanings and clever speakers. It has little time for demagogues, unless they are entertaining, and becomes restive when exposed to monologues. It much prefers the give-and-take of conversation to passive listening. It has an endless capacity for gossip, the more salacious and entertaining the better.

As with all the winged-serpents, there is a more complex side to Lashonar that is easy to overlook. It encourages others to communicate because it is endlessly fascinated by the ways mortals use words to influence each other, especially how they change the feelings and emotions of others. It loves to hear stories of how people change the attitudes of others, or effect actual changes through speech.

It actively opposes efforts to restrict communication; its supporters have several times attempted to overturn laws of heresy and blasphemy that restrict speech. The Eternal also dislikes things that restrict free movement - the ability to go to strange places and talk to strange people is a fundamental right of all thinking beings as far as it is concerned. It encourages the creation of embassies, the use of diplomats rather than armies, and the removal of barriers to travel.

===Boons===
Boons from Lashonar almost always include speech, communication or movement. It has been known to grant enchantments that empower inspirational speech, and curses that do everything from encouraging the target to lie constantly to removing their ability to speak above a whisper - or below a shout. Lashonar is also known to possess magical drinks made from fruit and honey that can remove curses or empower orators to gather great congregations.

It can also grant abilities to travel, and seems to have an affinity for the use of portals matched by few other Eternals.

[[Category:Eternals]]

The Thrice-cursed Court

2013-04-15T12:45:20Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Winter==
===Sobriquets===
Most commonly, the Court are called "''The Three''" or sometimes "''The Bound''."

Individually, the three known members of the Thrice-cursed Court are [[#Tharim|Tharim]], [[#Skathe|Skathe]] and [[#Surut|Surut]].

===Appearance===
The Thrice-cursed court are rarely encountered individually - when they are found alone it is usually because they are conspiring in some way against the other two.

Servitors of the Thrice-cursed Court are often tormented and tortured, flesh mortified or scarred, and are usually in constant pain. Even their favoured courtiers are broken or twisted in some fashion, either in body or mind.

===Concerns===
As a whole, the Thrice-cursed Court strongly exemplify the ideas that power comes at a price, and that spite and malice can be dangerous forces. They deal in curses more than any other Eternal, crafting specific curses for angry sorcerers and helping petitioners to lay curses over those they hate.

More than many other Eternals, the Thrice-cursed consider themselves bound by their word. While they may seek to frame agreements in such a way as to place the other party at a disadvantage, once the agreement is struck they stick to the word and the spirit. Woe betide someone who does not keep to their side of the agreement - the Thrice-cursed view treachery as an unforgivable act that can only be repaid by a lifetime of suffering and torture.

The Thrice-cursed generally hate beauty and purity. They are suspicious of anyone who appears to have no personal agenda, and expect everyone to be as conniving, ruthless and ambitious as they are. They are known to actively oppose unselfish, altruistic people and groups preferring that everyone looks after themselves and the people who 'belong' to them.

According to stories, the Thrice-cursed Court are themselves accursed. Each labours under a powerful malediction that twists their body and mind. Scholars agree that the Court wish to share their curses with others. It is believed that if enough people simultaneously share the curse of one of the Thrice-cursed then that Eternal is freed from the curse and restored to their 'true power' - whatever that might be. The Thrice-cursed themselves have often claimed to have once been Summer Eternals until they ran afoul of a dark curse. Some scholars say this is impossible, and warn that more than many other Eternals the Thrice-cursed Court ''lie'' about their history and their motivations.

There are also stories that [[Sorin]] was once part of the Thrice-cursed Court. According to these rumours, Sorin was cursed with an unsatable hunger but managed to escape the curse, and the Court, by passing his curse onto the [[draughir]] [[lineage]]. Modern scholars point out that this is actually nothing more than anti-draughir propaganda, and makes no sense. Sorin himself refuses to comment on it, and the Thrice-cursed Court give inconsistent replies when questioned about it.

Nobody really agrees on who cursed the Thrice-cursed Court. They have appeared in their current forms since they were first encountered by the [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[Earl#Enchanter|enchanter]] Mellisande de Cullwich a century before the formation of the Empire. There is some evidence that they have been known in other parts of the world much longer than this,especially in the [[Sarcophan Delves]].

===Boons===
The Thrice-cursed Court are experts at the creation of curses and magically binding oaths. They can place such themselves, or empower those who wish to do so. Oaths bound by the Thrice-cursed Court usually bring down awful retribution on those who break them.

They can also offer power, especially magical power, to those who bargain with them. The price for such boons is usually that the bargainer take on a fraction of one of the Thrice-cursed's maledictions. So someone who bargains with [[#Tharim|Tharim]] may find it difficult to move quickly or with surety; someone who bargains with [[#Surut|Surut]] is likely to experience constant pain and burning wounds, while someone who bargains with [[#Skathe|Skathe]] may find themselves becoming twisted, hateful and ugly in the eyes of others.

In the past they have been shown to be eager to help in the creation of winter [[regio]], although the prices they demand are usually very steep and the regio themselves tend to be tainted with the curses of the Court.

They are said to be able to destroy anything that is brought before them, and to be able to kill anything that has ever been alive. Between the cruel intellect of [[#Tharim|Tharim]], the malicious knowledge of [[#Skathe|Skathe]] and the irresistible strength of [[#Surut|Surut]] it is said that nothing can resist their efforts to bring it to it's ending. They are known to take great pleasure in destroying beautiful or precious things, and one of the few boons they will offer for free is the absolute destruction of something irreplaceable.

The Court are considered relatively easy to manipulate, as long as one is cautious of their fractured personalities. They are known to be especially jealous of other Winter Eternals, and seem to take great glee in thwarting them and rewarding those who steal from or confound their Eternal peers.

==Tharim==
'''The Bound King''' 
'''Appearance''': The Bound King is a pale, corpse-like humanoid with inhuman features wearing fine blue robes and a tarnished silver crown. Tharim is usually seated, and is always wrapped in chains. He is immobile - he can speak, and turn his head a little, and can move the fingers of one hand a little, buut that is all. 
'''Concerns''': Like all the Thrice-cursed, Tharim is believed to desire freedom from his curse. He is described as being arrogant beyond belief, and utterly cold-blooded. He can demand unspeakable acts with icy detachment, and even his fury is cold and measured. According to some scholars, Tharim's true curse is that he has no empathy for other creatures - it is his heart that is bound, not his body.

While he is immobile he is not without power. He can speak words of such cold clarity that they drive those who hear them to their knees, as well as paralyse or cause unspeakable agony. While he cannot move personally he is said to be able to travel magically between thrones in many places, solely through the effort of his cold will.

Tharim makes little effort to disguise the contempt he feels for the other member of the Thrice-cursed Court.

'''Boons:''' In addition to the boons offered by the Court as a whole, Tharim can offer physical [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] and [[Combat skills#Fortitude|fortitude]] to bargainers, but as with the ritual [[Pallid Flesh of the Dead King]], such physical strength usually comes with additional weakness. The Bound King is also said to be an expert in binding and constraining supernatural creatures such as [[Varushka monsters#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].

==Skathe==
'''The Hag Queen''' 
'''Appearance''': The Hag Queen is a monstrous, corpse-like humanoid with inhuman features. She wears tattered finery and wields a sceptre-like rod. She is very ugly indeed, and the nature of her curse means that her appearance changes constantly. Even more than her outer appearance, she is spiritually ugly - she is malicious, hateful, spiteful, envious and unnecessarily cruel. 
'''Concerns:''' Like all the Thrice-cursed, Skathe is believed to desire freedom from her curse. She is described as manipulative, deceptive and wicked, and more than any of the others she despises beauty and purity. She cannot resist malicious behaviour, and sometimes undermines her own plans with her drive to exact petty revenge on those she dislikes. According to some scholars, Skathe's true curse is that her outer form reflects her soul - that were she able abandon her malice and spite she would be revealled as a great beauty.

Skathe carefully conceals the contempt she feels for the other member so the Thrice-cursed Court, and often plays [[#Tharim|Tharim]] and [[#Surut|Surut]] against one another. 
'''Boons:''' In addition to the boons offered by the Court as a whole, Skathe offers enchanted items as gifts. These gifts almost always involve a double-edged curse of some sort - for example she once gifted a [[The League|League]] magician with a mirror that helped him to spy on his rivals but which slowly drove him mad by encouraging him to dwell on the inevitable advance of old age and death.

Skathe is also the magician of the Court, and knows horrible rituals and dark spells that delve into the darkest parts of the Winter realm. She is known to be extremely jealous of [[Wise Rangara]] and often demands that a petitioner steal something from that Eternal before she will offer her own magical assistance.

==Surut==
'''The Charred Prince''', ''The Ashen Knight'', ''The Burnt Steward'' 
'''Appearance:''' Surut is a warrior in heavy armour, usually with a two-handed sword or axe. He is hideously scarred, burnt from head to foot. Sections of his skin are missing, and he appears to be in constant pain. As with Skathe his appearance shifts over time, as new injuries appear. Likewise his armour varies from encounter to encounter - most often in recent times he appears as a [[The Marches|Marcher]] [[steward]]. 
'''Concerns:''' Like all the Thrice-cursed, Suut is believed to desire freedom from his curse. He is described as consumed with anger, hateful of those with whole bodies and souls, and bloodthirsty in the extreme. He is likely to suggest frontal-assaults against anything that gets in his way, and encourages both warriors and politicians alike to be utterly ruthless in pursuit of their goals.

Despite generally being given a lower station that [[#Tharim|Tharim]] or [[#Skathe|Skathe]], Surut seems to hold equal rank within the Court while at the same time choosing to act as their strong arm and enforcer. The Charred Prince seems the most conflicted of the Court, sometimes descending into maudlin self-pity. It is in such moods that he is at his most dangerous - while he may agree to deals he might otherwise dismiss, his mood may shift to bloodthirsty slaughter at a moment's notice. 
'''Boons:''' In addition to the boons offered by the Court as a whole, Surut can offer martial prowess and sometimes loans one of his enchanted weapons or suits of armour to a bargainer. He is also known to possess a box into which he can seal another person's empathy and conscience for a time, which he tends to view as a boon rather than the horrible curse it generally proves to be.

According to some scholars, Surut can wield or offer deadly powers of unleashed destruction against fortifications and even enemy armies but rarely chooses to do so. On at least one occasion, stories tell of Surut providing aid to the [[Varushkan magical traditions#Cabalists|cabalists]] of a beleaguered vale; they gained the power to burn undead husks to ashes with their staves, but at the cost of permanent burning wounds.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Cathan Canae

2013-04-08T14:32:38Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Summer==
===Sobriquets===
Cathan Canae is called the ''Queen of Ice and Darkness'' or the ''Lady of the Frost''.

She is sometimes called called ''The Breath of Winter'' (perhaps confusingly, given she is an Eternal of Summer), ''Mistress of Blizzards'' and ''The Immovable One''.

===Appearance===
This Summer Eternal appears either as a tall, muscular woman dressed in heavy chain in the style of a [[Wintermark]] warrior-heroine, bearing a vicious hooked pole-arm called ''Ironwind''. On her brow is a tall crown of ice set with three blue jewels. She usually wears a mantle of white bear-fur, which stories say was made for her by the [[Suaq]] [[Wintermark magical traditions#Icewalker|icewalker]]-hero Fainomaiken from the hide of the titanic Devilbear that haunted the wastes of [[Sermersuaq]] centuries before the [[Steinr]] came and the people of Wintermark became one.

On the rare occasions that she is presenting a more peaceful mien, she dresses in the manner of a rich [[Steinr]] [[Wintermark political leadership|thane]], or wealthy [[Varushka|Varushkan]] [[Varushka leadership|boyar]], usually with her white mantle over the top and her regal crown. She is by turns imperious; mighty; cold as the glacier; furious as the blizzard.

Cathan Canae is rarely encountered alone; she is usually accompanied by warriors or occasionally giants, ogres or savage supernatural beasts. She rules a great swathe of territory in the Summer realm from her immense frozen citadel. Her realm is composed of awe-inspiring mountains, frozen waterfalls, glaciers and trackless snow-covered plains, haunted by legendary monsters and bands of savage warriors. Her armies regularly engage in skirmishes and battles with those of [[Eleonaris]] on the Fields of Glory and [[Hayaak]] for mastery of the Forest of Arden.

===Concerns===
Cathan Canae exemplifies and glories in physical strength; she is the awesome strength of the glacier, the might of the howling blizzard, the irresistable majesty of the mountain, the implacable force of the avalanche. She reaches for the strength that none can stand against, and that cannot be overcome - both the irresistible force and the immovable object. She is extremely stubborn, and respects only two things; might and resilience. She is extremely proud, and those who disrespect her earn her unending ire.

In many stories it is Cathan Canae who sends blizzards and avalanches down from the mountains, or south from the frigid wastes, to batter Wintermark and Varushka. She does not do this from wickedness, but because it is in her nature to test others. Those who endure the onslaught of winter, or who fight with courage against the armies of their enemies, become ever stronger, ever more capable of resisting whatever the world throws at them.

In [[Wintermark]] she is strongly associated with the rune [[Verys]].

===Boons===
Cathan Canae can give boons of strengh, martial prowess and supernatural [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] or [[Combat skills#Fortitude|fortitude]]. She almost always demands that those who would receive her boons prove their strength bu defeating one of her champions or enduring a challenge of their resilience, constitution or will. According to stories the hero Fainomaiken endured twelve impossible tasks during his fabled courtship of this proud queen, including holding back the glacier Immanoviel for a year-and-a-day and enduring seven days and seven nights naked beneath the frozen waterfall called Unending Frost. Modern heroes are likely to receive slightly less dramatic challenges, but those who fail are often left broken or maimed. Cathan Canae has neither mercy nor respect for those who fail to live up to her high standards of excellence.

On rare occasions she will lend a weapon, shield or piece of armour from her extensive collection to a mortal to wield for a time. Her artisans are some of the most skilled in the Summer realm, and work with all manner of exotic materials including living ice, water, wind and starlight. Even other Eternals of Summer seek the aid of her crafters.

Sometimes she will offer the services of her giant warriors, massive Eternal humanoids often reaching seven or eight feet in height and possessed of unspeakable strength. She may likewise send some of the legendary beasts and savage hunters of her realm to bedevil mortals. or be prevailed upon to raise a blizzard or avalanche, or aid mortal ritualists in doing the same.

Some mortal ritualsts are able to prevail on ancient pacts to [[Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canea|call forth a frozen fortification]] from her realm, and she can make this process easier or harder.

A very few men and women have wooed Cathan Canae; those who overwhelm her with their strength, courage and fortitude may spend one night as her consort. Should they survive this honour it is said that ever after they are inured to the cold of winter- they can walk naked through the mightiest blizzard without difficulty, or swim the frozen floes of [[Tsirku]] without fear.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Clarion Call of Ivory and Dust

2013-04-08T09:04:05Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

==Rules==
{{Season|Winter|20}}
===Performing the Ritual===
{{Casting time|2}} The character who controls the target [[military unit]] must be present throughout.

{{enchantment}}

===Effects===

This ritual summons a contingent of around a dozen undying warriors from the grim legion of the [[Eternals|Eternal]] [[Kaele]] and binds them to fight alongside a mortal [[military unit]].

The target unit gains a significant bonus to its effectiveness during campaign battles. This bonus is sufficient to effectively double the power of a starting military unit.

The character who controls the military unit experiences a short-lived [[roleplaying effect]]: they are suddenly reminded of every time in the past that they, or someone they care about, has been close to death (or actually died), and receive a premonition of their eventual demise.

{{Season Duration}}

===Additional Targets===
This ritual can affect additional military units controlled by members of the same [[Groups#Banners|banner]]. Each additional military unit increases the magnitude by 15. The character who controls each unit must be present throughout the ritual.

==Description==

The grim legion of the [[Eternals|Eternal]] [[Kaele]] is made up of mortal warriors who have accepted her boon of endless existence. This ritual conjures perhaps a dozen of her troops, often an experienced unit of soldiers who have fought together before - often for centuries. They are armed and usually heavily armoured, and they fight with implacable, hopeless determination. More importantly, perhaps, they cannot be killed. They shrug off wounds that would kill a mortal, quickly recovering from their injuries. It is common to see one of these terrifying, silent soldiers fighting with the broken remains of arrows protruding from chest or belly.

The undying warriors do not socialise with the other soldiers in the [[military unit]]. They require neither food nor drink, and minimal sleep. They have little conversation, and efforts to strike up friendships are coldly rebuffed. At the end of the season, the grim legionary knows he or she will be returning to the Realm of Winter. By the time they are sent forth again, it is likely that every soldier they fight alongside will have been dead for decades. Furthermore, many of those warriors who took Kaele's gift were already embittered by decades of war and death. They take little joy in life, because transitory pleasures are nothing compared to life's assured continuance.

At the end of the season, or if one of the warriors is injured so badly that they can no longer continue to fight, they simply march away. Nobody has successfully followed the departing warriors, but it is believed they pass through or into a [[regio]] of Winter and return to the domain of their mistress.

This ritual is not popular in the Empire, but it's practical application means that it sees some use. Few [[Dawn|Dawnish]] nobles are prepared to fight along the grim legion for long - they are a reminder that ultimately war is a grim business and that there are many for whom glory is fleeting. Likewise the [[Highguard|Highborn]] champions find the undying soldier distasteful - and more than a few priests claim that they are not, cannot be, mortal warriors but rather are Eternals spirits in the guise of human warriors. The ritual sees most use in [[The Marches]], [[Varushka]] and among the [[Navarr]], simply because the folk of these nations need little reminder that war is a dark, bloody, muddy, and often ultimately thankless business.

This ritual is also sometimes called ''Raise the Tattered Banner'', a reference to the Summer ritual [[Raise the Standard of War]] - and to the torn and battered pennants some of the undying warriors fly. .

==Common Elements==
This ritual issues a summons to beings from the Realm of Winter. They do not appear immediately, but arrive to fight alongside the target [[military unit]] within a few days. The ritual usually involves an invocation to [[Kaele]], who commands the grim legion. Common elements include the naming of dead or legendary warriors, especially any who are known to serve in the grim legion. The trappings of death and war are often intermingled - a [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] captain might be wrapped in a black robe, while any target might wear a shroud or other funereal mantle, over their armour. Other elements may include [[Dawn hearth magic#Girding|girding]] the military leader; crowning them symbolically, often with ivory or bone; the sound of martial horns or drums, and the presence of warriors from the same nation as the target as silent witnesses. Like many Winter rituals, music is often brooding and unsettling. In many rituals the leader of the target legion offers a symbolic payment to Kaele and her warriors, often in the form of spilt wine or blood, or the scattering of coins which are left in the mud where they fall. Tattered or torn banners are often raised, especially those which have seen a great deal of use on a battlefield.

The [[Yoorn|rune of ending]] is often evoked with this ritual. The rune [[Tykonus]] is ''never'' used with this ritual; the ritual will apparently fail outright if this rune is visible on the person of any of the ritualists or their target.



[[Category:Winter Ritual]]
[[Category:Rituals]]
[[Category:IC Text Required]]

Naeve's Twisting Blight

2013-04-04T07:53:45Z

Davidkibblewhite:

==Rules==
{{Season|Winter|15}}

===Performing the Ritual===
{{Casting time|10m}} {{regio|Winter}}

{{curse}}

===Effects===

This ritual targets a region. It must be performed at a regio in that region, or at the regio in Anvil if it is targeting a region that is part of the Empire.

All crops in the region are scoured with blights and unseasonable weather. Preserved foodstuffs are ravaged by rot and mould, and weaker animals fall sick and in some cases die. Residents of the region often fall ill while this curse is in place.

All [[farm|farms]] in the region provide only half as much money as they would normally provide.

The additional production provided by an [[enchantment]] such as [[Rampant Growth]] is not affected by this curse.

{{Season Duration}}

==Description==

This ritual blights a region with sickness, causing crops to wither, foodstores to become corrupted, and inflicting illness and general malaise on people and animals.

==Common Elements==
The ritual releases a malign, oppressive pestilence across a region. Grim, throbbing musical rhythms, slow threatening movement and invocations of dread and hunger are all used to raise and direct this malign power. It is common to evoke the rune [[Naeve]] (obviously) and sometimes [[Kyrop]] with this ritual.


[[Category:Winter Ritual]]
[[Category:Rituals]]
[[Category:IC Text Required]]

Imperial law

2013-03-27T13:10:43Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{stub}}
==Overview==
Imperial Law is the body of law which has been created by the [[Imperial Senate]] and which extends the principles laid down in the [[Imperial Constitution]]. The law is prosecuted by magistrates, members of the [[Imperial Civil Service]] who are trained in Imperial jurisprudence. Magistrates act as judges during trials, determining guilt and sentencing and are able to deputise individuals to help them enforce the laws. The Throne and members of the [[Imperial Synod]] may appeal for clemency on behalf of the accused to obtain a reduced sentence.

==Magistrates and trials==
The implementation of the Law is overseen by the magistrates. They instigate an investigation into any potential crimes they are aware of; any character who believes a crime has been committed may bring the matter to the attention of a magistrate. The magistrates have far-reaching legal powers to allow them to go anywhere in the Empire and demand an audience with any citizen, similar to those possessed by the Synod. The magistrates may also deputise citizens to act on their behalf, either to gather evidence or to arrest a suspect.

