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Shadows Hide the Passing Spear

2026-10-13T19:53:45Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Night Ritual]][[Category:Rituals]][[Category:Warfare]]
==Rules==
{{Season|Night|80}}
===Performing the Ritual===
{{Casting time|10}} {{Imperial Reduction}} This ritual targets an [[Army|Imperial army]]. The [[Military Council|general]] responsible for the army (or the [[egregores|egregore]] if the general is not at Anvil) must be present throughout.

{{Regio|Night}}

{{enchantment}}

===Effects===
The enchanted [[army]] is surrounded by a faint magical fog that moves with it. The fog specifically effects the [[vallorn]] and its spawn, making the army appear less threatening, and its actions less like the result of a civilised force.

Provided the enchanted army is using [[Army_orders#Cautious_Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army_orders#Gibe Ground|Give Ground]] orders, it can move through [[territory#Regions|regions]] with the [[Region_qualities#Vallorn|Vallorn quality]] this season without taking casualties from doing so. The enchantment does not offer additional protection from the vallorn, its spawn, or its [[vallorn miasma|miasma]]. It just allows the army to move through regions claimed by the vallorn without impediment.

The [[general]] of the enchanted army experiences a roleplaying effect: ''you feel an urge to conceal your true intentions from others, especially with regard to military matters. Anyone who attempts to probe into your plans must have sinister motives.''

{{Season Duration}}
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Seren Embercast.jpg|caption='''Seren Embercast'''laid the groundwork for this subtle army enchantment.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==Description==
This ritual was adapted from work performed by ''Seren Embercast'' of [[Navarr]], the [[Advisor on the Vallorn]]. It was codified at [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|the Lyceum]], under the guidance of ''Syl'', the [[Dean of the Lyceum]], who also [[388YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Imperial_Lore:_Shadows_Hide_the_Passing_Spear|raised]] the [[declaration]] to make it part of Imperial lore. The declaration was funded by Seren Embercast, on behalf of the [[Vallornguard]].

This ritual employs one of the few uses of Night magic that is useful in [[War_magic#Night_Magic|warfare]]. Rather than improving the ability for an army to face its foes, it misdirects them instead. Similar to the ''Host of Shadows'', it allows an army to pass through enemy lines. In this case, it allows the army to avoid the attention of the creatures that are created from the [[vallorn]].

Experimentation with this ritual was obviously challenging; it is not a simple matter to explore areas infested with the vallorn even when the Lyceum is not locked away within a wall of mists. A lot of the work here was, as a consequence, theoretical rather than practical. The magicians involved are confident it will work but the first army to actually have to rely on the magic may find the experience especially nerve wracking.

The enchantment also requires a certain degree of circumspection. The enchantment will swiftly collapse if it is used to try and empower an army taking orders that encourages confrontation. Even if the intent is not to fight the vallorn, but to pass through it to fight a different force entirely, that intent undermines the power of the ritual to the point where it will collapse and leave the army at the mercy of the vallorn spawn.

This latter weakness was not identified until codification was well under way. The limitation may reduce the strategic use of the ritual but does not undermine the core intent – allowing a force at arms to pass through areas controlled by the vallorn.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=VallornMiasma.jpg|title=Vallornspawn respond violently to certain stimuli; this ritual occludes an army so it will not draw the attention of such creatures.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
==Common Elements==
As an enchantment that targets an entire [[army]], the obvious focal point of the ritual is the [[general]] who has dominion over that force. Symbols of the army, especially a standard, also helps support the magic as do soldiers who have fought with the army recently. [[Dawn_hearth_magic#Girding|Girding]] the general, or more correctly obscuring them with robe, mask, veil, or paint, will cause the enchantment to adhere more tightly.

The rune [[Wyr]] resonates strongly with this ritual, but interestingly [[Diras]] does not. This discovery caused significant interest among the researchers, as to the difference between secret and mystery and how that interacts with the vallorn and its spawn. [[Queros]], the rune of conspiracy, also proved successful however which lead to even more discussion.

The [[astronomancy|astronomantic]] constellation of [[the Lock]] binds the enchantment in place – although this is slightly more theoretical than supported by evidence. Based on examination of other rituals, the researchers believer the constellation is resonant but the recent magical chaos made actual experimentation in this regard during the codification infeasible.

[[The Mountebank]], the [[dramaturgy|dramaturgical]] persona of transformation and misdirection, works perfectly with this ritual, especially when employed with [[the Cloak]] and [[the Garden]] (unsurprisingly in both cases). Plays with scenes that involve misdirection involving trees or camouflage channel the magic very effectively.

Finally, [[blood magic|blood magicians]] discovered that the blood of those who have faced the vallorn without fighting its spawn – scouts, spies, people who made a point of avoiding vallornspawn rather than rousing them – have a strong symbolic resonance with the magic. Finding folk with that kind of blood, however, proves more challenging. Regrettably, it is much more common to find people who have fought the vallorn than it is people who have avoided its attention.

Hand of the Healers

2026-10-10T23:05:13Z

Twiggy: /* Houses of Healing */

{{Disambiguation|As of the Autumn Equinox 387YE, this title is no longer active following Ossegrahn turning away from the Empire}}

{{Disambiguation|This page contains details of a title that serves as custodian of the Houses of Healing; for the Spring ritual that enchants a target to swift cast heal for 1 mana see [[Hands of the Healer]]}}

<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Rain King.png|align=left|caption=Spring brings flowers, gentle rains, and the heralds of the Tarnfather.|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The Hand of the Healers was an [[Imperial title]] that served as custodian of the [[#Houses of Healing|Houses of Healing]] at [[Therunin#Peakedge Song|Peakedge Song]] in [[Therunin]], constructed with the aid of the eternal [[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]], and intended to support the healers of the Empire. They had several responsibilities, and in return received access to powerful [[magic items]] that aid healing, including some that are unknown to Imperial lore. These gifts were dependent on Ossegrahn continuing to have a good relationship with the Empire and the [[Conclave]].

The motion to construct the House of Healing was passed during the [[385YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Construct_House_of_Healing|Spring Equinox 385YE]]. The House of Healing is supported by the followers of [[Ossegrahn]] and the original opportunity for the construction was presented by heralds of the Cupbearer during the Spring Equinox 385YE. More information on the opportunity can be found in the [[Rain_king#Houses_of_Healing|Rain king]] wind of fortune.

==Responsibilities==
The Hand of the Healers had a number of responsibilities; they were charged with striving to support healers throughout the Empire, both magical and mundane, helping them overcome sickness and heal injuries wherever possible. They were expected also to actively work to reduce suffering in the world, especially through the use of murderous curses or unnecessary violence. Finally, if the House of Healing or any who work there or visit as patients were to come under threat, it was to be the responsibility of the Hand to deal with those threats.

==Powers==
===Offerings of Lord Rain===
<div style="width: 500px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Healing Implements'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;"></td></tr>
<tr><td>14 crowns</td><td>1 [[Ambergelt Baton]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>17 crowns</td><td>1 [[Boneweaver]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>18 crowns</td><td>1 [[Bloodwoven Braid]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>22 crowns</td><td>1 [[Staff of Life]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>30 crowns</td><td>1 [[Woundbinder]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>32 crowns</td><td>1 [[Grimnir's Hearthfire]]</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Healing Attire'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;"></td></tr>
<tr><td>18 crowns</td><td>1 [[Trollsweave Vest]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>25 crowns</td><td>1 [[Robe of Blood and Bone]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>41 crowns</td><td>1 [[Moonsilver Doublet]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>50 crowns</td><td>1 Lifetender's Shawl</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Healing Foci'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;"></td></tr>
<tr><td>7 crowns</td><td>1 [[Escharotic Cauldron]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>10 crowns</td><td>1 [[Phial of the Sun]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>11 crowns</td><td>1 Cupbearer's Mask</td></tr>
<tr><td>12 crowns</td><td>1 Doctor's Mask</td></tr>
<tr><td>16 crowns</td><td>1 [[Chrysalis Pendant]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>23 crowns</td><td>1 Vine Mask</td></tr>
<tr><td>30 crowns</td><td>1 Chirurgeon's Ring</td></tr></table></div>
The House of Healing functioned as a [[ministry]] - the Hand of the Healers had access to three different purchase tracks that allowed them to purchase implements, attire, and foci useful for healing from the followers of Ossegrahn. The Hand of the Healers made their decision on how much money to spend during downtime from their character page. They could only purchase one item from each of the three collections. Money was removed from, and ribbons were placed into, the character's inventory when downtime was processed.


===Gift of Rainfather===
Ossegrahn provided the Hand of the Healers with a unique amulet for their personal use that increased their personal healing abilities. The details of this amulet are not widely known.

==Appointment==
The appointment, replacement or removal of the Hand of the Healers was made by the [[Declaration]] of [[Candidacy]] as part of a [[Conclave session]].

The Hand of the Healers served until they are replaced by another magician using the Declaration of Candidacy. The Hand cannot be [[Revocation|revoked]] by the [[Synod]].
{{RecentElections|Hand_of_the_Healers}}
==Houses of Healing==
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><quote by="Dreekbourne, Herald of the Cupbearer">I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. Healing herbs... heal. They do what they do? You can find new things to heal with them but you cannot find new things for them to do .</quote></div>
These gentle houses stand amidst tranquil and restful gardens near [[Therunin#Peakedge Stead|Peakedge Stread]] in [[Therunin]]. There are half a dozen primary lodges, built in a manner reminiscent of a Navarr [[wayhouse]], along with another half dozen smaller structures intended to house contagious patients or visiting artisans. The burgeoning gardens contain examples of every plant with healing properties that can grow in Therunin, as well as large numbers of aromatic or simply beautiful flowering plants that contribute to the restful atmosphere. At the heart of the settlement is a quiet spring of pure water that is also a Spring regio tied to the domain of the [[Ossegrahn|Tarnfather]], which allows gentle heralds to visit the Houses and assist the healers there.

The Houses of Healing were constructed as a result of an [[Rain king#Do_Least_Harm|offer]] made by the servants of [[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]] at the Spring Equinox 385YE. The [[Archmage of Spring]] at the time, Ibiss Briarheart, asked if Ossegrahn would sponsor a college to study herb lore and the [[Surgical skills#Physick|healer's arts]], but while the heralds appreciated the sentiment, they did not believe such a thing was possible. Certainly they didn't know of any way for a physick to use herbs in a way the Empire doesn't. The Archmage also asked whether Ossegrahn might provide aid to Imperial healers, and the followers of the Spring eternal were very much more enthusiastic about the possibility of offering direct, practical aid to those who work to keep people alive (even if they do sometimes do it on a battlefield).

After some discussion, among themselves and with the Cupbearer himself, the heralds put forward a proposal. There are a number of [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] in the Empire and elsewhere who are friends and allies to Ossegrahn who will craft [[magic items|magical tools]] for the benefit of the Empire's healers. Thus, the ''Houses of Healing'' were proposed, to be built either near [[Therunin#Peakedge Stead|Peakedge Stead]] in [[Therunin]], or at the [[Benefactor_of_High_Chalcis#Gardens_of_High_Chalcis|Gardens of High Chalcis]] in [[Reikos]]. There are apparently Spring regio near both locations that would serve as the foundation for their construction.

In addition to providing a safe and tranquil location for the artisans to work, they allow for the study of [[Surgical skills#Chirurgry|chirurgery]], [[Surgical skills#Physick|physick]], [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|herblore]], and healing magic, as well as providing healing to any who visit. Ossegrahn proposed that a single individual would be appointed to oversee the Houses, called the ''Hand of the Healers'', and they would bear additional responsibilities both to the doctors and healers of the Empire and to the friends of Ossegrahn who support them. In return, the eternal would serve as a patron, guiding and inspiring healers to find ways to reduce the suffering in the world.

The ''Hand of the Healers'' has access to ministries that allow them to purchase [[magic items]] intended to assist mundane and magical healers. Some of these items are unknown to Imperial crafters, being either secrets unique to a small group of artisans, or secured from sources outside the Empire. In each case, the artisans and merchants are individuals who have a good personal relationship with the Rainfather or one of his heralds. In addition, once each year, the Rainfather himself agrees to provide the ''Hand of the Healers'' with a unique amulet for their personal use that would increase their personal healing abilities.

These powers are contingent on good relationship with Ossegrahn. In the event the Conclave declared [[alignment#Enmity|enmity]] against him, they would be lost. There is no guarantee they would automatically be recovered if the Conclave later changed their mind. Without the support of Ossegrahn the Houses of Healing would simply revert to being a hospital (it would essentially be an [[edifice]]).

==Tools of Healing and Protection==
Click ''Expand'' to see a summary of the items that the Houses of Healing can provide which are not common knowledge among Imperial artisans.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Lifetender's Shawl====
* '''Form:''' Armour. Takes the form of a [[Magic_items#Armour|robe]]. You must be wearing this robe to use its magical properties.
* '''Requirement:''' You must have the [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill to bond to this item.
* '''Effect:''' Three times per day you can [[Spellcasting#Swift casting|swift cast]] the [[heal]], [[purify]], or [[restore limb]] spell on another character without spending any mana. You must be able to cast the appropriate spell to use this power, and cannot use it on yourself.
* '''Roleplaying Effect:''' While wearing this robe your empathy for other people is greatly enhanced. When you see a living creature in pain, you feel an urge to alleviate that pain, regardless of how you feel about that person.

====Doctor's Mask====
* '''Form:''' Talisman. Takes the form of a [[Magic_items#Talismans|ritual focus]]. You must be wearing this item or holding it in hand to use its magical properties.
* '''Requirement:''' You must have the [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill to bond to this item.
* '''Effect:''' Gain 1 rank for the [[Blood of the Hydra]], [[Hands of Sacred Life]], and [[Hearthfire Circle]] rituals, subject to the [[Realm_Lore#Gaining_additional_ranks|normal rules for effective skill]].
====Cupbearer's Mask====
* '''Form:''' Talisman. Takes the form of a [[Magic_items#Talismans|ritual focus]]. You must be wearing this item or holding it in hand to use its magical properties.
* '''Requirement:''' You must have the [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill to bond to this item.
* '''Effect:''' Gain 1 rank for the [[Chirurgeon's Healing Touch]], [[Fountain of Life]], and [[Hands of the Healer]] rituals, subject to the [[Realm_Lore#Gaining_additional_ranks|normal rules for effective skill]]. When contributing to a performance of one of these rituals, you may choose to substitute [[weltsilver]] for crystal mana. Every 2 measures of weltsilver spent counts as 1 crystal mana, up to the normal limit determined by your effective rank of spring lore.
====Vine Mask====
* '''Form:''' Talisman. Takes the form of a [[Magic_items#Talismans|ritual focus]]. You must be wearing this item or holding it in hand to use its magical properties.
* '''Requirement:''' You must have the [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill to bond to this item.
* '''Effect:''' Gain 2 ranks for the [[Regrow the Land's Heart]], and [[Rivers of Life]] rituals, subject to the [[Realm_Lore#Gaining_additional_ranks|normal rules for effective skill]]. When contributing to a performance of one of these rituals, you may choose to substitute [[ambergelt]] for crystal mana. Every 2 measures of ambergelt spent counts as 1 crystal mana, up to the normal limit determined by your effective rank of spring lore.
====Chirurgeon's Ring====
* '''Form:''' Talisman. Takes the form of a tool. You must be holding this item in hand to use its magical properties.
* '''Requirements:''' You must have the [[Surgical skills#Chirurgeon|Chirurgeon]] skill to bond to this item.
* '''Effect:''' Twice per day you can use the [[Heroic skills#Stay with me|stay with me]] skill as if you knew it without spending any [[heroic skills#hero|hero points]].
* '''Roleplaying Effect:''' Whenever someone nearby is injured, you feel an echo of that injury. It is easy to be overwhelmed with grief when someone dies, even a total stranger.</div>
[[Category:Title]]
[[Category:Conclave]]

388YE Autumn Beoraidh ambassador briefing

2026-10-09T14:53:32Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Beoraidh briefing]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''', [[Ambassador to Beoraidh]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[All I can do]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

In the absence of an [[embassy]], the civil service did its best to provide a briefing for the Autumn Equinox, but going forward they will be unable to continue doing so - not unless the Senate is prepared to make some additional funds available to find premises and supplies for a skeleton staff to support the Ambassador's office.
==Messages Received==
* '''Beoraidh thanks the Ambassador for various updates'''
* '''They decline to provide any details of Sarcophan diplomats in the city-state'''
Ambassador Kaltrin acknowledges several messages from the Ambassador including the intent of Imperial magicians to perform [[Rivers of Life]] in [[Mareave]] this season, the reassurance that the [[appraisal]] into ways the Empire can support the proposed colosseum is forthcoming, and the Empires commitment to continuing to fight the [[Grendel]] in southern Mareave. They also appreciate the advance warning that a [[proxy]] will be handling diplomacy during the Autumn Equinox.

Rubhart regretfully declines the request to put the Ambassador in touch with the [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] diplomats currently working in Beoraidh. Instead, he suggests that any requests relating to the Delves in Beoraidh should either go through him, or be directed to the Tower of Crows. Without being rude, the Sarcophan in Beoraidh are keen to focus their efforts on the job they are there for rather than also having to negotiate with the Empire.

There are likely other things that could be done to provide further [[Prosperity]] to both Beoraidh and the Empire, but at the moment Rubhart is happy with the way things are going. After all, there are open lines of communication that are ideal for each ambassador to bring opportunities to the attention of their opposite numbers.

The Beoraidh Ambassador also gently corrects a misapprehension. The Grendel are not "old oppressors". The city-state is independent now and has no interest in rejoining the wider Grendel nation, but they are not enemies. Ehsan himself was once a part of the [[Grendel#Salt_Council|Salt-Lords council]], and had the rest of them not abandoned him and his city in their time of need, the situation in Mareave would likely have been very different. But they ''did'' abandon Beoraidh, and now that they have had a taste of what it means to be independent, there is as little enthusiasm to go back as there is to bow their heads to the Empire.

==Basilica==
* '''There is satisfaction that the General Assembly supports the construction of a basilica in Beoraidh'''
Ambassador Kaltrin is pleased that the General Assembly wishes to go ahead with the construction of a grand basilica. The more prestigious the commission, the more it speaks of both Imperial approval of Beoraidh and enhances the prestige of the city and the Lord of Sand himself. There is no problem with the various [[opportunity|opportunities]] offered to help get the basilica built, at least in Beoraidh.

It will no doubt come as no surprise, but the civil service believe that the [[All_I_can_do#Faith_and_Finance|offer]] made by the ''Aghnayadh Apothecaries'' to purchase the land where the basilica would be built is funded at least in part by Sarcophan interests. They have not identified exactly who but there is speculation the ''[[Kruidenkenner_Trademaster#The_Kruidenkenner|Kruidenkenner]]'' of the Delves, given their previous interests in supporting the remit of the Imperial Apothecaries Guild, may be involved.

==Espionage==
* '''The Regario Dossier could be expanded to include Beoraidh'''
* '''The civil service caution that spying on Beoraidh itself is more challenging than spying on visitors'''
* '''An appraisal could establish other ways to gather information in the city-state'''
Beoraidh has made it clear that they have no objection to the Empire undertaking espionage in Beoraidh as long as it is targeted at outsiders rather than at the city-state itself. Like any Grendel salt-lord, former or otherwise, Ehsan and his fellows are old hands at the spy game, and the civil service cautions that ignoring this request might prove risky. This is particularly true given that Ambassador Melkior has explicitly told their counterpart that the Empire is interested in espionage in Beoraidh.

It's also apparent that Ambassador Rubhart has no interest in doing the spying for the Empire. Without coming out and saying it, it seems to be the opinion of Ehsan and his allies that the Empire is already being richly rewarded for their investment in the docks at Beoraidh with the trade opportunities they offer.

Expanding the [[Regario Dossier]] is probably the easiest way forward in the matter, but obviously it provides insight into events in Beoraidh annually and to [[the League]] holder of that Bourse seat. The civil service note that there is an obvious alternative; the [[Senate]] could also use an [[appraisal]] to look at ways to exploit the unique opportunities offered by Beoraidh. As a "free port" it might be possible to establish a more extensive presence there to not only monitor the comings and goings of both foreign and barbarian vessels, but to glean information about events in their home ports. The Empire has no reliable assets on the Broken Shore, for example, and the neutrality of Beoraidh might provide opportunities to keep an eye on political developments among the Grendel - at least as long as they continue to trade in the city.

There is one other matter of concern; Rubhart casually hints that the Sarcophan and the Grendel are ''already'' spying on each other in Beoraidh, and presumably they are also going to spy on Imperial [[fleet|fleets]] visiting the city. There's no obvious way to stop this, and it is likely both nations already undertake espionage in the Empire that provides more reliable information. It is something the Ambassador should consider however - especially given that completion of the dock investment is likely to see many more fleets visiting the city-state. Again, an appraisal could be used here. The civil service state that a suitably worded appraisal that stresses both information gathering and remaining alert to rival spies in the city, could form a single appraisal.

==Curses==
* '''Ambassador Rubhart asks for written assurance that the Empire will not curse Beoraidh without first giving the city-state a chance to refuse'''
* '''Rivers of Life is not an issue, and indeed the people of Beoraidh welcome its use'''
Following some advice from members of a prominent Beoraidh magicians' guild - which the civil service believe is almost certainly the [[Fake_empire#Black_Sand_Circle|Black Sand Circle]] of ''Mannun Amahuz'' - Rubhart presents a request from Beoraidh to the Empire. They are free to cast Rivers of Life as often as they wish, because its effects are simply a net good (says Rubhart). But the city-state would like a formal commitment from the Ambassador that Imperial magicians will not place any other large-scale [[curse|curses]] on Mareave without first discussing them with the city-state. Simply informing them that they wish to do so is not enough because it gives Beoraidh no opportunity to object to the curse before it impacts them and their people.

If the Empire does raise a magical effect on Mareave that harms Beoraidh, without the express approval of the city-state, they will seek proportionate reparations for the harm it causes them. Rubhart uses [[Rivers Run Red]], [[Winter's Ghosts]], and [[Naeve's Twisting Blight]] as examples of rituals that would damage diplomatic relations with the city state. Obviously this goes both ways; Beoraidh will not raise large scale curses of its own over Mareave without first seeking permission from the Empire.

Rubhart leaves it to the Ambassador as to whether this agreement should be presented to the Senate for ratification. For the moment, Beoraidh is happy to accept the written assurances of the Ambassador on this matter.

==Magical Bounty==
* '''Ambassador Kaltrin can provide half-a-dozen magical plants from the farms of Sinfoyard for three Thrones'''
One of the reasons that Beoraidh is unconcerned about Rivers of Life is that recent castings have apparently [[A_wizard_did_it#Rains_in_Mareave|provided an opportunity]] in [[Beoraidh#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]] that the city-state has cheerfully embraced. The arid region has struggled to establish much in the way of agriculture for decades, but with Beoraidh becoming independent and losing access to the farms of southern Mareave the need to do so has become paramount. The recent Spring magic has helped with this, but the main benefit it has provided is that [[farm|farms]] and [[herb garden|herb gardens]] in Sinfoyard have inexplicably begun to produce magical plants. The farmers there are enthusiastically harvesting them and selling them to discerning buyers in the city proper, both Beoradhi and visitors from outside the city.

If Ambassador Melkior wishes, Ambassador Kaltrin can secure a small bundle of these plants on their behalf but it will not be cheap. Rarity value alone means that Rubhart will need to put their hand deep into their pocket. For three Thrones, they will provide half a dozen of the magical plants to the Ambassador at the Winter Solstice. They can only offer this opportunity in the short term - if the Ambassador wants to try again in future they'll need to negotiate the price again.

('''OOC Note:''' If the Ambassador or their proxy has the money in their inventory, they can email {{plot}} after the event. The plants will be added to their inventory before the Winter Solstice).

{{Beoraidh links}}

388YE Autumn Grendel ambassador briefing

2026-10-09T13:04:20Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Grendel briefing]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Starlight Starchaser''' of [[Urizen]], [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Grendel|So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

During the Autumn Equinox. Starlight Starchaser was succeeded in the post of Ambassador by '''Damian den Mhuir di Tassato-Mestra''' of [[the League]].

In the absence of a Grendel embassy, the civil service did its best to provide a briefing for the Autumn Equinox, but going forward they will be unable to continue doing so - not unless the Senate is prepared to make some additional funds available to find premises and supplies for a skeleton staff to support the Ambassador's office.

==Concedence and Peace==
* '''The Salt Lords reject a call to cede Mareave and Ayereed to the Empire'''
Speaker Morna has placed Ambassador Starchaser's initial proposals before the [[Grendel#Salt_Council|Salt Lords]]. They have discussed them extensively but find themselves unable to accept any. There is little chance that the Grendel will cede [[Mareave]] to the Empire, but there is absolutely ''no'' chance they will allow Imperial forces to occupy [[Ayereed]]. That request is, frankly, ludicrous.

The civil service note the different ways Morna speaks about Mareave and Ayereed. While he is unambiguous about Ayereed, he leaves the matter of Mareave less definitive. This implies strongly that the Salt Lords could be open to negotiation with regards to that [[territory]] - the major bone of contention for the Grendel is likely to be the [[Fundindelve]], given the status and prestige that attends anyone who controls a [[mithril]] mine. Exactly what would bring the Grendel to the negotiating table is not clear, but it is also likely that the future of the [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#On_the_Subject_of_Turtles|Brine Turtles]] would need to be resolved as well - the Grendel are unlikely to be keen to lose control of the army supported by the [[Mareave#Fleisardh|Fleisardh]] sept.

==Inspiration and Consecration==
* '''Speaker Morna is surprisingly positive about news of a true consecration recognising Grendel virtue'''
* '''He suggests a Senate law allowing Grendel pilgrims to visit the Empire might prompt a reciprocal gesture from the Salt Lords'''
For once it seems Speaker Morna is a little lost for words when the Ambassador talks of the [[consecration]] of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]]. He is aware of the significance of a [[liao#True Liao|true liao]] consecration, and is not blind to the peculiar honour being done to the Grendel in the way that consecration is being performed. Speaker Morna is not himself especially religious, but confirms that there are some among the people of the Broken Shore who would be interested in visiting a place that celebrates the [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]] and Courage of their people. Likewise, there are questioners who view [[Emperor Barabbas|Barabbas]] as an inspiration figure - an enemy of the Grendel but nonetheless a figure whose [[Grendel_religion#Ambition|Ambition]] and Audacity are apparent to all who know of him. The Empire is already aware that there are those on the Broken Shore who respect as inspirational the [[Grendel_religion#Cunning|Cunning]] and [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|Retribution]] displayed by [[Zemress|Zemress of the Isles]].

If the [[Senate]] passes a [[Senate motion|motion]] allowing Grendel pilgrims to visit the tomb of Barabbas, the consecrated prow of the Kraken's Bane in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]], and the newly consecrated port of Elos, then pilgrims would come. Would it dramatically change the relationship between the Empire and the Salt Lords? Probably not, says Speaker Morna cynically. The Salt Lords do not, on the whole, make pilgrimages. But it would incline some of those who take the virtues more seriously to treat the Empire with more respect. It is also not impossible that some of the questioners would look to arrange something reciprocal - there are Imperial citizens who honour the [[Grendel_religion#Ancestors|inspirations]] of [[Grendel_religion#Dubhtraig_-_The_Salt_Lord|Dubhtraig]], [[Grendel_religion#Rucraic_-_The_Storm_Lord|Rucraic]], and [[Grendel_religion#Sheanduir_-_The_Wind_Lord|Sheanduir]] for example, even if they have not been recognised as [[Paragons and exemplars|exemplars]]. It is not impossible that if the Senate makes the first move, those questioners might prevail on the Salt Lords to invite Imperial pilgrims to visit sites of spiritual significance to the three founders of the Grendel.

All of this is speculation of course - Speaker Morna promises nothing.

The civil service sound a note of caution. Allowing Grendel to visit [[Redoubt]], [[Madruga]], and [[Necropolis]] freely, albeit within the context of a spiritual pilgrimage, will certainly attract those who honour the spiritual inspiration of the three human figures. But it will also provide cover for Grendel with a more sinister agenda - it will be a lot easier for the Salt Lords to undertake espionage in those territories if they were minded to do so. On the other hand, the same is true of an arrangement where Imperial citizens are allowed to visit Grendel sacred sites; the [[Imperial Spymaster]] could not help but to be in a much better position to establish [[spy network]]s and undertake espionage on behalf of the Empire.

===Embassies===
* '''Speaker Morna proposes both the Grendel and the Empire build an embassy in Beoraidh'''
On the matter of [[embassy|embassies]], Speaker Morna does not question the political wisdom of closing the Embassy, and acknowledges that the Grendel should also have an Imperial embassy. He proposes a compromise however. [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]], in Mareave, is neutral territory. The Salt Lords know that the Empire have been dealing with fallen Ehsan, and must know the Grendel have been doing the same. Quite apart from respecting the Audacity of the Beoradhi, the Salt Lords see value in neutral territory over which a power like the [[Sarcophan Delves]] stand as guarantor.

As such, why don't the Empire and the Grendel ''both'' build their respective embassies in Beoraidh? Speaker Morna has already floated the idea past Ehsan, who reportedly leapt at the chance to further cement both the fragile status of the city-state, and increase its prestige. If the Empire agrees, the Salt Lords will pay for the construction of an Imperial Embassy to the Grendel, also in Beoraidh, of matching grandeur. There advantages are obvious, says Speaker Morna. While such an arrangement would remove the opportunity for the Grendel to spy on Imperial territory, it would also ensure the way is not smoothed for the Empire to do the same in the Broken Shore. Further, no matter how the war for control of the Bay goes, as long as Beoraidh remains neutral ground there'll be no danger of one embassy or the other suddenly finding itself on the wrong side of the battle lines.

The Civil Service note that it is a little surprising Speaker Morna was not more enthused about the offer to build an embassy in [[Sarvos]] - a city the Grendel clearly have an interest in. The offer to build in Beoraidh appears on the surface to be straightforward, but it may be that the Salt Lords think that, as a former member of their council, Ehsan will favour them more than the Empire in the event of any conflict. Their own assessment suggests that this may well not be the case - given that Ehsan is clearly smarting about the way he and his city were abandoned during the Imperial invasion of Mareave. Regardless, what stands out is that the Grendel are clearly more worried about the Empire using their embassy to spy on them than they are eager to gain a foothold in Sarvos. The likely explanation is that Imperial successes in the arena of espionage have caused the Salt Lords to reassess Imperial expertise in such things - and that they are taking them much more seriously than they have previously.

==Leagsaidh Saim-garoth==
* '''Speaker Morna enquires as to the whereabouts of an allegedly missing iontach'''
Speaker Morna raises the matter of the [[Mithril_and_rope#Opportunity:_Send_Regards_to_Iontach_Leagsaidh|iontach Leagsaidh Saim-garoth]] who apparently disappeared following fighting in Mareave during the Summer Solstice. Imperial "heroes" attacked Grendel archaeologists in the territory using their [[Sentinel Gate]]. A respected magician-healer, it is believed that Leagsaidh Saim-garoth was kidnapped by Imperial forces. Normally, Speaker Morna would not consider such things to be of a high priority, but Leagsaidh Saim-garoth is popular with the [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|moridun]], not least because she has saved many of their lives on multiple occasions. Is the Empire intending to demand a ransom? If so, it might be an idea to ''tell'' the Grendel that a ransom is desired rather than simply hope they will guess. Or, as Speaker Morna thinks more likely, if she has been murdered then the least the Ambassador can do is let that be known so that the Grendel can mourn.

The civil service believe this was related to a battlefield objective, relating to an ''Uthni'' contract in which Leagsaidh Saim-garoth was to be humiliated. Presumably the field marshal for that battle would know more. The Uthni are one of the orcish extended families of Mareave, so it is not impossible that the Advisor on Orc Affairs or the Senator for Mareave might have some insight into what is going on here.
{{Grendel Links}}

388YE Autumn Grendel ambassador briefing

2026-10-09T13:03:42Z

Twiggy: /* Inspiration and Consecration */

[[Category:Grendel briefing]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Starlight Starchaser''' of [[Urizen]], [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Grendel|So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

During the Autumn Equinox. Starlight Starchaser was succeeded in the post of Ambassador by '''Damian den Mhuir di Tassato-Mestra''' of [[the League]].

In the absence of a Grendel embassy, the civil service did its best to provide a briefing for the Autumn Equinox, but going forward they will be unable to continue doing so - not unless the Senate is prepared to make some additional funds available to find premises and supplies for a skeleton staff to support the Ambassador's office.

==Concedence and Peace==
* '''The Salt Lords reject a call to cede Mareave and Ayereed to the Empire'''
Speaker Morna has placed Ambassador Starchaser's initial proposals before the [[Grendel#Salt_Council|Salt Lords]]. They have discussed them extensively but find themselves unable to accept any. There is little chance that the Grendel will cede [[Mareave]] to the Empire, but there is absolutely ''no'' chance they will allow Imperial forces to occupy [[Ayereed]]. That request is, frankly, ludicrous.

The civil service note the different ways Morna speaks about Mareave and Ayereed. While he is unambiguous about Ayereed, he leaves the matter of Mareave less definitive. This implies strongly that the Salt Lords could be open to negotiation with regards to that [[territory]] - the major bone of contention for the Grendel is likely to be the [[Fundindelve]], given the status and prestige that attends anyone who controls a [[mithril]] mine. Exactly what would bring the Grendel to the negotiating table is not clear, but it is also likely that the future of the [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#On_the_Subject_of_Turtles|Brine Turtles]] would need to be resolved as well - the Grendel are unlikely to be keen to lose control of the army supported by the [[Mareave#Fleisardh|Fleisardh]] sept.

==Inspiration and Consecration==
* '''Speaker Morna is surprisingly positive about news of a true consecration recognising Grendel virtue'''
* '''He suggests a Senate law allowing Grendel pilgrims to visit the Empire might prompt a reciprocal gesture from the Salt Lords'''
For once it seems Speaker Morna is a little lost for words when the Ambassador talks of the [[consecration]] of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]]. He is aware of the significance of a [[liao#True Liao|true liao]] consecration, and is not blind to the peculiar honour being done to the Grendel in the way that consecration is being performed. Speaker Morna is not himself especially religious, but confirms that there are some among the people of the Broken Shore who would be interested in visiting a place that celebrates the [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]] and Courage of their people. Likewise, there are questioners who view [[Emperor Barabbas|Barabbas]] as an inspiration figure - an enemy of the Grendel but nonetheless a figure whose [[Grendel_religion#Ambition|Ambition]] and Audacity are apparent to all who know of him. The Empire is already aware that there are those on the Broken Shore who respect as inspirational the [[Grendel_religion#Cunning|Cunning]] and [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|Retribution]] displayed by [[Zemress|Zemress of the Isles]].

If the [[Senate]] passes a [[Senate motion|motion]] allowing Grendel pilgrims to visit the tomb of Barabbas, the consecrated prow of the Kraken's Bane in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]], and the newly consecrated port of Elos, then pilgrims would come. Would it dramatically change the relationship between the Empire and the Salt Lords? Probably not, says Speaker Morna cynically. The Salt Lords do not, on the whole, make pilgrimages. But it would incline some of those who take the virtues more seriously to treat the Empire with more respect. It is also not impossible that some of the questioners would look to arrange something reciprocal - there are Imperial citizens who honour the [[Grendel_religion#Ancestors|inspirations]] of [[Grendel_religion#Dubhtraig_-_The_Salt_Lord|Dubhtraig]], [[Grendel_religion#Rucraic_-_The_Storm_Lord|Rucraic]], and [[Grendel_religion#Sheanduir_-_The_Wind_Lord|Sheanduir]] for example, even if they have not been recognised as [[Paragons and exemplars|exemplars]]. It is not impossible that if the Senate makes the first move, those questioners might prevail on the Salt Lords to invite Imperial pilgrims to visit sites of spiritual significance to the three founders of the Grendel.

All of this is speculation of course - Speaker Morna promises nothing.

The civil service sound a note of caution. Allowing Grendel to visit [[Redoubt]], [[Madruga]], and [[Necropolis]] freely, albeit within the context of a spiritual pilgrimage, will certainly attract those who honour the spiritual inspiration of the three human figures. But it will also provide cover for Grendel with a more sinister agenda - it will be a lot easier for the Salt Lords to undertake espionage in those territories if they were minded to do so. On the other hand, the same is true of an arrangement where Imperial citizens are allowed to visit Grendel sacred sites; the [[Imperial Spymaster]] could not help but to be in a much better position to establish [[spy network]]s and undertake espionage on behalf of the Empire.

===Embassies===
* '''Speaker Morna proposes both the Grendel and the Empire build an embassy in Beoraidh'''
On the matter of [[embassy|embassies]], Speaker Morna does not question the political wisdom of closing the Embassy, and acknowledges that the Grendel should also have an Imperial embassy. He proposes a compromise however. [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]], in Mareave, is neutral territory. The Salt Lords know that the Empire have been dealing with fallen Ehsan, and must know the Grendel have been doing the same. Quite apart from respecting the Audacity of the Beoradhi, the Salt Lords see value in neutral territory over which a power like the [[Sarcophan Delves]] stand as garrantor.

As such, why don't the Empire and the Grendel ''both'' build their respective embassies in Beoraidh? Speaker Morna has already floated the idea past Ehsan, who reportedly leapt at the chance to further cement both the fragile status of the city-state, and increase its prestige. If the Empire agrees, the Salt Lords will pay for the construction of an Imperial Embassy to the Grendel, also in Beoraidh, of matching grandeur. There advantages are obvious, says Speaker Morna. While such an arrangement would remove the opportunity for the Grendel to spy on Imperial territory, it would also ensure the way is not smoothed for the Empire to do the same in the Broken Shore. Further, no matter how the war for control of the Bay goes, as long as Beoraidh remains neutral ground there'll be no danger of one embassy or the other suddenly finding itself on the wrong side of the battle lines.

The Civil Service note that it is a little surprising Speaker Morna was not more enthused about the offer to build an embassy in [[Sarvos]] - a city the Grendel clearly have an interest in. The offer to build in Beoraidh appears on the surface to be straightforward, but it may be that the Salt Lords think that, as a former member of their council, Ehsan will favour them more than the Empire in the event of any conflict. Their own assessment suggests that this may well not be the case - given that Ehsan is clearly smarting about the way he and his city were abandoned during the Imperial invasion of Mareave. Regardless, what stands out is that the Grendel are clearly more worried about the Empire using their embassy to spy on them than they are eager to gain a foothold in Sarvos. The likely explanation is that Imperial successes in the arena of espionage have caused the Salt Lords to reassess Imperial expertise in such things - and that they are taking them much more seriously than they have previously.

==Leagsaidh Saim-garoth==
* '''Speaker Morna enquires as to the wherabouts of an allegedly missing iontach'''
Speaker Morna raises the matter of the [[Mithril_and_rope#Opportunity:_Send_Regards_to_Iontach_Leagsaidh|iontach Leagsaidh Saim-garoth]] who apparently disappeared following fighting in Mareave during the Summer Solstice. Imperial "heroes" attacked Grendel archaeologists in the territory using their [[Sentinel Gate]]. A respected magician-healer, it is believed that Leagsaidh Saim-garoth was kidnapped by Imperial forces. Normally, Speaker Morna would not consider such things to be of a high priority, but Leagsaidh Saim-garoth is popular with the [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|moridun]], not least because she has saved many of their lives on multiple occasions. Is the Empire intending to demand a ransom? If so, it might be an idea to ''tell'' the Grendel that a ransom is desired rather than simply hope they will guess. Or, as Speaker Morna thinks more likely, if she has been murdered then the least the Ambassador can do is let that be known so that the Grendel can mourn.

The civil service believe this was related to a battlefield objective, relating to an ''Uthni'' contract in which Leagsaidh Saim-garoth was to be humiliated. Presumably the field marshall for that battle would know more. The Uthni are one of the orcish extended families of Mareave, so it is not impossible that the Advisor on Orc Affairs or the Senator for Mareave might have some insight into what is going on here.
{{Grendel Links}}

388YE Autumn Axos ambassador briefing

2026-10-09T12:25:43Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Axos briefing]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file='Shacklebreaker' Thanmir Hrafnar.jpg|caption=''"Shacklebreaker" Thanmir Hrafnar''', Ambassador to Axos|align=left|width=250}}</div>
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for "Shacklebreaker" Thanmir Hrafnar, Ambassador to the Axos, and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[Those_memories_of_you#Axos|Those memories of you]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

During the Autumn Equinox, Ambassador Thanmir was succeeded by '''Asthore Autumngale''' as Imperial ambassador to Axos.
==Thornfen and Sarangrave==
* '''The Axou will continue to protect Sarangrave but they are clearly not happy with doing so alone'''
The ''Shield of Ipotavo'' moved to northern [[Sarangrave]] to [[Skull_beneath_the_skin|engage]] the Winter spirits [[Thorn_and_bone#Battle:_Harvester_of_Graves|unleashed]] by the collapsing [[Druj]] armies. Slowing the spread of the spirits saved a large number of lives, primarily among the former Druj slaves. Regardless of their victory neither the [[general]] nor the Grand Ilarchs Council are happy with the situation. It appears that they had convinced themselves that the defence of the [[territory]] would be a joint operation, rather than something they would be expected to do alone. They will continue to stick to the letter of the agreement, but the longer it goes on the more likely they will want to renegotiate. Any [[Imperial army|army]] protecting the Sarangrave is likely to take only [[army orders|orders]] that reduce the number of soldiers it loses - they will ''[[Army_orders#Give_Ground|give ground]]'' in the face of aggression.

It does not help that they feel they are being called on to protect a "rabble" of former Druj slaves. They have less problem with defending the [[Urizen]] - although it is clear they would prefer that they were all in one place rather than spread out across a handful of newly established [[spire|spires]]. They resent being asked to sacrifice Axou soldiers for people they feel absolutely no sympathy for. It seems their attitude to the inhabitants of [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Sephals]] - move them out and make them someone else's problem - extends to almost everyone in Sarangrave.

If the Ambassador wants to mollify the Axou the most straight-forward way to do it, is to ensure there are Imperial armies fighting alongside the Shield of Ipotavo when they are called on to protect the territory.

Another problem is that the constant fighting in the territory further contributes to the slow establishment of a [[Fortification#Garrison|garrison]] at the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]]. Opposing forces mean that the garrison will not resupply naturally, and at the moment if seems the only growth is being encouraged by the enchantment laid on the towers. Ilarch Skopos thanks the ''Concordium of Pallas'' for their magical support but makes no mention of recompensing them for their ritual magic.
==Tower of the Skink==
* '''The Grand Ilarch of Ipotavo is prepared to purchase 20 wains of weirwood for 65 Thrones'''
* '''The Axou are sacrificing the military benefits of the Tower of the Skink in favour of converting it into a settlement'''
Ilarch Skopos thanks the ambassador for their offer of [[weirwood]] and indicates that the Grand Ilarch of [[Axos#Gates_of_Ipotavo|Ipotavo]] is prepared to purchase the 20 wains with an offer of 65 Thrones. This offer is open only during the Autumn Equinox, and will represent a one-off payment. ('''OOC Note:''' If the ambassador wants to take advantage of the offer they need the wains in their inventory, and email {{plot}} to secure the exchange)

The Axou are bringing in large amounts of labour and [[white granite]], and salvaging everything they can claim from the ruins of Sephals. They are engaged in extensive "remodelling" of the Tower of the Skink and its clear they are transforming it into an echo of the citadels of Axos proper. Speed is being prioritised over aesthetics, and perhaps more importantly, over defence. Turning the fortress into a settlement is going to make the place much more hospitable for Axou citizens but will seriously degrade its defensive capabilities.

The civil service estimate that by the start of the Spring Equinox, the Tower of the Skink will have dropped from exceeding every Imperial fortification save the [[Walls of Holberg]] to being the equal of the [[Astolat#The_Castle_of_Thorns|Castle of Thorns]]. A sizeable [[fortification#Bastion|bastion]] to be sure, but incontrovertibly less effective at defending the territory than it would have been.

It's not common knowledge at this time, but rumour suggests the Grand Ilarchs will be renaming the Tower once the remodelling work is complete - apparently they intend to christen it ''New Solokah'' which... well at least one civil servant voices the opinion that this move might be tempting fate a little given what happened to the original.
==Diplomatic Avenues==
* '''The Axou decline to create a line of communication specifically for discussing Sarangrave'''
Ilarch Skopos must politely decline the creation of a new office of communication dedicated specifically to coordinating business specific to the Sarangrave. [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] is part of Axos, albeit outside their traditional borders. As such any matters related to it, and especially to the deployment of Axou military forces, should go through his office. The good news is that once the work on the new citadel is completed, Skopos will be moving his office to the upper levels of the towers, which might perhaps fulfil Ambassador Thanmir's request.

==Sanath==
* '''The Axou may be persuaded to offer military assistance in Sanath, if they are promised the region of Leen Rarckan'''
The Ambassador has informed Ilarch Skopos that the Empire is planning to move into the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]], and asked if there is any Axos interest in joining such an expedition. The Grand Ilarchs have sent words of encouragement to the Empire, lauding their commitment to exterminating the Druj and ending their threat forever. They have however made it clear that the ''Victorious Axis'' will not be committing any armies to the conquest at this time.

The civil service advise that the problem for the Grand Ilarchs is that they would only be interested in helping conquer the Salt Flats if there was an offer of land - a region of similar value to the Thornfen. This would likely mean part or all of the city of [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Leen|Leen]], likely [[Sarangrave#Leen Rarckan|Leen Rarckan]] along the southern coast. Obviously they'd treat this the same way they did Thornfen - exile everyone currently living there and begin remodelling it to fit their ideas of what a city should be.

Securing the support of Axou mercenaries might also be possible but is likely to be costly. Any [[military unit|warband]] is likely to demand an absolute minimum of 13 crowns or 10 crystal mana a season - more than they would make if they took safer, easier contracts. The civil service also caution that trying to secure foreign mercenaries while not every Imperial army in an engagement receives shares of the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial guerdon]] might well store up discord for the [[Military Council]]. If the Ambassador does wish to do so, Ilarch Skopos can provide up to 10 mercenary warbands for the period following the Autumn Equinox in return for 100 crystal mana or 130 crowns, but only to fight in Sanath. ('''OOC Note:''' Should the Ambassador wish to accept this offer they should ensure the payment is in their pack and email {{plot}} including the name of the army the mercenaries are to support).

==Fortifications==
* '''The architects and engineers of Ipotavo could be commissioned to help work on an Imperial fortification'''
Ambassador Thanmir has requested Axou support in the construction of a new [[fortification]], or improvements to the [[Redoubt#The_Walls_of_Cargo|Walls of Cargo]]. Ilarch Skopos suggests that now is not the best time for such a discussion given the focus of most of Axos' engineers is on the Tower of the Skink, but they do not close off the opportunity. The finest designers of castles and walls in the Known World can be found at the Gates of Ipotavo, says Skopos, and there are certain to be some enthused by the chance to take an Imperial commission.

If the Empire has a location in mind for an entirely new fortification, or if they want to work together on plans for expanding of the Walls of Cargo, that could be arranged. Skopos suggests that the [[Senate|Imperial Senate]] arrange an [[appraisal]], mentioning the intent to work with the engineers and architects of the Gates of Ipotavo. They would need to pick one or the other - a territory or [[territory#Regions|region]] where they want a new fortification designed with Axou know-how or the Walls of Cargo specifically.

The civil service remind the Ambassador that the outcome of such an appraisal will depend on which member of the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticator's office]] is chosen to work with the Axou. The [[opportunity]] to present such an appraisal remains available for one year (until the end of the Summer Solstice 388YE).

==Vallorn Matters==
* '''The Axou remain concerned about the threat of the vallorn'''
Leaving aside Axou suspicion of the [[Navarr]] - which will likely have subsided to the normal baseline level of suspicion some Axou have for all Imperial citizens - the Grand Ilarchs remain concerned about the threat of the [[vallorn]]. A two-fold threat now that their new holdings are in Sarangrave, with [[Sarangrave#Bendol|Bendol]] being literally visible from the highest towers of their new citadel.

[[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|Mistress Isephenia]] - the well respected professor in the faculty of natural philosophy - has been engaged in study of the vallorn at the [[Great Library of Hacynian]] and has apparently sent several papers on the matter home to [[Axos#Halls_of_Maykop|Maykop]]. These have ignited a new round of anxiety in the upper echelons of Axou society. News that the [[Celestial Arch]] has lead the Conclave in placing an [[interdiction]] on ''connecting the last vallornheart to the trods, completing the network'' splits the Grand Council. Some see this as reassuring, others point out that it refers only to the ''last'' vallornheart and that the [[trods]] themselves may well rouse the attention of the vallorn.

As such Ilarch Skopos informs Ambassador Thanmir that the masters of the ''necromantia'' in Maykop will be codifying a ritual intended to allow the sorcerers of Axos to sever any trod network they discover inside their borders, or in Sarangrave. They accept that this would likely result in diplomatic backlash from the Empire if done in Sarangrave, and with that in mind they request that the Ambassador consider speaking to the Senate and the [[Conclave]] about either interdicting the [[Dance of Navarr and Thorn]] entirely, or simply making the creation of any trods in Sarangrave a crime. This way, the Axou can avoid having to destroy them and raising the anger of the Empire.

==Visions==
* '''Axos declines to offer any information about "Timon Zebedaios"'''
Ilarch Skopos is as polite as possible in their response to the Ambassador's mention of a "[[past life vision]]". The only information they are able to provide is that the name ''Timon'' is not uncommon in Axos. The Zebedaios are a large family, and decline to cooperate with Imperial priests on any matter relating to the [[Axos_religion#The_Eternal_Torture_Chamber|torture chamber of the Labyrinth]]. Skopos points out that any reminder that ones family members are suffering at the hands of the [[Axos_religion#The_Malign_Creator|hated Creator]] can seriously upset many Axou.

Without wishing to be rude, Skopos reminds Ambassador Thanmir that even though Axou on the whole are quite private about their faith, fundamentally the Way is antithetical to [[Axos religion|their beliefs]]. Imperial priests may individually be accepted, but the [[Synod]] as a whole serve the jealous Creator, and work to trap souls in the Labyrinth so that they may be stripped of everything that makes them unique. It is very unlikely any Axou will ever be enthused about the idea of helping explore the "truth" of a past life vision given it represents something stolen from the soul of a dead person and hoarded in the Labyrinth by a monstrous tyrant.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Fintan8448.png|caption=Fintan Nighthaven, former Ambassador to Axos, was executed for numerous crimes but is lauded by elements of the Axou priesthood.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==Fintan Nighthaven==
* '''The Unified Convocation is seeking true liao to create a consecration in the name of Fintan Nighthaven'''
Former ambassador to Axos '''Fintan Nighthaven''' is, to put it mildly, a controversial character. Executed for their crimes, their remains were transported to Axos at the request of the Unified Convocation, and their leader Theodosia. They are apparently exalted as an "Enemy of the Creator" among some of the Axou sects. According to reports, a tomb-cum-shrine has been erected to house Fintan's remains. All of which would be a minor footnote apart from the fact that the Unified Convocation is apparently looking to secure a dose of [[Liao#True Liao|true liao]] with which to create an inspirational location dedicated to the dead [[Navarr]].

The reason for wanting true liao should be obvious - the Axou equivalent invariably kills the priest who uses it and the Axou fear death above almost everything else. While the Unified Convocation aspires to equal the Synod, it has nowhere near the influence or power that the Imperial priesthood enjoys. Ilarch Skopos has notably not raised the matter of true liao with the ambassador, for example. The civil service are not in a position to evaluate what effect an [[inspirational location]] dedicated to Fintan Nighthaven might have - a lot would depend on precisely which spiritual force was used to provide the [[consecration]]. Rumour suggests however that the Convocation intends to allow Imperial pilgrims to visit the site of the consecration, should it be created, apparently in acknowledgement that there are some in the Empire who share their beliefs. While this might improve diplomatic relations, it is hard to see how such a thing would be an unalloyed good for the Empire given the nature of Axou beliefs.

This has been brought to the ambassadors attention because the only reliable source of true liao available to the Axou would be the Imperial Synod. There is no chance whatsoever that the [[Sumaah Republic]] will be giving true liao to the Axou, under any circumstances.

==Insults==
* '''Ilarch Skopos is angry about a missive received from an Imperial citizen'''
Following the Summer Solstice, Ilarch Skopos apparently received a letter they describe as "highly insulting and accusatory" and "not what he has come to expect from Imperial citizens." Penned by someone calling themselves ''Octavious of the Celestial Cartographers'' it attempted to imply that Axou ship captains were trading for white granite with the Druj of [[the Mallum]]. Skopos claims they rudely demanded a response to something that appears to have come from their own imagination, connecting pieces of "evidence" that are no such thing.

This in itself is concerning enough, but the writer finished their missive by saying (and here Skopos quotes from the alleged letter) "If the Axos spent less time listening to the ramblings of spirits and ghosts and more on the virtues you would understand why such actions should be avoided."

Skopos has no idea who the "Celestial Cartographers" are, but is both upset and angry about the insult to himself, his office as ambassador, his family, his citadel, and his nation. He wants an apology from Octavius and ideally for Ambassador Thanmir to ensure that there is no repeat of such unacceptable behaviour.
{{Axos Links}}

The fayre fight

2026-10-08T11:33:07Z

Twiggy: /* The Fayre */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:386YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]]
<ic>
"Is this some kind of... joke? You want to invite the knights-protector into the stocks? I'm pretty sure they won't go for that..."

The Reeve look genuinely hurt. "My Lady Griffonsbane, I can assure you that people will positively ''queue up'' to pay five rings to throw a wet sponge at a knight-protector. They'll be fighting each other for the chance!"

"I'm sure they will," the Lady responded in a droll voice, "but I'm rather more worried that Rhydian de Rondell will not feel quite the same enthusiasm for your idea."

"Not just them!" replied Trystan, his enthusiasm undiminished. "The others too, and we could invite any guiser that wanted to dress up as an eternal to take part too! We could even do it as an unofficial contest - see which of the realms can raise the most money for Dawn? If we can convince enough folks to do Winter, we'll have enough to muster a new army!

Lady Griffonsbane raised an eyebrow and peered at the Reeve in obvious disapproval. "None of this sounds very glorious..."

The Reeve just laughed in response, his eyes twinkling with mirth and mischief.

"My Lady, trust me. You arrange the tourney... and leave the rest to me. Not only will it be glorious, but it will be glorious ''fun'' - something I think we could all do with right now."

Lady Griffonsbane did not look entirely convinced, but the Reeve's excitement was infectious and with a slight sigh she nodded her agreement.

"Wonderful!" the Reeve exclaimed, clapping his hands together purposefully. "Now all I need to do is find a gang of sticky-fingered children to sell toffee apples, and maybe some jugglers, and we will have a fayre such as hasn't been seen at Anvil in absolute ''years''!"
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Undying Glory.jpg|title=For glory!|align=left|width=500|caption=The only thing that remains when you depart this life is the memory of how you lived it. Death is nothing compared to great deeds.}}</div>{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz5JA-ARSqY}}<div style="float: right; width: 350px;"><box>A PDF file of this wind is available [[:File:The_fayre_fight.pdf|here]]</box></div>
==Overview==
The coming summit at Anvil will see a medley of tourneys held in Dawn to find the most glorious. '''Lady Griffonsbane''' the [[Dawn_egregore|Knight of Roses]] has invited all those who have completed the [[Dog_days_are_over#The_Grand_Tour|Grand Tour]] to take part in a special tourney to be held at [[Anvil]], in the heart of the Empire. All are invited to witness the event, but entry will be reserved for those who have [[Military_unit#The_Grand_Tour|participated in all four stages of the tour]] - who have fought in the many tourneys held in each of the four Dawnish territories. The Lady's plan is to crown the Tourney Champion and present them with a fine magical prize, created specifically for the occasion.
__TOC__
To ensure every part of Dawnish life is celebrated, the Reeve, '''Trystan Tanner''', has suggested that the [[yeofolk of Dawn]] could take this opportunity to join the celebrations and enhance the prestige of the tourneys by arranging an impromptu [[Dawn_economic_interests|fayre]] around the Glory Square. He is arranging the festivities, providing everyone a chance to socialise, enjoy the revelries and entertainment, and take part in any competitions that have been arranged. To help ensure the Fayre is successful, the Reeve asks all the worthies of Dawn who are able to do so to take part - to bring their music and songs, their wares for sale, their tales of glory and love, their challenges of wit and skill.

In addition to the fayre, and the final challenge of the Grand Tour, there is also the regular tourney to decide who will become the new [[Knight-protector]] of Autumn. This year the battle may be even more hotly contested, thanks to an additional prize awarded by agents of the [[Ephisis|Hidden Prince]].

If that were not enough, there is ''also'' a contest of arms to help the Dawnish Assembly pick the [[Challenger in Waiting]]. The contest proved controversial last Autumn, so the Civil Service have presented some proposals for the good people of Dawn to consider. The decisions are more timely than ever, since if the Throne is likely to challenge for [[Dawn_monarchy|monarch of Dawn]] then many expect that challenge to come soon.
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=DawnEgregore.jpg|width=300|title= Keeley Knight|caption=Lady Griffinsbain sponsors the final tourney of the Grand Tour}}</div>
==The Fayre==
* '''A fayre is an opportunity to trade, socialise and enjoy a variety of entertainments'''
* '''The best are marked with glorious pageantry and engaging diversions'''
* '''Nobles, yeofolk, and citizens of other nations are all welcome at the fayre'''
To celebrate the culmination of the Grand Tour, and Dawn's triumph in the Barrens, Trystan Tanner has planned a fayre, to take place once Lady Griffonsbane's contest begins and running on for an hour or more until all have had their fill of the revelries. He has spoken to fellow reeves in a number of noble houses across Dawn to spread word of the plans in the hope that the yeofolk of the various house will be free to help with the festivities. More than a few have already replied, indicating that they will provide something for the fayre, including the Reeve of [[Dawn_groups#NPC_Groups|House de Casillon]] who hail from Spiral Castle.

Fayres are places to trade, socialise and enjoy the entertainments. Most of those present will likely be Dawnish, but they are open to everyone at Anvil who wishes to attend. The Reeve has extended an invitation to the Academy to encourage those young students who are interested in making a ring or two to attend the fayre with their wares.

The Reeve hopes that there will be stalls selling items of interest, as well as stalls offering traditional fayre games for those who wish to partake, with prizes for winners. Of course the more noble houses support the fayre, either by creating their own stall if they can, or simply by gracing the fayre with their presence if not, the more impressive the entire celebration will be. The Reeve hopes that if the fayre is a triumph, it might even become a regular occurrence each Autumn.

===The End of the Line===
* '''Sixteen glorious Dawnish citizens, and an Urizen sentinel, have completed the Grand Tour, taking part in every tourney held across Dawn'''
* '''Lady Griffonsbane invites these sixteen dedicated knights-errant of glory to compete one final time in a grand contest to identify to whom the ultimate glory should fall'''
* '''She plans to host the contest in the Glory Square after the Grand Tourney and the senatorial election are complete'''
<div style="width: 450px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Grand Tour Participants'''</tr>
<tr><td>Aneira Cadwalon</td></tr>
<tr><td>Arus Glowmain</td></tr>
<tr><td>Dame Aurum De Castellan</td></tr>
<tr><td>Guillaume</td></tr>
<tr><td>Jarrigk Orzel</td></tr>
<tr><td>Lady Ione Castellan</td></tr>
<tr><td>Leon de Carsenere</td></tr>
<tr><td>Lord Bedevir Castellan</td></tr>
<tr><td>Lord Edmund the Enchanter of House Torawyr</td></tr>
<tr><td>Matthias the Returned</td></tr>
<tr><td>Rhydian de Rondell</td></tr>
<tr><td>Ser Archibald Ward</td></tr>
<tr><td>Solene d'Alba</td></tr>
<tr><td>Tancred de Coeurdefer</td></tr>
<tr><td>Vincent Larmallevés</td></tr>
<tr><td>Viridian</td></tr>
</table></div>
A year has passed since Dawn completed their conquest of the Barrens. During that time there have been impressive tourneys held all across Dawn, with groups of knights, witches and troubadours touring from one grand celebration to the next in search of glory. With this [[Dog_days_are_over#The_Grand_Tour|Grand Tour]] now coming to an end, Lady Griffonsbane has invited the most dedicated of those involved, those who managed to take part in every stage of the tour, to participate in battle one final time, but this time at Anvil. Her plan is to crown the Tourney Champion and present them with a fine magical weapon, constructed by the Moon Weavers, a cabal of artisans who dwell near the Semmerstones. Any participant can choose to name someone to champion them in the fighting, or find someone who would be willing to don their [[Dawn_hearth_magic#Girding|girding]].

In all, just sixteen citizens had the dedication and commitment to compete in every stage of the Grand Tour. Almost all of them are Dawnish of course, several questing knights and witches as well as a knight errant, an earl, a troubadour, an enchanter. Besides these ardent seekers of glory are two unlikely figures, a retainer from House Vexille and a [[sentinel]] from [[Morrow]] in [[Urizen]]. Whatever their status, noble or yeofolk, ''all sixteen'' are invited to compete together in the final stage of the Grand Tour.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Egregore Simon.jpg|title=Simon Moon|width=300|caption=Reeve Trystan Tanner calls on the yeofolk of Dawn to help stage a grand fayre in the heart of Anvil}}</div>
Provided the Glory Square is available, Lady Griffonsbane will host this final contest in the Square, immediately after the [[Dawn_culture_and_customs#The_Grand_Tourneys|Grand Tourney]] to elect the [[Knight-protector]] and the senatorial voting is concluded (expected to be shortly after 14:30 on Saturday). Rather than a grand melee, Lady Griffonsbane the contest will be a sequence of one-on-one fights, with the winner of each bout proceeding to the next round. The only thing that is not allowed is the use of potions during a bout, though the competitors are allowed to refresh themselves with a potion while waiting to face their next opponent.

There will be four rounds in all, the losers in each round will be eliminated, the winner, will be the victor in the final contest! To celebrate the victor's triumph, the egregore has employed a cabal of artisans, the Moon Weavers of the Semmerstones, to create a beautiful magical weapon for the winner to bear for the coming year.

===The Weavers of Culwich===
* '''The Weavers of Culwich have gratefully accepted the verdict of the Dawnish Assembly to judge who created the greatest piece of new music or art celebrating the Dawnish triumph in the Barrens'''
The Weavers of Culwich were inspired by the creation of the Grand Tour to [[Dog_days_are_over#A_Shortage_of_Songwrights|announce that they would present one of their extraordinary instruments]] to whichever troubadour or bard produced the finest original composition - ideally something that celebrates the triumph in the Barrens. They asked the Dawnish Assembly to chose the winner, and use a statement of principle to name the artist and state which instrument would serve them best. If the judgement got a greater majority, indicating wide support for their choice, then the weavers would fashion the named musical instrument, so that it could be presented to glorious victor.

Last season '''Lord Valour de Gauvin''' fell just 20 votes short of a greater majority with their [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_74|judgement]] to recognise Emmeline Weaver and their song 'Race for the Barrens' as the best piece of music to commemorate the victory in the Barrens. As the vote was unanimous and so close to a greater majority, the Culwich Weavers have decided that they should take that result as definitive. They have fashioned a [[Watchers' Flute]], as requested by the Assembly and had it conveyed to Emmeline Weaver. They hope that that recognition of the glory of her triumph will spur her and other Dawnish troubadours to greater glory.
<box>
'''The Grand Fayre'''<br>
After the official business of the Knight-Protector tourney and the vote for Semmerholm are complete, the Reeve will open the Grand Fayre. Our plan is to set up the Fayre in the Glory Square for the hour or so after the politics and the tourneys are complete. We hope to have a handful of stalls manned by NPCs from the various noble houses that the Reeve has asked to help with the fayre. Our team are hard at work on a bucket full of crazy ideas from tombola to troubadour puppet shows, from jewellery stalls to coconut shys. We'll do what we can to try and make the fayre come to life.

<p>There will of course be some plot planned for the fayre, but our main focus is trying to bring this important part of the Dawnish brief to life. Like any activity of this kind, the fayre will only take off if players want to get involved and create entertainments of their own. We hope the fayre will be good fun for those who just want to browse the stalls, but it would be wonderful if players feel enthused to create their own entertainments. We'll help where we can, to support and facilitate that if a group wants to create their own stand or stall.</p>

According to the wiki, a fayre is where Dawnishfolk ''"come together to trade, socialise, and enjoy a variety of entertainments"'' so anything that fits that bill is very welcome. Entertainment by troubadours, poetry, juggling, contests of skill, anything! It's better to take part than to worry how well an idea fits, that way there will be lots happening. There is precious little actual detail about the fayre on the wiki, so this is a chance for players to fill in that picture.

The first fayre is likely to be a haphazard affair, but that may be part of the charm. Our egregore the Reeve will be nominally organising the fayre, but will be gratefully accepting aid from any troubadours, seneschals or similar who can help bring order from the chaos.
</box>

==A Knight In Autumn==
* '''There will be a tourney to decide the new Knight-Protector of Autumn'''
* '''The Prince of Scales has offered a boon to the winner; a metal torc, provides a single season of prosperity and affluence for a territory when it is used'''
* '''The current Knight-Protector is Torag Meliora'''
Each season, the Dawnish elect one of the four [[knight-protector|knight-protectors]] by tourney. This summit is the turn of the Knight-protector of Autumn, currently held by '''Torag Meliora''', the [[earl]] of [[Dawn_groups#House_Meliora|House Meliora]] of [[Astolat]]. The earl has held the title before so they will be one of the favourites to win, should they re-enter.

The tourney takes the form of a grand melee, the winner being the last participant standing when all others are defeated or have yielded. All Dawnish nobility are eligible to participate in the tourney, which is then followed by the election of the [[senator]] of [[Semmerholm]]. Each knight-protector is expected to help Dawn deal with the realm they represent, and in particular to be first to stand against any threat that might issue forth from the realm. In practice, incursions from the realm of Autumn are often less likely to pose a martial threat, at least compared with Summer, Winter or Spring.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=House Melora.jpg|caption=House Meliora of Astolat: ''Virtute et valare luceo non uro''|align=right|width=300}}</div>
Perhaps for this reason, the [[Ephisis|Hidden Prince]], the Sovereign Lady of the City of Gold and Lead, has taken an interest in this year's contest. The Invisible Hand is offering a prize for the winner, a boon from the Autumn realm, a torc made of twisted threads of brass, copper and black iron. According to the herald, Ataraxis, the Twisted Torc was fashioned on the Street of Coils in the City of Lead and Gold, using strands of copper and brass drawn from every city in the realm, and twisted around a thread of metal dug from the black iron mountains at Sunfall.

The Twisted Torc can be invoked just ''once'', to invoke the aid of the High Merchant, bringing Prosperity and affluence to a single territory chosen by the knight-protector (or whoever they give the torc to) for the coming season. The eternal's herald has given the torc to Lady Griffonsbane with instructions to present it to the new Knight-protector of Autumn once the tourney is decided.
==A Challenger in Waiting==
* '''The Challenger in Waiting is due to be appointed at the Autumn Equinox'''
* '''The position is ''not'' a martial title'''
* '''The current Challenger in Waiting is the Earl of Fools'''

The position of [[Challenger in Waiting]] was [[Construct Challenger in Waiting|announced]] by '''Valentin Ivarovich Orzel''' using [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave|a Wayleave]] during the Summer Solstice 385YE. House Orzel have always been a very martial house, and it seems that the new position was intended to follow that tradition. The announcement stated that the position be appointed following a tourney in the same style as the seasonal grand tourneys that appoint the Knights-protector. However there is no legal requirement for the National Assembly of Dawn to follow this convention and after the first contest concluded the National Assembly chose the '''Earl of Fools'''.

The Challenger in Waiting has a responsibility to scrutinise the Virtue of any potential challengers to the Monarch of Dawn. In practice it is not completely clear what this actually means. One suggestion is that it is the challenger's job to organise the martial forces of Dawn to oppose those who line up in support of the Throne should they challenge for the position of Monarch of Dawn - thus allowing them to "scrutinise the Virtue" of the challenger. But other's believe the title's responsibilities imply that the position is intended to verify the Virtue of those who put themselves forward to oppose the Monarch of Dawn, perhaps by challenging them to combat.

This confusion alone would be enough to prevent the Civil Service from designating the position as a [[martial title]]. The title could only be ''decided'' by a tourney if the ''responsibilities substantially encompass the need to partake in battle''. To make the situation clearer, Bedegrayne, the self-appointed leader of the ''Silver Nightingales'' has a proposal for the senators of Dawn.

<quote by="Potential Senate Motion">To amend the position of Challenger-in-Waiting to grant the bounty of the Chapel to the Silver Nightingales in return for their committed support for the position and to set the responsibilities be to take the field against the Throne when they challenge for monarch of Dawn to ensure their Virtue is sufficiently tested. The Challenger in Waiting to be a martial title appointed by tourney.</quote>

If that Senate motion is passed, then the position would become a martial title appointed by tourney. It would no longer receive any liao, instead that would go to the Silver Nightingales, who would use it to continue their work. In return they would provide the Challenger in Waiting with [[Knightly Redoubt]], a [[Triumphant Blade]], and [[Oakheart Shield]] once each year. In addition they would provide the Challenger with a single dose of [[Apothecary_Potions#Elixir_Vitae|Elixir Vitae]] and one dose of [[Apothecary_Potions#Ossean_Solution|Ossean Solution]] each season.

The alternative might be to amend the title to make the responsibilities of the position ''crystal clear''. Bedegrayne suggests that the role could have responsibilities similar to those of a [[troubadour]] - to measure the Virtue of the Throne, should they challenge for monarch of Dawn, and to spread word of what they find, encouraging nobles to stand for or against the Throne on the tourney field. Of course any clarification is possible, but in that case Bedegrayne suggests that the Senate motion drop the suggestion of a tourney. It is perfectly fitting for the Dawnish Assembly to appoint such a position - but they argue it is unbecoming of Dawn to host a tourney for the title, if the contest does not then decide the matter.

In a nutshell, Bedegrayne's argument is that the Senate should modify the title so that either it is an appointment by the Dawnish Assembly with responsibility for the Virtue of those who challenge or do the opposite and make it a martial title, appointed by tourney, with responsibility to fight against (or for, if the Senate prefer) the Throne. Either option is acceptable to the Nightingales, their desire is to see the situation clarified and the matter settled.

It would be unusual, but given the tourney is being arranged, the complications with the title could be settled one way or another, and the position still elected at this summit, provided the matter passed the Senate before the tourney for Challenger in Waiting is due to begin on the Saturday afternoon (currently scheduled for after the election of the senator for Semmerholm).

==Resolution==
By all accounts, the fayre was a glorious time. The final tourney of the Grand Tour was won by '''Rhydian de Rondell'''. The Senate voted to [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Amend_Challenger_in_Waiting|amend]] the Challenger in Waiting to have it be appointed by the Dawnish Assembly and to remove the tourney.

==Further Reading==
* [[Dog days are over#The_Grand_Tour|Dog Days are over]] - 385YE Autumn Wind of Fortune laying out the Grand Tour, and the year's celebrations of Dawnish glory
* [[Knight-protector]]
* [[Challenger in Waiting]]

Long grass and stormclouds

2026-10-08T11:32:31Z

Twiggy: /* Trivento */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Summer]] [[Category:Military Council]] [[Category: Winds of War]]
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Waves in Adriatic.jpg|caption=Across the wide waters of the Bay of Catazar the winds blow and the waves rise|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Salt Waters of the Bay==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jkXHxhPdNg}}
As the sun ripens in the azure skies, the Children of Wrecks continue to make their presence known in the Bay of Catazar. Over the last year or so, they have attracted pirates and privateers from across the Known World with their promise of stolen wealth and indiscriminate bloodletting. Some of those who answer the call are the kind of two-legged vermin that seek only plunder and slaughter; others are more dangerous perhaps being motivated by a love of or connection to the ''[[Siakha|Tempest Queen]]''. While the former might occasionally receive the wicked boons of ''Maelstrom'' and her sorcerer-priests, the latter revel in the blessings their "goddess" provides them, eager to bring to bear the [[Spring magic#Ruin|destructive power]] of [[Spring magic]] against any who stand in their way.

Since the Spring Equinox, there has been a steady increase in attacks against ships traversing the Bay of Catazar that has nothing to do with the [[Authority_and_acceptance#Red_Sails|Asavean bounty]] placed on those trading with Imperial ports. There has been a matching decline in incidents where Grendel privateers have attacked the Empire's fleets. It seems that all the nations of the Bay are seen as fair game by the Children of Wrecks and the need to guard against their attacks disinclines the orcs of the Broken Shore from pursuing their assaults against the ships of their Imperial enemies. It's scant comfort; the Children of Wrecks are if anything even more rapacious than the descendants of [[Grendel_religion#Rucraic_-_The_Storm_Lord|Rucraic]].

The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] do their best to [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|provide protection]] to ships traversing the Bay but their resources are stretched. Perhaps four times as many [[corsair|corsairs]] are fired up to [[Voyage#Smuggle_Missionaries|smuggle missionaries]] to [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavea]] as are interested in protecting the seas closer to home. It's understandable; it's easy to see why a chance to strike directly against the unvirtuous is more appealing than patrolling the waters of the Bay looking for pirates. It does mean that there are a few closer calls than there could be, that a few ships are lost that might otherwise be saved but for the most part there is a tense balance between the predators and those opposing them.

Yet it also raises questions about where, precisely, the Grendel ''are''. Apart from the Shamal anchored well off the coast of [[Necropolis]] and making no particularly hostile moves, there has been no sign of either their ships or their warriors anywhere within the Imperial sphere. They excised the minor Imperial inroad into Ayereed and then... nothing. Silence. It's been six months - what are they up to?
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In the tall grass.jpg|caption=The Quiet Grasses do not whisper as the wind blows through them|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==On Freeborn Shores==
There's no repeat of the [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|attack on Oran]] that took place before the Spring Equinox. In [[Feroz]], ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' and ''Commander Fiersach'' keep their forces at [[Feroz#Mora's_Rock|Mora's Rock]], and along the borders of [[Feroz#Mora's Jasse|Morajasse]]. There are no clashes between Freeborn and Grendel; the [[orc|orcs]] have more than sufficient supplies to survive without raiding the neighbouring regions of Feroz or [[Segura]]. Indeed, there has been little contact with the garrison at all, although rumour suggests that there has been a flurry of messages back and forth between Imperial citizens and the Commander. Exactly where these rumours originate is not clear, given that such correspondence is probably taking place via [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]]. Perhaps it is wishful thinking.

Further north, in [[Madruga]], the [[Fist of the Mountains]] and the [[Burning Falcon]] move to reclaim the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]] for the Empire. Once, this was the swaying jade sea of the Great Grasses before it was consumed by [[Colourblind|the Blight]]. Now it has been restored, thanks to the surging [[Where the river rises|waters of the Scorrero]] and a year or more of [[Regrow the Land's Heart|gentle rains]]. A profusion of plants and flowers grow here now, and the grass itself is different to that which grew before. It stands easily taller than the tallest soldier, and individual stalks are remarkably resistant to damage. Where the thickets of grass are densest, it is slow going trying to make headway and all too easy to get lost.

<div style="float: right; max-width: 500px; width: 40%; margin-left: 10px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Aracelis I Erigo">My Freeborn, I return to you heart and mind full. I hear often you cannot compel virtue. You give Loyalty. You nurture Ambition. You Inspire Pride. And it puts me to mind over what inspires my virtue. My Kohan in Anvil? You who fight for the Falcon? Those who hold my heart in their chest as I hold their heart in mine? The answer is all these and more. All of this inspires the burning flame to raise up. To set the example and live up to what is required. In turn inspiring others to greater heights that I know we are all capable of. So I ask you, Falcons, Freeborn, citizens. My pride demands I strive for triumph and I urge you to greatness alongside my army or elsewhere. Together. One Empire. In Pride</quote></div>
The grasslands seem to swallow even the loudest sounds, making it challenging for the two armies to coordinate their search for threats and establish routes across the plains. Even the blaring of horns sounds tinny and falls away swiftly over comparatively short distances. It is just as well that the Falcon have been [[enchantment|granted]] the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]] which helps them keep a vague idea of where those soldiers they cannot see directly are moving. Especially given that, as with most things they do, the Falcon charge straight into the grasses as if daring them to cause trouble. They spend little time worrying about what is behind them, only what is ahead, leaving the more cautious Fist of the Mountains to ensure they are not flanked or ambushed or lost forever in the gently rippling grasses.

There are [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|servants]] of [[Janon]] with the Fist, but they are more subdued than usual. Their curved blades rest in their scabbards, their mood is oddly quiet for the warriors of ‘’Fire Muse’’ and their talk is mostly of how the ‘Fist should learn from the example of the Falcon and put their steady caution aside in the face of the unknown.
<div style="float: right; max-width: 500px; width: 40%; margin-left: 10px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Umarth 'Winter's Flame' Kannask">Mystics, take pride. We invite Janon, the shadowed flame, to witness our work. As we look for guidance, our eyes are drawn to the Mountain, appropriately. Wintermark heroism shows best when we do what must be done, even if it is hard. We strike into new lands and discovery. Avoid the coastlines when you can. The Freeborn need land, let us make it ready for them. When we come upon the foe, take comfort that even should you fall, your duty is not ended. Do not spend your lives lightly, but when you find the moment, be the thorn in place.</quote></div>
The servants of ‘’Torchbearer’’ also do not hide their disgust at the ‘’other’’ creatures that march with the Wintermark armies - the dead of Tassato inhabited by the spirits of the [[Realms#Winter|Winter realm]]. Yet even here the sea of green seems to have an odd influence over the [[Quickening Cold Meat|Winter-realm horrors]]. They are no less hungry, but their hunger is quiet and unsettling. There are no foes to consume here, no battles in which they can unleash their ravenous magic. The quiet seems to sink into their bones and flesh, rendering them more menacing, more threatening if anything. The [[Winter magic]] used to raise them preserves their ruined flesh, of course, but the longer they spend in the Quiet Grasses, the more preserved they seem to become. Drier. More aware of their surroundings. Some soldiers talk in whispered tones around the campfire of their fear that the Winter spirits are ‘’planning’’ something, that it was a mistake to raise this shambling army from the dead of the League and then bring them to the heat of the Dry Patrician’s power. Superstitious soldier talk, no doubt...

And yet magicians do say that this silence that hangs over the region, like the strange resilience of the grass, is partly due to a lingering touch of [[Winter magic]] - albeit a lighter and more wholesome [[Winter magic#resonance|resonance]] than many who have not studied the realm closely might expect. Likely, it is just that which makes the warriors of Janon uneasy, that seems to infuse the shambling dead with darker purpose. Nothing to worry about, for sure.

The armies are also accompanied by a small number of Freeborn [[military unit|warbands]]. They are able to move more freely across the region, seeking out any remaining threats. There are few here beyond the silence and the difficulty of wading through the tall grasses. It is some of these warbands that find the remnants of the road that once ran through the plains when this was the Great Grasses - ruined by Winter, but many of the stones seem to have endured both the Blight and the transformation that came in its wake. With a little work they will serve as a pass along the northern side of the region into Segura for Freeborn caravans.

By the time of the Summer Solstice, the Quiet Grasses are once again Imperial land. This means that Madruga - despite the mysterious magical marsh and the Children of Wrecks dominance of the island - is once again an Imperial territory. It falls to the Senate to determine how it will be [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Assignment|assigned]]. It seems almost unthinkable that it will not be once again part of the Brass Coast but there are no certainties in politics.
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=SiakhaArt.jpg|caption=The Queen of Wrecks, the Maelstrom, the Splintering Wave, the Tumultuous Roar|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==A Sudden Storm==
If the Children of Wrecks are avoiding the Brass Coast, they must be somewhere of course. While some of the pirates are busy bedevilling ships, they represent only a fraction of that destructive faction. Drinking houses from Bramar to Beoraidh rumble and ripple with speculation. Perhaps they are busy engaging the Grendel along the shores of Attar? Perhaps they are raiding the coastline of the Iron Confederacy? Perhaps they have fallen into in-fighting and are busy tearing each other apart in the name of their [[Siakha|monstrous patron]]?

The answer comes at the start of Summer. Bells begin to ring in towers and temples dedicated to [[Vigilance]] all across southern [[Sarvos]]. A raggle-taggle armada of ships, like a moving island of sea-worn planks, creaking ropes, burgeoning sails, and jagged blades descends on [[Sarvos#Bocche|Trivento]]. It’s hard to get a precise count of just how many ships there are, and many of them are stuffed-to-the-gills with booty-hungry raiders.

There is no finesse to their attack; the majority of the vessels simply sweep toward the harbour. They have next to no discipline, this first wave of attackers; the individual captains are keen to seize as much wealth for themselves as they can with little thought for those who arrived with them or those who might fight to defend their homes.

Fortunately, however, the shores of Sarvos are very far from defenceless. Indeed, they may be the most well defended beaches in the entire Empire. The first obstacle the raiders encounter are the sea defences. The [[Sarvos#The_Great_Chain|Great Chain]] was built to protect the [[Sarvos#Sarvos|City of Masks]] but as part of its construction defences were reinforced or built along the coasts of [[Sarvos#Bocche|Bocche]] and [[Sarvos#Uccelini|Uccelini]]. As part of that defence, watchtowers were built on the cliffs. Intended to keep watch for the [[Grendel]], they are just as adept at spotting the approach of any hostile naval vessels and quickly rouse the defenders of [[the League]].

The pirates seem unaware of the extent of the defences, however, swiftly passing the sea wall of Trivento harbour and seeking to disgorge their cargo of bloodthirsty raiders onto the docks. And after the first two dozen ships reach the quayside a massive mithril chain is dragged up ‘’behind’’ the raiders preventing their escape. To the likely horror of the pirates they discover several score hard-bitten veteran warriors waiting for them - watchers assigned by the commander of the Great Chain, reinforced by soldiers from the garrison of [[Sarvos#Our_Lady_of_Pride|Our Lady of Pride]]. Before they can entirely disembark, the attackers are cut to ribbons by a combination of crossbow-fire and expertly wielded pole-arms used to drive the raiders back into the sea. Here, the presence of the servants of Siakha definitely works against the invaders - the sharks and heralds of the Storm Mother are indiscriminate and as likely to devour pirates as they are Imperial citizens.

This initial set-back does not deter the attackers. It seems almost as if the real leaders of the Children of Wrecks have allowed these over-enthusiastic bloodthirsty fools to rush ahead as much to test the Imperial defence as anything else - or rather have made no effort to hold them back. This does not seem to be a force that has much truck with well-established chains of command.

Even as the initial attackers are paying the price for their folly, there are more ships arriving. That ramshackle [[navy|naval force]] [[The_gathering_storm#Objective:_Stop_the_Wrecks_forming_a_navy|raised by the Children of Wrecks]] and dubbed the ''[[Made_anew#War_and_Change|Gathered Storm]]'' has held back only slightly and now they attack the defences of Trivento directly.

At their forefront is the ''Storm's Child'', that former Grendel vessel that now serves as flagship, with the stolen Freeborn [[The_gathering_storm#Objective:_Recover_the_Storm's_Child_figurehead|figurehead]] shining balefully at its prow. The sails of the ‘’Gathered Storm’’ bear the unmistakable design of a gaping shark's jaw, and drums pound on their decks like thunder heralding the defiance and bloodlust of those who sail under the baleful gaze of goddess [[Siakha]]. In the waters, and on the decks of some of the ships, are thronging [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of ‘’Maelstrom’’ howling for blood or crackling with the power of the storm. On the western flank of the main force sail a dozen or so Freeborn ships, a cohort of former [[corsair]] vessels led by ‘’Isidore i Boyaga’’. In some ways the fact these pirates were once respected corsairs makes their betrayal of [[Four_strong_winds#The_Bay_of_Catazar|their principles]], their Empire, and their people even more keen.

Between the naval force and the traitor ships the attack easily rivals the strength of the [[Army#Army_Size|largest]] [[Army|Imperial army]]. They lack discipline or cohesion but they could likely go toe-to-toe with the likes of the [[Golden Sun]] or the [[Drakes]] and have a chance of winning. As it is, though, they seek to overcome the strength of Our Lady of Pride and the Great Chain and that is a very different proposition.

While the Children of Wrecks attack the harbour, forces loyal to Isidore i Boyaga seek to make landfall outside the town and attack the gates to the west - and to raid caravans coming into Trivento via the [[Spider%27s_Tollkeep#The_Spider's_Dream|Spider’s Dream]]. Fortunately the defences of the bridge itself are too strong for the Freeborn traitor to threaten by herself, and the merchants coming into Sarvos from Madruga have enough time to retreat back to the bridge without needing to abandon their cargos. If Isidore and her savage turncoats sought an easy victory they are very much disappointed.

At roughly the same time that the main force is attacking the harbour defences, fighting breaks out within the town itself! A [[striding]] of perhaps a hundred Navarr, newly arrived at Trivento, suddenly attack the garrison defending the town from behind! They strike with stealth and cunning, literally stabbing some of the defenders in the back with hidden blades. Chaos erupts, spreading fear and terror through the streets of a town that thought itself well protected. This false-steading, this ‘’Liath’s Blade’’, bear obvious [[enchantment|boons]] of Siakha, fighting and plundering with terrible zeal, awful strength, and weapons that smash and shatter the shields of the defenders. At their head comes the Navarr traitor Ioan Bloodstride - a refugee from a lost striding in [[Liathaven]] who joined Siakha's forces during the recent [[Harvest_of_infamy|assault on Meade]] by the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]]. Her force is half Navarr, half Imperial dregs simply masquerading as members of that proud nation.

The chaos they inspire might have been enough to break the defence of Trivento, but thankfully the defenders of Sarvos are made of stern stuff. They respond quickly, splitting their attention between the two attackers, and manage to slay several of the false-Navarr forcing them to draw back. At the same time the warning bells continue to ring, drawing further defenders from elsewhere in the territory. The people of Trivento might see themselves as rivals of the great city of Sarvos, but that rivalry does not concern the soldiers or the citizens. Their rivalry is put aside in the face of an existential threat to the town.

It’s slow and bloody business; more and more raiders join the fighting along the dock front. The flood of pirates is swifter than the arrival of more defenders, but again it is the defence and foresight of the Empire that saves the day. There are strong stone towers between the taverns of Trivento, established to oversee the chain defences of the harbour, and they provide excellent vantage points and stout barricades from which to fight the raiders.

For their part, the lack of discipline even among the naval force proves to be a significant weakness for the Children of Wrecks. The sight of potential booty, or prisoners to capture or sacrifice, causes human, orc, and herald alike to break ranks and forget whatever plan they may have had. In the face of their disorder, the planning of the Empire prevails. The soldiers hold Trivento and drive the Children away. Most of the ships never manage to unleash their warriors, failing to overcome the harbour defences with a direct attack.

Then, on no discernible signal, the ships to the rear of the Gathered Storm suddenly break off and sail southward. Over the course of barely half an hour the attack has suddenly stalled. The raiders in Trivento are more interested in getting back to their ships - including a handful of vessels clearly commanded by crews loyal to Ioan Bloodstride - than they are in looting. Those who are too laggard, too slow to see which way the winds are blowing, are cut down by the defenders.

As rapidly as it began, the attack is over. The defenders look at each other askance - it certainly feels as if the attack broke off halfway through. The fighting was still fierce - what has caused the Children of Wrecks to suddenly veer off and abandon their raid? Not that it would have been successful of course. The League defenders are confident that between the precautions put in place by the Great Chain, and the sizable patrols from Our Lady of Pride, they had the measure of the Children of Wrecks.

Trivento has been damaged, certainly. Ships have been burned in the harbour. The gates have been attacked, there are a number of businesses whose premises have been raided. But it could have been a lot worse. Over the next few weeks members of the [[Tassato#Barossa_School_of_Imperial_Strategy|Barossa School of Imperial Strategy]] in [[Tassato]] visit to speak with the defenders and examine the battlefield. They are left with the strong suspicion that even with a naval force of their own the Children of Wrecks were not interested in conquering Bocche, or seizing Trivento. Their goals were much more mercenary - they were here to steal as much wealth as possible but also to do as much damage as they could. Even if there had been no defenders they’d not have claimed Trivento - just looted it and burnt it to the ground. Some of the citizens talk of attempts to kidnap people, as well as steal goods, and carry them away. Fortunately these attempts seem to have been foiled by the defenders.

Perhaps more worryingly, the strategists of the League are confident that the Children of Wrecks did not bring their entire force to bear here. There is at least one [[On_southern_sands#Objective:_Eliminate_the_traitors|Imperial traitor]] unaccounted for - the fallen [[boyar]] Zavetta Voglavnova who sold her own vale for personal power. The reports from mariners traversing the Bay of Catazar make it clear that a lot of pirates tied to the Children are busy trying to prey on merchant vessels. It’s an unpopular conclusion, but the consensus coming out of the School of Imperial Strategy is that if they had their full force present, even the combined power of the Great Chain and Our Lady of Pride might not have been enough to stop the Children of Wrecks achieving at least a portion of their plan.

As to why they broke off the attack so suddenly, there’s a lot of speculation but nothing concrete. Did the admiral see the way the battle was going and bring it to an end to avoid further losses? That would seem particularly far-sighted for the Children of Wrecks at odds with their normal tactics. Did someone on the flagship receive a message that inspired them to cut the raid short and immediately begin to sail south? It’s hard to imagine what might have been that important and certainly nothing threatens the Children’s holdings at [[Madruga#Free Landing|Free Landing]] or [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]]. Or could it be that the attack is a feint of some kind like the attack against Elos, designed to test Imperial defences or draw protectors away from the real target? Possibly but there’s no sign of what their real target actually was just yet.

The only thing that can be said with any certainty is that Trivento weathered the storm, for now at least. But the threat of the Children of Wrecks to the entire Bay of Catazar continues - and while it seems there has yet to be a situation where their full force has been brought to bear this failed attack may well mean that the next time they come against the Empire they will do so in their entirety…
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bay of Catazar.png |caption=The Bay of Catazar|width=400|align=right}}
==Game Information==
===Feroz and Madruga===
* '''The Empire has taken Quiet Grasses and with it Madruga'''
* '''The Grendel still control Morajasse'''
The situation in Feroz seems to be roughly the same as it was at the Spring Equinox. Commander Fiersachand his partner Wind Lord Saoirse still hold Mora’s Rock. They are protecting the borders of their domain and there are rumours of attempted diplomacy.

In Madruga, the Quiet Grasses have been brought into the Empire, meaning the territory is again Imperial. The Civil Service will raise an administrative motion on Saturday evening to allow the Senate to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Assignment|assign]] the territory, unless a [[Senator]] chooses to raise the motion themselves at an earlier session. The expectation is that the territory will be assigned to the Brass Coast but there is no legal requirement for this to be the case.

===Trivento===
* '''The Children of Wrecks attacked Trivento but were driven off without being able to achieve their goals'''
* '''Their "strategy" was to try and steal everything they could - had they been successful, it would have reduced taxation from Sarvos'''

The attack of the Children of Wrecks included the ‘’Gathered Storm’’ - the equivalent of an [[navy]] - and two significant forces representing [[fleet|fleets]] loyal to Imperial traitors. The defence was mounted by the Great Chain (which counts as a 3000 point fortification against [[Navy_orders#Shore_Offensive|shore offensives]]) and Our Lady of Pride (which provides 6,000 strength protection anywhere in the territory). There were no Imperial military units defending either fort and neither the navy nor the fortifications seem to have been enchanted.

It is the assessment of the School that the Children fielded a sizeable fraction of their current force, but that they did not bring everything to bear. If they had had perhaps 3000 extra force, they would have breached the defences and been able to at least partially loot Trivento.

While their strategy bore many similarities to a [[Army_qualities#Foraging|plundering]] order, or a shore offensive, their entire strategy was different to that of any other navies the Empire has encountered. The Apulian members of the school in particular believe they were not trying to capture any land - only to raid, destroy, and slaughter people. What this means in game terms is that any victory points they might have generated would have gone towards achieving their goal of looting and raiding rather than to claiming land. If they had been successful, they would reduced the taxation produced by Sarvos this season. If their attacks are not fought off, they could rival the Druj for the amount of damage they could inflict on the Empire - both to the place they attack and in theory to the Imperial treasury if they have free hand to ravage the coast of the Bay of Catazar.

==Conjunctions==
===A Plan Succeeds (Necropolis)===
* '''A company of Grendel are escorting several Asaveans'''
* '''The Asaveans, servants of one of their gods, are scouting for possible targets'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Champion of Pride'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for killing the servants of the Red God'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The Plenum has continued to send support to the [[Grendel]] in their joint war against the Empire. The priests of [[Asavean_gods#The_Red_God|the Red God]] have sent several of her worshippers to the Bay of Catazar to support the Grendel.

Half a dozen servants of the Red God now lead a company of the Grendel as they put their long, hard-earned experience towards the benefits of the Salt Council. They search for an opening, some weakness in the defences of Necropolis. If they are successful, they will report back to the Salt Lords, who will be able to act on the information, with the region of [[Necropolis#Longbeach|Longbeach]] becoming [[Region_qualities#Under_Threat|under threat]] to the Grendel. It is the responsibility of [[Champion of Pride]], '''Kali Keen-Eye''', to counter the threat presented by the servants of the Red God and their Grendel allies.

===Flags (Mareave)===
* '''The Courath of Icarion is meeting with the Grendel to receive further payment'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''General of the Citadel Guard'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for defeating the Courath of Icarion'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The rumoured Courath of Icarion has come again. The hero, once the leader of the region of the same name, has announced themselves and bears Stormcaller. They claim that they act with the voice of the ancestor behind them, and the people of Icarion listen. The Grendel have clearly made a significant investment in the Courath of Icarion, with it now having become clear that the Grendel paymaster provided them with the artefact on the [[Lit_up#The_Figurehead|Plains of the Courath]] at the Winter Solstice 386YE.

The [[Citadel Guard|General of the Citadel Guard]], '''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', is responsible for defeating the Courath of Icarion, claiming Stormcaller, and defeating the Grendel and Asaveans alongside them. If they are not defeated, then the Courath will firmly establish themself as a rebel presence in the region. The region will become [[Region_qualities#Uncooperative|uncooperative]], and the Courath will surely only continue to create more trouble from there.

''Stormcaller'' was an artefact [[:category:rods|rod]] once wielded by the General of the [[Citadel Guard|Army of the Citadels]]. Drusus, one of the researchers inspired to visit Mareave after the Autumn Equinox 386YE by the statements of principle of [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_180|Verres Aurispire]] and [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_196|Skywise Gralka]] was unable to uncover more on the item beyond its name and that it had properties similar to - but beyond - that of a [[Witches' Hammer]].

===Expectations (Mareave)===
* '''A company of Grendel is guarding a resource cache intended for the Brine Turtles'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Champion of Prosperity'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for defeating the Grendel and claiming the cache'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The ongoing, delicate diplomacy between the Empire and the Brine Turtles is well known. The sept of Broken Shore orcs, subjects of the Salt Council, have maintained their belief that the Salt Lords will not abandon them or the territory. That they have kept this belief in spite of the Grendel not yet trying to reclaim the territory is perhaps a testament to the loyalty inspired by the Salt Council.

However, just because the armies and navies of the Grendel have not been seen in Mareave since they were forced to retreat, does not mean that the Grendel have not been active in the territory. ''Thieftaker Likkil'', who has been working the streets of Fioroult, has uncovered the location of a recently arrived cache of resources, including Imperial coin, mana and several [[magic items]]. They are intended for the sept and are being guarded by a company of Grendel, supported by several Asaveans.

It is the responsibility of the [[Champion of Prosperity]], '''Tom Appleseed''', to defeat the Grendel and claim the resources. What they do with the resources after that is entirely up to them.

==Further Reading==
* [[Sarvos]]
* [[Madruga]]
* [[Feroz]]

We all stand

2026-10-08T11:31:11Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:386YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]]
<ic>Not for the first time, Mazzar Tulk cursed herself for believing the old orc. They'd met in some nowhere town in the foothills quite by chance, and initially she had been very sceptical. Hallbran had pointed out, however, that this might not actually be a chance meeting but one driven by the forces of synchronicity wriggling and weaving through the whole of Mareave as Summer aged into Autumn. If that was the case then the enchantment obviously thought they had something in common. That last had prompted an enjoyable discussion about the motive force behind this kind of effect, and an argument about whether it was possible to use magic to detect if a meeting was due to an enchantment or not. It'd also lead her to seek the fellow out the next day and take him up on his offer.

Now, in return for a handful of crowns, her guide was apparently taking her to "an impressive herb garden better than anything in your Empire." Having lived her entire life in Ossium and Skarsind, Mazzar Tulk had not been prepared for the heat, and the dust, and the sheer ''monotony'' of their trip. She drank another mouthful of water turned brackish by the warm weather, and splashed a little on her face.

"Not far now," said the old orc. Her guide didn't bother to conceal his amusement, and she resented how little the heat seemed to be effecting him. She couldn't see anything to indicate they were approaching a garden - the bleached grasses stretched in all directions as far as she could see, the only landmarks the mountains to the north and east, the dark horizon to the west. She wondered again about the faded old tattoos on his wrinkled weather beaten face. Snorri said they marked him as having once served with the Kraken's Jaws, and she wondered again if this was a trap, if he was leading her into an ambush. She tightened her grip on her staff.

Then, without warning, the land ahead fell away. She realised she was stood on the lip of a shallow depression, nearly a mile across, spotted with what she initially took to be large pools of water. She let out an unexpected noise of surprise, and then a moment later did it again as she realised it wasn't ''water'' she was looking at - which would have been a valuable fine by itself - but ''flowers''. Fields of beautiful blue flowers, with what looked a lot like peculiar butterflies fluttering in the still, thick air above them. Half a dozen orcs in broad-brimmed hats paused at their work, to glance up at the pair of them outlined against the sky above them, then went back to tending the delicate blooms.

The guide was pleased with her response, gestured for her to follow him, and started down the steep-sloped side of the bowl.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 600px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Slow Motion Walk.jpg|align=left|caption=The Imperial Orcs are slowly strengthening their control of [[Mareave]] with the aid of their fellow Imperial citizens.|width=600}}</div>
{{PDFLink|align=right|link=File:We_all_stand.pdf|caption=Click for pdf version}}
==Overview==
While Eilian Sweetwater has been busy performing their [[appraisal]] (as detailed in the '''[[Here to stay]]''' wind of fortune), he is far from the only person exploring [[Mareave]] in the last season. [[Magical skills#Magician|Magicians]] from the [[Golden Pyramid]] [[conclave order]] are enthusiastically seeking out [[opportunity|opportunities]] to build the [[Prosperity]] of the arid land, both for the [[Imperial Orcs]] and (hopefully) for themselves. [[Orc|Orcs]] from the [[Tamazi]] sept heed the words of their national assembly, looking for ways they can use their expertise in stonecraft or magic to help secure the newest Imperial territory. At the same time, there are discussions in [[the Brass Coast]] and [[the Marches]] about how to help make the dry plains bloom, and to the north a chance meeting between [[the League]], and [[Urizen]] gives rise to an [[Ambition|Ambitious]] plan to deal with the challenges represented by Mareave's comparative disconnection from the rest of the Empire.

==Serendipity==
* '''An Imperial enchantment has both helped uncover opportunities, and stored up trouble for the future'''
As mentioned in the '''[[Here_to_stay#Bonds_and_Bargains|Here to stay]]''' wind of fortune, this season Mareave is under the influence of [[Autumn magic]]. The enchantment is subtle, but noticeable by any [[magical skills#magician|magician]] capable of casting the [[detect magic]] spell. Nudging coincidence and weaving serendipity, it brings people together with other people who share their attitudes and opinions, making it easier for them to make new friends.

Like all such magic, however, its influence is entirely indiscriminate and unpredictable. As well as helping Imperial citizens to make contact with local inhabitants, it also hinders efforts to strengthen the Imperial hold over Mareave. People hostile or resistant to the Imperial Orcs presence find it as easy to meet each other as - say - [[#Black Sand Circle|Autumn magicians in the inns of Beoraidh]].
==Auric and Blue==
* '''The magicians of the Golden Pyramid continue working in Mareave'''
* '''The order gains 10 random ingots, 7 crystal mana, and 7 doses of cerulean mazzarine each season for the duration'''
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderGoldenPyramid.jpg|align=right|width=200}}</div>
At the [[386YE_Spring_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Direct_Golden_Pyramid|urging]] of [[Grandmaster]] '''Arsenio Sanguineo Rezia di Tassato''', the [[Golden Pyramid]] descended on Mareave after the Spring Equinox, eager to explore and find opportunities to bolster the prosperity of the territory (and perhaps the [[Conclave order]] as well). Last season they uncovered [[Digging for fire|several opportunities]]; a [[Digging_for_fire#The_Bronze_Bowls_of_the_Three_Seasons|unique]] source of [[vis]]; a [[Digging_for_fire#Precious_Mines|roster of mines]] ripe for exploitation; an excellent location for a [[Digging_for_fire#A_Place_to_Lodge|grand lodge]] to grant numerous benefits to the order itself. With much of the new territory unexplored by Imperials, and indications that the [[Grendel]] focus on the sea meant that the eastern mountains were largely unknown even by the local residents, Arsenio chose to urge the order to [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Exploring_Mareave|continue to explore]] for the next year. The [[Conclave]] agreed, and [[magical skills#magician|magicians]] of the Conclave continue to flock to the south-east.

The benefits to the Order itself are not insignificant; each season until the end of the Summer Solstice 387YE will receive 10 [[Materials#Metals|random ingots]], 7 crystal mana, and 7 doses of [[Cerulean Mazzarine]] into the [[Conclave vault]], to be distributed as the Grandmaster sees fit. This represents finds donated by individual members, and gifts from residents of Mareave (Imperial or otherwise) who are grateful for the aid of the Pyramid magicians.

This last season has seen Golden Pyramid magicians working with the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticator's Office]] to support [[Appraisal#Eilian_Sweetwater|Eilian Sweetwater]] in their [[appraisal]] of the [[orc|orcs]] in the southern [[territory#Regions|regions]] (as detailed in the '''[[Here to stay]]''' wind of fortune). Several members, especially Imperial Orcs magicians aligned with the order, have been helping or participating in the [[Tamazi]] sept exploration of the arid territory.
===Beoraidh===
* '''Golden Pyramid magicians are actively pursuing opportunities in Beoraidh'''
* '''So far negotiations have not achieved anything concrete but they remain optimistic'''
The Golden Pyramid has also been continuing to explore [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]], which surely represents a gold mine of opportunities for those members of the 'Pyramid more interested in trade than valuable resources. In the wake of the [[386YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Amend_Treaty_with_Beoraidh|treaty with the former Salt Lord]], there is certainly appetite for trade with the Empire, but there's caution on both side about formalizing it in case something goes wrong and sinks the treaty. One matter of note is that the former Salt Lord's offer to purchase [[dragonbone]] is still open (as detailed in last season's '''[[Set_my_lands_in_order#Trade_Goods|Set my lands in order]]''' wind of fortune).

''Xavier of the Spire of the Astral Torrent'' and several fellow [[Urizen]] [[architect|architects]] of the 'Pyramid continue to explore options. There is apparently a great deal of interest in rumours of the ''Greater Apulian Way'' proposed in [[Spiral]] - the traders and merchants of Beoraidh can see the advantage of a secure land route into the Empire or even just as far as [[Spiral#Apulian|Apulian]]. Several members of the Pyramid - a mixture of [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]], [[the League|League]], and [[Highguard|Highborn]] - are pursuing access to the docks of Beoraidh but the discussions are bogged down by frankly ridiculous [[tariffs]]. Given the amount the former Salt Lord is paying to the Empire in "rent" there's no way they can turn away Imperial traders with such unreasonable practices, but so far negotiations are at a deadlock.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WingedMessenger.png|caption=''Mannun Amahuz'', the leader of the Circle of Black Sand in Beoraidh, leads a coven of [[Autumn magic|Sand wizards]]. They are keen to hear from the Grandmaster of the Golden Pyramid or the Celestial Arch about trade in magical rituals and a [[Call Winged Messenger|Winged Messenger]] can be sent to them at ''Execution Hill, Beoraidh, Mareave''.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

===Black Sand Circle===
* '''The Golden Pyramid has made contact with the wizards of the Black Sand Circle'''
* '''They wish to purchase the ''Gift of the Wily Broker'' ritual and offer an enchantment of their own in exchange'''
* '''The leaders of the coven is interested in hearing from Golden Pyramid magicians who might help them pursue their ambitions'''
One area of success in Beoraidh is that some of the Golden Pyramid have made cautious contact with their magical peers among the former Grendel. This includes some members of the group previously known as the [[Pebbles_drawn_from_a_heap#The_Circle_of_Black_Sand|Circle of Black Sand]]. Having split from those members who chose to join [[the League]] in Apulian, they now call themselves the ''Black Sand Circle'', under ''Manuun Amahuz''. They have taken over the old tower on Execution Hill (neither a hill, nor a home to executioners, the origin of the name is lost to the mists of time), and are still eager to benefit from contact with the Empire. Expert practitioners of [[Autumn magic|Sand wizardry]], they are particularly interested in discussing the [[#Serendipity|serendipitous enchantment]] woven over the whole territory, fascinated by the apparent ease with which Imperial magicians work such magic and intrigued by its effects and implications.
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; max-width:450px;"><box>
'''Inspiration and Challenge'''
* '''While Icarion has the under-developed quality all labour costs are increased by a fifth'''
* '''The inspiration of Thrace removes the basic labour cost if something is commissioned before the end of the Winter Solstice 386YE'''
* '''If the Legion Engineer commissions one of these projects the wain cost is reduced by a fifth'''
The infrastructure in the territory is highly variable, sometimes the equal of the Empire, but elsewhere the roads are barely adequate by Imperial standards. Materials are hard to import - the port of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] imposes steep tariffs, and the route through Spiral faces the oppression of the {{Black Plateau}}. These problems are reflected by the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|under-developed]] quality in [[Mareave#Icarion|Icarion]], so all commissions built in the territory have their labour costs increased by a fifth.

The [[consecration#True Liao|true liao consecration]] of the Legion's Rookery as an [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|inspirational location]] dedicated to [[Known_exemplars#Thrace|Thrace]] affects these [[commission|commissions]], if they are commissioned before the end of the Winter Solstice 386YE. The basic labour costs of anything built in Mareave before that time is paid entirely by Imperial Orc volunteers. This benefit is included in each of the descriptions, but this benefit does ''not'' cover the extra funds needed due to the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|Under-developed]] quality, or extra funds required to secure the aid of the Eoradal orcs.

If the [[Legion Engineer]] commissions one of these projects, the amount of wains needed is reduced by a fifth.</box></div>

Last time members of the Circle spoke to the Empire, they were [[Grendel]]. The [[Conclave]] made it clear that anyone who traded magic with them was at risk of being declared a [[Sorcery|sorcerer]]. Now the Imperial Senate has signed a treaty saying they're foreigners, so there should be no impediment to making an exchange. Right?

The Black Sand Circle is keen to acquire a [[ritual text]] of the ritual the Empire calls [[Gift of the Wily Broker]]. In the break-up with the Circle of Black Sand, ''Manuun'' and his faction have retained custody of the covens arcane library. If the Imperial Conclave will use a [[declaration]] of [[dissemination]] to provide the ritual text they seek, they will hand over a ritual text to the magician who raised the successful declaration. There are two ritual they are prepared to share, both examples of [[Autumn magic|Sand wizardry]]. The first is ''Sigil of the White Sands'', an [[enchantment]] that allows a [[fleet]] to secure lucrative deals when they [[Fleet#Trade|trade]] with foreign ports. The second ritual, the ''Eye of Ruby and Sapphire'' enchants a [[mine]] so that the workers can more easily locate valuable deposits of precious gems, causing it to produce a great deal of money and a small amount of additional [[tempest jade]] over the season. The declaration will need to specify which of the two rituals the magician wants in return, and the Circle does not care what happens to it after it is handed over. It might go into Imperial lore, into Urizen lore, or remain the unique property of whoever secures it (the latter being what ''Manuun'' assumes will happen to it).

The Golden Pyramid magicians who meet ''Manuun'' and his coven describe them as confident, slightly cynical mages not entirely dissimilar to their peers in the Conclave Order. They clearly support Ehsan's successes in securing neutrality for the city, although they feel little [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|fidelity]] to the former Salt Lord personally. They're aware that they and the inhabitants of Beoraidh walk a knife-edge - either the Grendel or the Empire could likely snuff them out if the treaties Ehsan and his court have arranged fall apart. They also make no secret of the fact that what they would ''really'' like is access to powerful [[Autumn magic]] enchantments that support fortification or [[military unit|warbands]] but for now they are well aware they have little to offer of equivalent value. They're also open to [[Call Winged Messenger|Winged Messengers]] from members of the Golden Pyramid order interested in further exchange of knowledge or magical resources - ''Manuun'' is very interested in discovering how one might go about getting access to the [[Doyen of the Spires]] or one of the other Imperial [[college of magic|magical colleges]] and what it might cost to purchase the codification of an arcane projection. He is also very interested in any news of his cousin Rahuun Amahuz and the rest of the Circle who remained in Spiral: they want to know if they're getting on alright, and if they've heard anything at all from their Uncle Mó.

===The Lazuline Bowl===
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="float: right; margin-left:10px; width=50%; max-width:500px;">
<tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Lazuline Bowl'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Sinecure</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Nadir, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 24 weirwood, 288 rings, three months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Base labour costs would normally be 72 crowns, but are reduced to 0 by the ongoing inspiration of Thrace; the remaining 288 rings are due to the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|Under Developed]] quality and are not reduced by that opportunity</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Creates the title of Lazuline Bonetender</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Lazuline Bonetender'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Imperial Orc</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Tally of the Votes</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receive 21 drams of cerulean mazzarine each season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' Oversee the Lazuline Bowl sinecure, support the physicks of Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' The Tender can purchase from the orcs living in the Lazuline Bowl</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightYellow;">'''Bounty of the Bowl'''</td><td style="background-color: LightYellow;"></td></tr>
<tr><td>7 crowns</td><td>10 drams of cerulean mazzarine and 6 drams of true vervain</td></tr>
<tr><td>17 crowns</td><td>21 drams of cerulean mazzarine and 12 drams of true vervain</td></tr>
<tr><td>30 crowns</td><td>32 drams of cerulean mazzarine and 18 drams of true vervain</td></tr></table></div>
* '''Mareave has an excellent climate for growing cerulean mazzarine'''
* '''The Lazuline Bowl is an area of Nadir that presents an opportunity to produce large amounts of the valuable herb

[[Mareave]] is an [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Arid|arid]] [[territory]], where fresh water is at a premium. The expectation would be that such a place is hostile to [[herb garden|herb gardens]] but that turns out to be a misconception. While exploring the plains of northern Mareave - [[Mareave#Icarion|Icarion]] and [[Mareave#Nadir|Nadit]] particularly - the Golden Pyramid make peaceful contact with several groups of orcs that make a respectable living growing [[Cerulean Mazzarine]]. The conditions here are actually ideal for growing a magical herb that prospers in a warm, dry climate. While the herbal arts are not especially common among the magicians of the Golden Pyramids, they are well aware that there are markets for the delicate blue-blossoming herb in the Empire, especially in the chilly northern nations ([[Wintermark]], [[Varushka]], and of course [[Skarsind]]).

''Mazzar Tulk'' is a Golden Pyramid [[orc]] and a member of the [[Yerende]] sept and her family are in the process of moving to Mareave. In answering the grandmaster's call she has used the opportunity to explore the territory to find the perfect place to settle. In the process has been talking to some of the local orcs - those who don't have any particular reason to be [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Uncooperative|uncooperative]]. Following discussion she has become aware of the ''Lazuline Bowl'' - a depression in central Nadir, sheltered from the harsh winds and positioned over a deep aquifer, presenting ideal conditions to cultivate valuable cerulean mazzarine. There are already several families of Broken Shore orcs based around the Bowl, growing their own herbs. With the aid of her order, she has negotiated with the orcs to support the establishment of a garden on her own dedicated to producing the valuable herb, promising that the nearby families will share in her prosperity.

By building a garden in the Lazuline Bowl, the Imperial Orcs could establish the title of ''Lazline Bonetender''. ''Mazzar Tulk'' suggests that the title be charged with helping supply orc apothecaries and physicks, and expanding access to herbs in Mareave. They would receive a [[sinecure|bounty of cerulean mazzarine]], and be able to [[ministry|purchase even more]] from the Nadiri orcs whose cheerful self interest does not disincline them to deal with the Empire. That latter raises a minor fly in the ointment. As [[Here_to_stay#The_Problem_of_Peace|laid out by Eilian Sweetwater]] in their [[appraisal]], at the moment the non-Imperial inhabitants of Mareave are considered barbarians for all that they may not be particularly acting like it. The ministry Mazzar Tulk proposes is illegal while that is the case, and indeed she warns that until that matter is sorted out it might be better not to build the sinecure as creating something so valuable in close proximity to people who the Empire is at war with feels unwise.

The Imperial Orcs assembly asked representatives of the Tamazi to explore opportunities in Mareave. ''Mazzar Tulk'' suggests that if [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Six_Septs|the assembly ask the Yerende]] to explore the possibilities offered by the ideal climate here there might be able to identify other ways to grow cerulean mazzarine - a [[great work]] for example, or more opportunities to work with the comparatively small number of local herbalists. Focusing on cerulean mazzarine, rather than general opportunities, would likely cause any resulting opportunities to be more focused and impactful.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Tamazi.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

==Stone Lasts==
* '''Members of the Tamazi sect have visited Mareave to seek opportunities to build'''
* '''Charged with protecting, they are looking at castles'''
The Tamazi have also looked for other opportunities to help contribute to the Imperial Orc development of Mareave. As well as their proposal regarding the [[Here to stay#Not Going Anywhere|fortified settlement]] they have identified two other locations that they think would make excellent forts - helping to protect the people of Mareave and ensure that the land is not an inviting target for the Grendel.
===Storm Lords Sentinel===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Storm Lords Sentinel'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Fortification</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:'''Rucraic's Redoubt, Eoradal</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 50 white granite, 30 weirwood, 48 crowns in labour, six months construction</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Base labour costs would normally be 240 crowns, but are reduced to 0 by the ongoing inspiration of Thrace; the remaining 48 crowns are due to the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|Under Developed]] quality and are not reduced by that opportunity</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Serves as a rank one [[fortification]], but would also serve as a Skouran [[embassy]] once they agreed to one</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 8 throne</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''A fortification at Ruicraic's Redoubt could serve double purpose as an embassy to Skoura'''
The first is at ''Ruicraic's Aerie'', a minor fortification [[Sea-wood_fed_with_copper#Ripples_in_the_Water|captured]] more or less intact by the [[Seventh Wave]] thanks to [[Between_stone_and_salt#Objective:_Recover_a_map_to_Rucraic's_Aerie|intelligence]] recovered by Imperial heroes. The Tamazi propose adapting the [[Commonwealth]] idea to build something similar to a ''[[For_the_Common_Good#Fighting_Talk|diplomatenschloss]]'' for the [[Skoura|Skourans]]. By all accounts the Skourans do not currently want an [[embassy]], but that doesn't mean the Imperial Orcs shouldn't build them one! They know from their time in [[Axos]] that the Skourans are traders. The Tamazi believe it is a matter of time before the people of the mountains see the benefits of trading with the Empire, and the Imperial Orcs should be at the forefront of that trade. When that happens, the embassy will be already built, merely waiting on a delegation of Skourans to leave their mountains and establish offices there.

Given Rucraic's Redoubt is already a castle, the Tamazi are confident that converting it to a full fortification with the opportunity for trade would require less white granite than building something from scratch, and take only six months to complete. Once complete, the place could be "activated" as a Skouran embassy at any time, likely as part of a [[Ambassador#Treaty|treaty]] with that nation.
{{SOP|statement=One nation, woven from six strong strands. Each of these septs has its own expertise, that will help us to show the people of Mareave we are not their enemies. We send Skywise Gralka with 25 doses of liao to urge the Tamazi to seek ways we may make Mareave a home for our people by using their skill in stone masonry and magical defences to aid against the Grendel threat let the first sept we send be one to protect these new lands and people.|by=Skywise Tulva, Imperial Orcs Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 44-0|when=Summer Solstice 386YE}}
The Tamazi plan is to build the fortified embassy at the base of the mountains, and then have the Senator for Mareave (currently '''Gaddak''') send a [[Call Winged Messenger|Winged Messenger]] to Skora to politely ask if they would like to trade with their neighbours - not as representatives of the Empire but as the Imperial Orcs nation. The Tamazi are confident that the Skourans will consider the proposal, and, at the very least, agree to establish a trade ministry in Eoradal. From this start, the Empire would be better positioned to build stronger trade ties - and all thanks to the Imperial Orcs.

The ''other'' reason the Tamazi propose their version of a ''diplomatenschloss'' is the existence of the ruined aqueduct in Eoradal. Their examination of the structure indicates that if it were rebuilt, and with the cooperation of the Skourans who live in the mountains above Mareave, it might be the answer to at least some of the problems Mareave has getting access to fresh water - and the Tamazi are excited at the prospect of such a significant and impactful construction for obvious reasons.

===High Mountain Home===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''High Mountain Home'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Fortification</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:'''Eastern Peaks, Fleisardh</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 150 white granite, 30 weirwood, 108 crowns in labour, a year to construct</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Base labour costs would normally be 540 crowns, but are reduced to 0 by the ongoing inspiration of Thrace; the remaining 108 crowns are due to the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|Under Developed]] quality and are not reduced by that opportunity</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Serves as a rank two [[fortification]], removes the under threat quality, may cow the Brine Turtles</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Storm Wards'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Special</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:'''Eastern Peaks, Fleisardh</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 20 mithril, 20 ilium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Can only be included when the High Mountain Home is commissioned</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Increase casualties to armies attacking the fortification in Fleisardh by half</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
{{Expired}}
* '''A large fortification could be established in Fleisardh to remove the under threat quality there'''
The other target of the Tamazi is in Fleisdardh. They do not find much welcome among the Brine Turtles sept, and quickly decide to give them a wide berth. During their exploration of the hills and mountains here, however, some of them come up with an ambitious plan. The Brine Turtle claim the plains, and the coast, and mostly ignore the eastern fifth of the region. As a consequence the mountains are largely unexplored and unexploited save for a few die hard miners who seem broadly unaware that Mareave has changed hands and largely disinterested when they discover otherwise.

The initial plan is that the Imperial Orcs should "hollow out" a mountain, and build a massive citadel overlooking Fleisardh. After further discussion, they settle on something a little less impressive at least to start with. Dubbing it ''High Mountain Home'', the Tamazi plan to use divination magic to locate an aquifer and reshape the side of the mountain into a mighty [[fortification]]. Visible across the region it would be a clear sign to the Brine Turtles that the Imperial Orcs are not messing about - they are the new masters of Mareave.

Using their expertise, the fortification would take a year to build, but would provide significant protection to Mareave. The Tamazi also plan to include a number of features familiar from the citadels of Axos such as mushroom farms and grand storehouses that would allow a garrison to endure as much as five years of siege. More than that, once garrisoned, the Tamazi are confident there would be sufficient strength here to remove the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under_Threat|under threat]] quality from the region if it were still there. It would not by itself make the Brine Turtles any more accepting of the Empire, but it could still prove a powerful aid to diplomacy with them, an unmissable reminder of Imperial ambition and power.

Some of the Tamazi are members of the Golden Pyramid order, and along with their peers they report that there is a small amount of [[ilium]] in the mountains above Fleisardh. Not really enough, and not really concentrated sufficiently, to make a mine viable unfortunately. But one of the younger Tamazi has a better idea. Adapting some of the warding symbols the Tamazi traditionally use in their constructions, along with some elements she has uncovered about the [[A_beacon_of_smoke#Objective:_Raise_the_Lyceum's_wards|Lyceym Storm Regio]], ''Deepdrummer Kattak'' proposes to capture and channel the storms that swirl around the high peaks of Mareave and further bolster the defences of the High Mountain Home.

Her plan would add 20 wains of mithri and 20 rings of ilium to the cost of the fortification, but not increase either labour costs or time to build. Woven into the fabric of the fortification, they would mean that any attacking army assaulting Fleisardh would need face poor weather and occasional devastating thunderbolts. The casualties suffered from attacking the fortification would be increased by a half. As their placement and implementation is integral to the design of the castle, the decision about whether to include Kattak's wards would need to be made when the structure was commissioned.
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Marcher.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>

==Farming and Water==
{{SOP|statement=The Marcher Assembly calls on all those adept at farming arid land. Take up your tools and head to Mareave for our Imperial Orc friends have need for your skills to remove the arid quality and make the land grow.|by=Sister Meredith, Marches Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 204-0|when=Summer Solstice 386YE}}
{{SOP|statement= The farmers of the Brass Coast are known far and wide as experts in farming arid lands. We have had a request from our friends in the Imperial Orcs, Mareave needs a lot of work, and as such they ask our aid in teaching them how to farm their new lands. We call upon the farmers of the coast to travel to Mareave and help cultivate a prosperous new territory.|by=Maria i Espiri i Guerra, Freeborn Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 166-0|when=Summer Solstice 386YE}}
* '''Both the Marches and Freeborn assembly encourage their people to help in Mareave'''
* '''Doing so would be costly to the two nations'''
During the Summer Solstice, two [[statement of principle|statements of principle]] were proposed, one in the [[the Marches|Marcher]] assembly, and one in the [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] assembly. They both asked the people of their nation to look into the possibility of helping the Imperial Orcs address the problems presented by the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Arid|arid conditions]] in Mareave - and the difficulty of establishing farms there. Both nations have something to offer; the Marchers are unparalleled experts at the agricultural arts, while the Freeborn have centuries of experience teasing crops and beautiful gardens alike from dry, waterless soil.

However, the people of both nations also know the value of their expertise. While there are some who might feel a kinship or debt to the Imperial Orcs - their armies have selflessly defended the Western empire time and again - others are more practical. The majority are prepared to make an assessment of the situation in the east, to see if they might be able to help, but they will ''not'' do so for free. The Freborn now that everything can have a price, and while the Marchers know that land matters above all else, Mareave is [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Far_Frontier|a very long way away]] and it is not ''their'' land. Both nations farmers also know that [[Prosperity]] means that while the virtuous are not selfish, they also expect to receive just recompense for their labours. Also, as some are quick to point out, there is a war on, with Mournwold invaded and both [[Feroz]] and [[Madruga]] very much in need of rebuilding. Perhaps the farmers of these two nations should be looking closer to home?

Bearing all that in mind, the Marcher National Assembly could pass the following mandate:

{{Mandate|mandate=Our mastery of farming is unsurpassed in the Empire, but we know our worth We send (named priest) with 50 doses of liao to urge the virtuous and prosperous farmers of the Marches to visit Mareave and see how the land there might be made green.|assembly=Marches National Assembly}}

If the mandate is enacted it will persuade virtuous farmers to visit Mareave. This would mean that there were fewer pious farmers in the Marches during the coming season, and apply a 1 rank penalty to every [[congregation]] in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]]. Farmers of Mournwold have more pressing matters on their mind, and those in [[Bregasland]] perhaps rightly believe they have nothing to offer when it comes to farming in the arid grasslands of Mareave. The Marchers who travelled to Mareave would present an opportunity to help build up agriculture there, but part of their opportunity would require they be repaid in some way for their efforts.

Likewise the Brass Coast Assembly could pass the following mandate.

{{Mandate|mandate=The Freeborn are experts in drawing forth prosperity from arid lands. We send (named priest) with 75 doses of liao to ask Freeborn farmers to go to Mareave, to aid our friends in the Imperial orcs to make their lands flower.|assembly=Freeborn National Assembly}}

If enacted, this mandate would encourage experts in dealing with the kind of conditions found in Mareave to travel to the far side of the Bay of Catazar to see what aid they could offer in dealing with the arid conditions in the northern parts of the territory. In particular, the [[Zemress islander|Zemress islanders]] would be encouraged to visit the Broken Shore for the first time since they were brought home to the Brass Coast. As with the Marchers, though, such aid would come at a price. Every [[congregation]] in the Brass Coast would experience a 1 rank penalty to production in the coming season, and the Freeborn farmers would expect suitable recompense before they would put any solution into action.
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly League.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Urizen.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>

==Trade Routes==
{{SOP|statement= We applaud the assignment of Mareave to the Imperial Orcs and reach out in prosperity and friendship to our new neighbours. We encourage and promote the movement of people, material, goods, and fine things through Spiral, across the Apulian Way, and into Mareave by way of Prosperous trade. Raised by Fabio, Bishop of Apulian.|by=Fabio Costas de Sarvos, League Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 376-0|when=Summer Solstice 386YE}}
* '''The League could build a safe route through Spiral connecting Mareave to the rest of the Empire'''
One final statement of principle was raised at the Summer Solstice that received a greater majority. '''Fabio Costas de Sarvos, Bishop of Apulian''' called on the nation to promote the movement of people and materials through Spiral, and down the Apulian Way into Mareave. At first, there was little interest in the proposal - the League is after all busy [[Construct Grand Inspiration of the Way#Outcome|supporting]] the [[Blood_will_thicken#A_Question_of_Scale|Grand Inspiration of the Way]] in [[Bastion]] and has little time for other projects at the moment.

However... not ''everyone'' thinks that the Grand Inspiration of the Way is the most important thing they could be building. '''Bishop Fabio''' is known in some circles for [[385YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_68|speaking out]] about the construction in Bastion, and urging "''citizens of the League not to assist in the aggrandisement of the White City, except when through fair trade their own Prosperity might grow.''" As a consequence, some people who couldn't give two figs for Bastion and the overarching plans of the Way are interested in the suggestion and decide to see what can be done about it. As it happens two of those interested in Fabio's words ends is an ambitious engineer named ''Lucia Calumo di Apulian'', originally from Holberg, and a former Grendel entrepreneur now named ''Sheeva di Apulian''. Perhaps due in some unidentifiable way to the magic sloshing around in Mareave at the moment, they end up in a long and detailed conversation with a pair of [[Urizen]] [[architect|architects]] (''Tressida Nightshadow'' and ''Croilus Nightshadow'') returning to their spire after [[Thresher's summer|spending time in the Marches]]. The four of them end up lamenting the fact that travel through the {{Black Plateau}} haunted territory is slow and painful. Together, over dark coffee, they put together a proposal.
===Extending the Apulian Way===
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="float: right; margin-left:10px; width=50%; max-width:500px;">
<tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Greater Apulian Way'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:'''Great Work</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Apulus, Spiral</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 50 wains of white granite, 20 wains of mithril, 210 Crowns, six months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' If the Master of Rings commissions the road 6 wains of white granite will be provided by League citizens</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' If the Urizen Assembly supports the road, 4 wains of mithril will be provided by Urizen spires</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' This commission is built in Spiral rather than Mareave and so the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|Under Developed]] quality does not change its costs. The [[Legion Engineer]] could not reduce its costs by commissioning it</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Raises the level of investment in Spiral by one providing 36 rings for each business, and removes the under-developed quality from Icarion</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Extending the Apulian way through the city and connecting it to the Court of the White Fountain would solve Mareave's under-developed problem'''
* '''It would also provide benefits to both League and Urizen businesses in Spiral'''
* '''If the Master of Rings commissions the road, 6 wains of white granite will be provided by League citizens'''
* '''If the Urizen Assembly support the road, 4 wains of mithril will be provided by Urizen spires'''
The ''Calumo-Sheeva-Nightshadow Road'' - or the ''Greater Apulian Way'' as it is immediately christened - would involve repairing and fixing up the road that once connected the port of Apulian with Redoubt, via the [[Redoubt#The_Court_of_the_White_Fountain|Court of the White Fountain]] and the now flattened Fort Mezudan. Repairing the road is simple if laborious, but the real aim of the proposal is to establish a series of mithril-infused rest stops along the route. Patterned after [[Navarr]] wayhouses, and built with traders and ox-caravans in mind, they would make it significantly less stressful to travel through Spiral to the city in the south. It's a simple matter to extend the road through the Apulian Way pass into Mareave, and build a nice big inn and some warehouses in [[Mareave#Icarion|Icarion]], a stones throw from the old lighthouse ruins there. The Nightshadow architects believe that once complete, it could inspire more interest in the roads of Spiral, and certainly the pattern of mithril-infused roadhouses would spread ensuring that people all over the territory would find it easier to get and sell goods, and travel despite the horror that squats in the centre of [[Spiral#Screed|Screed]].

The proposal is expensive, but it will immediately benefit both the inhabitants of Spiral - whether they are League or Urizen - and the people of Mareave. In Spiral, it would establish a [[great work]] that benefitted [[business|businesses]], while in Mareave it would remove the [[Set_my_lands_in_order#Under-developed|under-developed]] quality from Icarion and provide a reliable method to transport building materials, food, travellers, and workers through the miasmic oppression of Spiral.

The two Leaguers have put their heads together and have a plan they think would work. At the moment, Apulian can feel a little like the "smallest sibling" in [[the League]]. If the would very much like the [[Master of Rings]] to do it. Their [[Master_of_Rings#Responsibilities|responsibility]] after all is to make "as much money as possible" for the Merchant-Princes of the League. If the Master (currently '''Laughlan Vi Temeschwar''') commissions the Greater Apulian Way, then Lucio Calumo, Shiva, and their friends will stump up 6 wains of white granite to support the project.

Tressida and Croilus are of the opinion that it might be possible to build on it to further enhance the Prosperity of Spiral, or at the very least to find a way to counter the negative effects the {{Black Plateau}} still has on [[fleet|fleets]], [[military unit|military units]], and [[farm|farms]]. They also feel that work on the road could prosper a spirit of cooperation in Spiral, building on the [[The city below|recent mandate]] enacted by ''' Lepidina'''. If the Urizen national assembly passes a suitably worded [[statement of principle]] encouraging people to support the Greater Apulian Way, then Nightshadow spire will contribute 4 wains of mithril to the project in the hope of encouraging other Urizen still living in Spiral to consider doing the same.

Finally, all four believe that this could just be the start of grander projects in Mareave. A firm road connection to the rest of the Empire would be an ideal start to building up the roads the Grendel left behind - or establishing a lucrative trade route between Apulian and [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]].

==Participation==
* '''Any character is free to roleplay they have spent time in Mareave, and encouraged to create a story about a chance encounter'''
Any character who roleplays having spent time in Mareave this season is encouraged to make up a story about a coincidental meeting that helped them make a new friend, or find a new contact who shared their interests. This is especially appropriate for members of the [[Golden Pyramid]] [[conclave order]] or the [[Tamazi]] sept (or both), but anyone might be visiting the arid territory for any number of reasons.
==Resolution==
The [[Conclave]] chose to take advantage of [[#Black Sand Circle|the offer from the Black Sand Circle]]. [[Grandmaster]] '''Arsenio Sanguineo Rezia di Tassato''' [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Dissemination:_Gift_of_the_Wily_Broker|proposed to disseminate]] the [[Gift of the Wily Broker]] to them, and the Conclave concurred. The Grandmaster will take ownership of a ritual text of ''Eye of Ruby and Sapphire'' at the Winter Solstice.

The Senate also [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Assign_Bronze_Bowls_of_the_Three_Seasons|assigned the Bronze Bowls of the Three Seasons]] to the Imperial Orcs as a national position. The Bowls had been discovered in northern Mareave shortly before the Summer Solstice, as detailed in the '''[[Digging_for_fire#The_Bronze_Bowls_of_the_Three_Seasons|Digging for fire]]''' wind of fortune.

Both [[the Marches]] and [[the Brass Coast]] offered aid to the Imperial Orcs in Mareave with regard to their farming problems. '''Grey Stone''' proposed [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_97|Marcher farmers]] would visit the territory, while '''Annalaya del-Toro''' suggested that '''Maria I Espiri I Guerra''' should [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_110|urge Freeborn farmers]] to do the same. Both assemblies agreed.

Lasty, '''Laughlan Vi Temeschwar''', the [[Master of Rings]], commissioned [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Construct_Curstag's_Way|Curstag's Way]], a [[#Trade Routes|trade road]] that will connect Redoubt, Spiral, and Mareave.

==Further Reading==
* [[Mareave]]
* [[Here to stay]] - 386YE Autumn wind of fortune detailing the appraisal to encourage the southern orcs to be more cooperative
* [[Digging for fire]] - 386YE Summer wind of fortune detailing the Golden Pyramid contribution in Mareave
* [[Into the spin]] – 386YE Spring wind of fortune summarising the situation in Mareave

Rebirth in Reikos

2026-10-08T11:26:10Z

Twiggy: /* Overview */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:380YE Summer]][[Category:Recent History]]
<quote by="The General Assembly of the Imperial Synod 380YE Winter Solstice">
The Virtue to which the First Empress was dedicated remains an enduring mystery. The Synod has rejected that she was an exemplar of Courage. In her life, we can see her exemplify all of the Seven Virtues and the Virtuous should look to her example whatever their chosen dedication. She created her Empire to allow her people to follow and uphold Ambition, Courage, Loyalty, Pride, Prosperity, Vigilance, and Wisdom. She placed none in prominence above the other. I call on the people of my Empire, the people of Highguard, and my followers in the chapter of Yael’s Revelation to dedicate themselves to the Virtue to which their soul cleaves most true. A life lived in pursuit of any of the 7 True Virtues will speed you through the Labyrinth, through the cycle of Reincarnation, and on to the transcendent destiny I have glimpsed beyond the Labyrinth. I go with liao to bring this message
</quote>

<quote by="The General Assembly of the Imperial Synod 380YE Winter Solstice">
I, Jared of the Suns of Couros Chapter of Highguard in Reikos will travel the lands of the Empire to counsel the Faithful that the General Assembly of the Imperial Synod has rejected the [[First Empress]] as an exemplar of Courage on grounds of insufficient evidence. She is now amongst us again and we must listen and learn from her again.
</quote>

==Overview==
More than a decade of bloody rule by the Druj has made a charnel house of Reikos. Burned out chapter houses litter the land. Wells poisoned with lye. Carcasses block the streams that now carry fetid water to the Haros. The Druj were not content to conquer Reikos - and so they sought to destroy it. It would be the work of years to unmake the ruin they have wrought and restore Reikos to its former glory.

The savage wickedness of the Druj, the butchery and the destruction, was not mindless. Rather it was orchestrated by the depraved leaders of the Druj, a deliberate program of oppression intended to break the spirit of the Highborn people. Only the strongest, armoured by their faith in the Way were able to endure it unchanged and none were left untouched. It is no wonder that [[Conviction|Golan's message]] was so readily taken up - the people, like the land, seek salvation.

Now Golan is absent, leashed by the Synod. But that august body of the Empire, the mountain on which the fortress that is the Way is constructed, has authorised two priests Yael and Jared of the Suns of Couros to bring their message to the receptive people of Reikos. The timing for this latest intervention could not be more apropos - the priests arrive just as a [[A season of mushrooms|wave of magic]] plunges the territory into chaos once more.

<ic>
Micah stared at the water she had drawn from the old stone well. It was not a deep well and often ran dry in high summer, but since the recent change there seemed no end to the water she could draw from it. It was always bitter of course, the Druj had made sure of that long ago.

When word of the First Empress's most recent journey through Reikos had reached Micah she had paid it little attention. A land without tears? Micah had abandoned tears when she gave up her childhood. Crying did not fill the hole in your belly - nor the one in your heart. What use had she for such dreams?

Her mother had fought to the last to defend their farmstead, until she was cut down by a poisoned arrow. Her father they had captured and taken as a slave - she never saw him again. But Micah had been young at that time - so young that they had simply ignored her and moved on. A child not even worth enslaving, they had abandoned her to her fate. Their last act of spite was to fire the farmstead and pour lye into the well - poisoning the waters that had once brought life to the tiny farm.

She had survived for all the years that the Druj had controlled Reikos by hiding out in the ruins. Food she could forage for, but clean water had been her a constant struggle. Anything drawn from the well not even fit to feed animals, bitter and even a sip would make the stomach heave. On good days she liked to imagine that one day she would be grown enough to the dig the well out and remove the last trace of the Druj bile from her parents farm - but it was little more than a dream.