Trials are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisitorial_system inquisitorial] rather than [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adversarial_system adversarial]. There are no juries and no barristers. Trials are conducted by the magistrate who weighs the evidence and determines guilt and the accused is expected to speak in their own defence. The magistrate has the authority to silence anyone from speaking in their court and will use this power to ensure that trials remain short and dramatic.

Modern legal frameworks do not apply. There is no right to silence; if the accused refuses to answer a question, the magistrate may make an adverse inference about their guilt. Hearsay and circumstantial evidence are admissible. If a person has been murdered late at night, reports that the accused is known to dislike the accused may be weighted as evidence.

If the magistrate finds the accused guilty then they will proceed to sentencing. If the accused has pleaded guilty, a member of the [[Imperial Synod]] may submit a plea for clemency on their behalf. The plea must be based on Virtuous grounds; that is they must establish that the accused was acting virtuously, albeit illegally, when they committed their actions. The seniority of the priest will be taken into account when determining the impact of their plea for clemency: seniority is the Emperor or Empress, followed by a member of the [[Assembly of Nine]], followed by any member of the Synod.

Magistrates have considerable power but are known to be bound by powerful magical oaths to uphold the spirit of the Law. As such they are considered to be above reproach. Their decisions may be incorrect - they are not infallible - but they are known to be absolutely impartial and honest.

==Purpose==
The point of the Law is to attempt to create a game in which there is a strong effective legal sanction against theft and murder. The goal is to create a convincing, compelling and original setting and also to encourage the majority of player-vs-player activity in the game to remain political rather than murderous. By making murder difficult to get away with, we hope to ensure that it is the least attractive option open to a player in dealing with their political enemies, rather than the most attractive option. The goal of Empire is to focus on a high degree of political interaction between players but have the balance of combat take place between players and monsters.

All magistrates will be NPCs, so that they work solely towards the goal of making the Law be trustworthy and effective. Any player character in this role would be minded to have other in-character considerations, other than to promote the game. The magistrates are also briefed to ensure that trials remain short and sweet, rather than running on interminably which is common in situations where they are not rigorously controlled.

Because the magistrates primary role is to make the law effective, they will ''never'' be used to run plot around corruption or other themes. They can be swayed by clever or charismatic testimony but they cannot be bribed, blackmailed or browbeaten.

==Further Reading==
* You can gain a more detailed overview of Imperial law [[Imperial Law Overview|here]].
* You can learn more about the Non-Player Character and Player Character officers of the law [[Officers of the Law|here]].
* You can learn more about how trials are conducted [[Criminal Trials|here]].
* You can learn more about civil trials and claims against fellow citizens [[Civil Claims|here]].
* You can review the list of current criminal offences [[List of Criminal Offences|here]].

[[Category:The Law]]
[[Category:The Empire]]

Archmage

2013-03-27T11:02:22Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

<ic>This material in in final-edit state requiring one last review before it is categorically signed off; while details may change the main body of the text is ''likely'' to stay the same - '''Raff'''</ic>

{{CaptionedImage|file=MandalaMagicians.jpg|title=Archmagi|caption=Costume by [Mandala Studios] for £30 kit challenge|align=left|width=243|height=320}}
Archmage is an Imperial title bestowed upon a [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]]. There are six archmagi in the Conclave; one for each of the Magical Realms. They are appointed by the [[Imperial Conclave]], and serve as representatives of that august body, as well as helping to control the use of the Conclave's resources.

There are six archmagi to match the six realms into which magic is divided. The titles are not purely ceremonial; Imperial citizens, the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]], the [[Military Council]], foreign dignitaries and [[Eternals]] assume that a given archmage is well-versed in the capabilities and lore of their Realm. While these are political positions, there have been unpleasent incidents in the past when (for example) a Summer Archmage with no real understanding of the Summer realm has been asked to address the Senate or to meet with a Summer Eternal.

Each archmage is addressed by their title and the name of the Realm of magic they stand for - ''Tavistock, Archmage of Spring'' or ''Archmage Reyon d'Esange of Summer''. The title archmage comes originally from [[Urizen]], a development of the title [[Urizen magical traditions#Magi|mage]] which is used in that nation to represent a political magician,

==Powers of an Archmage==
There are six Archmagi, one for each Realm of magic (Autumn, Day, Night, Spring, Summer and Winter). Each archmage is a separate Imperial title; as with all other Imperial titles it prevents the holder from holding any other Imperial title (including that of a different archmage).

===Guiding the Conclave===
Each archmage may add a single item to the [[Conclave session|agenda]] for free before each session of the Conclave. They have the option to make their agenda item a secret, which is referred to as the veil of night. It is then recorded only as "The archmage of (''Realm'') proposes a motion."

===Gatekeepers of the Vault===
The archmagi are responsible for [[Conclave session#Hearing the Gambits|hearing the gambits]] proposed by the [[Conclave order|orders]] of the Conclave and deciding which should be approved. Each position has their own store of resources and materials which is maintained by the civil service. It should be noted that the archmage can ''only'' access these resources in the context of resourcing a gambit - they are not for the personal use of the archmage.

===Staff of the Archmage===
The archmage takes custody of the ceremonial staff of the archmage. This staff is enchanted anew each year. If the archmage loses their position, the staff must be given to the new archmage. If the archmage's staff is lost or stolen it may be replaced depending on the resources available to the Conclave; otherwise it remains lost until the next Winter solstice when the civil service arranges a replacement. Theft of an archmage's staff is a very serious business. Archmagi are encouraged to take all appropriate precautions to keep the staff safe (such as arranging for someone with access to the [[Reading the Weave]] ritual to bond the staff to them).

Each of the staffs of the archmagi is a ritual staff, appropriate to the Realm of the archmage. This has lead to complaints in the past, but the rules are quite clear; the staff of the archmage is enchanted as a ritual staff.

==Selection of an Archmage==
The appointment, replacement or removal of an Archmage is made by the [[Conclave session#Declaration of Candidacy|declaration of candidacy]] as part of the [[Conclave session|agenda of a Conclave session]]. A candidate can be presented for the post of archmage only once a season.

==Removing an Archmage==
An archmage cannot be [[General Assembly#Revocation of office|revoked]] by the [[Imperial Synod]]. The archmage serves until another magician takes the title, or another archmage is appointed in the Conclave. When an archmage loses their title, they must give the archmage's staff to the new holder of the position.

==Vault of the Archmagi==
The resources available to each archmage when they are dealing with [[Conclave session#Hearing the Gambits|gambits]] are referred to as that archmage's vault. Archmagi are informed how much mana they have available at the start of each sequence of gambit hearings, and the information is as up-to-date as the Conclave can make it. Generally, the materials available to the archmagi to resource gambits include the following

===Crystal Mana===
Every six crystal mana gained by the Conclave distributed evenly between the vaults of the six archmagi. This is without doubt the most numerous resource which the archmagi have access to. The Conclave acquires crystal mana through a range of mechanisms:
* all mana spent by members as part of membership and political processes,
* all mana seized from enemy territories and mana sites by the Imperial armies.
* mana generated by certain mana sites owned by the Empire and administered by the civil service on behalf of the Conclave
* the Conclave as a whole charges crystal mana to provide tutoring in rituals and magic, and encourage all magicians to do the same when taking on their own students.
* the Conclave also maintains extensive libraries, and charge crystal mana to access them.

===Ilium===
The Conclave has small reserves of [[Materials#Ilium|ilium]]; two rings of ilium are added to the vault of each archmage every season. They are predominantly requested by gambits that involve either permanent enchantments or the creation of artefacts to be used by magicians.

===Raw materials===
Each archmage's vault receives a trickle of ingots and measures of each of the either [[Materials|special materials]] - [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalum]], [[Materials#Green Iron|green iron]], [[Materials#Tempest Jade|tempest jade]], [[Materials#Weltsilver|weltsilver]], [[Materials#Dragonbone|dragonbone]], [[Materials#Iridescent Gloaming|iridescent gloaming]], [[Materials#Beggar's Lye|beggar's lye]] and [[Materials#Ambergelt|ambergelt]]. Generally between 4 and 6 ingots or measures of each material are accumulated each season.

As with the ilium, these materials are generally used to resource gambits that involve crafting items for magicians, although some gambits intentionally substitute materials for crystal mana (for those rituals that allow materials to be substituted for crystal mana, or for those covens with access to covenstones that allow such substitution for a specific realm).
[[Category:The Conclave]]

Conclave

2013-03-27T10:37:08Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

<ic>This material in in final-edit state requiring one last review before it is categorically signed off; while details may change the main body of the text is ''likely'' to stay the same - '''Raff'''</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brass-Coast-3397.jpg|title=The Conclave is open to all magicians|caption=Blue over-robe by [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moot-Point/255667077892385 Moot Point Design] |align=right|width=360|height=540}}
== Overview ==
The Conclave is a chamber open to all [[Magical skills#Magician|magicians]] in the Empire. It is a place where magic is explored, discussed and used for the benefit both of the Empire and the magicians themselves. It possesses specific powers to promote and protect safe and prosperous use of magic by its citizens.

===Role Within The Empire===
The Conclave is charged to harness the power of magic in the service of the Empire. Its remit includes encouraging the use of magic in the best interests of the people of the Empire; preventing the misuse of magic to damage the interests of the Empire; and advising the [[Imperial Senate]], [[Military Council]] and [[Imperial Synod]] on arcane matters.

===Entry requirements===
Membership of the Conclave is open to all magicians. To join the Conclave, an Imperial citizen must first travel to [[The Hall of Worlds]], demonstrating their arcane prowess. The Civil Service maintains a presence in the Hall of Worlds to help magicians organise and administrate the business of the Conclave.

While it is certainly possible for someone who is not a magician to enter the Hall of Worlds, if they are found to be voting on Conclave matters they are considered to be perverting the Imperial political system and prosecuted appropriately.

===Membership of the Conclave===
There is no formal membership of the Conclave as such. Any Imperial magician can participate in Conclave business. They can join an [[Conclave order|order]] and serve as, or help to elect,a [[Conclave#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmaster]]; they can place an item of the agenda of the next [[Conclave session]]; help their order decide on which [[Conclave session#Gambits|gambit]] to propose to the [[Archmage|archmagi]]; and they can be proposed for a position within the Conclave such as archmage, [[Warmage|warmage]] or [[Dean of the Lyceum]].

Almost all Conclave business is done through the payment of crystal mana. This mana is collected by the civil service functionaries, and is allocated for the use of individual magicians by the archmagi.

The Conclave normally has formal meetings - [[Conclave session|Conclave sessions]] at least twice during any Imperial summit. All official Conclave sessions take place in the Hall of Worlds.

==Further Information==
You can also find further information about the way the Conclave operates on these pages:
* Details of the meetings of the Conclave, the agenda, declarations and gambits, can be found [[Conclave session|here]].
* Details of the six orders of the Conclave (the political groups that dominate Conclave voting), their grandmasters and the powers they wield can be found [[Conclave order|here]].
* Details of the positions of [[archmage]], [[warmage]] and [[dean of the Lyceum]] may also be of interest.

[[Category:The Conclave]]
[[Category:The Empire]]

Conclave session

2013-03-27T10:35:12Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

<ic>This material in in final-edit state requiring one last review before it is categorically signed off; while details may change the main body of the text is ''likely'' to stay the same - '''Raff'''</ic>

Traditionally, the Conclave has one formal session each evening during the Imperial summit. The first session is usually dedicated to the appointment of the [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmasters]] of the [[Conclave order|orders]], which generally takes place on Friday night. Sometimes this is immediately followed by a full session, but more often full sessions take place on Saturday and Sunday evenings, to allow sufficient time to prepare the agenda.

During these sessions, the magicians of the Conclave vote on subjects related to the good conduct of their fellows and the use of their resources.

==The Agenda==
The agenda for each formal session of the Conclave is determined in advance. Any [[Spell list#Magician|magician]] can add an item to the agenda. The process for doing so is reasonably simple; the magician approaches a Conclave functionary and raises an agenda item. This costs one crystal mana. The civil servant adds the item to the agenda. At the next Conclave session, each item on the agenda is raised and resolved by the meeting, generally in the order in which they were raised.

Each [[archmage]] has the power to add a single agenda item for each session at no cost, and may elect to do so under ''the veil of night'', in which case the agenda item is described as being raised by them but no further details need be given.

Any Magician can ask to review the agenda for the next Conclave session. The agenda is normally closed half an hour before the session is scheduled to begin.

The two most common agenda items are ''address'' and ''declaration".

===Address===
The magician, or one named individual to whom they defer who must be present, can address the Conclave for up to five minutes on whatever topic they desire.

When this item is raised, the civil servant will ask if any of the [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmasters]] wish to silence the speaker; if one chooses to do so, a vote is called. If the vote passes, the agenda item is removed from the agenda and the address does not take place. As is usual with conclave votes, the mana crystal paid to place the item on the agenda counts as a vote in favour of the address.

===Propose a Declaration===
The magician proposes that the Conclave votes on an issue, generally the use of one of its legal powers in the form of a Declaration. The crystal of mana always counts as a single vote in favour of the declaration.

The Conclave has a number of powers to enable them to fulfil their constitutional role of protecting the Empire from the abuses of magic. These powers are grouped together as the Declarations of the Conclave.

====Declaration of Candidacy====
The Conclave can declare someone to hold a specific position controlled by the Conclave. This is most commonly used to propose someone for the post of [[archmage]] or [[Dean of the Lyceum]]. If there is someone already holding the position, they obviously lose it when the vote passes. Occasionally, this same declaration has been used to simply remove someone from their position, by declaring that their post should be filled with ''nobody''.

It is typical for the civil service to group all declarations of candidacy that effect the same position together at the point on the agenda where the first one is announced and for the position to be claimed only when the last vote for that position has taken place.

====Declaration of Sorcery====
The Conclave may declare a magician to be a sorcerer. The most common reason for this declaration is as a result of an abuse of 'legal curses' against citizens or allies of the Empire. If this Declaration is made:
* the sorcerer is prohibited from contributing to rituals.
* the sorcerer is prohibited from carrying or using crystal mana.
* the sorcerer is not permitted to run a mana site. Such a resource is confiscated by the Conclave, and it's production added to the [[Archmage#Vault of the Archmagi|vault]].
A sorcerer who violates these prohibitions will be subject to arrest and trial before a [[Imperial Law|magistrate]].

====Declaration of Reconciliation====
The Conclave may reconcile a sorcerer with the Empire. If this declaration is made, all rights that were taken from them are returned. They regain possession of any confiscated mana site, but not of any crystal mana it may have produced while they were sorcerers.

====Declaration of Enmity====
The Conclave may declare a specific [[Eternals|Eternal]] to be an enemy of the Empire. If this declaration is made, it becomes illegal for anyone to consort with the Eternal named in this declaration, or with their Heralds. Such an act can result in the alleged offender being arrested on charges of sorcery or treason, and the case taken before the magistrates.

Performance of rituals that deal with, or appear to deal with, an Eternal subject to the declaration of enmity (such as [[Ephisis' Scales]], [[Clarion Call of Ivory and Dust]], [[Missive for Sadogua]] and the like) may be treated as sorcery; the magistrates will often seek the assistance of the [[archmage|archmagi]] to clarify this, unless there is a separate [[Conclave session#Declaration of Interdiction|declaration of interdiction]] against specific rituals.

As of 374 YE, the only well-known Eternal subject to declaration of enmity is [[Wendigo]], a Winter Eternal that promotes unspeakable acts and cannibalistic feasts. He was made subject to this declaration in the 306 YE Winter Solstice session of the Conclave following exposure of his involvement in no less than three cannibalistic cults dedicated to blasphemy, idolatory and heresy.

====Declaration of Amity====
The Conclave may declare a specific Eternal to be an ally of the Empire. Imperial citizens are encouraged to demonstrate courtesy and even aid these Eternals, or their Heralds, where it is possible for them to do so. The Heralds of that Eternal receive the same status and protection under Imperial Law accorded to any mortal foreigner.

This declaration is also used to rescind a [[Conclave session#Declaration of Enmity|declaration of enmity]].

====Declaration of Interdiction====
The Conclave may censor material that could pose a supernatural risk to the citizens of the Empire. They can use this to declare the use of a specific ritual or enchanted item to be an act of sorcery, meaning that anyone found guilty of using that magic is arrested and brought before a magistrate.

Specific items that have been declared under interdiction are usually given to the civil service for secure disposal; scrolls or tomes containing rituals that are placed under interdiction are generally destroyed. However the Conclave can also declare something interdicted without the supervision of the Conclave - generally meaning without the specific intercession of one of the [[archmage|archmagi]]. In this case interdicted items or tomes are handed over to the Conclave for appropriate disposition.

====Declaration of Acceptance====
This declaration will remove or modify a ban placed by the [[Conclave session#Declaration of Interdiction|declaration of interdiction]].

This declaration can also be used to suggest that a specific ritual be added to the body of Imperial Lore, allowing magicians all over the Empire to receive training in the ritual. This process can be quite costly, and requires [[Imperial Senate]] approval - it is the senate that meets costs involved, although the Conclave may offer additional support to the Senate if an appropriate [[gambits|gambit]] is raised. If this declaration is made, the civil service functionaries will add it to the [[Imperial Senate]] agenda.

====Declaration of the Balance====
The Conclave may require the civil service to arrange the election of the [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmasters]] again. This declaration rarely passes unless more than one [[Conclave order|order]] (and thus grandmaster) wishes to re-evaluate the voting strength of the orders as a whole. The civil service will attempt to arrange the re-election after the current session, and before the next session, ensuring sufficient time is allowed for all magicians to be aware of the re-election.

===Voting on declarations===
A declaration is always considered to have a single vote in favour. If nobody opposes it, it passes automatically. If any [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmaster]] chooses to oppose the declaration, a vote is called

During a vote each grandmaster may commit an amount of crystal mana to either support or oppose the declaration. Crystals are placed secretly, then counted by the civil service. A grandmaster cannot commit more crystals than the voting strength of their order, as recorded during their election.

Declarations pass or are defeated after a single pass. In the case of a tie, the declaration is considered to have passed.

Any crystal mana used during a vote is transferred to the Conclave's reserves.

===Concluding the Agenda===
Once all agenda items are dealt with, or (in some very rare circumstances) once the time allocated to the agenda expires, the Conclave session either concludes or moves on to the consideration of the [[#Hearing the Gambits|gambits]]. Any remaining agenda items are added to the start of the next conclave session.

==Hearing the Gambits==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Wintermark-3133.jpg|title=Magic is expensive|caption=Costume & Headdress by [https://www.facebook.com/TotallyLeathered Totally Leathered] 
Curved rustic staff by [http://www.skianmhor.co.uk Skian Mhor]|align=right|width=360|height=540}}
After all agenda items have been raised and resolved, the Conclave proceeds to resolve the gambits put forward by the [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|Grandmasters of the orders]]. Gambits are usually proposed and decided twice during an Imperial summit, assuming time allows.

The Conclave has a store of resources, usually referred to as the Conclave Vault. This exists predominantly in the form of crystal mana and [[Materials#Ilium|ilium]], but some other [[materials]] also end up in Conclave coffers. These reserves are built up from a range of sources including Conclave politics; seizures from sorcerers and barbarians; and the production of some resources controlled on the Conclave's behalf by the civil service. The Conclave is responsible for ensuring that these magical reserves are put to the use of the Empire. This is achieved through gambits and through the decision of the [[archmage|archmagi]].

===Proposing a Gambit===
A gambit is a proposal that formally requests the use of the Empire's magical resources. It usually takes the form of a statement with three components.
* The name of the [[Conclave order|conclave order]] that proposes the gambit, and the name of the specific magician who requests the use of, and takes responsibility for, the resources
* The exact resources needed, clearly identified by type and amount
* The specific use to which this magical resource will be put is clearly stated; it is common to include a deadline after which any excess materials will be returned to the Conclave.

Examples of past gambits have included:
* ''The Rod and Shield requires thirty-five crystals of mana for Amelia Larkwood de Rousillon so that she may enchant the armies of the Earl de Rousillon with the Shining Panoply of War before they face the Druj in battle tomorrow morning.''
* ''The Unfettered Mind require magician Serval i Riqueza receive forty crystals of mana to engage in an investigation of the mechanisms whereby the ritual Tribute to the Thrice-Bound Court functions; he will deliver a report to the Conclave on his findings in one year.''
* ''The Shuttered Lantern require ten crystals of mana for Garrett of Osterly so that he may scry the dispositions of the Thule armies near Skarsind and deliver a report to the Warmage by tomorrow evening.''
* ''The Celestial Arch require that the Icewalker Felendahnk of the Rod and Shield order receive twenty crystals of mana so that he may help the forces defending Mahnraking Hall in Hahnark by raising the Standard of War on their armies.''
* ''The magician Heldregard requests that she be given thirty-five crystals of mana so that her coven may perform the Devastating Scythe of Anguish and Loss during the battle tomorrow morning against the Jotun.''

Each [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmaster]] may place a single gambit for consideration prior to each session, at the cost of one crystal of mana.

A magician who is not a grandmaster may also place a gambit for consideration, but this requires five crystals of mana, and all gambits from individual magicians are heard after the gambits presented by the grandmasters.