And then the change had come to Reikos. The burned out ruins of her parents farm was slowly consumed, the few remaining beams that survived the fire quickly rotting while the thick ivy pulled down what little remained of the walls. Micah had fought it at first, but it was hopeless and in the end she was forced to accept the inevitable. She abandoned the ruin and built herself a small shelter in the thick green wood that was now growing where her mother had once grazed their flock of sheep.

Now as she looked at the water in her bucket she stared, unable to believe what she was seeing. It was impossible - simply impossible. The water should have been brackish and green - good for watering her small vegetable patch and little else. But instead it was clear - completely clear - like meltwater from a mountain. She cupped a little in her hand and cautiously tasted it, expecting to feel the familiar burn on her tongue.

Instead the water tasted wholesome and fresh... pure. Of the legacy of the Druj, the poison they had spitefully poured into the old well, there was no trace. The water - the well - her parent's well - the one her mother and father had worked so hard to create all those years ago - was clean once more.

Silently she whispered a prayer of thanks to the First Empress for this miracle, as she raised her hand to her cheek to wipe away the wetness.
</ic>

==Significance==
Shortly after the Spring Equinox, a wave of change sweeps over Reikos. It begins with the smallest thing, a crop of strange fungi begin appearing throughout the territory. There are edible mushrooms aplenty - food enough for everyone - but also brightly coloured toadstools with vermilion caps thick with poison and tall yellow mushrooms that hurl spores far and wide every time the wind blows. Every imaginable fungus seems to blossom as well as the moulds now growing on trees, plants and buildings. From the fetid waters long poisoned by the Druj, new life springs. Attempts to remove the fecund growth is futile, for every mushroom cut down, two more spring up in its place the next day.

Into this miraculous landscape come two priests, Yael with her companion Jared, sent from the Imperial Synod. They travel the land, working to undo the heretical glamour Golan has worked upon a desperate people, bringing word of the First Empress reborn. The vast bounty of liao brought with them is more than sufficient to bring the followers of the heretic Golan under her sway, and discredit his vision of Courage as the prime virtue - especially with the forceful words of Jared's synod judgement to back them. Where Golan had denounced the Synod, seeking to turn the Highborn against the august body, the words of Yael and Jared are backed by Synod judgements. Working patiently they counter Golan's claims, and spread the word that Yael is the First Empress reborn - at the very moment that Reikos itself is reborn.

Some say the timing is serendipity, a mere coincidence. Some point to the all the memorials, graves, mausoleums and monuments saved from the Druj, now drowned beneath this wave of life. They say the magic is the work of fell creatures - of twisted beings from the Realms who seek to yoke human destiny - they claim that Yael and Jared are in league with these creatures - some even claim that they are heralds of Spring themselves.

But those who are thankful for the change sweeping over Reikos point out that what is happening is ''exactly'' what they would expect from the presence of a living paragon, what Imperial doctrine has led them to believe should happen. It is a [[Signs_of_the_paragon_and_exemplar#Miracles|miracle]]. Everywhere the First Empress walks... new life springs up and the stain of the Druj is washed away. They cite the multiple judgements of the Imperial Synod, which has repeatedly chosen to confirm that Yael is the First Empress - returned from beyond the labyrinth - to the Empire. The Synod - the bastion of Imperial orthodoxy, the centre of learning that points the Way for the entire Empire - has embraced the First Empress. The mighty have spoken - who can refute that judgement now in the face of a clear miracle?

By the time of the Summer Solstice, the transformation of Reikos, both physically and spiritually, is well underway. Many of those who followed Golan have returned to their original congregations; enough that the levels of attendance have returned to normal - at least for now. But others, eager for any hope of salvation in these apocalyptic times have taken up the new cause with great fervour. Now a massive impromptu assembly has formed in Reikos, the ''Congregation of the First Empress'', dedicated to spreading word of the her rebirth. If the current preaching continues for another season, this new congregation will begin to eclipse the impact that even Golan achieved.

===Helping Yael===
If the [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The Virtue Assemblies|Courage Assembly]] or the [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_National_Assemblies|Highborn Assembly]] passes a judgement encouraging citizens to listen to the First Empress reborn then the backing of the Synod will provide a massive boost to her efforts. In support of Yael, the Synod can authorise a priest to employ liao to spread word of the return of the First Empress. For each 25 doses of liao authorised, the effects of the ''Congregation'' can be spread to an additional territory adjacent to Reikos. This will significantly increase the size of the new congregation but will not affect attendance at other congregations. In addition, either of these Assemblies could choose to further support Yael in Reikos. If a named priest is authorised to employ 50 liao in Reikos the current Congregation will grow significantly larger - but the impact of this will then be noticeable on other congregations in the territory.

Ultimately Yael is claiming that to be ''"the First Empress, returned from beyond the Labyrinth and reborn among the people of my Empire"''. Her words describe her ''"vision of the Labyrinth and of the Land Without Tears."'' If the [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_General_Assembly|General Assembly]] passes a judgement in support of this claim, then a named priest chosen by either the General Assembly or the Assembly of Courage could spread this word across the Empire. This would require 100 liao - but every territory in the Empire would then experience the same effects currently happening in Reikos. The priest could be named as part of the statement of principle raised by the General Assembly.

===Countering Yael===
If the General Assembly or the Courage Assembly passes a judgement refuting the earlier judgement by Jared of the Suns of Couros that the First Empress ''"is now amongst us again and we must listen and learn from her again"'' '''or''' the Yael's claims to have had a ''"vision of the Labyrinth and of the Land Without Tears."'' then they can name a priest to travel to Reikos with 250 liao. This will counter the effects of the ''Congregation of the First Empress'', persuading those who have sworn to the new congregation to give up their crusade undoing all the work that has been achieved so far.

As always, in the event that multiple incompatible judgements are passed, the judgement that has had the largest amount of liao spent on it takes precedence.
===Further Reading===
There's a lot going on in Reikos this season. You may also want to look at some of the following sections:
* [[380YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_war#Green_.28Reikos.29|Winds of War]]
* More details of the [[A season of mushrooms|general situation]]
* An opportunity for the Imperial Synod regarding the [[A question of provenance|weird fungi]] growing in parts of Reikos.
==Resolution==
The Imperial Synod supported Jared, Cardinal of Loyalty, in spreading the word of Yael's teachings throughout the entire Empire. You can learn more about the repercussions of this event [[Pilgrimage|here]].

Resolutions

2026-10-07T15:36:20Z

Twiggy:

==List==
* [[Has reared himself a throne]]
* [[Troop of echoes]]
* [[Any port in a storm]]

Any port in a storm

2026-10-07T15:36:04Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Appraisal]]
<ic>The group of academics leaned back on the bog chairs their hosts had provided. The evening meal, a mixed seafood grill had been delicious. Served on a bed of rice and artfully presented on thick green leaves that also added a subtle flavour to the meal. It had made a pleasant change from the spiced and cured sausage that was the mainstay of many Holberg meals. What was needed now was a few tankards of the city's finest ale, but sadly that was in very short supply way out here in Misericorde.

"I don't think I've ever been spied on before! Well, not by such charming hosts." Gelberg grinned at his colleagues.

"I hardly think the girl's a spy!" said Heinrich openly laughing at the suggestion. "She's a guide - and a damn good one too. I would have trod in that bog up to my waist if she hadn't been there to point it out."

"You haven't spent enough time with her yet. She pestered me with questions all day. All day! How does this work in the Commonwealth. How do you build a cantilevered crane lift? What's the best diameter for a borehole well?"

"So she's inquisitive! There's nothing wrong with that surely?" protested Heinrich.

"Inquisitive? I think not. Have you noticed that she occasionally sneaks off? You said she was off playing with the other kids. Well she wasn't - I caught her. She was writing everything I said down... She was making notes! She could be working for the Jarmish!"

Gelberg's tone was one of outrage, but Heinrich still couldn't quite tell if his boss was being serious or whether it was just mock indignation. "You're not... actually worried about her... are you Immy? She's our host's niece, she seems lovely."

"Don't be fooled by that!" said Gelberg and spread his hands wide as if to encapsulate some terrible danger before unveiling the punch line. "I know a student searching for extra-credit when I see one!"

Heinrich rolled his eyes and groaned at his supervisor's terrible joke. The cost of not having thought to bring any ale with them suddenly seemed a lot higher.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GreatestCity5.png|caption=Holberg is regarded as the greatest city in the League - and perhaps even the world.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpt08-13dgM}}
The idea of building a port in [[Holberg]] is not a new one. Long before it was near-universally acknowledged as [[the greatest city in the world]], the merchant-princes of the east dreamed of establishing a port to boost trade. Such dreams were little more than fancies while the [[Druj]] held the outlying regions and threatened to take the city. Now that the Empire is pushing east and driving the Druj back, there is a chance to seize the initiative and help make Holberg even more Prosperous.

There was [[Thousands_or_more#A_New_Port|talk of more ports]] on [[the Semmerlak]] when [[Ossium]] was conquered. The [[Karov#Malimorzi|docks of Korotny]] were eventually expanded, but ideas to expand [[Semmerholm#Lacuve|Lacre]] in [[Dawn]] and to build a new port in the north of Holberg never emerged. Now, the timing seems apposite - the Sand Fisher [[orc|orcs]] are eager to support any investment in the north of the territory and one of the powerful [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] families, [[Founders_of_the_Delves#The_Lijkkever|The Lijkkever]], have likewise [[Can't_give_everything_away#Schuyler_and_Holberg|expressed an interest]] in the prospect of trade with the greatest city in the world. At the Summer Solstice, the [[Senate]] instructed the civil service to send [[Appraisal#Naomi_of_Virtue's_Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]] to [[appraisal|look into the matter]], to see what such plans might cost and what the benefits would be.

<quote by ="Senate motion, Proposed Holberg, Seconded Casinea">To instruct the Prognosticator's Office to send Naomi of Virtue's Rest to appraise constructing a port in Utterlund, in Holberg, as laid out in the suggestion from the Lijkkever families of the Sarcophan Delves. We ask Naomi to negotiate with the Lijkkever and the Sand Fisher Orcs of Misericorde for their assistance in constructing the port and associated necessary infrastructure.</quote>

==A New Port==
* '''The Senate could commission a large port in Utterlund to improve trade for Holberg and surrounding territories'''
* '''The port would provide an array of benefits and slowly establish a new town at the location'''
* '''Building the new port will harm trade at Varushkan ports on the Semmerlak'''
* '''Increases purchase prices at Korotny Docks and Kostjyas Respite in Varushka by a tenth'''
The Senate can't create a new town from nothing, but nobody is in any doubt that if the Empire builds a decent-sized port on Holberg's coast, then it will quickly grow into a thriving conurbation that might one day rival [[Sarvos#Trivento|Trivento]]. With ships bringing in valuable trade goods, there will be a constant need for stevedores to work the docks; there will be a demand for inns and hostelries to entertain landbound sailors and warehouses to hold the goods; and if the port is big enough it will draw people to it like flies to honey, and within two years a new town will have sprung up.
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''The Imperatrix Docks'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Great Work</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Utterlund, Holberg</td></tr>

<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 75 white granite, 50 weirwood, and 375 Crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Raises the level of investment in businesses in Holberg
* Raises the level of investment in fleets in Holberg engaging in trade
* Boosts taxation from the territories bordering the Semmerlak by a total of 15 thrones a season
* Establishes a new town on the Holberg coast
* Establishes a ferry across the Nameless River allowing easy travel from Holberg to Ossium boosting trade between the two territories
* Reduces the cost for Holberg characters to upgrade businesses by one white granite for a year after completion
* Creates the League position Prince of the Imperatrix Docks
* Allows Holberg businesses access to purchase up to two wains of one type of bourse resource set by the Merchant-Prince of the Docks each season
* Increases purchase prices for the [[Merchant Boyar of the Bittershore]] and the [[Harbourmaster of the Semmerlak]] by one tenth (rounded down)
* Includes extensive offices for the Prince and their staff
</td></tr>
</table>

<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Merchant-Prince of the Imperatrix Docks'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' League</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Tally of the Votes or Auction of the Seats</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:'''
* Can purchase goods from visiting merchants
* Can set the type of wains available to buy from the docks by winged messenger with one seasons delay</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' Oversee the Imperatrix Docks</td></tr>
</table>

<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color:LightYellow;">'''Trade Purchases'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>100 crowns</td><td>5 wains</td></tr>
<tr><td>30 thrones</td><td>10 wains</td></tr>
<tr><td>50 thrones</td><td>15 wains</td></tr>
</table>
</div>

The port will need to be sizable, however. Too small and it will fail - incoming ships will prefer to sail on to Lacre, [[Karsk#Korotny|Korotny]], or the [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]]. Without that trade, there wouldn't be a reason for people to go there. Without enough ships docking there, Holberg merchants will be better served by sending their goods to other markets. There is no middle ground - all the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticators Office's]] calculations agree that an [[Ambition|Ambitious]] program of works to establish a large set of docks will be a seed that grows into a mighty oak - but if the plan is too parsimonious, it will achieve nothing and end up being little more than a vanity project.

The plans themselves are not Naomi's area of speciality, but the Lijkkever have a great deal of experience with such matters and they are eager to help. In other circumstances, they might demand payment for the work done for the Empire by their skilled architects and engineers, but Naomi adroitly persuades them to provide their assistance as a sign of good faith and support for the project. She also recruits some of the most capable professionals from Holberg to work on the plans by slyly suggesting that they might not want to be outdone by their Sarcophan rivals. Together, the two groups are able to meet the brief - to create an Ambitious set of plans for a set of docks that would draw ships, businesses, and people to the shores of Holberg.

The port would be operational as soon as it was complete, enabling trade to flow to and from Holberg to the port. The [[385YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Construct_the_Lakesedge_Highway|recently completed Lakesedge Highway]] that runs from [[Holberg#Holmauer_Park|Holmauer Gate]] to [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]] would need to be extended to reach the new port on Utterlund's coast, but that work is small and the costs included in the proposed [[commission]]. Once established the port the bustling trade would cause a port town to spring up and would establish an office to oversee operations. The Docks have been provisionally titled the ''Imperatrix Docks'' in honour of the most famous scion of Holberg in living memory, the [[Empress Lisabetta]].

The Merchant-Prince of the Imperatrix Docks would be responsible for the docks and the trade, ensuring that things ran smoothly. They would have the opportunity to purchase some of the wains being sold in the port - and could use their influence with the Sarcophan to set what resources were brought to the port to sell. If they sent a [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]] to Ambassador Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike at a summit, then they could determine whether it was [[mithril]], [[white granite]] or [[weirwood]] that arrived at the docks for sale. There would be a significant delay for any changes; manifests take time to be arranged so the type of wains available would change in the trade season after the following summit (that is three to six months later), so it would be prudent for [[the League]] to select a far-sighted candidate to the position.

The Merchant-Prince would not be the only one able to benefit from the arrangements. Each Holberg business would be able to purchase a small shipment of wains from the docks, with the type dependent on whatever the Merchant-Prince had ordered. For the first year of operation, it would cost three thrones for a wain or seven for two wains, but prices ''could'' vary after that point, driven by demand and circumstance.

The one drawback of the new port is that it would reduce trade to the more northern ports in the Varushka - the Docks at Korotny and [[Merchant_Boyar_of_the_Bittershore#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]]. As a result, the [[Merchant Boyar of the Bittershore]] and the [[Harbourmaster of the Semmerlak]] would see all the prices for their ministries increase by one tenth (rounded down) reflecting the increased prices needed to be paid to attract merchants to these more distant ports.

==The Lijkkever Connection==
* '''The motion to commission the docks could grant the Lijkkever exclusivity among the Sarcophan to use the docks'''
* '''This would reduce the costs by 20 wains of white granite and 60 crowns'''
* '''It would remove the penalty for building a commission in a marsh in Holberg'''
* '''The increase in taxation for the docks would drop from 15 thrones to 10 thrones'''
The Lijkkever are eager to embrace the opportunities provided by trade with Holberg and their help could be pivotal. Years ago, a proposal by the Sand Fishers identified Misericorde as the only part of the Holberg coast that might be suitable for a substantial port, but that was based on the assumption that nobody would be mad enough to want to build a port in a marsh. With the creeping waters of [[Holberg#The Morass|the Morass]] expanding to claim [[Holberg#Ennerlund|Ennerlund]], [[Holberg#Utterlund|Utterlund]] and [[Holberg#Rebeshof|Rebeshof]], it seemed like a safe bet that the only practical choice would be Misericorde.

<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Lijkkever Exclusivity'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Amendment to Imperatrix Docks</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Utterlund, Holberg</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Reduces the cost of the docks by 20 white granite and 60 Crowns
* Removes the penalty to build any commissions in the marshes of Holberg
* Reduces the increase in taxation in adjoining territories from 15 to 10 thrones
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>

Normally, any [[commission]] that is built in [[Region_qualities#Marsh|a marsh]] will see labour costs increase by twenty percent, reflecting the [[Commission#Marshes|difficulties involved]] in working in such wet conditions where groundworks easily flood. However, the Lijkkever are experts at such work and whatever happens, they are prepared to lend their expertise to the project for free as a show of their good will. As a result, the normal penalty for constructing a port in a marsh does not apply to the Imperatrix Port.

However, the Lijkkever are seeking something more - they would like a fifteen year contract for exclusive access to the docks. Their ideal is that only Sarcophan vessels registered with the Lijkkever would be allowed to put to port in Holberg during that time. In return they would provide twenty wains of white granite and sixty crowns towards the cost of constructing the docks. In addition, they would establish a small Lijkkever community in the new port who would provide their skills and experience towards any commissions built in Holberg, removing the penalty for ''any'' commission built in the marshy regions.

Sadly, there is a downside to granting the Lijkkever such rights. There would still be trade from other nations around the world coming to the port and the Lijkkever are a prosperous and wealthy family, but preventing other Sarcophan from competing with them would mean less overall trade and less wealth generated for Holberg and the surrounding territories. As a result, taxes in adjoining territories would rise by a total of ten thrones a season, rather than fifteen.

Any exclusivity would need the legal agreement of the Imperial Senate, so it would ''have'' to be included in the [[Senate motion]] or [[Senate announcement|announcement]] for the commission - it could not be included later, without a separate Senate motion.

==The Sand Fisher Contribution==
The Sand Fishers are a little nonplussed that the Empire is now looking at building a port in Utterlund rather than [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]] as [[Schools_and_sawmills#The_Lakesedge_Highway|originally proposed by '''Lia Adelaar van Holberg''']]. The Empire had built a fine road that now runs all the way from Holmauer Gate to the Misericorde coast with the stated intention of building a port at the end of it.
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Sand Fisher'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Amendment to Imperatrix Docks</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Requirements:''' Grant the Sand Fishers their own trade enclave in the new port
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Reduces the cost of the docks by 20 weirwood and 60 crowns
* Prevents the Empire selling weirwood to Sarcophan traders through the port
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
However, they are not slow to grasp that with the help of the Lijkkever, the Empire won't have to worry about the costs of building in the wet marshes of Utterlund. The orcs are shrewd enough to understand that the Lijkkever have very effectively undercut their offer. If they are disappointed they hide it well. They cheerfully concede that while they won't do half as well from a port built in Utterlund, as Misericorde, they're still much better off than with no port at all. And once the town develops there will be growing demand for the foodstuffs produced by the Sand Fishers with a market that is right on their doorstep.

Crucially, it appears that the sept have been painstakingly preparing for something like this project for years. In Winter 383YE, [[Across_the_Abyss#Prosperity|members of the sept asked what they might do to repay the League]] for the generous gifts they had been given, the lands of Misericorde and so forth. They insisted this was important - that [[Prosperity]] demanded that they despise those who take without giving (a phrase that some Sand Fishers increasingly use as a reference to the Druj). In response, the League Assembly endorsed a [[statement of principle]] by '''Lia Adelaar van Holberg''' which suggested one way the sept could help would be to support investments in the wealth of the territory.

Inspired by that goal, the sept acquired the materials to build their own [[Schools_and_sawmills#Holberg:_The_Sand_Fisher_Port|sawmills]] and have been busy preparing large stocks of timber. Kiln-dried hard wood ready for construction and surprisingly substantial stocks of [[weirwood]] have been carefully hoarded for just this moment.

Their original plan, when they expected the port to be built in Misericorde, was to contribute 20 wains of weirwood to the commission of the new port. However, since the port is now being planned for Utterlund, they have a request to make. They have apparently been speaking with the Sarcophan and have discovered the existence of the [[Houses_of_Silence#The_Alivetti_Enclave|The Alivetti Enclave]] in Sarvos. In return for their weirwood and help with the labour building the port, they would like their own enclave.

Their plan is a modest building that will include a small storehouse where they can keep goods to sell to visiting traders. They understand the League might not object to them bringing goods to the port to sell anyway, but the sept believe that having their own enclave would give them some credibility with merchants which will increase the prices they can get for them. Technically it would mean that Sand Fisher law was relevant inside the building but the sept don't seem to care about that; they're more concerned about the impression the enclave will give the Sarcophan and other visitors.

There don't seem to be many ''obvious'' drawbacks to the plan, but there may be political issues that make it impossible. The lone economic flaw is that if the Empire found a way to sell weirwood through its ports, they wouldn't be able to sell weirwood at the new port, since the Sand Fishers would meet any demand in that regard, from their share of the [[Holberg#The_Flaxen_Pillars|Flaxen Pillars]].

===Good Neighbours===
* '''A companion appraisal is being performed by Commonwealth Professor Gelberg that may have bearing on the matter of the port
At the same time that Naomi is engaged in her appraisal, the [[Commonwealth]] academics led by Professor Gelberg are also talking to the Sand Fishers. While Naomi's efforts are focussed on what support the sept would be able to provide for the new port, Professor Gelberg is exploring [[Threats_that_are_to_come#The_Common_Good|the possibility of the Sand Fishers acquiring farms in Utterlund and Rebeshof]].

==Back At The Office==
* '''Graciana is not available to perform an appraisal during the Autumn Equinox
* '''Mladen Escovitch continues to enjoy his retirement
* '''Eilian Sweetwater is on sabbatical and also missing
While Naomi is busy in Holberg, there are a few developments at the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticators Office]] that the Imperial Senate should keep in mind during the Autumn Equinox. The number of appraisals remains the same, but there are slightly fewer appraisers to actually ''perform'' them.

At the Summer Solstice the Senate [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Ministries|instructed]] the Prognosticators to look into ways to provide new options to some of the Empire's [[ministry|ministries]]. In the absence of specific guidance from the Senate, the Auditor of the Imperial Treasury, ''Gerard La Salle'', assigned [[Appraisal#Graciana_i_Lòpez_i_Guerra|Graciana i Lòpez i Guerra]] to oversee the matter. This appraisal is quite challenging, and will take another three months to complete - it will not be finished until the Winter Solstice 387YE. As such, Graciana is not available to perform any other appraisals until that time.

The Senate also [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Grant_Sabbatical_to_Eilian_Sweetwater|approved]] a request by [[Appraisal#Eilian_Sweetwater|Eilian Sweetwater]] to take a sabbatical from the Prognosticator's Office to perform a [[For_those_in_peril_on_the_sea#An_Extensive_Prospect|thorough investigation]] of the Empire's historic lighthouses. Unfortunately, his first such investigation into the destroyed Lighthouse of Nikephoros in [[Redoubt]] coincided with a [[To ruin|major offensive]] by the [[Grendel]]. Eilian's whereabouts are [[To_ruin#And_Finally...|currently unknown]], although hopefully wherever he is he and his companions are safe and well.

Finally, during the Summer Solstice, there was [[Hope_and_fear#Further_Appraisal|an opportunity]] to encourage the retired [[Appraisal#Retired_Prognosticators|Mladen Escovitch]] to return to work at the Prognosticators' Office. After giving the matter due consideration, the [[Assembly of the Nine]] and the Senate decided to leave the former [[general]] to enjoy his retirement.

As such, there are only two members of the Prognosticator's Office available to perform appraisals at the Autumn Equinox - Naomi, and [[Appraisal#Lutomysla_Niegoslava|Lutomysla Niegoslava]]. They both have particular areas of expertise - Naomi is adept at finding diplomatic solutions to problems, and Lutomysla is an experienced magician with a flair for dealing with magical problems or finding magical answers to thorny questions. As always, if the Senate do not specify which of the Imperial prognosticators will undertake an appraisal that decision will be made by the Auditor of the Imperial Treasury.


==Further Reading==
* [[Holberg]]
* [[Appraisal]]
* [[Sarcophan Delves]]

* [[Threats that are to come]] - 387YE Autumn wind of fortune detailing an appraisal by Commonwealth academics also taking place in Holberg
* [[Can%27t_give_everything_away#Schuyler_and_Holberg|Can't give everything away]] - 387YE Summer wind of fortune relating to Sarcophan enthusiasm for a port in Holberg

Resolutions

2026-10-07T15:25:09Z

Twiggy:

==List==
* [[Has reared himself a throne]]
* [[Troop of echoes]]

Troop of echoes

2026-10-07T15:24:51Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>The young man wakes between one breath and the next, and sits up. He yawns, stretches, sips from a glass of water on the bedside table. Gets up, draws the curtains. It is still dark outside but the first light of dawn is beginning to spill across the sea far below his window.

He barely remembers his dream; something about a party at the palace and applause. He washes the dream away as he performs his morning ablutions - even at this early hour his servant has ensured the water is warmed and there is a fresh towel waiting for him. He pauses for a moment looking at himself in the gold-inlaid mirror. He practices his expressions for a few minutes: appearing sombre, appearing amused, appearing angry. Then he dresses, beginning with the simple dragonbone mask that covers the upper part of his face, then a freshly laundered silk under-robe of glorious apricot. He fingers the material, luxuriating in both its texture and its colour. He pulls on a sombre black lambswool outer-robe, but belts it only loosely. It gives him a sense of satisfaction that everyone will see how he rejects the funereal garb of the traditionalists, ready to embrace the joy of a nation reborn.

In the foyer of his apartments he pauses to pour fresh water and oil into the little basin at the shrine, and scatter black rose petals. Solokha, hands folded before her, wearing the Mask of Peace. The other sorcerer-kings stand behind her, united and solemn. If he feels any particular connection to his alleged ancestor he does not display it in his perfunctory obeisance.

The office is quiet. He is the first one there. He relaxes into his chair. The new leather creaks as he tries to settle himself. He is unaccustomed to it, but knows that in time it will come to fit his body like a glove - and if it does not he will simply replace it. He takes a moment to ensure everything is arranged on his desk, positioned just so to convey busy professionalism and subtle power. His eyes stray again to the portraits of the Grand Ilarchs on the wall opposite the desk. Anyone who meets with him will do so under the watching gaze of Kyther. And the others, of course.

The only document on his desk is a sealed letter; his secretaries have been chosen for their competence at dealing with the day-to-day demands of his office so this is something that requires his personal attention. He turns it over in his hand, selects the jade-handled golden letter opener. It is from his opposite number in the Empire. It must have arrived during the night. He reads it carefully, writing a few lines on the vellum he keeps for his most important business with a pristine swan's feather quill.

While he writes, a servant enters, soft woollen slippers making no noise on the dark carpet. They open the shutters on the window, which faces towards the dawn, to where the sun is rising. The servant refills his water glass from the pitcher, bows, and quietly retreats. The meeting with Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban - with the Grand Council rather - has already been arranged and he must be ready to present his summary of the missive. Must be ready to receive his instructions.

He pauses for just a moment, though, gazing out at the glorious crimson, topaz, golden light spilling out across the horizon. It sparks a fierce joy in him, reminding him that he at last has everything he ever wanted, that at last he is part of something ''good'' and ''powerful'' and ''destined''.

It's going to be a wonderful day.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|caption=The ''Axou helios'' is an ancient symbol of the Axou people, adopted by the ''Nikitis Axou'' movement.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCLmiuMv5L4}}
* '''Axos are signatories to the Liberty Pact, and relations have been slowly improving in recent seasons'''
* '''There have been recent upheavals in both the Axou and Imperial embassies as the ambassadors from both nations have changed'''
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with foreign nations, based on communications received from their ambassador, along with any useful intelligence gathered from other sources. While the Senate and the other houses of Imperial power may respond to these offers, it is important to note that it is the appropriate [[ambassador]] that the foreign power will expect to hear from. Their communication with the foreign power is the primary element that will determine the tenor of any response.

Imperial relations with the [[Axos|Citadels of Axos]] are significantly improved over where they were a year ago, in part due to the involvement of Imperial priests in the [[It_never_happened#Solokha|reclamation of the ruins of Solokha]]. The Axou remain proud and touchy about their sovereignty and position in the world, however, creating challenges for the [[Ambassador to Axos|Imperial ambassador]]. They are members of the [[Liberty Pact]], but they know they are only there thanks to the Empire, on the sufferance of the [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]]. In recent months, the small nation to the south of [[the Mallum]] is clearly undergoing a level of [[Victory_and_unity#Times_Change|internal upheaval]] thanks to the ambitions of ''Grand Ilarch Kyther''. More recently they were [[A_better_future#School_and_Scandal|rocked by scandal]] leading to the retirement of the former Ambassador Ilarch Maxatios, the formation of a new Grand Council to guide the nation, and the establishment of a [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|Unified Convocation]] that seeks to do the same for Axos' disparate religious [[Bands#Sects|sects]].

At the same time there were upheavals closer to home as long-serving Ambassador ''Fintan Nighthaven'' was [[revocation|revoked]] from his position and [[sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the [[Synod]]. He is succeeded in the position by ''The Flame of Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]]. In Axos, Maxatios has been replaced by ''Ilarch Kario Skopos'', a scion of the Skopos family of the [[Axos#Chambers of Ussyk|Chambers of Issyk]]. At the instruction of the Grand Ilarchs, however, he has renounced his ties to the citadel of his birth for as long as he holds the post. Instead, he is known as Ilarch Skopos of Solokha, signifying his neutrality when it comes to the politics of the citadels. The new ambassador reports directly to the Grand Council and represents their will, and through them the will of their people.
{{Nation|nation=[[Axos]]|port=[[Axos_ports#Towers_of_Kantor|Kantor]] and [[Axos_ports#Chambers_of_Issyk|Issyk]]|ambassador=The Flame of Riqueza of [[the Brass Coast]]|status=Foreigner}}
==But To Sing==
* '''A formal delegation intends to visit Anvil during the Autumn Equinox
* '''They will be received in the Senate around 11.30am on Saturday
* '''The delegation expects to speak to the ambassador and renew good relations between the two nations
* '''There is talk of other business after the formal delegation
One of the first matters Ilarch Skopos has arranged is the dispatch of a diplomacy envoy to Anvil, to arrive during the Autumn Equinox and renew relations between the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. The delegation expects to be formally received by the new Ambassador in the Imperial Senate; the meeting is scheduled for late morning on Saturday. Kario admits that mostly the delegation is intended to be a little pageantry to mollify some of those looking for an excuse for the Citadels to be annoyed with the Empire; a chance for diplomats from both nations to make some speeches and little else.

Once it's concluded however, it is hoped that there will be chance to discuss a couple of more serious issues specifically relating to the war in the [[Sarangrave]], and to the Liberty Pact. On the matter of the war with the [[Druj]] it seems that the [[A_better_future#The_Tyrants_of_the_Mallum|Summer visit]] from representatives of ''Grand Ilarch Dancia Terricos of [[Axos#Ipotavo|Ipotavo]]'' went well. They spoke with '''Gabriel Barossa''' among others, and remain committed to taking action against the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]]. It is hoped that there will be someone at the Senate who will be able to speak on behalf of the [[Military Council]] on this joint strategy and any political elements that may need smoothing out.

==Liberty==
* '''The Axou are calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact for the Winter Solstice which they will host
* '''They plan to use Lashonar's Caucus Forum to do so
* '''They are bringing the matter of a recent amendment to the table for voting
In their missive the Imperial Ambassador mentioned that the Empire was considering calling a meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] either in the coming Winter or in Spring next year. This news delights Ilarch Skopos, because it shows that the ambassadors of the two nations are thinking along similar lines. As it happens, Axos is calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact at the Winter Solstice that they will host (as is [[Voice_of_Liberty#Rights_of_Signatories|their right]]). They are aware that the seas are dangerous, and so have secured the boon of the [[Lashonar#Caucus Forum|Caucus Forum]] from the ''[[Lashonar|Midnight Owl]]''. The [[eternal]] has assured Ilarch Skopos' office that there will be no problem bringing together representatives from all four nations that are signatory to the Pact in the secure [[Realms#Night|chamber of Night]].

The goal of the Axos delegate is to repeal the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Summer_384YE_Amendments|384YE amendment]] that demands all signatories apply a [[Tariffs#Embargo|trade embargo]] to the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. They argue that the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Principles|Second Principle]] - that ''signatory nations will place economic or trade sanctions of their own choosing on nations defined as slaving nations'' - is more than sufficient. The Pact, says Ilarch Skopos, is about ending slavery not about allowing the signatory nations to force their own politics on the other members. The Commonwealth has overstepped and attempted to turn the Pact into a political weapon that distorts its original purpose.

Ilarch Skopos anticipates that the Empire will let his office know if there are any motions the Imperial delegate wishes to place before the Pact for discussion at this meeting, and that the [[Sumaah Republic]] and [[Commonwealth]] will do the same. One of Skopos' experts on the Liberty Pact will be travelling to Anvil along with the formal delegation and hopes there will be a chance to speak to the [[Voice of Liberty]] '''Jarrigk Silktongue''' on the upcoming meeting. They apologise for pre-empting the Empire's meeting, but if there is business that is not resolved during the Winter Solstice there will be ample opportunity for the Imperial delegate to call a further meeting. Ilarch Skopos advises making use of the Caucus Forum, or a similar eternal boon, simply because it makes it much harder for members of other nations to find reasons they cannot attend.
{{SOP|statement= Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. As preachers of Ambition, spreading virtue across the known world, we need to act immediately to guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path. Reaching out in support, sparking the embers which to blow into the inferno of true virtue.|by=Tongs, Ambition Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos, inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos. Let us be the light of truth to plan seeds of Virtue and Enlightenment now which will bear fruit for generations to come. Only then can we address their folly of the Creator. Heed the call of Ambitions Master and Masquerade, of Pride’s Conqueror, of Vigilance’s Sentinel, and Wisdom’s Avigliana.|by=Fintan Nighthaven, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Fintan Nighthaven. You are not above reproach and certainly not above consequence. You have proven a force of corruption in your dealings with Peace - the extent of your influence must be scrutinised. Time 6pm Sat, place Nighthaven Camp. Let us see if you are malicious.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, Wisdom Assembly|vote=Upheld (184-20)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=For irregularities in their dealings with Axou, and following accusations of assisting the spreading of false virtue, we revoke Fintan Nighthaven from the position of Ambassador to Axou. This action has been requested by the Consul of the Senate.|by=Revocation, Cardinal Lenarius Ankarien, Ambition Assembly|vote=Greater Majority (5-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=On behalf of the Imperial Inquisitor: (Judgement 148 after inquisition) Fintan Nighthaven has been found guilty of incontestable acts of blasphemy and abuse of priestly powers. His work as an agent of Peace has harmed both the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. He lied to the Vigilance Assembly and the Greater Synod to gain true liao that he used to create an artefact shield of Peace. He brought false hallows under false pretences to the Assembly of Nine. His provision of significant liao facilitated a mandate of unity in Axos. This cannot stand.|by=Condemntaion, Cardinal Silas of the Cenotaph, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority (8-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Chaplain Consular, Lepedina. It is your responsibility to tend to the souls of the Ambassadorial Court. Fintan Nighthaven has been allowed to operate undeterred to devastating consequence. We will discuss what work you have done at the next summit.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, General Assembly|vote=Automatically upheld|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
==A Unified Convocation==
* '''The Unified Convocation sees a number of Axou sects coming together in a tentative philosophical alliance
* '''It enshrines and encourages adherence to the Axou faith which declares the Creator a tyrant and the Labyrinth a place of torture
* '''The Imperial Synod has discussed offering aid to the Unified Convocation
As [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|mentioned last season]], in the wake of the recent cleansing of [[Axos#Solokha|Solokha]], ''Theodosia of Ipotavo'' has established a permanent presence in the ruins of the citadel. At this small temple, several of the Axou [[bands#sects|sects]] who helped reclaim the haunted ruins have established a "Unified Convocation" - the ''Enias Sinklisis'' in the old language of the Nikitis Axou. It is modelled somewhat on the General Assembly of the [[Synod]], but so far only a small number of Axou sects expressed any interest in becoming part of it. How much influence the Convocation will be able to wield is not clear; the Axou share a single religion but few priests possess any actual political power.

It seems that over recent months the Convocation has focused on spreading a message of unity, and of the importance of the Axou faith as a way for citizens of the Citadels to understand their place in the world. Fundamentally conservative, it has so far proved acceptable to those who wield real power - the Grand Ilarchs. Indeed ''Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban'' has spoken openly in support of the Convocation, and of the importance of cleaving to the values that built the Citadels.

Anyone who has made any study of [[Axos religion|Axou religion]] knows that fundamentally it stands in opposition to the Way. Indeed Axou religious scholars have gone so far as to [[Axos_religion#Repudiation|repudiate]] the [[Doctrines of the Faith]] in detail in their writings. Not only does the religion preach the importance of resisting the Creator, the curse of death, and the torments of the Labyrinth, it preaches that ''any'' spiritual force may prove to be a useful weapon in that battle. Axou sects combine the true virtues freely with much more [[Malign spiritual presences|malign spirits]] in their pursuit of that war. Unifying the disparate sects will be an uphill struggle, but if it succeeds it is unlikely to be good for anyone with ambitions to spread the Way into Axos.

During the Summer Solstice, two [[statement of principle|statements]] were upheld in the [[Ambition]] and [[Vigilance]] assemblies calling for Imperial priests to travel to "''guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path''" and to "''Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos''." Neither statement achieved a [[Greater majority]] however. That may be for the best - the Axou are notoriously prickly about condescension and painting their priests as "lost sheep" or "infants" is almost guaranteed to annoy them a great deal. The Grand Convocation has not asked for any assistance, and if it were to be offered it would need to be done carefully or risk upsetting a situation that is, at least for the moment, relatively stable. Should any Virtue Assembly wish to offer aid however, the first step would be to achieve a greater majority.

The Civil Service caution that sending Imperial priests to Axos on this matter will be challenging. Recent trips to Solokha showed that the Axou are no less committed to their beliefs than the Empire is. It is unlikely that any group of Imperial priests, are going to undermine Axou certainty that the Creator is the enemy and that the Labyrinth is a trap. In turn there is little risk of the Axou convincing devout priests of the Way that ''their'' beliefs are false and they should decry the Creator. What ''is'' likely to happen however is that the Axou sects will continue to share their understanding of the so-called "false virtues" with anyone who comes to Axos, and there is a real danger of those tempted to explore these malign spiritual presences would take this opportunity to visit the eastern nation and embrace those dangerous spirits.

==Robes of Sorrow==
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Fintan Enemy of the Creator.jpg|caption=Fintan Nighthaven, former Ambassador to Axos, has been condemned in the Empire but exalted in Axos.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
* '''The former ambassador to Axos has been revoked and condemned by the Assembly of Nine
* '''The United Convocation have declared him to be an Enemy of the Creator
* '''The General Assembly could choose to vindicate Fintan for his actions'''.
One of the statements urging Imperial priests to visit Axos and help mold the United Convocation came from the former Ambassador '''Fintan Nighthaven'''. During the Summer Solstice, Fintan was variously [[inquisition|inquisited]] by the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]] '''Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost''', and then both [[revocation|revoked]] and [[Sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the Assembly of Nine. This has caused a great deal of discussion among priests in various parts of the Empire; some have even pointed out that it is "''interesting''" that the condemnation was raised by the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]], '''Silas of the Cenotaph''', who is himself quite a [[Know_your_enemy#Take_the_Power_Back|controversial figure]].

Oblivious to all this, and apparently unaware that it might have ramifications, the initial response to hearing that Fintan was no longer Ambassador to Axos was one of surprise and sadness. Fintan, wrote Ilarch Skopos, was an experienced diplomat who he personally had hoped to correspond with. Dealing with someone of Fintan's pedigree would have surely served as a steadying guide to his first faltering steps along the road of diplomacy. While Ilarch Skopos welcomes the new ambassador it is with a little sorrow that he never had a chance to match wits with the famous Fintan Nighthaven. And so on.

It is followed a few days later by a formal recognition from the United Convocation that Fintan Nighthaven is an "Enemy of the Creator". This is apparently meant as an honorific, and within traditional Axou sects it is not dissimilar to being recognised as an exemplar or perhaps more likely the newly created status of [[Exaltation|exalted]]. Someone who through spiritual or philosophical means has opposed the Creator's wicked plans and encouraged other mortals to resist the curse of death and the torments of the Labyrinth. It is clearly meant to be a good thing, but unfortunately may end up being another nail in the coffin of the former Ambassador.

The crimes Fintan stands condemned for - [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] and [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]] - are very serious indeed. The magistrates will try Fintan for these crimes at the Autumn Equinox, under the [[The_final_cut#Questions_for_the_Magistrates|new guidance]] as to how to proceed - and it is not clear if the Ambassador will be able to refute them. From a legal point of view, there are various possible pathways forward. It is vanishingly unlikely that the magistrates will not find the actions Fintan is accused of as broadly compatible with the definitions of the religious crimes of which he has been accused --- it is certainly not overwhelmingly clear that the actions in question are ''not'' within the right scope. It may of course be the case that the accusations are simply false: if this is the case, and the magistrates judge this to be so at trial, then Fintan would have a clear defence in law, which would imply that almost every member of the Assembly of Nine has opened themselves to prosecution for [[List_of_Criminal_Offences#Crimes_against_the_Processes_of_the_State|perverting the course of justice]]. If Fintan pleads guilty, the right of [[Member_of_the_Synod#Clemency|clemency]] is open to him, if a member of the Synod wishes to offer it: if this plea fails, it seems likely, given the scale and severity of the accusation, that his execution will surely follow.

However, another path exists. Per the recent guidance, there is but one body within the Synod that can countermand another assembly when it deigns to condemn - but it may so countermand even the Assembly of Nine. This is, of course, the General Assembly. A judgement of [[Sanction#Vindication|Vindication]], stating clearly that the General Assembly considers Fintan's actions to have constituted neither [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] nor [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]], would essentially terminate the current legal proceedings. Such a statement would not even require a greater majority to pass... unless the Emperor intervened in their role as Custodian of Virtue. Even then, a greater majority would save Fintan. It would also set the General Assembly directly at odds not only with the Assembly of Nine but also with their recent strong stance against meddling with false virtues, but the Synod has changed its mind before.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box><big>'''Tomb Dust and Masks'''</big><br>The ideal phys-rep for ''tomb dust'' is a little pouch of sand or a dark coloured cloth wrap secured with string or thong. It doesn't need to be especially large - just big enough to feel comfortable in the hand.<br><br>The ideal phys-rep for a ''Mask of the Citadel'' is a bone-like mask such as china, porcelain or the like, but any mask will do. Axou masks tend to evoke skulls rather than echoing the more fanciful designs of the League (for example).</box></div>

==Pearl and Ruby Glowing==
* '''Axos welcomes Imperial ships
* '''Kantor and Issyk remain open to Imperial vessels
* '''The goods available from Kantor have changed
Trade with Axos appears to remain strong. With the end of the Asavean bounty on ships trading with Imperial ports, there are more black-sailed ships arriving at [[Necropolis#Crown's Quay|Crown's Quay]] in [[Necropolis]]. Thanks to Imperial ships still committed to [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting ships]] to and from Imperial ports, trade is beginning to return to normal levels. Healthy trade is the lifeblood of nations, as the [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] say, and the "[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]" appears to be paying off already.

Kantor is no longer providing crystal mana - instead it will provide a visiting captain with two doses of something the Axou call ''Tomb Dust'' - a consumable that allows the user to expend their personal reserves of strength to power their magic. There are several varieties of tomb dust depending where it is gathered, but they all apparently bear a touch of ''necromantia'' about them.

The merchants of the city have also been given leave by the Grand Council to make some of their rarer goods available to visiting Imperial captains; a fleet that has been [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] may be able to acquire one of the ''Masks of the Citadel'' - [[:Category:Foci|magical foci]] that empower certain ritual magics favoured by the descendants of the sorcerer-kings.

==Through the Pale Door==
* '''A delegation has visited the Halls of Maykop and worked on codification of a ritual
* '''A copy of ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'' is now in the possession of the Tyburn Weaver
* '''The Axos Ambassador received worrying news of potential espionage
* '''Ilarch Skopos has asked for formal reassurance that no espionage or theft has taken place
In response to a [[A_better_future#Winter Magic|peace-making gesture]] from the [[Axos#Halls of Maykop|Halls of Maykop]], the Imperial Conclave agreed to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Shuttered_Lantern_to_Maykop|send a delegation]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] to Axos to work with magicians there on a codification. They chose a ritual named ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'', an [[enchantment]] that adds weight to spoken oaths and geasa. The formulation of the ritual, believed to have been based on work performed by the [[Urizen]] '''Spyridonakes of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', was completed swiftly and efficiently and a copy of the ritual text should now be in possession of [[Grandmaster]] '''Tyburn Weaver''' who raised the [[declaration]]. Shortly after the work was completed, not long before the Autumn Equinox, a concerned message reached the office of the Imperial Ambassador from Ilarch Skopos.

Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is a little concerned to have received a warning from a reputable source that Imperial citizens, members of the delegation from the Shuttered Lantern, may have planned to engage in espionage and theft while visiting Maykop as guests of the faculty there. Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is particularly distressed by this, and as such the Axou Ambassador requests reassurances from the Ambassador, and ideally the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Conclave, that no such act has taken place and that no similar act will be considered in the future. It may simply be that the source of the warning was engaged in malicious mischief, or seeking to sabotage relations with the Grand Council, but there is enough concern that Ilarch Skopos feels driven to request such reassurances.

Regardless it does not appear that the Grand Ilarch of Maykop is keen for further delegations from the Empire. While individual students may attend it is unlikely a similar opportunity for a Conclave order to work on the codification of a ritual will be forthcoming any time soon.
<br><br><big>'''Participation : Shuttered Lantern'''</big><br>
Any player whose character is part of the Shuttered Lantern order may have accompanied the delegation heading to Maykop last season, to attend the University there and help codify the Winter ritual. They will have found the city a little standoffish, especially members of the Grand Ilarch's immediate circle and the higher ranking members of the University faculty, but been welcomed with a degree of enthusiasm by the students in particular. In addition to the work of codification, alongside Axou experts in Winter magic, there were opportunities for several feasts, a chance to see the sights of the cloistered citadel, and to audit a few classes on any number of subjects both mundane and more exotic (especially those relating to funerary practices which are treated as both a science, an art, and a magical discipline by the Axou).

There may have been opportunities for minor espionage but nothing with game implications. If there ''was'' a theft of ritual knowledge, only Grandmaster Tyburn will know the details and who took part in the operation (that is, the Grandmaster is free to invite other players to have been part of such a scheme but it's not appropriate for a player to decide they were involved).
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBLeague.jpg|align=right|caption=The Axou are interested in the Five Cities Military Academy.|width=300}}</div>
==Along the Ramparts==
* '''The Axos have politely declined an offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
* '''A counter-proposal would see Axou captains visit Tassato to study at the Five Cities Military Academy
* '''There are both concerns about what the Axou might learn and opportunities involved in such an exchange
Ambassador Kezandro put forward a proposition that Axos might be interested in purchasing a right to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress Naval Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]] in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]]. After extensive discussion, Ilarch Skopos regretfully declines the offer on behalf of the Grand Council. It seems that the Axou do not see the value in [[navy|naval forces]] - their expertise lies very much in the realm of [[fortification]] and in those places where they might consider expansion a navy will be of little use.

On the other hand there ''is'' some interest in the [[Tassato#Five_Cities_Military_Academy|Five Cities Military Academy]] and the [[Tassato#Barossa School of Imperial Strategy|Barossa School of Imperial Strategy]] in [[Tassato]]. According to Ilarch Skopos there are a number of mid-rank officers in the military forces of the northern citadels - [[Axos#Gates of Ipotavo|Ipotavo]], [[Axos#Tunnels of Kaban|Kaban]], and [[Axos#Chambers of Issyk|Issyk]] - who have expressed a desire to spend time studying alongside the Empire's elite captains. There are places to study the science and art of war in Axos, of course, especially in Ipotavo, but Skopos does not shy away from praising the Empire's foremost military academy. Axos has enjoyed a long period of relative peace, after all. It's strong traditions of defensive warfare mean that experience of aggressive campaigns is limited to the gaming tables and discussions with dead generals whose knowledge of the modern world and developments in military strategy is in many places woefully inadequate. If Axos is truly to take its place in the world as a true power, it will need to modernise and expand its martial forces and the Grand Council cautiously approve of the idea of sending some of their warriors to study at the Barossa School.

Obviously this is a very different proposition to the [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|current situation]] - where the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits]] oversees a low-key exchange program mostly focused on providing opportunities to study the arts and humanities. It would place Axos citizens in a position to study Imperial military history and practices like never before - and there is some significant potential for espionage if the Axou were so inclined. Fortunately the Empire has no history of direct military conflict with Axos since their [[Mareave_and_Urizen#Imperial_Records|ill-starred invasion]] in the reign of [[Emperor Nicovar]]. On the other hand there is little doubt among the Civil Service that the Axou would benefit more from studying the Imperial war machine - and the workings of the [[Military Council]] in particular - than the Empire might gain from the arrangement. At the very least they would end up almost as well-informed about the Empire's victories, losses, and current strategies as any other dedicated captain attending the Academy (that is, they would gain at least as much information as someone reading a summary of the [[War#Winds_of_War|winds of war]] each season). That alone ''could'' prove problematic, in theory, depending what the Empire is doing at the time.

Ilarch Skopos proposes that the students wishing to attend the Academy simply ''pay'' for the privilege. He estimates that there is sufficient interest in the opportunity to provide 5 thrones each season to the Academy. Such funds would end up in the Imperial treasury unless the [[Senate]] made other arrangements. Either way the arrangements would need a [[Senate motion]] to confirm arrangements should they wish to accept the request.
<br><br><big>'''A Proposal from Apulian'''</big><br>
''Batheka de Tassato Regario'', an Apulian orc veteran and experienced Grendel commander before joining [[the League]] points out that if the Empire ''is'' prepared to take the risk there may be an opportunity for additional profit in it. The Axou may not be able to match the Empire in grand strategy but they are not without their areas of expertise. Their grand citadels - city-sized fortifications - are proof that the people of Axos are skilled engineers, almost as good as those from [[Holberg]], and that they have a lot of experience with defensive building. Anyone who has visited the [[Redoubt#The_Walls_of_Cargo|Walls of Cargo]] knows they have some techniques that are not common in the Empire, and their cities all seem to have especially power [[fortification#Bastion|bastions]] defending them.

They're also known to be reasonably effective at deploying battle-mages their ''[[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Texatai]]'' light skirmishers are apparently well-practiced at small unit tactics employing both sword and rod. While their fighting style is similar to that of the [[Urizen]] [[Sentinel]] there are enough differences to mean they might have some actual insight into such strategies.

If the Senate ''does'' go ahead with allowing Axou soldiers to study at the Five Cities Military Academy, Batheka proposes that the Ambassador (or the senate motion used to issue the invitation) casually invite some siege commanders, or if they prefer some ''toxatai'' captains, to come along. Done casually it will not alert the Axou to the idea they might have something useful to offer; one reason Batheka suggests only asking for one or the other. Asking both will make it a little too obvious what the Empire seeks to gain from the arrangement.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sian Eternal.jpg|align=right|caption='''Siân Eternal''', ''Singer of the Silence'', currently oversees the Great Library at Hacynian.|width=250}}</div>

==Wit and Wisdom==
* '''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop has requested an opportunity for some of her students to spend a season at the Great Library of Hacynian
* '''She waits on a response from the Bursar of the House of Spirits or the Singer of the Silence
Last season ''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop'' - a well respected professor in the faculty of natural philosophy who has been living in the Empire for nearly four years now - [[A_better_future#Librarian_and_Bursar|expressed interest]] in the Great Library of Hacynian. Mistress Isephenia oversees a small group of students from Axos [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|studying in the Empire]], and assists Imperial youths who might wish to study in Maykop. She also helps operate the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|House of Spirits]] in [[Casinea]] alongside [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|Bursar]] '''Rinnah''' of the [[Highguard_groups#The Shattered Tower|Shattered Tower]]. Several students would like the opportunity to study at the Great Library but would need permission to do so.

The Axos professor mentions that no permission has so-far been forthcoming. She's aware that there has been some uncertainty as to who might be responsible for the Great Library but again wonders if either the Bursar or the [[Singer of the Silence]] - '''Siân Eternal''' - would be interested? If so they can send a [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]] to Ilarch Skopos and confirm the invitation. In many ways Mistress Isephenia would rather they politely decline that simply remain silent, but she understands that there are many drains of the time of a busy academic.

Obviously the civil service have advised a degree of caution following the request, given that it appears to offer no particular benefit to the Empire beyond perhaps some diplomatic favour from Maykop, and risks the Axou finding out more about the vallorn than is good for them.


{{Axos Links}}

Resolutions

2026-10-07T15:13:38Z

Twiggy:

==List==
* [[Has reared himself a throne]]

Has reared himself a throne

2026-10-07T15:13:20Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Plenipotentiary]]
<ic>"I don't envy the archmages," said Lutomysla, swilling the last of her soil-brown Marcher beer around in the bottom of her mug. When she was in the Hub, she drank her beer from a mug. Not from any social pressure, but because she hated tea but liked to feel part of the team.

"In what way?" Jorgen was busy reviewing his notes, putting them in order in preparation for writing a proper report for the Archmage of Spring. The towering mushroom had had a lot to say, and the civil servant found that parts of it were fading in and out of his memory in an unsettling way. He'd obviously gotten a bigger dose of those barely visible spores than he had thought. He idly wondered if he ought to see a physick to be on the safe side but it had been a plenipotentiary response, and he was confident that even the strangest of the eternals would not test the boundaries of that particular magic by harming those receiving its response.

"The ambassadors have it easy in comparison." The Varushkan prognosticator leaned her arms on the desk and watched the ebb and flow of human traffic with a detached interest. "They're dealing with people with very different assumptions, but at least they are still people. They want the same things everyone else does. Love, money, power. The usual. They are unpredictable, surely, but in a predictable way."

She sipped the last of her beer. The dregs were thick enough to chew and she smacked her lips in appreciation. Jorgen shook his head. He very much did not see the appeal of that kind of Marcher beverage. He glanced a little sadly at his own mug, still three-quarters full of congealing cocoa.

"I think the eternals are predictable," he said darkly. "They intentionally time their responses to plenipotentiary messages for when I have just made myself a cup of the good stuff. Never fails. Every time."

Lutomysla cocked an eyebrow and half a smile as her friend grumbled, but didn't respond.

"Oh no, no. I mean, yes. They are predictable because they are focused. You're never going to get Toad King to care about anyone who isn't a magician, for example. No matter how much love, money, or power you put on the table. It's more that the ambassadors deal with humans and orcs. That the Ambassador to the Delves could, with a little support, take the same kind of approach they use with the Bedelaar Huisbaas if they had to talk to the House of Princes. Because humans and orcs. But that doesn't work for the archmages."

Jorgen shrugged. He didn't really know much about international diplomacy. It was very much not his wheelhouse. Most people, foreign or Imperial, annoyed him slightly. He wondered not for the first time if that was why he staffed this particular desk as often as he did, then put the thought aside and drank some of his cold cocoa. It was just as dreadful as he had expected it to be. Lutomysla, as she so often did, took his silence to mean she should continue on her theme.

"The problem is that the eternals ''within'' the realm are similar enough. The Autumn eternals on the whole like the Empire, and as long as you keep them where you can see them they'll deal with you on the same basis as they do their fellow cities. It's just how they do things. Night eternals will surprise you whenever they can, but they all love your attention and feeling clever. With Day what you see is what you get, and whatever they may say you know they care more about the thought than the physicality. Summer is all about the ego - and dealing with them is always a balancing act. Winter are watching you to see if you've learned anything, or maybe to see if they can eat you. Spring... now there's a tough one."

"Tougher than dealing with people who will eat you if you get it wrong?"

"Much tougher. None of them actually ''like'' the Empire, and because they're Spring they don't bother to hide it. They'd all be a lot happier without all these cities, and roads, and armies and what have you - all the things that make the Empire what it is. And because they're eternals, you'll never convince them otherwise. The best you can do is try and make sure that they don't set fire to the entire village when you ask them to help you gather firewood. If you see what I mean?"

"I don't," said Jorgen. "But then I just take the messages so..."

Very much as if they had been waiting outside the tent for their cue, a pair of black-and-green feathered creatures stepped dramatically into the tent, eyes glittering. They swept a bow to the gathering, and confidently approached the desk.

"Case in point," muttered Jorgen, grabbing a new stack of paper and a fresh quill. Lutomsyla rolled her eyes.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Time-eaten towers.jpg|caption=Time-eaten towers that tremble not, resemble nothing that is ours.|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm3l16WCngI}}
* '''<s>Five</s> Six eternals have sent emissaries to Anvil, apparently in response to plenipotentiary messages from the Imperial archmages'''
* '''Three have agreed to meetings of one kind of another, either in person or via emissaries'''
* '''The other three have provided messages, opportunities, or gifts of one type or another'''
It is given to the six Imperial [[archmage|archmages]] that they might send a single [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] message to an [[eternal]] of their realm each season. In turn, the eternals are bound to respond, albeit in a way that suits them rather than the archmage. For some this will mean personal meetings, or congress with their chosen lieutenants. For others it will mean direct action, boons and banes offered and delivered, or chances to shape the mortal world so that it be more pleasing to their [[Realms|realm]]. Occasionally, they simply decline, but in so doing make their reasons plain. It is difficult to say with certainty what will arise from any given invitation to [[Archmage#Parely|parley]]. It is unwise to assume that any eternal creature is ''tame'', after all.

As the Autumn Equinox approaches, there have been six messengers dispatched and six messages received that seem to have occurred in response to the words of the Archmages.
==Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers==
{{CaptionedImage|file=EstavusArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
* '''Representatives of the City of Fire and Stone have responded positively to a plenipotentiary'''
* '''They have arranged a meeting with the Archmage of Autumn'''
* '''The current Archmage of Autumn is ''Edmundo of Damakhan's Forge'''''
The soft spoken [[Metal_and_stone#Pride_of_Ikka's_Tears|Architect Noether]] is [[Hammers_and_boxes#Clearing_the_pass|not a stranger]] to the Empire. Shorn of the heavy furs they wear in the north, they are a delicate being with anthracite skin and peculiar garb reminiscent of mage armour but composed of sheets of unnaturally flexible sandstone. They bear a message from the [[Estavus|City of Fire and Stone]], responding to the plenipotentiary message of their factotum, '''Vossk of Zenith Ascendant'''.

According to Architect Noether, the proposal put forward in the missive was "clear, personal, interesting" and the ''Forgemistress'' intends to honour the request. The ''Architects of Iron and Stone'' - a faction in the fire mountain Shikal that specialise in assessment and appraisal of potential constructions and investments - are already putting together a proposal for a permanent office in [[Zenith]] from which '''Edmundo of Damakan's Forge''', and the Empire, may conduct business with the City of Fire and Stone. It will be built at the [[Zenith#Crucible_of_Fate|Crucible of Fate]], where the ''Lady of Hammers'' already has a [[Architect_of_the_Crucible#Bronze_Birds|not insignificant presence]].
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Office of Fire and Stone'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Iteri, Zenith (at the Crucible of Fate)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 10 [[white granite]], 20 [[mithril]], 10 rings of ilium, 90 crowns labour costs</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability: Open-ended</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Creates the title of ''Architect of Hammers''
* Allows heralds of Estavus to enter the mortal realm at the Office of Fire and Stone regardless of alignment
* May provide other benefits</td></tr>
</table>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Architect of Hammers'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Urizen or Imperial</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Tally of the Votes or Declaration of Conclave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Depends on necessary details</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' Oversee the Office of Fire and Stone; liaise with heralds of Estavus on behalf of Urizen or the Empire as a whole, depending on appointment method</td></tr>
</table></div>
The plans themselves are straightforward enough; an [[edifice]] of white granite and mithril with a little ilium used to harness certain [[Autumn magic|Autumn energies]] to make it easier for [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of the ''City of Anvils'' to visit and remain in the mortal world. A title - ''Architect of Hammers'' - will be created to oversee the offices. The ''Bronze Artisan'' is unconcerned as to whether it is an [[Urizen]] title appointed by [[Tally of the Votes]] or an Imperial title appointed by [[declaration]] of [[Candidacy]].

There are clear similarities to a [[fane]] - a type of commission codified by the Empire's architects and civil servants to try and copy techniques used by the Jotun to liaise with eternals. However, unlike a fane, the eternal has given no indication that they wish the structure to be ceded to them. This could be crucial as it means the eternal would ''not'' have [[Laws_of_magic#The_Law_of_Dominion|dominion]] over the commission; that would be held by the Architect of Hammers. As a result, it would be the architect who could determine whether heralds of Estavus could continue to come and go from the Office if the Conclave declared enmity. The eternal would only gain dominion if they seized it (with soldiers) or if they were given it by the Architect of Hammers, or a suitable authority in the Empire (such as the Conclave or Senate).

What has not been established, however, is the precise purpose of the structure. The Archmage is invited to meet with representatives of the Autumn realm during the Autumn Equinox to discuss precisely ''which'' version of the structure shall be built. The meeting will take place in a chamber reached through the Hall of Worlds at 13:45 on Saturday. Edmundo of Damakhan's Forge is invited, obviously, as this is to form part of their legacy, and may bring up to two advisors to the discussion. If Edmundo is no longer the Archmage of Autumn at the time of the meeting, then the Archmage is also welcome to attend.

==Hours Breathing Faint and Low==
{{CaptionedImage|file=LlofirArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
* '''Llofir has declined parley'''
* '''It has put forward a way the Empire might rebuild trust with it'''
* '''The current Archmage of Spring is ''Ibiss Briarheart'''''
On the last day of Summer, as the world inevitably slips into Autumn, just as night falls, the Imperial regio comes alive. Eerie phosphorescence blooms, painting the stones rust-brown and honey-ochre and bloody violet. A thin, ivory-and-salmon fungus sprouts at the centre of the ring, and over the course of an hour grows and extends until it towers nearly ten feet tall. It has neither eyes nor mouth, but it nonetheless speaks clearly in a piping high-pitched voice. This eerie creature is an emissary of the ''[[Llofir|Lady of Spores]]'', the eternal of the [[Realms#Spring|Spring realm]] concerned with fungus, rot, and decay. It comes in response to the plenipotentiary missive of Ibiss Briarheart, the Archmage of Spring. It has been three years - a blink of an eye indeed - since it was [[I_knew_you_were_trouble#Llofir|last sent]] to the Empire to speak with Imperial citizens.

The ''Rotlord'' would like to see the [[vallorn]] ended. Indeed, there was a time where it worked with Imperial magicians to understand that threat and how it might be dealt with. That was before the [[382YE_Winter_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Enmity_:_Llofir|Conclave turned against it]], before armies [[383YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_war#Destroying_Angels|marched on its garden]], before the Empire's people chose to believe half-truths and suppositions over the word of the ''Quiet One''. In the past, it would have offered aid to the [[Vallornguard]] or the nations preparing for the fight against the blight of Terunael. There is now no path back to that position. If the Empire offers its trust, then once the [[The Dance of Navarr and Thorn|net is woven]], and the vallorn rises, the ''Promise of Life'' will see how it might help. But not before.
===Trust===
* '''If the Empire wishes to restore trust they will perform a special casting of Hallow of the Green World
* '''Any Imperial magician can use Madyn's Gift to gain a unique consumable to allow such a casting
The herald's lilting voice continues to speak of trust. The ''Inevitable Circle'' is not ''[[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]]'', desperate for friendship. It will not accept words over actions taken, nor promises over deeds done. The Imperial Conclave has [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Regret_Conflict_with_Llofir|acknowledged regret]] for the conflict, but regret passes quickly. Fortunately, so does anger. When the ''Great Fungus'' demanded the right to ravage the farms of the Empire it was still irritated; that irritation has cooled in the eyeblink since. If Ibiss Briarheart and the Conclave wish to find a way to the place where parley is possible, if there are Imperial magicians who do not hold with what their masters have done, then it will be reasonable. When something is broken, something new can grow from its ruin. Friendship has been shattered; perhaps a new covenant may be forged from its splinters.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial magicians may raise the [[Hallow of the Green World]] across the Empire (and it is clear that like the rest of the Spring eternals, Llofir has no concern about the legality or lack thereof of such an act). Llofir will take the invitation it offers. For three months, it will tend to the ruined and the broken, much as it did in [[Reikos]]. At the Winter Solstice, it will consider the matter of its garden put to rest - provided the magicians of the Empire show that they are prepared to be vulnerable, to risk betrayal. There is a kind of strength that grows from weakness, and only through this vulnerability can the Empire and Llofir find their way back to trust.

Obviously, Llofir lies under enmity, and the ''Hallow of the Green World'' is an indiscriminate enchantment. If it were cast as things stand now, it would be more likely that ''[[Irra Harah|Shacklebreaker]]'' and ''[[Arhallogen|Venomfang]]'' would be the only eternals to respond in any meaningful way. The Conclave could simply provide Llofir [[alignment#Amity|amity]] which would allow it free reign during the enchantment, but that would no doubt require a level of trust that has not been earned.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Whisperspore'''<br>If you plan to take the boon Llofir is offering, you will need a suitable phys-rep for the resultant ''whisperspore''. A pouch containing an amount of pale powder such as sherbet or flour makes an adequate phys-rep for whisperspore. The whisperspore itself is provided in the form of a typical rip-on-use card. The only way to find out exactly what it does is to use it (by inhaling it).</box></div>
However, the herald speaks of an alternative. The Conclave's wards hold sway only so long as Imperial citizens do not offer a clear invitation. As the [[Yaw'nagrah|Green Mother]] did in Winter, Llofir offers a way to twist the ''Hallow'' to open a door for its heralds to touch the Empire. In a similar vein, during the Autumn Equinox, any Imperial magician can perform the Spring ritual [[Madyn's Gift]] but include up to five measures of [[beggar's lye]] alongside the [[realmsroot]]. For each pair of realmsroot and beggar's lye, the casters will receive a dose of ''whisperspore''. Any leftover realmsroot or beggar's lye will be returned untouched.

Like the [[Yaw%27nagrah#Donahorti|donahorti]] of the Green Mother, Llofir's vast garden in the Spring realm is a pharmacopeia of fungus and stranger things not quite plant and not quite animal. Many of them have unique properties of interest to the ''Rotlord'' and those who deal with it. ''Whisperspore'' is a relatively benign substance, a soft powder that can be inhaled to empower an adept of [[Magical_skills#Realm_Lore|Spring lore]] to work their magic more easily, especially [[Spring magic]] that causes rot and renewal such as [[Turns the Circle]]. Or, in this specific case, the ''Hallow of the Green World''. If at least one dose of ''whisperspore'' is used to support a casting of Hallow the Green World during the Autumn Equinox, it will allow Llofir's servants to bypass the warding provided by enmity, letting them walk freely within Imperial bounds.

If the Archmage truly wishes a relationship with Llofir, either on their own behalf or on behalf of the Conclave, then they must take the first step by opening the door, and trusting that the ''Rotlord'' will not abuse that trust. If they cannot bring themselves to do so, then so be it. Llofir will not consider [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] in response to any future plenipotentiary message from the Archmage until after the war against the vallorn begins in earnest.

Obviously, just as with the [[Gifts_of_a_green_mother#The_Green_Mother_Problem|boons of the Green Mother]], the acceptance, creation, or use of ''whisperspore'' would be a crime while Llofir is under the enmity of the Conclave. Furthermore, the Conclave has [[interdiction|interdicted]] the performance of all Imperial enchantments - so performing Hallow of the Green World would be a crime in and of itself.

Message delivered, the mushroom herald shrinks back down leaving only a patch of dead grass behind. By the dawn the odd phosphorescence has faded entirely.

==Resignedly Beneath the Sky==
{{CaptionedImage|file=LashonarArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
* '''Lashonar has declined parley'''
* '''They have offered a use of the Caucus Forum to the Conclave if they wish it'''
* '''The current archmage of Night is ''Bella Vicente d'Apulian'''''
Two feathered heralds of Lashonar arrive at the Imperial Regio at the start of Autumn. They are an odd contrast to some of their cousins who have visited Anvil before. Their feathers are richly coloured, but the hues are sombre - midnight blue and deepest sea green - and their garb subdued. They both seem to know where they are going, and while they return greetings with a smile and a nod of the head they uncharacteristically do not stop to chatter with passers by. They bear a response to the [[Archmage of Night]] and take it in turns to explain.

They offer respect and greetings to '''Bella Vicente d'Apulian''' but apologise that at this time free access to the Caucus Forum is not available. The 'Forum is a magical locale under the control of Lashonar which allows strangers to meet and speak together safely. Given it [[Hey_now_how_you_doing%3F#Mutinous_Chattering_(Lashonar)|withdrew the power]] of the Archmage to call the Caucus Forum, it is hardly inclined to create an entirely different position with the authority to do so. As they said a year ago, they intend to continue speaking to Imperial magicians, and helping them communicate with others, but that such opportunities will happen on ''their'' terms rather than being something citizens of the Empire can take for granted.
===Caucus Forum===
* '''Lashonar will allow the Empire to access the Caucus Forum but on its own terms'''
* '''The Conclave can choose one of three groups to meet in the Forum'''
* '''If they make the decision on Friday the meeting will take place on Autumn summit; if not it will happen at the Winter summit'''
Still, the ''Loquacious One'' does not ban the Empire from its 'Forum - that would defeat the point. With that in mind, the heralds are pleased to announce that the Forum shall be made available to the Imperial Conclave, at the forthcoming summit, if they wish to make use of it. However, Lashonar has determined three groups or individuals ''they'' are prepared to invite to the Forum to speak with representatives of the Empire.
* Representatives of the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean Plenum]]
* Inhabitants of [[the Mallum]]
* A Prince of [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]]
To take advantage of this opportunity, a [[declaration]] of [[Alignment#Acceptance|acceptance]] must be passed indicating which ''one'' of the three options the Conclave wishes to converse with. The magician who raises the successful declaration will be invited to such a meeting, and may bring up to three others of their choice. If the Conclave chooses to accept during the Friday session, the meeting will take place on Saturday via the Hall of Worlds at TBC. If they accept during the Saturday session the meeting will take place at the Winter Solstice. If they do not accept... then that is their right and there will be no hard feelings.

In each case, the ''Voice in the Void'' has identified a group or an individual who would be happy to speak with the Empire. Such representatives will be the most moderate of their colleagues, the ''most'' favourably inclined to the Empire from their faction. While the eternal could try to arrange a meeting with a more representative representative, there is no guarantee that such an individual will accept the offer. Identifying the most receptive individual or group, allows the Loquacious One to be certain of success.

This offer to attend the Caucus Forum is only made at the Autumn equinox and is only applicable to the equinox. This is how the Caucus Forum will work for the time being - the Archmage of Night may use the power of plenipotentiary to ask for it - and may name some of the folk they wish to speak to - but the final decision will be made by the Conclave from a short-list prepared by the ''Muse of Connection''. The Conclave, after all, chose to [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Alignment:_Lashonar_to_Neutrality|end their friendship]] - which is their right, of course. But the lack of communication before or after this was done does not suggest that the magicians of the Empire want a close association with the ''Keeper of the Gates of Wisdom'' right now and it is not one to force such things. So it shall treat with them as it does with others who are not pursuing friendship.

As the conversation comes to an end the heralds regretfully ask why it is that the ''Eater-of-Silence'' does not seem to have had the ritual text for ''Summoning the Loquacious Birds'' returned to them? They felt they had made it clear they would like it back, and provided a method for whoever currently holds it to return it. They have not changed their mind about the ritual; they would be interested to hear why their request does not seem to have been honoured? Perhaps those who currently hold the text might use it to send a message to the ''Speaker of Dreams'' to explain their reticence?

Just before they leave, they touch on the matter of [[Sarangrave]] the archmage raises. They are apparently a little nonplussed. The ''Conscience of Kings'' is doing what it always does; encouraging people to communicate with each other. To call that a "grand plan" is perhaps a little hyperbolic? Unless this is about the [[Four_and_four#Beacon_in_the_Storm_(Lashonar)|rescue of Decius Frostspire]]? The only "grand plan" there was that the herald was delivering a message Imperial magicians had ''asked'' to be delivered.

==Melancholy Waters Lie==
{{CaptionedImage|file=JaherisArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
* '''Jaheris declines parley'''
* '''Jaheris is not inclined to arrange a meeting with Dho'uala until a matter of allegiance and influence is settled'''
* '''The current Archmage of Summer is ''Mirella of the Twisted Rose'''''
With Autumn well underway, a knight-magician of the Court of the Forest presents themselves at the Hub to speak on behalf of the ''[[Jaheris|Silver Prince]]''. They are striking to look upon - clad in azure and alabaster, their skin a delicate shade of eggshell blue, a curling horn-nub extending no larger than a thumb between their brows, a mane of silver hair. They have the restless agitation of a creature not much used to standing still. It is noted that their muscular legs end not in booted feet but in cloven hooves shod with moonsilver. When they speak their voice is surprisingly deep and resonant for their slight frame.

They get straight to the point. The Archmage of Summer has asked for the ''Unicorn Lord'' to arrange a meeting with the [[Dho'uala|dreadful entity]] that lurks in [[the Semmerlak]]. Unfortunately, ''Silverbow'' would have no idea where to start. Has the Archmage considered standing on the shore and bellowing? It is clearly meant to be a joke, but the delivery is very flat as if the messenger doesn't quite understand the humour.

On a more serious and constructive note however, the ''Shadowed King'' may have some understanding of dark powers but that particular creature is as alien to the realm of Summer and the Forest of Arden as it is to Imperial citizens. It is the kind of thing Jaheris would have been able to offer aid to ''fight'' or ''contain'', but can't really help Imperial citizens ''speak'' to. Not easily, at any rate. Now if the Archmage had asked for the ''Cunning Wolf'' to offer patronage to the magicians who patrol the borders of the Semmerlak with the support of the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak|Watcher]], or to the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Blades_of_the_Semmerlak|Blades of the Semmerlak]] (had that order actually been formed), that would be something he would be very enthusiastic about...

The [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] is not without its influence in the vicinity of the Semmerlak however. Among others, there is a potent witch-knight - a former courtier of the disgraced ''[[Hayaak|Griffon Prince]]'' - who has dwelled in the southern Semmerlak for centuries. She certainly has ''some'' kind of relationship with the creature. It is however perhaps not the relationship that the Archmage is looking for; if the ''Lord of Moonmanse'' finds the entity distasteful, the Lady of the Semmerlak positively loathes it!

In the event that the Archmage of Summer would find a meeting with the Lady of the Semmerlak to be useful however, the ''Honeyed Tongue'' could arrange such a thing. All it would require would be a formal request - a successful declaration of [[Alignment#Acceptance|acceptance]] at the Autumn Equinox asking Jaheris to speak to the Lady on behalf of the Empire. The herald is confident that a meeting could take place at the Winter Solstice. And once the matter of who the Lady of the Semmerlak owes allegiance to is settled, then Jaheris would be able to arrange a parley with the creature of the deeper waters.

There is a matter of some mild concern; it's known that the "Lady of the Semmerlak" is no longer part of Hayaak's court, and exists in a nebulously uncertain place between the spheres of Jaheris, [[Eleonaris]], and [[Meraud]] who all have a theoretical claim on her allegiance. Obviously, a request of this nature from the Empire would provide an opportunity for Jaheris to woo the Lady towards his own court, especially if the Archmage of Summer or the Conclave supported the ''Hunter in Moonlight''. Something Jaheris is very likely to expect in return for his aid in this matter, however success could easily drag the Empire into the politics of the Summer realm. It seems likely that this is part of Jaheris' plan, and why he has chosen to respond to the plenipotentiary in this way. Resolving the allegiance of the Lady of the Semmerlak is effectively his price for arranging the meeting with Dho'uala.

With their duty discharged, the herald canters back to the Imperial Regio and slips back through the invisible gates to the Forest of Arden.

==No Ripples Curl==
{{CaptionedImage|file=ZakalweArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
* '''Zakalwe does not offer parley'''
* '''The eternal has a number of questions for the Empire and the Military Council'''
* '''He has specifically asked if the Council wishes to commit to one strategy over another in the Mallum'''
* '''The current Archmage of Day is ''Gralka'''''
"What does it mean," asks the herald without preamble, "to be a liberator?" They appear at the Hub a month after the start of Autumn, a serious individual in a bronze breastplate, archaic helm, and a wickedly practical-looking bident. They glow with faint luminosity in the dark tent, and bring with them the scent of saltwater and sun-baked sand. A captain under the command of ''[[Zakalwe|Weaponwise]]'', this is apparently their first time visiting the Empire. They bear a response to the Archmage of Day's
plenipotentiary.

After the initial flurry of questions, the herald gets to the meat of the matter, beginning almost apologetically. The ''General of Day'' does not wish to appear cruel, but it feels like the Archmage has not actually ''asked'' him for anything. He has teased out some implied requests from the plenipotentiary, but surely it is always easier to be direct than indirect?
===Conquest and Liberation===
* '''Zakalwe wishes to know if the Military Council shares the Archmages commitment to Liberation in the Mallum
'''Skywise Gralka''' has spoken at length of her desire, and that of the Empire apparently, to liberate the people of the Mallum. But to avoid the kinds of events that followed after similar attempts in the Barrens. What, asks the ''Commander in Coral and Glass'', does that ''mean''? The strategies and tactics of the conqueror and the liberator are fundamentally different, both on the battlefield and off it. So are the ultimate outcomes. A conqueror ultimately fights to keep what they take; a liberator gives it away. While the Archmage might wish that to be the case, why does the [[Military Council]] fight this war in the east? What are the Empire going to do once they have defeated the [[Druj]]? With the best will in the world, in the Barrens a significant faction claimed they were there as "liberators" but it is notable that the land is now part of Dawn with little enclaves for the two surviving factions of the people whose claim to the place depends on centuries of inhabitation. Three of the septs that once dwelled there are no more due to Imperial action in one form or another.

In essence, while Skywise Gralka may be committed to liberation rather than conquest... are they speaking for the Empire? The ''Beacon of Dawn'' sees that the [[general|generals]] of the Empire favour a direct, overwhelming attack in the eastern theatre. They rely on the [[Knights of Glory|might of the Summer realm]] to deal with their foes and that is a strategy that seems to be working. Any intervention by the ''General of Day'' is unlikely to mix well with the power of the [[Eleonaris|Lady of the Pennants]]. To be clear though, if the Military Council is in agreement with the Archmage of Day, then the ''Master Strategist'' could offer their support.

[[Day magic]] is adept at helping [[Day_magic#Focus|focus]] on objectives and helping folk to [[Day_magic#Mastery|master]] their intentions. The ''Scribe of Blades'' could prepare a set of [[arcane projection|arcane projections]] that could be used or codified to help [[Army|Imperial armies]] focus on the matter of liberation rather than conquest. The enchantment would be comparable to ''Clarity of the Master Strategist'' - but they would help the army focus entirely on liberating those oppressed by the Druj in the Mallum, arming and supplying them, helping them to fight back on their own terms. What land an enchanted army took - and the impact of the enchantment would be half that normally provided by Clarity - would be claimed not by the Empire but by the inhabitants of the Mallum who were not Druj.

If the Military Council wants this support, they already have a method they can use to determine if a consensus exists - the [[Council_session#Powers_of_the_Council|simple vote]]. If the Council ''is'' committed to liberation over conquest, and they are prepared to accept the aid of Zakalwe, then they can request that the [[Herald of the Council]] raise the matter and take a vote on it. If they don't want Zakalwe's interference, or are ''not'' set on a strategy of liberation such as the Archmage has described, then that is fine and the ''Master Strategist'' would expect nothing less.
===Rites of Battle===
* '''Zakalwe asks ''how'' it can help the Archmage address the situation with battlefield ritualists
* '''The General of Day cannot provide an opportunity to kill Het Trakaa
The Archmage also apparently speaks of an inability to persuade sufficient practitioners of martial magic, versed in the [[Magical_skills#Realm_Lore|lore of Day]], to perform five castings of [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] on a battlefield. The Master Strategist is surprised that this is the case. The Empire has years and years of experience with the [[Sentinel Gate]] and the way magic can be used directly to secure military advantage. The Empire clearly has powerful magicians - they can cast [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]] after-all.

Is there some reason that magicians prefer not to take advantage of these opportunities. If that is the case, then that is not something that Zakalwe can fix - rather it is a deficit the Empire must find a way to address themselves. Perhaps the [[Rod and Shield]], the Conclave, or some other body of state could find a way to incentivise magicians to make themselves available to fight for the Empire? The Master Strategist can help support and empower such magicians if they urgent need such help, but without them there is nothing the eternal can do to help.

What ''Hunter of Tides'' cannot now do, is find a new opportunity for Imperial heroes to catch ''Het Trakaa of the Banded Snakes''. There was an [[Root_and_branch#Objective:_Kill_Het_Trakaa|opportunity in Summer]], but now it is clear that fate does not bend the eye of the [[Sentinel Gate]] in their direction again during Autumn. Zakalwe ''can'' offer a little help to locate and destroy some of the worst of the [[Druj_lore#Tortured_souls|tortured souls]] that the [[Druj_champion#Het|Het]] has created, but the mastermind himself is beyond the reach of the ''Master Strategist'' at this time.

And on the matter of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Ûln]], the massive fortress in the north of the [[Forest of Ulnak]]? The Archmage has answered her own question. The Druj built their immense [[fortification]] to protect their borders, and the size of the castle gives some indication of how afraid they are that that force might defeat them just as the Empire is doing.

==Tempt the Waters From Their Bed==
{{CaptionedImage|file=KhobelTavah.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
* '''An unknown eternal has responded to a plenipotentiary of the Winter Archmage'''
* '''The herald of that creature says that a parley will be held in the Hall of Worlds at midnight on Saturday'''
* '''The current Archmage of Winter is ''Ematius 'Icebreaker' Ankarien'''''
A week ago, as people are beginning to set up their tents and stalls in preparation for the Autumn summit, two figures emerge from the Imperial Regio without fuss. They walk directly to the Hub. It might be easy for observers to mistake them for [[Highguard|Highborn]] pilgrims, or perhaps [[the Marches|Marcher]] monks or friars of a particularly austere humour. They wear dark woollen cloth. The taller of the two is entirely shrouded, hood raised to hide their features, their only accoutrement a leaden bell on their hip hanging from their belt of thick rope. The other wears their robe open, revealing an old tunic crusted with salt, occluding whatever faded chapter-sign or livery-mark may have been displayed there. An observer would note that their solemn tread never falters, and that those who might otherwise pass to close to them seem almost instinctively to swerve away without really noticing what they have done.

When they reach their destination, the taller of the two does not speak. All communication comes from the shorter figure in their open black robe and crusted garb. They come as emissaries of ''Salt-in-my-lungs'' and ''Dark that Drowns''. The [[Archmage of Winter]], '''Ematius Icebreaker''', has laid an offering of names before the throne of ''Foretold-by-Bells'' and they find this tribute pleasing. There will be parley in the Hall of Worlds at midnight on Saturday. The Archmage shall attend, of course, and they may choose who among the Empire will speak as is tradition. No harm will befall any there save that they seek it themselves.

Before the meeting, the Archmage's "passengers" - the six they spoke of - can speak of one fear they have that they would see discussed during the parley. One specific fear each. The heralds leave a small stack of papers for the Archmage - six pieces of ragged parchment. The passengers can write their fear on the parchment and then bring it to the Imperial regio and through the [[operate portal|key to all doors]] throw it into the darkness with an invocation of one of those names offered by the Archmage. This must be done before midnight on Friday; these fears will form a skeleton for the parley to come. Six different passengers, six different fears. Each passenger will be called on to speak of their fear to the ''Deep Drowned''.

The parley itself will involve a place claimed by ''the Harbinger'', brought to the Hall by the power of the plenipotentiary, and none shall come within three paces of it lest the waters claim them. As the ''Sunken Rope'' draws near, the hall shall fall into darkness. Let those who would attend in audience bring their own lights if they so wish, but see that they are not too bright. Once the lights have fully fallen and the sea has come, there will be time for talk. There will be talk of lessons. There will be talk of fear. There will be talk of bells.

This extremely cryptic message leaves the civil servants none the wiser; they clarify again that this is the result of a plenipotentiary from an Archmage, and the hitherto silent figure in the hooded robe inclines its head once before striking the leaden bell with a long, broken, and splintered fingernail. The timbre of that single dull note rings through the Hub, giving all present a moment of absolutely wrenching terror that leaves them [[Calls#PARALYSE|paralysed]] for several seconds, and when the effect fades, the messengers are gone.

==Timetable==
There are comparatively few meetings taking place during this summit. The times, the locations, and the eternals involved, are summarised here.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Day !! Time !! Eternal !! Realm !! Note
|-
| Saturday || TBC || [[Lashonar]] || Night || Not a parley; an offer of the Caucus Forum should the Conclave wish to accept
|-
| Saturday || 13:45 || [[Estavus]] || Autumn || Not a parley; a meeting with the Archmage and advisors
|-
| Saturday || 00:00 || Unknown || Winter || Parley; in the Hall of Worlds
|-
|}

387YE Autumn Equinox Conclave sessions

2026-10-07T15:03:31Z

Twiggy: /* Concord: Prince of Jarm: */

[[Category: Conclave]] [[Category: Conclave Sessions]] [[Category: 387YE Autumn]]

==Precedence and the Font==
*'''The mana sent for distribution to the grandmasters following 387YE Summer was 126 mana.'''
*'''The mana remaining after distribution was 4 mana.'''
*'''The mana collected via the Principle of Proportions at 387YE Summer Conclave was 355 mana.'''
*'''The mana used to purchase the Rogue Declaration at 387YE Summer Conclave was 15 mana.'''
*'''The mana from the Thule as part of the ongoing treaty was 20 mana.'''
*'''The mana available in the font for Conclave at 387YE Autumn is 394 mana.'''
The members of each order in attendance at the end of the previous summit determine precedence for the following summit according to the [[Principle of Precedence]]. There was 126 mana in the font after the final Conclave session of the 387YE Summer Solstice. This was distributed to the grandmasters of the Conclave according to the Principle of Precedence as per the table below.

This left 4 mana, which is added to the 355 mana collected at Conclave and the 15 mana from the [[Arbiter_of_the_Rogue_Declaration|rogue declaration]] at the previous event, along with 20 mana from the Thule as part of the [[Ratify_Thule_Treaty_Spring_387YE|ongoing treaty]] to form the font for the coming summit. The Conclave has access to a font of 394 mana at the 387YE Autumn Equinox.
<table class="wikitable mw-collapsible sortable"><tr><th>Order</th><th>Precedence</th><th>Members</th><th>Mana</th><th>Ilium</th></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Shuttered Lantern</td><td>1</td><td>116</td><td>21</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Unfettered Mind</td><td>2</td><td>116</td><td>21</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Rod and Shield</td><td>3</td><td>104</td><td>19</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Sevenfold Path</td><td>4</td><td>99</td><td>18</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Silver Chalice</td><td>5</td><td>93</td><td>17</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Golden Pyramid</td><td>6</td><td>88</td><td>16</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Celestial Arch</td><td>7</td><td>57</td><td>10</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>
__TOC__
==Friday==
===Concord: Grand Lodge for Sevenfold Path===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Elagabala, on behalf of the [[Sevenfold Path]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Conclave asks for plans for a Grand Lodge of the Sevenfold Path in Sanctuary, Sanctuary Sands, Necropolis. It would stand in remembrance of the magician-paragon Atun and their Virtue in voyaging to the continent, and looking to the horizon as a promise that this Empire will bring the light of Virtue to everyone, everywhere.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' More information on this opportunity can be found in the '''[[Volumes_of_forgotten_lore#Grand_Lodges|Volumes of forgotten lore]]''' wind of fortune

===Candidacy: Archmage of Autumn===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Tyburn Weaver, on behalf of the [[Shuttered Lantern]]
* '''Declaration:''' To elect the Archmage of Autumn
*'''Outcome:''' '''Vossk of Zenith Ascendant''' was elected as the [[Archmage of Autumn]]

===Interdiction: Keen Lifeblood===
*'''Raised by:''' Gaius Starfall i Riqueza, [[Imperial Censor]]
* '''Declaration:''' To interdict the potion Keen Lifeblood
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' Keen Lifeblood is believed to be used by some cultists of the falconer

===Candidacy: Bursar of the Conclave===
*'''Raised by:''' Izzara i Riqueza, on behalf of the [[Golden Pyramid]]
* '''Declaration:''' To elect the Bursar of the Conclave
*'''Outcome:''' '''Rashid i Hayim i Riqueza''' was elected as the [[Bursar of the Conclave]]

===Candidacy: Arcane Envoy===
*'''Raised by:''' Vesna Borkovna Prochnost, [[the Throne]]
* '''Declaration:''' To elect the Arcane Envoy
*'''Outcome:''' '''Jeziah i Radah''' was elected as the [[Arcane Envoy]]

===Imperial Lore: Rule of Risk and Reward===
*'''Raised by:''' Fiorente Vicente d’Apulian, on behalf of the [[Unfettered Mind]]
* '''Declaration:''' To add Rule of Risk and Reward, Night Magnitude 20 and adding coven members for 15. Add 2 ranks of lore for the casting of arcane projections in any realm the target knows. Makes you feel inspired by, and want to discuss, ritual magic. Assurance: Sadogua, fails if Conclave limits arcane projection creation
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' [[Rule of Risk and Reward]] has been added to [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]].

===Concord: Prince of Jarm===
*'''Raised by:''' Eliza, on behalf of the [[Celestial Arch]]
* '''Declaration:''' Conclave accepts the opportunity to speak to “a prince of Jarm” via the Caucus Forum offered by the eternal Lashonar
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:'''

===Acceptance: Compensate Upwold Farmers===
*'''Raised by:''' Ematius, [[Archmage of Winter]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Conclave would see the farmers of Upwold compensated for any damage caused by the eradication of old Bloody Teeth’s influence. Those under amity are both protected and subject to Imperial law. Let this serve as a lesson to those who would throw in their lot with the whisperer, whose boons are never worth the price extracted, or their consequences.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' More information on the compensation offered can be found in the '''[[Upon_a_midnight_dreary#Scour_(Tharim)|Upon a midnight dreary]]''' wind of fortune

===Alignment: Llofir, Neutrality===
*'''Raised by:''' Ibiss Briarheart, [[Archmage of Spring]]
* '''Declaration:''' In a show of trust, we grant Llofir Neutrality
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Concord: Magicians in the Mallum===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Fausta Ankarien, on behalf of the [[Silver Chalice]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Imperial Conclave urges Imperial magicians to work with the slaves of the Mallum to free themselves
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' This follows on from a suggestion by a herald of [[Irra Harah]] which can be found in the '''[[Upon_a_midnight_dreary#A_Thousand_Foes_(Irra_Harah)|Upon a midnight dreary]]''' wind of fortune

===Interdiction: Shedding Blood for Claw Spells===
*'''Raised by:''' Guineve du Couronne, on behalf of the [[Rod and Shield]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Conclave interdicts the practice of calling upon the Claw and shedding blood in space of spending personal mana for spells like empower
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

==Saturday==
===Concord: Hunt Disciples of Sulemaine===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Elagabala, on behalf of the [[Sevenfold Path]]
* '''Declaration:''' I, Grandmaster Elagabala, one of the last true sword scholars of Urizen, call on the Sevenfold Path and the magicians of the Empire to render aid by blade, spell, or mind to the people of Urizen as they hunt and kill the Disciples of Sulemaine and Severus of the Blinding Sun. Act decisively to eliminate potential dangers before they can threaten you; Hatred has no place in the Way or the Empire
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Alignment: Lashonar, Enmity===
*'''Raised by:''' Bella Vicente d’Apulian, [[Archmage of Night]]
* '''Declaration:''' Conclave declares enmity with Lashonar. The Unstoppable Gob has to be stopped from spilling our secrets to our foes. A letter will follow to Lashonar explaining
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Alignment: Foretold-by-Bells, Enmity===
*'''Raised by:''' Casimir Pakkanovic Mislova, on behalf of the [[Shuttered Lantern]]
* '''Declaration:''' Tonight, Fear-born-wisdom meets for parley with the Archmage of Winter. In the spirit of vigilance, and with all due caution, we call on this Conclave to act in its capacity as the magical protector of the Empire. Let us debate whether we should pre-emptively declare Enmity on Foretold-by-bells. Let us debate, guided by virtue, not by fear, and in recognition of our dignity as Imperial magicians.
*'''Outcome:''' Failed
*'''Note:''' The Throne used their power of [[The_Throne#The_First_and_the_Last|The First and the Last]] to have this declaration discussed first

===Concord: Sadogua Painting===
*'''Raised by:''' Allegra i Riqueza, [[Arbiter of the Rogue Declaration]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Conclave, on behalf of Allegra i Riqueza, agrees to host a painting of Sadogua that she paints for as long as Sadogua enjoys the amity of the Conclave
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Alignment: Lictors, Amity===
*'''Raised by:''' Ashborn Trosk, on behalf of the [[Archmage of Autumn]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Lictors to Amity
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Imperial Lore: Remember the Fallen===
*'''Raised by:''' Syl, [[Dean of the Lyceum]]
* '''Declaration:''' Add Remember the Fallen to Imperial lore
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' [[Remember the Fallen]] has been added to Imperial lore

===Sorcery: Staurakios and Aletheia Wooder===
*'''Raised by:''' Friar Duncan of Ashill, [[Witness of Conclave]]
* '''Declaration:''' To declare Staurakios Of the Lighthouse-That-Was, of Urizen, and Aletheia Wooder of Dawn as sorcerers
*'''Outcome:''' Failed

===Endowment: Linley Weaver===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Xanthippe Of the Lighthouse-That-Was, on behalf of the [[Celestial Arch]]
* '''Declaration:''' To endow the “Harvest Whip-round Bounty” valued at ten thrones to Linley Weaver
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:''' More information on the Harvest whip-round bounty can be found in the '''[[Volumes_of_forgotten_lore#Rivers_and_Honey|Volumes of forgotten lore]]''' wind of fortune

===Concord: Representatives Investigate Summer Magic===
*'''Raised by:''' Heilyn Bronwen’s Rest, on behalf of the [[Imperial Magus]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Conclave calls upon each grandmaster to nominate one person to investigate the issue of residual Summer magic persisting after Knights of glory and report back to Conclave within three seasons
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Endowment: Arsenio===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Arsenio Sanguineo Rezia di Tassato, on behalf of the [[Golden Pyramid]]
* '''Declaration:''' To endow 70 mana crystals to Arsenio
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Endowment: Fausta Ankarien===
*'''Raised by:''' Rashid i Hayim i Riqueza, [[Bursar of the Conclave]]
* '''Declaration:''' Endow 150 mana crystals to the Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

===Imperial Lore: Emulsion of Lye and Lightning===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Zlata Ruznikova Perenel, The Dread Auntie, on behalf of the [[Unfettered Mind]]
* '''Declaration:''' The Unfettered Mind submits “Emulsion of Lye and Lightning” to Imperial lore
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:'''

===Interdiction: The Hardest Choice===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Fausta Ankarien, on behalf of the [[Silver Chalice]]
* '''Declaration:''' As the order charged with the preservation of life, we interdict The Hardest Choice which combined with Rivers Run Red to cause the Mournwold Disaster
*'''Outcome:''' Passed
*'''Note:'''

===Concord: Knights of Glory in Sarangrave===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Sakari Nightscale, on behalf of the [[Rod and Shield]]
* '''Declaration:''' Conclave witnesses the ongoing effects of the Summer realm on armies in the Sarangrave. We permit further castings of Knights of Glory, but will oversee the situation vigilantly
*'''Outcome:''' Passed

A greater darkness

2026-10-06T20:22:31Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Trees against purple night sky.jpg|align=left|caption=The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair.|width=500}}</div>
==What Has Gone Before==
{{audio|link=https://youtu.be/NKAPFE7KQ88?is=k7UszMIWy9FYiphb}}
[[All_I_ask_of_you#Help_Us|There is a plan]]. It is a risky plan, and it requires everything to go right and nothing to go wrong. But there is a plan.

The Great Forest Orcs and the Navarr are oathbound; siblings in spirit if not in flesh. In Therunin, the Navarr offered sanctuary when the orcs of Peytaht were forced to flee [[the Barrens]]. They walked the trods together, fought together against the vallorn, fought together against the Druj. When the orcs of the Great Forest returned to their home, it was the Navarr who helped them drive out the remaining tyrants and secure their beloved grove. The bond has become stronger since; orcs died alongside the thorns and brands when the barbarians assailed Therunin and slaughtered their way through the Tarn Valley. The Navarr have welcomed their ambitious youth to the groves of Miaren and Hercynia, helped them create their own "steadings" as they tend the weirwood trees and inch by slow inch combine their own traditions with those of their hosts.

Yet they have always been a wounded, broken sept. The wisdom of the Great Forest Orcs has always been two-edged for them. Their mastery of living wood, their unparalleled skill at tending the valuable weirwood groves, long ago saw the tyrants of the Mallum rip their people into gobbets. Every weirwood grove the Druj control is tended by Great Forest Orcs, forced to toil at the command of cruel overseers. Each disparate settlement serves as surety for the others - if any one were to dare rebel it would be their family in the Barrens, in Ossium, or Sarangrave, in Sanath, or Ulnak, that would pay the price for insubordination.

For centuries this was simply the way it was, and it is only within the last ten years that things have begun to change. The children of the Great Forest in the Barrens found a welcome in Therunin; their family in Ossium was ultimately liberated from the Druj; the Imperial conquest of [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]] freed the orcs held there to walk free. Only two weirwood forests remain in the possession of the Druj - the Sacred Grove and the Grove of Woe - and only two enclaves of Great Forest Orcs remain separated from their people. It is a wound, and a painful reminder that the sept is not whole, and it is also a weapon that the Druj seek to wield against them.

Shortly before the Summer Solstice, it came to light that the Buruk Tepel had given the orcs in the [[The_Barrens#Heart_of_Peytaht|Heart of Peytaht]] an ultimatum. Betray the Navarr, betray the Empire, betray the trust they have built; or know that every one of their sept trapped in durance in the Mallum would be slain. Killed, and worse than killed. The Druj know all the ways to make someone suffer, to beg for death, before they allow a broken spirit to slip into the Howling Abyss. The Great Forest Orcs are well aware of how far they will go, even when their backs are not against the wall.

A [[All_I_ask_of_you#Hammer_Waiting_to_Fall|hammer waits to fall]] on the children of the Great Forest, and by themselves they cannot hope to stop its descent. If it strikes home, it will break their hearts.

But the children of Peytaht have not betrayed their friends; and their friends are with them.

==The Plan==
{{SOP|statement=The Navarr National Assembly calls upon Ioan Longshadow, former General of Isaella's Dance, Guide of Courage, oath-sworn friend of the Great Forest Orcs, and survivor of Grendel chains, to lead Navarr's hand in the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs and the war against the Druj. Any spoils of war gained in this endeavour shall be distributed among those who pledged their support to this cause. He is charged not merely with the conduct of war, but with the keeping of bonds forged in blood and memory. As our allies suffer beneath the yoke of the Druj, this Assembly places its trust in one who has endured captivity, borne loss without surrender, and walked the path of duty. Between Navarr, the Imperial Orcs, and the Great Forest Orcs, The Druj will find before them a Wall of thorns that shall not fall!|by=Ioan Longshadow, Navarr National Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 217-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE}}
{{SOP|statement=The Imperial Orc Assembly call upon the skills won in combat and wisdom from his time as General of the Winter Sun, for his steadfast pursuit of liberation of those in chains and the ruin of fear makers; we send Exemplar of Wisdom Skywise Rykana to lead the Imperial Orc forces to boldly venture into the Mallum and save all those Great Forest Orcs we can. No orc should go alone, to second him and support him with her knowledge of the Great Forest Orcs. We send a cousin from the Yerende sept of Ossium, Bloodcrow Meep. May they show the strength of orcs who unite. May our gathered forces join with the Navarr to create a wall of thorns that will not fail.|by=Firesong Galath, Imperial Orcs National Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 62-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE}}
On one level, the plan is simple. The Navarr and the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] will go into the Mallum and ''get'' the remaining Great Forest Orcs. They will break their chains, and bring them to the safety of the Heart of Peytaht. They will use stealth as long as it avails them, and when that fails as it inevitably must, they will fight. The Druj are in disarray; they fight a war for survival on at least two fronts. The Thule press them in the Forest of Ulnak; the Empire has crossed the borders of Sarangrave and assault them to the south. Within their own borders, the threadbare trust that has allowed the rival septs to work together, allowed the Buruk Tepel to collaborate, is fraying. It will not be ''easy'' but the plan is not ''complicated''.

During the Solstice, the priests of Navarr and the Imperial Orcs chose champions - leaders who would guide their own people and work together to make sure the plan is a success. Their people rally around them, in Ossium and in the Barrens and in northern Sarangrave. The maps acquired at great risk by Imperial scouts allow for multiple routes to be plotted to the target locations - smaller groups move swiftly and are less likely to attract the attention of the Mallum's defenders.

The [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Grove_of_Woe|Grove of Woe]] is the most accessible. The Imperial armies are engaged in [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Lower Saarnath|Lower Saarnath]] and it should in theory be straightforward enough to infiltrate [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Upper Saarnath|Upper Saarnath]]. Once the slaves are freed, they will only need to be escorted back to the Imperial battle-lines to reach safety. The situation is complicated by the fighting, of course. There are not just Druj in Lower Saarnath but ''[[Forward into depthless dark|multiple armies]]'' of Druj.

The [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Sacred_Grove|Sacred Grove]] will be much more challenging. Looming over [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Deathsgate|Deathsgate]], where the grove stands, is the immense fortress of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Ûln]]. Indeed, it is the master of that immense [[fortification#bastion|bastion]] - the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|buruk tepel]] ''Nimon Rue'' - who tried to use the threat of murder to suborn the Great Forest Orcs in the first place. In theory, Imperial forces could pass through the lands claimed by the Thule. Otkodov and the Empire are allies after all - at least in theory. Yet it might be a mistake to take the goodwill of the Dragons for granted. Worse, just as in Lower Saarnath, the clash of armies in the northern forests of Ulnak risks exposure to the Druj just as it does in the south. If Nimon Rue becomes aware of the rescue effort, there is every chance they will immediately order the slaughter of their prisoners. The Druj have a long history of making the choice that hurts their enemy the most, and no matter if they suffer themselves as a result.

In both cases, while the journey to the weirwood groves will be fraught, it is the return where the danger really lies. Not only will the Druj be aware of what is happening, but every minute it takes to overcome the defences of the labour camps, every minute wasted mobilising frightened orcs, is another minute for the enemy to respond. The flight back to the Empire cannot help but be a harrowing escapade no matter how well the plan is executed.

It takes weeks to organise the raid, and with Summer ripening into Autumn, the first Imperial warriors slip across the borders under a bruised sky into the Mallum proper.
<div {{float}}>
<table class='wikitable mw-collapsed mw-collapsible sortable'><tr><th>Citizen</th><th>Banner</th><th>Nation</th></tr>
<tr><td> Abigail Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ada Droon Drifting Bough </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Adeen Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Adonis Ashwood </td><td> Ashwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Adrian Cardel </td><td> The Cardel Caravan </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aedan Bellwood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aeilidh "Fletcher" Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aiden Rubra </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aisling Dancing Leaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aisling Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alana Firekeeper </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alastair New Dawn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aldred Boar's Dell </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alim Longstride </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alistair </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Allana Silvercloud </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ameryth Silentwatch </td><td> The Silent Watch </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Amwryn </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Angela RavensOak </td><td> Ravens Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Angharad Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Annwyl </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Anthony </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Antur Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aodhan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aoife Rootround </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ardyn Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arianwen Thornfield </td><td> Thornfield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arin Birchwood </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arisent Twin-Wreathed </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arron Hammer's Rest </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Artoreus Cinderheart </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arwydd Clearbramble </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aryanwen of the broken hearth who cherish the lost and wayward </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ash Bramblestep </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ashborn Trosk </td><td> Ashborn </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ashborn Vana </td><td> Ashborn </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Asher </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Asthore Autumngale </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Atur 'Backbreaker' Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aurelia Nettlebound </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Avery Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ayla Farbound </td><td> Farbound </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Badonthir Fúlmar </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Badran </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Berwyn Dancingleaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Betony </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bleddyn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bleddyn Eternal </td><td> Long Shadow </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bledri Eternal </td><td> Vervain Shield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bloodcrow Arora </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bloodcrow Kran </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bloodcrow Reek </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Boars Ashen Tear </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Braithe Ashen Tear </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bramble of the Path </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bran </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bran Blazing Grain </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brân Splintered Oak </td><td> Splintered Oaks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brat Umbral Path </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bree Bellthorne </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brenna Whisperleaf </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brennin </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brìghde </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brion </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Broccomaglos Gladespear </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brody Dusk Crow </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bronwyn </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bruiser Ashen-Tear </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bryn Shield Hearth </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brynmor Rootround </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brynn Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brynwulf Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadell Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadfael Silentwatch </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadoc Thornwatch </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadwell Waystone </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadwyn Ashfall </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caedria </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caelwyn Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caiden Duskcrow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caleb </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Callohan </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caoimhe Tend-Fallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cara Brackensong </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Carric </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Carrock Daggersbond </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cassidy Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caularthron Tetramic </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cedar Thorns Rest </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ceinwen Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Celwyddog 'Dog' Brackensong </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cerberin </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cerddinen Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ceri Brackensong </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cerwin </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ciapek SplinteredOak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cliab (Cleo) Larksong </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Clint Strangewood </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Clover </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Clover Springseeker </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Coeden Silvercloud </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Conan </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Corey Wayfarer </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cormac </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Corwyn Heartsbane </td><td> Heartsbane </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Corwyn Silvercloud </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Courgetta Thistleseeker </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cúán </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Culann </td><td> Fawn Hollow </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Culhwch Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cullain Shadowbirch </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Daegan Larksong </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dagen Nighthaven </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dagony O'Shea </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Daire Oathsinger Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Darrach </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Darragh Cinderhart </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dax </td><td> Two Feet </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Deagan Springseeker </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Delilah </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Derwyn Sparrowflight </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Djack Dancer </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Domhnall Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Draenen Goch </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Drew Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dris Wayward Glade </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dryn </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Drysfa Broken Bough </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Drystan Rootround </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dylan Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Earnan Bramble Step </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Egan Dusk Crow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eilonwy Nightgrove </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eirlys </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eirlys Ashes Blaze </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eisen </td><td> The Rising Wolves </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eleri Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eli Thrawn </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Elijah Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ellis Evergreen </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Elowen </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emhyr </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emlyn Tangled Path </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrich Bloodfeather </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrys </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrys Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrys Ember-Oak </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emyr smolder leaf </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Endellion </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Enfys Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Enfys Seedsower </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eoghan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Erin </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Erwan 9th Shield </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eryr Adar Pluen </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eskah Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Esper Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eurion "Mr Cambion" Firekeeper </td><td> The Hearth Guard </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Even Agra </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ewan </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> face </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fae </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Faelan </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Faethyr Nightgrove </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fallon Shadowglen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Faolan </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Farren Silver Streams </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Féchín Scarletsong </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Feirdhris Fifthwind </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fen, Twin Wreathed </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fennel </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fern </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fern Mossbeard </td><td> Splintered Oaks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fernelda </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ffion Nighthaven </td><td> Nighthaven </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Finnian </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Arachas </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Ecca </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Okeer </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Ussa </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flannagan </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flaxney Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flidais </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flynn DancingLeaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fraygor Oakskull </td><td> Twisted Tree </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Frith </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fynn Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gaeorg Broken Bough </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gavynn Bellwood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gawain Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gelert </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Geraint Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gethin Bledwyn </td><td> The Last Dance </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ghost </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Giacomo Fuchin </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Goffrimm Boar's Promise </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gorwen </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gra'sh </td><td> Ebonmaw </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gragan Leafblown </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gralka</td><td> Skywise</td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Greff </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Grundfos Thorn's Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gull Wind-Roar </td><td> The Silver Fletchings </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwdihŵ Adar Pluen </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwenllain Hearts’ End </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwennan </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwilym Heartsbane </td><td> The Thornborn of Black Scar </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwyddian Ashborn </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwyn Ybythol </td><td> Vervain Shield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hallux Hallowmark </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Halwyn Splitroot </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Harsan </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Harwyn Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hastur Flame of Broken Bough </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Heilyn Bronwens Rest </td><td> Open Skies </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Helvetie </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hen Was Silverthorn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Henarian </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Herden </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hester </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Huewyn </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hurn </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris Arwyn Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris Fensorrow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris SummerCrow </td><td> The Summer Crows </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ieuan Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ikarosh </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ilana </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Iniska Ashwood </td><td> Ashwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ioan Longshadow </td><td> Long Shadow </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Irontide Scrin </td><td> The Irontide </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Irontide Thorrak </td><td> The Irontide </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ish </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Islwynn Nettlebound </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Iven </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> J'zarr </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jac </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jaerin Embracing Fold </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jakaa (SIVA) Bonecaller </td><td> Sand Vipers </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jakewyn Thorns Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jonah Farkas </td><td> Ruis Farkas </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jorek </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jorren Greybloom </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Juniper Pickles </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Juniper Silvercloud </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai "Kiwi" Silverfletch </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai Springseeker </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kalor Warboar </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kellek </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kellos Foxden </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kevan Heartsbane </td><td> Heartsbane </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Keyan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Khain </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Khestra </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kiàine Thistleseeker </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kirrik </td><td> Ashborn </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kiyan Bellwood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kore Firestarter </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kyffin Thornfield </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kylar Splintered Oak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kyra New Dawn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lark Lonestrider </td><td> Embersworn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lauren </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Leshi Last Dance </td><td> The Last Dance </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Liadan Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lilith Montague </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lilliana Eir Shield Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lindir </td><td> Cold Embers </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lith "Shiny" Fellsmith </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Llinos </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lochlainn Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Logain Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Logan Dusklight </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lowen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lowen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Luthar </td><td> Lopoldë's Flame </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lynn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> M'ul </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Machar Broken Bough </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Madog Brackensong </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mai Gwyn Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Maldwyn Bloodbrook </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Marianna Lochstrider </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Marr Mothskin </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Marsh </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mathias Lonestrider </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Maud Splintered Oak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mawb Strangers Song </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mazo Freewalker </td><td> Ashborn Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meep </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meera Mended Branch </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meg Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meirion Scattered Step </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mercia Questor's View </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meredith Nighthaven </td><td> Nighthaven </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Merewen Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mervyn Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Merwyn Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meya </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mharen Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mirabel Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mooch </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Moose </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Môr Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Morgan Drifting Bough </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Morgoth SweetBlood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Morrigana Thorns Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mouse Embercast </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Muse Ashen Tears </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Myrddin Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Myrddin Ravensong </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Naen Farbound </td><td> Farbound </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nathair Autumngale </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Natilli Verdavere </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Neasa </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Neirin </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nell Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nia </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niah StarSeeker </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niamh Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niamh Thicket </td><td> Oakwood Thicket </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nimerous </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nirrin </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nisien Duskbound </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> NiVek Broken Bough </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niylah </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nos Umbral Path </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nuala Crowfell </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oak Silverfletch </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Odhran Mal </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oleander Dreamsreach </td><td> Dreamsreach </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oleksiy Kostaltyn Van Temeschwar </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Olwyn Curlyute Mossglade </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Orinn Embracing Fold </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Orwynn </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Owain </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oz Embercast </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Paulk Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Pine Ashen Tears </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Pine Swordsong </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Podine Halfthorn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Powell Open-Skies </td><td> Open Skies </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Presnora </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Priff </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Protectorate Kardak </td><td> Legion Protectorate </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Puck </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Pyre Ashenheart </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Raewyn Eternal </td><td> Vervain Shield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Raghnall Long-Hammer </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Raina </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rat Waystone Path </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Redhand Gezzar </td><td> Redhands </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rélileas Bramble Step </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhian Rootround </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhian Seedsower </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhiannon Tend-Fallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhiannon Thornwatch </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhianon Waystone </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhoslyn Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhyffyllann Inkblood </td><td> The Thornborn of Black Scar </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhyl Hammer's Rest </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhys Nighthaven </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Richelieu Sternenlicht </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> River Berry </td><td> Cult of Myrtle </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Robyn Sweetnest </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rodric Worldscribe </td><td> Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rok </td><td> Redhands </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Romi </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rook </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rook Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rowan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rowyn of the Waystone Path </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rutger </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Saamy Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sabina Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sage Tanglebane </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sand Viper Idra </td><td> Sand Vipers </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sandviper CODA </td><td> Sand Vipers </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Saura Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Savannah </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seaton </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sebastian Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seda Hornleaf </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Selvis Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seren </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seren Embercast </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seth Blackhawk </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sever </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sheridan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Shistjarma Soar Shatterhorn </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Siân Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Silk Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Simon </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sinder </td><td> WinterSuns </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Siôn Everbloom </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Skod </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Skunk </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Skywise Rykana </td><td> Skywise </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sorcha Embracing Fold </td><td> Ashwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sorrel </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Stormcrow Dren </td><td> Stormcrow </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Stormcrow Tœba </td><td> Stormcrow </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Stormsteel Skorr </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Syl </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sylaria Sentri </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sylvari Barkweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sylvie Dawnroot </td><td> Moon Striders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Syml </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Syn Truth-Walker Returned </td><td> Nighthaven </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Talfryn Scarletsong </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Talfryn Summergleam </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Talulah Noorie </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tanwen Dancing Leaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Taran Foxden </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Taren Summergleam </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Task </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tavvik Splintered Oak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Teela </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tegid Ember-Oak </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Teleri Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Telyn Ashes Blaze </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tenebrae </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Teris </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Thalion </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Thane Springseeker </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> the Nimble-Jack </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Theo Wintersun </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Theowyn Blackhawk </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Theren GoldenThorn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Therin </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tibalt </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tom </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tomos Foxden </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Torin Shanks </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Torin Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Torri </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Triskeliande </td><td> Farbound </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tulva </td><td> Skywise </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Turin "Goose" </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Twyll Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Udoo </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Umbral </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Unbroken Nezzak </td><td> The Unbroken Legion </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Urq </td><td> Legion Protectorate </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vaal </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vaelira Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Val </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Valeska Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Valros </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vanna </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vetra </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vrakk </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Welyn Nighthaven </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Willow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Winifred Blackhawk </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wren Embercast </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wren Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wren Summergleam </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wrenley Dusk Crow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wyl </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wynn Summergleam </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wynne Hallowmark </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Xandor Trodbroker </td><td> TrodBroker </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Yanna Thorns Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ydfran Waystone Path </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ylona Silverfletch </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ynyr Rootround </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ysult Moss-step </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Zakal Antigonus Shatterhorn </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
</table>
</div>
==The Call==
By themselves the warbands of the Navarr and the Imperial Orcs could probably liberate the Grove of Woe in Sanath, but it would still be touch-and-go. The Navarr are adept at swift movement, skilled at not being seen by their enemies until it is too late. The Imperial Orcs have the advantage that they can masquerade as Druj when they need to, distasteful as they may find it, allowing them to brazen their way past patrols or secure information from unsuspecting soldiers of the Mallum. Yet they are behind enemy lines, in territory where an ancient [[Druj miasma]] hangs like a weighted shroud over everything.

Fortunately, the burden of success does not rest solely on the shoulders of the warriors. This is a mission of mercy. Oaths and bonds of family, virtue and the memory of what it means to be imprisoned, do not only motivate those who fight. Dozens of folk who have never raised a spear in anger, held a shield, or marched to an uncertain future answer the call of the Great Forest Orcs. Veterans of old conflicts, who long since hung up harness and sword, hear the familiar thump of their hearts, the sharp tang that promises bloodshed and desperation and perhaps the sweetness of victory over darkness. There are few victors in war; all too often it is fought between soldiers who do not entirely know why they fight. Against the Druj though? On a rescue mission? There is no grey area here.

So across Miaren and Hercynia, even in the tangled depths of Brocéliande and the lost lands of Therunin and Liathaven, the Navarr move. They gather at [[wayhouse|wayhouses]], meet in hidden glens beneath the blind eyes of the Jotun and the Druj. At the same time, in Skarsind and Mareave, the septs of the Unshackled hear the twin-whispers of virtue and spirit, hearing the voices of the ancestors urging them to ''take action'' and ''answer the call'' and ''kill the Druj''.

These people make decisions that put both their lives and their livelihoods on the line. Shopkeepers and cowherds; herbalists and gardeners; foresters and miners; priests and guides and preachers and shaman; and all the great span of people in between. They do what they can to ensure the raid is a success and the Great Forest Orcs are brought home - and that their own people come home with them.

Some contribute directly - they gird themselves and their fellows and they join the warbands slipping eastward. Others use their wealth - their Prosperity as their shield and sword - herbs and potions, money and mana used to secure enchantments and equipment, liao to create auras to defend against the miasma, magic items to give those who take the ultimate risk the edge they will need. Under the direction of the two commanders and their aides, no contribution is wasted. Everything is channelled toward the success of the mission.
{{CaptionedImage|file=BunnyArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}

==The Rabbit==
Even as the decision about who should represent each nation is being made, a band of Navarr use the power of the [[Sentinel Gate]] to reach Thule-held [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwalt|Oerwalt]] in the north. At a [[regio]] there, two brave covens call down the [[Forge the Wooden Fastness|warding power]] of ''[[Irra Harah|Shacklebreaker]]'' into the wild woodlands. Rather than rely solely on the enchantment, they weave [[ilium|star metal]] into their working and draw on the boon promised by the ''Guard of the Weak''. Even as the forests shift and twist themselves to defend the Thule fighting there - for such is the way of the Wooden Fastness - the ''Prince with a Thousand Foes'' focuses his attention in the Forest of Ulnak, and on the plight of the Great Forest Orcs.

As the first Navarr and Imperial Orcs cross the borders into the Forest, they are met by quick-footed, keen-eared heralds. Caparisoned for war, garbed in thin leather and armed with clubs and staves, these leporine [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] have a supernatural sense for danger that helps their allies avoid patrols and sentries alike. When fighting is inevitable, they engage alongside the thorns and the legionnaires, and it soon becomes apparent that their master ''Shacklebreaker'' more than deserves his name as their simple weapons [[shatter]] shield and spear alike leaving their foes vulnerable to the weapons of Imperial heroes.

Often when the servants of the ''Lord of Brambles'' deal with the people of the Empire, they are curt and unfriendly. There is no hint of this among those who offer their aid in the Forest of Ulnak. A few even speak of having fought alongside the Imperial Orcs before they ''were'' the Imperial Orcs. Others express their sincere approval for the oaths the Navarr have taken, and the aid they give to their friends. If there is talk of the horrors of the Barrens or the politics of Sarangrave, the subject is swiftly changed. The heralds are focused on their purpose for being here - to free those under the cruel heel of the tyrants of the Mallum and to kill as many of those oppressors as they can in pursuit of it.

There is only one real point of friction and that is with the ''other'' allies the Empire brings with them into the Mallum.

==The Karass==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Reynard of De Gauvain.png|caption='''Reynard of De Gauvain''', Envoy to the Karass|align=right|width=250}}
By now it is a truism that nobody likes [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|the Karass]]. One of the three surviving septs of the Barrens, the Great Forest Orcs certainly despise them - and the feeling seems mutual. Those who Chief Vallack has sent to accompany the raid into the Mallum will not even speak to the Karass, will not be in the same space as them.

Yet for all that, the Karass have made it clear in the past that they are prepared to be ''of use'' to the Empire, just as they were once ''of use'' to the Druj. They do not seem to have any significant military strength; what they ''do'' have is a truly uncanny amount of information about the Mallum and its wicked overlords. They know how their patrols operate, and they know where the paths and the roads lead. Nobody knows the Druj lands like the Karass. The Empire has maps, but the Karass have actually travelled these lands. They know how the Druj move, and they know how they think.

They did not volunteer; they were asked to join the raid by the [[Envoy to the Karass|envoy]] appointed by the people of [[Dawn]] to deal with the often difficult sept of [[The Barrens#The Bleaks|Bleaks]] and the [[The Barrens#Untrod Groves|Untrod Groves]]. It is not clear at first whether they intend to respond, but shortly before the warbands in the Barrens start to mobilise, a hundred or so Karass hunters emerge from the woodland and join the Imperial forces encamped along the borders.

They do not pretend to have any great love for the Great Forest Orcs; they do not suggest for one moment that they are here for virtue or because they recognise the virtue of the task ahead. They say they are here to discharge a debt for the [[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Protect_Lenna_Karass_(The_Barrens)|rescue]] of ''Lenna Karass'', and to show the Empire once again that they have value as allies. Are they telling the truth? It's hard to say, but they have proved their worth already this year when they helped [[Fear_quickens_the_breath#Into_the_Forest|deny the Thule]] a prize they sought in the Forest of Ulnak. Perhaps it is best not to enquire too closely about their motives simply because their presence greatly increases the likelihood of success - knowing where you are going, where to avoid, who you can trust and who you can't, is ''everything''. Even more so than the Unshackled, the Karass can approach Druj settlements and talk with the occupants with no fear of a ruse being exposed. In enemy territory that kind of intelligence is priceless... assuming you can trust it. You can't betray your enemies, so they say. Which raises the question of just who is the Karass' enemy and now we are back where we started.

[[Vigilance]] is a virtue, and where the Karass are concerned it may be more important than any of the others. If the sept chooses to betray the Empire, if they pick their moment carefully (which they surely will) then the results will be devastating and might result in the failure of the entire mission. Sometimes, perhaps, it is a mistake to keep your enemies ''too'' close...

Regardless, when the Empire moves, the Karass are with them, and the desperate mission into the Mallum begins.
<div style="float: right; max-width: 400px; margin-right: 10px;">{{HoverImage|Salt Flats of Sanath Regions.png|SaltFlatsBasic.png}}</div>

==Upper Saarnath==
The [[Forward into depthless dark|campaign in Lower Saarnath]] is in its earliest stages as the raiders committed to the Salt Flats of Sanath begin to move east, to make the difficult ascent onto the plateau of Upper Saarnath. The land rises steeply here, cliff walls and difficult paths presenting the only safe way to make the ascent. The Druj control the main routes, those usable by sizable organised forces. An army would struggle to climb the plateau without fighting, without giving the game away, but the warbands of Imperial heroes are a different matter. There are those with experience in the highlands of Hercynia, and Unshackled who have adapted to the rugged life in northern Skarsind, who make short work of the climb. With the aid of the Karass, others are able to find isolated paths, either unguarded, or with the kind of sentries who will not be missed for weeks if they are slain. A small number receive more magical assistance - while the children of Irra Harah are mostly active in the Forest of Ulnak to the north there are still a few here to help rescue the prisoners from the Grove of Woe. Those who have their aid are able to climb an otherwise impassable cliff-face using a magically conjured vine that the heralds dance and pipe into being, growing with supernatural speed up the sheer rock walls to provide ample handholds for ascent and - more importantly - later descent.

As with a surprising amount of the Mallum, the forests here are not heavily populated. There are woodcutting camps here and there, and areas where trees have been cleared to create miserable villages populated by Druj subject septs, but most of the plateau remains wild and untamed. The heavy weight of the Druj miasma hangs over everything, corroding the confidence of those sneaking through the forest towards the Grove of Woe. Fortunately, between donations of liao and certain potions, the worst of the effects can be managed at least for a time.

The other threat here is more mundane; it is all too easy to get lost in what amounts to an often trackless expanse of trees. There are a few roads, it's true, but they are more dangerous than the wilderness. Druj soldiers patrol the roads, the settlements along them are alert for signs of raiders from the Imperial forces attacking Lower Saarnath. All too often the Empire must trust to instinct to find their way through terrain that looks the same hour to hour, day to day.

Standing at the heart of the region, the Grove of Woe represents one of the largest weirwood forests in the Mallum. A match for [[Canterspire Circle|Canterspire]] and the [[Golden Trees of Seren|Golden Trees]], only the [[Hunt of Alderei the Fair]] in far-off Varushka is larger. It is also clearly ancient; the woods here have been tended and harvested for centuries. It is a hive of industry - albeit a ''Druj'' hive of industry. Before one even comes in sight of the grove proper, there is a ring of high watchtowers protruding from the trees that allow garrisons of keen-eyed orcs to keep a watch over the approaches. Perhaps watchtower is the wrong word - it conjures to mind a simple structure with one or two occupants gazing out across the treetops. These watchtowers are more akin to small forts; wide platforms supporting what amounts to a tiny keep, easily home to two or three dozen orc warriors.

Furthermore the Karass warn that each tower is equipped with a set of sounding drums that will allow a warning to be spread across half of Upper Saarnath in a heartbeat if the raiders stumble. The towers are also situated just close enough to each other that an attack on one risks others realising what is going on and sounding the alarm. Worse, it is not a simple matter of disabling the instruments; four times a day the drums must be beaten in certain rhythms to show the tower is still intact or the alarm will inevitably be raised.

There is a plan, though, and as long as it goes smoothly it will be a success. In the darkest heart of the night, two adjacent towers are attacked. Skin and weapons and armour blackened with mud, the stealthiest assassins among the raiders scale the legs of the towers in silence and bring swift death to the sentries on watch. Any misstep here risks sending a screaming body plunging to the forest far below, risks rousing the rest of the defenders with enough time for them to raise the alarm.

With the sentries dealt with, the rope ladders are dropped to allow more warriors to swarm up to secure the platforms. It is not just a matter of assassinating sleeping barbarians; each has a shift ready to respond to any alarm raised by those watching the forest. Brutal, bloody fighting, high above the forest floor, leads to serious wounds on each side. It's fortunate that the [[Rivers of Life]] flow across Sanath this season - but it also makes the fighting that much more vicious as the foe must often be executed to prevent them rising again.

After the towers are captured, there is only a short time for the next stage to be put into operation - Imperial Orcs in Druj hooded cloaks take up the post of sentries so that the neighbouring towers will not suspect anything is wrong. There must also be people ready to beat the signal drums, to prevent the alarm being raised - at least until the Grove of Woe itself is attacked. Then it will be the responsibility of these brave fighters to attack the towers to either side, to widen the safe passage for the escape.

==The Grove of Woe==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj8.jpg|title=The Black Hide Beetle - symbol of the Pakkad|caption=The Black Hide Beetle - symbol of the Pakkad|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj4.jpg|title=The Deathstinger - symbol of the Hupul|caption=The Deathstinger - symbol of the Hupul|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj6.jpg|title=The Coiled Shrike - symbol of the Kallad|caption=The Coiled Shrike - symbol of the Kallad|align=right|width=200}}
</div>
With the outer defences secured, the sands truly begin to flow through the hourglass. It is now just a matter of time before the Druj realise what is happening, before ill chance or a passing patrol exposes the ruse. Stealth is still useful, but speed is essential now. Unfortunately, speed brings its own risks. The Druj have placed traps and pitfalls all around the Grove of Woe. It soon becomes apparent that these traps are less about discouraging attackers - although an army would certainly suffer losses if they tried to press through the woods here - than they are about punishing anyone who tries to flee the groves. Some are clearly ancient, others relatively new. Spiked pits, deadfalls, tripwires attached to blades crusted with filth and old venom, weighted nets that fall and lift, and game trails that seem safe until they very much are not.

Here the Karass guidance is more sketchy - they know the traps ''exist'' but they have no way of knowing where they are. Fortunately, the Navarr are no strangers to this kind of subtle warfare, and know the signs to watch for. Even with that expertise, though, the infiltration of the woods is perilous. It is not enough to just bypass the traps; wherever possible they must be disarmed to reduce the risk of someone stumbling into them while fleeing the Grove.

Within the ring of traps is the Grove itself, an expanse of healthy weirwood trees that reaches up above the surrounding forest. There is one final circle of defence - a weirwood wall topped with vicious spikes of mithril and rusted iron. A garrison of several hundred orcs, cruel guards and wicked overseers who keep the captured prisoners in line. Here the last tatters of stealth begin to fragment and blow away. The raiders have the initiative, launch their surprise attacks at three key junctures, each arrow or javelin finding its target and sending them sprawling, but there is no way to stop the alarm being raised. Even as the gates and the walls are attacked, the drums start beating, heavy thunderous notes of warning that are soon echoed by the loyal watchtowers.

For some, perhaps, it is a relief. Too many days of ever-tightening tension, each successful act of infiltration being nothing more than the threat that the ''next'' risk will be the one that brings the whole house of cards tumbling down. Now it is battle, and for many of the Imperial Orcs they smash through the Druj defences with the voices of their ancestors ringing exultant in their spirits, in their hearts, in their ears. ''Break these chains!'' they shout, and ''kill the slavers!'' and ''no mercy for the Druj!'' The Navarr are lockstep with their allies, but where the orcs have the voices of their ancestors to spur them on they have the memory of Therunin, and what the Druj did to their people there, and it howls in their blood loud enough to match any spirit of the gone-before.

Again the curse of [[Spring magic]] helps both sides, prolongs the fighting, makes it five times bloodier than it might have been. These Druj are elite fighters - [[Arkad#Pakkad|Pakkad]] and the [[Arkad#Hupul|Hupul]] and [[Arkad#Kallad|Kallad]] who ensure the slaves stay in line. They are equipped as befits the [[Arkad]] - ample [[Legacy of Thorns|blade venom]], potions of healing and strength, and when all else fails pouches of [[true vervain]] to restore their vitality. Spells and potions of [[purify|purification]] prove invaluable during the battle to seize the Grove of Woe.

While the fighting rages, a small number of champions take advantage of the chaos to bypass the defenders and push deep into the encampment here among the weirwood trees. Their purpose is twofold - to kill any Druj commanders they can find and to let the slaves know that they are about to be liberated. They are perhaps a little unprepared for the tenacity of the resistance they encounter. Even as the fighting spreads along the walls and spills over into the outskirts of the encampment, those moving to the aid of the Great Forest Orcs discover that the Grove of Woe is under the direct command of one of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]].

The orc master apothecary is protected by a cadre of Pakkad with the finest weapons and armour the Mallum can produce. True juggernauts of poison and steel, they fight with the fervour of the fanatic to protect their mistress. For her part the Buruk Tepel is clearly so much more than a "mere" master [[surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecary]]. There are braziers in which some sinister mix of herbs and poisons have been prepared and as her bodyguards battle the Navarr and the Imperial Orcs, she personally begins to set them alight. The thick greenish-yellow smoke they produce hangs low to the ground, creeping in a slow flood through the encampment. As more of the braziers are ignited, the fog spreads more quickly, begins to thicken, becomes deeper. When someone falls into the fog, they do not rise again. This "death fog" smothers anyone who breathes it for more than a few lungfuls - and if someone is already weakened when they encounter it it swiftly spells their doom. The Empire has encountered weapons similar to this in the past but never so concentrated, never so ''cruel''.

As the fighting continues, it also becomes apparent why none of the slaves here have joined the fighting. The Great Forest Orcs who tend the Grove of Woe have been chained to the floors of their ramshackle huts, and as the fog thickens they desperately struggle to keep their heads above the level of the poison mist. It becomes a race against time - to break the chains of the prisoners before the Buruk Tepel atrocity claims them. The raiders split their attention between the Druj defenders and the salvation of the orcs.

In the end though, the Empire is able to prevail - just. It is easy to say, but hard to communicate how close it is. A hair's breadth and the fog would have thickened enough, risen high enough, then the victory over the guards would have been rendered all but meaningless. If the heroes of the Empire had fought one iota less fiercely, committed even an ounce less completely to their goal, the Druj would have held the weirwood groves and stood victorious over the charnel pit they had made of it. In the end though, their terrible scheme does not come to fruition. The Imperial plan works. The slaves are saved, the Druj are slain.

The Buruk Tepel stands defiant to the last, at the heart of a tightening ring of Navarr spears and Unshackled blades and the blazing eyes of the heralds of ''Papa Otec''. She sneers, spits her defiance, and in the last moment touches the burning brand with which she sought to extinguish the lives of the Great Forest Orcs to her own robes. She becomes a pillar of flame, her arms spread out, the stench of burning hair and wool and cooking meat overpowering the stink of the dissipating death fog. Worst of all, as she burns, as she dies, she ''laughs'', howls with laughter until the fire rips the air from her lungs and she collapses in ashes and burnt fragments of bone. Those present to see her die will likely hear that laughter in their dreams for the rest of their lives and wonder what kind of creature, human or orc, can laugh while being devoured alive by flame.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Verys.png|title=Rune: Verys|align=right|caption=Strength is often found in unexpected places.}}

==Flight Through the Dark==
The last of the Druj defenders flee into the forest once it is clear the day is lost; they do not stand and fight. The rescued prisoners number several hundred. Roughly two thirds are of the Great Forest sept, although many of them have never known any life save that of slavery in the Mallum. The remainder are orcs of other subject septs kept for more prosaic service, and a few handfuls of humans. Most of the latter are Navarr, or Dawnish yeofolk, brought here after Druj raids for their own expertise in tending weirwood. Some have no knowledge of the Empire at all, and are as frightened of their rescuers as the orcs. They are either descendants of prisoners taken generations ago, or folk who lived in the Mallum before the Druj took control.

The next enemy to overcome is fear. There is so little time, and yet defeating this foe is crucial. It would be easy to imagine the Imperial Orcs would have an advantage here, but that would be a mistake. The slaves are orcs themselves, but so are their former masters. It is the Navarr, and their talk of oaths and of the bond with the sept of Peytaht that break through the paralysing, traumatic fear that the servants of Irra Harah call ''"tharn"''. The fear that robs the mind of the ability to think, the terror that prevents the legs from moving and, if it lasts long enough, spells slow death. The words of the Navarr, and the reassurance of the handful of Great Forest Orcs with them, get through to the prisoners and get them moving.

This is the most vital thing, the part of the plan that could go most catastrophically wrong. Several hundred tired, frightened prisoners must now be escorted to safety, with the alarm raised and the Druj certainly already on their way. Supplies are needed - and while the [[business|businesses]] and [[farm|farms]] of Miaren and Hercynia and Skarsind and Mareave have provided what they can, carrying too much ''into'' the Mallum would just slow the raiders down when they need to move. And so the first order of business is to raid the camp and grab everything that can keep body-and-spirit together in the flight west toward the Empire. Food and water, obviously, but it is easy to overlook the importance of good footwear and sturdy clothes, walking sticks, containers to carry provisions, bedrolls... the list is endless and every moment brings the Druj closer.

Here fortune smiles a little on the Empire and their new charges. The garrison here had a great store of potions and herbs for their own use. The Buruk Tepel had brought her own supplies for her bodyguards. Potions to strengthen the body, to clear the mind, to heal wounds, even to bolster the spirit are all claimed and distributed among both the prisoners and those who have freed them. There is also, unfortunately, a sizable stash of potions known for the [[Double-sided Blade|pernicious impact]] they have on those subjected to them, and while there is some discussion as to whether [[Double-sided Blade#Weakening Sun|Weakening Sun]] or [[Double-sided Blade#Warming Armour|Warming Armour]] might ultimately be of use, these discussions are quickly curtailed. There are some weapons of the Druj, argues one of the priests vehemently, that we must never stoop to using, no matter how deep the need.

Time runs out. The agreed on signal comes from the captured watchtowers; a force of Druj is moving toward the Grove of Woe from the east. It's not clear if it is a local patrol, or a force up from [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Leen_Rarckan|Leen Rarckan]], but it is clearly time to go. Moving hundreds of disciplined soldiers is enough of a challenge; moving hundreds of terrified refugees is several orders of magnitude worse. Yet somehow, the plan holds together. The ragged column starts to move; a handful of wagons hold those not in a condition for the heavy marching ahead, nestled in among the hastily gathered supplies. Most of those who ride are children; the Druj have little use for tree-tenders too old or infirm to work the groves. The rest are those who were exposed to the death fog for a little too long and will need serious medical attention before they can walk easily.