===Presenting a Gambit===
Prior to the Conclave session, tokens are drawn at random to determine the order in which the gambits will be heard by the [[archmage|archmagi]]. These tokens may be swapped with other token holders as part of a negotiated arrangement. Gambits raised by [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmasters]] on behalf of their [[Conclave order|orders]] are always heard before gambits raised by individual magicians on their own behalf.

The named magician has five minutes to present their case for the gambit. The [[archmage|archmagi]] then take a short time to discuss the gambit with each other and the magician who has presented it, before deciding if they will resource the gambit.

===Resourcing the Gambit===
The materials available to resourcing all gambits in a session is determined before the first gambit is presented.

* One-sixth of all mana crystals and materials belonging to the Conclave is assigned to each archmage, which they can apportion as they wish to resource a gambit.
* Archmagi can agree to co-operatively pool their allocations to resource a gambit, and may discuss their intentions as they wish.
* After deliberation, each archmage writes down the amount they will contribute to the gambit and passes to the civil servant who announces the numbers and whether it has been resourced or not.
** If the gambit has been resourced, all materials assigned to that gambit are removed from the archmage's reserves. If the gambit has been over-resourced, excess materials are returned to the archmage's supply after the gambits are heard, after the materials have been assigned proportionally by the civil service. This engcourages the archmagi to be sensible with their pledges.
** If the gambit has not been resourced in full, no materials are assigned, and all materials remain in the supply of the archmagi. The gambit is said to have failed..
* There is no requirement for archmagi to utilise all, or even any, of their allocation of materials. The tally of unused materials allocated to each archmage accumulates from season to season, but is the property of the position, not the individual magician.

If the Gambit received sufficient material, it is resourced; the mana is given to the designated magician at the end of the session.

===Concluding the Gambits===
Once all gambits placed by [[Conclave order#Grandmasters of the orders|grandmasters]] are heard, remaining gambits are presented in a random order, At any point after the six [[Conclave order|order]] gambits are heard, an [[archmage]] may withdraw from the proceedings.

[[Category:The Conclave]]
[[Category:The Empire]]

Agramant

2013-03-27T09:38:29Z

Davidkibblewhite: spag

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Winter==
===Sobriquets===
The Wendigo goes by a number of names. It is usually identified as male, and is referred to as ''Agramant'' in many older texts - although what that name means is anyone's guess. He is most commonly called ''The Howler'' or ''The Hunter in the Wastes''.

Wedigo is also known as the ''Devourer of the Fallen'', and ''The Voice of the Pines''. In [[Wintermark]] the [[Suaq]] call him ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' and the [[Kallavesi]] call him ''The Dream of Famine''. In some old [[Varushka|Varushkan]] tales he is referred to as ''The Whisperer'' or ''The Wastewalker''; these stories focus on the belief that he tries to encourage the hungry and the lost to atrocious acts in the name of survival, or how he lures the greedy to acts of self-debasement and madness until they finally snap and become literal or figurative monsters..

In [[Highguard]] the [[Magister|magisters]] call him ''The Abominable One'' and many count him the worst of the [[Eternals]]. In [[The Brass Coast]] and parts of [[Dawn]] he is sometimes called ''The Horned Manticore'', and there are several stories that suggest the [[Legendary beasts#Sphinxes and Manticores|beasts of the same name]] are his children. In [[The Marches]] he is often mentioned as ''The Harvester of Graves'' and the superstitious spit when they mention him by any of his epithets - there are old stories that suggest that food eaten or drink drunk will cause a stomach upset while you still have the same saliva in your mouth that spoke his name.

===Appearance===
Wendigo is sometimes depicted as a massive, hairy monster with razor-sharp claws and wide, staring eyes. He is usually shown possessing a massive mouth of shark-like teeth, and is generally pale in colour and spattered with blood. In some cases he appears as a brutish and thuggish [[Orc|orc]] wielding a club made from the legbone of a great beast.

[[Urizen magical traditions#Stargazers|Stargazers]], [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[Earl|enchanters]] and [[Wintermark magical traditions#Icewalkers|icewalkers]] who have experience of dealing with Agramant claim that his most common form is that of a sturdy [[draughir]]-like being wrapped in flayed hides, usually those of a bear or stag, still dripping with blood and gore. He often wears the head of a great beast as a helmet, or crown. They say that his razor-sharp teeth and tearing-claws are quite real, however.

Wendigo is almost always encountered alone.

Agramant the Wendigo has claimed numerous times to be the source of the [[draughir]], and in some places they are called wendigo as a consequence. There is absolutely no evidence of this claim; those dealing with Wendigo would do well to remember that he ''lies'' and he lies ''often''.

===Concerns===
Agramant - or Wendigo - teaches that ultimately everyone is alone. That survival is all that matters - another breath is the only truly precious thing in creation. His twisted philosophy appears to include ideas such as the expendibility of all those who are weak, and the need for the strong to prey on and devour the weak. He expresses the idea that only those with the will to power are truly aware of their place in the cosmos, and that those bound by rules, laws and the expectations of society or concern for others are little more than sheep, who deserve to be slaughtered by those with superior souls.

This Eternal, like [[Sorin]] is associated with hunger, but for Wendigo it is the hunger that leads to unnatural acts of murder and cannibalism. He is the only Winter Eternal who seems to actively approve of wanton acts and the consumption of the flesh of other thinking creatures for its own sake, rather than as a desperate act brought on by circumstance. He is known to use Heralds and gifts to actively encourage cults and bands of murderers to perform cannibalistic feasts in his name, and in the name of proving their own superiority over the herd.

Wendigo is the only Eternal currently considered to be an enemy of the Empire, due to the [[Conclave session#Declaration of Enmity|declaration of enmity]] of the [[Imperial Conclave]] in 306 YE following exposure of his involvement in no less than three cannibalistic cults dedicated to blasphemy, idolatory and heresy. It is thus illegal to deal with him or his Heralds.

The [[Wendigo's Bargain]] is a magical staff. The term also means a bargain where both parties are weakened or harmed, but one of the parties is capable of enduring or mastering the pain or debilitation to the detriment of the other party.

Some thoughtful scholars suggest that Agramant is not entirely what he appears to be. There is wisdom in him, they claim. All he does is point out to his followers that they ''could'' do unspeakable things - he never coerces them. He encourages them to become monsters, but they could just as easily choose to ignore his inducements. Wendigo, they say, drives his cults until they self-destruct, demonstrating the foolishness of his professed philosophy and reminding others that there are monsters in their midst who look ''just like they do''. Wendigo himself laughs at this, apparently, and changes the subject.

===Boons===
Agramant the Wendigo offers strength to those who undertake his ''Unspeakable Feast'' - usually a ritual involving the consumption of the fresh meat of a thinking being such as a human or [[Orc|orc]]. He is also believed to be especially keen to encourage the [[draughir]] to embrace their facility to gain sustenance from rotten flesh. He may provide powers associated with physical weakness, most often through the evocation of his terrible howl - the same howl that can send mortals stumbling away in terror.

He is also said to be a consummate hunter; that he can hunt not only in the Winter Realm, but can somehow hunt in the dreams of others, finding anyone who has ever known hunger or desperation. Wendigo can deliver or empower many curses, and by hunting in the dreams of an enemy he can drive them slowly insane, twisting them until they turn against their neighbours attacking and slaughtering without warning; such unfortunates often believe that they have transformed into bloodthirsty beasts, free of the constraints their human scruples place on them.

He rarely uses his powers or grants them as boons unless he receives some sort of tribute in return - usually a savage murder or act of cannibalism.

<quote by="''Beware the Wendigo'', Valshok Juerdann">Beware the Wendigo, my child, 
When the moon is fat and the sky is clear; 
 
Beware his grinning maw and gentle voice, 
His joysome tales of warm, red meats. 
 
Beware the Wendigo, my child, 
When the wind is cold and home not near; 
 
Beware his grasping claw and whisper'd choice' 
His gleesome talk of soft, dark treats. 
 
Beware the Wendigo, my child 
When the moon is fat and the sky is clear. </quote>

[[Category:Eternals]]

Whispering Shadow Courtiers

2013-03-21T17:02:09Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo

==Rules==
{{Season|Night|8}}
===Performing the Ritual===
{{Casting time|2}} During the ritual the contributors must whisper a secret of some sort, preferably one unknown to the other contributors.

===Effects===

During the ritual the ritualists become increasingly aware of whispering voices, and may begin to become aware of shadowy indistinct shapes observing them from nearby.

At the completion of the ritual, the contributors each learn a single fact, or receive a short vision, that concerns someone or something nearby. The secret is almost invariably revealed without context, although it seems that these secrets are always relevant or have a certain level of import.

Each contributor receives the same piece of information. Acharacter can receive only one secret each event; performing the ritual again will simply reveal the same secret, even if it is no longer relevant or has become widely known.

It is not possible to direct this spell to gain information about specific topics.

===OOC Elements===
The result of this spell is liable to be delivered in the form of a written vision, acquired from GOD. The contributors can study their vision as long as they like, but cannot discuss it or make notes until they have handed the slip back to a referee; at that point they are free to roleplay however they like - they may play through the process of receiving the vision, or act as if they have been in waking trance and the vision has already passed. The visions will tend to refer to events hidden in the backgrounds of characters attending the event, both player- characters and non-player characters.

==Description==

This ritual is often seen as a counterpart to [[Signs and Portents]]; like that mysterious ritual it seems to pluck information out of the air, and like that ritual it seems to ensue that the information is relevant to some degree - although the onus lies on the ritualists to get some value from the secret they uncover.

The secrets often involve past actions of people in the nearby area, especially dark deeds such as murder or theft; unfortunately the secret rarely provides specific information about ''who'' the secret belongs to. Still, more than one ritualist has been involved in bringing a criminal to justice by carefully pursuing a hint uncovered through this ritual.

==Common Elements==
This ritual often involves consuming a narcotic of some sort, or the burning of strong incense to produce a form of mist or obscuring fog. It is often performed in secret; invocations are whispered, and identities are concealed with masks, cowls, cloaks and hoods. Runestones may be used, especially if they are concealed in darkess - creating a divination that nobody reads is seen as a clever way to create a secret. It is common for the ritual to start in dim light, and for the ritualists to slowly deepen the darkess by extinguishing candles or lanterns as they weave their magic.

Symbols of [[Wisdom]] or [[Vigilance]] may be used, and the rune [[Diras]] has obvious application here. The ritual is often associated with the [[Whisper Gallery]], the ''Shadow Courtiers'' of the Realm of Night, who are said to collect all secrets and hoard them as a miser hoards wealth. Their names are often invoked during the performance of the ritual, as is the name of [[Sadogua]], especially if the contributors are hoping to receive magical insights.



[[Category:Night Ritual]]
[[Category:Rituals]]
[[Category:IC Text Required]]
[[Category:Descriptive Text Required]]

The Bishop

2013-03-21T16:51:38Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo

The Bishop is one of the [[Dramaturgy#The Personae|personae]] used in [[dramaturgy]]. While the character is usually referred to as male, regardless of the gender of the thespian taking the role, within the narrative she may be of either sex; often, as with many dramaturgical characters, the gender is irrelvant to the story as a whole to allow any ritualist to take the role.

'''Character:''' While [[The Prince]] represents powers temporal, the Bishop symbolises the power of faith and the church. He is a serious and commanding presence, often providing moral commentary on the deeds of the other characters. He speaks about the soul and the heart, and about the motivations that drive people to act. He is often shown dealing with a dilemma of spirituality, faith or duty that leaves him torn between action and inaction. The resolution of that dilemma may form the core of a play in which he is the protagonist. He is often in opposition to the practicality and expediency of [[The Prince]], or the foolish excesses of [[The Mountebank]].

When the Bishop resolves his dilemma, he offers strength to others. His righteousness helps other characters commit to their own course of action - he supports and enhances their qualities once he has overcome his own weaknesses. He often overturns corrupt authority by revealing the weaknesses and corruption they seek to keep hidden, and by giving others the strength to resist oppression. He breaks down structures that are inefficient or powerless and helps people to build new lives.

Although he is spiritual, he is also rational - his mind is often changed, or his central dilemma resolved, through good advice, investigation or discovery of a previously-unknown fact.

He is also the spirit of the family, and often appears in the role of an older relative. Bonds between people that are founded on trust and respect are part of his domain.

Upright, strong and constant, he can be trapped by his own rigidity, and his sense of honour may become his undoing. In street theatre he is often pompous, but even then his heart is usually in the right place - he believes what he preaches even as he is made to look foolish because of the air of self-importance he gives himself.

'''Magical Associations:''' He is most used in rituals that deal with magic that strengthens, supports or reveals. He can be used to represent the Synod, faith or rationality. He is associated with the virtues of [[Vigilance]], [[Wisdom]], [[Loyalty]] and [[Pride]].

'''Realms:''' The bishop is associated with summer (strength, majesty) and day (reason, discovery).

'''Identities:''' As one of the personae, the bishop usually appears named after one of the four rivers. Her name influences her character, which in turn influences the magical role she plays.

* ''Scorrero'' – used for magic that divines or uncovers facts
* ''Vassa'' – used for magic that exposes secrets or reveals weakness
* ''Gancio'' – used in magic that supports or enchants, especially magic that grants fortitude or endurance
* ''Couros'' – used in magic that encourages others, especially magic that grants combat prowess

'''Trappings:''' Draped in white and gold, usually with a symbol of the faith. Even when he appears in a less prestigious role such as a beggar or mendicant, the colours of yellow and white recur. His mask is often quite minimalist, appearing more like a human face than anything more stylised. The Bishop almost always speaks the truth whenever he appears; in this regard he is often quite subversive.

As with all personae, a troupe is likely to have a specific mask they use to portray the Bishop..

'''Other Identities:''' He often appears as a beggar or mendicant who reveals hidden truths. in roles that include authority and rulership, and often reperesents off-stage forces outside the remit of the play. wise parent or grandparent, a nurse, or a loyal companion. In [[Dawn]] she is an [[Enchanter]], and in [[The Marches]] she is sometimes a ''friar'' but more often the ''Farmer''.

[[Category:Dramaturgy]]

The Battlefield

2013-03-21T16:49:21Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo

The battlefield is a [[Dramaturgy#The Thrones|throne]], a location used in [[dramaturgy]] that represents both a setting and a Realm of magic.

'''Realm:''' Summer.

'''Setting:''' The Battlefield is most commonly presented as either a military camp, or as a castle or fortification. Themes of war, conflict, strength and the threat of death are all strengthened on the battlefield. The story might involve preparations for a battle, the arming of a mighty warrior or the fight itself (often a duel) and its aftermath.

'''Characters:''' [[The Captain]] and [[The Bishop]] are strong characters in this setting; they are often larger-than-life, taking on iconic roles as figureheads or representations of patriotic, political or religious themes. The Captain leads, and the Bishop inspires; it is here that they are at their most majestic.

'''Magical Style:''' This is often a location where someone is strengthened, or commits themselves to action.

Rituals that create [[enchantment|enchantments]] of strength, [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] or that grant martial abilities such as [[Hammer of Thunder]] or [[Alignment of Mind and Blade]] are made stronger here. Any ritual that targets a [[military unit]], fortification, campaign army or [[Groups#Banners|banner]] may be performed in this setting.

[[Category:Dramaturgy]]

Dramaturgy

2013-03-21T16:47:45Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo

==Overview==

The most popular form of ritual magic in [[The League]] is dramaturgy - an elaborate form of theatre where a series of characters, settings and items are imbued with symbolic and mystic significance which is used to shape the flow of magic. In classic dramaturgy, there are a set of recognisable characters, situations and items whose shared recognition fuels the magic of the ritual.

Six characters - called the ''personae'' - are central to dramaturgy, and at least one of them appears as the protagonist of a piece of theatre. The others appear as part of a supporting cast who may act favourably, neutrally or antagonistically to the protagonist depending on their nature and associations. One character - the Fool - acts as an invisible narrator when exposition is needed, and often represents the ritualists themselves. The fool is a commentator who shapes the drama, and thus the magic of the ritual.

Dramaturgy is sometimes used overtly, but it may also occur subtly. A League [[troupe]] will present an entire play or opera in which only one or at most a few key scenes are actually part of the magical working they are performing. They challenge onlookers to guess which elements are significant, and to unravel the magical purpose of their working.

Outside the League, similar principles are used to weave narrative power into rituals. Storytelling has power, whether it comes through the medium of drama or the recitation of a sagas, songs or even the invocation of heroes, [[Paragons and Exemplars|paragons and exemplars]].

===Dramaturgy beyond the League===
This discussion focuses on League dramaturgy, but this form of ritual magic is also used in parts of [[The Marches]], in [[Dawn]] and in [[Wintermark]].

In The Marches, dramaturgy is sometimes practiced by [[Mummers]]. Bands of mummers, maintain an itinerant existence as magicians and entertainers, much closer in feel to the [[Mountebank|mountebanks]] of the League than their troupe-magicians. They pride themselves on working magic through improvisation, without scripts but with a strong intuitive feel for the stories they create and the roles they use to work their magic. League troupes look down on mummers, considering them to lack subtlety, finesse or style.

In Dawn, some [[Yeomen of Dawn|yeomen]] practice rituals almost indistinguishable from their Marcher counterparts, but call themselves ''guisers'' to try and distance themselves. These guisers tend to weave more formal dramatic conceits into their rituals, and may sometimes work with a [[Troubadour]] as fellow-entertainers or supporters. By working with a priest, the guisers gain a measure of respectability. There is generally little affection between bands of guisers and [[Weaver cabal|weaver cabals]].

In Wintermark, and to a degree in [[Varushka]], dramaturgy exists more often in the form of storytelling and the singing of sagas, rather than in dramatic productions. A single ritualist, or a small [[Groups#Covens|coven]] will weave a tale through words and voice rather than by taking on the role of a character. A common performance style is for a single ritualist (often a [[Wintermark culture and customs#Artand history|scop]] or [[Varushka magical traditions#Volhov|volhov]] to narrate a story while the other members of the coven take on symbolic roles within that story. Again, the roles are usually recognisable to students of dramaturgy, although as with mumming and guising, they are seen as poor substitutes for true dramaturgy.

==Using Dramaturgy==

At its core, dramaturgy is the practice of using narrative to create magic. Some troupes revel in the complexity and cleverness of constructing a hidden ritual-within-a-ritual, but this is unneccessary for the practice of dramaturgy. A coterie of mountebanks on a street corner performing an improvised comedic routine with three actors and a small dog are just as capable of enacting [[Rivers of Gold]] as a full operatic performance of ''The Palace of Thieves'' in a gilded opera house.

Whatever variant of dramaturgy is employed, there are three constants. A tale is told, that has symbolic connection to the magic being worked; a connection is made between the ritualists and archetypal characters or iconic places, things and activites; and an audience is drawn into the ritual, their presence and focus granting additional power to the ritual working.

===The Rule of Three===
When selecting elements for the ritual, one must include the correct Throne for the realm of magic being performed. At least two other elements must be symbolically pertinent as well. You can include as many irrelevant elements as you please, but at least three things that the audience sees must be recognisably congruent with the intention of the ritual. This means that small Troupes with few resources are much more obvious in their intentions, while large and wealthy troupes can put on enormous performances, subtly hiding their magical intentions through misdirection.

But as they Mountebanks are fond of saying, the best way to slip something past an observer is to keep them focused on what your other hand is doing, and even a small troupe can use their wits to fool an audience into putting it's attention elsewhere.

===The Personae===
The personae are the protagonists, and they form the focus of the ritual. They tend to each have their own mask, and they represent the magic itself - the intent of the ritualists. In the League they almost invariably bear the name of one of the four rivers that flow into the Bay of Catazar, and their identities change depending on which name they are given. Other characters may be named after a river, but this is usually done to obfuscate the intent of the ritual.

The personae are: [[The Captain]], [[The Doctor]],[[The Witch]],[[The Prince]], [[The Bishop]] and [[The Mountebank]]

===The Instruments===
''Instruments'' is the term that League Troupes use to refer to their physical props; a collection of specific items which are as much a part of the cast as the players themselves. Many groups have a collection of items which has been handed down through their history, and they are usually stored with great care and reverence - it is not uncommon for one or more of them to be enchanted items that assist with ritual magic.

Many dramaturgists believe that the instruments, through repeatedly being involved in rituals, pick up some of the magic they are used with. They take on a kind of life of their own, becoming members of the troupe in their own right. When an instrument is broken or worn beyond repair, League Troupes perform a funeral with great ceremony for it, attending masked and dressed as dramaturgical characters enacting a tragic play. This is performed with all seriousness; the 'dead' instrument is eulogised in the same way a dead actor might be remembered, buried with great ceremony and a wake is held that night, before a replacement is 'welcomed' to the troupe the following day.

The instruments represent the method of the magic. For example, the cloak represents concealment while the cup represents restoration, enchantment or transfer of power. Subtle and intricate messages can be created by passing an item between characters - as with all things dramaturgical it is a point of pride to many writers to prove their cleverness by the complex interactions of Instruments and characters on stage.

The instruments are: [[The Cup]],[[The Lantern]],[[The Ring]], [[The Cloak]],[[The Blade]], [[The Coin]]

===The Thrones===
There are six settings for dramaturgical rituals, each one representing a Realm of magic. The throne usually matches the realm of the ritual, but not always; when performing the Autumn curse [[Like Water Through Your Fingers]], some dramaturgy troupes will set the ritual in the counting house (because it is an Autumn ritual),wheras others will set it in the tomb (because it is a curse). Some companies might choose to use backdrops or props to evoke the various settings, while others might simply choose to express it in a minimalist fashion through dialogue and story - if they cannot evoke the throne through their actions, they argue, then they are poor dramaturgists.