Through the ring of traps, almost miraculously, without losing anyone. The caution of the Empire's approach has paid dividends here. There are a few attacks by Druj warriors - the sentries of the other watchtowers most likely coupled with some who fled the fall of the camp - but they are easily fended off. The rest of those who remained behind to hold the towers join the main body, and once they are through the outer circle the caravan begins to make better time.

Over the next several days, the raiders push themselves almost to the point of exhaustion. Outrunning the pursuing Druj is one thing; dealing with the Druj ''in front'' of them is another. While the ingress was marked by stealth and misdirection, the egress is a bloody swathe cut through the forested plateau as more and more Druj warriors zero-in on the fleeing Imperials and their living cargo. By the third day, some of the slaves have recovered enough to demand weapons, armour, shields of their own, to protect their friends and their families and fight alongside their rescuers. Some artisans and crafters among the Imperial force have sacrificed [[Materials#Metals|ingots]] and [[Materials#Natural_Materials|measures]] to craft the kind of weapons that will give even an unskilled wielder an edge; others have brought a few extra armaments from their forges or their armouries for just this kind of situation. For the rest... the servants of Irra Harah are again able to offer strange assistance; with a touch they can carve a shillelagh or a staff, or a spear shaft from a tree; with their fingers alone they can shape stone into spear-heads and charm vines to attach one to the other. They can weave grass and leaves into simple armour, held together more by magic than by any artisanry.

Westward then, from the first light of dawn to the last light after dusk, with the night-time spent in fitful sleep. The miasma presses down mercilessly, a threat to the spirit every bit as immediate and wicked as a Druj arrow poses to the body. Yet just as there are weapons and armour to wield against the mortal attackers, so there are also armaments that can be used against despair. Around simple campfires, in the shadows beneath the trees, in the snatched moments of rest and respite, there are stories and there are songs. The Unshackled share their history and the path that led them to where they are now; the Navarr speak of the fall of Terunael and the nation that rose from its ashes; the Great Forest Orcs share a few tales that are new even to those who know the sept of Peytaht, of the woodlands that once stretched from shore to shore and the spirit that moves through it. As a philosopher once said "''greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams''," and ultimately the final victory over the Druj will be the victory over despair.

Long days and long nights and then, long hours of trudging exhaustion punctuated by terrifying moments of battle and bloodshed. And through them, at last, against all the odds, the edge of the plateau comes steadily closer. There is little chance of taking the rescued prisoners down the secretive routes used to reach Upper Saarnath. A final assault, then, against the ''Lidless Stair'', and then hopefully safety below.

Of course, nobody can be sure if there is any safety in Lower Saarnath. When the heroes of the Empire made the ascent into Upper Saarnath, the fighting was just beginning. If the Empire has been driven back into Sarangrave, if the Druj have sent a superior force, then all this might still prove to have been for naught as the descent places the heroes and their charges in the heart of the armies of dread. As much as they can the Imperial raiders keep this unsettling truth from the former slaves, for fear that it may prove one burden too many for them to bear.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tykonus.png|title=Rune: Tykonus|align=right|caption=We take victory where we can.}}

==Down the Lidless Stair==
The Lidless Stair is a wide path, the most southerly of those which allow an army to move from the lowlands to the uplands. It is guarded by a wall of twisted weirwood and old white granite, and a few hundred soldiers. The plan gambles on the fact that some of those soldiers will be out of position - joining the fighting in Lower Saarnath or looking for the raiders in the wrong place.

A fortress might be poor quality, but it is still a fortress. Crystal mana is gathered in trembling hands, supplemented by a few pots of [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], and in the last hours before dawn a ritual is enacted among the trees on the edge of the plateau. Those Navarr magicians versed in [[Spring magic]] are just between them able to craft a [[Rising Roots that Rend Stone|magical weapon]] to breach the wall. Warriors alone could have taken the Lidless Stair, for sure, but there is no way they could have done it without loss of life - and without leaving their charges vulnerable. With the magic of those volunteers who accompany them, though, there is another option.

The spell works like a charm; one minute the arrogant Druj defenders are taunting the approaching force from the safety of their gatehouse, the next that gatehouse is rent asunder sending no-longer smug orcs tumbling in every direction. Shorn of their wall, the Druj lose much of their steel... only to discover that they are now trapped between the furious Imperial heroes to the east and the armies of the Empire to the west. Their only escape is death, and in the end that is the route they all must take.

Even as the gates fall, the alarm is being raised at the rear of the column. A (relatively) disciplined force of Druj warriors is fast approaching, closing the distance with distressing speed. The fight at the top of the Stair is nearly won but not quite and if the defenders must split their forces then there is every chance they will fail, fall at the last hurdle between them and freedom...

The sky turns black, and the rain begins to pour, and the gale begins to howl, and in that moment it looks as if everything has been for nothing. The raiders will need to choose between sacrificing their lives to delay the inevitable, or leaving those they promised liberty to be recaptured, slaughtered.

Then a horn is heard, an echoing note that rises above the weather, that stills fear and quickens the heart. It is followed by a peal of thunder, an indescribable noise as if the sky itself was being torn in half and whatever it is that lies behind it was pouring through. Far to the east thunderbolts cascade out of the peligin clouds, and for a moment that noise expands to fill the entire world.

The approaching Druj scatter in terror, the sound overwhelming their discipline for precious minutes. The gate of the Lidless Stair is taken, and the refugees begin to pour down the path, down into the southern reaches of Lower Saarnath. By the time the approaching Druj find their courage again, the very last Imperial soldiers are following them down. And at the bottom wait the victorious Imperial armies, and the Druj dare not follow their quarry into that unwelcoming embrace.

So, then, when all is counted up, the plan has gone just as it should have. The Great Forest Orcs are rescued from the Grove of Woe, along with several dozen other servants of the Druj who will find a welcome in the Barrens, or in Skarsind, or further afield in Hercynia or Miaren.

But what of the Forest of Ulnak?
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==The Ancient Forest==
What of the Forest of Ulnak indeed. In the north, speed is more of a pressing concern than stealth. For the plan to work, the Grove of Woe and the Sacred Grove need to be attacked at roughly the same time. The Buruk Tepel are said to be able to communicate over great distances using some mystical technique or other, and any warning will surely see Nimon Rue execute their prisoners. Worse, no matter where they enter the Forest, the Imperial raiders will need to cover more than twice the distance to reach the weirwood groves - through the whole of [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwalt|Oerwalt]], [[Forest of Ulnak#Grimfen Mire|Grimfen Mire]], or [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'thak Forest]], and then into the depths of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Deathsgate|Deathsgate]], all under the unsleeping gaze of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Ûln]] itself.

The plan rules out any approach through Gul'thak. There is something alien in the woods there, something alert and watchful. Just as bad, there is the Thistle of Barbs, which defends the forest from any attempt to cross the Nameless River. Oerwalt would be easier, but risks the attention of the orcs of Otkodov. Most likely the Thule would be disinterested in the Imperial plan, but there is always a chance that they might obstruct it unintentionally, or otherwise.

Talking with the Karass, the decision is made to push through Grimfen Marsh, skirting the northern Gul'Thak as quickly as possible, and then delving into Deathsgate. While Grimfen Marsh is perilous, and reasonably well populated, there is no suggestion that the folk who live there have any love for the Druj. Treachery is always a threat in the Mallum, but between the Imperial Orcs and the Karass, it is assumed they will be able to handle the sprawling families of Druj subjects.

Here the Empire also has significant aid from the children of ''Papa Otec''. The heralds out of Oerwalt do not boast of their prowess, but they quietly let it be known that they can help with marsh and forest alike. Given speed is of the essence, they ask the raiders to trust their expertise. They can ensure the Empire is forwarned of any patrol, any watching sentry, no matter how canny or well hidden. The wisest beasts, they explain, always know when they are being watched. So it is with the servants of ''Shacklebreaker''.

With the plan set, a flotilla of small boats, rafts, and flat-bottomed skiffs are deployed to transport the raiders across the Nameless River, in small groups, and the assault on the Forest of Ulnak has begun.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj1.jpg|align=right|caption=The desperation of the Druj is so much worse than their complacency.|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|align=right|width=300|caption=It is unwise to rely too much upon the goodwill of the Dragons.}}</div>

==Grimfen Mire==
While it is called both fen and mire, Grimfen is as much forest as it is marsh - a flooded forest, reminiscent of the wild places of Therunin on the other side of the Barrens. There are insects everywhere, vicious animals, deadly toadstools and mushrooms, predatory birds, and an omnipresent cladding of soft mosses. The natural dangers here are made all the worse by the presence of the Spring curse placed on the entire territory by the warlocks of Otkodov. The [[Rivers Run Red|rivers run red]] here, breeding sickness and infection that can make even the mildest of injuries, the smallest of insect bites, potentially life threatening. Potions and herbs can help of course, as can the magic and medical expertise of those who have risked their lives to accompany the warbands, but the danger is omnipresent.

The riverbank is marked by a handful of settlements - stilt-fishers and pot-fishers for the most part - and as one moves inland (inasmuch as any part of Grimfen can be called "land" rather than "mud") there are many more. The Karass know the routes to take, there are plenty of Navarr used to this kind of sodden woodland, and the raiding parties make good time. Rather than take a single path through the region, there are multiple bands of raiders moving separately. It increases the risk of one of them being spotted, certainly, but smaller groups are harder to spot and can react more quickly.

The heralds of Irra Harah are as good as their word; their supernatural senses provide ample warning of threats both barbarian and natural. They can tell the difference between a log sunk in a stagnant pool, and an awful predator that only ''looks'' like a log at a glance. They are able to show hunters which fungus is safe to eat and which will cause agonising nightmare delerium.

As with the force in the Salt Flats, the omnipresent miasma is a challenge. Again, liao and virtue and the voices of the ancestors help, but it is a struggle all its own, especially in environs such as this. There is something mournful about Grimfen, that goes beyond the miasma. Something sad woven into the roots and branches and the waterways. The Karass shrug when asked about it, and the heralds of Irra Harah just look sadly away and change the subject.

For all the difficult terrain, the raiders make good time through Grimfen. As the southern warband is cresting the cliffs of Upper Saarnath, they are closing in on the northern borders of the mire. Here they come across signs of battle - fighting between Thule conquerors and the defenders of the Mallum. It seems however that these are older battlefields, and it is only Druj bodies that are found here, bloated and flyblown by weeks abandoned in the damp, hot sun.

When the denizens of the region are encountered, on the rare occasions they cannot be circumvented easily, they either flee or just watch the Imperials impassively, disinterestedly. Perhaps one or two might seek to curry favour with their overlords by reporting the presence of trespassers but if they do they are either intercepted by their own people or ignored. Those orcs among the raiders who make contact with one of the settlements find a people cowed by the miasma, and by the wickedness of those who rule here. If they speak of the Empire at all, it is in the tones of folk who know them only from stories as wicked sorcerers who rain curses down on the Mallum and slaughter any orc who falls into their hands. The raiders might not encounter opposition here, but they find no welcome either.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ull.png|title=Rune: Ull|align=right|caption=Chance undoes even the best laid plans.}}
==Trees and Bones==
From Grimfen, the raiders press along the border between Gul'thak and Bonewall. The southern woodlands give way to more barren hillside, and another dilemma. Travelling through the woods helps hide the presence of interlopers from any watchers, but likewise hides the watchers and impedes swift progress. Travelling through the hills is a little easier, but all too often leaves trespassers exposed to anyone who might be paying attention.

The dissipated groups that have made their way here join together as they push north and east. The time for stealth is coming to an end - if they are to make the Grove in time to save the Great Forest orcs they need to pick up the pace. Armed conflict is inevitable, and violence finds the raiders before they have gone more than a quarter of the distance they need to cover. A cohort of Druj soldiers, under the ragged banners of the [[Druj_armies#Deadly_Blade|Deadly Blade]], retreating out of Bonewall into Gul'Thak spy the Imperials and raise their spears to attack. A few race south, others east, to try and spread the alarm. Not only must the Imperials deal with the soldiers, but they must try and catch the runners if they hope to maintain the element of surprise.

As swift-footed warriors, scouts, and hunters in lighter armour dash to intercept the would-be alarm-raisers, the rest of the raiders are forced to battle venom-bladed Druj soldiers who know the terrain much better than they do. The Empire is outnumbered, but fortunately these are not fresh troops. Far from it. They have been fighting the invaders from Otkodov, and have had little time to resupply or rest. As it is the fighting is hard going, but the Imperial raiders are at full strength and well prepared. The Druj are cut down, and those who try to flee their inevitable rout are shown no mercy.

As the last warrior falls, those who chased after the runners return. They think they have silenced all those who would raise the alarm, but they cannot be certain. The need to move quickly intensifies.

This is only the first of several such encounters - ragged warriors retreating out of the Bonewall. Some bear battered banners of the Druj armies, others are part of the garrisons of the southern forts. They are demoralised, injured, tired, and as often as not their first thought is to retreat rather than fight. When they have to, the Empire kills them; when they don't they let them pass by, unnoticed.

Twice the raiders see signs of the Thule along the southern borders of the Bonewall. Massive encampments, lit up like the night sky with flames and lightstones. Azure banners marked with runes and depictions of the Dragons stand out against the skyline. It is clear the Thule ''want'' the Druj to know where they are, taunting them almost, as if they are urging the defenders of the Mallum to attack them. An ironic twist of the familiar Druj tactic of trying to lure their enemies into a trap, perhaps.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Deathsgate.jpg|align=right|caption=Cassad Úln stands sentinel over the high peaks of the north, watching eternally for anything that might threaten its domination.|width=500}}</div>
==Deathsgate==
Even for those who have seen the Tower of the Skink in Sarangrave, the great citadel of Cassad Ûln is a breathtaking sight. Where the Tower had something of a ramshackle mien, suggesting broken glass and rusted metal and twisted ambition, Cassad Ûln is fear and tyranny made manifest. Black stone looms on the side of the sweeping northern mountains, a single spire reaching up as if in defiance of the stars and the surrounding peaks. Where other Druj fortifications are intentionally things of spike and jagged steel, this is something else. A monolith of darkness, smooth sided, easily imagined as a great sentinel watching over the entirety of the Mallum. Those who have seen the wall at its base report that it is a different matter; a curtain of stone garlanded with the familiar grisly totems of the cruel masters of the Mallum.

The tower itself isn't always visible; Deathsgate is covered with a thick northern forest and it looks as if it would be possible to cross the entire region without ever seeing the open sky above the canopy. Yet once it is seen it preys on the mind - a result of the Druj miasma perhaps - and it is all too easy to imagine it staring through the leaves and branches deep into ones soul. One Imperial Orc jokes that perhaps it is just the biggest miasma pillar in the Mallum, but their attempt at levity falls very flat indeed.

As with so much of the rest of the Mallum there is no solid road to follow, no great highway. What roads there are, are rutted with wheel-tracks, barely more than open spaces between the tree trunks. It is clear that caravans must travel through these woods regularly - to collect the weirwood from the Sacred Grove and bring supplies to Cassad Ûln if for no other reason - but they must represent a truly arduous task. When asked, the Karass look blank and say "slaves" and leave it at that.

It would be easy to imagine that this is just more trackless wilderness, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Particularly in the south the woodlands here are dense with herb gardens, small villages, and the guarded estates of skilled tepel and apparently even some Buruk Tepel who wish to get away from the constant scheming of Sanath to spend some time in study. This means that the woods here are guarded, and the strain of having to ensure that nobody escapes to raise an alarm begins to show on the raiders.

Just as in the south, there is an outer ring and an inner ring of defenders here. Unlike the protections in Upper Saarnath, though, those established in the woods around the weirwood groves are not solely mundane and trickery will not avail against them. According to the Karass, there are white stones quarried from the depths of the northern mountains, marked with dark sigils and woven with cruel magic, that allow unnatural horrors to hunt the woods around the Sacred Grove and punish all who they find who do not bear the "mark of passage".

These supernatural guards are truly monstrous - orc-like humanoids whose bodies are pierced with metal and who drag terrible chains behind them. Some are plated in misshapen metal, as if their armour has fused to their flesh or their bodies have somehow grown ''through'' it. Some wear helmets that hide their entire face, hunting by sound and scent and the echo of feet on the earth. Others possess powers of dark witchery, able to drain the strength from a warrior with a touch of one taloned hand and leave them easy prey for the creatures that pad alongside them - a twisted mix of dog, and cat, and human being. They are given free rein to torment any who stray beyond the weirwood grove, and are said to be nearly as expert in prolonging agony as the masters of the Mallum are.

The initial proposal was that the raiders would ambush a Druj convoy, and steal a mark of passage. The problem is that even the Karass cannot say with any certainty how many folk can be protected by one such mark. Certainly it seems unlikely that one will be sufficient to protect a column of freed slaves. Only the wagons that carry weirwood out, and supplies in, are equipped with such marks but it is likely that there are more within the encampment itself. More than one raider points out that "likely" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

Fortunately, the presence of the heralds of Irra Harah provides an alternative and one that the supernatural children of the ''Voice of the Voiceless'' are ''very'' keen to put into operation. Rather than skulk and dissemble, masquerade and trust to the nebulous advice of the Karass, they propose smashing straight through the ring of wards, slaughtering every so-called guardian that gets in their way, shattering these white stone monoliths into pieces, assaulting the camp, murdering all the Druj, grabbing the Great Forest Orcs and running for the Nameless River. When questions are raised about how this can be done, the heralds reveal the boons their father has given them. A dozen staffs of woven wood that contain the power to tear stone structures apart when wielded by an adept of Spring magic. These, they say, will quickly put paid to any magical warding and binding stones, and there are enough masters of ritual lore here to make use of them.

In the end the decision is made for the raiders. Somewhere along the line, one of those who escaped the raiders with their life has made it to someone prepared to listen to them. Drums begin to pound to the south, and from the north the answering bray of some immense bone horn is heard. There are only two choices left; flee, or fight. In the end, the choice is no choice at all.
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==Sacred Grove==
The defenders of the Sacred Grove appear almost immediately and they are just as awful as the Karass proposed. They are clearly [[inhabitants of the realms#herald|heralds]], and every sign suggests they are drawn from the [[Realms#Winter|Winter realm]]. Worse, almost as soon as they begin to engage the Empire, it is clear they are drawn from the [[The_Thrice-cursed_Court|Thrice-cursed Court]] which means that they have any number of horrible, cruel, wicked powers between them. Some can bring the Curse of the Bound King to bear on their foes, preventing them fleeing or defending themselves. Others wield the witchery of the ''Hag Queen'', cold and imperious and terrible, sapping willpower and spreading discord. The worst are probably those warriors that serve the ''Burnt Prince'' - armoured behemoths whose weapons sear and brand the skin. It also becomes painfully apparent that these are nothing like the warriors of the Thrice-cursed that the Empire is familiar with. These creatures are dark, and powerful, and wield a greater portion of their patrons power than anyone could have expected. They do not die easily, and they do not give up, and when one is seen there are half a dozen more close behind. Worst of all are the hounds - the hybrid horrors the Karass hinted at. Humanoid in rough form, with the aspect of wolf and lion, they are large enough to heft an armoured orc in one misshapen hand and they clearly have a taste for the flesh and blood and screams of mortal folk.

Questions of [[Alignment#Amity|amity]] and [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] immediately fall away as battle is joined, and always the plan is foremost in the mind of those fighting through this ring of horrors. The worst thing that can happen here is to falter, to allow themselves to be delayed now the alarm is raised. They ''must'' make it to the Sacred Grove before ''Nimon Rue'' can make good on their threat.

Fighting alongside the orcs and humans are the heralds of ''Shacklebreaker'' and they are something else the Empire has not really experienced. In the past, the children of ''Voice of the Voiceless'' have tended to talk, to retreat, to hide, to urge others to take up arms. Here, in the dark woods, against the servants of the ''Court of Rope'', they are transformed. Swollen with anger, channelling the fury of the Spring Realm against creatures whose entire being echoes with tyranny and cruelty, they take on a very different aspect. Some send their enemies flying with the kind of force Imperials are more used to seeing in the hands of the chosen of [[Siakha|Maelstrom]]. Others shatter their foes weapons but also their bodies; a herald of the Thrice-cursed with a broken leg is no more mobile than a mortal. Yet their fury seems to rouse an answering rage, especially in the burnt knights of Surut. Spring breaks, Winter endures. Ironically, it is the overarching magic of the Thule that swings the pendulum in favour of the Empire here - the Winter heralds are no more able to resist the magic of the malignant curse laid over Ulnak than the Imperial heroes are.

Of course killing the heralds of the Winter realm is not the reason those heroes are here. This fight is a distraction, a ruse all of its own. When the first detonation is heard, it sends a ripple through the knights of the ''Three Monarchs''. Their fury falters for a moment, and there is a shift in their tactics. A second detonation, and some of the heralds shake themselves as if suddenly free of chains all their own. The vates and warcasters, with their own skills and the boons of ''Prison Smasher'', are shattering the white stones that keep these heralds in place and command their service. Each one that falls loosens the bonds on them, frees some of them of their obligations. The gifts of the Winter realm are often double-edged, and it seems that this "gift" of bonded guardians is just such a one. While some of the heralds continue to fight the Empire's champions, others either turn aside from the fray entirely or start heading towards the Sacred Grove itself...

As with the Grove of Woe, there are defences around the encampment but again they are different. Rather than a wall, there is a loose barrier of wooden stakes, supplemented here and there by sections of palisade. There have been recent attempts to reinforce these defences, but they look very makeshift. It seems that the commander of the Sacred Grove trusted more in the supernatural defences than in anything so mundane as a ''wall''. The camp has defenders, though, and they are just as dangerous and vicious as those faced in the south. Elite troops, trusted with guarding one of the most valuable resources in the Mallum. Some bear the mark of the black tower, indicating an allegiance to the master of Cassad Ûln itself. Others have the marks of the septs of Ulnak, each of the Buruk Tepel of the northern Mallum represented here.

The commander here is no Buruk Tepel, relying on apothecary and subtle poisons. They have a very different fate in mind for the Great Forest Orcs - although it still involves fire. As fighting spreads through the camp - as the Empire assaults the defenders with the unexpected accompaniment of a handful of heralds of the Thrice-cursed Court clearly working out decades of frustration at not being allowed to harm those they "protected" - the horror that Nimon Rue has in store becomes clear. The workers of the weirwood grove, the Great Forest Orcs who have toiled here for generations, have been placed inside three tall wooden structures in the centre of the camp. Each is a terrible mockery of a weirwood tree, packed with living orcs, surrounded by kindling. It brings to mind the stories of [[the Marches]], of the [[The_Marches_culture_and_customs#The_Wicker_Man|wicker man]], but here the power of spiritual purification has been warped into a force of corruption and malice.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Burning Marches.jpg|width=400|align=right|caption=The Druj have something very different in mind to the purification heralded by a Marcher wicker burning.}}</div>
The commander of the camp - a [[Druj_champion#Het|het]] in armour of black plate - holds an iron torch, already burning. He is flanked by three witches - three [[Druj lore#Ghulai|ghulai]] - and as the Imperial heroes break through the stakes surrounding the sprawling encampment he steps closer to the awful pyre. Before he lights it, though, he turns to address the trespassers, to mock them for their failure, to invite them to witness the immolation of -

It's not clear if the arrow that finds his throat, the chink in his armour, is fired by Unshackled or Navarr, but it does the same job regardless. The Het topples backward, silenced, the brand falling from his suddenly numb hand. One of the witches stoops to pick it up, but another half-dozen arrows strike him before he can do so, sending him sprawling. Sorcerers are even easier to kill with a hail of arrows than het are.

One of the other two ghulai chants a word and raises their staff over their head, and unleashes a terrible spell that causes everyone in front of them - Druj and Imperial alike - to be wrapped in invisible chains that hold them immobile. The chains do nothing to stop the arrows, however, and ultimately simply allow the raiders to kill the het's guards before they can recover from the paralysis.

The third wizard flees rather than fights, and alone among her brethren escapes the arrows of justice. Unfortunately for her, she runs straight into the arms of an impossibly tall skeletal figure with a mirrored half-helm, who wraps her up in unnaturally jointed arms before biting her face off and turning her screams to desperate gurgles.

Chaos, death, blood, fire. As the last of the Druj are mopped up, those free to do so tear into the wooden trees and free those trapped inside. There is no time to waste, none at all. The defenders of Ulnak are coming and the Druj know they are here. The element of surprise is gone, and there is so far a distance to cover it seems impossible. There's little time to spend in explanations - ten minutes to grab provisions and possessions, to raid the Druj supply tents, and then they have to leave.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Gralm.png|title=Rune: Gralm|caption=We all come to the crossroads eventually.|align=right}}

==The Plan Changes==
Terrified, but desperate to survive, the freed orcs are gathered and the exodus begins. In the time it takes to drag them together a decision is reached - there is no way that the Imperial heroes will be able to lead these orcs to safety along the same route they took to get here. The plan will need to change. It is risky but it seems the best of the available bad plans is to run west, into Bonewall, and trust the orcs of Otkodov to hold to their alliance with the Empire. The Karass have a different proposal. The Druj will ''expect'' them to go west, or to retrace their steps. There is another option. It is dangerous - incredibly so - but if it works it will allow them to escape the Mallum. Instead of going for the nearest safety, they head ''south'' through [[Forest of Ulnak#Shifting Basin|Shifting Basin]] to the river and from there to [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]]. Instead of trying to bypass the Mallum forces no doubt regrouping to fight the Thule along the Bonewall, they avoid the fighting by pressing through land the Druj believe uncontested.

The flaws are obvious, but the worst is that the refugees would still need to cross the Nameless River at a point where nobody is expecting them to try. The Karass try to argue that messengers could be sent, and boats be waiting, but in the end it simply makes no sense. The Shifting Basin contains one of the largest Druj settlements in the Forest of Ulnak, for a start. The Rivers Run Red bear down on everyone in Ulnak, and the idea of transporting four hundred tired slaves through trackless marshes when any injury might fester and become incapacitating is unpopular. It isn't said out loud, but these new plan also involves giving the Karass a level of trust nobody is comfortable with.

Westward it is, then. The Karass are clearly unhappy, but they are not in charge here. Nothing is ever simple of course; the Great Forest Orcs are no less traumatised than those rescued from the Grove of Woe. Sickness and infection become a constant threat, and without the medical supplies and expertise of those who risked everything to be here the death toll would surely mount higher and higher. There is nowhere near enough time to collect enough provisions and supplies, with the threat of Cassad Úln literally looming on the horizon.

The plan has changed, and now everyone has to make sure it works. Out past the ring of warding and binding, and then turn sharp west to flee through the woods towards the all-too-distant hills. The first day is the worst, with the Great Forest Orcs still adjusting to the fact they are fleeing for their lives and freedoms. Hope can be painful, especially for people who are unfamiliar with it. The first night is bad, but by then the new reality is beginning to take hold. Just as in the south, some of the freed slaves ask for weapons and armour, or offer their skills to help their fellows, former slave and liberator alike. It is too dangerous to risk fires, and folk are forced to huddle together for warmth under the cold Autumn stars.

Only as morning breaks, and the column of refugees gets ready to move, do the Imperial heroes notice that the Karass have disappeared.

==The Treachery of the Karass==
During that first dark night, the Karass vanished. None of the sentries seem to have seen them leaving, and it is clear that this is not some random desertion. This is something that would have taken planning. There was always a chance the Karass would betray the Empire, and it looks as if the fears for their fidelity were well founded.

Although not ''all'' of the Karass have disappeared. One has stayed behind; an old hunter found sitting in the middle of the camp smoking a pipe. They endure accusations of cowardice and treachery for a few long minutes, then put their pipe away and offer an explanation. The plan hasn't changed, says that remaining hunter. Not for the Karass at least. They knew all along there was almost no chance that the Empire would be able to raid the Sacred Grove and escape without the aid of at least one Imperial army. This was the contingency put in place by Anka Karass; the sept has gone to help the plan succeed by risking their own lives to create a distraction. They will launch a raid on Shadowmere, the domain of the Iron Asp, and the largest settlement in the south. The Druj will respond, directing their gaze toward what seems to be a major threat, and the Karass will melt into the marshes and make their own way home. Unlike the Imperials, the Karass can effectively disappear in the Mallum - not even the Imperial Orcs can say the same.

There's no doubt something stinks to the celestial heavens, but what can be done? The Karass are gone, and if they are going to return with the Druj it is already too late to do anything about it. They've been ''essential'' up to now, helping at every turn, but in truth, it's not clear they are needed any more. Their role was always to help the Empire slip into the Druj lands, to get close to their target without tipping their hand. No-one will feel the loss of them, now it's time to run for the hills.

How much of what this hunter is saying is the truth is impossible to gauge. There isn't time to try and make him change his story, and what if he is telling the truth? Risk everything on suspicion? What good would that serve. The plan has changed once, but that doesn't mean the Empire shouldn't stick to the new one. So with that lone Karass under careful watch, the escapees begin to move westward through the forest toward the Thule front lines.

The caravan moves, as it inevitably must, and then everything goes wrong.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Yoorn.png|title=Rune: Yoorn|caption=An end is in sight...|align=right}}

==Later Than You Think==
It's always later than you think. That first night under the trees of Ulnak, with the Karass sneaking away into the darkness, brings that home if nothing else does. The hourglass is nearly empty. As the southern force is fighting its way down the Lidless Stair, the raiders in the north realise just how close the Autumn Equinox is.

Close as the summit at Anvil is, the Druj are closer. The garrison of Cassad Úln is on their trail, the soldiers of the Thistle of Barbs cannot be far behind. There is even some hint that some of the heralds of the Thrice-cursed are stalking the fleeing prisoners. The weather is shifting, and the Empire's heroes are fighting their way into a warzone.

When the Imperial Orcs scouts come back to report that there is a major Druj force ahead - several thousand strong - it feels almost inevitable. The orcs of Otkodov, it seems, have claimed the whole of Bonewall and pushed the defending forces of the Mallum back... right into the path of the fleeing heroes. There's no suggestion they've done this on purpose - indeed it would be incredibly difficult for them to manoeuvre the Druj in this way. It just seems to be the worst of luck.

Turning north or south won't help - the caravan has to keep moving or those hunting them will catch up. If there had been a larger force - the help of an army or another twenty warbands maybe - the matter would be different. But if wishes were oxen, nobody would ever have to pull a plough. The situation is dire, and it looks as if everyone in the Forest of Ulnak is going to die...

==Game Information==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; margin: 15px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBOrcs.jpg|align=right|width=200}}</div>
===Rescue the Prisoners===
* '''The raid to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Mallum has been a qualified success'''
* '''Several hundred slaves have been brought safely to the Empire, but several hundred more remain in imminent danger'''
* '''Those chosen to organise the raid have received some weirwood from the Grove of Woe'''

The ambitious [[venture]] to [[All_I_ask_of_you#Help_Us|rescue the Great Forest Orcs]] from [[the Mallum]] before they could be executed by the [[Druj]] has been a qualified success, but it is not quite over yet. Large numbers of Navarr and Imperial Orcs put everything on the line to help free the slaves forced to work in the weirwood groves of the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. With the enthusiastic aid of the [[All_I_ask_of_you#Wild_Things_Run_Fast|children of ''Papa Otec'']] and the somewhat grudging assistance of [[All_I_ask_of_you#Dog_Eat_Dog|the Karass sept]], those imprisoned in the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Grove_of_Woe|Grove of Woe]] have made it safely back to Imperial lands. Those who were held at the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Sacred_Grove|Sacred Grove]] have been freed, but they remain in terrible danger from the Druj.

To [[All_I_ask_of_you#Rescue_the_Great_Forest|free all the Great Forest Orcs]] required the player characters to reach a threshold of 60,000 effective force. Once every factor was taken into account, the venture fell a tiny bit short of the required amount. In theory, while the Empire had enough strength to ''Liberate the Grove of Woe'', this would have left the orcs of the Sacred Grove to suffer a horrible death at the orders of ''Nimon Rue''. Given how close it was, we quickly decided it was much better to go a different route, and give player characters a chance during the event to save the remaining Great Forest Orcs in the Forest of Ulnak.

The region of [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]] in the Forest of Ulnak has permanently gained the [[Region_qualities#Woodward|woodward]] quality thanks to the efforts of Navarri covens and their allies. Heralds of [[Irra Harah]] will find it easier to enter the mortal world there and support the people in that territory who have reason to fear oppression, tyranny, or violence. This led to them offering support to both raids, but what it means for the future remains to be seen.

There are two sections below for players who participated in the action - who either used their personal resource directly or took the unique opportunity to [[All_I_ask_of_you#Strength_and_Sacrifice|personally commit]] their efforts to try and ensure victory.

In addition to several hundred former slaves of the Druj, the commanders of the raid - '''Ioan Longshadow''' for the Navarr and '''Skywise Rykana''' for the Imperial Orcs - have liberated a dozen wains of [[weirwood]] that have been split between them. It is up to them what to do with these wains.

===Participation : Sanath===
* '''The Great Forest Orcs rescued from the Grove of Woe in Upper Saarnath are safely back behind Imperial lines'''
The attack in the south, against the Grove of Woe in the Salt Flats of Sanath, has been entirely successful. Characters who supported the effort either with their [[military unit]] (or a [[forest]] or other resource transformed into a military unit with magic), or who supported it with other resources, are encouraged to make up stories about their exploits that fit with the narrative presented.

There's no requirement for a character to have actually taken part physically; they might have instructed their military unit to take part, or focused on providing funds or resources to those going. Alternatively, they might have led their own warband (or part of their warband), or girded up and taken their herbs, crystal mana, and the like with them to actively contribute to the success of the raid.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotra.png|title=Rune: Jotra|caption=Nothing is ever easy.|align=right}}
===Participation : Forest of Ulnak===
* '''The effort to free the slaves from the Sacred Grove teeters on the brink of failure'''
* '''At time in any player whose character would have supported the northern raid in person will have the option to emerge from the Sentinel Gate'''
As with those who took part in the raid into the Salt Flats of Sanath, any character who assigned their military unit or personal resource to the action could choose to be involved personally in the attempt to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Sacred Grove in the northern Forest of Ulnak. As can be seen from the narrative, this endeavour has not succeed, but it has not ''yet'' failed. As the Autumn Equinox dawns, four hundred or so former slaves, orcs and humans are caught between pursuing Druj from Cassad Úln and the armies camped along the border with the Bonewall. And in theory, their rescuers are trapped with them!

Obviously, nobody should have to choose between attending an event and supporting a downtime action! With that in mind we are planning to use the [[Sentinel Gate]] to let people do both. At the start of the event, any player whose character supported the northern prong of the raid into the Mallum can congregate at the Sentinel Gate. Shortly after time in, a rare [[Sentinel_Gate#Conjunctions|conjunction]] will take place linking the depths of [[Forest of Ulnak#Deathsgate|Deathsgate]] to [[Anvil]] (rather than the much more traditional other way around). Any player who wants, can emerge through that conjunction onto the field, having come from the beleaguered refugee column to seek desperate support from the rest of the Empire.

It won't be possible for anyone to use this conjunction to reach Ulnak from Anvil, but see the [[#Battle Opportunity|Battle Opportunity]] below.

Anyone who can't take this opportunity for whatever reason is free to roleplay that they were there but obviously nobody saw them, or that they had run ahead of the raiders once it was clear that everything was going wrong to bring news to Anvil - the kind of news that might have uncovered the battle opportunity.

Obviously anyone coming through the gate in this way is free to have wounds sustained in the battle so far, or to be suffering the lingering effects of exposure to the [[Druj miasma]] ([[Calls#Weakness|weakness]] and heightened sense of fear). We'll strive to have referees on hand who can provide some lingering [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|traumatic wounds]] where appropriate, but availability will depend on how many people there are.

In-character, the rescued Great Forest Orcs know what is happening - they aren't being deserted but rather the Imperial heroes are going to try and round up the cavalry to help them. Our assumption is that members of military units, and the heralds of Irra Harah, are remaining behind to do their best to get the freed slaves to safety while player characters look for aid at Anvil.

Please do not ask if you can take part in this opportunity if you did not take the appropriate downtime action. It is only available to those who assigned their military unit or personal resource. There's also no requirement out of character to take the opportunity - as mentioned previously it is entirely possible to put your full support behind the mission of mercy without personally attending the raid.

===Participation: The Karass===
* '''The Karass contributed 10,000 strength toward the success of the venture'''
* '''They have also pursued their own agenda'''
The Karass are a complicated people. At the request of the Envoy to the Karass, '''Reynard of De Gauvin''', they contributed support to the raid into the Mallum even though there is little love between them and the Great Forest Orcs. In the south, they helped the raiders get to the Grove of Woe and back, and while they might have been a little grumpy about it, there's no question their efforts helped achieve victory.

Things are a little more complicated in the north, as the narrative lays out. The Karass deserted the venture after it had freed the Great Forest Orcs, and headed off under their own command, allegedly to create a diversion. Their disappearance did not stop the sept from providing very considerable support to the raid - they effectively contributed 10,000 effective strength toward the overall success of the mission. Without their aid, there would be no opportunity to rescue the orcs of the Sacred Grove who would have been killed by the servants of ''Nimon Rue''. The Karass abandoned the raid at the point where stealth was of no further value - ''after'' they had contributed everything they were asked to do.

==Battle Opportunity : A Greater Darkness==
* '''There is a major conjunction of the Sentinel Gate to Grimfen Mire during the Autumn Equinox'''
The heroic efforts of the Imperial Orcs and the Navarr has seen four hundred Great Forest Orcs freed from the torments of the Druj from the Sacred Grove in Deathsgate. They have endured the trials of that tainted land, evaded Druj patrols, slipped past watchtowers and overcome patrols. Despite all this, the carefully planned rescue is about to be undone. Time has grown short, far too short, and only days before the Autumn Equinox it has become clear that a retreating Druj army is pulling back right into the path of the Great Forest Orcs trying to flee Ulnak...

The Druj are being pushed back by the advancing Thule forces in the territory. The barbarians are making haste to put distance between themselves and the Thule; eager to avoid any engagement. It is a hurried retreat, but for the most part orderly and free of panic. The Druj will be utterly unforgiving with anyone they encounter. When they cross paths with the fleeing Great Forest Orcs, they will fall on them like blood hounds on their prey.

There is a conjunction on the Saturday of the Autumn Equinox that will enable the heroes of Anvil to reach the ''Reeth Plain'' in Grimfen Mire.

===Objective: Delay the Druj===
* '''The Amber Scorpion will soon cut off the Great Forest Orcs and slaughter them'''
* '''Delaying the orcs for an hour will create time for the Great Forest Orcs to slip by and escape to safety'''

There are two ancient menhirs that stand on the open ground at ''Reeth Plain'', right in the path that the Druj must take to flee the Thule. If the Empire were to send heroes to Ulnak, then this location represents a strategic place to hold ground and focus the barbarians' attention. Any appreciable delay will slow the the retreat of the Druj forces, letting the Great Forest Orcs slip by before the Amber Scorpion sept realise they were even in the area.

Imperial forces will need to take the field and secure the ground in the area surrounding the two menhirs. Once there they can prepare for battle and then await the arrival of the Druj forces. The Empire will need to hold the field against the barbarians until midday. Once the Amber Scorpions are aware of the Imperial presence they will focus on engaging the Empire and bring more of their numbers to bear. They will try to push the Empire off the field, so that their army can continue to withdraw from the advancing Thule.

A single hour is all the time the Great Forest Orcs need to slip across the distant reaches of ''Reeth Plain'' and make good their escape out of Ulnak. The [[Field Marshal]] should aim to withdraw from the menhirs after this time and have their forces return to Anvil in good order.

===Opportunity: Free the Lost Researcher===
* '''Jovana Stradh von Temeschwar, a surviving member of the Silent Bell, is held by the Druj'''
* '''The mage is detained and subject to a powerful experimental poison'''

The daughter of a prominent miller of the famous ''Vargat Bianch'' flour, Jovana eschewed the family business to dedicate her life to hunting down the Empire's enemies. An adept mage and ardent member of the [[Silent Bell]], she leapt at the [[On_the_nature_of_fear|opportunity to find out more about the Druj's use of fear]]. While her fellow Bells devoted their time to studying the miasma pillars and their creation, Jovana got a lead on something different - an eternal "ally" of some kind that even the Druj were reluctant to employ - an eternal possibly unknown to the Empire. Sadly Jovana was captured and nothing more was heard - she was assumed dead - one of the many Bells [[On_the_nature_of_fear|who died to locate vital information]].

Fortunately it appears that the magician has somehow survived. If Stradh can be rescued and recovers from her injuries, then she may have some fresh insights into this eternal of fear that the Druj ghulai truck with. At the very least, her return will help to strengthen the ranks of the Silent Bell, which are grievously depleted [[link to Bell deaths|at this time]].

===Opportunity: Seize the Tepel's Nightmare===
* '''Sung has let the Empire know that the Amber Scorpions posses a nightmare secured in a dream tether'''
* '''If recovered, it can be passed to the Map to the City Below to give to Sung
* '''Sung will then enable the Empire to access the nightmare'''

Zylath Bilequill, a Druj loremaster or ghulai of sorts, is moving with the Amber Scorpions. Heralds of [[Sung]] have contacted the Empire to let them know that Zylath Bilequill possess a rare "Dream Tether". This is apparently a memory or a dream, or in this case a nightmare, trapped in a physical object known as the tether. Exactly how the Druj created the tether is unclear, but Night magic has the ability to manipulate and even steal memories, so it is theoretically possible. The nightmare contained in the tether must be important for the Druj to have gone to the effort of securing and preserving it in a physical form.

According to the ''Night Singer'', the nightmare pertains to the mystery of Deathsgate and the fortress of Cassad Ûln in the Forest of Ulnak. If the Empire can located Zylath and seize the tether from him it can be passed to the Leaguer responsible for the [[Map to the City Below]]. The title holder can then send it to the ''Everflowing River'' who will enable a small group of citizens to experience the nightmare, should they wish to. If the Druj thought the nightmare was useful, then any information it holds could yield valuable knowledge of what lies beyond the foreboding mountain range.

===Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] unless you have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

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

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

Thorn and bone

2026-10-06T20:22:20Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Summer]][[Category:Military Council]] [[Category: Winds of War]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Thorns.png|caption=The vallorn rises in Sarangrave, and the Nesustak Forest will fall before it.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Of Sword and Shield==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAA9UY56zH4}}
Five Imperial armies are in Sarangrave this season. The [[Black Thorns]], [[Boyar's Hasta]], and [[Granite Pillar]] stand ready to face the vallorn as it comes pouring out of Bendol into the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak Forest|Nesustak Forest]]. The [[Citadel Guard]] and the [[Golden Axe]] focus their efforts on the remaining threat of the [[Druj]], whose desperation becomes more and more pronounced as each season passes. There is also the Axos army of ''Ipotavo'', but they are concerned with claiming the Thornfen and protecting it from any errant vallornspawn.

Likewise, the limited military forces of the Nesustak rebels - the warriors of the Marsh Striders and the Bloodwater Spears and the other former slaves of the Mallum - are focused entirely on protecting their homes from the vallorn, fighting alongside the Empire's armies. Also fighting with the Imperial armies warbands led by Imperial captains, easily another two whole armies worth of heroes and champions. Most fight alongside the [[Black Thorns]], with a healthy contingent standing with the [[Boyar's Hasta]], but there are warriors from across the Empire fighting in Sarangrave this season and every army has its supporters.

There is also something in the air; [[Autumn magic]] floods the territory bringing with it an intuitive sense of the presence of danger that allows folk to avoid nearby enemies and hazards. Those affected by this power find themselves drawn by chance to safe locations, and possessed of an uncanny awareness of the paths to take to help them avoid capture or death. While its usefulness to those fighting the vallorn is obvious, it also provides a measure of protection to the armies fighting in Sarangrave this season.
<div {{float}}>
<quote by="Cadwell Waystone, General of the Black Thorns">Few words are needed for me to explain what is about to fall upon Nesustak Forest and the septs of the Mallum that live within it. The Greentide of the Vallorn will descend across the land, but we will be there to meet them. Let us show the Empire why we are the first line of defence against this foe. We will deploy a solid defence to buy time for the soldiers of the Granite Pillar to protect the septs. We will show these septs the light of virtue and the strength it provides. Leave the word of the desperate Druj to our siblings the Citadel Guard and Golden Axe.</quote>
<quote by="Serafina Semenov, General of the Boyar's Hasta">My Hasta! You make our quartermaster weep. A family of raiders, rapscallions, you are loud, opinionated and at least two of you owe me money. But to the Druj? To our foes? You are the ghost in the wind. The nightmare at the edges of their tunnel vision. But the job is not finished. The hand does not leave the door while the dark is moving. The Vallorn made the mistake of waking up while we're here. Make it a rude one. Hold the Vallornguard's wisdom in one hand and the Emperor's steel in another. Our eyes saved the Sarangrave, now let our spears defend those who cannot defend themselves.</quote>
<quote by="Sychar of Ebon's Hall, general of the Granite Pillar">We love the sword not for its sharpness, but for what it protects. We are soldiers; we are trained to fight, because if we do not, there are those who will tear virtue down. And so, alongside our allies in Varushka, Urizen and Navarr, we shall engage the Vallorn and in doing so protect the septs with a Solid Defence. We come as liberators, not conquerors, to bring the light of the Way. Where we go, virtues follow! You are the light in the darkness, and I could not be prouder of you my beloved siblings.</quote>
</div>
==The Doom of Béantal Dol==
The last act of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] was to [[Other_monstrous_geographies#End_of_All_Songs|rouse the vallorn]] of [[Sarangrave#Béantal Dol|Béantal Dol]] to devour Sarangrave, just as they raised the vallorn of [[Therunin|Tharunind]] to lay waste to [[Therunin]]. Using the [[Sentinel Gate]], Imperial heroes managed to [[Other_monstrous_geographies#Bloodwater_Marsh|stem the tide]] of the vallorn in [[Sarangrave#Bloodwater Marsh|Bloodwater Marsh]], and in the process [[Other_monstrous_geographies#Objective:_Shatter_the_Bilious_Breath|shatter]] the corrupt army of the Tainted Basilisk once and for all. Nothing can save the warding stones that once kept the vallorn contained in [[Sarangrave#Bendol|Bendol]], but thanks in part to the [[Other_monstrous_geographies#Game_Information_:_Béantal_Dol|vigilance of the Boyar's Hasta]], the worst of the damage has been contained...

All except for the Nesustak Forest. The Tainted Basilisk directed their malice against the Forest and the Marshes, against the rebels and the Empire. Even as heroes are fighting in the Bloodwater Marsh, the vallorn is beginning to surge forth across the woodlands claimed by the former slaves of the Sarangrave Druj.

Almost since the moment it was first unleashed, since it brought about the ruin of Béantal Dol, the vallorn in Bendol has been contained. That last desperate act of the Terunael magicians meant that a thousand years of growth, of the fecund magic of the [[Realms#Spring|Spring realm]] pouring into the mortal world, had nowhere to go. The warnings were plentiful; if the warding stones were removed the vallorn would explode outwards like a mechanism under tension that has finally been released. And explode it does. An eruption of greenery that spreads in all directions. It is weakened in Turan Flats, in Thornfen, and in Whisperwood. It has been held back in Bloodwater Marsh. Now it seeks to overwhelm Nesustak and the people who live there, a terrible tendril of destruction whipping out from the dark heart of Bendol.

The people of Nesustak Forest will fight - but they stand no chance against the unleashed vallorn. Even the aid of the ''[[Irra Harah|Prince with a Thousand Foes]]'' won't be enough to save them. The [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|heralds]] and mortal "friends" of the Spring [[eternal]] will do their best but this is not a corrupt overseer, a tyrant, an oppressive conqueror that they can face down, nor is it a force that they can rally the oppressed to rise up against. It is a force of nature, utterly wild and completely savage, incapable of fear, remorse, or pity. A sea of life that will consume everything in its path, transforming everything over which it washes into part of itself.

So it falls to the Imperial armies to face the vallorn of Bendol, to stand against the tide, to turn back the sea. There are degrees of victory, of course, but anything short of total triumph will see Nesustak Forest tainted, wounded by the vallorn in a way that cannot be healed until that day where mortals finally face the wrath of the vallorn united, and achieve its destruction. Just as with [[Therunin#East Ashes|East Ashes]], where the [[Pilgrim's Defiance]] fought bravely against Tharunind, if any part of the vallorn makes it through the defenders the land will be [[A_bright_cerulean_flame|infested]] with the power of chaos.

A tall order.
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cadwell Waystone.png|caption='''Cadwell Waystone''', General of the Black Thorns|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Serafina Semenov.jpg|caption='''Serafina Semenov''', General of the Boyar's Hasta|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sychar of Ebon's Hall.jpg|caption='''Sychar of Ebon's Hall''', General of the Granite Pillar|align=right|width=250}}
</div>
All three armies are [[enchantment|enchanted]] with the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]]. This is not a struggle to kill the opponent - right now there is no way to kill the vallorn in any way that matters - but to face its wrath and endure it. In the wild woods of Nesustak, the preternatural strategic awareness granted by [[Day magic]] will prove invaluable, allowing for soldiers spread across the region to coordinate their efforts toward the shared goal. The Black Thorns take the lead, appropriately enough, forming the first line of defence against the horror boiling out of Bendol. The Granite Pillar see to the defence of the septs of the Mallum, to those newly established settlements across Nesustak that house those who broke free of Druj dominance. The Boyar's Hasta stand between the two, ready to turn their spears to the defence of the former slaves or to plunge them into the heart of the vallornspawn, whichever is most needed.

The rebels of Nesustak are not defenceless; all those who can fight prepare to do so. The heralds of ''Unshackled'' are everywhere, offering counsel and support. There is no hiding from the vallorn; it devours all hiding places. There is no yielding; it is incapable of mercy. There is only flight, or fight. Those who cannot fight flee westward, under the protection of Highguard. Those who can fight take up spear and bow and ready themselves to battle the End of the World alongside Imperial soldiers. There is some suspicion, of course, but the [[Other_monstrous_geographies#The_Defence_of_Nesustak|example]] of the [[Gryphon's Pride]], and the clear commitment of the Empire to defend them, mean that it is put aside, for the moment at least. Even the children of the ''Ward of the Young'' urge the people of Nesustak to take the aid of Imperial armies at face value, at least for now. There may be a time when the septs of the Mallum and the Empire must fight one another, but for now they are united in a single cause.

There is barely enough time to prepare, though, before the first tendrils of the vallorn stretch out from the heart of Sarangrave into the forest, and chaos flows in their wake.

==Terror of a Thousand Years==
The vallorn rises, writhing out across Nesustak Forest. The first sign of its coming is that the vegetation all along the river begins to thicken, to grow with supernatural speed and fecundity, forcing the waters that flow down toward the lake to slow to a snail's pace. Across this surface sprout the roots of the Bendol trees, the body of the vallorn itself, creating a bridge across which the creatures of the deep woods can pour unchecked into Nesustak (and an observer might see this and shudder as to what this same process might have done in Bloodwater Marsh had it been free to spread there as well).

There is a mercy; the vallorn is expanding so swiftly that the [[vallorn miasma|miasma]] that hangs heavy over the places it claims is left behind. Not so the vallornspawn, the aberrant creatures that dwell within the heart of darkness, trapped in an eternal cycle of life and death, hunting and hunted in turn, warped by exposure to the chaos of Spring, compounded by the folly of Terunael.

It would take too long to enumerate the abhorrent things that pour out of Bendol. There are the [[vallornspawn husks]] of course. Although it is rare to encounter them outside the mists of the miasma, this season at least they are on the move into Nesustak. Perhaps it is a consequence of the great tide of power flowing out of the vallorn that drives them before it, heralds of its coming. The first husks are perhaps the most tragic; they are former human folk, many with the [[briar]] lineage. Most look so fresh they might be mistaken for living beings were it not for the way they move. These are the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Grynbor|Grynbor]], that sept of human slaves that lived on the very edge of the Nesustak Forest across the river from the vallorn. The children of Irra Harah grimly recount their attempts to get them to flee the advance of the vallorn, and how they refused to leave. As Béantal Dol began to rise they bedecked themselves in their finery, adorned themselves in flowers, and crossed the river en masse to join with their ancestors.

The heralds were barely able to save a handful of children from this madness. For the rest, they really ''did'' join their ancestors - as creatures of the vallorn caught perpetually between life and death. Unfortunately, a disproportionate number of the former Grynbor seem to have made particularly strong hosts, even those without briar lineage. Many of them exhibit the powers of the so-called ''[[Vallornspawn_husk#Vallornspawn_Husks_and_Briars|dryads]]'', husks that channel Spring magic directly to empower and support the other husks around them and can by themselves keep a mob moving forward even in the face of concerted resistance.

There are also orc bodies moving at the forefront of the husks, but they are significantly less tragic. Many are magicians of the Tainted Basilisk, those overwhelmed by the vallorn when they broke the warding stones. Their living-death has washed away their magic, their spite and bitterness, leaving them no more potent than any other vallornspawn. Some do still wear remnants of the [[Weapons_%26_armour#Mage_Armour|mage armour]] that protected them in life, and some [[magic items|magic]] still clings to it, but it is fading fast. The Tainted Basilisk have reaped their reward for their wickedness, and paid the price for their attempt at [[Malign_spiritual_presences#Vengeance|retribution]].

The husks are only part of it, though, and alongside them come all the twisted abominations of the vallorn. The scouts who [[Into_Béantal_Dol#Within_Bendol|pressed into the depths of the vallorn]] spoke of monstrous hunting lizards whose jaws split open like flowers revealing hundreds of hooked teeth, and of serpentine creatures with spider-like legs that skittered through the trees, leaping at their prey and tearing them apart with their barbed claws before swallowing them whole. These are but the tip of the iceberg, however. Bear-like horrors with living vines growing in their hide that snap out and entangle enemies. Trees that shamble and stumble, shrieking with human voices and gushing red blood rather than sap when they are injured. Orbs of plant matter that drift unnaturally against the wind and explode with venomous spores when they take the slightest damage. Awful humanoid things, part flesh and part plant, each one twice the size of orc or human, lumpen and misshapen as the half-sculpted mockery of thinking beings that they are. There is at least one sighting of an infested [[marshwalker]], a natural creature twisted into a being of rampant destruction that moans and howls in constant agony. A creature that looks like nothing so much as a great ball of humanoid arms, rolling and dragging itself through the trees, before opening dozens of dripping maws in the palms of its "hands" with which it can suck all the blood from an unfortunate victim in a matter of moments. This and more, creatures from nightmare, all driven forward by the instinct of the vallorn, to devour, to consume, to contain.

Of all the spawn of the vallorn, only the [[ettercap|ettercaps]] are absent. As the scouts revealed, there seem to be none in Bendol. If there is a reason for this conspicuous absence, it is not any more apparent than it was when the Navarr first slipped into the ruins of Béantal Dol.

They come, and the Empire holds against them, and then things begin to go wrong.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">[[file:IrrahHurrah002.png|align=right|width=300]]</div>

==The Wooden Fastness==
Shortly after the Spring Equinox, a magical ward settles over the Nesustak Forest. The [[Forge the Wooden Fastness|wooden fastness]], forged from the power of Irra Harah himself. Thickets of thorn and briar form; masses of branch and root mesh together to create veritable walls of living vegetation to help hold back the surging vallorn. The marsh forest itself acts to hinder enemies, while parting to allow the swift passage of allies. Even some of the beasts of Nesustak themselves fight the vallorn, in keeping with their natures, although this rarely ends well for them. And, while the region belongs to the rebels, the magic treats the Imperial defenders as allies and offers them safety in the wild places of the woodlands.

At the same time, the servants of Irra Harah slip into the woodlands in numbers hitherto unseen. Their primary focus is to protect the rebels, but they are prepared to cooperate with the Empire toward their shared goal. Bright-eyed heralds appear from nowhere to warn a cohort of the Granite Pillar of the approach of vallornspawn that might otherwise have caught them in a pincer. Quick rabbit-like creatures the size of a great dane lead a lost patrol of the Boyar's Hasta to safety at a rebel village, echoing the stories of magical beasts familiar to all [[Varushka|Varushkans]] (it is just as well, perhaps, that it is ''this'' army that is in Sarangrave for Irra Harah has little love for certain ''other'' Varushkan armies). The whispered words of the ''Golden Hare'' himself are brought on the wind to the Black Thorns, offering guidance as to where their strength might be best employed.

The friends of Irra Harah - the mortals who aid the eternal and have come to Nesustak to work with the rebels - say that in part this response from the eternal is due to the petition of the [[Archmage of Spring]] who has entreated ''Shacklebreaker'' for aid in Nesustak. The aid is for the most part subtle, but it is aid nonetheless. Many who would have died survive their encounters with the vallorn, and those who might have been overwhelmed are brought succour when it is most needful.

However... this very ward that protects so many proves to be a two-edged sword. The vallorn is drawn to [[Spring magic]], and the Wooden Fastness is a powerful expression of that realm's arts. At first the ward is only beneficial, helping the defenders hold back the vallorn. Unfortunately, the further the vallornspawn press, the deeper its tendrils penetrate, the wilder they become. The mechanism is unclear but they ''glut'' themselves somehow on the magic flowing around them. The vallorn itself seems to batten onto the magic, feeding on it, drawing strength from it. The husks drive forward, pressing further ahead of the tendrils of the vallorn itself. The abominations often seem driven into a frenzy when they come into contact with elements of the ward, attacking with berserk fury. Worse, the power of the ward serves to invigorate and revitalise the vallornspawn; where the ward is most potent they seem to heal almost immediately from all save the most terrible wounds. While they cannot endure [[venom]], the vallornspawn husks seem almost impossible to destroy except by literally rending them limb from limb.

While the ward slows the attackers, while it protects the weak and the strong, it does so by making the vallornspawn more vicious, and blood begins to flow in rivers through the forests of Nesustak.

It is of course at this exact moment that the Druj choose to return to Sarangrave.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj1.jpg|align=right|width=350}}

==Fang and Feather==
The Tainted Basilisk are no more, but there are two other armies that still call Sarangrave home. The [[Druj_armies#Poison_Crane|Poison Crane]] are the warriors of the Marshlizard who once dominated [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] and [[Sarangrave#Kroll|Kroll]]. Likewise, the [[Druj_armies#Hidden_Snake|Hidden Snake]] are drawn from the Banded Snake sept who ruled over Nesustak Forest and the Turan Flats. Their homelands have been conquered by the Empire. Those Druj who ruled the septs have been forced to flee, either north into the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]] or into the wild places of Sarangrave. Either way they are in no position to support their warriors any more. It comes as no surprise then that a couple of weeks after the Spring Equinox, these two armies launch an attack against Sarangrave. It is perhaps more of a surprise that there are no ''other'' Druj armies with them. They do not come alone, however, when they pour across the border from [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Lower_Saarnath|Lower Saarnath]] into Turan Flats.

It is common for Druj armies to bear potent [[enchantment|enchantments]] but usually they draw on the lore of [[Spring magic]]. Sometimes, though, it can be easy to forget that the wicked magicians of the Druj are versed in other realms as well. It has been a long time since the Empire has seen the warriors of the Mallum fighting alongside the dead but when the two battered armies come into the Sarangrave, thousands of shambling horrors come with them. If they were Imperial armies, the [[Unfettered Mind]] would say they are subject to [[Quickening Cold Meat]] but this is not any dubious gift of [[Wise Rangara]] - it is something altogether worse.

The dead - predominantly but not solely orcs - are absolutely consumed with hunger for living blood and meat. The spirits inside them are not quite the same as those drawn by the Imperial enchantment; they are as cunning as they are savage. While they cannot speak, they display the ability to work together in a way Winter husks rarely evidence. They move quickly, lean and athirst, hunting ahead of the Druj armies in packs that hurl themselves at any who try to fight, and relentlessly chase down anyone who tries to flee like wild dogs. A few seem to be possessed of more potent spirits, that unleash occasional howls of terrifying intensity that can [[Weakness|drive the strength]] from a warrior and make them easy prey for the pack.

They are similar to the traditional spirits called by Imperial magic in one particular way, however. When they are defeated - when their stolen bodies can no longer house the creature of the Winter realm housed within - they move swiftly to find another body and rouse it to wakefulness ready to enact the same horrible dance of hunt, murder, and feasting all over again. As the season draws on, then, there are more former humans among their number than orcs, making them all the more horrible.

As well as Winter spirits, the Hidden Snake is accompanied by a cohort of the creatures known as [[Druj_lore#Tortured_souls|tortured souls]]. Former Imperial heroes and champions, captured by the Druj and transformed through torment and vile ceremonies into relentless warriors of death who harbour an unending hatred for those they see as having abandoned them. The general of the Hidden Snake, [[Druj_champion#Het|Het]] Trakaa, is known to have an obsession with creating these things and it seems he has brought his entire "collection" with him in this last-ditch, desperate attack.

Perhaps they believe that the Empire's attention is focused elsewhere, fighting the vallorn, and they will have the opportunity to claim the [[Sarangrave#Turan Flats|Turan Flats]]. Perhaps they are just desperate. Either way, the two armies erupt across the border, launching an [[Army_orders#Overwhelming_Assault|overwhelming assault]] against what were once the holdings of the Banded Snakes in Turan. They must be hoping to claim the region before the Empire realises they are there, and seize another season from the jaws of death.
<div {{float}}>
<quote by="Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was, General of the Citadel Guard">Sentinels, Consider the Drowned Man. There were three Druj armies that Tyrannised the people of the Sarangrave. As I write this, there are two. Under my command, the Basilisk was Broken by the Heroes of Anvil. Now the Snake and Crane will break on your discipline. We are their end.</quote>
<quote by="Vojsuli Cherenkov, General of the Golden Axe">Axe, we have fought to take Sarangrave. Now we fight to hold it. The Druj seek to take what we have claimed and in vigilance we shall deny them in this. We shall be a shield for our comrades fighting the Vallorn. We shall break the Druj with our axes. We deny them this day and for all days to come. Their empire shall fall, their armies shall break. Axe, with me, we Stand!</quote></div>

==Battle of the Flats==
Fortunately, the Empire is entirely prepared for the attack from the north. The Citadel Guard and the Golden Axe are already in position to meet the onslaught from the Salt Flats, and when the Hidden Snake and the Poison Crane launch their attack they break themselves against a solid wall of Imperial soldiers.

If it were possible to feel pity for the Druj, now might be the time. Even with Winter husks fighting with them they are outnumbered nearly three to one by the Urizen and Varushkan troops. There is no subtlety here, no skirmish and retreat, no traps to lure the unsuspecting into, no opportunities to terrorise the weak. There is only a face-to-face fight between two Druj armies that are on the verge of exhausted collapse, and two fresh, well-rested Imperial armies. Druj desperation is no match for the resolve of those that stand against them.

The Snake and the Crane are bent on reaching Turan but they do not come close. The battle of Turan Flats takes place miles from Trakaa's capital, from the Banded Snake's old centre of power. Indeed, the Druj have barely crossed the border before the Citadel Guard and the Golden Axe are upon them. At first, the armies fall back a little, giving the impression perhaps that they are overwhelmed and ready to give ground. But they are merely testing the forces that have come against them, wisely waiting to see if this is just the advance guard and if a more potent force follows behind. As soon as it becomes clear that the two armies are by themselves, the trap snaps shut around them.

Thrusting forward towards Turan means that they are far enough from the border for the plentiful forces of the Golden Axe to flank them on either side while the Citadel Guard plant their standards in the soft marsh soil and simply refuse to fall back any further. The fighting is vicious, bloody, savage as only a war against the Druj can be. Stripped of their tricks they have only their martial force to rely on, and even with their unliving auxiliaries it is just... not enough.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was.jpg|caption='''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', General of the Citadel Guard|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Vojsuli Cherenkov.jpg|caption='''Vojsuli Cherenkov''' (right), General of the Golden Axe|align=left|width=250}}
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Oh, the Empire does not emerge unscathed. Some five hundred Imperial soldiers fall to the Druj, to their howling Winter war-dogs, to the tortured spirits of champions taken by the enemy and twisted into something unspeakable. At the same time, however, the Druj lose nearly twice that many of their own troops - losses they cannot hope to recover from while the Empire holds Sarangrave and their septs are broken and scattered.

The Druj have been driven back, but the encounter is far from decisive. The invaders are left with no option but to fall back to the Salt Flats, perhaps to make one last attempt on reclaiming their lands next season. The Citadel Guard and the Golden Axe give chase, but they are unable to catch the fleeing Druj. The same Imperial magic that serves to help the folk of Nesustak Forest escape the vallorn proves an unexpected ally to the orcs of the Mallum. The bulk of their two armies easily escape their pursuers back toward the border with Sanath.

==An End to Waiting==
While the Citadel Guard and the Golden Axe battle the Druj in Turan Flats, the rest of the Imperial forces fight alongside the Nesustak rebels against a seemingly endless tide of vallornspawn empowered and invigorated by that same Spring magic meant to protect the people of the forest. It is a paradox, almost. Those sites where the enchantment is focused are the best place to hold the vallorn, but the savagery of the spawn means it is also where the most blood is spilled.

As the vallorn draws power from Spring magic, the defenders are thrown into disarray and it seems clear the vallornspawn are going to overwhelm them. First one step back, then another. The trees of eastern Nesustak begin to twist, as the tendrils of the vallorn begin to take root, begin to plant the seeds that will begin the final infestation of the forest. A desperate council of war is held; perhaps it is time to accept the inevitable, to save what can be saved and to abandon the rest. The sorrow that hangs over that discussion is palpable; the heralds of Irra Harah prepare to help those rebels and Imperials prepared to flee the woodlands to make their escape if they think the day is lost.

In the end, though, the Black Thorns refuse point blank to accept defeat. "''Let us show the Empire why we are the first line of defence against this foe''", said the General, and those words resonate like never before. Whatever the other Imperial forces may do, the Black Thorns will not retreat before the vallorn. In the face of such commitment, the Granite Pillar and the Boyar's Hasta will not abandon their allies. The rebels of the Nesustak Forest will not abandon their homes, while there is any chance of holding even a portion of the woodlands.

From there, the push back begins in earnest. The price is grim indeed; the vallornspawn attack in a frenzy but the Imperial forces will not allow them to claim any more land here. They lost Eastring to the malice of the Tainted Basilisk; the Navarr will not allow the Nesustak Forest to share that fate. The vallornspawn are not just held, but they are forced back, back toward the river over which they swarmed, back to the ruins of Béantal Dol. It is slow going at first, and gets harder the closer the vallornspawn get to being driven out of the woodlands. By the time the fighting reaches the banks of the river, the magic of the Wooden Fastness has been so drained the enchantment is beginning to fall apart. Yet it holds long enough to provide a measure of succour to those fighting the vallornspawn, moments of respite in the terrible fighting that create a space to recover from the violence, to rest, to sleep safely.

In the end, as the Summer Solstice approaches, the last of the vallornspawn are cut down. Vates and magisters and cabalists, versed in the lore of Spring and Winter, work quickly to uproot the seeds of the vallorn before they can take root. Without the relentless attacks of the vallorn, it is relatively easy to work the rituals to deal with the contagion left in their wake. While the vallorn still exists the Nesustak Forest will be in danger - but ultimately no more so than [[Hercynia#Northpines|Northpines]] or the [[Hercynia#Glen of Shadows|Glen of Shadows]]. Even the vegetative bridge that stretches across the river, that thick matt of plant matter that allowed abominations to pour into the western woods, begins to decay and fall apart as the vallorn of Béantal Dol slips back into uneasy restfulness. An old story; the vallorn rises and the resolve of humans and orcs drives it back. Inspirational, perhaps.

==An Old Story==
In the north, in the Turan Flats, another old story is unfolding. The Poison Crane and the Hidden Snake have escaped the wrath of the Golden Axe and the Citadel Guard, seeking to flee back over the border into the Salt Flats of Sanath, guided by Autumn magic. Yet, at the last moment, something goes wrong. Perhaps those who remember the Druj retreat from Holberg all those years ago might have guessed what is coming but it seems the armies of the Mallum have short memories.

When they try to leave Turan Flats, the Hidden Snake and the Poison Crane are met with a tempest of arrows. Druj arrows. Warriors from the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#The_Witness|Witness]], the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Spires_of_Rarckan|Spires of Rarckan]], and the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]] are arrayed along the border, and will not let the defeated armies cross out of Sarangrave. Those who try are remoreselessly cut down. A few might make it across, but without the protection of the Autumn magic that has protected them thus far they will not escape the patrols for long.

Left with no choice, the armies turn on the very edge of Turan Flats and prepare to make their final stand. One way or another, this is the end for the Hidden Snake and the Poison Crane; the end for the Banded Snake and Marshlizard; the end for Het Trakaa and his terrible crimes. Some will escape, no doubt, to join the Druj in hiding throughout the Mallum. The Autumn enchantment will see to that, but their numbers are only a fraction of those warriors who fled the fall of the Tower of the Skink. How dangerous can they be, these last few thousand Druj?

But that is not the only danger here, and this is not just the cruelty of the Druj made manifest. The Citadel Guard have made a close enough study of the magic wrapped around the two armies; it portends something bad that is to come. The bonds of Winter magic that coil around the Hidden Snake and Poison Crane hold hundreds and hundreds of Winter spirits in thrall to the commanders of the army. When those two armies fail - and fail they will - those spirits will be unleashed into the Sarangrave to begin an [[Quickening_Cold_Meat#Description|unliving rampage]].

==Game Information==
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Regions of Sarangrave.png|caption=Sarangrave is mapped, but parts of the territory remain unknown.|align=left|width=600}}</div>
===Sarangrave===
* '''The vallorn has been beaten back from Nesustak Forest
* '''It has returned to (relative) quiesence by the start of the Summer Solstice
* '''The Druj armies that invaded Sarangrave have been defeated but escaped Imperial pursuit
* '''They have been prevented from leaving the territory by Druj forces in the Salt Flats of Sanath
The vallorn of Bendol has been beaten back from Nesustak Forest. The [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]] enchantment both served to protect the region, and imperil its defenders. Its strength both served to increase the defence of the Imperial armies, and inflict casualties on the vallorn (inasmuch as that is irrelevant with an empowered vallorn but it still happened). Unfortunately, in line with warnings given about the danger of Spring magic and the vallorn, the vallornspawn who encountered the enchantment were ultimately empowered by it. They did not gain strength to conquer the region - which would have been counterproductive - but instead the number of casualties they inflicted on the defenders was significantly increased. For now though, the immediate threat of the vallorn is over. It is no longer contained by the warding stones of Terunael - their power has been expended protecting the rest of the territory - and it is still a very powerful example of a vallorn. But it is quiescent, at least for the moment.

The Druj armies that invaded Turan Flats were defeated by the Urizen and Varushkan armies. They are still in the territory, however, trapped between the Salt Flats of Sanath (who will not allow them to enter) and the Empire's soldiers. Their strength is greatly depleted, and they are on the verge of collapse. Following the Summer Solstice, whatever else happens these two armies will disband. They are hanging on by a thread, partially due to the impact of the Autumn magic enchantment laid on the territory.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|align=right|width=250}}</div>
===Thornfen===
* '''Axos has finished claiming the region of Thornfen'''
Finally, the Axou forces of Ipotavo have finished claiming the region of Thornfen, with the [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Acknowledge_Axou_claim_to_Thornfen|approval of the Senate]]. The region is now part of Axos. The fortification itself has been assimilated, but has no garrison. At the moment, the Axou forces in Sarangrave are allied to the Empire and Imperial armies can move through the region freely. If that were to change, any Imperial army trying to move through Thornfen would be forced to stop and deal with any Axou forces stationed there.

True to their intent, the Axou consolidation of Thornfen has seen the existing population there exiled to [[Sarangrave#Kroll|Kroll]] and [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]]. Only those former slaves of the Mallum who can demonstrate a clear connection to the citadels of Axos have been permitted to remain in Thornfen. Further details of the situation in Thornfen will be presented in the '''[[Seeds_of_discord#Axos|Seeds of discord]]''' wind of fortune.

===Escape Path===
* '''The arcane projection used in Sarangrave represents an effect that would no longer be allowed with Autumn magic
This season the Sarangrave was under the effect of Autumn magic that helped reduce casualties suffered by armies, as well as helping people find the best route to safety. This is an old [[arcane projection]], that wouldn't be passed today. Helping people find safety, such as with [[Hand of the Dhomiro]] is an entirely appropriate use of [[Autumn magic]], but the ability to reduce all casualties on a territory level isn't something we'd allow today. There are of course plenty of arcane projections from previous years in the game, and there is no problem with making use of them, but the older an arcane projection is the more likely it represents some peculiar aberration of magic.

The in-character explanation is that the arcane projection represents the result of a conjunction at the time it was created. The ongoing magical chaos caused by the stars supported the ritual, but the effect of the ritual could not be duplicated going forward.

==Battle: Harvester of Graves==
Whilst most eyes have been on the [[vallorn]] erupting from [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] this season, the activity in the east of [[Sarangrave]] has also seen portentous happenings. The courageous efforts of the [[Citadel Guard]] and the [[Golden Axe]] have turned back the assault of the Hidden Snake and Poison Crane, along with their undead allies. Yet in turn the [[Druj]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]] have turned weapons on their fleeing compatriots, signalling that there is no return to the heart of the Mallum for the two armies.

The barbarians now find themselves in an unenviable position. Close to breaking from the casualties inflicted upon them by the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] and the [[Urizen|Urizeni]], denied entry to Sanath, and cut off from any chance of resupply or support. If they flee they will die, if they make camp they will starve, the only way open to them is to strike with fear, unleash terror, and hope they make it across the Howling Abyss.

It is apparent that the wider plan is to drive the remnants of the armies into Imperial lines, bleeding their own forces, and ultimately breaking them in bone and sinew. The only way is west, onto the axes and rods of the Empire's armies that have already driven them back once. When the armies do break, the twisted abominations that march with them will fall in savagery upon Imperial soldiers.

There is a conjunction to the ''Fens of Varreth'' in the [[Sarangrave#Turan_Flats|Turan Flats]] within Sarangrave. The Sentinel Gate will enable travel to the location on Saturday or Sunday of the Summer Solstice.

===Objective: Trap the Spirits===
* '''The winter rituals cast upon the Hidden Snake and Poison Crane are uncoiling'''
* '''The Halls of Maykop have offered use of the ''Scorched Drenkthal'''''
* '''Successfully using the boon will contain the spirits'''
* '''The Halls of Maykop will expect the boon to be returned to them'''
* '''If nothing is done thousands of ravenous winter husks will fall under the control of Agramant'''
* '''If that happens the regions of Thornfen, and Kroll will be tormented'''

When the two Druj armies disband, the winter spirits that animate the corpses alongside their armies will seek out the dead in the wider area, will fall under the macabre control of ''Agramant, The Howler'', eternal of Winter. These husks are not the somnambulant shamblers ushered into wakefulness by the magic of Wise Rangara, they are bloodthirsty cadavers keen to feast on flesh and blood. They are vicious, cunning and cruel, slaking their cold hunger with living and screaming meat. These terrible monsters will spread into Thornfen and Kroll, bringing terror in their wake.

Six months ago, the Empire, led by '''Earl Zoran De Orzel''' as [[Field Marshal]], passed through the Sentinel Gate and drew the attention of [[Fire_and_the_flood#Objective:_Confront_Fangsnapper's_forces|Het Rethan "''Fangsnapper''"]]. This daring intervention allowed the Shield of Ipotavo to receive vital resupply from Axos. This intercession was a clear demonstration of the Empire's willingness to help its allies, and the Axou are keen to return the favour. Upon hearing of the rampant husks, the citadel has offered three strange posies of herbs that would entrap the Winter spirits inside and prevent them from entering the recently deceased. These posies are an ancient boon from [[Wise Rangara]], won in centuries past, that allows the bearers to sap away the lingering Winter magic in an area. The use of the boon requires agreement from ''Grandmother Winter'', which the Axou have already secured for this purpose.

The Halls request three volunteers to bond to the three aspects of the Scorched Drenkthal that take the form of small bundles of herbs wrapped in cloth, as they journey to the ''Fens of Varreth''. Each corsage would [[Unyielding Constitution|offer some benefit whilst in combat]], but potentially leave those bonded with a lack of caution - less than ideal given the presence of rampaging Winter spirits. The three will need to reach a set of pillars that mark the edge of the reeking mires of the area, placing their herb bundle at the base of one of the pillars. This would slowly sap away at the Winter magic in the area, wrangling the spirits and effectively trapping them. After 10 minutes, the three bundles of herbs will have been suffused with the winter spirits and can be reclaimed, ready to return to Anvil and to be passed back to the Axou by the civil service. What the Halls of Maykop might do with the spirits once they have been bound to the ''Scorched Drenkthal'' is unclear.

Agramant's monsters are far too smart to attack the fortification in Thornfen. They will prey on settlements and pick off stragglers, dragging them into the darkness to devour them. The populace of a tormented region are slowly depleted and such regions will quickly become underpopulated and eventually abandoned, while the people who live there will be filled with terror. Garrisons and armies cannot benefit from natural resupply in a territory that contains one or more tormented regions.

===Option: Thief takes the Meat===
* '''Night ritualists could transfer the ritual enchantments from the Druj generals using ''Thief's Arcane Gambit'''''
* '''Each recipient Imperial general would then have a three-season Winter ritual enchantment on their army'''

In response to enquiries, the civil service have confirmed that a bold and previously untried plan would be possible - at least theoretically. With a large enough Night coven, it is possible to utilise ''[[Thief's Arcane Gambit]]'' to 'steal' the Winter enchantment and place it on a new target. This requires the ritual to be cast at half the magnitude of the original enchantment.

Each of the two Druj generals would need to be captured, alive, and then detained for the duration of the ritual. A night coven would then need to perform a magnitude 60 casting of Thief's Arcane Gambit on the captured general. The ritual can only steal an enchantment if it is placed on to a comparable target, in this case a [[general]] of an Imperial [[army]]. If successful each Imperial general will be under the power of the Winter ritual that will last for three seasons before ending.

There are two caveats to consider. The first is that the Winter spirits are currently here in the Sarangrave. If the enchantment that controls and binds and focuses them is moved to an army elsewhere in the world, the husks will move there. They will move relatively quickly, but they will cause significant problems for the lands they move through to arrive at the destination.

The second problem is that unlike [[Quickening Cold Meat]], the enchantment the Druj are employing appears to draw on the power of [[Agramant]]. Technically the magicians won't be casting an Agramant ritual, they'll be casting Thief's Arcane Gambit, but that sounds like a novel legal defence for a general under a powerful Agramant enchantment to employ. The civil service have not had time to check what the legal position would be. They have had time to check how Agramant would respond - they are fairly certain the eternal would be ''absolutely delighted''.

===Objective: End Trakaa's Tortured Souls===
* '''Het Trakaa has mustered his remaining tortured souls to deliver a crippling blow against the Empire'''
* '''If these monsters are not destroyed, then the Turan Flats will become tormented'''
* '''Priests will need support to exorcise these powerful creatures'''

Tortured Souls are born from a combination of the Druj's [[apothecary]] skills and mystic rituals that break an individual's will and turn them into a monster full of wrath and malice towards any they face. They are fearsome foes, often still clad in the garb of their former Imperial lives, and capable of inflicting a grievous curse with blows from their weapons. Whilst it is possible to put down and execute their physical forms, their spiritual presence can quickly return. Het Trakaa, the general of the Hidden Snake, has unleashed the last of these pitiful abominations here in the Turan Flats, intent on setting them free against Imperial forces to deal as much pain and suffering as possible, before they are destroyed.

Exorcists will need to ascertain the strength of the aura that lies on each creature using insight ceremonies, before mustering sufficient power of will, and liao, to dismiss the souls of these tortured beings. Whilst many of the tortured souls are comparable to those encountered before, around a dozen of them are more powerful creatures, possessed of greater awareness of their surroundings and with stronger connections to their former lives. These individuals will be recognisable by the distinctive Imperial clothing they still wear, but will pose a far greater challenge for priests to exorcise successfully.

If the majority of the tortured souls are not destroyed, they will stalk the region making it ''tormented''. The monsters will roam the area, killing and torturing any innocents they find, and striking terror into the hearts of those they encounter.

===Objective: Kill Trakaa and Sul===
* '''The armies of Het Trakaa and Sul Maggotgnaw are about to collapse'''
* '''What is left of the two forces will scatter across the territory looking to prey on the weak'''
* '''Killing Het Trakaa and Sul Maggotgnaw will ensure that these attacks are scatted and uncoordinated'''

Both the Hidden Snake and Poison Crane armies have now been broken in battle and will disband within days. When that happens, the soldiers who are left will break and seek out cover as the army dissolves. Whatever happens, these partians will be a problem for the Urizeni, raiding farms and caravans, stealing goods and attacking patrols. But those attacks will be ill-disciplined, they will lack any direction or purpose. They will be a problem, but not one that grows with time, or joins forces with other problems the Urizeni face, at least until they get new leadership from somewhere.

However, if the generals of the two armies are still alive when their army collapses, they will go with their soldiers and be able to maintain a degree of cohesion and control over what remains. On the face of it, the effects will be the same, the army will dissolve and the soldiers will go into hiding, emerging to attack isolated farmsteads and passing merchants. But with the leadership still there, such attacks will be guided by a malicious intelligence, able to plan attacks and act in concert with other enemies of the Empire.

The two generals have been identified as Trakaa of the Hidden Snake and Sul Maggotgnaw of the Poison Crane. Marching under a tattered banner depicting broken bones, Trakaa will be accompanied by his personal Pakad bodyguard. Sul Maggotgnaw is protected by a unit of poison-wielding Chikkad who fight under a banner depicting a ichorous maggot. Killing these two important Druj leaders will ensure that the surviving Druj are left leaderless, limiting the threat they post once the army disbands.

===Threat: The Mirk Lizards===
* '''The Druj are joined by a group of human warriors clothed in scraps of tattered blue fabric'''
* '''They appear to be excommunicating rather than executing some victims in battle'''
A band of human warriors march with the Druj into battle. Wearing tattered scraps of blue tunics, they have the demeanour of grim-faced and seasoned mercenaries, well-armoured and carrying an assortment of weapons. Next to nothing is known of them, but there are rumours that these warriors are driven to oppose the Way in some fashion. There are claims that priests among them have excommunicated foes on the battlefield, rather than executing them as the orcs might do. There is no known reason for their actions, or why the Druj allow it; so the war scouts urge caution. Killing them will put an end to their plans and stop their support for the orcs of the Mallum, but if more can be found out, it could prove useful in time to come.

===Environment: Words in the Pines===
* '''Druj ghulai have invoked the power of Agramant to curse the area'''
* '''Any combatant that falls in battle, either Druj or Imperial, will rise again as a shambling husk'''
* '''Skilful blows or dedicated effort can stop these hideous creatures in their tracks'''
* '''This <u>does not</u> apply if you reach the end of your death count whilst in Anvil'''
With the [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] of the [[Conclave]] safely in place, [[Agramant|''Blood upon the Snow'']], is limited in what he can do in Sarangrave, unless invited into the world by a magician. In their desperation, the Druj have done exactly that, invoking the power of Agramant to curse the whole area. As a result, each spirit, whispering gnawing words of unending hunger for the living, is quick to find a body of a recently felled combatant in the area and animate them in a cruel mockery of life. Biding the sibilant uttering of their master, the corpses will stalk forth in a stumbling advance keen to slay any living creature they find.

Anyone who falls in the battle on the ''Fens of Varreth'' will rise again after three minutes unless the individual is executed before they arise. The shambling corpses are not especially hardy, and can be taken down through a sustained assault or more expertly ended through the delivery of cleaving strikes or mortal blows to the limbs or torso.

<box>'''Call of the Abominable One'''
As either a player character or player monster during this battle, if you reach the end of your Death Count (normally after three minutes) then you can choose to immediately rise again as a winter husk, instead of becoming Terminal. At this point your character is dead. In addition you:
* Regain all of your lost hits and ruined limbs are restored
* Move as a slow, shambling corpse, staggering towards and attacking the nearest living creature
* Are unable to use heroic or magical calls
* Cannot activate magical items or ritual enchantments
* Can only vocalise a low unearthly moan
* Are destroyed by a successful CLEAVE or IMPALE blow, or when you next reach zero hit points

Winter husks cannot ''grapple'' with other participants under any circumstances - you must only attack other characters with a weapon-safe latex weapon.

The only way to prevent this occurring is if the individual is executed before they expire.</box>

==A Testing (Conjunction)==
* '''Druj accompanied by heralds of Surut threaten to burn a weirwood tree'''
* '''The Great Forest Orcs have offered their support if the attack is repelled'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Custodian of the Fingers of the Devourer'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for destroying the heralds'''
{{NoInnocentsPresent}}
Druj guerillas, secreted throughout the Sarangrave, constantly search for the opportunity to inflict damage on the Imperials and the septs who have dared turn away from the Buruk Tepel. They work to maintain the pall of fear and ruin that has shrouded the Sarangrave for decades. Weirwood smoke is a smell only Surut could enjoy, and the Druj have promised plenty in some foul deal. Urizen scouts have spotted a band of Druj, accompanied by heralds of [[The_Thrice-cursed_Court#Surut|the Charred Prince]] in Whisperwood, south of Uklead, making their way to the [[Fingers of the Devourer]].

If the Surut heralds are killed, any remaining Druj guerillas can be dealt with by sentinels and other locals. The [[Fingers of the Devourer|Custodian of the Fingers of the Devourer]], '''Borris Harrovich Prochnost''', is responsible for ensuring that the heralds of Surut are killed. Failure to kill the heralds will see them burn one of the weirwood trees, permanently reducing production of the grove by two wains a season. If the heralds are destroyed, then the Great Forest Orcs will repay the effort by supporting the work of the weirwood grove, permanently increasing its production by two wains each season.

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

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

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

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

Satraps of the Abyss

2026-10-06T19:25:09Z

Twiggy: /* Of Spring */

[[Category:388YE Summer]][[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:Appraisal]][[Category:Eternals]][[Category:Sumaah]]
<ic>"Please stop haunting me, Roderick." Lisane didn't look at her son, continuing to fold clothes and place them in a large weirwood travelling trunk. He sighed again, gustily, and she didn't need to see him to imagine his expression of deep concern.

"I'm just worried, mother. I assumed - we all assumed - that working for the Prognosticator's Office would involve something a little closer to home. At least at first. We were picturing an office at the Castle of Thorns. Somewhere that we could..."

"Check in on me?" She suppressed a smile, kept her tone sharp. "Honestly, I am an old woman Roderick. And you have a grandchild for goodness' sake! And do not ''dare'' start your next sentence with anything approaching 'at your age' or I will demand a Trial of Resolve from Melisandre and everyone will see you being thoroughly trounced by a great-grandmother!"

Roderick blew through his massive moustaches. "I'm just worried..." he said again. "The Sumaah Republic is two entire seas away. Three if you count Teeth. Seas swarming with bloodthirsty Asavean pirates. And even when you get there I hear its full of danger. Dragons. Giant panthers. Strange priests. At least take a few knights with you. Just to set my - our - minds at rest!"

Lisane looked down at her things. The last thing she needed to pack was Empress Lisabetta's book about eternals, and the colouring book full the children had presented her with. The Navarr artist's delightful line drawings of the various eternals, which were only slightly idolatrous, had been coloured in with a great deal of enthusiasm and glancing at it softened her heart. She dropped it into her trunk, shut the lid, threaded and tightened the buckles. Then she turned round, hands on hips.

Roderick looked absolutely wretched. He had always been the most anxious of her children, and in the shadow of the forty-year-old noble in front of her she could see the little boy sobbing from one too many nightmares of the Druj coming to get him.

"Roddy," she said gently, crossing the room to put her hands on his shoulders. She had to reach up, look up to meet his eyes. She sometimes forgot how tall he was. "I understand, I really do. When Gerard told me what my first appraisal was going to be, I confess it put moths in my stomach. But I took his offer up precisely because I ''want'' a challenge. Something more complex and important than keeping bees."

"But-"

She laid a finger on his lips and smiled at him. "I've no doubt that the Freeborn and the... the Sumaah Zemress pilgrims... will see me safely to and from the Republic. Merchants make the trip every season, you know, and nothing bad happens to them. And I am absolutely certain the Sumaah will not let a hungry drake or deadly panther eat me. I'm sure they don't let monstrous predators lurk around their cities, and Timoj is one of the great cities of the world as I understand it. It's lovely that the family are so worried, and I will miss you all just as much as you miss me, but I'll be back before you know it. Back in time for the Winter Solstice feast. I'm not going to miss Melisandre's first feast as earl, am I??"

She continued to gaze into Roderick's eyes. There was a great well of love there, but also that hard core of steel that had served her so well as earl and would serve her well dealing with the people of the Sumaah Republic. He looked away.

"Yes my ea-. Yes mother," he said quietly. She patted his arm.

"Excellent. Now, I'm going to go and say goodbye to the children. You can make yourself useful by putting those broad shoulders of yours to good use and carrying my trunk down to the wagon."</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black Panther.jpg|align=left|caption=The unfamiliar spirits of the deep jungle are equally dangerous and enticing to Imperial scholars.|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDKSuG58ZvE}}
At the Spring Equinox, the Senate took advantage of an opportunity brokered by the [[Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic]], '''Accalon of Felix's Watch''', regarding magical cooperation between the Empire and the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaash]]. The [[Senate]] elected to send the freshly-appointed prognosticator ''[[Appraisal#Lisane de Terresford|Lisane de Terresford]]'' on the task, to "''appraise how the High Houses of Virtue and the Imperial Conclave can find ways to co-operate in interactions with [[eternal|eternals]]''".

The former [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[earl]] took passage to the Sumaah Republic immediately after the Spring Equinox, and made the crossing safely. She and her small staff have been granted apartments in [[Sumaah_Republic#Timoj|Timoj]], the capital city of the Republic, as guests of the High Houses of [[Wisdom]] and [[Vigilance]]. Lisane is expected to remain in Timoj for the next several seasons, and will not be available to undertake other appraisals until she returns to the Empire. As the Summer Solstice approaches, however, a preliminary report has already reached ''Gerard La Salle''.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|align=right|width=175}}

==Wisdom of the Conclave==
* '''During the Summer Solstice the Conclave can send a single order to support the appraisal
* '''This will end the order's involvement in any other project
* '''The order will be engaged until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE
* '''The order chosen will contribute to the outcome of the appraisal depending on its nature
As discussed in the [[Forging_links#Joining_Virtue_and_Magic|original proposal]], the Sumaash are happy to host a delegation from a single [[Conclave order]] to support Lisane. Her initial report is dense, full of information about the situation in Sumaah, partly because she believes this will help the Conclave to determine which order would be best suited to make the long journey to the southern shores of the [[The_seven_seas#Sea_of_Salt|Sea of Salt]].

During the Summer Solstice, the Conclave may choose to ask one order to contribute to the ongoing appraisal. This requires an order to raise a [[declaration]] of [[Concord]] following the usual rules for [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guiding an order]]. If the Conclave agrees, members of the order will travel to the Sumaah Republic to support Lisane and her team. It would not be possible to guide that order again until the Winter Solstice, which is also when the outcome of their involvement will be presented to the Empire. Guiding an order already involved elsewhere - such as in the fighting against Cold Sun - will end their participation in the situation.

If more than one such declaration passes the Conclave, the last one to pass will win out.

Any order could be dispatched to Sumaah; there are members of each who are enthusiastic about the opportunity. Any order could secure a benefit for the Empire, but only some of them would do so by supporting Lisane and her team. Some orders have different areas of concern, and will make use of the opportunity to be hosted in the Republic in ways that are only peripherally associated with studying eternals. The civil service are confident that sufficient magicians will work with Lisane, so there's no chance of a diplomatic incident unless one of the orders goes out of its way to cause one, and the appraisal will still be successful no matter who goes.

* The [[Sevenfold Path]] are the most obvious order to send to Sumaah. If this order is chosen, their contribution will help focus the appraisal on ways for the [[Synod]] to help guide the Conclave in its interactions with the eternal realms.
* The [[Celestial Arch]] are diplomats, and well versed in dealing with eternals. If this order is chosen, their contribution will involve making contact with non-Assembly magicians, and learning more about eternals the Empire does not currently have relations with.
* The [[Shuttered Lantern]] may have a shadowy reputation, but part of their remit is to use magic ''in the detection and monitoring of threats''. Their contribution to the appraisal will be to focus on the ways that the Sumaash keep their people safe from eternal influence without access to the [[Alignment|Declaration of Alignment]], and to any unique eternal threats the Empire is blind to or blasé about.
* If the [[Rod and Shield]] are dispatched to support the appraisal, their contribution will be to look at how the Sumaash use magic on the battlefield. For a nation extremely hesitant to use rituals such as [[Knights of Glory]], they must make up the "shortfall" in other ways.
* The [[Silver Chalice]] would encourage the appraisal to look for ways that Sumaash magicians and Imperial magicians could pool their lore of magical healing, especially with regard to eternal boons. The jungles of Sumaah are known to be rich in rare healing fruits and plants, and its likely that the Chalice could learn more about such things and perhaps even gain access to them.
* The [[Golden Pyramid]] are generally not as excited about matters of spirituality, but ''are'' excited about potential trade opportunities with the Republic. Their "contribution" will be to seek out [[opportunity|opportunities]] to secure new trade goods, especially those related to eternals, or new routes to the Sumaah Republic for Imperial [[Fleet#Trading|merchants]].
* The [[Unfettered Mind]] are relentlessly enthusiastic about magic of all kinds. If they are guided to Sumaah, they will provide minimal support to the actual appraisal underway. Instead, they will reach out to non-Assembly magicians, discuss matters of magical theory, learn about Sumaah's magical colleges, explore magic familiar to Sumaash magicians but not in use in the Empire, and make a study of the "spiritual materialism" tradition that many Sumaah magicians employ. If the Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind were particularly interested in one of these themes more than the others they could mention it in their Declaration, and the Unfettered Mind magicians would focus some their attention in that direction, at least at first.

<div style="grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr; align-items: center;" class="imagegrid">
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderCelestialArch.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderShutteredLantern.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderRodAndShield.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Chalice.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderGoldenPyramid.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderUnfetteredMind.jpg|width=150}}
</div>

Regardless of which order is chosen - if any - the trip represents a rare opportunity to gain access to the magicians of the Sumaah Republic. It is not likely to be one that gets repeated any time soon.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Accalon5901.jpg||caption=Accalon of Felix's Watch, Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic|align=right|width=350}}

==Virtue and Magic==
* '''The first part of Lisane's preliminary report provides a general overview of attitudes to magic and eternals
The first part of Lisane's report discusses the general Sumaah attitude to magic, [[magical skills#magicians|magicians]], and eternals. It builds on and informs [[Sumaah_Republic#Magic|common knowledge]], and it seems some things "everyone knows" about the Republic may be outdated or based on misconceptions.
===Sumaash Magicians===
Many magicians in Sumaah are also ''präster'', and each of the High Houses contain ritual magicians who specialise in specific areas of magic that support the wider role of the House. For example, within the Assembly of Prosperity are several covens that specialise in [[enchantment|enchantments]] that lead to increased wealth, while [[divination]] is carefully studied by both the vigilant and the wise. This same attitude extends to dealing with eternals; within each of the Houses are some magicians experienced with dealing with the creatures of the [[realms]].

That is not to say that all magicians are priests, or that only the High Houses work with magic. Far from it. The practice of ritual magic is not as widespread or organised as it is in the Empire, but there are still large numbers of practitioners from all walks of life spread across the Republic. It is a misconception that the priesthood "controls" all magic in the Republic. As with all Sumaash, their magicians are acutely aware of the virtuous implications of their skills, and naturally look to the präster for guidance on how best to reconcile magic with faith. In particular, they are alert to the threat of [[Religious_crime#Idolatry|idolatry]] - subsuming their human destiny to inhuman entities. Perhaps as a result, the practice of [[Aspect_magic#Goetia|goetia]] is banned in the Republic, and a Sumaash tradition similar to Imperial [[Aspect_magic#Theurgy|theurgy]] is only practised by dedicated ''präster''. Lisane also notes that there are serious restrictions on a number of rituals Imperial magicians might consider harmless such as [[Chamber of Delights]] or [[Crystal Clarity of the Rational Soul]], and that the Sumaash approach to the creation of [[arcane projection|arcane projections]] appears to be very much more controlled than it is in the Empire. The focus of the appraisal, for now at least, is on the eternals however and the prognosticator focuses her efforts on that first and foremost.

Whenever a Sumaah coven is anticipating an interaction with an eternal, or one of their [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]], they usually seek the support of one of the präster. The priest serves as an advisor, ensuring that virtue and the Way are foremost in the minds of those dealing with inhuman creatures. There is no law that demands this; rather the long experience of Sumaah magicians demonstrates that having a präst on hand tends to lead to better outcomes. The präst doesn't need to be present for every interaction - there are covens trusted to engage with certain eternals or use certain rituals without oversight. For example, as long as the questions and answers are discussed with a präst there is no requirement to log every single performance of [[Swim Leviathan's Depth]] (or its Sumaah equivalent at least).

On the other hand, anyone known to be regularly interacting with creatures of the realms ''without'' the support or advice of one of the präster will find themselves called to [[inquisition]] by the High House of Vigilance and asked to give a thorough report on their dealings. Those unable or unwilling to do so to the satisfaction of the assembly may face serious censure. Sumaah is determined to ensure that their nation remains uncorrupted by the influence of the inhuman eternals.

===Anathema and Tolerance===
<div style="float:right; width: 500px;"><box>'''Eternals and virtue'''<br>No Sumaash would describe an eternal as "virtuous". The common attitude is that the inhuman entities of the realms are incapable of virtue. While the Republic has in recent years begun to re-examine its prejudice that only humans are capable of following the Way, the idea that an eternal or herald might be able to do so is rejected wholeheartedly. The idea that an eternal might possess anything approaching a soul is considered actively blasphemous. Any eternal that claims interest in virtue is presumed to be engaging in misdirection or manipulation and the subject of immediate suspicion. Obviously this belief further reinforces the careful and suspicious attitude to the eternals.</box></div>

* '''An eternal has only two states in the Republic - tolerated or anathema'''
* '''Without a Conclave the Sumaah must use more direct methods to guard against hostile eternals'''
There is no body in the Republic analogous to the [[Conclave]]. When it comes to dealings with eternals, the Assembly of Vigilance takes an active role and ultimately wields the legal power to declare a given eternal to be ''anathema''. Dealing with an eternal who has been declared ''anathema'' is a serious offence that may result in the death penalty. While ''anathema'' is superficially similar to the status of [[Alignment#enmity|enmity]] there is no equivalent of [[Alignment#Amity|amity]] in Sumaah. All eternals are either tolerated (equivalent to [[Alignment#Neutrality|neutrality]]) or anathema. In the past when a new eternal was encountered, all interactions with it would be undertaken by präster, or Vigilant magicians, until the High House had weighed it and determined if it was anathema or not.

Even this status of neutrality is not quite the same as that in the Empire - there are no Sumaah titles specifically dedicated to liaising with an eternal. [[Emissary to the Celestial Library]], [[Shadowed Torchbearer]], and [[Churnspire Adjutor]] would all be considered dangerously close to idolatry. There are likewise no titles analogous to [[archmage]] - at least not in terms of their interaction with the realms. The equivalent of an Imperial enchantment such as [[Hallow of the Green World]] is unknown in Sumaah, and if it were its practice would be anathema. Even rituals such as the [[Golden magicians fayre]] would be condemned - the idea of providing an eternal access to the Republic in such an uncontrolled way would horrify most Sumaash.

There is also, as previously noted, no Conclave. The functions that might be wielded by that body in the Empire are either absent, or employed by the House of the People or one of the Houses of Virtue instead. The Sumaash view the idea of leaving decisions on the use of magic and items to magicians to decide by themselves to be dubious at best. Deciding what magic is safe to use is fundamentally a matter of Virtue and requires the appropriate expertise.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box>'''Eternals and Free Will'''<br>A common philosophical view in Sumaah is that eternals are physically incapable of Virtue, because they don't have free will. In the view of some präster, free will is fundamental to the exercise of Virtue. Nobody would suggest that a sword is courageous for taking the battlefield. Eternals they argue, are eternal and unchanging, their nature is fixed. They cannot change or be changed. If their nature cannot change, can eternals actually be said to exercise any choices at all about the actions they take? Do they have free will? If they do not, then how can they be any more virtuous than a sword or a shield?</box></div>
One area where the Empire has a clear advantage is dealing with hostile eternals. The metaphysical defence provided by enmity is not perfect, but it does greatly reduce the threat of an eternal influencing Imperial citizens. The Sumaah are forced to use more mundane methods to protect their people. The Assembly of [[Vigilance]] - and to a lesser degree the Assemblies of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] - maintain or coordinate cadres of Sumaash investigators and warriors who actively seek out the machinations of enemy eternals and put a stop to them. These groups of "idolator hunters" are widely respected, and their investigation of suspicious events usually welcomed. They're also heavily subsidised by the House of the People, meaning that they are well equipped to deal with the unpredictable enemies of the Republic they hunt.

The Republic use warding magic to complement this approach. Rituals such as [[There Is No Welcome Here]] may be employed, but the Sumaash also use [[hearth magic]] wards. One common practice is to build a shrine or temple over or near a strong [[regio]] when it is identified, allowing comings and goings of heralds to be carefully monitored or prevented. This is harder to do with regio in the deep jungle, but even so there are apparently several places of pilgrimage dedicated to maintaining a vigilant watch on the "verdant wastelands" of the wild tropical forests.

Lisane notes that these virtuous practices mirror Imperial efforts such as the [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|War of Whispers]], the [[Venture#Hunt_the_Suaq_Wastes|hunt of the Suaq Wastes]], or the practices of vigilant folk in [[Varushka]] in response to the threats of their own cold wilderness.

===Refusal===
* '''The Sumaah are very cautious in accepting ''any'' eternal boon
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=Unlike the Empire, the Sumaah are very suspicious of many eternals, including Eleonaris, eschewing her boons and declaring her anathema.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
The Sumaah are much more likely to turn down a boon or an eternal offer of aid than to accept it. In theory every eternal boon is weighed carefully, usually with the guidance of at least one präst, and in some cases might even be discussed with a [[statement of principle]] before it is accepted. Powerful boons are often presented for scrutiny by the House of the People as well, especially if they are likely to impact the citizens of a territory or region. The more powerful and all-encompassing a boon is, the more scrutiny it demands, so potent, far-reaching boons are rarely taken up simply because the risks involved are usually considered too large or too difficult to assess.

Rituals that draw on the power of an eternal directly are less common among Sumaash magicians. There are a few - a version of [[Swim Leviathan's Depth]] for example is relatively well known. One of the Sumaah responsible for hosting Lisane, a magician-präst named ''Chikkal, Assessor of the High House of Vigilance'' expands a little on this, explaining that even in those uncommon cases where such a ritual is created, it will almost always be bound with a stricture that it may only legally be performed in the presence of a priest, or with the approval of an assessor from one of the High Houses. This is done to ensure that the eternals do not begin to exert subtle control over magicians who may become reliant on such magic, or influence the subjects of such magic in a way that is unvirtuous.

Chikkal's view is that no human ever ''needs'' an eternal boon, however much they may ''want'' them. Any agreement with an eternal, they argue, will invariably tarnish the virtue of the one who seeks it, and risk corrupting their fellows. "Easy is not the same as virtuous," claims Chikkal piously. While it initially seems Chikkal speaks for the majority of the präster, Lisane notes that it quickly becomes apparent that there are any number of other opinions on the matter and many priests openly disagree with the ultra-conservative approach of peers such as Chikkal. Still, there is a common stereotype in the Republic that Imperial magicians unwisely seek every advantage they can gain from inhuman spirits rather then relying on themselves and their fellow humans. The unwise bargainer who brings ruin on themselves by making deals with eternal spirits is a very common character in Sumaah literature, there are scores of cautionary tales whose ultimate fate is so awful, it provides a sobering example to readers or audience.

==Republican Eternals==
* '''The second part of Lisane's preliminary report provides an overview of the eternals the Republic has encountered'''
* '''The Sumaah deal with a much smaller group of eternals than the Empire does'''
* '''Some eternals are known by very different names and appearances in the Republic'''
* '''There appear to be some eternals known in the Republic that are not familiar to Lisane or her staff'''

The second part of Lisane's preliminary report deals with the actual eternals the Sumaash deal with (or don't deal with). Sumaah don't commonly group the eternals together in the same way their Imperial peers do. Rather than focusing on which [[realms|realm]] they hail from, the only significant division is between "tolerated" and "anathema". Lisane, however, falls back on Imperial categorization, simply because her report is intended for Imperial eyes.

One of the challenges Lisane faces is that the Sumaah frequently use different names for eternals to those used in the Empire, and like the Empire they have many different sobriquets for the eternals. This may well be the root of some misconceptions about the beings the Republic deals with. The Empire has long considered [[Yaw'nagrah]] for example to be favoured in Sumaah, but it seems likely this was based on a misconception based on the at-the-time unknown eternal [[Ossegrahn]] (given the ''Green Mother'' is anathema in the Republic and has been for much of its history).

In most cases the prognosticators have been able to link the names of Sumaash eternals to those known in the Empire, but there are some cases where there is no direct correlation. In the case of these "unknown" eternals, she has been able to gather a little information, enough to satisfy herself that they are ''probably'' distinct entities. It is entirely possible that some of these unfamiliar eternals are actually powerful lieutenants (heralds) of a more familiar eternal. Sadly, an in-depth study of individual eternals in Sumaah is beyond the scope of this appraisal.

===Of Spring===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:SpringRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Ossegrahn and Arhallogen are tolerated in Sumaah'''
* '''Wind Panther appears to be an unfamiliar eternal, who is tolerated'''
* '''Siakha, Irra Harah, Yaw'nagrah and Llofir are all anathema'''
Of the Spring eternals familiar to the Empire, only two are tolerated. ''[[Ossegrahn|Rainbird]]'', with his power to help mend wounds, bring fresh water, and promote wholesome growth, provides boons useful to the Republic's farmers and healers alike. The Assembly of Prosperity keeps a weather-eye on magicians who deal closely with the eternal, most prominent among which is the coven of The Wellspring (which met with Imperial magicians in 383YE). The problem is that Rainbird regularly seeks to encourage the Republic to abandon its virtuous war against the unvirtuous. Rainbird is told "no" on a regular basis, which means that his power is generally restricted to the small scale - empowering individual physicks or bringing fertile rains to farms for example.

''[[Arhallogen|Wicked Fangs]]'' is barely tolerated, and the High Houses have gone back and forth on it several times over the years. In stark contrast to ''Rainbird'', it actively encourages the Sumaah to slaughter their enemies without mercy; to strike before their foes are ready; and to use whatever tools are available to them to do so. While it is popular in some quarters, many präster question whether its boons are compatible with virtue. Regardless, there are Sumaah warriors who embrace the [[venom|venomous]] or warlike enchantments it offers to bring down their enemies. Lisane remarks that there is historical evidence it offered significant aid when the Sumaash threw off the yoke of the Asaveans.

The other Spring eternal the Sumaash deal with seems to be unknown in the Empire. Commonly known as ''Wind Panther'', it seems to be a creature of the [[realms#Spring|Spring realm]] associated with hunting, and to a degree fishing. It apparently encourages both self-sufficiency and support of one's family or community through direct action. Wind Panther is most often called on for her powerful boons that empower skirmishers and archers to fight monsters, hunters to track and dispatch dangerous prey, or to bring down predators that would threaten the family. Given that the jungles of Sumaah are, at least to Imperial eyes, swarming with dangerous creatures on every scale, these boons have apparently proved vital in the past.

[[Siakha|Storm Bringer]] and [[Yaw'nagrah|Hungry Forest]] are anathema because they are creatures of destructive chaos that are at odds with civilisation; they are despised in the same way that Imperial citizens might feel about ''Blood on the Snow''. [[Irra Harah|Shadow Slinker]] was an ally of the Sumaah generations ago, but today it is anathema because it seeks to lure people away from Virtue, and provides boons to the Republic's enemies. [[Llofir|Blood Choke]] is an unpredictable creature of the deep wilderness that has nothing to offer the Sumaah and is associated with a particular poisonous fungus that causes agonizingly slow death if eaten in error. While anathema it seems to mostly ignore the Republic although, as with Shadow Slinker, it provides boons to some of the people the Sumaah are at war with.

===Of Summer===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:SummerRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Cathan Canae, Rhianos and Adamant are tolerated
* '''All the other Summer eternals are anathema
Of the eternals of the Summer realm, [[Adamant|Stone Dragon]], [[Rhianos|Ninth Wave]], and [[Cathan Canae|Thunder Lizard]] are tolerated. Stone Dragon provides useful boons and rarely wants anything unvirtuous in exchange. It's still illegal to accept his aid to build buildings dedicated to virtue however - any temple or shrine must be shaped by human hands alone.

Ninth Wave is also tolerated, but remains controversial with interactions carefully monitored to ensure that folk are not being lead astray by unvirtuous endeavour. It is clear that the eternal desires mortals to embrace peril for the excitement it brings - such motivation is dubious at best and the endeavours themselves are frequently desperately irresponsible in nature. However moments of great Virtue often occur while engaged on such exploits and so the eternal is tolerated. Even so they are primarily dealt with by ''Frieøyer'' magicians rather than by the Republic as a whole.

Thunder Lizard - characterised as an immense drake of the deep jungle - is tolerated for her straightforward approach to the Republic. Her magical [[Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae|citadel]] is one of the few rituals that draw directly on an eternal that is regularly employed. She also promotes warrior-ideals which are seen as compatible with virtue, and significantly more acceptable in general than those taken from ''Wicked Fangs''.

The rest of the Summer eternals known by the Empire are anathema in the Republic. This includes [[Jaheris|White Snake]], [[Hayaak|Blood Eagle]], [[Meraud|Flame Wing]], and especially [[Eleonaris|Sun Drake]]. The latter in particular is seen as an enemy of the Sumaah thanks to her dangerously unvirtuous creed of personal glory and warrior-supremacy. There are nonetheless some small hidden cults dedicated to her service, and the Vigilant remain alert to any rumour of their corrupting influence. The [[Barien|Lord of the Arena]] is known, but likewise considered anathema. The Sumaash attitude is that it is good to test oneself, but question the Virtue of doing so for rewards granted by some inhuman force. The virtuous should always be open to challenges, but in pursuit of human destiny, not dancing to the tune of an eternal. Lisane notes that there is a long history here, with fragmentary stories that suggest the Lord of the Arena is associated in the Sumaah memory with the Asaveans, and the hated satraps, although they were unwilling to discuss the details.

The Republic never uses titles such as king, queen, or (outside of the Lord of the Arena), lord or lady for any eternal. Simply calling someone like Sun Drake, the "Lady of Pennants" or naming Thunder Lizard, the "Queen of Ice and Darkness" would be treated as a minor act of idolatry. This makes the odd nomenclature for the eternal the Empire knows as Barien particularly stand out. The one exception to this abhorrence of titles, is "satrap" which is frequently used in sobriquets for the more corrupt and wicked eternals - particularly those of the Autumn realm.

===Of Autumn===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:AutumnRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Estavus and Ephisis are tolerated
* '''Polyptoton is not entirely familiar to the Empire and is tolerated
* '''Prospero, Callidus, Basileia, and the Lictors are anathema
* '''The Satrapy of Discord appear to be part of an unfamiliar city of the Autumn realm that is anathema
One of the more popular eternals among Sumaah magicians is [[Estavus|Fire Mountain]], also known as ''the Anvil of Thunder and Granite''. The Republic is not rich in ore, and a common bargain between Sumaash and Fire Mountain involves the trade of [[Materials#Natural_Materials|natural materials]] for [[Materials#Metals|valuable metals]]. From the point of view of the Sumaah, the prices demanded by the Anvil of Thunder and Granite for its aid tend to be straightforward, and deeply transactional, in a way that does not threaten virtue. Even so, it is much more common to deal with Fire Mountain to secure raw materials than worked goods, however. There is a fairly common belief that purchasing worked goods from Fire Mountain deprives a mortal human of their industry and Prosperity.

The [[Ephisis|Eternal Bazaar]] is tolerated, but carefully monitored due to its refusal to abide by the laws of the House of the People, or the dictates of the High Houses in what it will trade. Interactions with the Eternal Bazaar are limited to magician-präster of the High House of Prosperity. The ritual [[Ephisis' Scale]] is not practised in the Republic; any deals with the Bazaar are undertaken "face to face" with heralds rather than being left in the hands of an easily-accessible and impossible to restrict ritual. The Eternal Bazaar is also a source of friction within the Republic; the High House of Prosperity argues that the boons it provides are worth the need for constant vigilance while other präster are often less convinced. So far, however, the High Houses have not declared the eternal to be anathema.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=SaltAndSail001.png|caption=The "Great Turtle", the eternal Polyptoton, the City of Salt and Sail - this eternal spoke with the Empire via its herald for the first time last season.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
The [[Polyptoton|Great Turtle]] or the ''Wandering Port'', with the ability to carry messages across great distances almost instantaneously, is tolerated by the Sumaah. The heralds of the eternal rarely demand anything the Sumaah consider unvirtuous, although they have clashed with the censors of the High House of Vigilance in the past over their unnatural veneration of the written word over matters of virtue. The Great Turtle is also sought out for boons related to protecting or aiding ships, especially merchant vessels, particularly where they help them avoid or outrun the more powerful vessels of the Asavean Archipelago. Lisane believes that while the eternal was previously, largely unknown in the Empire, there have been [[Key_of_dreams#Many_Minds_Move_As_One_(Autumn)|recent developments]] that indicate this is no longer the case.

The rest of the Autumn realm is kept at arms length, either because they have nothing Sumaah wants or because they are considered active threats. The [[Prospero|Satrapy of Rope]], the ''Wheedling Spider'' seeks to trap the virtuous with bonds of unnatural obligation, and all too often threaten to draw innocent people into idolatry. The [[Lictors|Satrapy of Cages]] are seen as an inhuman force trying to meddle in virtuous laws. The [[Callidus|Satrapy of Hunger]] and their leader ''Drooling Maw'' fundamentally preach materialism and obsession with the accumulation of wealth. Worst of all are the inhabitants of the [[Basileia|Satrapy of Lies]]; corrosive enemies of virtue who work to corrode the souls of the virtuous and want to mire every human in murder, betrayal, and treachery. The High House of Loyalty see the Satrapy of Lies as particular enemies. Whenever a herald from the ''City of Lies'' is found in the Republic it is summarily executed; nothing good is built on a foundation of lies.

One other set of eternals - the ''Satrapy of Discord'' - are anathema in the Republic but are unfamiliar to Lisane. Reporting to a leader the Sumaah call ''Mockingbray'', they apparently hail from a city that burns with the fire of riot, rebellion, and revolution. According to the High House of Wisdom, these heralds once offered aid in the rebellion against the hated Asavean satraps, but then immediately tried to ruin any attempt to create a new government. Mockingbray, the ruler of the City of Wreckage, is always looking for ways to undermine tradition; to burn everything down in pursuit of a state of abominable anarchy. Obviously, once its true nature was clear, it was immediately proscribed by the Sumaah.

Lisane theorises that this ''might'' be a version of the entity once known as [[Mazen]], but the ''Lord of Masks'' is widely recognised as part of the ''Satrapy of Lies''. The Sumaah say the Satrapy of Discord is still active, which would mean that if reports of that creature's demise are to be trusted, this would have to be a different eternal.

===Of Winter===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:WinterRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Wise Rangara is tolerated
* '''An unfamiliar eternal named Pale Jaguar is tolerated
* '''Agramant, the Thrice-cursed Court, Sorin, and Kaela are anathema
* '''Khobel Tavah appears to be unknown in the Republic
Only two Winter eternals are tolerated among the Sumaah. [[Wise Rangara|White Eye Serpent]] is a black-scaled creature associated with "wisdom" that is one of the oldest spirits known to the Republic. It isn't wisdom as the virtuous understand it, but more the importance of learning difficult lessons, questioning assumptions, and cleaving to tradition. It's a font of herbal lore, and has ways of bringing out human insight that can prove invaluable. One reason it is tolerated is that it rarely if ever seeks to provide answers, but will offer aid to nudge someone along the path towards understanding a situation through their own efforts.

''Pale Jaguar'' or the ''Maiden of Mists'' is not an eternal familiar to Lisane. It seems to be a Winter eternal of trackless places, that represents becoming lost, the deep jungle, and a primaeval fear of the wilderness. It also speaks of the importance of memory, especially remembering the dead or the lost, and the importance of perseverance even against an end that seem inevitable. While few magicians deal with Pale Jaguar, a small group of Sumaah mystics interact with the eternal with the blessing of the High House of Wisdom. They engage in long durances in the wilds of the jungle, hoping to unlock visionary experiences or temper their bodies or spirits. One of Lisane's staff wonders if this might simply be a particular guise of the eternal the Empire knows as [[Sorin]], designed to circumvent his anathema. For the moment, there is no evidence one way or the other, but it appears that once one peels away the more mystical levels the Maiden of Mists is much more explicitly concerned with matters of [[Winter magic#Survival|survival]], [[Winter magic#Preservation|preservation]], and certain ideas of [[Winter magic#Wisdom|wisdom]] than the ''Whelpmaster'' seems to be.

In the Republic Sorin is known as the ''Bone Dragon'', and is depicted as a great skeletal [[Mundane_beasts#Drakes|drake]] whose encouragement of sacrifice, suffering, and hidden traps makes him anathema. He is depicted in stories as lurking on the edge of civilisation, seeking to steal away the unwary to devour their flesh or consume their spirits. Some of these stories cast Bone Dragon in the traditional role of a "bogeyman" - he appears in that role occasionally in cautionary tales for children especially.

The [[Agramant|Traitor]], who has easily as many aliases as he does in the Empire, is anathema as a matter of course, but among the Sumaah is numbered as a member of the [[The Thrice-cursed Court|Satrapy of Woe]]. The ''Corrupters'' are active opponents of the Republic and particularly the High Houses of Virtue. The Vigilance assembly puts a great deal of effort into trying to prevent them from interfering in the affairs of the Republic or corrupting the foolish with their tainted gifts. The [[Kaela|Dread Condor on Silent Wings]] is anathema, primarily due to her open offer of what appears to be eternal servitude via her ''Silent Household'', but responds by simply ignoring the Republic in a similar manner to Llofir.

Finally, [[Khobel Tavah]] is unknown in the Republic, and they express no interest in learning more about them.

===Of Day===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:DayRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Zakalwe, Kimus, Leviathan, and Phaleron are all tolerated
* '''Span of the Sky is an unfamiliar eternal who is tolerated
* '''Sinokenon, Roshanwe, Ylenwe, and Cold Sun are all anathema
The eternals of Day are among the most popular of the eternals the Republic deals with (for a given value). ''[[Zakalwe|Brilliant Javelin]]'' is one of the few martial eternals the Sumaah tolerate; its interest in encouraging rather than leading is seen as less of a challenge to the pursuit of virtue. Along with ''Thunder Lizard'', they are the eternal most likely to see their boons accepted on the battlefield. ''[[Kimus|Mirror of Dawn and Dusk]]'' is considered to be a strange and esoteric entity, whose ability to gather information and willingness to provide it are as welcome as its requests to observe events are seen as unthreatening.

The ''[[Leviathan|Watcher in the Waters]]'' is tolerated because it seems to have little active agenda beyond discussing history and current events with mortals. The chief concern is that magicians are too ready to accept the answers the eternal provides, without stopping to consider that while the Watcher maybe eternal, they are not the Creator. Präster are quick to remind those who deal with this eternal that just because the being expresses boundless confidence in its abilities, it is not infallible.

The ''[[Phaleron|Archive of Rainbow Coral]]'' is likewise tolerated due to its limited agenda. It is clear that the Archive values the preservation of knowledge far and above the preservation of life, but that is something that can be managed by those who deal with it. More of a problem is Phaleron's jealous attitude to the information it contains, which is occasionally decried as counter to human destiny.

A fifth eternal of the Day realm, unfamiliar to Imperial prognosticators, is also tolerated. ''Span of the Sky'' appears to be concerned with wind and water, and favoured by a small number of magicians that live along the coast including the ''Frieøyer''. There is speculation this might be an aspect of Kimus, but it is treated as distinct by the magicians that deal with it. Notably, the groups that interact with it most apparently also field cadres of [[Magical_skills#Battle_Mage|battle-mages]] whose mastery of the [[repel]] and [[entangle]] spells are invaluable when fighting the Republic's enemies.

By contrast, ''[[Sinokenon|Stupid Moon]]'' is anathema; its efforts to undermine the House of the People and push the Houses of Virtue to prominence have won it the enmity of most of the Republic and any attempt to make contact with Sumaah magicians is met with violence. At first two others considered anathema - the siblings ''Salt Mask'' and ''Silk Mask'' - were assumed to be unfamiliar eternals but further investigation indicated there were Sumaash names for [[Roshanwe]] and [[Ylenwe]]. According to Chikkal, Assessor of Vigilance, these two creatures are deceivers and liars who present a false-face to mortals in which they appear to be concerned with matters of virtue but in fact seek to subvert and twist the faithful into engaging in idolatry.

Finally, there is ''[[Cold Sun|Oblivion]]''. The eternal has had no interaction with the Republic, but the High Houses of Virtue have lost no time in declaring it anathema. Anyone attempting to make contact with Cold Sun will be executed, and there is some discussion of whether it might be best to [[excommunication|excommunicate]] such criminals if they emerge. The High House of Vigilance regard the matter as settled there - given their emphasis on Virtue, they are confident that nobody will be unwise enough to approach the eternal, given how appalling the consequences have been elsewhere.

===Of Night===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:NightRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Sung and Lashonar are tolerated in the Republic
* '''An unfamiliar eternal named Deep Drummer is tolerated
* '''Janon, Sadogua, Azoth, and the Whisper Gallery are anathema
* '''Azoth appears unknown in the Republic'''
''[[Sung|Moon Moth]]'' is idly tolerated. She is depicted as a huge rainbow-winged moth who encourages mortals to pursue the great mysteries of the world and the spirit, without claiming to be an authority on either. This includes the mysteries of virtue and the Labyrinth, and apparently she has offered boons relating to both the cultivation of [[iridescent gloaming]] and the creation of [[potion|potions]] that help pursue spiritual matters. Lisane notes with interest that the Sumaah apparently believe that ''all'' moths are agents of Moon Moth, and that the reason they are never seen during the day is that they pass into the Night realm when the sun rises. This belief, and the toleration of Sung, apparently dates back to a time long before the foundation of the Republic.

''[[Lashonar|Chattering Bird]]'' is tolerated, but only just. As with the ''Great Turtle'', it provides useful abilities for the Sumaah to communicate with others that they cannot achieve themselves - access to the [[Lashonar#Caucus_Forum|Caucus Forum]] is considered a valuable resource. Whenever it attempts to have an opinion on politics the virtuous quickly shut it and its followers down. One interesting proscription Lisane notes is that it is illegal to accept boons from Chattering Bird related to preaching the Way in the same vein in which it is illegal to accept the aid of Stone Dragon to build places of virtue.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Rainbow Moth.jpg|caption="Moon Moth" is the most common Sumaah Republic name for the eternal the Empire knows as Sung; rather than a feathered serpent they depict her as an insect with beautiful iridescent wings.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
There is another eternal tolerated by the Sumaah that at first is mistaken for [[Janon]]. The ''Deep Drummer'' is a creature that appears to represent mystical ideas of catharsis, the channelling strong emotions, and celebration of victories and achievements. It is popular not only with Sumaah warriors, but also with artists as it encourages them to both express and inspire strong feelings through their art. The High House of Vigilance has clashed with the High Houses of Courage and Pride in the past around the toleration of Deep Drummer, who are concerned that the eternals enthusiasm for celebration can lead the virtuous astray. The Sumaah apparently view Deep Drummer as the sibling or spouse of ''Whirling Chaos'', claiming the former is a creature of balance where the latter is a creature of discord.

The rest of the Night realm is anathema in Sumaah. [[Sadogua|Seducer]], the ''Satrap of Bats'', is famously despised in the Sumaah Republic. He shamelessly encourages magicians to put their own selfish concerns above virtue, and regularly opined that the assemblies should "butt out" of magicians' affairs. He was also involved in early attempts to form a magical fraternity similar on paper to the Imperial Conclave, that was roundly rejected on grounds of being a terrible idea two hundred years ago. The eternal itself is one of those that still seeks to deal with Sumaash magicians, and its influence is actively resisted by the hunters of idolators.

[[Janon|Whirling Chaos]], as has already been mentioned, is anathema. A dangerously unpredictable entity that appears on the surface to encourage Virtue but is actually a creature of anarchy who does not care what people feel as long as they allow their passions to consume them utterly. The [[Whisper Gallery|Screaming Monkey Kings]] are also anathema, not least because they cannot be trusted in any way not to support the Asavean Archipelago at every turn. Lisane mentions that Chikkal, Assessor of the High House of Vigilance, seems to take the existence of the Screaming Monkey Kings as a personal affront and that this attitude is by no means uncommon in the Republic.

The Sumaah do not seem to be familiar with the eternal [[Azoth]], and on learning more about them, Chikkal suggests there will be little interest in changing that situation.

==Design Note==
* '''Unknown eternals begin disinclined to speak to the Empire
* '''This is the first part of an appraisal that will run over several events
The preliminary report includes an overview of the eternals, and introduces several that appear to be unknown in the Empire. While there is enough information here for Imperial magicians to attempt to contact one of these eternals, if they wished, all start from a position of disinterest in the Empire. While an eternal is bound to respond to a [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]], as has been [[Hunter_of_stars#Capradan|seen previously]] on several occasions that response can be a polite (or impolite) refusal.

Most Imperial magicians will be aware that if these eternals desired a relationship with the Empire, they would already be pursuing one. It's also important to bear in mind that none of the creatures mentioned here are more powerful or more inclined to offer better deals than the eternals the Empire already deals with. Whenever a new eternal starts paying attention to the Empire it will often create more problems than it solves - [[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]] is arguable on this point, [[Cold Sun]] less so...

The opportunity to send a prognosticator to the Sumaah Republic to engage with an appraisal means they will be unavailable for several seasons. In contrast to some previous opportunities, our intent is to present part of the appraisal each event until this time is up. One reason is to prevent the requirement to do a single massive appraisal at the end of the period, the other is to reinforce the idea that this is an ''opportunity'' - the invitation of the Sumaah presents further options to gather a deeper understanding of the situation. This wind of fortune presents the opportunity for the Conclave to engage in the Republic, and expands the information about magic in Sumaah and their attitudes to the eternals. The next stage of the appraisal will present opportunities related to adapting the Sumaah Republic attitude to the eternals. The nature of the final stage of the appraisal, presented at the Winter Solstice, will depend on which of the orders - if any - the Conclave has chosen to send to the Republic.

==Further Reading==
* [[Sumaah Republic]]
* [[Conclave]]
* [[Alignment]]
* [[Eternal]]

388YE Autumn Faraden ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T15:19:05Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Faraden briefing]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
<div style="display:inline-block; float: left; width: 400px">{{CaptionedImage|file=Mina6596.jpg|caption='''Mina i Yashum i Riqueza''', Ambassador to Faraden|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Mina i Yashum i Riqueza''', [[Ambassador to Faraden]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[It%27s_all_wrong,_but_it%27s_all_right#Faraden|It's all wrong, but it's all right]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.
==Matters of Faith==
* '''The Faraden priest families are very concerned about the proscription against Justice'''
* '''While the proscription has been repealed there are concerns that this is just the start of renewed Synod persecution of their religion'''
* '''The true consecration of the Temple of High Flames has bolstered Faraden Pride, particularly with regard to their religion'''
Mistress Karadragha conveyed the Ambassadors advice that Faraden wishing to travel to the Empire should not bear a [[dedication]] to the false virtues, including [[Malign spiritual presences#Vangeance|Justice]]. While the [[Synod]] later repealed the [[proscription]] against such things, news of this change reached Faraden too late to influence their response to the Ambassador’s missive.

The problem has gone beyond this specific proscription; a nation currently seeing a resurgence in [[Pride]] (inspired in part by the [[liao#True Liao|true liao]] [[consecration]] of the [[Poets_light_but_lamps#Faraden|Temple of High Flames]]), means that the Faraden are concerned the Empire is about to swing back to actively denigrating, or event persecuting, the [[On_Faraden_faith|faith of the five flames]].
==Firewind, Moonsong, and Yakholme==
* '''The proposals to build Firewind Market and Moonsong Market should be considered "on hold"'''
In 387YE, the Faraden put forward the proposals for [[Wild_is_the_wind#Firewind_Market|Firewind Market]] in [[Holberg]], and [[Poets_light_but_lamps#Days_Of_Wine_And_Mooncheese|Moonsong Market]] in [[the Barrens]]. The worry that the Synod is planning to interfere with traders and travelers visiting the Empire is a cause for significant concern. The [[Senate]] (or another appropriate title) could [[commission]] one of these markets but it would be risky to do so until the situation is resolved. While the structures could be built, there's no guarantee they would attract Faraden traders in the current climate of uncertainty and injured pride.

Its possible that the current situation will also impact [[Wild_is_the_wind#Yakholme_Grange|Yakholme Grange]] in [[Upwold]]. Work on the construction [[Construct_Yakholme_Grange|began last year]] and is still underway. The Hakhandra merchant family still seem to be keen on trading for [[the Marches|Marcher]] cattle, but if the situation deteriorates further its not impossible the Empire will be left with a massive white elephant - a yak market with no yaks.

The civil service advise that even if the situation is resolved it might be prudent to gain assurances from Mistress Karadragha that these opportunities are all still available, and will be enthusiastically supported by the trading families, to avoid disappointment.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Marcher.png|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
==Alder and Mediator==
* '''The civil service have provided some guidance on the matter of the Tseriyn and Salagiin families'''
The two Faraden families responsible for providing [[mithril]] to the [[Alder of Meade]], and [[ilium]] to the [[Mediator of Fisk]], are under pressure to reconsider their ties. The Tseriyn and Salagiin have both done reasonably well out of the existing arrangement (although the agreement relating to Meade is open for renegotiation going forward anyway). Imperial agents purchase the valuable metals in [[Foreign_ports#Caitun|Caitun]] and bring them to [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]] and [[Kallavesa#Wittal Grove|Fisk]], so there's no need for members of these families to actually visit the Empire, but the Synod's attitude is seen as attacking the Pride of Faraden everywhere.

The civil service indicate that both families are probably seeking some sort of [[statement of principle|statement]] from the appropriate national assembly that urges their people to ignore calls to engage in persecution of Faraden travellers in their nations. If such a statement achieves a [[greater majority]], it will be something the two families can show to those trying to pressure them and reduce that pressure in the short term. If a [[mandate]] ensued, and was enacted, it might even have a positive effect on relations with the families.

However, a statement that urged people in a nation to ignore the proscriptions of the Synod would be very controversial. The Marches is already inclined towards suspicion of the General Assembly, and [[Wintermark]] has actively distanced itself from it. Encouraging people to ignore proscriptions when it suits them could not help but widen the gap between these two nations and the General Assembly. The first time that Marcher folk or Wintermark heroes decided to intervene on behalf of a Faraden convicted of a religious crime, it would likely trigger a legal crisis.

Another possibility would be to get the Alder and the Mediator to engage with the Prosperity Assembly, rather than their national assemblies. If the Prosperity Assembly passed a statement urging the Synod to stop criminalizing the faith of foreign traders, it might prove sufficient to quieten Faraden fears that their religion is about to become a major bar to trade with the Empire. It would also distance the Marches and Wintermark from that decision a little, removing the likelihood of backlash within those nations. It would be the Prosperity Assembly that was potentially at odds with the General Assembly.

The Marchers at least will have a slightly easier time, thanks to the Summer 387YE statement of principle from '''Sister Meredith''' (judgement 160). The Marcher assembly "''expect from the Faraden that theological discussion (where we differ) be limited to Priests, to maintain a convivial marketplace''." Simply reiterating that sentiment, and achieving a greater majority, might go a long way toward reducing the concerns of the Tseriyn .

Given that this is a matter of Virtue, the civil service note that the [[Chaplain Consular]] '''Amicia of the Semmerlak''' has a responsibility to advise Imperial ambassadors on matters pertaining to the Way. Their advice might prove valuable to the Mediator and Alder, and perhaps even to the Ambassador themselves.

The most likely outcome of the pressure being brought to bear on the two Faraden families is a reduction in the amount of material available to purchase from Caitun. It may be unpalatable to hear, but the civil service have assessed both the mithril market in Meade and the docks at Fisk and believe that only a fraction of the potential goods are actually being brought into the Empire. A restriction in the amount of metal available would be a diplomatic loss, but in economic terms they suggest that the Alder and the Mediator might well not miss the chance to purchase large volumes of goods they are currently buying in more conservative amounts.
<div style="float: right; width: 250px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Cat's Graces Sodality.png|caption=This title is appointed by the Cat's Graces|width=250px}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
==Azure Sutannir==
* '''The number of Faraden pilgrims attending the Azure Chorus has dropped'''
* '''The Azure Sutannir may be in a strong position to help restore Faraden confidence in the Empire'''
Thanks in large part to the Ambassador's own efforts when they held the title of [[Azure Sutannir]], the [[Azure Sutannir#Azure Chorus|Azure Chorus]] is a popular destination for visitors from Faraden - or rather it was. This season has already seen a significant drop in Faraden musicians visiting [[the Brass Coast]], afraid that their agreement not to preach the Flame of Justice is no longer enough to protect them from interference and potential execution.

A [[statement of principle]] raised by '''João i Cabral i Riqueza''' that reassured the Faraden that the Synod is not persecuting their faith could be an effective way to get Faraden-Imperial relations back on an even keel. Provided it was supported, of course. It would be less effective in the Freeborn assembly, where the Faraden already assume they are welcomed. It would ideally need to be upheld in the General Assembly meaning it would need to be elevated by a [[Cardinal]] - ideally the Cardinal of Courage, Pride, Loyalty, or Prosperity.

Obviously anyone could raise such a judgement, but the Azure Sutannir holds something of a unique position in that the Faraden priest families value their opinion on conflicts between the Five Flames and the Way. It is a risky proposition of course. The civil service caution that reassuring the Faraden and then raising further proscriptions that effectively restrict their ability to freely visit the Empire would result in significant backlash.
==Jotun Peace==
* '''Mistress Karadragha confirms that a peace treaty was signed at the Summer Solstice'''
* '''An inability to rely on support from Imperial or Suranni forces ultimately drove the decision'''
The Faraden have signed a new peace treaty with the [[Jotun]]. The civil service have not seen a copy, but Mistress Karadragha has provided a summary of the elements that impact relations with the Empire. Neither the Jotun nor the Faraden will fight one another directly, keeping the borders as they are now. The Faraden will not directly support the enemies of the Jotun but they are free to still trade with them. There are provisions for trade with the Jotun as well, which sticks in the craw of some families but is welcomed by others. Faraden caravans will still pay a tithe to pass through [[Reinos]], but the Jotun cannot forbid them from using a different route if one is available - meaning that if the [[Iron Confederacy]] secure a route through the southern hills they will be free to take it. The Liege of Five Winds cautiously believes this might provide a cheaper trade route, but the Suranni are unpredictable.

The staff at the embassy note that this treaty was controversial and faced significant opposition from the Faraden warrior families. They were keen to recover the Faraden lands still in Jotun hands and to launch their own attack into the northern Lasambrian hills. In the end the arguments of the trading families won out over those of the warriors. The main argument against antagonising the Jotun related to Imperial reticence to become involved in the conquest of Reinos. It is not a palatable thing to admit but the Faraden would struggle to hold off the Jotun alone and neither the Iron Confederacy nor the Empire could be trusted to offer sufficient assistance - neither are trusted enough not to sign a treaty of their own with the Jotun that could all too easily spell ruin for Faraden.
==Asavean Relations==
* '''The Plenum remains angry about the execution of Tomasso Triusti'''
* '''The Asaveans have withdrawn their diplomats'''
The execution of Tommasso Triusti, the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] caught up in the [[Seeds_of_discord#Ashes_to_Ashes|purge of the Cinders]], sparked outrage in the Plenum. The diplomats at the Asavean embassy have been recalled, but negotiations are apparently ongoing. Mistress Karadragha is not prepared to discuss the matter beyond saying that Faraden has no interest in severing ties with ''any'' nation, as long as it respects their sovereignty.