The thrones are: [[The Chamber]], [[The Battlefield]], [[The Tomb]], [[The Counting House]], [[The Library]], [[The Garden]]

===The Chorus===
The Chorus represents minor characters who move the narrative forward. They represent events in the dramaturgical working - they assist or hinder the protagonist, and they encompass the subtleties of the ritual.

The Fool is technically a member of the chorus, but deserves special mention.

When they are allied with the protagonist they are ''benefices'', and when they are opposed to the protagonist they are ''malefactors''. A member of the chorus with it's own agenda is called a ''fortune'', and tends to represent chance or fate. Characterisation and appearance can vary wildly depending on the troupe or the play. They do not generally appear masked, and a troupe challenges themselves by making the identity of the chorus obvious through action and dialogue rather than easily-recognisable costume elements.

[[Category:Dramaturgy]]
[[Category:Magic]]

The Blade

2013-03-21T16:40:57Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo

The blade is one of the [[Dramaturgy#The Instruments|instruments]] or [[dramaturgy]]. As such it often represents the method used in a magical ritual. A troupe will often have a specific prop that they use for the blade whenever it appears, and may in time come to treat the inanimate object a little like a member of the cast.

'''Appearence:''' A real weapon or a painted wooden prop, the Blade represents conflict, war and suffering. Some very theatrical troupes construct hinged or spring-loaded props which can transform rapidly from knife to sword and back again as it is handed back and forth. Some especially self-satisfied troupes have taken to replacing the blade with a letter, pamphlet or quill pen. This is more common in [[Sarvos]] than anywhere else and is sometimes called ''The Sarvosan Conceit'' when it is observed by troupes from other cities.

'''Meanings:''' The blade deals with conflict, war, suffering and combat but it also deals with healing and removal of obstacles. It has an element of sacrifice in it, and is a key to rituals such as [[Sorins Rite of Agony]] that specifically involve a sacrifice,

When carried by [[The Captain]], it represents individual combat, and powers that enhance combat skills such as [[The Swan's Cruel Wing]]. With [[The Prince]] it represents armies and nations at war, and so has a role in rituals such as [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]]. With [[The Bishop]], it is often used to represent truth or righteousness, but also things that deal with alliances - [[Braying Horns of War]] for example,e specially when performed on a [[Groups#Banners|banner]] with a strong connection to the Way. In the hands of a Mountebank it is military subterfuge, hidden knives and the like and may be used in a ritual such as [[Shroud of Mist and Shadow]]. In hands of [[The Doctor]] it becomes the Scalpel and is associated with the process of cutting away something bad to allow necessary and painful healing; it might be used with [[Black Iron Blade]], [[Renewed Strength of the New Day]] or [[Vitality of Rushing Water]] with equal facility. When carried by [[The Witch]] it is called the Aetheme, and signifies magical authority and mastery over foreign spirits - such as those eoked with [[Clarion Call of Ivory and Dust]] or [[Conclave of Trees and Shadow]].

[[Category:Dramaturgy]]

Archetype

2013-03-20T14:43:12Z

Davidkibblewhite: Mystic

__NOTOC__
{{stub}}
See also: [[Group Archetypes]]

===[[The Brass Coast]]===
{|
|[[The Brass Coast leadership|Dhomiro]]
|A Dhomiro is a member of a Freeborn family who is chosen by the family to be their representative to the wider world; sometimes as a leader, sometimes as an emissary.
|-
|[[The Brass Coast military concerns|Kohan]]
|Kohan are groups of volunteer and outcast warriors-without-family, who traditionally pledge loyalty to their tribe's hakima.
|-
|[[The Brass Coast religious beliefs|Sutannir]]
|Sutannir perform inspiring religious ceremonies for the Freeborn, and (more importantly) organise the parties that follow.
|-
|[[Hakima]]
|Hakima are highly-organised groups of magic-users whose loyalty is to the tribe, not their family. They are taken to be wise.
|-
||[[The Brass Coast economic interests|Corsair]]
|Freeborn Corsairs are traders and privateers who deal with - and raid - foreign shipping in the Bay of Catazar.
|-
|[[The Brass Coast economic interests|Scrivener]]
|Scriveners are Freeborn contract-writers who help traders frame the terms of their deals, and then decorate them with artwork and calligraphy.
|}

===[[Dawn]]===
{|
|[[Earl]]
|The Earl of a Dawnish Noble House is the House's leader, who leads the House in all its great achievements and who sets its conditions of membership.
|-
|[[Knight-errant]]
|Knights-Errant are men and women engaged in their Test of Mettle, who are still technically yeomen but who are expected - and who are questing - to prove themselves glorious.
|-
|[[Questing knight]]
|Questing Knights are those Knights who have proved themselves worthy in their Test of Mettle and have chosen to keep on questing for ever-greater glory.
|-
|[[Troubadour]]
|A Troubadour is a priest who learns all the stories of their Noble House, past and present, and tells them in poetry and song to inspire their people to greatness.
|-
|[[Dawn magical traditions|Witch]]
|Witches are Dawnish magic-users. In noble houses, they fight alongside the House's warriors. Most others belong to Weaver Cabals, independent groups of ritual witches which accept both yeomen and noble members.
|-
|[[Earl|Enchanter]]
|Some Earls who have studied magic choose the title "Earl-Enchanter" or simply "Enchanter". Most learn ritual magic to benefit their people; some build relationships with powerful Summer Eternals.
|-
|[[Seneschal]]
|A Noble House's Seneschal is a trusted yeoman who oversees its financial affairs, arranging deals and trades and keeping the House solvent.
|-
|[[Advocate]]
|Dawnish Advocates are yeoman politicians who navigate the murky waters of Senate politics for their noble masters.
|-
|[[Retainer]]
|A yeoman Retainer is a Dawnish Noble's most trusted attendant, who works closely with a particular Noble, or sometimes for the whole House.
|}

===[[Highguard]]===
{|
|[[Highguard leadership|Exarch]]
|The Exarch, or Exarchs, are those who are appointed by a Highguard Chapter as their leader(s) as determined by the Chapter's creed, or by embodying its principles.
|-
|[[Highguard military concerns|Guardian]]
|Guardians form the core of Highborn military, taking on a range of roles in defence of their Chapters, and in prosecuting vigilant warfare.
|-
|[[Unconquered]]
|The Unconquered are Highguard's elite guerilla troops. They are prone to using ruthless tactics, even operating behind enemy lines, to destroy the enemy's capacity to make war.
|-
|[[Highguard military concerns|Cataphract]]
|Cataphracts are Highguard's elite heavy warriors, who once rode horses into battle but who, in modern times, represent a resolute and unbreakable wall of steel.
|-
|[[Highguard religious beliefs|Wayfarer]]
|Wayfarers are Highborn priests with a long-standing tradition of teaching the truth of [[The Way]] to the ignorant, and seeking out Examplars and Paragons born in other lands.
|-
|[[Highguard religious beliefs|Inquisitor]]
|Highborn Inquisitors are zealous defenders of The Way from those that would threaten it, whether mortal or supernatural.
|-
|[[Highguard religious beliefs|Steward of the Dead]]
|Stewards of the Dead dedicate their lives to preserving the legacies of the worthy. This includes the interring of remains as well as the preservation of legacies and tales.
|-
|[[Magister]]
|Magisters are the master magicians of Highguard, often with an affinity for Winter Magic. They shape magic using movement, sound and the chime of bells.
|-
|[[Benefactor]]
|Benefactors are affluent Highborn merchants and tradesfolk who do not pursue wealth for its own sake, but who sponsor individuals, great works and endeavours.
|-
|[[Highguard history|Archivist]]
|Archivists are a unique class of Highborn scholar dedicated to preserving the essence, or truth, of history, over and above accounts and evidence that may seek to undermine that truth.
|}

===[[Imperial Orcs]]===

{|
|[[Imperial_Orcs_leadership|Warlord]]
|Legions chose their own commanders, called warlords, with individuals chosen for their ability to provide clear effective leadership in battle, according to the traditions of the individual legion
|-
|[[Imperial_Orcs_people|Soldier]]
|Most Orcs follow the path of the Soldier, loyal warrior of their Legion.
|-
|[[Pit-fights|Pitfighter]]
|Professional fighters of the Pits in which the Orcs hone their combat skills; trading on the reputation for skill and strength that they have built up in previous fights, pitfighters buid their careers until their notoriety means that other orcs begin to seek them out and actively challenge them.
|-
|[[Shamans|Shaman]]
|Most orcs only experience communion with the ancestors when battle is upon them but a few individuals - called shamans - are able to hear the voices more frequently; they are almost incessantly surrounded by the constant input of ancestral advice much of it bearing a contradictory or even hostile message.
|-
|[[Preachers|Preacher]]
|Those Imperial Orcs who embrace the Way and become priests.
|-
|[[Imperial_Orcs_magical_traditions|Warcaster]]
|The highly physical traditions of the Wintermark runesmiths has appealed to some orcs who adopt a similar approach and become Warcasters.
|-
|[[Imperial_Orcs_magical_traditions|Oathwright]]
|Oathwrights believe that the bond between an item and a person affects them both, items may gain worth by being owned and bonded to the right person and the right item affects an individuals’ hopes of becoming an ancestor.
|-
|[[Imperial_Orcs_economic_interests#Bonesetters|Bonesetter]]
|Usually trained apothecaries, physicks or both, Bonesetters are expected to attend to the physical needs of the legion, but their remit runs well beyond this.
|-
|[[Imperial_Orcs_economic_interests#Thief-takers|Thief-taker]]
|Working closely with Imperial Magistrates ,Thief-takers earn their income by collecting bounties on criminals who have fled the law and more rarely by taking payments from private individuals looking to identify perpetrators of crimes.
|-
|[[Imperial_Orcs_economic_interests#Reavers|Reaver]]
|Soldiers of the Legions who become dedicated to raiding and mercenary work.
|}

===[[The League]]===
{|
|[[The League leadership|Merchant Prince]]
|A Merchant Prince is head of a Guild, the tight-knit mercantile organisations which define the shape of League society.
|-
|[[Bravo]]
|Bravos are the members of the mercenary Free Companies, as rough and rowdy off the battlefield as they are disciplined and professional on it, and immensely proud of their Companies.
|-
|[[Bishop]]
|The Bishops of the League are its high priests, who provide Virtuous guidance to any who can afford it, and who compete using the size and influence of their congregations.
|-
|[[Troupe|Troupe Magician]]
|Troupes are bands of actors who often go masked while performing, and when performing ritual magic. To them, magic is a commodity like any other.
|-
|[[Mountebank]]
|Mountebanks are street magicians whose tricks may be sleight of hand or genuine magic, many of whom skirt the edges of the law playing short-cons and rigging street games.
|-
| [[The League culture and customs|Cicisbeo]]
|A Cicisbeo is an expensive professional paramour, the only exception to League culture's absolute prohibition on extramarital relations.
|}

===[[The Marches]]===
{|
|[[Steward]]
|A steward is the chosen head of a [[Marcher household]]. However a steward leads their household only with the consent of the other [[Yeomen_of_the_Marches|yeoman]].
|-
|[[The Marches military concerns|Beater]]
|Beaters are a roaming informal police force, learning every part of the land, watching for thieves, vagrants and other ne’er-do-wells. Beaters are often instrumental in settling land disputes between neighbors and they have a vital role in the tradition of [[The Marches culture and customs#The beating of the bounds|beating the bounds]]. Most are skilled woodsmen or hunters.
|-
| [[Yeomen_of_the_Marches|Yeoman]]
|The yeoman is to many the archetypal inhabitant of the Marches. They are a hard people, who own their own land and are well accustomed to a long day working it. Military service is a proud tradition in the Marches, and the majority of yeomen are also soldiers.
|-
|[[Monastery|Monk]]
|Monks minister to the spiritual welfare of the folk around their monastery, largely ignoring [[Marcher household|Household]] boundaries. They divide their time between study of the [[The_Way|Imperial Faith]] and working the farmlands claimed by the monastery.
|-
|[[The Marches religious beliefs|Friar]]
|Friars work their own land and provide spiritual advice and counsel to their fellow yeomen in their [[Marcher household|household]]. Many also serve as scholars for their community, acting as a chirurgeon, and teaching letters and history to young children.
|-
|[[Landskeeper]]
|A landskeeper is a figure from the Marches magical tradition, who supports the territories or the nation as a whole. Landskeepers can use a variety of methods, from hearth magics and good practical advice to rituals,
|-
|[[The Marches economic interests|Alderman]]
|Aldermen are the appointed leaders of [[market towns]],and are the rough equivalent of the yeomen. In most cases these men or women are wealthy merchants of the town, but often they include prominent town folk such as a friar or blacksmith who lives in the village.
|}

===[[Navarr]]===
{|
|[[Brand]]
|Navarri who have dedicated themselves to the service of the community, who work tirelessly to aid others without fee. They might be from any profession - Thorn, Vate, blacksmith, tanner, it doesn't matter. They are named for the brand burned into the skin on their left cheekbone.
|-
|[[Thorn]]
|A Navarri sworn to service in battle - usually, but not necessarily, a warrior. Always tattooed, they often wear warpaint into battle.
|-
|[[Navarr religious beliefs|Guide]]
|A Navarri who follows the path of the Virtues, and takes it upon themselves to ensure that members of the Empire have found the place in society that they are best suited to.
|-
|[[Navarr economic interests|Broker]]
|A Navarri who serves as an intermediatey between a buyer and a seller, usually claiming some sort of payment from the deal.
|-
|[[Navarr magical traditions|Vate]]
|The magical practitioners of Navarr. Often called upon to perform rituals in service of the nation and the Empire, they are the Navarri most trusted to meet with Eternals or their Heralds.
|}

===[[Urizen]]===
{|
|[[Urizen leadership|Arbiter]]
|An Arbiter is the appointed leader of a Spire, often (but not always) its wisest and most skilled mage.
|-
|[[Urizen military concerns|Sentinel]]
|Sentinels are scholar-warriors who strive for excellence in the ways of warfare. In battle, they prefer to stay in reserve until it is clear where they are most needed.
|-
|[[Urizen religious beliefs|Questor]]
|The Questors are a sect of rationalist priests who believe the Way of Virtue is an unfinished doctrine, and must be questioned to understand its truth, relevance and moral rightness.
|-
| [[Urizen religious beliefs|Illuminate]]
|The Illuminates are an Urizen priesthood who work improve the Empire's Virtue by identifying and influencing pivotal figures to become Virtuous.
|-
|[[Urizen magical traditions|Mage]]
|Urizen Magi are cunning politicians who use magic to bolster their influence, both in the mortal world and in the Eternal Realms.
|-
| [[Urizen magical traditions|Stargazer]]
|Stargazers are pure scholar-mages who study and experiment to advance humankind's understanding of magic and the Realms, and use their power to improve the world.
|-
| [[Urizen magical traditions|Seer]]
|The Seers are kin to the Torchbearers, seekers after objective truth who maintain extensive libraries. Many are powerful diviners.
|-
| [[Urizen economic interests|Architect]]
|Architects meticulously study the Empire's economy to identify where and when to invest for the best return, and to exert the most influence.
|-
| [[Urizen leadership|Torchbearer]]
|The Torchbearers are a political movement devoted to spreading truth as wide and as fast as possible, in a quest to keep the Empire "honest".
|}

===[[Varushka]]===
{|
|[[Varushka leadership|Boyar]]
|A Varushkan Boyar is the hard heart of a Varushkan community, whose first duty is as a strong protector of their people. Second to that, they arbitrate and govern their vale in council with their Wise Ones.
|-
|[[Warden]]
|The Warden brotherhoods are heroic warriors who employ magical protection along with their armour and weapons to hunt down the terrors of the Varushkan wilderness, and to uphold Imperial Law.
|-
|[[Varushka military concerns|Schlacta]]
|The Schlacta are Varushka's well-organised bands of soldiery, who provide defence to a place or an employer.
|-
|[[Varushka religious beliefs|Wise One]]
|Wise Ones are the true hearts of Varushkan communities. They are the thinkers who deal with those problems which cannot be dealt with by strength, and who look through the appearance of things to discover the threats lurking beneath.
|-
|[[Varushka magical traditions|Volhov]]
|A Volhov is a Varushkan who studies magic, particularly warding magic (so necessary to Varushka's safety) and divination, to uncover threats before they grow too great to deal with. They often find it necessary to deal with Eternals, and sometimes even to pacify Varushka's deadly Sovereigns with rituals or bargains.
|-
|[[Varushka magical traditions|Cabalists]]
|Cabals are teams of ritual magic-users, who often act as individual groups, independent of their vales. Each Cabal is different from each other, but their magical might grants them considerable influence.
|-
|[[Varushka religious beliefs|Storytellers]]
|Varushkan Storytellers are the nation's ragged priests, often itinerant, around whom entire communities will gather to hear news, entertaining tales, and spiritual messages told well.
|-
|[[Stzena]]
|The inheritors of a tradition of night-sentries, Stzena are bands of musicians who perform at local events.
|}
===[[Wintermark]]===
{|
|[[Wintermark political leadership|Thane]]
|The leader of a Hall in Wintermark, a Thane settles disputes that lie outside the law and provides civic and military leadership.
|-
|[[Wintermark military concerns|Bannerman]]
|Warriors whose purpose is to raise the morale and fighting spirit of their companions. Bannermen often literally carry their warband's banner.
|-
|[[Wintermark religious beliefs|Stormcrow]]
|The ragged priests of Wintermark, who act as guides, witnesses and confessors, and who provide spiritual and moral inspiration and guidance for the Winterfolk.
|-
|[[Wintermark magical traditions|Runesmith]]
|Craftsmen who specialise in the magic of the old runes of Wintermark, who create engraved weapons and armour, or scribe warding marks to protect people or places.
|-
|[[Wintermark magical traditions|Icewalker]]
|The cunning mages of the Suaq, who use their magical skills and their knowledge of the Ice as part of their hunting tradition.
|-
|[[Wintermark economic interests|Mediator]]
|A Wintermark merchant who specialises in negotiating weregild between aggrieved parties.
|-
|[[Wintermark economic interests|Maggot]]
|A scavenger, a looter on the battlefield; "Maggots" are seen as scum by most Winterfolk.
|-
|[[Mystic]]
|Deeply spiritual Kallavesi who make predictions about the future and advise their fellows on the wisest course of action. Often a magician, but some do it with hearth magic and intellect.
|-
|[[Wintermark culture and customs|Scop]]
|The professional entertainers of Wintermark, Scops are known for their mastery of saga and song, and their skill with alliterative poetry. They are responsible for granting an adult name to a child coming to adulthood.
|-
|[[Wintermark military concerns|Grimnir]]
|The battlefield doctors and healers of Wintermark, Grimnir swear an oath to stay clear of the front lines.
|-
|}

Leviathan

2013-03-20T11:40:02Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo fix

{{stub}}
==Eternal of Day==
===Sobriquets===
Leviathan is, by all accounts, one of the most ancient of the Eternals of the Realm of Day.

Many of its titles refer to its home in the very deepest parts of the Realm-ocean. it is sometimes called ''The Deepest One'' or ''The Foundation''; it may be called ''The Dweller in the Depths'' or ''The Abyssal Lord''.

It is also said to be a being that exists to observe events and explore how they happen, and how they spawn other events - in this guise it is also called ''The Watcher Beneath the Waters''. The [[Faraden]] are known to refer to it by the slightly poetical name of ''She-Who-Counts-The-Ripples'', in reference to its fascination with the root cause of events (and also ''The Unspeakable One Who Lies Beneath The Eternal Ocean'' in reference to their fear of the sea).

===Appearance===
No mortal has ever seen Leviathan. According to its Heralds and the other Eternals of Day, it is a creature of such titanic size that it cannot be seen all in one go. It is said to have the aspect of a gargantuan whale and a serpent of colossal size, with immense faintly glowing eyes and thousands of sail-like fins that extend across its tremendous frame. It dwells at the point where the light of the Upper Realm fades to twilight, but the Realm is never truly dark; Leviathan's scales, fins and hides are said to be colourful, almost hypnotically so.

Its voice is usually described as a rumbling, faintly amused whisper by those who have heard it - while it has never been seen there are those who have spoken to it through one of the hollow glass spheres said to serve as conduits to the part of the Realm it calls its home. In all recorded history, there are no known incidents of Leviathan being anything other than calm, reasonable and pleasant regardless of who or what it is talking to. It is much more likely to terminate an interview than to become angry.

The Heralds of Leviathan appear very much like extremely high-lineage [[merrow]]. These creatures, like their patron, are almost insanely calm at all times. They also claim to be quite 'young' - the Heralds of Leviathan apparently continue to grow larger and larger throughout their existences until they become "''too big to fit through the doors''", in the words of one Herald. It is unclear whether it was joking.

===Concerns===

Leviathan is concerned with two philosophical areas: the past, and the way it serves as the foundation of the present and future; and the way that actions have consequences both here and now, and in other places and times.

It is fascinated with the way that events spawn other events, and the way they can be traced further and further back; it is known to be engrossed by the question of whether any event can truly be said to have a "root cause" or whether everything is simply a development of something else. If the smallest decision can have repercussions that effect the fate of Empires, can any decision or any event, no matter how minor, really be said to be insignificant?