The civil service advise that the Faraden are likely also concerned about Asavean retribution; ironically their beliefs around Justice make this a much more pressing worry.
{{Faraden Links}}

388YE Autumn Asavean ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T13:50:27Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Asavean briefing]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Herminius of the House of the Wanderer.png|caption='''Herminius of the House of the Wanderer''', Ambassador to Asavea|align=left|width=300}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for Herminius of the House of the Wanderer, Ambassador to the Asavean Archipelago, and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Asavean_Archipelago|So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

While comparatively short, this briefing represents one of the first significant exchanges of diplomatic messaging with the Archipelago since the [[Mosaic|attack on Chalonsio]] and the Asavean declaration of war against the Empire.
==Small Talk==
* '''Lady Madrianna of the Blue Stones welcomes the new Ambassador'''
Lady Madrianna of the Blue Stones welcomes Ambassador Herminius, and hopes that they will prove to have a better grasp of the political situation than their predecessors.

The first matter to address is that the Ambassador is somewhat misrepresenting the relationship between the Plenum and the [[Grendel#Salt_Council|Salt Lords]]. The [[Grendel]] are allies, both politically, economically, and militarily. They have never made the slightest effort to the attack Asavean way of life, never burned one of their prosperous cities and murdered its leaders, never openly supported the [[Sumaah Republic]] in killing Asavean citizens or fomenting rebellion and discontent. They are model allies.

Asavea continues to support them, and will continue to do so as long as the Plenum and the [[Senate]] remain at war. There will of course be occasional setbacks but Asavea would expect nothing less. They do not underestimate the cunning or brutality of the Empire, after all. But no war is won or lost until the final battle is fought, and there is no indication that this war is anywhere near its final act.
==Moving On==
* '''Communication from the Asavean Ambassador contains a number of (barely) veiled threats'''
But Ambassador Herminius is correct in one regard. The current level of support for the enemies of the Empire is not having its desired effect. Arguably, too much subtlety has been employed. Too much money wasted on trying to recruit groups that, were they competent, would have harmed the warmongering Empire before ever needing Asavean support - the [[Faraden]] [[Five_flames#Cinders_Extinguished|Cinders]] are the obvious example, as is the abortive attempt to pay foreign privateers to attack Imperial shipping.

So Lady Madrianna thanks the Ambassador for their insight, and reassures them that going forward the Plenum will be ''much'' more careful in where it spends its money and its influence. The Empire also demonstrated the effectiveness of mobilizing its entire populace against its enemies, such as when they burned Chalonsio, rather than relying solely on expensive armies and navies. Much to consider!

Reading between the lines, the civil service advise that it is clear the Asavean Plenum has not lost its appetite for war - quite the contrary. Whether accidentally, or more likely intentionally, Lady Madrianna appears to be telling the Ambassador that the Plenum is regrouping and changing its approach both to its support for the Grendel, and its involvement in Imperial territory going forward.

The note about Chalonsio is a clear threat that rather than rely on a handful of warships and small groups of mercenaries, the Plenum is looking at ways to mobilize large numbers of [[fleet|fleets]] and [[military unit|military warbands]] to become involved in the [[Bay of Catazar]].
==Peace==
* '''Lady Madrianna has laid out a frankly incendiary list of demands from the Asavean Plenum'''
Lady Madrianna will not be visiting the Empire during the Autumn Equinox, not least because (in her words) she will be busy advising the Plenum on how to proceed. Working with some of the more politically engaged members of that august body she has prepared a list of demands for the Ambassador to share with the Imperial Senate. If the Empire wants peace with Asavea, the absolute minimum required will be:

* An apology for the cowardly attack on Chalonsio, and the opening of negotiations for reparations
* Immediate cessation of all "missionary" work in the Asavean Archipelago, withdrawal of all religious provocateurs, and a commitment by the Empire to never again attempt to force their religion on the proud descendants of Asav.
* An immediate end to all attempts by the Imperial Synod to foment rebellion in the Asavean Archipelago, along with a list of names of all those they have been dealing with.
* The handing over of the terrorist leader Rafael Barossa and their accomplices to the Priests of the Teacher, for trial and execution for the harm they have caused to the people of the Archipelago.
* An immediate end to embargo on Asavean trade, and the application of favourable tariffs for Asavean merchant vessels

No doubt the Senate has demands of its own, but Madrianna expresses the opinion that they are of no interest to the Plenum. The Empire started this war, and if they want it to end, they will need to be prepared to accept that and act appropriately.

The civil service assessment is that, obviously, the Plenum is effectively demanding the unconditional surrender of the Empire. The one element they cannot find any context for is the demand for the extradition of "terrorist leader Rafael Barossa and their accomplices." Perhaps the Ambassador may have more insight?
{{Asavean Links}}

388YE Autumn Sumaah ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T13:40:00Z

Twiggy: /* Support for the War */

[[Category:Sumaah briefing]][[Category:Commonwealth]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Accalon5901.jpg||caption=Accalon of Felix's Watch, Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic|align=left|width=350}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Accalon of Felix's Watch''', [[Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Sumaah_Republic|So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.
==Tariffs==
* '''The Empire has imposed mercantilist tariffs on Sumaah Republic merchants'''
* '''The Sumaah Republic will impose similar tariffs on Imperial imports'''
The [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Amend_tariffs_of_the_Sumaah_Republic|reintroduction]] of [[Tariffs#Mercantilist|mercantilist tariffs]] has not exactly taken the Republic by surprise. Indeed it has been expected since the recent [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Amend_Liberty_Pact|amendments]] to the [[Liberty Pact]]. Regardless, receiving notice before the law was changed would certainly have been best. Sumaah merchants arriving in Imperial ports to discover they now must pay tariffs was less than ideal and has understandably lead to some unhappiness with the Empire. Obviously, the House of the People has already begun discussing applying similar tariffs to Imperial imports and, with advice from the High Houses, will be applying them following the Autumn Equinox. Their impact will be felt by Imperial visitors to the Republic by the Winter Solstice.

The civil service note that the High House of [[Prosperity]] in particular seems eager to ensure the tariffs are put in place as quickly as possible. In their assessment this has nothing to do with any sense of "tit-for-tat" but rather that those responsible for the Republics prosperity appreciate the value of additional money for the national treasury at least as much as the Empire does. There is also some speculation that the High House of [[Vigilance]] is keen to expedite the process, given that tariffs work by assessing the goods brought to Sumaah ports - creating extra opportunities for the censors of Vigilance to examine cargos for anything that might prove to be contraband.

The House of the People is resisting efforts to push the change to tariffs through quickly; the civil service assess that this may be down to the advice of the High House of [[Pride]] that seems to want to make a point of making sure the Empire has a season advance warning. A subtle rebuke of the speed with which the [[Senate]] acted, perhaps?

On a more personal level, Oxtitocszin appreciates the Ambassador's explanation of the irregularities in the Senate, but reassures them that these things happen in the House of the People as well from time to time. Presumably the Senator who lied to the Senate will face investigation by the House of Vigilance, or the Imperial magistrates?
==Support for the War==
* '''Sumaah makes arrangements to purchase wains of weirwood and mithril'''
* '''The exchange is due to take place at the Winter Solstice with the aid of the eternal Polyptoton'''
As mentioned [[Keys_of_Enlightenment#Mithril_and_White_Granite|last season]], there is an offer from the ''[[Polyptoton|Wandering Port]]'' to safely transport wains of [[weirwood]] and [[mithril]] to the Republic to help in their ongoing fight with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean Plenum]]. Following the valuable breakdown of Imperial economic situation the Ambassador provides, Oxtitocszin is somewhat apologetic. The point of the exchange is to provide assistance to the Sumaah after all, and so the prices proposed - four thrones a wain in some cases - are simply too high. Instead, the Sumaah can offer 3 thrones 1 crown for weirwood, and three thrones 6 crowns for mithril, or they can arrange the trade of white granite for either resource on a one-for-one basis. The assistance of the ''City of Salt and Sail'' has been secured, and they have agreed to transport wains ''to'' the Empire as well as well as from it.

With that in mind, Oxtitocszin indicates that heralds of the ''Polyptoton'' will visit the Empire during the Winter Solstice, most likely through the "Hall of Worlds" to secure wains and provide payment. They are looking for up to 100 wains total at the prices given, and anticipate that the Ambassador will be able to support the exchange when it goes ahead.

The civil service note that these prices do not reach the threshold the ambassador proposed, but are instead based around the idea that this is assistance to the Sumaah, as proposed by the Empire in the first place, rather than a simple trade deal. Essentially they are looking to buy "wholesale" - below the market price - because simply paying the market price would not represent an opportunity. If the Ambassador informs the Sumaah that there is no chance they will receive any wains at all during the Winter Solstice at those prices, they will be have a chance to change their agreement with the ''City of Salt and Sail'' but it will make an end of this opportunity.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderCelestialArch.jpg|title=Order of the Celestial Arch|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|title=Order of the Sevenfold Path|align=right|width=250}}</div>

==Eternals and Appraisal==
* '''The High House of Vigilance offers assistance to assess Imperial rituals that deal with eternals'''
* '''The Conclave could invite magicians from any Sumaah Assembly to undertake such an assessment'''
* '''The opportunity is only available during the Autumn Equinox'''
Oxtitocszin thanks the Ambassador for their kind words regarding the [[Satraps of the Abyss|ongoing appraisal]], and also for advance warning that the [[Conclave order|order]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] will be visiting the Republic. They have passed on the message of the Vigilance assembly, requesting a focus on ways that the Empire can learn from the Sumaah approach to dealing with [[idolatry|idolatrous]] cults.

In return, however, the Sumaah Ambassador passes on a private note from the Republic's own Cardinal of Vigilance and request that Accalon consider passing it along to the [[Sevenfold Path]] and perhaps the [[Celestial Arch]]. Without knowing full details, the Sumaah are aware that the Empire has a large number of rituals that draw directly on the power of eternals to work. A significant body of lore that might well be idolatrous has built up over time simply because the magicians of the [[Conclave]] lack firm oversight. While this oversight is now available in the form of the [[Imperial Censor]] - although the High House of Vigilance have choice words to say about the idea that the Conclave appoints its own censor, for obvious reasons - the task of examining each ritual in turn to determine if it is dangerous to the virtuous or not will presumably take years. Might it not be better to interdict ''all'' rituals that have an assurance - that draw directly on the power of an inhuman force - and then license only those that do not imperil the soul? This recommendation is well meant and comes with an additional offer.

If the Imperial Conclave use their power of [[Concord]] to invite magicians from the High House of Vigilance to visit the Empire, and work with one of the Orders to review those rituals in [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]] that draw on the assurance of an eternal, they will offer their unbiased opinion as to the virtuous implications of those rituals. This would not be the same as sharing Imperial lore - merely allowing the visiting magicians an opportunity to review the rituals and offer their academic opinion on the dangers hidden in them. This report would be first delivered to the grandmaster of the Order chosen to work with them, and then shared with the magicians of the Empire in what Oxtitocszin understands to be the traditional Imperial approach to openness and transparency.

The offer is made as an adjunct to the ongoing appraisal - a reciprocal arrangement to reflect the fact that one of the Conclave orders has come all the way to Sumaah to help explore the ways the Republic deal with eternals. It is only available during the Autumn Equinox, and if the Conclave chooses not to take the High House of Vigilance up on the matter they will understand.

The civil service note that the High House of Vigilance are likely to take a very... vigilant... attitude to rituals in Imperial lore. Their default assumption is likely to be that any ritual that draws on an eternal is a bad idea. There is an obvious alternative however; instead of accepting the offer of the Cardinal of Vigilance, the Concord could instead ''invite'' a different House - the High House of Wisdom would be an obvious choice. While the Cardinal of [[Wisdom]] is still Sumaah, and starts from a position of suspicion of eternals, they are much more likely to deliver a more balanced assessment of the rituals with assurances. Likewise the suggestion that the Sevenfold Path or Celestial Arch be the order involved is reflective of the Vigilant assessment of the Conclave. ''Any'' order could host visiting magicians from Sumaah - and again that choice would likely influence the response. Obviously, "stealing" the idea of the Cardinal of Vigilance and redirecting it will likely put their nose a little out of joint, but that could be addressed by the Ambassador in their next letter, and any damage to the Vigilant would be balanced by the enthusiasm of the High House actually chosen. At the end of the day, many from the High House of Vigilance will be pleased to see ''any'' assessment of Imperial lore, regardless of who carries it out.

One thing to bear in mind is that this is not ''guiding an order'' and will not cost any mana from the Conclave vaults or end any existing arrangements. The costs are borne by the Sumaah magicians - they are the ones making an outreach to the Empire.

'''Note''': The Conclave [[388YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Invite_High_House_of_Wisdom|invited]] the High House of Wisdom to visit the Empire during the Autumn Equinox, to work with the Celestial Arch and review Imperial lore rituals dealing with eternals.

==Commonwealth and the Liberty Pact==
* '''The House of the People is discussing the Liberty Pact in light of the Commonwealth concerns'''
* '''Oxtitocszin advises that Sumaah fear their interests will suffer if the Empire and the Axou can form a majority voting block'''
News that the [[Commonwealth]] were ultimately responsible for the destruction of Lantir, and the incursion of [[Cold Sun]] has reached the Sumaah Republic. Oxtitocszin expresses sadness and disappointment, but it seems to be the view of the Republic that something like this was inevitable. The Commonwealth is not guided by virtue, after all, and ultimately the Common Good is too blunt a tool to be able to assess the Wisdom of a course of action. The House of the People is not rushing to condemn the Commonwealth, but it has certainly damaged the opinion of the Sumaah when it comes to their allies to the east.

What is of greater concern is that the Commonwealth has effectively withdrawn from the [[Liberty Pact]] - they have informed the Sumaah that they will not be sending any delegates to the Liberty Pact meetings going forward and will withdrawn formally if any attempt is made to alter its provisions in a way that requires them to undertake any action. This has done nothing to reassure the Republic that the Liberty Pact still has value. A Liberty Pact without the Commonwealth will not survive. Oxtitocszin asks, bluntly, if the Empire intends to respond to the Commonwealth withdrawal of support. Will they be making an effort to persuade the Commonwealth to stay in the pact, and if so is there anything the Sumaah can do to support such an initiative?

==Blade of the Isles==
* '''The Sumaah have provided the signs whereby Zemress was recognised a paragon'''
* '''There is some interest in why the Empire considers her an exemplar'''
The Imperial Assembly of the Way has enquired about the status of [[Zemress|Zemress of the Isles]] as a [[paragon]] in Sumaah. The High House of Prosperity has provided a list of the six signs of the paragon recognised in the Republic, and they have are now common knowledge.

Oxtitocszin passes on a request from the Cardinal of Prosperity however. Why ''is'' there such a difference between the Sumaash and Imperial Synods over the status of Zemress? She is clearly a highly inspirational figure in the Empire, especially among sailors, corsairs, benefactors, merchant princes - indeed many across the Bay of Catazar. Even the Grendel recognise her inspiration, albeit in a twisted manner given their heretical and blasphemous nature. Would the Cardinal of the Way, or the Cardinal of Prosperity, be prepared to share the Empire's view on Zemress? For that matter, would the Cardinal of [[Ambition]] be prepared to share the Empire's opinions on [[Adelmar_the_Lion#Amma_the_Wanderer|Amma the Wanderer]]? Any missive sent to Oxtitocszin's office on these two virtuous figures would of course be directed to the appropriate assembly.
{{Sumaah Links}}

388YE Autumn Sumaah ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T13:39:42Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Sumaah briefing]][[Category:Commonwealth]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Accalon5901.jpg||caption=Accalon of Felix's Watch, Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic|align=left|width=350}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Accalon of Felix's Watch''', [[Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Sumaah_Republic|So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.
==Tariffs==
* '''The Empire has imposed mercantilist tariffs on Sumaah Republic merchants'''
* '''The Sumaah Republic will impose similar tariffs on Imperial imports'''
The [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Amend_tariffs_of_the_Sumaah_Republic|reintroduction]] of [[Tariffs#Mercantilist|mercantilist tariffs]] has not exactly taken the Republic by surprise. Indeed it has been expected since the recent [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Amend_Liberty_Pact|amendments]] to the [[Liberty Pact]]. Regardless, receiving notice before the law was changed would certainly have been best. Sumaah merchants arriving in Imperial ports to discover they now must pay tariffs was less than ideal and has understandably lead to some unhappiness with the Empire. Obviously, the House of the People has already begun discussing applying similar tariffs to Imperial imports and, with advice from the High Houses, will be applying them following the Autumn Equinox. Their impact will be felt by Imperial visitors to the Republic by the Winter Solstice.

The civil service note that the High House of [[Prosperity]] in particular seems eager to ensure the tariffs are put in place as quickly as possible. In their assessment this has nothing to do with any sense of "tit-for-tat" but rather that those responsible for the Republics prosperity appreciate the value of additional money for the national treasury at least as much as the Empire does. There is also some speculation that the High House of [[Vigilance]] is keen to expedite the process, given that tariffs work by assessing the goods brought to Sumaah ports - creating extra opportunities for the censors of Vigilance to examine cargos for anything that might prove to be contraband.

The House of the People is resisting efforts to push the change to tariffs through quickly; the civil service assess that this may be down to the advice of the High House of [[Pride]] that seems to want to make a point of making sure the Empire has a season advance warning. A subtle rebuke of the speed with which the [[Senate]] acted, perhaps?

On a more personal level, Oxtitocszin appreciates the Ambassador's explanation of the irregularities in the Senate, but reassures them that these things happen in the House of the People as well from time to time. Presumably the Senator who lied to the Senate will face investigation by the House of Vigilance, or the Imperial magistrates?
==Support for the War==
* '''Sumaah makes arrangements to purchase wains of weirwood and mithril'''
* '''The exchange is due to take place at the Winter Solstice with the aid of the eternal Polyptoton'''
As mentioned [[Keys_of_Enlightenment#Mithril_and_White_Granite|last season]], there is an offer from the ''[[Polyptoton|Wandering Port]]'' to safely transport wains of [[weirwood]] and [[mithril]] to the Republic to help in their ongoing fight with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean Plenum]]. Following the valuable breakdown of Imperial economic situation the Ambassador provides, Oxtitocszin is somewhat apologetic. The point of the exchange is to provide assistance to the Sumaah after all, and so the prices proposed - four thrones a wain in some cases - are simply too high. Instead, the Sumaah can offer 3 Thrones 1 Crown for weirwood, and three thrones 6 crowns for mithril, or they can arrange the trade of white granite for either resource on a one-for-one basis. The assistance of the ''City of Salt and Sail'' has been secured, and they have agreed to transport wains ''to'' the Empire as well as well as from it.

With that in mind, Oxtitocszin indicates that heralds of the ''Polyptoton'' will visit the Empire during the Winter Solstice, most likely through the "Hall of Worlds" to secure wains and provide payment. They are looking for up to 100 wains total at the prices given, and anticipate that the Ambassador will be able to support the exchange when it goes ahead.

The civil service note that these prices do not reach the threshold the ambassador proposed, but are instead based around the idea that this is assistance to the Sumaah, as proposed by the Empire in the first place, rather than a simple trade deal. Essentially they are looking to buy "wholesale" - below the market price - because simply paying the market price would not represent an opportunity. If the Ambassador informs the Sumaah that there is no chance they will receive any wains at all during the Winter Solstice at those prices, they will be have a chance to change their agreement with the ''City of Salt and Sail'' but it will make an end of this opportunity.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderCelestialArch.jpg|title=Order of the Celestial Arch|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|title=Order of the Sevenfold Path|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==Eternals and Appraisal==
* '''The High House of Vigilance offers assistance to assess Imperial rituals that deal with eternals'''
* '''The Conclave could invite magicians from any Sumaah Assembly to undertake such an assessment'''
* '''The opportunity is only available during the Autumn Equinox'''
Oxtitocszin thanks the Ambassador for their kind words regarding the [[Satraps of the Abyss|ongoing appraisal]], and also for advance warning that the [[Conclave order|order]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] will be visiting the Republic. They have passed on the message of the Vigilance assembly, requesting a focus on ways that the Empire can learn from the Sumaah approach to dealing with [[idolatry|idolatrous]] cults.

In return, however, the Sumaah Ambassador passes on a private note from the Republic's own Cardinal of Vigilance and request that Accalon consider passing it along to the [[Sevenfold Path]] and perhaps the [[Celestial Arch]]. Without knowing full details, the Sumaah are aware that the Empire has a large number of rituals that draw directly on the power of eternals to work. A significant body of lore that might well be idolatrous has built up over time simply because the magicians of the [[Conclave]] lack firm oversight. While this oversight is now available in the form of the [[Imperial Censor]] - although the High House of Vigilance have choice words to say about the idea that the Conclave appoints its own censor, for obvious reasons - the task of examining each ritual in turn to determine if it is dangerous to the virtuous or not will presumably take years. Might it not be better to interdict ''all'' rituals that have an assurance - that draw directly on the power of an inhuman force - and then license only those that do not imperil the soul? This recommendation is well meant and comes with an additional offer.

If the Imperial Conclave use their power of [[Concord]] to invite magicians from the High House of Vigilance to visit the Empire, and work with one of the Orders to review those rituals in [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]] that draw on the assurance of an eternal, they will offer their unbiased opinion as to the virtuous implications of those rituals. This would not be the same as sharing Imperial lore - merely allowing the visiting magicians an opportunity to review the rituals and offer their academic opinion on the dangers hidden in them. This report would be first delivered to the grandmaster of the Order chosen to work with them, and then shared with the magicians of the Empire in what Oxtitocszin understands to be the traditional Imperial approach to openness and transparency.

The offer is made as an adjunct to the ongoing appraisal - a reciprocal arrangement to reflect the fact that one of the Conclave orders has come all the way to Sumaah to help explore the ways the Republic deal with eternals. It is only available during the Autumn Equinox, and if the Conclave chooses not to take the High House of Vigilance up on the matter they will understand.

The civil service note that the High House of Vigilance are likely to take a very... vigilant... attitude to rituals in Imperial lore. Their default assumption is likely to be that any ritual that draws on an eternal is a bad idea. There is an obvious alternative however; instead of accepting the offer of the Cardinal of Vigilance, the Concord could instead ''invite'' a different House - the High House of Wisdom would be an obvious choice. While the Cardinal of [[Wisdom]] is still Sumaah, and starts from a position of suspicion of eternals, they are much more likely to deliver a more balanced assessment of the rituals with assurances. Likewise the suggestion that the Sevenfold Path or Celestial Arch be the order involved is reflective of the Vigilant assessment of the Conclave. ''Any'' order could host visiting magicians from Sumaah - and again that choice would likely influence the response. Obviously, "stealing" the idea of the Cardinal of Vigilance and redirecting it will likely put their nose a little out of joint, but that could be addressed by the Ambassador in their next letter, and any damage to the Vigilant would be balanced by the enthusiasm of the High House actually chosen. At the end of the day, many from the High House of Vigilance will be pleased to see ''any'' assessment of Imperial lore, regardless of who carries it out.

One thing to bear in mind is that this is not ''guiding an order'' and will not cost any mana from the Conclave vaults or end any existing arrangements. The costs are borne by the Sumaah magicians - they are the ones making an outreach to the Empire.

'''Note''': The Conclave [[388YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Invite_High_House_of_Wisdom|invited]] the High House of Wisdom to visit the Empire during the Autumn Equinox, to work with the Celestial Arch and review Imperial lore rituals dealing with eternals.

==Commonwealth and the Liberty Pact==
* '''The House of the People is discussing the Liberty Pact in light of the Commonwealth concerns'''
* '''Oxtitocszin advises that Sumaah fear their interests will suffer if the Empire and the Axou can form a majority voting block'''
News that the [[Commonwealth]] were ultimately responsible for the destruction of Lantir, and the incursion of [[Cold Sun]] has reached the Sumaah Republic. Oxtitocszin expresses sadness and disappointment, but it seems to be the view of the Republic that something like this was inevitable. The Commonwealth is not guided by virtue, after all, and ultimately the Common Good is too blunt a tool to be able to assess the Wisdom of a course of action. The House of the People is not rushing to condemn the Commonwealth, but it has certainly damaged the opinion of the Sumaah when it comes to their allies to the east.

What is of greater concern is that the Commonwealth has effectively withdrawn from the [[Liberty Pact]] - they have informed the Sumaah that they will not be sending any delegates to the Liberty Pact meetings going forward and will withdrawn formally if any attempt is made to alter its provisions in a way that requires them to undertake any action. This has done nothing to reassure the Republic that the Liberty Pact still has value. A Liberty Pact without the Commonwealth will not survive. Oxtitocszin asks, bluntly, if the Empire intends to respond to the Commonwealth withdrawal of support. Will they be making an effort to persuade the Commonwealth to stay in the pact, and if so is there anything the Sumaah can do to support such an initiative?

==Blade of the Isles==
* '''The Sumaah have provided the signs whereby Zemress was recognised a paragon'''
* '''There is some interest in why the Empire considers her an exemplar'''
The Imperial Assembly of the Way has enquired about the status of [[Zemress|Zemress of the Isles]] as a [[paragon]] in Sumaah. The High House of Prosperity has provided a list of the six signs of the paragon recognised in the Republic, and they have are now common knowledge.

Oxtitocszin passes on a request from the Cardinal of Prosperity however. Why ''is'' there such a difference between the Sumaash and Imperial Synods over the status of Zemress? She is clearly a highly inspirational figure in the Empire, especially among sailors, corsairs, benefactors, merchant princes - indeed many across the Bay of Catazar. Even the Grendel recognise her inspiration, albeit in a twisted manner given their heretical and blasphemous nature. Would the Cardinal of the Way, or the Cardinal of Prosperity, be prepared to share the Empire's view on Zemress? For that matter, would the Cardinal of [[Ambition]] be prepared to share the Empire's opinions on [[Adelmar_the_Lion#Amma_the_Wanderer|Amma the Wanderer]]? Any missive sent to Oxtitocszin's office on these two virtuous figures would of course be directed to the appropriate assembly.
{{Sumaah Links}}

388YE Autumn Sumaah ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T13:39:06Z

Twiggy: /* Eternals and Appraisal */

[[Category:Sumaah briefing]][[Category:Commonwealth]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Accalon5901.jpg||caption=Accalon of Felix's Watch, Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic|align=left|width=350}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Accalon of Felix's Watch''', [[Ambassador to the Sumaah Republic]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Sumaah_Republic|So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.
==Tariffs==
* '''The Empire has imposed mercantilist tariffs on Sumaah Republic merchants'''
* '''The Sumaah Republic will impose similar tariffs on Imperial imports'''
The [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Amend_tariffs_of_the_Sumaah_Republic|reintroduction]] of [[Tariffs#Mercantilist|mercantilist tariffs]] has not exactly taken the Republic by surprise. Indeed it has been expected since the recent [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Amend_Liberty_Pact|amendments]] to the [[Liberty Pact]]. Regardless, receiving notice before the law was changed would certainly have been best. Sumaah merchants arriving in Imperial ports to discover they now must pay tariffs was less than ideal and has understandably lead to some unhappiness with the Empire. Obviously, the House of the People has already begun discussing applying similar tariffs to Imperial imports and, with advice from the High Houses, will be applying them following the Autumn Equinox. Their impact will be felt by Imperial visitors to the Republic by the Winter Solstice.

The civil service note that the High House of [[Prosperity]] in particular seems eager to ensure the tariffs are put in place as quickly as possible. In their assessment this has nothing to do with any sense of "tit-for-tat" but rather that those responsible for the Republics prosperity appreciate the value of additional money for the national treasury at least as much as the Empire does. There is also some speculation that the High House of [[Vigilance]] is keen to expedite the process, given that tariffs work by assessing the goods brought to Sumaah ports - creating extra opportunities for the censors of Vigilance to examine cargos for anything that might prove to be contraband.

The House of the People is resisting efforts to push the change to tariffs through quickly; the civil service assess that this may be down to the advice of the High House of [[Pride]] that seems to want to make a point of making sure the Empire has a season advance warning. A subtle rebuke of the speed with which the [[Senate]] acted, perhaps?

On a more personal level, Oxtitocszin appreciates the Ambassador's explanation of the irregularities in the Senate, but reassures them that these things happen in the House of the People as well from time to time. Presumably the Senator who lied to the Senate will face investigation by the House of Vigilance, or the Imperial magistrates?
==Support for the War==
* '''Sumaah makes arrangements to purchase wains of weirwood and mithril'''
* '''The exchange is due to take place at the Winter Solstice with the aid of the eternal Polyptoton'''
As mentioned [[Keys_of_Enlightenment#Mithril_and_White_Granite|last season]], there is an offer from the ''[[Polyptoton|Wandering Port]]'' to safely transport wains of [[weirwood]] and [[mithril]] to the Republic to help in their ongoing fight with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean Plenum]]. Following the valuable breakdown of Imperial economic situation the Ambassador provides, Oxtitocszin is somewhat apologetic. The point of the exchange is to provide assistance to the Sumaah after all, and so the prices proposed - four thrones a wain in some cases - are simply too high. Instead, the Sumaah can offer 3 Thrones 1 Crown for weirwood, and three thrones 6 crowns for mithril, or they can arrange the trade of white granite for either resource on a one-for-one basis. The assistance of the ''City of Salt and Sail'' has been secured, and they have agreed to transport wains ''to'' the Empire as well as well as from it.

With that in mind, Oxtitocszin indicates that heralds of the ''Polyptoton'' will visit the Empire during the Winter Solstice, most likely through the "Hall of Worlds" to secure wains and provide payment. They are looking for up to 100 wains total at the prices given, and anticipate that the Ambassador will be able to support the exchange when it goes ahead.

The civil service note that these prices do not reach the threshold the ambassador proposed, but are instead based around the idea that this is assistance to the Sumaah, as proposed by the Empire in the first place, rather than a simple trade deal. Essentially they are looking to buy "wholesale" - below the market price - because simply paying the market price would not represent an opportunity. If the Ambassador informs the Sumaah that there is no chance they will receive any wains at all during the Winter Solstice at those prices, they will be have a chance to change their agreement with the ''City of Salt and Sail'' but it will make an end of this opportunity.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderCelestialArch.jpg|title=Order of the Celestial Arch|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|title=Order of the Sevenfold Path|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==Eternals and Appraisal==
* '''The High House of Vigilance offers assistance to assess Imperial rituals that deal with eternals'''
* '''The Conclave could invite magicians from any Sumaah Assembly to undertake such an assessment'''
* '''The opportunity is only available during the Aitumn Equinox'''
Oxtitocszin thanks the Ambassador for their kind words regarding the [[Satraps of the Abyss|ongoing appraisal]], and also for advance warning that the [[Conclave order|order]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] will be visiting the Republic. They have passed on the message of the Vigilance assembly, requesting a focus on ways that the Empire can learn from the Sumaah approach to dealing with [[idolatry|idolatrous]] cults.

In return, however, the Sumaah Ambassador passes on a private note from the Republic's own Cardinal of Vigilance and request that Accalon consider passing it along to the [[Sevenfold Path]] and perhaps the [[Celestial Arch]]. Without knowing full details, the Sumaah are aware that the Empire has a large number of rituals that draw directly on the power of eternals to work. A significant body of lore that might well be idolatrous has built up over time simply because the magicians of the [[Conclave]] lack firm oversight. While this oversight is now available in the form of the [[Imperial Censor]] - although the High House of Vigilance have choice words to say about the idea that the Conclave appoints its own censor, for obvious reasons - the task of examining each ritual in turn to determine if it is dangerous to the virtuous or not will presumably take years. Might it not be better to interdict ''all'' rituals that have an assurance - that draw directly on the power of an inhuman force - and then license only those that do not imperil the soul? This recommendation is well meant and comes with an additional offer.

If the Imperial Conclave use their power of [[Concord]] to invite magicians from the High House of Vigilance to visit the Empire, and work with one of the Orders to review those rituals in [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]] that draw on the assurance of an eternal, they will offer their unbiased opinion as to the virtuous implications of those rituals. This would not be the same as sharing Imperial lore - merely allowing the visiting magicians an opportunity to review the rituals and offer their academic opinion on the dangers hidden in them. This report would be first delivered to the grandmaster of the Order chosen to work with them, and then shared with the magicians of the Empire in what Oxtitocszin understands to be the traditional Imperial approach to openness and transparency.

The offer is made as an adjunct to the ongoing appraisal - a reciprocal arrangement to reflect the fact that one of the Conclave orders has come all the way to Sumaah to help explore the ways the Republic deal with eternals. It is only available during the Autumn Equinox, and if the Conclave chooses not to take the High House of Vigilance up on the matter they will understand.

The civil service note that the High House of Vigilance are likely to take a very... vigilant... attitude to rituals in Imperial lore. Their default assumption is likely to be that any ritual that draws on an eternal is a bad idea. There is an obvious alternative however; instead of accepting the offer of the Cardinal of Vigilance, the Concord could instead ''invite'' a different House - the High House of Wisdom would be an obvious choice. While the Cardinal of [[Wisdom]] is still Sumaah, and starts from a position of suspicion of eternals, they are much more likely to deliver a more balanced assessment of the rituals with assurances. Likewise the suggestion that the Sevenfold Path or Celestial Arch be the order involved is reflective of the Vigilant assessment of the Conclave. ''Any'' order could host visiting magicians from Sumaah - and again that choice would likely influence the response. Obviously, "stealing" the idea of the Cardinal of Vigilance and redirecting it will likely put their nose a little out of joint, but that could be addressed by the Ambassador in their next letter, and any damage to the Vigilant would be balanced by the enthusiasm of the High House actually chosen. At the end of the day, many from the High House of Vigilance will be pleased to see ''any'' assessment of Imperial lore, regardless of who carries it out.

One thing to bear in mind is that this is not ''guiding an order'' and will not cost any mana from the Conclave vaults or end any existing arrangements. The costs are borne by the Sumaah magicians - they are the ones making an outreach to the Empire.

'''Note''': The Conclave [[388YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Invite_High_House_of_Wisdom|invited]] the High House of Wisdom to visit the Empire during the Autumn Equinox, to work with the Celestial Arch and review Imperial lore rituals dealing with eternals.

==Commonwealth and the Liberty Pact==
* '''The House of the People is discussing the Liberty Pact in light of the Commonwealth concerns'''
* '''Oxtitocszin advises that Sumaah fear their interests will suffer if the Empire and the Axou can form a majority voting block'''
News that the [[Commonwealth]] were ultimately responsible for the destruction of Lantir, and the incursion of [[Cold Sun]] has reached the Sumaah Republic. Oxtitocszin expresses sadness and disappointment, but it seems to be the view of the Republic that something like this was inevitable. The Commonwealth is not guided by virtue, after all, and ultimately the Common Good is too blunt a tool to be able to assess the Wisdom of a course of action. The House of the People is not rushing to condemn the Commonwealth, but it has certainly damaged the opinion of the Sumaah when it comes to their allies to the east.

What is of greater concern is that the Commonwealth has effectively withdrawn from the [[Liberty Pact]] - they have informed the Sumaah that they will not be sending any delegates to the Liberty Pact meetings going forward and will withdrawn formally if any attempt is made to alter its provisions in a way that requires them to undertake any action. This has done nothing to reassure the Republic that the Liberty Pact still has value. A Liberty Pact without the Commonwealth will not survive. Oxtitocszin asks, bluntly, if the Empire intends to respond to the Commonwealth withdrawal of support. Will they be making an effort to persuade the Commonwealth to stay in the pact, and if so is there anything the Sumaah can do to support such an initiative?

==Blade of the Isles==
* '''The Sumaah have provided the signs whereby Zemress was recognised a paragon'''
* '''There is some interest in why the Empire considers her an exemplar'''
The Imperial Assembly of the Way has enquired about the status of [[Zemress|Zemress of the Isles]] as a [[paragon]] in Sumaah. The High House of Prosperity has provided a list of the six signs of the paragon recognised in the Republic, and they have are now common knowledge.

Oxtitocszin passes on a request from the Cardinal of Prosperity however. Why ''is'' there such a difference between the Sumaash and Imperial Synods over the status of Zemress? She is clearly a highly inspirational figure in the Empire, especially among sailors, corsairs, benefactors, merchant princes - indeed many across the Bay of Catazar. Even the Grendel recognise her inspiration, albeit in a twisted manner given their heretical and blasphemous nature. Would the Cardinal of the Way, or the Cardinal of Prosperity, be prepared to share the Empire's view on Zemress? For that matter, would the Cardinal of [[Ambition]] be prepared to share the Empire's opinions on [[Adelmar_the_Lion#Amma_the_Wanderer|Amma the Wanderer]]? Any missive sent to Oxtitocszin's office on these two virtuous figures would of course be directed to the appropriate assembly.
{{Sumaah Links}}

388YE Autumn Commonwealth ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T13:10:48Z

Twiggy: /* Missing Information */

[[Category:Commonwealth briefing]][[Category:Commonwealth]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cyrus12292.jpg|caption='''Cyrus, of Ebon's Hall''', Ambassador to the Commonwealth|align=left|width=350}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Cyrus, of Ebon's Hall''', [[Ambassador to the Commonwealth]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[If_we_never_meet_again#Commonwealth|If we never meet again]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

Following the Summer Solstice, long-serving ''Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen'' [[If_we_never_meet_again#Resignation|resigned]] her post and was replaced by ''Militärattache Otto Fuchsbach''.
==Lantir Incursion==
* '''Militärattache Otto Fuchsbach does not mince words'''
While the Ambassador's missive was sent to Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen, the reply has come from the new ambassador, Otto Fuchsbach. He begins by quoting the Ambassador's words from the Spring Equinox - words that were included at the very bottom of the missive as if they were an afterthought. "Jarm will learn the source of Cold Sun in Lantir next season; the wider world will learn thereafter. I have ensured you have this season to take matters into your own hands."

Put bluntly, it seems to Militärattache Fuchsbach that Ambassador Cyrus is trying to walk the matter back. While there is talk in the Summer missive of "giving you a chance to take ownership of the story, by condemning those responsible or attributing it to disavowed rogue elements, as I alluded to" the key information about who these miscreants actually were seems to have been intentionally occluded. The words were clearly a threat. There was no hint of discussion or negotiation. Rather the Ambassador rudely informed the Commonwealth that the Empire had chosen to destroy a reputation for honesty and probity that took three hundred years to build. As an ''afterthought''.

The idea that the Empire is the Commonwealths ally, and that they were "placed in this impossible position by your own citizens" is, in the words of Ambassador Fuchsbach, bullshit. Nobody forced the Empire to investigate, and nobody forced them to go to [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] before they spoke with the Commonwealth. The ascendancy of Jarm in the east is the fault of the Empire and its ambassadors. While Jarm ''might'' have uncovered the truth themselves in time, there is absolutely no guarantee of that. Jarm would ''never'' have enjoyed the kind of access to the Commonwealth secrets that the Empire enjoyed. The Empire could only do that because they enjoy the Commonwealth's trust - a decision that in hindsight was very clearly an enormous mistake. It's much more likely that no one would have ever discovered what had happened, given the devastation of Lantir. Absent the involvement of the Empire, the Principalities would have had nothing to go on - instead the Empire laid it out for them and for the whole world.

The Ambassador also claims that Jarm "knew" they had not been responsible for the attack on Lantir. Again, this is ''simply not true''. The Commonwealth suspected rogue elements within their own ranks might be responsible, but the Jarmish were equally suspicious of their own. None of the Princes trust each other, they all suspected each other of being behind the disaster. The Empire provided certainty in the place of that confusion and doubt, and as near as Militärattache Fuchsbach can tell, for no reason other than to damn the Commonwealth. The [[Archmage of Autumn]] had [[Ambassadors_of_death#Over_Troubled_Waters_(Autumn)|already arranged]] the meeting between the Commonwealth and the Principalities; and then made sure it could never succeed without even waiting to see the outcome.

Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen has had no choice but to step down in disgrace, a long and distinguished career now ruined by this extraordinary failure. She was unable to provide any warning at all of the Empire's impending treachery. Ludkhannah has inevitably blamed herself for that failure - but the view is shared by many of their colleagues. She gave the Commonwealth no reason at all to imagine that the Empire were secretly in league with the Jarmish. Had they known, had she warned them of the Empire's duplicity, they would never have permitted the Empire's magicians to enter their lands. It is a bitter thing for any soldier, but she must face his retirement knowing that she failed the Commonwealth in the hour of its greatest need.

At the end of their missive, Militärattache Fuchsbach admits that these are angry words, but makes it absolutely clear that the Commonwealth considers the Empire to have betrayed their friendship, and their alliance. They have abused the Commonwealth's trust to spy on them and then exposed the secrets they discovered to the world, to ruin the Commonwealth and strengthen Jarm. Their efforts have set back the Common Good by decades. Attempts to disown responsibility for the events now unfolding in the Sea of Steel, fall on deaf ears.

==Missing Information==
* '''The Commonwealth can prove that the mana crystals used by Eva Giersan came from the Empire'''
There is one matter that the Empire appears to have failed to reveal to the Jarmish. Specifically, that ''Eva Giersan'' was provided with the mana they and their [[coven]] ultimately used to unleash Cold Sun by Imperial citizens. Without the large number of crystals provided by Imperial citizens to help in the war effort against the Principalities this would never have happened. This has come to light during the Commonwealth's own investigations into the matter, and Militärattache Fuchsbach contemptuously informs the Ambassador's office that he feels that in good conscience he cannot keep it a secret. As such the Empire has one season before his office shares their records with the Principalities of Jarm. It is possible the Jarmish will not care; but either way a season should be ample time to get ahead of any repercussions of this information being made public.

The civil service are unclear what the outcome is likely to be, but note that the Senate passed a motion in Summer 384YE reassuring the Jarmish that "in the likely upcoming conflict between Jarm and the Commonwealth the Empire will remain militarily neutral unless we are attacked or directly forced into taking action." The announcement, coupled as it was with the [[Tariffs#Embargo|embargo]] of trade with Jarm, was largely dismissed by the House of Princes, but it was still made and the Jarmish may well point out that giving a large amount of crystal mana to their enemies appears to be a direct violation of this statement.

However, the fallout is unlikely to be huge, provided that the Jarmish Ambassador is able to handle the matter carefully. This is obviously a very deliberate effort by Militärattache Fuchsbach to sabotage the Empire's growing relationship with Jarm. But the Jarmish are no fools, they will be able to see that too - and that is likely to affect their response. Provided news of this is broken by the Commonwealth, it will diminish its impact considerably. That said, when that happens, candour is likely to serve the Empire's interests much better than an unconvincing denial.

==Zemelslo==
* '''The Empire has ceased trading with Zemelslo via the port of Radosmo'''
The news that the Empire has [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Embargo_Zemelslo|ended trade]] with the Jarmish satellite nation of [[My_passions_from_a_common_spring#Free_Ports_And_Free_People|Zemelslo]] is met with ambivalence by Ambassador Otto. Given everything else going on, this feels a little like bolting the cowshed after all the cows are already gone. The intelligence that the Ambassador shared has been duly noted, but feels like it was not really worth the price in lost trust paid to gain it. The Empire may have been trading with the Jarmish so they could quietly nosy around, but any goodwill gained as a consequence has been utterly overshadowed by the revelations around Cold Sun.

==Liberty Pact==
* '''The Commonwealth are not leaving the Liberty Pact but will attend no more meetings'''
The Commonwealth has questioned the benefits of the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Liberty_Pact|Liberty Pact]] for some time now and while they will not be formally withdrawing, they will not be attending any further meetings. The Empire, the [[Sumaah Republic]], and the Commonwealth together achieved something monumental. They shattered the trade in misery, a corruption that everyone had simply accepted as a fact of life for centuries. They took a stand, and they were victorious. A better example of the pursuit of the Common Good is hard to find in recent years.

The mistake was believing that a shared hatred of a wicked institution could translate into anything lasting once that institution was broken. As soon as the Liberty Pact became a political tool, it was done. It simply died a little faster than anyone anticipated. If there is ever a need to take a stand against slavery again - if heirs to [[Burning#Rachensgrab|Rachensgrab]] ever rear their ugly heads - the Commonwealth will be there. Until then, the Liberty Pact remains as a reminder of what could have been. Any significant attempts to change it by the Empire or their allies in ways that disadvantage the Commonwealth will force them to formally withdraw.

The civil service note that, by the provisos of the Liberty Pact, a nation that does not attend is considered to vote against any motion raised. A Commonwealth refusal to attend doesn't prevent decisions being made, it simply makes them slightly more difficult. As to what might constitute a "significant attempt to change it", the civil service believe that anything that adds additional responsibilities to signatory members is likely to trigger a Commonwealth exit.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cold Sun Art.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
==Cold Sun==
* '''The Commonwealth has accepted the ceasefire demanded by Jarm'''
Rather than representing a detente, the ceasefire that now exists between the Commonwealth and Jarm has a distinctly forced feeling about it. In particular, it has required a fixing of the current borders, which slightly favour Jarm in places the Commonwealth would rather they didn't. While the Principalities will focus the majority of their efforts on [[Cold Sun]], they will also certainly take the opportunity to fortify the holdings they have taken from the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth is committed to dealing with Cold Sun - they are taking the situation very seriously and while they may not like the ceasefire it leaves them free to act. They have, for the first time in a long time, [[If_we_never_meet_again#Against_The_End_of_All|offered contracts]] of employment to Imperial [[military unit|military captains]]. This clearly represents a shift in policy. In the past the Commonwealth has refrained from offering such [[opportunity|opportunities]] without the specific involvement of the [[Senate]], aware both of their need for soldiers to fight their own wars and their open neutrality to Jarm. Neither consideration seems to be of concern to Militärattache Fuchsbach.

When it comes to fighting Cold Sun, the Commonwealth is focusing on driving Cold Sun out of their own territory and that of the smaller nations still allied to them. The civil service are of the conservative opinion that it will take at least another year for them to deal with the scions in the Commonwealth - who by all accounts continue to pour into Lantir. That would then leave the question of how to deal with the scions in the now-devastated territories between the two great powers, and the gate in Lantir itself. From information provided by Conclave Orders, the prognosticators suggest it might take another year to finally drive Cold Sun out entirely - assuming nothing further went wrong.

The presence of Imperial mercenaries can help the Commonwealth achieve their strategic goals, but only in great numbers. If at least 10,000 effective strength of mercenaries travel to the Commonwealth this season it would reduce the time needed to drive Cold Sun out of their lands by one season and leave them in a better if hostilities resumed with Jarm. Beyond that, it's impossible to make any assessment of the impact of mercenary units apart from to say that whichever nation deals with the threat to their own lands first will be in a much stronger position when it comes to dealing with the independent states threatened by Cold Sun.

==The Lyceum==
* '''The Commonwealth magicians previously trapped at the Lyceum have returned home'''
* '''Only a small number of new magicians have made the trip to the Lyceum'''
* '''The civil service warn that privileged access to the Lyceum could allow the Commonwealth to engage in espionage or sabotage'''
The ''[[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Gates|Gates of Shadow]]'' that allow mortal vessels to reach [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|the Lyceum]] in [[Madruga]] again have finally allowed the Commonwealth magicians trapped there since the walls of mist closed around the island to go home. The majority have done so already, but the civil service note that comparatively few new magicians have come to study at the [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum_Schloss|Lyceum Schloss]].

This may simply be due to the problems that trapped the Commonwealth visitors there - although by all accounts they were welcomed and welcoming to their fellow prisoners on the island during their durance - or it may point to something else. There is little chance that the Commonwealth will turn away from the opportunity to study Imperial lore at the Lyceum, not unless the Conclave specifically chooses to end the relationship. The civil service would be remiss if they did not point out, however, that the privileged level of access they enjoy provides significant opportunities for espionage or sabotage. They are quick to mention that there is absolutely no evidence that the Commonwealth is planning to harm the Lyceum, or to make off with ritual texts from its library. But if they wanted to, they could attempt to cause significant damage.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=GranitePillar_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Highborn.png|align=right|width=200}}
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==Granite Pillar==
* '''There is a chance for Highguard to strengthen ties between Highguard and the Commonwealth'''
* '''A statement of principle from the Highborn Assembly condemning the actions of the Ambassador would ensure the success of that approach'''
* '''Freeing Professor Gelberg from the clutches of the Grendel might also work, but there is no opportunity to do that at present'''
One of Professor Gelberg's final projects was to find ways to strengthen ties between [[Highguard]] and the Commonwealth. While the Professor remains [[If_we_never_meet_again#A_Tragic_Loss|a prisoner]] of the [[Grendel]], those efforts may yet bear fruit. The disciplined, virtuous nature of the Highborn armies seems to have struck a chord with some of the Commonwealth generals. The work done to build understanding, and the decision to use ''[[Patron_of_the_Beurteilung|die Bertilung]]'' to do so, both spoke well of the nation in the eyes of Commonwealth soldiers.

The Highborn Assembly is in a position to maintain that feeling of connection if they wish. A strongly worded statement of principle that achieves a greater majority may well lead to a mandate, encouraging Highborn citizens to reach out to the Commonwealth military. Unfortunately, the way to ensure that statement is successful would be to denounce the Ambassador themselves, especially in virtuous terms. Any improvement of Highborn relations with the Commonwealth is likely to come at the expense of Ambassador Cyrus' own position. Obviously, it is up to the Ambassador whether they wish to share this with the Highborn Assembly.

A less damaging alternative would be if Highguard found a way to secure the release of Professor Gelberg. That won't be easy however - paying the Grendel off would be the easiest way, but the Grendel know how much he is worth now, so it won't be cheap. Nor will it be easy to rescue him - he'll be well guarded now.
{{Commonwealth Links}}

388YE Autumn Commonwealth ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T12:07:36Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Commonwealth briefing]][[Category:Commonwealth]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cyrus12292.jpg|caption='''Cyrus, of Ebon's Hall''', Ambassador to the Commonwealth|align=left|width=350}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Cyrus, of Ebon's Hall''', [[Ambassador to the Commonwealth]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[If_we_never_meet_again#Commonwealth|If we never meet again]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

Following the Summer Solstice, long-serving ''Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen'' [[If_we_never_meet_again#Resignation|resigned]] her post and was replaced by ''Militärattache Otto Fuchsbach''.
==Lantir Incursion==
* '''Militärattache Otto Fuchsbach does not mince words'''
While the Ambassador's missive was sent to Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen, the reply has come from the new ambassador, Otto Fuchsbach. He begins by quoting the Ambassador's words from the Spring Equinox - words that were included at the very bottom of the missive as if they were an afterthought. "Jarm will learn the source of Cold Sun in Lantir next season; the wider world will learn thereafter. I have ensured you have this season to take matters into your own hands."

Put bluntly, it seems to Militärattache Fuchsbach that Ambassador Cyrus is trying to walk the matter back. While there is talk in the Summer missive of "giving you a chance to take ownership of the story, by condemning those responsible or attributing it to disavowed rogue elements, as I alluded to" the key information about who these miscreants actually were seems to have been intentionally occluded. The words were clearly a threat. There was no hint of discussion or negotiation. Rather the Ambassador rudely informed the Commonwealth that the Empire had chosen to destroy a reputation for honesty and probity that took three hundred years to build. As an ''afterthought''.

The idea that the Empire is the Commonwealths ally, and that they were "placed in this impossible position by your own citizens" is, in the words of Ambassador Fuchsbach, bullshit. Nobody forced the Empire to investigate, and nobody forced them to go to [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] before they spoke with the Commonwealth. The ascendancy of Jarm in the east is the fault of the Empire and its ambassadors. While Jarm ''might'' have uncovered the truth themselves in time, there is absolutely no guarantee of that. Jarm would ''never'' have enjoyed the kind of access to the Commonwealth secrets that the Empire enjoyed. The Empire could only do that because they enjoy the Commonwealth's trust - a decision that in hindsight was very clearly an enormous mistake. It's much more likely that no one would have ever discovered what had happened, given the devastation of Lantir. Absent the involvement of the Empire, the Principalities would have had nothing to go on - instead the Empire laid it out for them and for the whole world.

The Ambassador also claims that Jarm "knew" they had not been responsible for the attack on Lantir. Again, this is ''simply not true''. The Commonwealth suspected rogue elements within their own ranks might be responsible, but the Jarmish were equally suspicious of their own. None of the Princes trust each other, they all suspected each other of being behind the disaster. The Empire provided certainty in the place of that confusion and doubt, and as near as Militärattache Fuchsbach can tell, for no reason other than to damn the Commonwealth. The [[Archmage of Autumn]] had [[Ambassadors_of_death#Over_Troubled_Waters_(Autumn)|already arranged]] the meeting between the Commonwealth and the Principalities; and then made sure it could never succeed without even waiting to see the outcome.

Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen has had no choice but to step down in disgrace, a long and distinguished career now ruined by this extraordinary failure. She was unable to provide any warning at all of the Empire's impending treachery. Ludkhannah has inevitably blamed herself for that failure - but the view is shared by many of their colleagues. She gave the Commonwealth no reason at all to imagine that the Empire were secretly in league with the Jarmish. Had they known, had she warned them of the Empire's duplicity, they would never have permitted the Empire's magicians to enter their lands. It is a bitter thing for any soldier, but she must face his retirement knowing that she failed the Commonwealth in the hour of its greatest need.

At the end of their missive, Militärattache Fuchsbach admits that these are angry words, but makes it absolutely clear that the Commonwealth considers the Empire to have betrayed their friendship, and their alliance. They have abused the Commonwealth's trust to spy on them and then exposed the secrets they discovered to the world, to ruin the Commonwealth and strengthen Jarm. Their efforts have set back the Common Good by decades. Attempts to disown responsibility for the events now unfolding in the Sea of Steel, fall on deaf ears.

==Missing Information==
* '''The Commonwealth can prove that the mana crystals used by Eva Giersan came from the Empire'''
There is one matter that the Empire appears to have failed to reveal to the Jarmish. Specifically, that ''Eva Giersan'' was provided with the mana they and their [[covens|coven]] ultimately used to unleash Cold Sun by Imperial citizens. Without the large number of crystals provided by Imperial citizens to help in the war effort against the Principalities this would never have happened. This has come to light during the Commonwealth's own investigations into the matter, and Militärattache Fuchsbach contemptuously informs the Ambassador's office that he feels that in good conscience he cannot keep it a secret. As such the Empire has one season before his office shares their records with the Principalities of Jarm. It is possible the Jarmish will not care; but either way a season should be ample time to get ahead of any repercussions of this information being made public.

The civil service are unclear what the outcome is likely to be, but note that the Senate passed a motion in Summer 384YE reassuring the Jarmish that "in the likely upcoming conflict between Jarm and the Commonwealth the Empire will remain militarily neutral unless we are attacked or directly forced into taking action." The announcement, coupled as it was with the [[Tariffs#Embargo|embargo]] of trade with Jarm, was largely dismissed by the House of Princes, but it was still made and the Jarmish may well point out that giving a large amount of crystal mana to their enemies appears to be a direct violation of this statement.

However, the fallout is unlikely to be huge, provided that the Jarmish Ambassador is able to handle the matter carefully. This is obviously a very deliberate effort by Militärattache Fuchsbach to sabotage the Empire's growing relationship with Jarm. But the Jarmish are no fools, they will be able to see that too - and that is likely to affect their response. Provided news of this is broken by the Commonwealth, it will diminish its impact considerably. That said, when that happens, candour is likely to serve the Empire's interests much better than an unconvincing denial.

==Zemelslo==
* '''The Empire has ceased trading with Zemelslo via the port of Radosmo'''
The news that the Empire has [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Embargo_Zemelslo|ended trade]] with the Jarmish satellite nation of [[My_passions_from_a_common_spring#Free_Ports_And_Free_People|Zemelslo]] is met with ambivalence by Ambassador Otto. Given everything else going on, this feels a little like bolting the cowshed after all the cows are already gone. The intelligence that the Ambassador shared has been duly noted, but feels like it was not really worth the price in lost trust paid to gain it. The Empire may have been trading with the Jarmish so they could quietly nosy around, but any goodwill gained as a consequence has been utterly overshadowed by the revelations around Cold Sun.

==Liberty Pact==
* '''The Commonwealth are not leaving the Liberty Pact but will attend no more meetings'''
The Commonwealth has questioned the benefits of the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Liberty_Pact|Liberty Pact]] for some time now and while they will not be formally withdrawing, they will not be attending any further meetings. The Empire, the [[Sumaah Republic]], and the Commonwealth together achieved something monumental. They shattered the trade in misery, a corruption that everyone had simply accepted as a fact of life for centuries. They took a stand, and they were victorious. A better example of the pursuit of the Common Good is hard to find in recent years.

The mistake was believing that a shared hatred of a wicked institution could translate into anything lasting once that institution was broken. As soon as the Liberty Pact became a political tool, it was done. It simply died a little faster than anyone anticipated. If there is ever a need to take a stand against slavery again - if heirs to [[Burning#Rachensgrab|Rachensgrab]] ever rear their ugly heads - the Commonwealth will be there. Until then, the Liberty Pact remains as a reminder of what could have been. Any significant attempts to change it by the Empire or their allies in ways that disadvantage the Commonwealth will force them to formally withdraw.

The civil service note that, by the provisos of the Liberty Pact, a nation that does not attend is considered to vote against any motion raised. A Commonwealth refusal to attend doesn't prevent decisions being made, it simply makes them slightly more difficult. As to what might constitute a "significant attempt to change it", the civil service believe that anything that adds additional responsibilities to signatory members is likely to trigger a Commonwealth exit.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cold Sun Art.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
==Cold Sun==
* '''The Commonwealth has accepted the ceasefire demanded by Jarm'''
Rather than representing a detente, the ceasefire that now exists between the Commonwealth and Jarm has a distinctly forced feeling about it. In particular, it has required a fixing of the current borders, which slightly favour Jarm in places the Commonwealth would rather they didn't. While the Principalities will focus the majority of their efforts on [[Cold Sun]], they will also certainly take the opportunity to fortify the holdings they have taken from the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth is committed to dealing with Cold Sun - they are taking the situation very seriously and while they may not like the ceasefire it leaves them free to act. They have, for the first time in a long time, [[If_we_never_meet_again#Against_The_End_of_All|offered contracts]] of employment to Imperial [[military unit|military captains]]. This clearly represents a shift in policy. In the past the Commonwealth has refrained from offering such [[opportunity|opportunities]] without the specific involvement of the [[Senate]], aware both of their need for soldiers to fight their own wars and their open neutrality to Jarm. Neither consideration seems to be of concern to Militärattache Fuchsbach.

When it comes to fighting Cold Sun, the Commonwealth is focusing on driving Cold Sun out of their own territory and that of the smaller nations still allied to them. The civil service are of the conservative opinion that it will take at least another year for them to deal with the scions in the Commonwealth - who by all accounts continue to pour into Lantir. That would then leave the question of how to deal with the scions in the now-devastated territories between the two great powers, and the gate in Lantir itself. From information provided by Conclave Orders, the prognosticators suggest it might take another year to finally drive Cold Sun out entirely - assuming nothing further went wrong.

The presence of Imperial mercenaries can help the Commonwealth achieve their strategic goals, but only in great numbers. If at least 10,000 effective strength of mercenaries travel to the Commonwealth this season it would reduce the time needed to drive Cold Sun out of their lands by one season and leave them in a better if hostilities resumed with Jarm. Beyond that, it's impossible to make any assessment of the impact of mercenary units apart from to say that whichever nation deals with the threat to their own lands first will be in a much stronger position when it comes to dealing with the independent states threatened by Cold Sun.

==The Lyceum==
* '''The Commonwealth magicians previously trapped at the Lyceum have returned home'''
* '''Only a small number of new magicians have made the trip to the Lyceum'''
* '''The civil service warn that privileged access to the Lyceum could allow the Commonwealth to engage in espionage or sabotage'''
The ''[[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Gates|Gates of Shadow]]'' that allow mortal vessels to reach [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|the Lyceum]] in [[Madruga]] again have finally allowed the Commonwealth magicians trapped there since the walls of mist closed around the island to go home. The majority have done so already, but the civil service note that comparatively few new magicians have come to study at the [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum_Schloss|Lyceum Schloss]].

This may simply be due to the problems that trapped the Commonwealth visitors there - although by all accounts they were welcomed and welcoming to their fellow prisoners on the island during their durance - or it may point to something else. There is little chance that the Commonwealth will turn away from the opportunity to study Imperial lore at the Lyceum, not unless the Conclave specifically chooses to end the relationship. The civil service would be remiss if they did not point out, however, that the privileged level of access they enjoy provides significant opportunities for espionage or sabotage. They are quick to mention that there is absolutely no evidence that the Commonwealth is planning to harm the Lyceum, or to make off with ritual texts from its library. But if they wanted to, they could attempt to cause significant damage.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=GranitePillar_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Highborn.png|align=right|width=200}}
</div>
==Granite Pillar==
* '''There is a chance for Highguard to strengthen ties between Highguard and the Commonwealth'''
* '''A statement of principle from the Highborn Assembly condemning the actions of the Ambassador would ensure the success of that approach'''
* '''Freeing Professor Gelberg from the clutches of the Grendel might also work, but there is no opportunity to do that at present'''
One of Professor Gelberg's final projects was to find ways to strengthen ties between [[Highguard]] and the Commonwealth. While the Professor remains [[If_we_never_meet_again#A_Tragic_Loss|a prisoner]] of the [[Grendel]], those efforts may yet bear fruit. The disciplined, virtuous nature of the Highborn armies seems to have struck a chord with some of the Commonwealth generals. The work done to build understanding, and the decision to use ''[[Patron_of_the_Beurteilung|die Bertilung]]'' to do so, both spoke well of the nation in the eyes of Commonwealth soldiers.

The Highborn Assembly is in a position to maintain that feeling of connection if they wish. A strongly worded statement of principle that achieves a greater majority may well lead to a mandate, encouraging Highborn citizens to reach out to the Commonwealth military. Unfortunately, the way to ensure that statement is successful would be to denounce the Ambassador themselves, especially in virtuous terms. Any improvement of Highborn relations with the Commonwealth is likely to come at the expense of Ambassador Cyrus' own position. Obviously, it is up to the Ambassador whether they wish to share this with the Highborn Assembly.

A less damaging alternative would be if Highguard found a way to secure the release of Professor Gelberg. That won't be easy however - paying the Grendel off would be the easiest way, but the Grendel know how much he is worth now, so it won't be cheap. Nor will it be easy to rescue him - he'll be well guarded now.
{{Commonwealth Links}}

388YE Autumn Jarmish ambassador briefing

2026-10-05T12:07:08Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Jarm briefing]][[Category:Jarm]][[Category:Foreign Nation]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll.jpg|caption='''Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll''', Ambassador to Jarm|align=left|width=300}}
==Overview==
This briefing was prepared for '''Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll''', [[Ambassador to Jarm]], and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the '''[[If_we_never_meet_again#Principalities_of_Jarm|If we never meet again]]''' wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

==Cold Sun==
* '''The facts around the Lantir incursion have been spread far and wide by the Principalities of Jarm'''
* '''The Commonwealth has been forced to accede to Jarmish demands for a ceasefire so they can focus their efforts on Cold Sun'''
* '''A Senate denunciation of the Commonwealth would be very well received indeed by the House of Princes'''
Lord-Magister Trescher is as complimentary as he has ever been in his response to the Ambassador's evidence regarding the [[Commonwealth]] agents behind the destruction of Lantir. He commends the Ambassador and the Empire as a whole, and barely bothers to ask exactly how Imperial citizens came by this information. The Jarmish have a very ''realistic'' attitude to espionage, and likely assume the Empire found the information out via magical means.

The revelation that the Commonwealth was behind the incursion has put the Jarmish in a position to demand a ceasefire, and left the Commonwealth with no option but to agree. Many Jarmish princes were quietly convinced that the incursion of [[Cold Sun]] simply ''had'' to be an act by one of their own, so the opportunity to pin the deed on the Commonwealth has been a huge win for them. The fact that it comes from a third-party - and one largely seen as favouring the Commonwealth to date, has added weight to the revelation and made it impossible for the Commonwealth to deny. The Jarmish would ''never'' have got evidence of the Commonwealth's failure if the Empire had not chosen to release the information to the world. The decision of the Imperial diplomatic team to publish their findings has significantly improved the Empire's standing with Jarm.

Trescher also commends the Imperial magicians of the [[Celestial Arch]], whose involvement in the negotiations (albeit behind the scenes) helped ensure an outcome that has been to the benefit of the House of Princes and put the nation in a strong position to deal with the threat of the ''scions'' - and to deal with the Commonwealth once the disaster is brought under control.

On which matter... it is clear that the Commonwealth has gone beyond the pale. To use something like Cold Sun - an uncontrollable force of absolute destruction - must be as unacceptable to the Empire as it is to the Principalities. Some doors, says Anton meditatively, should not be opened. If the [[Senate|Imperial Senate]] were to voice their own outrage at this event and strongly condemn the Commonwealth's role in the destruction of Lantir, it would build on the enormous success of the Empire's diplomatic efforts and cement the gains they have made in recent times. There's no need to depart from the facts the Ambassador has established - Commonwealth laxness and lack of vigilance allowed rogue elements to unleash catastrophic magic, the Senate is not angry just disappointed, and so forth.

At the absolute minimum, Trescher believes that a clear denunciation in the Senate delivered while the iron is hot (during the Autumn Equinox) would at the very least see the Magician-Princes prepared to open the ports of Vezak and Kavor to Imperial fleet captains again. Provided the Senate removed its own embargo on Jarmish trade, of course.

The civil service note that this offer appears quite legitimate. Jarm has gained considerable political capital from the Empire's revelations. If they had uncovered the plot themselves and exposed it, there would have been plenty prepared to assume they were lying by trying to implicate their known enemies. That this news came from the Empire - who are seen as the Commonwealth's allies - means that nobody anywhere is questioning its veracity. A denunciation would further cement the Jarmish position of course, albeit at the cost of burning more bridges with the Commonwealth.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cold Sun Art.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
==Imperial Mercenaries==
* '''The House of Princes invites Imperial mercenaries to help fight against Cold Sun in Jarm'''
The Jarmish have not invited [[military unit|Imperial mercenaries]] to fight with them in a generation or more - well aware of the political divisions between the Empire and the Principalities. They have never been facing an enemy as cut-and-dried as Cold Sun however. There are no complex ethical issues around fighting the ''[[Cold_Sun#Heralds|scions]]'' - warriors who literally want to destroy everything and everyone in existence. Still, the civil service cautiously speculate that the mere fact they are [[If_we_never_meet_again#Aid_Against_Oblivion|inviting Imperial soldiers]] to fight in Jarm at all indicates a shift in their attitudes to the Empire.

In the immediate future, Jarm will focus on driving Cold Sun out of their own territory and that of the smaller nations still allied to them and making sure they do not claim any more. The civil service are of the conservative opinion that it will take at least another year for them to deal with the scions in the Commonwealth - who by all accounts continue to pour into Lantir. That would then leave the question of how to deal with the scions in the now-devastated territories between the two great powers, and the gate in Lantir itself. From information provided by [[Conclave order|Conclave Orders]], the prognosticators suggest it might take another year after that to finally drive Cold Sun out entirely - assuming nothing further went wrong.

If at least 10,000 effective strength of mercenaries travel to the Jarm this season it would reduce the time needed to drive Cold Sun out of their lands by one season and leave them in a better position if hostilities resumed with the Commonwealth. Beyond that, it's impossible to make any assessment of the impact of mercenary units apart from to say that whichever nation deals with the threat to their own lands first will be in a much stronger position when it comes to dealing with the independent states threatened by Cold Sun.

==Trade Matters==
* '''Imperial captains can no longer trade with the port of Radosmo in Zemelslo'''
The decision to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Embargo_Zemelslo|end trade]] with [[My_passions_from_a_common_spring#Free_Ports_And_Free_People|Zemelslo]] does not seem to have caused much of a stir in the House of Princes who have bigger fish to fry. "A failed opportunity" is as much as Lord-Magister Trescher is prepared to say. The politically ambitious Prince Mila is the only one who appears to have taken much notice of this development.

According to several letters sent to the embassy, Prince Mila's next endeavour is to use the [[Ephisis|City of Gold and Lead]] as [[The_bargain_store#The_Mila_Offers|go-betweens]], as part of an effort to show the Empire that they want Jarmish goods (whether the Senate likes it or not). For some reason the prince calls out the "wisdom of '''Ibiss Briarheart''' and the Urizeni" as proof that there is interest in Jarmish trade.