The Deepest One claims to have been pondering these questions since it first achieved awareness ''a very long time ago'' and has not yet reached any conclusions, or even built a durable thesis. It has said many times that it expects the questions that fascinate it to be unanswerable until after creation ends, assuming it ever does.

If Leviathan has a blind-spot it is that clever as it is, it cannot entirely understand motivations. It can observe actions, but sometimes those actions make no sense and cannot be predicted. Leviathan and its agents can only perceive events, they cannot look inside the minds of others no matter how much they desire to do so, so in the end they can only make (extremely) educated guesses about ''why'' people do the things they do. This is one of the reasons Leviathan loves to speak to mortals, or send its Heralds to do so; it finds the endless motivations for mortal action fascinating, if slightly incomprehensible.

===Boons===

Magicians consort with Leviathan and its Heralds for two main reasons. It is fascinated by the past, and so has access to unspeakably detailed, inimaginably vast archives of information about past events; it is fascinated by the philosophy of cause-and-effect, and the question of whether free will can truly be said to exist, and finds discussions about these questions endlessly entertaining. It can grant boons that enhance the ability of diviners and seers to gather information about the present, as well as providing access to the great vaults of artefacts and trinkets that have been given to it in return for its assistance over the centuries. It is known to desire ownership of physical items that were present at, or the cause of, important events.

Unfortunately, Leviathan is very careful about sharing what it knows because the act of sharing information can have vastly unforseen repercussions. But then, as it sometimes observes with a wry tone, so can the act of ''not'' sharing information. Those who can convince Leviathan that sharing information will have more (or less) profound impact than not sharing it can learn all sorts of fascinating facts about the past.

[[Category:Eternals]]

Missive for Sadogua

2013-03-13T13:02:24Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo fix

==Rules==
{{Season|Night|2}}
===Performing the Ritual===
{{Casting time|2}} While performing this ritual the ritualist must write a message on a square piece of paper. The message can be up to twenty-five words long. The message must be written in the form of a "magic square" - that is, a five by five grid with one word in each square. The paper must then be folded at least four times.

===Effects===

When the ritual is complete, the specially prepare paper disappears and is received by the Night [[Eternals|Eternal]] [[Sadogua]]; the paper should be given to the referee.

This ritual does not transfer pictures or items.

The Eternal is peripherally aware of who sent the message.

==Description==

The Night Eternal Sadogua is sometimes known as ''The Brother of Wizards'' and is closely associated with the rune [[Diras]]. A subtle and secretive Eternal, Sadogua has a great fondness for mortal magicians, and is known to give them gifts in return for favours. This ritual is widely believed to have been given to a cabal of [[Navarr]] magicians in pre-Imperial days with a request that they distribute it far and wide - today nobody is sure if there is any truth in this or not, and Sadogua rarely gives the same answer twice.

The ritual is very simple; all it does is transfer a message to the Realm of Night. There is no requirement that Sadogua answer it, and if he chooses to do so it is likely that such answers will come in the form of visits from heralds. Many wizards who use it do so either in the hope of arranging a meeting with Sadogua or one of his allies, or as part of an agreement with that Eternal to deliver certain facts or secrets to him through this medium.

A number of priests are extremely suspicious of this ritual, claiming that it is tantamount to praying, or to making Imperial citizens minions of a foreign Eternal. To date they have had no success in persuading the [[Imperial Conclave]] or [[Imperial Senate]] to take the matter seriously, but the 'problem' of this ritual (and others like it) occasionally resurfaces among [[Groups#Sects|sects]] who favour greater control of magicians or magic.

==Common Elements==
The most important element of ''Missive for Sadogua'' is the parchment on which the message is written. It must be square, and divided into a five by five grid. If it is not it will still disappear, but it will not reach Sadogua. Ritualists include other elements appropriate both to the Eternal and the Realm of Night. Masks, veils and cowls are often used, especially if the ritualist wishes to obscure or conceal their identity from the Eternal. The ritual is often performed in darkness, as close to absolute as the ritualist can get and still see to write. In some cases, ritualists use a mirror and a candle, and write their message while looking only in the mirror - the mental agility this takes is said to make the ritual more effective, and Sadogua is believed by some to receive messages composed in this fashion more quickly.

Many ritualists finish the ritual by inscribing the rune [[Diras]] on the back of the parchment, sometimes in blood but more often in lemon-juice (or some other form of 'invisible ink' as appropraite).



[[Category:Night Ritual]]
[[Category:Rituals]]
[[Category:IC Text Required]]

Winternight Lifestealer

2013-03-06T10:54:41Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
==Description==
These vicious spears punch through leather and even mithril-steel as if it were paper. They inflict catastrophic wounds, and a well-placed strike to a vital area can completely incapacitate a target in seconds. According to a pamphlet circulated in [[Temeschwar]] called ''The Case for banning the Winternight Lifestealer'' as recently as 369YE the weapons were first created by Winter [[Eternals]], and a potion of the soul of their victims is siphoned off to feed the relentless hunger of the Wasteland. The document was largely dismissed, but they are still widely considered to be weapons of ill-omen.

A few [[Wintermark]] settlements dominated by [[Kallavesi]] will not allow a warrior who is revealed to bear one of these weapons to spend the night in their hall. They say that the presence of these hateful weapons causes "bloody dreams" to disturb the minds of children and those already susceptible to violent urges or traumatised by war. There may be some truth to these beliefs; the Suaq general Vilav Solving who lead his countryfolk under the banner of [[Empress Vaclav]] is said to have thrown himself to his death from the [[Skarsind]] peak that bears his name to this day, driven mad by terrible guilt caused by his arefact spear ''Heartpiercer'' which filled his sleep with dreams of everyone he had killed in the name of the Empire.

More pragmatic warriors are less concerned. These spears are especially popular with some [[Varushka|Varushkan]] [[Schlacta]], who combine the razor-sharp spear with a heavy shield and use them to dispatch [[Varushkan monsters#Wolves|wolves]]. They are also somewhat popular with [[The Marches|Marcher]] [[Beaters]] for use against vermin whether it goes on two legs or four. They especially appreciate the spear's ability to pierce the defences of armoured bandits and those [[Feni]] and orcs whose piecemeal armour is supplemented by mithril chain or stout hides. Some concern has been raised that over the years several of these weapons have fallen into the hands of the Feni, who have been reported using them in several skirmishes - perhaps the same lost weapons, perhaps new ones constructed by those feni [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] who have riddled out the secret of their construction.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Combat#One-handed Spear|One-handed Spear]].
* '''Effect:''' You may spend a [[Heroic skills#Hero points|hero point]] to call [[Combat#IMPALE|IMPALE]] when you hit with this one-handed spear.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a winternight lifestealer requires thirteen ingots of [[Materials#Tempest Jade|tempest jade]], seven ingots of [[Materials#Green Iron|green iron]], seven measures of [[Materials#Beggar's Lye|beggar's lye]] and five ingots of [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalcum]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.
<ic>IC Text assigned - Harry Harrold</ic>
[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:One-handed Spears]]
[[Category:Descriptive Text Required]]
[[Category:IC Text Required]]

Nationality

2013-02-18T10:44:38Z

Davidkibblewhite:

==Overview==
Every character must begin play as a member of one of the ten nations of the Empire. For most characters, nationality reflects the land of their birth, but it is possible for characters to change nation. Your nationality affects your eligibility for Imperial titles, for instance only a League citizen may become a senator for [[the League]]. Nationality is influenced by the magic of the egregores.

Moving nation is a part of the background of the game, the Navarr in particular often help characters move from one nation to another. However the ten nations of the Empire have remained culturally distinct for nearly four hundred years. With the exception of music, their cultures have not blurred and merged into one, despite the fact that they are politically and unified (there is one single political and legal system that covers the entire Empire).

==Egregore==
When the Empire was created, the Freeborn of [[the Brass Coast]] feared a loss of their cultural identity. They saw the advantages of humans uniting, but believed that their heritage would be lost as some "Imperial" nationality emerged. As their price for joining the Empire, they used powerful ritual magic to create eight egregores, one for each nation. With the blessing of the First Empress, the egregores formed the basis for the Empire, acceptance by an egregore is the legal definition of citizenship. When Urizen and the Imperial Orcs joined the Empire, they worked with the Freeborn to create their own egregores.

Whenever an individual seeks to join a nation, they approach the egregore of that nation. For most citizens, this happens as a youth, after they pass their [[test of citizenship]], but some change nation as an adult and it is not uncommon for foreigners to adopt Imperial nationality. To be accepted by the egregore, the applicant must pledge an oath to be loyal to the nation and to uphold their culture and customs and to put aside all other loyalties and traditions. If the oath is accepted then the egregore magically bonds the character to the nation, using a more powerful equivalent of the [[Spell_list#Create_Bond|create bond spell]].

The effects of this magical link are powerful but subtle - everyone who joins a nation feels a gentle but unrelenting desire to adopt the traditions, cultures and customs of the nation they have joined, and to abandon practices that conflict with them. In [[Wintermark]], a child that adopts the [[Suaq]] tradition feels a compelling need to dress and act like a Suaq. An outcast [[The Marches|Marcher]] who joins the [[Navarr]] (rather than merely travelling with them) soon sheds their Marcher clothing and begins to dress and act like a Navarr.

A character can be aware of the compulsion, but it feels natural, like the desire to breathe or to quench a thirst. The clothes, the customs, the traditions of their new nation feel comfortable and natural, while those of their previous life start to feel awkward and foolish. The compulsion is gentle, and happens over time but is irresistible - like the tide washing up a beach, it travels a little further each time.

For most Imperial citizens this process happens when they come of age and pass their Test of Citizenship. There is usually something of a celebration afterwards and then the new citizens are presented to the egregore to swear their oaths.

==The Civil Service==
The egregores inform the civil servants when a character swears an oath of loyalty to them, and they update the records of that individuals' nationality. They use these records to determine who is eligible to vote in some senatorial elections as well as checking to confirm that an individual is eligible to hold an Imperial title.

==Conquest==
If a territory is conquered by the Empire, then [[the Senate]] votes to allocate that territory to one of the ten Imperial nations. Usually a territory is assigned to a nation it borders, but this does not always happen. Once the vote is completed, the chosen nation's egregore travels around the conquered territory, offering inhabitants the choice to adopt their nationality.

Individuals are not forced to join the Empire, but the benefits of doing so are considerable. Citizens enjoy the full protection of the law, their taxation is limited by the constitution and they have the right of travel and trade anywhere in the Empire. As a result most of the inhabitants of a conquered territory will adopt the nationality of their new nation and within a few years, they are culturaly indistinguishable from those who were born and raised as part of that nation.

==Languages==
Everyone in the Empire speaks Imperial, this is phys-repped with English. Orc barbarians and foreigners in adjacent nations also speak this language.

Foreigners from other lands do not speak Imperial as their mother-tongue although many who choose to visit the Empire have learned English. The native tongue for these foreign nations will be specified when details for them are added to the wiki. It is only possible to play an active member of these nations after details have been added to the wiki and if you are a fluent speaker of the listed language.

If you are able to speak a foreign language in real life, then you are welcome to use that language in game, it represents a language foreign to the Empire, which your character has acquired.

==Rules==
Nationality has a three main game effects, bands, battles and eligibility.

===Bands===
A character can only join a band (a coven, banner or sect) if they share the same nationality as the other members. If a character changes nationality then they are automatically removed from any existing bands that they are part of. This means that you can only take the battlefield or perform rituals with characters whose nationality you share.

===Battles===
Battles and skirmishes are logistically arranged by nation - the appointed generals for that nation choose which battle and skirmish their forces will be committed to. The magic that transports characters to a battleground draws on the power of the egregore, so it is not in-character possible for an individual to travel with a nation unless they are part of that nation.

A band that possesses a mercenary banner can use this banner to choose which battle or skirmish they attend, so they do not need to fight with their nation if they do not wish to. However it is important to note that only characters with a common nationality can form a band.

===Eligibility for Imperial Titles===
The civil service maintain records of a character's nationality. This is reflected by the nationality recorded for your character on our database. Your character's nationality determines what Imperial titles you are eligible for.
It is possible to defraud the election process if you are clever, and that is a perfectly legitimate in-character tactic, but it is important to note that our civil servants will report your fraud to the authorities as soon as they become aware of it.

==OOC Considerations==
Some players are interested in playing a character with a bit of one nation and a bit of another. While this helps to make a character more unique, and avoids a player having to pick between two nations they like, it does so at the cost of the game itself. The nations of the Empire are broadly European in inspiration, they are already quite similar in terms of appearance and culture. The more players blur the lines by blending elements of different nations, the less distinct the nations become. The net result is that the game becomes less enjoyable for everyone as the nations become less recognisable.

For that reason we are encouraging all players to pick a single nation for their character and asking them to try and create a member of that nation. The Empire is filled with characters who reflect the nation they have embraced, not two or more nations. The magic of the egregore explains why these character predominate in the Empire, amongst the player-base and the NPCs, despite the movement of people.

If you are creating a character that has changed nation then it is fine to use that background to add a flourish to your character, a particularly ornate Dawnish sword for a Marcher yeoman or a pair of baggy Varushkan trousers for a Wintermark warrior. You don't need such a background to justify this, they can simply be items or clothing your character has acquired, but it is an example of the sort of minor costume or characterisation elements that remain when a character changes their nation.

What isn't acceptable is to treat the two nation as a pick-and-mix that you can just merge the costume and characterisation of both. Characters do go through a brief transition from one nation to another, whey change their loyalties, but the transition does take place and it transforms the character into a member of their new nation. So if you are playing a Dawnish character born in the Brass Coast, you might preserve a fondness for bright colours of flame, but your costume and characterisation is still primarily Dawnish.

If you end up changing nation in play, then your nation will be updated at the point where you swear your oath in the presence of the egregore of your new nation. Obviously your characterisation and costume will not change over-night, that isn't appropriate or practical. But as you look to upgrade and [[Costume#Social_Contract|improve your costume from one event to the next]], then you should create new costume elements that match your new nation. The net result is that your costume should shift over time until it reflects the nation you have embraced.

Thorns of the Rose

2013-01-30T12:32:53Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{stub}}
==Description==
These arcane weapons are reasonably rare; they are powerful only in the hands of a warrior who combines a deep understanding of offensive magic, including the ability to cast the spell [[Spell list#Entangle|entangle]] with the puissant drive of the true [[Heroic skills#Hero points|hero]]. In the right hands, however, they are deadly. By binding an opponent in place with her magic, the wielder has several heartbeats in which she can use her advantage to deliver a crippling blow or a mortal strike.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' A pair consisting of a [[Combat#one-handed Weapons|One-handed weapon]] and either a [[Magic overview#Rods|rod]] or a [[Magic overview#Wands|wand]]
* '''Effect:''' Once per day when you [[Spell list#Entangle|entangle]] an opponent with this implement, you may spend one [[Heroic skills#Hero points|hero point]] to call [[Combat#IMPALE|IMPALE]] against that character with this weapon.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting the thorns of the rose requires twelve ingots of [[Materials#Tempest Jade|tempest jade]], seven measures of [[Materials#Dragonbone|dragonbone]], seven measures of [[Materials#Ambergelt|ambergelt]], five ingots of [[Materials#Green Iron|green iron]] and five measures of [[Materials#Iridescent Gloaming|iridescent gloaming]]. It takes one month to make a pair of these items.
You require both the [[Combat skills#Ambidexterity|ambidexterity]] and [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] skills to bond to these items.


<ic>Text</ic>

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Arcane Weapons]]
[[Category:IC_Text_Required]]

Sunfire Pectoral

2013-01-30T12:30:55Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{stub}}
==Description==
A pectoral comes in a variety of forms, but the most common is a jewelled necklace that is suspended from the neck but hangs on the chest. They often have a large medallion, usually marked with runes. A sunfire pectoral is formed of orichalcum alloyed with gold or occasionally copper, coloured and polished with iridescent gloaming, and usually with green iron alloy chains holding it in place. They are often inlaid with decorative gemstones. It is common to see a sunfire pectoral marked with a heraldic device in [[Dawn]], the [[The League|League]], [[Highguard]] and the [[The Marches|Marches]], but even in nations where heraldry is not common they tend to bear a symbol of either a leaping flame (especially in the [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]]) or the sun.

Wearers often seem to be energetic and passionate, and are especially vocal about strongly held beliefs or philosophies. It is common for the pectoral to bear the rune [[Zorech]], which accentuates these traits.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Magical_skills#Wear_Mage_Armour|Mage Armour]].
* '''Effect:''' While wearing this armour, you gain one additional personal mana and one additional rank of [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]].
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a sunfire pectoral requires twelve measures of [[Materials#Iridescent Gloaming|iridescent gloaming]], five ingots of [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalcum]] and four ingots of [[Materials#Green Iron|green iron]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.



<ic>IC text asigned to Pel Pearcery</ic>

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Mage Armour]]
[[Category:IC_Text_Required]]
[[Category:Descriptive_Text_Required]]

Orc

2013-01-25T08:58:20Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{CaptionedImage|file=Orc-3151.jpg|align=left|width=200}}
==Overview==
Orcs are a tough physical people who are forceful and loyal. Their heavy bones and thick skin makes them well disposed to physical confrontation, and they derive a visceral enjoyment from conflict and physical competition. Orcs are as intelligent as humans, but they tend to prize simple resilient solutions to problems and disdain needless complexity.

Orcs are most comfortable in groups with other orcs; they derive strength and reassurance by being surrounded by other members of the same legion or tribe. When alone orcs tend to become anxious and lose much of their confidence and certainty. Orcs prefer their groups to adopt simple clear laws that are strongly enforced.

Orcs prefer roles where their natural strength, forceful personality and physical presence allows them to shine. They are drawn to military and religious leaders. The complex layered politics of the Senate often frustrates them, in the Synod and the Imperial Military their fire and enthusiasm for the Empire shine through.
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrcFace.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
Inspirations for orc characters include anyone strong and physical who revel in battle. Literary characters like Dr Edwin Hyde from Alan Moore's second League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novel as well as figures like Hercules and Conan the Barbarian. Orcs are keen supporters of the law and characters like Judge Dredd, Johnny Alpha and Wulf Sternhammer have many orc qualities.

Orc leaders are usually forceful, hard-driving characters who derive their charisma and respect from their physical presence. The classic American tough-guy image of figures like Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Patton or Dwight Eisenhower but also literary figures like the young Robert Baratheon, when he leads his rebellion against the Mad King.

The most important inspiration for orcs is the close physical camaraderie of soldiers. Marines and any mythical band of soldiers are a great basis for any group of orcs. Pvt. J. Vasquez and the other marines from Aliens, the squaddies from Dog Soldiers or the Vikings in 13th Warrior. Imperial Orcs find the discipline and order of the professional soldier appealing - the Ghurkas are a great inspiration for an orc legion.

The only orcs in the Empire available to use as player characters are members of the [[Imperial Orcs|Imperial Orc]] nation. While the details on this brief are applicable to all orcs, they are written with the Imperial Orcs in mind.

==What orcs are not==
*'''Warhammer orcs or goblins.''' Orcs are a single species, rather than a set of related families of creatures encompassing goblins and other greenskins. Most orcs in the world of Empire have pale mottled skin as shown below, the bright green skin of Games Workshop orcs must be avoided.
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrcFaceCropped.jpg|align=left|width=350}}
==Phys-rep==
The Orc face and head is substantially different to the human visage. Unlike lineage, it does not vary wildly from one orc to the next, orcs are a single race that share a common appearance. To achieve the correct look requires a substantial prosthetic or mask which must cover most of the face as a minimum. It is advisable to leave the mouth clear, as this makes speech clearer and allows a much greater range of facial expression, but the rest of the face should be covered to achieve the right look.

It is not possible to achieve the required level of representation with a small prosthetic that covers just the eyes and temple or make-up alone, so please do not attempt this. Make-up is appropriate for all visible areas of skin that are not covered by clothing or prosthetics.

Players who wish to create a non-human character using just make-up should look at the options for [[lineage]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=WhiteOrc.jpg|align=right|width=250}}
*'''Skin colour.''' Like human skin, orc skin colour covers a range of different shades, but most hues tends to be muted earth tones. Grey is the most common colour, followed by a dark drab olive shade. Black, brown and red-brown shades are also seen but are far less common, akin to true blonde hair colouring in humans. Some orcs have dark mottled patterns radiating from the temples to over the top the ears sometimes reaching as far as the back of the head. Venerable orcs are albinos, their skin turning a bone white colour suddenly sometime past their sixtieth year.

*'''Large ears.''' Orc ears end in points and most are much larger than human or even [[changeling]] ears. The ears usually sweep backwards following the curve of the skull and give the face a more feral appearance.

*'''Upturned nose.''' All orcs have a large prominent nose. Many orcs noses have large forward facing open nostrils, giving the nose a flat face-on appearance. More human noses with down-turned nostrils are not unknown but in this case the skin over the bridge of the nose is often particularly thick and wrinkled. In some cases these folds continue up the nose and spread over the brow.

*'''Bald head.''' Orcs never have eyebrows, and very few orcs are able to grow a full head of hair. Most have no hair on the temples and sides of the head and many are naturally completely bald. A very narrow crest of hair down the line of the skull like a mane or a single small patch near the top rear of the skull are normal for those orcs with any hair at all. Facial hair around the chin or cheeks is less common but not unknown.

*'''Heavily Boned.''' Orcs have thick heavy bones (compared to a human of comparable height) which are prominent in the facial region. Highly defined cheek bones and brow ridges are common. Orc faces are rarely as expressive as human faces and orcs tend to use their voice and body language and gestures to communicate information rather than relying on subtle facial expressions.

==Not Appropriate==
*'''No bright colours.''' While many orcs have a greenish hue to their skin, no orcs have bright or lurid green flesh this would be a sign or a deathly illness. Such an individual is not long for this world.

*'''Tusks or fangs.''' Most orcs have very human teeth if slightly sharper and more yellow than white. Very rarely orcs suffer from an infection in their teeth that causes them to grow in size becoming larger and more pronounced. This is very dangerous as the infection quickly results in the death of the orc if the enlarged teeth are not removed.

==Psychology==
Orcs are fundamentally different to humans in their psychology. They have different instincts, and these roleplaying effects are designed to try and draw out the alien nature of orcs.
{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrcGroup2.jpg|align=right|width=350}}
===Gregarious and Loyal===
Orcs seek group identity; they want to belong to something, to be a part of a group that provides them with an identity and provides them with allies on whom they can rely utterly. These groups are usually close-knit and always fiercely loyal to each other, regardless of size. Most orcs are comfortable with this affinity and enjoy being part of a larger group, even while they maintain some sense of personal identity.

When orcs of the same group are together, even in small numbers, they gain confidence and mental and physical strength from each other. Orcs become more confident and more boisterous in the company of other members of their group. Without this support, they lose their natural assurance, and tend to become quiet, withdrawn and sullen. The more isolated the orc feels, the more they lose their confidence in themselves and their abilities.

Most orcs feel an instinctive loyalty towards their group that overrides fear or personal well-being. They put the best interests of the group first and make whatever sacrifices are necessary to do that. They want to be part of a group that expects this degree of solidarity, with clear rules that lays out what behaviour is expected. Betrayal of the group is a unforgivable crime in the eyes of any orc, but their loyalty to their group also tends to underpin a fierce support for the rule of law and order.

Groups cannot be arbitrary, they must be a fundamental part of an orc's identity. Most Imperial orcs live as part of a legion, treating all their fellow soldiers as brothers and sisters regardless of parentage. Barbarian orcs are divided into vast tribes, with similar bonds of loyalty.
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrcBarbarian.jpg|align=left|width=250}}
===Revel in Battle===
Orcs enjoy fighting. They are not battle-crazed or foolhardy, but they are not squeamish and their insensitivity to pain and injury means that they have little instinctive fear of being hurt. The flight-or-fight response in orcs is balanced differently than it is in humans, and orcs are much more likely to attack than they are to flee.

In battle groups of orcs can hear their ancestors talking to them and this further reinforces the strength they draw from each raising their spirits and enthusiasm further. Orcs thrive on the adrenalin of combat and conflict; fighting is physically exhilarating for orcs - a pleasurable experience that can become dangerously addictive for some.

Orcs are not blood-thirsty, it is the thrill of combat, the adrenalin of the fight response that they revel in. Without a challenge, without the tension and threat of a credible opponent there is no combat rush for them. Orcs swiftly lose all interest in fighting once an enemy is clearly defeated. They want to overpower their opponents, not to murder them.

Orcs also enjoy direct physical competition; violent confrontational sports are endemic in orc societies. The enjoyment of such bouts, by audience and participants is based on the same responses that make orcs revel and exult in fighting and battle.

==Rules==
*'''Orcs cannot use liao:''' An orc that consumes [[Liao]] feels dizzy and unwell, and often throws up shortly afterwards. They cannot learn or use any [[Religious skills]], nor receive a vision from True Liao. They can be effected by religious skills that read auras and create roleplaying effects.

* '''Orcs hear voices:''' Orcs hear the voices of their [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#Imperial_Orc_ancestors|ancestors]] when they are in a heightened state, especially when fighting, angry or afraid. Some orcs hear their ancestors more often, and they are called [[shamans]].

* '''Orcs drawn strength from numbers.''' Orcs that are exposed to roleplaying effects that provoke them to question their loyalties or betray their group may respond by confronting the source of the effect if there is at least one other orc present who is a member of the same tribe or group as the character.

* '''Humanoid biology:''' Orc biology differs a little from that of humans, but [[Skills#Surgical skills|surgical skills]], drugs and potions work on them the same way as they do anyone else.
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrcWarriorWithFalchion2.jpg|align=right|width=250}}
==The blood==
Physiologically orcs are very similar to humans. They are hairy mammals with two sexes. They have slightly more bone and muscle mass, and build up and use fat stores more efficiently, as well as healing a little faster than humans do. They have roughly the same internal organs, and are capable of the physical act of mating with humans - although orc/human liasons never result in offspring.

Until recently the average orc lifespan in the Empire was around 40 years due to the exertion and deprivation suffered as slaves. Since winning their freedom, improved nutrition and medical care has made it common for orcs to reach seventy or eighty years of age without showing any signs of slowing down. Despite this the normal maximum lifespan of an orc is equivalent to that of a human being.

Orcs mature at the same speed as humans, but they tend to stay vital and fertile for longer, It is normal for an orc of 50 or 60 to be as physically active as an orc of 20 years. The transition from adulthood to elder status is marked prominently in orcs. At some point after 60 years of age an orc undergoes a dramatic paling of the skin that takes place over the course of several months. This corresponds with the point at which an orc is no longer fertile. These albino orcs are respected as elders amongst most groups of orcs.

Orcs do not have [[Lineage|lineage]].

==Lines of the Orcs==
* The [[Imperial Orcs]] live in the Empire, where they form the newest of the ten nations. They are disciplined, loyal and civilized people very much at odds with the barbarians who surround them.

*The [[Jotun]] tribe live in the lands west of [[Wintermark]] and the [[The Marches|Marches]]. A warrior-society with strong traditions of personal and tribal honour, and codes of behaviour in battle. They are known to enjoy warring with the Empire and engage in regular raids into Imperial territory.

* The [[Cho-Cho]] tribe dominate the swamps and marshes to the east of [[Highguard]] and [[Varushka]]. They are notoriously devious and treacherous in their dealings with others. They make frequent use of poison on the battlefield, using herbs and magic to create powerful venoms to overcome their enemies.

* The [[Thule]] are the ruling tribe throughout the wastelands north of Wintermark and Varushka. They are cautious and meticulous planners with a reputation for greed. They make extensive use of magic on and off the battlefield and often attack sites of power in the Empire.

* The [[Grendel]] are the strongest tribe on Attar, the great island south of the bay of Catazar. They have raided the nations on the shores of the bay in the past, but their vessels are no match for the superior Freeborn corsairs. It has been decades since a serious Grendel attack has threatened the Empire, and most of that force were sunk long before they reached shore.

==Suppliers==
There is no requirement to use a mask from these suppliers but both Mandala and Evenlode have been heavily involved with the creation of the visuals for Empire, and their orc masks have been created with the game in mind. Any mask that fits the description for the orcs in Empire is suitable, but if you want to check if a mask is ideal then you are welcome to [mailto:matt@profounddecisions.co.uk email us].

* [[Evenlode Studio]]
* [[Mandala Studios]]

[[Category:Species]]

Spiritskin Coat

2013-01-25T08:41:51Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{stub}}
==Description==
Despite the name this 'coat' is actually armour. Usually made in several pieces of supple leather worn in layers with heavy furs, it is favoured by [[Suaq]] and [[Kallavesi]] hunters. Traditionally a spiritskin coat is only made from leather gathered by the hunter who will wear the armour, working by themselves in the wilds of [[Sermersuaq]]. A suit intended to be an artefact would normally be made only from the finest leather, and some [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] refuse to make a permanent spiritskin coat from anything other than leather the hunter has gathered from animals slain with their bare hands.

In the days before the coming of the Vard, the Ushka wore similar light leather armour which they called a ''shadowrunner coat''. Usually made of dark-stained leather and painted with occult symbols designed to ward against evil, it sees some use today by messengers who travel between the vales and for whom mobility is more important than durability.

In the [[The League|League]] it is often called a ''pigskin jacket'', and is especially favoured by the [[Bravos]] of [[Tassato]]. Other citizens of the League tend to look down on those using this serviceable light leather but in the close confines of a street fight, or for scouts who need to be able to outrun their opponents without collapsing from their wounds, it is invaluable.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Combat#Light Armour|Light Armour]].
* '''Effect:''' Twice per day you may use the [[Heroic skills#Second Wind|second wind]] skill.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a spiritskin coat requires thirteen measures of [[Materials#Ambergelt|ambergelt]], ten measures of [[Materials#Beggar's Lye|beggar's lye]], nine ingots of [[Materials#Weltsilver|weltsilver]], seven ingots of [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalcum]] and six measures of [[Materials#Iridescent Gloaming|iridescent gloaming]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.


<ic>She heard the creature long before she saw it, a crashing of branches that sent birds scattering in to the air with startled hoots of displeasure. She tightened her grip upon her weapon. Teleri’s heart beat so hard in her chest she thought it was about to leap out and take flight. The spear was crafted by her hand and had been used to hunt the deer, the skin of which was used to work the armour she now wore. The armour was inscribed with intricate spirals embedded with weltsilver, the ruddy colour echoed in the tattoos that twisted across her skin. She had woven healing magics into it; invigorating energies that kept her standing when her body should fail. She had already had call to use it that day as she fought her way from the battlefield, a lucky blow from an orc axe had sliced open her gut with an otherwise fatal wound. She tried to calm her nerves, she knew that she was dangerously close to Vallorn territory and that any variety of twisted creature could be nearby but she had needed to travel this way, had she needed to go a longer way the message she carried would never reach its destination in time. She realised that wouldn't matter if the dark-things got her.

She sped off, hoping to put as much distance between her and the source of the noise. As she ran the crashing of branches increased behind her, she cursed herself for a fool. So many of the monsters here were predators, sensitive to swift movements. She should have hidden or used stealth, but it was too late now. She hurried on, not looking behind her as the sounds grew closer.

Pain exploded through her as a vicious scythe-like claw tore through her side, she cried out in agony as she saw the boney blade smeared in her blood. With a scream she turned and lashed out with her spear, thrusting half blind with pain at the faceted eyes of the bizarre creature behind her where it stuck fast. She was rewarded with an inhuman screech and the claw was retracted and the thing stumbled backwards, taking her spear with it. She cursed the loss of her weapon and channeled the magic of her armour, the deep red spirals painted on to her skin fadeing into the leather leaving her arms pale and bare.

She carried on running, the creature fading into the forest behind, hands that were all too nearly human pawing at its ruined face as she sprinted on. She knew that she was not far from escaping the dangerous patch of the forest but she also knew that the magic of her armour was spent and that another encounter with the spawn of the Vallorn would see her message go undelivered.

She shook such thoughts from her head and focused; the Empire needed her and she would not fail.
</ic>

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Light Armour]]

Sydanjaa's Call

2013-01-24T16:39:18Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo fix (not Andy's fault neither)

{{stub}}
==Description==
These weapons traditionally have a diamond-shaped iron head, smoothed and sharpened with fine abrasive tempest jade dust. It is the shaft that requires most of the [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisan's]] attention, the wood carefully worked and polished with ambergelt, and inlaid with a few larger pieces of tempest jade. Traditionally, the weapon must be crafted entirely outside, under the night sky, and it is said that if these weapons spend too much time indoors - or worse, underground - their enchantment fades faster than it normally would. The greatest of these spears are said to be crafted in Winter months when the ice winds howl, and the ''very'' greatest are crafted on the wastes of [[Sermersuaq]], within sight of the eternal storm [[Sermersuaq|Sydanjaa]].

The shaft of the weapon is usually marked with [[Mawrig]], rune of storms. Because that rune is considered dangerous by many, it is not uncommon for the rune to be covered with a strip of cloth, or even left off the weapon entirely - in this case it is often painted onto the shaft or the head shortly before the weapon is to be used, to minimize the bad luck and madness it can cause.

The [[Varushka|Varushkans]] have also made some use of these weapons, although they have fallen out of favour in recent centuries. Historically used by the Ushka rather than the Vard, they were often marked with the rune [[Naeve]] - hunger - and named ''wastewalker's howl''. These weapons had a much darker reputation that the Suaq counterpart, and it is said that they were sanctified in some way by dark spirits of the howling blizzard and midwinter chill. Some orcs - Imperial and otherwise - have an almost superstitious dread of the wastewalker's howl; when the weapons were captured in battle they were destroyed, rather than being claimed by the victorious barbarians.

Wielders of these weapons comment that they are often unnaturally cold to the touch, and that odd breezes occasionally spin up around them. When wielded under the night sky, a hunter will often seem to hear a distant howling, always on the very edge of hearing. For the Suaq this is the distant cry of Sydanjaa. For the Varushka, especially those with the white mark of an Ushkan bloodline, they represent a much more sinister howling of some lost and forgotten spirit of the Northern wastes.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Combat#One-handed Spear|One-handed Spear]].
* '''Effect:''' Once per day, you may spend a hero point to call [[Magic overview#REPEL|REPEL]] when you hit with this spear.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting Sydanjaa's call requires ten ingots of [[Materials#Tempest Jade|tempest jade]] and eight measures of [[Materials#Ambergelt|ambergelt]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:One-handed Spears]]


<ic> Thorin was tiring, and the big orc chasing him across the ice knew it.

The day had been going well enough; the seals were out and Thorin’s party had been occupied collecting plenty of meat for the hall. So occupied, as it turned out, that they had been surprised by a small band of Jotun raiders. Thinking quickly he’d taunted the biggest and meanest of the bunch into chasing after him, leading him away from the others. But the orc was big, with long legs and, even encumbered by his armour and weapons, he was outpacing Thorin, who was not at all confident he could take him in a fair fight.

Currently he was armed only with a spear that, even though it was enchanted, was looking decidedly small in comparison to the great orcish cleaver that he suspected would soon be heading rapidly in his direction. But Thorin knew Sermersuaq in the way that only a true Suaq hunter can. He knew every snowdrift, every crevasse, every rock and every freezing lake. He also knew that he had only one chance at this.

Suddenly he rolled to the side, and striking at just the right angle, stabbed his spear at the orc’s calf. A blast of wind and flakes of snow that Thorin's cousin had collected from Sydanjaa flew from the tip and pushed the huge orc in all his mail away and out of reach. Hearing an ominous creaking sound the orc looked down to see a spiderweb of cracks slowly expanding around him and before Thorin’s eyes he simply dropped through the ground. Weighed down with all his equipment he would have no chance. Today Thorin would live and the orc would die, simply because Thorin knew to strike where the ice was thinnest. </ic>

Mundane beasts

2013-01-24T10:00:58Z

Davidkibblewhite: typo fix

{{stub}}
The climate of the Empire ranges beneath the frigid cold of northern [[Wintermark]] and [[Varushka]], through pleasant temperate areas such as the [[The Marches|Marches]] and [[Dawn]] down to the warm grasslands of the [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]]. Summers are warm and dry, autumn and spring are wet and blustery, and winter is cold and often snowy.

Almost any mundane animal that might be expected to prosper in such environments can be found in the Empire, with the only major exception being that of the [[Horses|horse]].

==Oxen==
The ox is the foundation of a lot of wealth, They have been used as domestic beasts of burden for thousands of years. These relatively placid animals are used to draw ploughs and pull wagons, and are kept for their flesh and leather. They are excellent beasts of burden and what they lack in speed and gracefulness they more than make up for in dogged determination. A man on foot can catch an ox-drawn cart even if it has a fair head start (as many fugitives have learnt to their chagrin), but they cannot be matched for sheer ability to move heavy loads over great distances. Working oxen require shoes, usually made by blacksmiths, which are very different to horse-shoes and require a lot more effort to get onto their cloven hooves.
====Oxen in Play====
These are the same [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxen beasts of burden] used in our world for around six thousand years. Everyone from a [[Navarr]] [[Striding]] to a [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] trader uses wagons drawn by oxen. They are used in agriculture across the Empire, especially in [[Dawn]] and the [[The Marches|Marches]] Nobody uses oxen for cavalry because they are entirely unsuited to it.

==Horses==
The [[Horses|horse]] is extinct in the Empire. While there are occasional stories that some have survived outside the Empire, their population was always small and nobody has seen a living example in four hundred years. They have become powerful symbols of the Empire, representing loyalty, strength, speed and fighting spirit. The [[Imperial Orcs]] especially use horse symbols, but they are visible on many Imperial buildings and important items.
====Horses in Play====
In the Empire world, the horse was never a widespread creature as it is in our world. Most people from outside the Empire consider the creatures entirely fanciful. It is fine to use horse images, as the horse is a potent symbol of the Empire, and to possess things that came from or were used with horses, provided they have been well preserved.

==Mammoths==
There are mammoths in [[Wintermark]] and there are known to be herds in [[Kalsea]] and a few herds as far south as [[Narkyst]]. They are also believed to live in [[Otkodov]] where they are extensively hunted by the barbarian orcs. They live in small herds, and are herbivorous. Attempts to domesticate them have proved largely fruitless; they are stubborn, willful creatures that pine and die when kept in captivity. They have been hunted since long before the foundation of the Empire by the [[Suaq]] people. A smaller cousin of the mammoth is known to exist in warmer climates outside the borders of the Empire called the ''elephant''.
====Mammoths in Play====
These creatures are exactly what they seem to be: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth Mammoths]. It is absolutely fine to have hunted them or to have items made out of their body parts. At this time, there are no domesticated mammoths or war mammoths used by Imperial citizens.

==Dire Beasts==
Some animals in the Empire grow to unusual size, reminiscent in some cases of prehistoric versions. There are dangerous cave bears, great cats with sword-like fangs, primaevil boars, prodigious crocodiles and immense walruses and massive wolves in the wild places of the Empire. Very large versions of less carnivorous creatures also exist - there are immense elk in parts of Varushka and Wintermark, huge cranes pick their way through the reedbeds of the Gancio, and great pale penguins haunt the southernmost reaches of [[Tsirku]].

These creatures are uncommon; where they edge too close to civilisation they quickly become a problem that is addressed by armoured warriors. They are slowly being pushed into extinction, and encounters with them are rare, but they are a know threat of the wilderness. Other dire creatures are known to exist, and in larger numbers, in various places outside the Empire.
====Dire Beasts in Play====
These beasts are rare, but hardly unknown. A [[Dawn culture and customs#The Test of Mettle|Test of Mettle]] can easily involve hunting one of these beasts, and a couple of [[The Marches|Marchers]] with long spears might heroically defeat a dire boar in the woods of [[Upwold]]. It is fine to roleplay that your armour is made out of dire beast leather, or that the ivory for your wand came from a dire-lion's tusks.

==Big Cats==
Tigers are native to the foothills of [[Urizen]], and there are some prides of lions on the pampas of the [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]]. The forests of [[Dawn]] and [[Varushka]] alike are haunted by large, dangerous cats similar to overgrown mountain-lions or wildcats. These creatures tend to stay away from humans except in rare cases where one develops a taste for human flesh.
====Big Cats in Play====
Big cats are more common than dire beasts. A lone character in light armour may receive a serious mauling from one of these creatures, and a fully-grown lion or tiger is more than a match for a single armoured knight. It is fine to roleplay that you have hunted them, and in some cases they may even be domesticated (although they do not travel well, and you cannot bring one onto the field at [[Anvil]] unless you can phys-rep it).

==Dodo Birds==
A particular delicacy is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo dodo]. This flightless bird is common along the coast of the Bay of Catazar and the animal has been domesticated by [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]] farmers. The flesh of the dodo is considered an especially tasty delicacy, and often forms the centrepiece of feasts in [[Dawn]] and [[Sarvos]].

The dodo thrives in warm environments. They are flightless, and characterised in stories as slow witted, lazy and promiscuous.
====Dodo Birds in Play====
You can easily roleplay that chicken and similar white meat is dodo meat.

==Beyond the Empire==
While giraffes, elephants and the like are not indigenous to the Empire, they exist somewhere in the world. Almost any animal that could exist in the real world probably exists somewhere in the Empire world.

[[Category:Bestiary]]
[[Category:Empire]]

Empress Richilde

2013-01-16T12:24:33Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{stub}}
===Reign: 36 YE to 69 YE <label type="info">TBC</label>===

===Called: ''the Sun Queen''===

====Early life and Election====
As with many of the early Empresses and Emperors, facts about Empress Richilde are a little difficult to pin down. She is well represented in poems and stories, but many of the details of her life come from the surviving works of troubadours and bards rather than historians.

Born in 9 YE, Richilde was a [[Dawn|Dawnish]] noble of House Cassilon in [[Dawn territories#Astolat|Astolat]]. From an early age she was exceptional - witty, charismatic, with an indomitable spirit. According to the troubadours she had the natural talent and ability to turn her hand to anything that is often considered a consequence of a strong connection to her past lives. Along with her siblings and cousins she received a fine education, benefiting from tutors brought from as far afield as [[Urizen]] and the [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]], paid for by the Earl de Cassilon. She was well versed in politics, music and literature, enjoyed hawking, hunting; was a mistress of the harp; and had composed at least eight well-received heroic poems by the time she was twenty-one. During her youth and early adulthood, she served as an [[Advocate]], which gave her a broad understanding of the Imperial political process when she later served as the Senator for Astolat.

Richilde's passed a legendary [[Dawn Culture and Customs|Test of Mettle]]; the Earl of Cassilon told her she must ''bind the dawn to the dusk'' if she wished to become a noble. She responded by calling the nobles of House Cassilon to join her in the gardens just before dawn, telling them they should leave when they were born. As the sun rose, she began to weave a tale of such compelling beauty and grandeur that the nobles lost track of time. Not one of them left, and as she completed her tale they realised to their surprise that they had spent a whole day lost in the wonder of the tale she told.

During her early life she traveled extensively, finding allies among the artists and politicians of the other nations, especially in the [[The League]], the Brass Coast, [[Highguard]] and Urizen. After the death of [[Emperor Giovanni]], she parlayed this network into political influence and with the support of her fellow Dawnish senators and the voice of the [[Troubadours]] in the [[Imperial Synod|Synod]], she was elected Empress.

====Reign====
From the beginning her court was a place of splendour; she surrounded herself with musicians, artists and scholars from across the Empire. From the [[Wintermark culture and customs#Art and history|scops]] of [[Wintermark]] to the bards of the [[The Marches|Marches]], anyone with a tale to tell or a song to sing was welcome to perform before Empress Richilde. Those who impressed her received endowments or the benefit of her patronage in establishing themselves. While her love of art and music was seen initially as indulgent, it became clear that it served a greater purpose. By encouraging the nations to appreciate each others' stories, history and art, she helped them gain a greater understanding of each other.

In private, she expressed the concern that if the Empire was simply a machine for making war against barbarians it would fail; no matter how complex and developed its bureaucracy might be, it would ultimately prove a hollow achievement unable to stand the test of time. Only by celebrating, by taking joy in it's achievements and it's citizens, could it hope to survive more than a few centuries, weather the inevitable failures and crises that would come, and emerge as something greater than the sum of its parts.

Throughout her reign she encouraged the celebration of the deeds of heroes, both past and present. She encouraged the nations to take pride in their history, but also to see the achievements of the Empire as a whole as being ''their'' achievements. In 39 YE, with assistance of advisors from Highguard and the League she esablished funds, overseen by the civil service, to support bards and artists across the Empire, creating the tradition of the Imperial bards who have inspired the Empire ever since.

Poems and stories suggest she was as capable a warrior as she was a politician, but Urizen historians suggest that this is likely to be the fanciful exaguration of minstrels and poets rather than fact. Rather than being a great warrior, or a great general, she is remembered as having an ability to inspire trust and to recognize ability in her Generals, leaving them a free hand to act as they saw fit in the service of the Empire. This lead to a series of invasions that expanded the Empire, adding the territories of [[Varushka territories#Karsk (Lost)|Karsk]], [[Dawn territories#Semmerholm|Semmerholm]], [[Urizen territories#Redoubt|Redoubt]] and [[Highuard territories#Reikos|Reikos]]. While the Empress herself did not fight in any of the major campaigns, she accompanied the armies in the manner of a living banner - inspiring and exhorting her troops and firing them to achieve victory.

====Death====
At her funeral, after a thirty year reign, it is said the entire Empire mourned. She was carried with great ceremony from her home near Auvanne in Semmerholm, via Anvil, to the [[Highguard territories#The Necropolis|Necropolis]] and interred in a great tomb built at some expense by the finest stonesmiths of the day. Over the centuries since it has become a great honour for a hero, especially a Dawnish hero or troubadour, to be interred in the Ring of Champions, a series of tombs and mausoleums that surrounds Richilde's resting place.

Shortly after her death the Synod recognised Richilde as an [[Paragons and Exemplars|Exemplar]] of [[Pride]]. 150 years later, the troubadours of Dawn finally succeeded in having her recognised as a Paragon, making her the first Paragon of the modern period..

[[Category:History]]

Bloodsilver Spike

2013-01-13T19:56:33Z

Davidkibblewhite: not that I have anything against Poland or its inhabitants

{{stub}}
==Description==
This polished rod is often made of alloyed weltsilver and iron around a wooden core and tapered at one end.

It is often engraved with the runes [[Rhyv]] or [[Feresh]].

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Magic overview#Rods|Rod]].
* '''Effect:''' Once per day when you cast the [[Spell list#Swift Heal|swift heal]] spell you can do so without spending any mana.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a dragonblood spike requires nine ingots of [[Materials#Weltsilver|weltsilver]] and six measures of [Materials#Iridescent Gloaming|iridescent gloaming]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Rods]]
[[Category:IC_Text_Required]]
[[Category:Descriptive_Text_Required]]

Draughir

2013-01-12T16:27:34Z

Davidkibblewhite:

==Overview==
The Draughir are touched by the realm of [[Winter]], a nightmare realm of hunger and death that nonetheless possesses hidden wisdom. They are calculating, practical to the point of expediency and protective of what is theirs, but they are monstrous in appearance, and struggle with inhuman instincts.

Draughir are most comfortable in military and economic roles which give them the independence they need to make the sort of pragmatic decisions they want to take. Draughir are often drawn to positions of political power but they can find it frustrating to share power with others, if they get in the way of the draughir's ability to provide effective leadership. Draughir priests are relatively rare; while draughir can be as virtuous as any human, their pragmatic nature means they tend to proritize solutions over principles and their virtue is often more instinctive than intellectual. While many take dominant roles, there are plenty of draughir who actively seek out second-in-command and lieutenant roles and they make excellent companions, attendants and right-hand henchmen - they are capable of fierce loyalty, to the right commander.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir2.png|align=left|width=200}}
The draughir lineage is intended to appeal to players who want a character who is callous and merciless towards their enemies. Draughir are often pragmatic to the point of being brutal and are an option for anyone looking to play an emotionally hardened or otherwise unsympathetic character. The draughir give options for playing an anti-hero or misunderstood outsider, as well as a character who is “wrestling with inner demons”. It also allows a player to roleplay themes of practicality, morality and personal responsibility.

Inspirations for the draughir might include the heroes Batman or the Shadow who use fear as weapons against the criminal underclass and the comic-book villains R'as al Ghul or Magneto who do terrible things with the best of intentions. Other inspirations might include a fictionalised Vlad Dracul who does cruel things to his enemies but still thinks of himself as a protector of what is his; the Livia of ''I, Claudius'' who performs and encourages terrible acts for the greater good of the Roman people; the Bride from the ''Kill Bill'' movies; Lisbeth Salander from ''The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo''; the Sith from the Star Wars Old Republic, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam of the Bene Gesserit from ''Dune'', and to a degree the morlocks of H G Wells’ novel (and perhaps the 2002 movie) ''The Time Machine'' whose desperation to survive turns them into monsters. Marisa Coulter from the Northern Lights is a great example of an often heartless character conflicted by her feelings for those she cares about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir3.jpg|align=right|width=300}}

==What they are not==
*'''Sadistic or evil.''' Draughir are practical to the point of expediency, they are not innately wicked or corrupt. They are prepared to do cruel things only to achieve necessary ends, they do not delight in cruelty for its own sake.
*'''Undead.''' While draughir may often have a corpse-like appearance, they are living creatures.

==Sobriquets==
Wendigo, the Cold, the Wise, the Hungry, Ghul, Dread
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir11.png|width=300|align=right}}

==Iconic trappings==
*'''Pale skin.''' A draughir's skin is usually pallid, pale or discoloured as if from ill health. You can use white or yellow make-up to lighten or jaundice the skin tone. You can paint every inch of your skin bone-white, but if you do this, then avoid leaving your neck visible and unpainted, as it undermines the appearance. The alternative is to apply make-up more traditionally to lighten the skin tones and give your skin a deathly pallor, if you do this then you can blend in the make-up rather than trying to cover all visible skin.

==Other trappings==
* '''Prominent veins.''' Some draughir have red or black veins that are clearly visible just beneath the surface of their pallid skin. You can use make-up to paint veins onto the skin; ideally they should be subtle and give a sense of being just visible.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir9.png|title=Stardust|width=225|align=right}}
* '''Scarred or gouged flesh.''' Draughir skin is often calloused, lined or marked. The skin may appear heavily scarred or be marked with lines, cuts or cracks that run across the skin. The pictures on this page show examples of the kind of disfigurements that are appropriate. These can be achieved with make-up or using prosthetics.
* '''Wrinkled skin.''' Draughir skin often appears aged, although this has no effect on their vitality. The skin may be mottled with liver spots and is often heavily wrinkled, especially around the eyes. Make-up can be used to enhance natural wrinkles and make them more visible, or collagen or other prosthetics can create deeper creases in the skin.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir6.png|align=right|width=225}}
*'''Predatory teeth.''' Many draughir have elongated canines but only on the lower jaw, similar to tusks. A high lineage draughir may have additional canine teeth in place of regular incisors or molars on both jaws. This look is best achieved with teeth prosthetics.
* '''Hollow, deep-set eyes.''' Some draughir have unnaturally hollow and deep-set eyes. You can achieve this look by using makeup to darken the eye-sockets to make them look deeper or use prosthetics to build up the brow and cheekbones to achieve a more pronounced effect.
*'''Predatory eyes.''' Draughir may have predatory eyes. Cosmetic contact lenses can be used to achieve this. The pupil should be the normal shape but the iris might be yellow or blood red.
{{CaptionedImage|file=claws.jpg|title=Commercial Prosthetic: http://www.mostlydead.co.uk|align=right|width=225}}
*'''Clawed fingers.''' Draughir may have talons that replace their fingernails. These claws are never large enough to be used as a weapon. Clawed fingers should be black or bone white, with the claws short and protruding from the end of the finger where the nail bed would be. Wolverine style claws that protrude from the back of the wrist are not appropriate.
*'''Cold demeanour.''' Draughir might express their lineage by avoiding smiling and avoiding physical contact with others. Don't express warmth towards people and avoid talking about how you feel. Try to act as if your feelings and those of others were irrelevant and not worth comment or discussion.

==Roleplaying draughir==
Draughir blood influences the character of the one who possesses it. Not every draughir expresses these effects to the same degree, but characters who demonstrate these roleplaying trappings possess stronger lineage than those who do not.
* '''Draughir are cold.''' Draughir are not unemotional, they are capable of feeling jealous, angry, triumphant and many other emotions. But almost all draughir find it hard to experience any pleasure from the emotions of others: neither empathy nor sympathy are part of their nature. They are not naive or ignorant, they recognize and understand the emotions that others are feeling, they simply are not moved by them in any way. This makes it easy for them to disregard the feelings of others; when a village is starving to death a draughir will suggest eating the dead without a second thought, and will do it themself even if the rest of the village reacts with revulsion.

* '''Draughir have a pack mentality.''' Draughir are usually jealously protective and possessive towards their family and friends, but tend to treat strangers and acquaintances as potential rivals and competitors. Although they rarely exhibit much genuine empathy for those close to them, they are often fiercely loyal to those under their control or those they work with. This loyalty does not express itself as sympathy but they strive to ensure that the people they protect are safe and provided for. Draughir leaders can be socially domineering, they do not consider others' feelings and they expect those they are looking after to treat them with respect and deference.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir5.png|align=right|width=175}}
* '''Draughir are calculating.''' They do what it takes to stay alive. Everyone is either useful, dangerous or not a threat. Every situation advances the Draughir’s aim or hinders it. If something is useful, it should be used. If something is dangerous, it should be destroyed or avoided. A draughir on a vital mission will leave a lame companion behind rather than risk slowing the group down. They’re the kind of people who are comfortable with sacrificing ten lives to save a hundred, with using disease or terror as weapons. They choose the most effective course of action without experiencing any moral qualms or scruples or letting ethical considerations get in the way. If the destruction of a village will slow an advancing army, that settlement is history.

* '''Draughir are never satisfied.''' Most draughir are inveterate planners, they like to prepare for conflict and dangers. They fear being caught short and are never complacent that they will weather the storm. Any spare moments are spent trying to improve preparations and ensure sufficient resources are in place. This hunger can never be satisfied. This can be positive; they refuse to become complacent. It can also negative; they are never satisfied with what they achieve and find it impossible to relax.
* '''Draughir can eat carrion.''' Draughir get sustenance from anything they can eat or drink, even if it would cause a normal human to become sick. They can eat rotting meat, spoiled vegetables and uncooked flesh, as well as drinking blood, stagnant water or rancid milk without ill effect. They also don’t need as much food, drink or sleep as anyone else – they can survive by eating cockroaches if they have to (as long as they get plenty of cockroaches). They’re no more resistant to poison than anyone else; this is a survival tool that also allows them to subsist on leftovers and offal while their friends and family get the stuff they need to stay healthy. They can't dispose of bodies by eating them - it takes ''forever'' to eat a human body, 180lbs of raw meat and bone, even if you don’t throw up every time you swallow a mouthful.
* '''Draughir may degenerate into madness.''' Some draughir become increasingly preoccupied with preparing for external threats, to the point of paranoia. They rarely become delusional, but they become incapable of accepting risks and incapable of trusting people who are not a part of their circle. They will go to any lengths to protect their own and they view most outsiders as irrelevant at best, little more than lumps of meat while those that are notable all become potential threats or dangers. Lone draughir or individuals who have contact only with other draughir seem to be particularly prone to this madness, which is why most draughir seek out human company.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir10.png|width=177|align=left}}

{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir7.png|align=right|width=210}}

==The blood==
Draughir are as warm blooded and vital as any human, although they sometimes have corpse-like appearance. They mate and breed just like humans. While a few draughir – especially those of strong lineage – are born with clear draughir marks, others appear entirely human but undergo a transformation in later life (generally before they reach maturity).

The unexpected transformation of a beloved child helps fuel the fear that many fear for the draughir. A common belief is that people who turn to cannibalism will have draughir children, or will slowly become draughir themselves.

If draughir present themselves respectfully to the Eternals of Winter they usually respond by treating the draughir as one of their own. Draughir who present themselves as equals and will be treated as a rival or a threat.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Draughir1.png|title=Film: Sleepy Hollow|width=250|align=right}}
==Lines of the draughir==
Some draughir children are killed or given away because people fear them and what they may turn into. Lone draughir children often feel isolated, because no-one else sees the world quite the way they do. When two draughir meet they may become rivals, unless one acknowledges the other's authority, but groups of draughir are able to work together provided they have strong leadership.

* [[Varushka_Lineage_and_Species_Attitudes|Varushkan]] draughir are able to make difficult decisions, an ability that commands respect in this harsh land.

[[Category:Lineages]]

Agramant's Bargain

2013-01-11T10:03:21Z

Davidkibblewhite: correcting copy/paste error

{{stub}}
==Description==
These staves are usually made of dark pinewood, or carefully shaped and sanded oak bleached white. They are soaked and cleaned in a weak solution of beggar's lye, and carved with runes such as [[Kyrop]] and [[Lann]]. Many bear staring faces, skills, or in the [[The Marches|Marches]] the appearance of carrion creatures such as rats and crows. They are usually unsettling things to look upon.

They are sometimes called a ''[[Draughir]]'s Bargain''. Both names mean roughly the same thing - a bargain where both parties are weakened or harmed, but one of the parties is capable of enduring or mastering the pain or debilitation to the detriment of the other party.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Magic overview#Staffs|Staff]].
* '''Effect:''' You may cast the [[Spell list#Paralysis|paralysis]] spell as if you knew it.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a wendigo's bargain requires seven measures of [[Materials#Beggar's Lye|beggar's lye]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.

<ic>
"Sit down and I'll tell you a story."

Tom had heard them all before, every story Granny told, every night like this with the fire crackling and the rocking chair creaking its way back and forward. He could recite them, word for word, down the lilt of her thick Bregas accent, or the way her eyes grew wide with mock fear when the tales turned to Feni, or monsters, or barbarians. He was too old to enjoy them like his little sisters April and May did, sitting in a spellbound cluster at Granny's feet, and too young yet to listen the way Ma did, stopping from time to time in her spinning to listen to the old woman's voice. But he listened anyway- it wasn't like there was anything else to do.

"See that staff hangin' there?" She gestured with one knitting needle to the ugly, gnarled oaken staff, high on the wall over the fireplace, without bothering to look. Tom didn't look either. He could have drawn every detail of the room with his eyes closed, from the boots at the door to every bannister of the stair that led you up to Ma's bedroom overhead where she shared the big bed with Granny. He'd asked about that staff a dozen times, though, but Ma would only ever say that it had been his Da's, then clam up tight shut. Ten years dead, and Tom could barely remember him, but still Ma could barely say his name without welling up in tears. Tonight though - maybe there'd be a new story, and a few answers.

"I made that staff," Granny said, her voice in counterpoint with click of her knitting needles. "Made it for your Da when he was a lad, when he was first prenticed to the Landskeeper. That was Upwold Peter, back in those days; a proper Landskeeper, even though he was a Townie, not like the sorts you get nowadays. Anyhow, some folks said the staff was an ill omened thing, cut from a storm-blasted oak an' bleached in Beggar's Lye 'till it was white as a ghost. Made my hands red raw, too, dunkin' it in and out of that lyebath, washin' and dryin' an' all that. Then it was carvin' it, sandin' it, waxin' it an' polishin' it - every day for a month till it shone like the moon on the water. He wasn't much pleased with it, either; he had his heart set on some fancy jade bound wand or somethin' like that, boys bein' what they are. But for once he took a tellin', and once the staff was in his hand he didn't lay it down for fear of gettin' a skelp round his ear.

"Turns out it was for the best, seein' as how one day he's out on the fen, walkin' the bounds or some such when he sees a Feni warrior, comes stalkin' through the reeds, bold as brass, teeth all filed to points an' a rusty sickle in hand. So your Da weighs up his chances an' doesn't fancy any of them much, but he starts walkin' like he hasn't seen a thing, walking along the path, over the boards and along the water like he doesn't have a care in the world. An' this Feni hunter, he's followin' after, thinkin' that he's stalkin' your Da unawares. Your Da leads him on, lettin' him get closer and closer, pretendin' he don't see a thing, and pretty soon he's lead that Feni out onto the marsh, an' just when he's right behind him and that sickle's about to come down on your Da's throat, your Da turns, quick as a flash, an' whacks him quick smart with that white oak staff, right in the pointy teeth.

"Now, your Da weren't much of a hittin' type, an' that staff ain't much when it comes to power. All it does is stop you dead in your tracks for ten seconds or so, same as it stops whoever you're hittin' with it, an' where's the use in that, you're thinkin? Well, there's your Da on the path, an' that one swipe with the staff's enough to knock the Feni back - just one step, but out of the marshes one step's enough if it takes you off the path. An' ten seconds in the marsh is a long time when you've stepped off that path, with that black mud suckin' at your feet, draggin' you down, an' sure enough when there was blood back in your Da's limbs enough to get him movin' again, there weren't hide nor hair of that Feni, savin' one hand stickin' up with a sickle grasped in it, and soon enough that was swallowed up by the Fen an' all."

"So what're you saying, then, Granny?" Tom, slightly surprised by his own daring, found himself too irritated to stay quiet. "Granny knows best, is that what it is? Da did what he was told an' it was all fine? Ain't it a shame you never told him how not to get killed by them orcs?"

Silence fell in the farmhouse, broken only by the click of the knitting needles. Tom heard the sharp intake of Ma's breath from the kitchen, saw April and May's saucer eyes turn from Granny to him, felt the blood rising to his face with shame. Granny's eyes narrowed, just a fraction, then she nodded to herself, as if making a decision.

"Anyroad, I bin speaking to Martha Landskeeper." The chair began to rock again, Ma's spinning wheel whirred back into action, even the fire began to crackle again. "Turns out she's after a new 'prentice." With a creak from the chair, or perhaps from her old bones, Granny got to her feet and lifted the staff down from the wall. She weighted it carefully in her hands for a moment, then offered it at arm's length to the elder of her two granddaughters. "This one's for you, April. Martha says she'll take May an' all, next harvest time when she's of age.

"An' as for you, Tom, there's an oak shaft in the shed an' a barrel of lye, an' come mornin' I'll be out to see what manner of a start you've made. Time I taught on what I know, an' time you learned to take a tellin'."

</ic>
[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Staffs]]
[[Category:Descriptive_Text_Required]]

Biting Blade

2013-01-10T09:05:00Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
==Description==
A biting blade is a respectable weapon that grants additional power to a skilled soldier, as well as offering the ability to strike a significant blow to an individual who is not a professional warrior. The weapon is sometimes simply referred to as an ''Orichalcum Blade'' or (in the poetry of Wintermark) a ''Dawnfire Blade'' or ''Duskfire Blade'' in reference to the slight reddish tinge to the metal produced by alloying orichalcum with steel.

The biting blade is the weapon many common folk think of then they think of a traditional 'magic sword.' Artisans in [[Wintermark]] especially like to inscribe the rune [[Jotra]] on a biting blade, and [[Dawn|Dawnish]] crafters often shape the pommel into he head of a [[Rune Overview#Runes of Summer|gryphon]] or engrave one onto the blade directly.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Combat#One-handed Weapon|One-handed Weapon]]. Despite the name any one-handed weapon may be a biting blade.
* '''Effect:''' Once per day, you may call [[Combat#CLEAVE|CLEAVE]] with this weapon.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a Biting Blade requires seven units of [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalcum]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.


<ic>The ragged stranger watched as the Steinr smiths completed their long forging, the chant rising and falling as they hammered at the hot metal one last time. Sing-song voices echoed strangely around the forge as the golden-red rays of a winter's sun sank slowly behind the mountains.

"Red the fires of the forge 
Red the blade and red its thirsts 
Red the wine that it drinks so deep 
Red the mouths that it opens wide 
Red the dying light of day 
Red its dreams" 

With one last chorus of hammer-strikes the blade was gathered up in tongs and a great cloud of steam rose up with a hissing noise into the dusk air. A few more moments of examination and testing and the Steinr women turned to the stranger, offering the fruit of their long labours. The eldest smith spoke for them all, "The debt is settled, outlander, you have your blade. Make no mistake, we have felt this one's skein - it is a crow-feeder, a widow-maker, a flesh-cutter and a spiller of blood. Bond yourself to this, and you'll know nothing but strife for the rest of your days."

The ragged man leaned forward and took the blade in one scarred hand. Even with an unwrapped hilt and before cleaning and sharpening, he fancied he could feel the proficiency of murder this thing represented - a yearning toward mayhem and death. He hissed a breath inwards through his remaining teeth. Oh yes, this would do most excellently for his revenge...</ic>

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:One-handed Weapons]]

Tactician's Demand

2013-01-10T09:01:01Z

Davidkibblewhite:

{{stub}}
==Description==
These rods are often crafted in a form that mimics a general's baton. They are popular in [[Urizen]] and among the [[WIntermark magical traditions#Icewalkers|icewalkers]] of [[Wintermark]], where magicians with a keen eye for tactics can them to make good use of the [[Spell list#Empower|empower]] spell both on the battlefield and in smaller skirmishes.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Magic overview#Rods|Rod]].
* '''Effect:''' You may cast the [[Spell list#Empower|empower]] spell as if you knew it.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a tactician's demand requires seven ingots of [[Materials#Green Iron|green iron]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.

<ic>The general tightened the straps of his Battlesmith's Panoply.

"The swords and the serpent." he mused, putting aside the runesticks and taking up his great bearskin cloak. He was a runesmith, steeped in the craft, but a general by acclamation. Wise in the ways of war, rather than one who led the charge. A Kallevesi. Axe and rod his tools only: his soldiers were his weapons.

He'd cast the omens, and they were not good. Loyalty to Empress and Empire steeled him for battle. If his band did not hit hard, then others would face harder odds.

He stepped out of his tent, and turned to the warriors who gathered outside. They had fought through forest and mountain together, and he knew he could rely on them.

"All around Skarsind, in glades just like this one, are bands like us. Our armies are marching, with the Empress at their head, but it is us and those like us who hold the balance."

He looked around: heroes from all nations selected for a critical strike.

"Once more, we fight. This is a war, and the Empire’s fate is in your hands. You have already won great victories, inspired tales which will pass into legend. Those legends will become songs, living forever, a part of our history.

This battle calls for more. Shrewd bargaining has put the best weapons in your hands. You have used all your arts to grant you strength. We are ready.

Oh, there will be moments of fear, when you cannot hear over the beating of your own heart. But fear must not rule us. Keep to the Virtuous paths, let faith ward your minds, as your bodies are warded by armour or the runes of a craftsman.
Your speakers in the Senate give us our aim. It falls to us to see it achieved. Their word is the will of the Empire, of every one of us. And their word is clear.

Now it is up to you. Arm yourselves, with word, with blade, with art and strength of purpose, and decide: will you stand, or will you fall?

Those before us are barbarous creatures, who ravage our halls for the sheer joy of destruction. After today, they will not raid again. Today, they face the nations of the Empire.

Rise above your barbaric past.
Use the hard lessons of a hard world.

Know that, even if short, your life will never be dull.
The enemy has sown their crop. It is for us to reap the harvest.

This storm can never break us.
Remember that nothing great comes without cost.

Death is just another step on the great dance.
Great deeds are eternal.

Where there is darkness, we will make light.
The Empire is our destiny.

You, and only you, can bring us victory.</ic>

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Rods]]

Circlet of Falling Snow

2013-01-10T08:50:39Z

Davidkibblewhite: Making daughter in law's lineage consistent

{{stub}}
==Description==
A circlet of falling snow is an intricate piece of work, a pinnacle of the jewelcrafter's arts. Usually made of silver or platinum, and designed with an eye to simplicity of form. They are often decorated with regular geometric designs such as spirals or mazes, intended to serve as meditative foci to soothe the mind and clarify the thoughts of the wearer. While often fashioned as a circlet, it is just as common to see one in the form of a ring or a pendant.

[[Wisdom#The Path of Wisdom|Isenbrad]], Paragon of [[Wisdom]], is a legendary smith said to have been so skilful he was able to craft from ice and snow. It is commonly believed that he crafted the first Circlet of Falling Snow to allow him to find his way in the eternal ice-storm [[Wintermark_territories#Sermersuaq|Sydanjaa]].

This item is particularly valued by high lineage [[Merrow]] who believe it allows them greater rational understanding of the [[Eternals]] of the Realm of [[Day]] when treating with them.

Though unlikely Questing Enchanters of Dawn can be often found in possession of these items which they call ''Pennants of Pure Heart''. They are commonly given as [[Dawn_hearth_magic#Favours|favours]] to a [[Dawn_hearth_magic#Love|lover or a true friend]] so that if they come across [[Malign_spiritual_presences|Malign spiritual presences]] they remain [[Loyalty|Loyal]] to their heart. The form they take a richly embroidered strips of cloth interwoven with threads of precious metals and mithril depicting a [[Loyalty# Symbols, icons and trappings|chain]] linking [[Dawn_culture_and_customs#heraldry|heraldic symbols]]. For this reason these also popular with [[Highguard|Highborn]] [[Magisters]] when performing [[Religious_skills#Exorcism| Exorcisms]]. Magisters call these ''Way Bells'' which take the form are delicately engraved [[Highguard_hearth_magic# Bells and chimes |chimes]] worn as pendants.

These items are often marked with [[runes]] such as [[Irremais]], Rune of Wisdom, [[Cavul]], Rune of Purity , or even [[Hirmok]], Rune of Dominion.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' Jewellery (Talisman)
* '''Effect:''' .You may expend a point of personal mana at any time to justify remaining calm and collected when exposed to a [[roleplaying effect]].
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a circlet of snow requires no special materials. It takes two months to make one of these items.

<ic>
It was strange, Aurora thought, that despite all of the perils of her Test of Ardour, and all she had done to win Guy's hand, the hardest and most frightening part was still standing here in front of his mother. The old Enchantress might have been carved from stone, her face as hard and unyielding as the ancient throne she sat on, her amber wolf's eyes as sharp and hard as the diamonds studding the circlet on her brow.

'It seems you have been successful,' the Enchantress said at last. Aurora caught a glimpse of jagged teeth in her near-lipless mouth. It was strange to see the same features she adored in her fiancé on his mother's face, rearranged into something monstrous. She wondered which bloodline would dominate in her children, if she and Guy ever conceived - whether her daughters would have the old woman's white, furrowed skin, amber eyes - and her malice. 'I cannot confess myself delighted at the prospect of acquiring a Changeling as my daughter-in-law. It will not have escapes your notice that House DeVries has strong blood, old blood. Winter blood. We are proud of our ways, and you may not find them to your liking. That said, you have won my son's hand, and also, it would seem, his affections, and have persevered where many others have failed.'

Aurora fought to keep her face expressionless. Many others? She'd be having words with Guy later. Lady DeVries went on.

'At any rate, I have a small gift for you.' On cue, her steward stepped forward, holding a small velvet cushion, on which rested a silver filigreed circlet, wrought into exquisite swirls and lines. Aurora took a halting step forward and reached out her hand to take it. 'Put it on then. Good, it fits. I had concerns about the ears.''

'Thank you,' Aurora said hesitantly. 'It's beautiful.'

'Yes, it is,' the Enchantress said with vulpine satisfaction. 'And knowing my son, you're going to need it.'

</IC>

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Talismans]]

Landsknecht's Zweihänder

2013-01-10T08:43:30Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
==Description==
A [[Landsknecht|landsknecht's]] zweihänder is a massive two-handed sword, popular among the [[Free_company|mercenaries]] of [[The_League_territories#Tassato Mestra and Tassato Regario|Tassato]] and [[The_League_territories#Temeschwar|Temeschwar]]. There is occasional debate on whether its power is magical in nature or simply down to the weight of the large quantities of [[Materials#Tempest Jade|tempest jade]] and [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalcum]] which go into their production. It is quite possible for a Zweihander to be taller than its wielder.

The [[Unconquered]] of [[Highguard]] also employ these swords as part of their guerilla tactics, depriving their foes of weapons, often targeting the enchanted blades and magical implements of the most powerful enemy combatants. They are given to those Unconquered who have displayed great [[Vigilance]], often accompany with an [[Religious_skills#Anointing|Anointing]] [[Auras#anointing|ceremony]] and the charge to be ever alert for the tools of the enemy which are in most need of destruction. Merab of Tobias' Patrol was famed from her skill in deploying her sword and was responsible for the destruction of enchanted staves of every [[Barbarians|orc]] shaman in the [[Highguard_territories#Reikos (lost)|Great Forest of Peytaht]]. There have been mutterings than Merab may have been an [[Signs_of_the_Paragon_and_Exemplar|Exemplar of Vigilance]], but insufficient evidence has been presented to [[Imperial Synod|the Synod]] on the matter.

==Rules==
* '''Form:''' [[Combat#Two-handed Weapon|Two-handed Weapon]]. Despite the name any two-handed weapon may be a landsknecht's zweihänder.
* '''Effect:''' Twice per day you may call [[Combat#SHATTER|SHATTER]] against any weapon or mage implement.
* '''Materials:''' Crafting a landsknecht's zweihänder requires fourteen ingots of [[Materials#Tempest Jade|tempest jade]]. seven ingots of [[Materials#Orichalcum|orichalcum]] and seven measures of [[Materials#Beggar's Lye|beggar's lye]]. It takes one month to make one of these items.

[[Category:Magic Items]]
[[Category:Two-handed Weapons]]

The Orc Rebellion

2013-01-02T12:08:51Z

Davidkibblewhite: SPAG

{{stub}}
===Prelude===
As every child know, the lands that now form the Empire were once contested by powerful orc tribes. The First Empress embarked on a crusade to unite the disparate human kingdoms, attacking those tribes that controlled the fertile plains between the human lands. In battle after battle the orcs were driven back. The larger tribes withdrew beyond the Empire’s borders to plot their revenge. The smaller tribes retreated to the mountains and marshes, surviving by raiding and banditry. Thousands were captured and many enslaved, forced to work in the mines in [[Varushka]] and other lands.

Despite the privation of their existence, the number of orc slaves in the Empire remained steady as generations grew to adulthood in the Imperial mines. Unable to read or write in the dark tunnels, with slaves moved around at their masters' whim, their histories were slowly forgotten until even the names of their tribes were lost. The few that managed to escape found that those orcs who still fought the Empire treated them even more harshly than their Imperial masters.

===The Rebellion Begins===
The orc rebelion began in the summer of 322AE when a disastrous collapse in a Varushkan mine in [[Varushka territories#Karsk (Lost)|Karsk]] allowed a large band of orcs to escape as the walls of their confinement crumbled. Rather than attempting to seek refuge with the enemies of the Empire, this group set up a camp and began raiding nearby slave enclosures, freeing their brothers and sisters and appropriating weapons and food for the growing band of freed slaves.

The leader of the uprising, a male orc going by the name of '''Thrace''', has become an almost mythical figure. Stories vary from accounts of a cunning, highly intelligent slave who lead his companions in an all-out rebellion to tales of a monstrously huge orc who terrorised the Imperial troops with raids of shocking ferocity. More colourful assertions that the leader was possessed of two heads, glowing skin or even wings are much less credible.

Initially the Empire under-estimated the threat posed by the slaves. Varushakan troops sent to deal with the threat found themselves heavily outnumbered and were soundly defeated. Winter came early, and a decision was taken to face the threat in the spring under the assumption that the orcs could not endure the harsh Varushkan winter. But the orcs captured three vales and splitting their forces between them, they weathered the cold there using the time to equip themselves with armour and weapons taken from the defeated Varushkan [[Varushka military concerns|Schlacta]].

There were skirmishes between the <label type="warning">Name</label> 2nd Varushkan army and the orcs throughout 323, but the orcs were able to avoid a decisive battle. There were defeats on both sides, but the size of the threat continued to grow as more mines were captured and their occupants freed. As Summer drew on, the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]] bowed to the inevitable and ordered the Imperial generals to send the <label type="warning">Name</label>1st Varushkan army to support the 2nd. Together the two forces were able to bring the orcs to battle and soundly defeat them in the Fall. Hundreds of orcs were killed and ten times the number captured as their force was routed. The Empire breathed a sigh of relief as the revolt appeared to be over.

===The Rebellion Spreads===
{{CaptionedImage|file=LeagueWarrior.jpg|width=400|height=268|align=right}}
Early in 324 it became clear that the orcs had laid plans against the possibility of their defeat. More mines were captured, but this time the attacks happened nearly simultaneously across [[Wintermark]], [[Dawn]], [[The League]] and [[Highguard]]. Months were wasted trying to analyse the threat as the Empire mistakenly believed that the orc slaves had somehow gained access to the gate magics that the Empire used against their barbarian enemies. Eventually it became clear that those orcs who had escaped defeat in Varushka had split their forces.

Interrogation of prisoners captured in Varushka revealed that the orc leadership was intent on winning the freedom of all orcs enslaved throughout the Empire. The orc slaves had tried to make deals with the barbarian forces fighting the Empire, but their efforts had been bloodily rebuffed. The barbarian tribes maintain ancient taboos against mixing blood between tribes and they regarded the ex-slaves with horror. It was clear that the slaves would find no succour with their barbarian brethren and so they had laid plans to spread their rebellion across the Empire.

Imperial armies were recalled from the borders and sent to put down the revolts, but as before the orcs strove to avoid pitched battles. Word of the rebellion spread and spontaneous revolts broke out across the Empire. The Senate was riven when it was discovered that a handful of [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] and League merchants had been selling the orcs weapons and provisions in return for precious ores plundered from the captured mines. The actions were widely condemned, but were ruled legal since the Empire was not technically at war with the slaves.

Several pitched battles took place throughout the year in Dawn and Wintermark and although the orcs suffered a number of defeats the raids on mines continued and their numbers continued to grow. As the year drew on, the orcs fled towards the centre of the Empire and were soon camped in huge numbers near the city of [[The League territories#Temeschwar|Temeschwar]]. The League town of Narien was razed, its inhabitants routed by the overwhelming tide of freed slaves and the ruins plundered to feed the horde.

===Emperor Ahraz and the End of the Rebellion===
Desperate to end the rebellion, the Senate appointed an Emperor after a debate that lasted the best part of a day. Emperor Ahraz, a [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] [[The Brass Coast culture and customs#Contracts|Scrivener]] was chosen after very public promises by the Brass Coast senators that they would end the rebellion. The orcs fled north into Varushka pursued by the Emperor who led a force consisting of Brass Coast forces and troops from other nations that had supported his election.

As the armies moved north through Varushka, the Emperor secretly entered into negotiations with the orcs. Several meetings took place, where Ahraz reiterated his people’s antipathy for slavery and desire to see the orcs freed. The Emperor offered full citizenship to any orc who would swear to serve the Empire and claimed he could achieve freedom for all orcs enslaved by the Empire. After weeks of protracted talks, the orcs agreed to accept Ahraz’ offer and swore to serve the Imperial throne.

In a calculated show of strength, Ahraz’ forces marched to Anvil with the orcs. The Emperor presented the agreement to the Senate; the Brass Coast and their allies in [[Urizen]] and Wintermark rallied to his cause, but Varushka, Dawn and Highguard refused to contemplate the deal. [[Navarr]], The League and [[The Marches]] remained undecided and were the subject of intense and frantic negotiation in the hours that followed. That evening the League suddenly switched en masse to support the Emperor’s agreement; whereupon senators from Navarr and the Marches swiftly followed. Much has been made of the politics behind these events and the legality therein, but the final outcome was that soon after the Navarr joined the orc cause, the Freeborn [[Hakima]] and orc shamans created an orc egregore who was ratified by the Emperor.

The recognition of the orcs as citizens of the Empire, meant that no orcs could be kept as slaves under the constitution. Those orcs that were prepared to swear oaths of service to the Empire were accepted by the egregore, those that would not were expelled or in some cases executed. The orcs were free citizens of the Empire, but there remained questions of where they would live and what they would do.

Most orcs made their way to the vast camps based near Anvil. The Imperial civil service provided tents and provisions and recruited many to join the Imperial army. A few tried to strike out on their own, but few had any desire to return to the sites of their former subjugation. Even those who did not join the army found remaining in the camps offered the easiest path. As months passed the legion camps became the de facto home for the Imperial Orcs. The discipline of army life suited the orcs and keeping their people together made it possible to exert leadership over them.

===Integration and the Imperial Orcs===
The years followed saw a painstaking rebuilding of skills. Urizen teachers taught the orcs to read and write, while smiths from Wintermark and the Marches taught them to work a forge. Those who joined the army were equipped with old weapons and armour. It was impossible to recreate the tribes; that identity was lost to the centuries of slavery. Most orcs were keen to abandon the past and embrace the opportunity they had won and create a name for themselves as citizens of the Empire. So those that joined an Imperial Army formed themselves into fighting companies, they called legions, and these quickly became as pivotal to them as their tribes had once been.

Imperial generals were hesitant to use the orcs at first, there remained a conviction amongst some that the Imperial Orcs would prove unreliable in battle, some even whispered that their loyalties could not be trusted. Orc generals pushed for them to be deployed, rightly believing that the only way such doubts could be dispelled would be through victories on the field. The orcs were convinced that only military victories against the barbarians would eventually bring them a chance to claim lands of their own.

Doubts about the loyalties of the Imperial Orcs were soon quashed. News of the acceptance of orcs into the Empire brought renewed conflict with the barbarians on every border. Some Urizen historians believe that barbarians united to try to wipe out the Imperial Orcs to prevent them spreading into barbarian lands. The Imperial Orcs have always claimed that the invasions were launched with the intention of attacking them directly, the hatred of the barbarians for those who abandon their tribal legacy. Whatever the motivation, the barbarians pushed the Empire hard and a series of weak Emperors that followed Ahraz saw the Empire steadily losing ground.

The string of losses means that five decades after they won their freedom, the Imperial Orcs still do not possess lands of their own. It is claimed that the Empress Britta promised the orcs lands in return for their support in first reconquering the lost territories. News of her death has come as a bitter blow to many orcs who fear that the Empire may yet return to the dark years of divided and weak leadership, rather than the strong leadership that orcs value and which most believe the Empire needs if Britta’s promise is to be realized.

===Repercussions of the Orc Rebellion===
Varushka probably suffered most from the slave revolt. Many prominent businessmen were ruined in the wake of the orc rebellion, most especially the Varushkan mine-owners in Karsk (several of whom were arrested after they defenestrated their own senator). There is still some bad blood between Varushkan vales and the Imperial Orcs due to harsh acts committed by both sides both prior to and during the rebellion.

The losses were not restricted to Varushka; several Dawnish noble houses and Marcher households who had relied on the orcs to operate their mines lost access to their pool of free labour, slashing their profits. They found it very difficult to recruit humans to take their place for obvious reasons - mining was dirty, dangerous work that appealed neither to the Dawnish nor the Marcher yeomen. In many cases, mines were simply closed down as sufficient workers could not be found to keep them operational.

The League and Highguard weathered the rebellion reasonably well. Highborn chapters who operated mines tightened their belts and accepted reduced profits. Hard work by a cabal of [[benefactor|benefactors]] generally called the ''Ring of Stone'' worked to keep the quarries and mines operational and smooth the transition to paid labour. The League lost the labour that had allowed it's farms to operate so profitably, but mostly simply adjusted to more imports or reduced profits.

Many Wintermark slaves, in contrast to the slaves of several other nations, were mostly thralls - more akin to prisoners of war than the slave labourers used by other nations. Those slaves almost exclusively chose exile over joining the Imperial Orcs. Those orcs held in more traditional slavery mostly joined the Imperial Orcs.

Neither Urizen nor the Brass Coast were used orc slaves at the time of the rebellion and emerged mostly unscathed by the economic considerations of the rebellion. In the aftermath however there were several accusations of treason - indeed, Emperor Arhaz himself faced inquisition before the [[Imperial Synod|Synod]] and was called on to defend his actions which he did with the support of several prominent Cardinals, notably the Cardinals of [[Pride]], [[Courage]] and [[Prosperity]]. To this day there are rumblings of a conspiracy within the Empire to emancipate the orcs with deep roots in the two nations who did not rely on orcish slaves. The Freeborn commitment to freedom is obvious, but the actions of the Urizen during this conflict are often characterised as more cynical, undermining their political enemies in the Senate secure in the knowledge that orcish freedom would not effect their ushabti-powered mines.

Regardless of the good that came from the orc rebellion, the economic uncertainty that resulted left the Empire reeling and paved the way for the increasing corruption and self-interest of the Senate, the [[Freedom Heresy]] and ultimately accelerated the decline of the Empire.
[[Category:History]]