As far as the civil service can tell, Mila is arranging deals to be acquired through [[Ephisis' Scale]] and is working with [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of the city to establish what goods it is that appeal to Imperial magicians. At the risk of teaching them to suck eggs, if the Ambassador wishes to encourage Mila, having plenty of Imperial magicians trade for Jarmish goods via the ritual will do that. If they wish to discourage them, then encouraging magicians ''not'' to seek Jarmish products is the way to go.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderCelestialArch.jpg|title=Order of the Celestial Arch|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==A Celestial Arch==
* '''The Celestial Arch remain engaged in the Principalities of Jarm'''
* '''The Grandmaster has the opportunity to seek out allies among the Magician-Princes'''
As previously mentioned, Lord-Magister Trescher compliments the [[Celestial Arch]] and their realistic attitude to politics. He appears to have spoken personally with some of the representatives of the order and approves of their attitude. It's clear that he is aware the Order is working to build connections with Jarmish magicians but unaccountably seems to lack any of his usual opposition to Imperial influence in the Principalities. Indeed, it appears he may be tacitly encouraging it. As long as the Celestial Arch are careful and do not overplay their hand, they are likely to remain welcome in Jarm at least until Cold Sun is dealt with - and as long as the grandmaster chooses to leave them there.

The civil service note that the Celestial Arch is likely being accepted because they mostly present themselves as peers to the magician-princes and have so far avoided matters related to the usual bugbears the Jarmish have with the Empire - slavery and religion. The Principalities are a deeply political nation, with magicians manoeuvring against one another for prestige and power all the time. The Celestial Arch is seen by many as fitting into the "Maze of Princes" or the "Great Game" in a way that righteous missionaries and angry abolitionists have never managed. If the Ambassador wishes to support this approach, encouraging the Celestial Arch to be cautious around the two key issues is likely to be the way to go.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|title=Order of the Sevenfold Path|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==Sevenfold Virtue==
* '''The Sevenfold Path continues to make the acquaintance of the Convocation of Virtue'''
The [[Sevenfold Path]] continue to meet with the [[Full_circles#Regarding_the_Convocation|Convocation of Virtue]] and bolster ties. For the most part the Magician-Princes seem broadly disinterested. As long as the magicians of the 'Path continue to fight Cold Sun the Jarmish reticence to poke into religious matters is very much playing in their favour. Even the establishment of a [[Full_circles#Path_of_the_Spirits|pilgrim house]] in [[Spiral#Apulian|Apulian]] has not caused comment from the House of Princes.

As with the Celestial Arch, however, the civil service caution that this could be brought to a sudden halt if the Sevenfold Path present themselves as a danger to Jarm or its traditions. Discussing the Way and virtue with their counterparts in Jarm is unlikely to attract attention; attempting to encourage those magicians to become politically active or start pushing virtue on their neighbours will lead to an immediate clamp-down both on the order (who can at least retreat back to the Empire) and the Convocation (who cannot).

'''Note:''' As [[If_we_never_meet_again#Potential for Problems|already noted]], Lord-Magister Anton Trescher has suddenly started asking questions about the Sevenfold Path presence in the Principalities. There is speculation that someone has drawn attention to the ongoing efforts by the order to befriend the Jarmish followers of [[the Way]].

{{Jarm Links}}

Trade goods

2026-10-01T12:15:27Z

Twiggy: /* Soldier's Booze */

==Overview==
There are a number of exotic merchandise available to [[fleet|ship captains]] that [[Fleet#Trading|trade]] with [[Foreign ports]] during [[Downtime]], or engage in [[voyage|voyages]] of discovery. Likewise, a [[military unit|military captain]] might come into possession of unfamiliar goods due to actions such as [[Military_unit#Raiding|raiding]]. Most of these goods are not entirely familiar to Imperial citizens - they are found only on foreign shores - and acquiring them can be a challenge. As such this list is neither exhaustive nor entirely detailed; it intentionally does not contain the full information about the trade goods described.
==Axos==
* '''Imperial fleet captains can trade directly with the Towers of Kantor and Chambers of Issyk
The small nation of [[Axos]] is very close to the Empire, and Imperial traders regularly make the journey to the [[Foreign_ports#Towers_of_Kantor|Towers of Kantor]] and newly opened [[Foreign_ports#Chambers of Issyk|Chambers of Issyk]]. They specialise in odd consumables, and items related to the practice of the ''necromantia''.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|caption=The ''Axou helios'' is an ancient symbol of the Axou people, adopted by the recent ''Nikitis Axou'' populist movement.|align=left|width=200}}</div>
===Axou Luxuries===
* '''Represents money
These are items that represent money to a ship captain. They include cunningly woven shrouds, death masks of bone and wood, subtly unsettling icons and statuettes, tomes of blasphemous and heretical philosophy, dark coloured wine, and occasionally disturbingly carved wands, staffs, or wands of dark hardwood harvested in the [[vallorn]] woods of ''Visokuma''. Characters are encouraged to create peculiar examples of Axou art as souvenirs for use on the field.
===Blackened Key===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] liquid
Apparently popular with students of the ''necromantia'', this dark liquid allows any [[Magical skills#Magician|magician]] to [[Voice for the dead|speak with the dead]] for a short time as if they knew that particular spell, without depleting their reserves of mana. It also provides the imbiber with a sense of mortality that some find dreadful, while others reportedly find helps to sharpen their awareness of their place in Creation. There are reports that those who use this substance regularly find it easier to perceive ghosts and similar departed spirits.

===Bonedust===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] dust
A mildly poisonous material that is apparently literally made from ground human bones, along with several other substances native to Axos. It is reportedly used by Axou priests without access to [[liao]] when they perform [[Religious skills|spiritual ceremonies]]. There is some evidence that it is poisonous, and may make anyone not familiar with its use very ill. It is also known to provide peculiar, dreamy visions of death and the dead. Indeed in 384YE the [[Imperial Censor]] [[384YE_Winter_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Potion_of_Bone_Dust|discussed]] [[interdiction|interdicting]] the material (although the [[Conclave]] ultimately chose not to do so). There is known to be a more powerful version of bone dust that has properties similar to [[liao#True Liao|True Liao]] but use of this very rare substance is invariably fatal. It is not often used in Axos, especially given their [[Axos religion|attitudes to death]], and generally not available for purchase.
===Lamia===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] salve
A magical salve favoured by Axou [[Magical_skills#Battle_Mage|battle-magicians]] and practitioners of [[Winter magic]]. It reportedly acts a little like [[vis]], but with a narrower application. It provides power to rituals of [[Winter magic]] that involve [[Winter magic#Survival|personal survival]], although it is also known to have some odd effects on those who use it. There are disturbing anecdotal accounts of those who make extensive use of lamia becoming unnaturally inured to murder and violence.
===Masks of the Citadels===
* '''[[Game_items#Magical_Items|Ribboned Item]]
The newly established Grand Council of Axos has determined to make some of the rarer goods produced in Axos available to visiting Imperial captains. The Masks of the Citadel are apparently [[:Category:Foci|magical foci]] that empower certain ritual magics favoured by the descendants of the sorcerer-kings. Such masks differ from those popular in places like [[Sarvos]] in that they are usually full-face masks, often made of porcelain or fired clay, and decoration is usually sparse and symbolic. Each of the six citadels apparently has a trademark mask that is used extensively by magicians that claim a connection to one of the founders of the nation.
===Sable===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] liquid
This black ink-like liquid provides the user with freedom from any feelings of guilt and shame they might experience. It is apparently quite popular in some parts of Axos with politicians, generals, and those haunted by dark deeds they performed. The drug is very similar to that known as [[Trade goods#Stoneheart Syrup|Stoneheart Syrup]] in the [[Sarcophan Delves]], although its not clear if one nation is simply buying it from the other and selling it on or it is an example of convergent development. It is also sometimes known as ''Kraken's Ink'', although that name has fallen out of favour now that there is ''actual'' kraken's ink being brought into the Empire by hunters on the [[Sea of Snow]].
===Serenity===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] powder
A prestigious drug that causes sensations of absolute calm and tranquillity when consumed. It is apparently much favoured as a recreational substance by wealthy Axou who appreciate the ability to put aside the worries of their day and relax despite all the challenges of existing in such a dog-eat-dog society as the citadels of Axos.
===Tomb Dust===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] dust
As a nation dominated by [[magical skills#magician|magicians]], Axos produces a large amount of crystal mana. Sometimes there is sufficient surplus that it is available to purchase, but increasingly Axou merchants are dealing in ''tomb dust''. This is a consumable that takes the form of dust or sometimes resin that is either snorted or burned in a flame and the smoke inhaled. It allows the user to tap into their personal reserves of strength to power their magic in a manner familiar to [[apothecary|apothecaries]] who make a study of ritual [[potion|potions]]. There are several varieties of tomb dust depending where it is gathered and how it is prepared, affecting what kinds of rituals with which it can be used, but they all apparently bear a touch of ''necromantia'' about them. Indeed some Axou magicians speak not of using their personal mana, but of offering it to the ghosts of the dead who consume it and then provide their own supernatural assistance to the ritual being performed - an unlikely story but one that is hard to prove one way or another.

===Tombstone===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] powder
Also known as ''Tarfos'', this is a powder that when consumed insulates one from the emotion of fear. It is very popular with Axou soldiers, pit fighters, criminals, and a small number of very dangerous ritual magicians. Repeated use of Tarfos apparently increases the threat of death - not because it is particularly venomous but because an absence of fear can lead to users failing to run away from obviously fatal situations.
===Unwound Coil===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] paste
Most of this medicinal compound is produced in the [[Axos#Tunnels of Kaban|Tunnels of Kaban]] from a variety of local fungus mixed with ground bonemeal. The oily substance has a distinct burnt smell, and is often used by Axou [[Surgical skills#Physick|physicks]] as an analgesic. Like [[#Bonedust|Bonedust]] the Unwound Coil has recently been [[384YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Unwound_Coil|discussed in Conclave]], although the outcome was inconclusive. Used correctly, the paste causes fear and anxiety to melt away, leaving the user with a sense of profound calm; there is some evidence however that this state also interferes with the ability of a user to employ [[Religious skills|spiritual ceremonies]].

==Commonwealth==
* '''Imperial fleet captains can trade directly with the ports of Volkavaar and Leerdam
* '''Following the Spring Equinox 388YE, the port of Murolosch also became available to Imperial captains
The great power of the [[Commonwealth]] lies across the [[The_seven_seas#Sea_of_Steel|Sea of Steel]] to the west of the Empire. It shares a continent with the [[Principalities of Jarm]] who are its constant rivals. Commonwealth ports offer wholesome consumables, and various goods that offer assistance to soldiers and warriors.
===Bloodclay===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] salve
Known to Commonwealth healers and military folk as ''Blutlehm'' this is a deep red clay-like substance found alongside [[weltsilver]] veins across the Commonwealth. It has been harvested for centuries as a useful medicinal tool in its own right, but quickly loses potence when exposed to air and sunlight. Fifty years ago a wife-and-husband team, Maria and Petrus Heiling, found a way to use [[ambergelt]] to preserve its useful life-giving properties. "''Bloodclay''" was the result, a thick earthy salve that even the most inept use can apply to prevent death. This consumable closes bleeding wounds and will bring anyone who is still alive back from the brink of death. It has proved very popular indeed with Commonwealth soldiers.
===Draught of Clear Headedness===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] liquid
Known in the Gesamemanspreche as ''Getränk der Klarheit'', which translates very roughly as "''Draught of Clear Headedness''", this is a [[Potion#Tonics|tonic]] made with carefully refined [[bladeroot]] and [[marrowort]], infused with water drawn from deep limestone wells, and the pressed juice of a rare mountain flower. The recipe for Klarheit is a carefully guarded secret among alpine communities around Volkavaar dedicated to the Commonwealth state religion, but it puts some Imperial [[apothecary]] in mind of the [[Tisanes of the Labyrinth]]. It specifically enhances the ability of someone familiar with [[religious skills|liao ceremonies]] to banish unwanted [[aura|auras]], drive away malign spirits, end hauntings, and even (it is whispered) sever spiritually awakened folk from the ability to create auras. It also has a more mundane use - it helps clear the mind and allow one to focus despite distractions or confusion.
===Hero Stone===
* '''[[Magic_items#Non-bonded_Items|Activated Item]]
The western provinces of the Commonwealth are rich in [[white granite]] and [[weltsilver]], but also some minerals unknown in the Empire. ''Heldenstein'' - "''hero stone''" - is a smooth golden stone that possesses magical properties. Shaped and polished, the best examples have the ability to empower certain kinds of ritual magic. It is in demand among Commonwealth magicians, but there is enough of a surplus to make it available to foreign traders. It functions a little like the ''[[vis]]'' all magicians are familiar with but rather than helping to perform rituals of a certain realm it provides magical energy to any [[Summer magic]] ritual that [[enchantment|enchants]] an individual with greater [[Summer magic#Prowess|prowess]] or strength.
===Law Stone===
* '''[[Magic_items#Non-bonded_Items|Activated Item]]
Among the other minerals unknown in the Empire is ''Gesetzstein'' or "Law Stone" in Imperial. It is a rough greenish stone shot through with bands of copper or iron, and it possesses similar magical properties to ''[[#Hero Stone|Heldenstein]]''. In its raw form, the mineral is quite volatile, degrading into an unpleasantly alkaline substance when exposed to water. Commonwealth stonesmiths know how to shape and treat the stone to unlock its magical properties. It is a little rarer than Hero Stone, because there is less demand for it, meaning there is a surplus available to Imperial traders visiting used to create Murolosch. It functions like vis, but only for purposes of creating personal enchantments with [[Autumn magic]]. While there are a number of such spells that empower soldiers, it is primarily used by ''Kriegszauberer'' - battlefield magicians - to bolster their already formidable spellcasting abilities.

===Little Iron Fist===
* '''[[Game_items#Magical_Items|Ribboned Item]]
The "''Little Iron Fist''" or ''Eisenfaust'' a talisman constructed in the form of a ring of iron or, in some cases, an entire iron gauntlet crusted with [[tempest jade]]. It is of particular use to a [[Magical skills#Battle Mage|battle mage]]. As long as the [[Magic_items#Bonded_Items|attuned wearer]] already knows how to cast the [[repel]] spell they can do so an additional time each day without depleting their reserves of personal mana. There are apparently two other, increasingly potent, versions of this talisman made by Commonwealth artisans, but they are not available for sale on the open market.

===Soldier's Booze===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] liquid
This mildly alcoholic tonic is very popular with Commonwealth soldiers who can afford it, and many carry a draught of ''Soldatentrunk'' in a metal flask inscribed with images of their home town or city. It is by all accounts created to a very old recipe, its local name a somewhat quaint term that roughly translates as "''Soldier's Booze''". The herbs used to brew it are steeped in alcoholic spirits, and it is apparently possible to determine where in the Commonwealth a sample of this tonic comes from by taste alone. Drunk and savoured, this liquid acts as a powerful healing potion that also alleviates the effects of [[venom]]. While the Commonwealth have never really encountered the [[Druj]], some soldiers who have visited the Empire joke that they could drive the [[orc|orcs]] of [[the Mallum]] away by breathing on them after drinking enough Soldatentrunk.

===War Amulets===
* '''[[Game_items#Magical_Items|Ribboned Item]]
''Kriegsamulett'' are metal medallions, usually fashioned of some alloy of [[orichalcum]], with [[dragonbone]] insets and generally depicting something that is a source of pride to the people of an area - a banner design, a motto, a local hero, an animal with a particular affinity for a place. They are another item popular among soldiers; a [[Magic_items#Talismans|talisman]] that allows them to draw on reserves of strength on the battlefield. According to Imperial [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] who have had the opportunity to examine them, they are [[magic items]] that allow someone who already knows how to deliver a [[Heroic_skills#Cleaving_Strike|cleaving strike]], [[Heroic_skills#Mighty Strikedown|mighty strikedown]], or [[Heroic_skills#Mortal_Blow|mortal blow]] to do so more often.
===Soul Honey===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] salve
Known as ''Seelenhonig'', this is a pale preparation with a sticky base made from a certain kind of honey cultivated in the eastern Commonwealth. The salve it produces looks a little like white butter, but it has a distinctive smell described as "summery". Smeared on the cheeks under the eyes, across the brow, and on the backs of the wrists, "''Soul Honey''" helps strengthen the will of the one who uses it. In some ways it is similar to the effect of auras created by [[anointing]] (anathema to a nation that is deeply suspicious of auras in general), but rather than filling one with a virtuous impulse it is described as giving a profound sense of ''who one is''.
===Spice Paste===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] spices
The Commonwealth is proud of its cuisine and proud of ''Würzpaste''. Imperial traders call it "''Spice Paste''" but the merchants of Volkavaar say that the name fails to capture the specific resonance of wholesome magic it has for their people. It is a combination of herbs, salt, carefully shaved [[marrowort]] root, and (if local legend is to believed) a dash of honey from the ''Wald der Widersprüche'' (the "Forest of Contradictions", a Commonwealth term for the [[Realm#Spring|Primal Forest]]). This preparation is usually sold in small pouches. Mixed with a warm meal - usually a bowl of stew or soup - it unlocks wholesome magical properties. An individual who eats a bowl of food sprinkled with a whole pouch of Würzpaste finds their zest for life greatly increased, providing them with both greater [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] and [[Combat skills#Fortitude|fortitude]] for a time.
===Wizards' Beer===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] liquid
This frothy light beer is not actually brewed in the Commonwealth - or at least not in any great quantity. It is primarily imported from some of the borderland nations that lie between the Commonwealth and Jarm, via the trade hub at Murolosch. It has a particularly spicy aftertaste that can surprise anyone encountering it for the first time, and the brewing process is believed to involve casks of magical wood from the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests of the Night]] and a rare breed of mushroom that cannot tolerate any kind of light and must be grown and harvested in complete darkness. The resulting brew, as well as being tasty, empowers magicians performing personal enchantments, regardless of realm, especially if the ritual involves weaving magic around multiple people.

==Faraden==
* '''Imperial fleet captains can trade directly with Caitun
The small nation of [[Faraden]] is close to the western Empire, and lies on the [[Sea of Snow]]. Imperial merchants trade at [[Foreign_ports#Caitun|Caitun]]. The Faraden port primarily offers delectable foodstuffs and luxuries which can fetch a fine price in the Empire.

===Faraden Luxuries===
* '''Represents money
These are items that represent money to a ship captain. They include finely dyed cloth, ingots of steel, eerie-sounding wind chimes, beautifully painted flags and streamers, and occasionally well-honed weapons and armour from the smiths of Caitun. Characters are encouraged to create peculiar examples of Faraden art as souvenirs for use on the field.

===Giant Blood Whelk===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] mollusc
These large whelks have a distinctive deep blood-red colouration and are roughly the size of a human thumb. When added to a soup or broth (the Faraden usually use a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisque_(food) bisque] or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chowder chowder] flavoured with wild garlic), then the resulting broth is a powerful restorative. Faraden traders warn against eating the actual whelk itself; however, it must be removed from the broth and disposed of, otherwise it brings on wild hallucinations and terrible nightmares.

===Common Mooncheese===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] cheese
This tangy cheese has a rich and fruity taste, with a vaguely nutty smell. It is sometimes painted with pale wax and is so tasty that even a single cube is known to improve the mood of the one who eats it, to leave them feeling sated and full for the rest of the day as if they had eaten a whole meal. Consuming this semi-hard cheese incidentally alleviates the effects of both [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]] and [[Calls#VENOM|venom]].

===Rare Mooncheese===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] cheese
The rarer forms of mooncheese come in three distinct "''flavours''": red, green, and blue. Red mooncheese is incredibly hot and spicy; it is also favoured by Faraden wizards who study [[Autumn_magic|Autumn]] as it has a similar effect to the [[Essence of Verdigris]] when consumed. The green mooncheese is soft with a faintly green tinge to it, with connoisseurs praising its sweet, sharp aftertaste. It also serves as a kind of [[Potion#Tonics|tonic]], allowing those with reserves of inner will to throw off various forms of [[Calls#WEAKNESS|poisoning]] and [[Calls#VENOM|venoms]]. Blue mooncheese is crumbly, often with a gentle vein that permeates throughout, with pieces of fruit embedded in it. The taste is apparently different each time, and it is said that anyone who eats enough of it regularly experiences peculiarly lurid dreams (and occasionally experiences hallucinations while wide awake). It's popular with wizards who study the [[Day magic|Wind]] and [[Night magic|Flame]], apparently allowing them to achieve an altered state where they can see the hidden colours in mundane wind and fire.
==Iron Confederacy==
* '''Imperial fleet captains can trade with the port of Robec
The [[Iron Confederacy]] shares a southern border with the Empire, through [[Feroz]] and [[Segura]], and several provinces lie along the western shores of the [[Bay_of_Catazar#The_Iron_Confederacy|Bay of Catazar]]. Imperial merchants trade at [[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]], while Suranni caravans regularly visit the Empire overland, especially via the [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] town of [[Feroz#Fortargenta|Bramar]].
===Kobol's Vigour===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] potion
Since [[A victory for diplomacy|late 386YE]], the Suranni have allowed Imperial merchant-captains trading at Robec to purchase ''Kobol's Vigour''. This metallic elixir apparently bolsters the drinker's battlefield prowess, and provides protection from the dark magic wielded by the servants of [[Suranni_pantheon#Dumon_the_Liar,_the_Wicked_One|Dumon the Liar]]. Kobol's Vigour - named for the "[[Suranni_pantheon#Kobol_the_Warrior,_Maiden_of_Battle|war god]]" of the Iron Confederacy - is a [[Potion#Tonics|tonic]] that removes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]], and may grant a burst of inspiration to those of a particularly [[heroic skills#Hero|heroic spirit]].

==Principalities of Jarm==
* '''Imperial fleet captains cannot currently trade with any Jarmish port
The [[Principalities of Jarm]] are a powerful nation dominated by the magician-princes and their families. Their sprawling nation lies across the [[The_seven_seas#Sea_of_Steel|Sea of Steel]] to the west of the Empire and sharesa continent with its eternal rival, the [[Commonwealth]]. Jarmish trade goods usually focus on items of value to magicians and battle mages.
===Star Jewels===
* '''[[Game_items#Magical_Items|Ribboned Item]]
Magicians rule in Jarm, more so than in any other nation of the known world. Their [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] are well versed in making useful talismans for use by spellcasters and ritual magicians. One common example are the star jewels - [[magic items|enchanted]] foci keyed to the [[astronomancy|constellations]]. These talismans are used by skilled Jarmish magicians to [[spellcasting|wield incantations]] more frequently, often on the battlefield. As with many magical items the strength of the individual star jewel varies depending on how expensive the materials used to create them are but even the weakest would allow a magician to cast - or in some cases swift cast - a specific spell at least two additional times each day. Even in Jarm the secrets of their manufacture are closely guarded by a handful of families foremost amongst whom are the Kobarid, who in the past have [[Civil_tongue#Jarmish_Jewels|attempted to open trade links]] with the Empire - unsuccessfully. It is also a mystery what "keyed to the constellations" means. Is this a simple matter of the items being designed with specific constellations in mind, or is there a direct connection with the power they provide and the arts of [[astronomancy]]?

===Jarmish Spices===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] spices
Jarm is known for its complex and expensive spices, many of which have avowedly supernatural effects on those who consume them. Unlike a traditional [[potion]], the Jarmish spices are not simply drunk but rather they are mixed with food or in some cases beverages, and consumed in that manner. A pouch of Jarmish spice flavours a single serving of food or drink, and bestows its effects on whoever eats that portion. It is apparently common for a Jarmish [[Bands#Covens|coven]] to share a meal before any significant ritual, each magician flavouring their plate or bowl with a suitable spice. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some spices have been cultivated in such a way that they are potentially harmful when consumed by anyone who is not a magician, but a close examination of these claims has yet to be made.
==Sumaah Republic==
* '''Imperial fleet captains can trade with the port of Zemeh
The [[Sumaah Republic]] lies far away to the west of the Empire, on the shores of the [[The_seven_seas#Sea_of_Salt|Sea of Salt]]. It is locked in ongoing conflict with the [[Asavean Archipelago]]. Sumaah ports often - but not exclusively - offer consumables of use to priests of the Way.
===Oilybrag===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] liquid
''Frygtede øglebryg'' is a unique preparation popular with the Frieøyer that roughly translates as "Basilisk Brew". This healing elixir is particularly potent when used by those [[dedication|dedicated]] to the Virtues. Its recipe is a closely guarded secret of the Frieøyer, who make great use of it when fighting on board ships. It also sees extensive use by the Sumaah armies. The name of this sweet, dark, mildly alcoholic beverage is something of a mouthful for Imperial citizens, however, who have taken to referring to it as "Oilybrag" to the amusement of the Sumaah they battle alongside.

===Sevensalve===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] salve
Sevensalve (or Sjusalva, as the präster of Sumaah call it) is a slightly gritty, pale purple-pink cream blended from a combination of [[liao]] and the petals of a jungle orchid. It can be used by anyone who is [[dedication|dedicated]] to a spiritual principle and versed in the ceremonies of [[Anointing]], [[Hallow]], or [[Consecration]] to create particularly [[Aura#Strong_Auras|strong aura]] that resists removal. Recent advances in the cultivation of the particular orchid used have made the carefully brewed consumable more readily available in Sumaah and the Houses of Prosperity and Vigilance has recently approved its sale to Imperial traders.

==Tsark==
* '''Imperial fleet captains can not trade with Tsark as they are an entirely landlocked nation'''
* '''Some of their goods are available through other means'''
===Zaboravi===
* '''[[Game_items#Potions|Consumable]] powder'''
Zaboravi is a fine green powder that is strangely oily. Its effects have been noted to be similar to the Night ritual [[Cast Off The Chain of Memory]], and it sees extensive use in the [[Mountains of the Moon]]. Zaboravi is carefully prepared using flowers found in the Mountains of the Moon, and uses none of the [[herbs|five magical herbs]].

{{Foreign Nation Links}}

Road out of nowhere

2026-10-01T09:50:12Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:385YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Appraisal]]
<ic>"How can they even call this a road!" Tibalt kicked dust, sent a little scatter of stones off the track and into the mud. "This isn't a road! It's not even a path!"

"Getting angry. At the road. Is definitely helping. Fix this. Broken wheel," grunted Sampson. The burly young man was sweating despite the chill, bracing the wagon while Gregory tried to do something about the twisted mess of wood and metal that, until recently, had supported the listing wagon.

Tibalt grumbled something inaudible, and stalked over to stand need his two companions.

"This is the worst thing about the Marches," he whined. "I've seen garden paths that are more like roads than these... these... whatever these are!"

"Yeah, much worse than the constant Jotun invasions," snapped Gregory. "Worse than the random shark-heralds, the people asking if you're from around here, and the fact you can't get a good wine in the entire nation for money or love."

Tibalt ignored him. He checked the wagon again. Twenty wooden boxes cheerily embossed with the logo of the ''Right Virtuous Company of Provisioners and Victuallers''. He wrung his hands. It was starting to get dark and there was no sign of anything except big empty fields in all directions.

"We've got to get to Meade before the end of the week, or we're going to lose our bonus," he reminded the others for the third time in half an hour. "We can't afford to default!"

"I know!", Gregory snapped back. "We all know! it's not as if anyone planned to hit that pothole, or to be going fast enough to buckle the wheel!"

"... oh so now you blame me for..." sputtered Tibalt. "And it wasn't a pothole it was a ''chasm''... and anyway..."

"Go and see. How. Hector is doing." said Sampson through gritted teeth. "Before. I lamp you."

Tibalt bridled, and looked as if he might complain, but saw the look in Sampson's eye and thought better of it. He went to check the ox, placidly chewing some greenery of some kind along the side of the so-called road.

"What are we going to do?" he asked, rhetorically. Hector ignored him. "We've miles to go, and this mud track isn't getting any better, and it's getting dark and... bandits... and... and what if all this sausage attracts wolves? You get wolves in the Marches right?"

The ox considered as behind him Gregory let out a burst of very harsh language indeed. One of Hector's stomachs burped and grumbled, and he went back to chewing contentedly on what would, in a few hours time, turn out to be something he ''really'' should not have been eating.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Milestones.jpg|caption=The Empire is wide, and there is always somewhere new to go.|align=left|width=500}}</div>{{audio|link= https://youtu.be/ynmajDItv2Y?si=St5qLgs6Zxn9lfhi}}
==Overview==
At the Autumn Equinox, [[385YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Roads|the Imperial Senate instructed]] [[Appraisal#Graciana_i_L.C3.B2pez_i_Guerra|Graciana i Lòpez i Guerra]] to ''"appraise the impact and opportunities to link the unconnected citizens of our Southern, Northern, and Eastern territories with new road networks – to join new and existing road network together – or to provide citizens with alternative means of conveyance that would afford them similar benefits."'' Graciana is renowned for her unusual techniques; a life as a well-travelled corsair and merchant has given her a wealth of experience to fall back on.

She is immediately enthused about the project, opining that it is so open-ended and potentially impactful she couldn't hope to complete it in a single season.

==Highways==
{{Expired}}
* '''The Senate can use a single commission to extend the existing road networks to Mitwold, Mournwold, Skarsind, Sermersuaq, Weirwater, Hercynia'''
* '''Currently, it would cost 300 wains of white granite, 900 crowns and take a year to complete'''
* '''The roads would raise the level of investment in farms and businesses by one in the affected territories, increasing revenue by 36 rings'''
The [[Lorenzo%27s_Legacy#Blood_Red_Roads|Blood Red Roads]] that link the cities of the Imperial heartlands have proved effective in raising the long term prosperity of the Empire. Since their construction, similar road networks have been established elsewhere; the [[Karov#The_Iron_Roads|Iron Roads]] of [[Varushka]], the ''White Roads'' of [[Highguard]], and the [[Madruga#Sunset_Roads|Sunset Roads]] of [[the Brass Coast]]. The [[Kallavesa#The_Pilgrim's_Trail|Pilgrim Trail]] of [[Kallavesa]] is a little different since its purpose is to support virtuous travellers rather than assist with travel and trade directly.

The benefits of the Blood Red Roads are clear; they function as a [[great work]] that boosts the income of [[farm]] and [[business]] owners in the territory. Graciana has looked at the costs and benefits of extending the existing network in all Imperial territories that don't currently have any major road network, but in many cases there are problems. [[Therunin]], [[Bregasland]], and [[Kallavesa]] are far too wet and marshy to support a good road network, while [[Spiral]], [[Zenith]], [[Redoubt]], [[Morrow]] are too mountainous. The Empire could build roads in [[the Barrens]], but that has problems of its own given the volatile political situation there.

However, that still leaves [[Mitwold]], [[Mournwold]], [[Skarsind]], [[Sermersuaq]], [[Weirwater]], and [[Hercynia]] that could all benefit from a good road network. Graciana's work shows that currently, the Empire could extend the current road network to all six of these territories for 300 wains of white granite and 900 crowns. It would require a single Senate motion and a single commission slot and take a year to complete. Once the work was finished it would raise the level of investment in all six territories by one for both farms and businesses as the major settlements and especially the trade hubs were connected together by fine quality roads.

With the tolls levied on the [[386YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Levy_Tolls_on_Blood_Red_Roads|Blood Red Roads]] and the [[386YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Levy_Tolls_on_White_Roads|White Roads]], this opportunity is no longer available.

==Marshways==
* '''This opportunity has been superseded by the one presented in the [[The circle game]] wind of fortune and is no longer available'''
* '''Graciana proposes an alternative to roads in Kallavesa, Therunin and Bregasland'''
* '''Currently, it would cost 225 wains of weirwood, 675 crowns and take a year to complete'''
* '''The marshways would raise the level of investment in herb gardens and businesses by one in the three territories'''
* '''A new Imperial title would be created in each territory to administer the Marshway and deal with threats'''
Two thirds of [[Kallavesa]] is marsh, and a remaining fifth is relatively wild forest. [[Bregasland]] is even worse – four-fifths of all the land there is fenland. Those parts of [[Therunin]] that are not sodden are infested with [[vallorn]]. The three territories are also similar in that the people there tend to live in relatively isolated communities on the few areas of comparatively solid ground. There are trods aplenty, looping through the marshy territories, but they rarely take the shortest route between two points.

But! The Senate did not only specify roads in their appraisal. All three territories have a strong tradition of boat use – not sea-going ships but various incarnations of flat-bottomed skiffs and punts that pole the shallow waters of the fens. There are also examples of sturdy workboats that [[Dredgemaster_of_Feverwater#Dredging the Feverwater|dredge the Feverwater]] or [[Fleet#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|fish the Gullet]]. Graciana proposes that the Senate could invest in the infrastructure of these territories by establishing a number of ferries, river-side wayhouses, strategically placed bridges, jetties, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage portage rails], and boatworks that she refers to as ''Marshways''.

Such construction would serve much the same purpose as roads, benefiting businesses by improving the ability of Imperial citizens to move around the territories in question. They wouldn't be much use to farms unfortunately, but they would be useful to those who oversee [[herb garden|herb gardens]] – a common undertaking in all three territories – making it easier to transport the surplus from the sort of isolated locations that are ideal for growing magical herbs.

Marshes are by their nature prone to problems not encountered with roads and bridges. The fens of Bregasland have their underwater spiders; Therunin is inhabited by vallornspawn, giant insects, and spiders; and Kallavesa sees more than its fair share of troublesome ghosts. All three territories have to deal with the potential threat of [[marshwalkers]]. As such, Graciana's plans include offices and an Imperial title to oversee the marshways in each territory. In each case the position would need to be appointed by Tally of the Votes to be effective, but would benefit from the opportunity to purchase spare herbs cheaply.

Graciana's proposal is not cheap - it requires 225 wains of weirwood, 675 crowns and take a year to complete. Once complete, it would raise the level of investment for businesses (+36 rings) by one in each of the three territories. It would also raise the level of investment for herb gardens by one, providing two true vervain, and one seasonal herb - Marrowort in Spring, Cerulean Mazzarine in Summer, Imperial Roseweald in Autumn, and Bladeroot in Winter.

<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color: LightYellow;">'''Bregas Ferrymaster'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>70 rings</td><td>3 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 1 Imperial Roseweald, 1 Marrowort, 1 Bladeroot</td></tr>
<tr><td>120 rings</td><td>5 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 2 Marrowort, 1 Bladeroot</td></tr>
<tr><td>190 rings</td><td>7 true vervain, 3 cerulean mazzarine, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 2 Marrowort, 2 Bladeroot</td></tr>
</table></div>
===Bregas Ferries===
The ''Bregas Ferrymaster'' would have offices based at Ottery, and would have responsibilities to ensure the marshway is maintained. Given their role, it is likely they would also quickly become a go-to figure for local families to help mediate their disputes – a potentially useful lightning rod given the current state of Bregasland.

<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color: LightYellow;">'''Shadow of the Marsh'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>75 rings</td><td>3 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 1 Imperial Roseweald, 2 liao</td></tr>
<tr><td>130 rings</td><td>4 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 4 liao</td></tr>
<tr><td>200 rings</td><td>5 true vervain, 3 cerulean mazzarine, 2 Imperial Roseweald, 6 liao</td></tr>
</table></div>
===Kallavesa===
The ''Shadow of the Marsh'' would have offices and a private jetty at [[Kallavesa#Rundhal|Rundahl]]. They'd oversee a ministry that allowed them to purchase herbs, but also a little liao from pilgrims along the trails there. They'd be responsible for protecting the fens, but also for ensuring no harm comes to the Sovevann- a matter on many local's minds since the recent [[Things_that_burn#The_Exigent_Span|battle at Rundahl]]. They'd also likely be asked to help intercede in disputes between the halls who benefit from the marshways.

<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color: LightYellow;">'''Brand of the Fens'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>90 rings</td><td>3 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 1 Bladeroot, 3 Ambergelt, 1 Iridescent Gloaming</td></tr>
<tr><td>160 rings</td><td>4 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 3 Ambergelt, 1 Beggars lye, 3 Iridescent Gloaming</td></tr>
<tr><td>240 rings</td><td>5 true vervain, 2 cerulean mazzarine, 2 Bladeroot, 5 Ambergelt, 3 Beggars lye, 3 Iridescent Gloaming</td></tr>
<tr><td>360 rings</td><td>6 true vervain, 3 cerulean mazzarine, 3 Bladeroot, 5 Ambergelt, 3 Beggars lye, 5 Iridescent Gloaming</td></tr>
</table></div>
===Therunin===
The title of ''Brand of the Fens'' would ensure the marshes remained safe, which is no mean feat in Therunin. They'd also be responsible for keeping the more isolated steadings connected to the nation, addressing issues with bandits, wild beasts, and vallornspawn, and would likely be called into any issues involving the Great Forest Orcs. They'd oversee a ministry that let them buy herbs, but also small amounts of forest resources.

==Southern Skyways==
* '''Graciana is intrigued by the possibility of building roads in the skies above Urizen and Spiral'''
Graciana spends a month in Urizen, visiting various spires, discussing their needs, and listening to ideas. She is soon busy with the [[architect|architects]], many of whom are keen to present their own schemes once news of the Senate's appraisal begins to spread. There's particular interest in establishing a trade road connection [[Redoubt#Cargo|Cargo]] with the [[Zenith#Crucible_of_Fate|Crucible of Fate]]. Unfortunately the nature of the Urizeni territories – mountains, hills, vertiginous drops, and barely civilised valleys – would make such a thing a major undertaking assuming it were even possible. As a frustrated Graciana is about to give the whole thing up as a bad job, inspiration comes from an unexpected source.

The Arch of the Sky was once a collection of [[spire|spires]] on the ''Starstair'', the tallest mountain in [[Zenith]]. [[stargazer|Stargazers]] and [[astronomancy|astronomancers]] from across the Empire gathered there to observe the night skies, and debate the [[Net of the Heavens]]. As well as being a prestigious school of astronomancy, it was also one of the finest observatories in Urizen, if not the Empire, but it was destroyed when the [[Druj]] [[381YE_Winter_Solstice_winds_of_war#Hunting By The Rivers|invaded Zenith]] in 381YE. Despite the best efforts of a handful of battle-mages and [[sentinel|sentinels]], the [[orc|orcs]] captured and looted the Arch of the Sky, and what they could not steal was reduced to ashes and broken ruins.

The recent completion of the Crucible of Fate, however, has encouraged some Urizen to return to their former home and try to salvage the ruins. Using [[Urizen_economic_interests#Ushabti|ushabti]] to clear the rubble and begin laying new foundations, they have discovered something unexpected. [[White granite]]. Lots of it. On top of what may well be one of the tallest mountains in the Empire.

When Graciana hears of the discovery, she immediately takes a trip to visit the site personally. If the Empire is to expand its roads, it will need white granite. Early assessments suggest there is a lot of white granite to be found atop the mountain, but getting at it, mining it, and transporting it down the mountain and to an appropriate trade hub is going to be ''extremely'' difficult.

===Touching the Sky===
* '''Constructing the Skyway would require 150 wains of mithril, 450 crowns and take nine months to complete'''
* '''Once complete, it would create a new Bourse seat, producing 18 wains of white granite each season'''

It looks as if the white granite is going to remain unexploitable – and there are some historical notes that suggest that is why it has never been quarried in the past. Following a throw-away comment from one of the Urizen about it being a shame that white granite cannot be sent through the air the way the Heliopticon sends words, Graciana has a brainwave. Inspired in part by the washing lines that stretch between houses in Tassato, and in part by the great cranes of the city of Cargo, she proposes the construction of a unique “bridge” connecting the ''Starstair'' to the lower peaks of [[Morrow#Caeli|Caeli]].

By stretching mithril cables across the valley between the two peaks, and using ushabti to provide motile force, shipments of stone could be wheeled through the air from one mountain top to the next. Pick the right peaks and use the occasional lift where needed and the skyway could be extended all the way through [[Morrow#Operus|Operus]], past [[Canterspire Circle]], until it reached [[Redoubt#Cargo|Cargo]] whereupon it could be transported across the river to [[Bastion#Bastion,_the_White_City|Bastion]].

It's going to require significant investment. In addition to the tools, materials, and specialist ushabti created at the Crucible of Fate, The ''Bridge of the Air'' would need to be extremely strong to transport the white granite. The engineers calculate it needs 150 wains of mithril and 450 crowns of investment to complete.

Once opened and connected the ''Arch of the Sky'' would represent a new Bourse resource. The Imperial Senate could declare it Imperial or National (meaning it would be appointed by [[Auction of the Seats|Auction]] or [[Tally of the Votes]]). By estimation of the geomancers and stone-watchers who have visited the location it would produce 18 wains of white granite each season and have an upkeep of 10 thrones each season (the problem of its isolated location would be offset by the use of ushabti rather than labourers to remove the valuable stone).

One flaw is that the Arch of the Sky could never be rebuilt, not while the mountain is being quarried. Graciana has proposed that the new Bourse seat be named after the destroyed spires – and given the way the stone is transported down from the peak it seems apposite. Still, that might turn out to be too steep a price to pay for access to white granite.

===A Road in the Sky===
* '''The Bridge of the Air could be extended across Urizen and Spiral for an additional 75 wains of mithril and 225 crowns'''
* '''The resulting great work would increase the level of investment by one for mana sites and businesses in Morrow, Zenith, Spiral and Redoubt'''
*'''The mana sites of Spiral would only benefit from the great work if the Senate stopped funding mana for the Urizen within the territory'''
The “Bridge of the Air” would be a true wonder, but it would also be practical to employ the arrangements for lighter uses – such as transporting people or trade goods between spires. It would be possible to extend the network of towers and cables across the territory and into Redoubt, Zenith, and even Spiral. The same principle that establishes the Arch of the Sky in Morrow could be used to join up Morrow, Redoubt, Zenith, and mountainous Spiral by linking smaller skyways to it. Lifts would help transport people and goods from the lowlands to the highlands spires; and conventional roads could be used where they can actually help.

The skyway would dramatically improve the ability to move around the territory. Anything that makes it easier for people to move around is usually an asset to businesses, and the skyway would be no exception, increasing the level of investment by one for businesses in all four territories. There are relatively few farms to speak of in the mountains, and not that many herb gardens, but the skyway could make it much easier to reach some of the more inaccessible parts of the four territories - the kind of locations where mana tends to pool. As a result, it would also increase the level of investment by one for mana sites in all four territories.

Graciana notes that the entire project - the Arch of the Sky, the Bridge of the Air, and the extension of the skyways across Urizen and neighbouring Spiral - could be completed with a single appropriately worded Senate motion and a single resource intensive commission.

==The Barrens==
* '''A road network connecting the Barrens to Semmerholm and Holberg would require 50 wains of white granite, 150 crowns and take 3 months to complete'''
* '''It would raise the level of investment in farms and businesses in the Barrens by one'''
* '''It would enable Dawnish citizens to take a new resource in the Barrens for free for the next year'''
The situation in the Barrens is fraught, to put it mildly. Graciana has no interest in engaging with the politics, and given the recent [[mandate]] she consciously tries to avoid any suggestion of building roads ''across'' the wild territory at this time. Instead, she focuses her attention on [[The Barrens#Dawncastle|Dawnguard]].

The region is in a bad shape since the long occupation of the Druj. The Towers of the Dawn are in ruins, the defeated orcs of [[the Mallum]] did as much damage as they possibly could before they were driven out or killed. People are left to pick up the pieces as best they can.

There's never been a really decent road leading to Dawnguard. Graciana proposes changing that, and ropes in several Dawnish engineers and her old friends from Holberg to come up with a plan. To avoid a single point of failure, Graciana proposes linking Drycastle – still the largest human settlement in the Barrens despite the Druj's best efforts – to both [[Semmerholm#Lacre|Lacre]] in [[Semmerholm]], and the city of [[Holberg]] itself. This will include the construction of a highway through the forests of [[Semmerholm#Axmure|Axmure]], and a sturdy road from the southern gates of [[Holberg#Holmauer|Holmauer]].

These roads would provide a route for building materials to reach Dawnguard reliably which would help dramatically with the rebuilding there, supporting the Dawnish inhabitants of the Barrens. It could also be easily extended if desired, if the Dawnish begin to establish settlements in other parts of the Barrens; or where there is a desire to improve travel between the ''septs'' and the Empire. A road from Drycastle through [[The Barrens#Murderdale|Murderdale]] to the [[The Barrens#Eaves of Peytaht|Eaves of Peytaht]] for example would give the potential of trade with the [[Great Forest Orcs]], and establish the possibility of a road linking Semmerholm and Therunin.

Graciana's proposal will cost 50 wains of white granite, 150 crowns, and take three months to complete. As well as providing support to Dawnguard, it would increase the level of investment in ''both'' the farms and businesses of the territory.

It would also make it easy for engineers and builders to reach the Barrens, meaning that any new settlements established would quickly be linked to Dawnguard by a serviceable road, spreading those advantages across the territory. As a result any Dawnish citizen would be able to take up a new resource in the Barrens for free for the next year after the road was complete. Of course that might not be an advantage anyone is looking for, but you can't lay down roads without making it easier for people to move around.

==Roadwardens==
* '''The Navarr wayhouses could be encouraged to take a stronger stance protecting the Empire roads'''
* '''This would require a clear Statement of Principle by the Navarr Assembly that achieved a greater majority but would not require a commission'''
* '''It would create the Roadwardens opportunity for Navarr military units, allowing them to protect the Empire's roads from banditry and worse'''
One of the problems with all these roads is the increase in banditry. While there's been some hard lines taken in Varushka, the fact remains that the roads make it easier for those who prey on trade to find people to prey on. Inspired by the ''kamkrag'' being built in Kahraman, and by the Navarr tradition of establishing [[wayhouse|wayhouses]] across the Empire, Graciana has another proposal.

She suggests asking the Navarr to step up their efforts to patrol the Empire's roads. The wayhouse keepers of Navarr could be encouraged to set aside areas for “roadwardens” to rest and resupply. Obviously the Navarr [[striding|stridings]] use the [[trods]] where they can, but they are frequently seen on the Empire's roads as well but travel is part of their national character.

Graciana was unable to draw up a plan to support Senate investment, but instead proposes during her visit to [[Therunin]] that the Navarr National Assembly could take the lead. A suitably worded [[statement of principle]] that achieved a [[greater majority]] would simply encourage people to formalise what a lot of them are already doing. Navarr travelling by road would help protect the various travel networks across the Empire. Minor difficulties would be dealt with by local roadwardens, and anything they couldn't deal with would be quickly and efficiently brought to the attention of a relevant authority.

At the very least, a well-worded statement would create the ''Roadwardens'' adventure available to Navarr characters with [[military unit|military units]]. When undertaking this adventure Navarr would be involved in escorting individuals and caravans along Imperial roads, hunting out bandits and natural threats, protecting roadbuilding engineers, delivering messages, occasionally popping up to Varushka to fight [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], and otherwise being active on the Empire's roads. A basic military unit would receive 120 rings and 3 random resources each season, with more for upgraded or enchanted units.

==Long Term Economic Investment==
* '''Completing the existing road network would raise Imperial taxation by 1 throne in every territory with a transport network'''
* '''If the marshways and skyways were both completed, Imperial taxation would increase by 1 throne in every territory with a transport network'''

Improving the road and transportation networks across the Empire would provide long-term economic benefits. If Graciana's proposal to build roads in Mitwold, Mournwold, Skarsind, Sermersuaq, Weirwater, Hercynia were completed then trade would flourish which would help support the creation of new businesses. As a direct result, the tax revenues of every territory in the Empire with a functional transport network (any great work that is a highway, marshway or skyway) would increase by one throne.

If the marshways and skyways were also completed, they would have a similar effect, boosting tax revenues of every territory with a transport network by one throne. These benefits are cumulative, so if all three proposals were completed, then the total increase in taxation would be two thrones in every affected territory.

===Costs and Timing===
* '''These opportunities will expire at the end of the Spring Equinox 388YE unless mentioned elsewhere'''
* '''Costs would increase by 25 wains and 75 crowns for each improvement in the level of investment in the meantime'''
These opportunities are available to the Senate until the end of the Spring Equinox 388YE. The [[#Marshways|Marshways]] have been superseded by a later appraisal which can be found in the '''[[The_circle_game#Marshways_in_Kallavesa|The circle game]]''' wind of fortune. The costs presented are based on the current levels of investment in the territories in question. Those costs would increase by an additional 25 wains and 75 crowns for each improvement in the level of investment in affected resources in the affected territories.

===Unruly Elephants in the Room===
* '''Any large scale construction project would be threatened by the presence of an army in the territory where it was taking place'''
As with the appraisal [[Dreaming in strands|prepared by her colleague Eilian Sweetwater]], there is an unfortunate fly in the ointment. All of the projects Graciana has laid out rely on the territories where they are being established remaining at least relatively stable. The presence of ''scions'' of [[Cold Sun]], or invading barbarian armies, would potentially impede the completion of the grand projects.

Just as with [[Against the Jotun#Hill|recent events in Kahraman]] it is risky to try and undertake a grand construction project while part of the land needed to make the project go smoothly is under threat by barbarians. This will need to be taken into account during any implementation of Graciana's proposals. As with the Spider's Dream, however, an [[Army]] would be sufficient to protect construction work in a territory from anything but a concerted attack (one that would almost certainly see a conjunction of the [[Sentinel Gate]]). If there are no such protections, and work is underway when an enemy invades a territory, they may be able to steal some of the materials contributed in a given season, and delay all work while they were present.

Graciana does not intend to be a doomsayer - the same is true of ''any'' large scale project the Empire undertakes - but feels she would be remiss in her duties if she did not point of the threat of (for example) Cold Sun killing large numbers of road engineers.

A wizard did it

2026-09-28T18:48:31Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:388YE Summer ]][[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:Winds of Magic]]
<div style="float:left; width: 450px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Ripple effect on water.jpg|caption=Ripples spread from a single drop of water, as consequences spread from a single decision.|align=left|width=450}}</div>
==Overview==
Magic fills the known world. It rides the winds, it rises with the sun and the stars, it flows in great currents through the forests and the seas and the sky. It is part of the rivers and the forests, the seas and the skies. It is studied, mastered, examined, and debated. It is mysterious, enigmatic, unpredictable, and yet follows its own strange laws. All mortals practice magic, and yet they are not the only sources of magic in the world. It comes from rattling runes, from the heavens, from the wellspring of blood, from the shapes and symbols of creation, and while it can be bidden it cannot always be restrained. Wonder is all around, an endless wordless tune that winds and weaves around all things.

This wind of fortune rounds up a roundup of assorted strange events, some arising from mortal actions some with less explicable causes. There are several companion pieces to this wind. '''[[The keys of blood]]''' deals with things relating specifically to the [[eternal|eternals]] of the [[Realms|six realms]] while [[Ambassadors of death]] addresses the [[Archmage#plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] messages of the [[Archmage|archmages]].

==Magical Chaos==
* '''The astronomantic constellations continue to exert strange influences on the Empire
* '''Territory-scale magic is much more likely to have additional unlooked for effects when performed at the Summer Solstice
* '''These effects will never invalidate the listed mechanical effect of a ritual
The magical chaos that [[What regulates the wheel?|began]] shortly before the Winter Solstice, and [[Things go awry|continued through]] the Spring Equinox, has not abated. The good news is that the immediate effects of that chaos have reached a plateau - they don't seem to be actively getting worse at least at the moment. The ''bad'' news is that they are still going on. There are stories from across the Empire of magical rituals going wonky, especially those that are cast over a large area such as [[Rivers of Life]]. They still work, but as well as their expected effects there are side-effects nobody could have predicted.
===Broken===
* '''It remains impossible to enhance ritual lore using the Imperial regio
* '''Other properties of the Imperial regio are unchanged
The Imperial regio at Anvil remains "[[What_regulates_the_wheel%3F#Broken_Regio|broken]]", despite another slew of [[divination|divinations]] performed during the Equinox. The key power that so many Imperial magicians have relied on for nearly four centuries - to improve their [[Magical skills#Ritual lores|realm lore]] while working a ritual at the regio - is no longer available. Attempts to draw on that power simply find... nothing. Interestingly, there was at least one incident during the Equinox that spoke of a powerful regio ''outside'' Anvil that provided the ability to draw strength for performing rituals of a single realm, and there are stories that there are other regio that still have that power. Some members of the [[Unfettered Mind]] (left in the Empire while so many of their fellow magicians are in [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] and the [[Commonwealth]] fighting [[Cold Sun]]) speculate that a given regio can only have ''one'' special property, and that the bonus strengthening of ritual lore by the Anvil regio at the same time it connected to all realms and the entire Empire, was an aberration. They've no evidence for that, just worrying speculation. If it was an aberration its one that lasted nearly four centuries, after all.

In other respects, the regio continues to function as normal. It still allows rituals that in other circumstances would require ten minutes to cast to instead be performed in five minutes. It is still a "strong regio", connected to all six realms of magic. Rituals that must be performed at a strong regio can still be performed using the Imperial regio, and it still remains connected to every Imperial territory. It can still be used in conjunction with the [[Citadel Guard]] to focus magic and channel rituals through the Urizen [[army]]. Bargains with [[eternal|eternals]] that allow magicians to use [[operate portal]] to send or receive boons function normally although its not clear exactly ''how'' they are working. Rituals that specifically require the Imperial regio to work such as [[Whispers through the Black Gate]] still operate normally.

Any ritual that targets a [[territory]] or the Empire as a whole performed during the Summer Solstice is much more likely to have unexpected effects. All magic used on the territory scale can have unlooked for side effects - circumstances constantly influence what happens and all such rituals are mentioned in the winds of fortune or the winds of war (or both). This season, those side effects will be much more pronounced. They will never prevent the ritual having its mechanical effects; that will always happen as described in the appropriate ritual.

===Light in the Dark===
* '''Magicians using the Imperial regio find a peculiar source of spiritual strength
Magicians who perform a ritual at the Imperial regio during the Summer Solstice experience a roleplaying effect: ''You sense that what you are doing is important, and that as long as you continue to believe in yourself and embrace action, you can succeed even though the way may be hard.''

While contributing to a ritual, this sensation provides a source of spiritual strength that allows a magician to overcome any other roleplaying effect, if they wish to use it. The strength fades within a few minutes of the ritual being completed, and any roleplaying effect that was overcome will reassert itself, but for the duration of the performance and a short time thereafter, negative roleplaying effects are suppressed. There is however a lingering effect.

Until the next sunset or sunrise, whichever comes first, any magician who contributed to a ritual at the Imperial regio can expend a point of personal mana at any time to justify remaining calm and collected when exposed to a roleplaying effect (as if they had spent a hero point). The ability to use mana in this way has the same restrictions as casting a spell.

==Bonded==
* '''During the Summer Solstice covens can cooperate with other covens in their own nation without needing additional assistance
The effects marked by [[Astronomancy|astronomancers]] before the Winter solstice, allowing different covens within the same nation to cooperate when casting powerful rituals, still persists. Any coven can work with any other coven or covens from their own nation without needing anything to facilitate it. Of course the universal magical law that prevents covens and magicians from ''different nations'' cooperating are still in place, and these limitations show absolutely no sign of weakening.
{{Anchor|Participation: Working Together}}
<br><br>'''<big>Participation: Working Together'''</big><br>
During the Summer Solstice any number of covens from the same nation can work together to perform a ritual as if they were using the [[Archmage#Belt_of_Stars|Belt of Stars]]. Cooperative rituals count as a daily ritual use by every coven involved. While they may be performing a ritual together, they are still treated as separate covens for all other purposes (for example, a ritual that affects an entire coven will only affect one target coven). Each coven can use their own paraphernalia while performing this joint ritual. The effects of the [[Volhov's Robe]] seem to be unchanged; they still allow a magician who is not part of a coven to work with any other coven without difficulty.

Anyone cooperating in this fashion experiences a notable sense of connection to members of the other coven, along with a strong sense of being bound together or united by a common cause. It is hard to put this sensation into words and it takes many different forms. Early experimenters spoke of feeling a familial bond to strangers they barely new, as if they were cousins or siblings they had not seen in many years. Others felt an almost physical connection, their breathing and heartbeats synching up so it felt as if they were many people with one body. Still others talk of an almost precognitive sense, as if they instinctually knew what another contributor to the ritual was going to say or do moments before they did it.

==Rains in Mareave==
* '''Mareave has become verdant for possibly the first time ever
Talking of magical chaos... there was only a single performance of [[Rivers of Life]] in the Empire at the Spring Equinox, targeting the Imperial Orcs territory of [[Mareave]]. While [[Mithril and rope|war raged in the south]], the magic protected those fighting there from all save the most serious injuries. Elsewhere in the territory, however, the magic rather ran amok, filling the scarse waters of [[Mareave#Icarion|Icarion]], [[Mareave#Nadir|Nadir]], [[Mareave#Eoradal|Eoradal]], and [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]]. For the first time possibly in forever, the arid lands here turned green. Creepers and grasses erupted around lakes and secluded wells, sweeping outward to the surprise and chagrin of the orcs living there. They brought with them unfamiliar fruit, and also sparked a wave of fertility in the cattle of the regions... but also in the drakes that prey on them. Hunters in Nadir in particular have done a roaring trade capturing and killing young, hungry lizards that would otherwise be preying on the farms and on the Great Southern Herd.

The greenery cannot last - and as the magic of ''Rivers of Life'' fades so too does the supernatural vitality of the vegetation. A week or so before the Summer Solstice, all this fecund plant life has died and dried out in the sun. Some of it is collected for agricultural use - it's still rich with nutrients that will serve the soil - or to feed to herd animals. For a few brief months, northern Mareave was a garden, something that inspires wonder but also a sense of sorrow in those who know that it was just a fleeting mirage of what will never be.

Among the random greenery, however, there are a number of rare and precious plants and fruit that are truly remarkable. An [[Yerende]] magician who examines some of them is excited to note that they were ''donahorti'' - plants from the [[Realms#Spring|Spring realm]] itself - that have magical properties. There aren't a huge number of them, but they seem to be most common around [[mana site|mana sites]], [[farm|farms]], and [[herb garden|herb gardens]]. Unfortunately, they're short-lived, and as the magic of Rivers of Life begins to die so do the ''donahorti''. Although, as the Yerende magician realises, they are hardier than more mundane vegetation and there is still a chance to preserve them...

Provided a [[territory]]-effecting [[enchantment]] or [[curse]] of [[Spring magic]] is performed again on Mareave at the Summer Solstice, there will be another opportunity to take advantage of the ''donahorti''. Every [[herb garden]], [[farm]], [[mana site]], and [[business]] in the territory will receive two ''donahorti'' at the Autumn Equinox. The problem is that these fruits of the Spring Realm are drawn from the domains of the [[eternal|eternals]] of those realms. Some are known by the Empire - those from the realms of [[Yaw'nagrah]] and [[Llofir]] in particular - but others are not. Worse, there are legal considerations around those drawn from the domains of entities who are under the [[Alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave. There's also the question of which magic to use, if any, to secure this bounty. [[Rivers of Life]] is a curse, after all, and the magical chaos caused by the stars is still ongoing. The other large-scale magic of the Spring realm tends to be indiscriminately destructive. [[Regrow the Land's Heart]] seems the safest choice, but that may cause problems of its own...

Because unfortunately there is a downside to the magic infusing Mareave this season. The greenery ''also'' appears around the many ruins and abandoned structures of northern Mareave, and does what Spring magic-infused vegetation so often does. It tears them apart. Across the northern regions the story is the same every time - the greenery swallows up the remnants of Skoura and the Grendel, and of Urizen, and when it finally dies and collapses it takes the ruins with it. The effect is perhaps most pronounced in Icarion - the ruins of abandoned spires are left as little more than rubble covered in scrubby grass and odd yellow- and orange-petalled flowers. The greatest loss is the ruined lighthouse that stood for centuries on the cliffs above the [[Bay of Catazar]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=Serenus Starsong.jpg|caption='''Serenus Starsong''', Astral Arcanist|align=right|width=250}}

==Key of the Stars==
* '''Stargazers, astronomancers, diviners, and seers have reported odd dreams since the Spring Equinox
Since the Spring Equinox, strange dreams have been experienced by practitioners of [[astronomancy]], stargazers and star watchers of all kinds, skilled diviners, seers, dedicates of Wisdom, and readers of omens of all kinds. Anyone with a focus on exploring the unknown, on charting mysteries, on trying to discern the future, report similar dreams. The details differ wildly but they all contain the same element.

A merrow with pale blue and turquoise scales, attired in a beautiful blue gown in the style of Urizen, holds a key of silver set with a single sapphire. When the dreamer notices them, they turn their eyes upwards toward the heavens. The dreamer follows their gaze, and immediately sees a new star in the heavens - one that matches the colour of the merrow's outfit. When they look back, both merrow and star are gone and the dream resumes its usual course.

Those who knew them are certain that the merrow is '''Serenus Starsong''', who was the first and only [[Astral Arcanist]]. Attempts to learn more about the dream with magic have uniformly failed, and the dreams themselves fade away as the Summer Solstice approaches. Given the reported death of Serenus Starsong at the Spring Equinox, there is some discussion as to whether this might be their ghost haunting the dreams of Imperial citizens, or given the prop they are conspicuously holding, a [[The_Key_and_The_Lock#The_Key|magical vision]] of some kind, perhaps created with subtle ritual magic. This would not be the first time in recent years that [[Night magic]] was used to send seemingly portentous dreams.

==Painted Caves==
* '''A powerful enchantment has been permanently laid over the Painted caves in Miekarova'''
* '''It would take a casting of Piercing light of revelation at magnitude of at least 60 worth at least 60 rings of ilium to remove'''
* '''The magic appears to have angered the Thule'''
At the Spring Equinox, there was a [[Things_go_awry#A_Malachite_Casket|certain amount of furore]] about magical mists that had settled around the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]] in [[Miekarova]]. The [[Thule]] in particular were rather put-out about this, as the caves are in a region ceded to them as part of a treaty with the Empire. Dire consequences were hinted at should the mists persist... which they did.

Apparently, the enchantment was not only been empowered by invocation of the ''[[The_Key_and_The_Lock#The_Lock|First Ward]]'' as some cabalists name it, but it has been bound up with a significant parcel of [[ilium]]. Whether this is solely the result of the ongoing magical chaos surrounding the stars, or something else, or a combination of factors, nobody can say. But what's clear is that the shrouding magic preventing access to the Painted Caves is now ''permanent'', and removing it will require a significant investment of star metal. Cautious estimates suggest that only a performance of [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] targeting the caves with a magnitude of at least sixty ''coupled with'' sixty rings of ilium will end the enchantment prematurely. This could be attempted from the [[Regio#Imperial regio|Imperial regio]], but the amount of ilium required means that it would be a significant magical endeavour if it were.

The orcs of Otkodov are unhappy, to put it mildly, and intend to [[Myth_makers#An_Imperfect_Forum|raise the matter]] during their meeting with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] '''Kindra Surefoot'''.

===Rants and Roses===
* '''Last summit, [[Ripple_of_echoes|Queen Igraine's Regio in the Castle of Thorns was acting strangely]]'''
* '''Imperial magicians cast [[Align the Celestial Net]] and realigned it to Summer as it should be
* '''The situation seems to have grown worse, some thing has caused it to align to Spring again'''
* '''There is a conjunction to the regio at 6.30pm on Friday for a small number of people'''
* '''The Senator for Astolat is once again responsible for dealing with this problematic regio'''

For a time after [[Align the Celestial Net]] was cast, the garden in the Castle of Thorns returned to normal. However, over the next season, snow once again began to appear and the thorn bushes are back with a vengeance, hard as iron and envenoming anyone who is pricked by their thorns. Strange noises have also been heard in the vicinity of the regio, though due to the thick and impassable foliage nobody has been able to investigate further.

Sometimes, there is the sound of wailing and crying, and other times a woman has been heard ranting and raving about something, though nobody has been able to make out her words. It seems casting divinatory rituals such as [[Bright Lantern of Ophis]], [[Clear Lens of the Eternal River]], and [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]] prompts these unusual sounds to occur with more frequency, though no information seems to be learned these rituals.

The area that these enchanted roses are growing seems to be expanding, and if unchecked they may begin to damage the walls of the Castle of Thorns or worse.

===The Song Remains The Same===
* '''The magical song that has echoed throughout the Empire is slowly beginning to fade'''
After a [[Upon_a_midnight_dreary#A_Peculiar_Opportunity_(Lashonar)|peculiar opportunity]] in Autumn of last year, the song [https://soundcloud.com/gabrielle-joanne-198076671/painted Painted] began to resonate along the trods and throughout the Empire. Astonishment at the spread of this magical effect only grew when [[Ripple_of_echoes#Can't_Stop_The_Music|the song persisted]] into the Spring. There were questions about how long this would persist for, yet as Spring turns into Summer, it seems that the crescendo has passed. The song still echoes, yet the power of it seems to slowly be fading. Some express disappointment, but wiser heads point out that most magic is temporary. Unless [[ilium]] was infused into the casting, the chorus was always going to come to an end.

Yet the diminuendo does not come quickly. For all its power is fading, the work of Idwynn Splitroot still plays in the dreams of many. It simply remains to be seen how long this will last.

====Participation====
* '''Any character may have heard the echoes of the song'''
* '''Navarr characters who embrace the song may choose to experience a roleplaying effect'''
Any Navarr character may choose to have heard the song, experienced the dreams of singing voices either directly or via half-remembered echoes, or to have seen what appears to be Lashonar. Those who do experience a roleplaying effect during the Spring Equinox: ''You feel a sense of immense pride in the oaths that you have sworn and the tattoos and other marks you wear to commemorate them. It feels good and right to celebrate this element of your culture, and to encourage others to follow suit.''

Characters who are not Navarr, but who feel a personal connection to that nation, to the trods, or to the fight against the vallorn are also free to roleplay having had the dream or heard the echoes of the music. They do not receive the roleplaying effect however.

===Heads or Tails===
* '''A number of traders in the northern Empire have developed odd superstitions around accepting cash'''
Those buying and selling goods within the Northern areas of the Empire may have noticed some traders treating their money with suspicion. Wintermark merchants are often found whispering of soot within their purses, with no clear purpose or reason behind it. But while it isn't unheard of for a scrupulous Wintermark shopkeeper to ask to see the coins before payment, the habit seems to be spreading.

Some Navarr, League, and Varushkan merchants have also begun to ask customers to place their money on a counter before it can be counted and accepted in return for goods. When asked, there is rarely a clear answer as to why the behaviour is necessary, except for vague mentions of tip-offs from fellow colleagues.

Certainly, if there ''is'' some underlying problem with the mint, it hasn't yet caught the attention of the [[Civil Service]].

Founders' Dance (song)

2026-09-28T16:06:14Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Music]][[Category:Navarr Music]]
A song by '''Nathair Autumngale'''

<song>
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.

Terunael fell to the hubris call, a thousand years ago.
They paid no heed nor caution warned, they simply would not know.
And as they watched their Empire fall, Star to survivors turned.
"Away we must to Sanctuary Falls, to teach what we have learned."

Navarr and Thorn with Star did fight, to keep Vallorn at bay.
But every inch they gained by night, they'd lost again by day.
Thorns tactics grew more cunning, with each Vallornspawn slayed.
Navarr inspired folk to her, with the Dance, and each part played.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.

The fight raged on and year by year, their hope began to fade.
Until one night by candlelight, a path to victory made.
They'd draw the greentides life away, through paths laid in the earth.
And Thorn swore oaths to aid Navarr, ink marked our Nation's birth.

At first they travelled eastward, Brocéliande was passed.
And where they went did steadings rise, to help their new dream last.
Then Tharunind to Bendol, through lands where orcs long dwelled.
Their comrade Talon slay them, some hundred foes he felled.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.

Their ally Dusk was vital, in battle favour-skewed.
With every potion distilled, and every poison brewed.
Each played their part within the Dance, to see their plan bear fruit.
Then further still to Cavan’s Tomb, our founders wove their route.

So year by year this plan was wrought, by duty were they spurred.
When Star she fell a moment held, in Sanctuary Falls interred.
And then their path turned Northward, Hacynian land of frost.
But from that point we know no more, to time their way was lost.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.

Though know not of the path they took, we know where they are found.
For in the heart of Terunael, Navarr and Thorn are Bound.
They made the greatest sacrifice, a thousand years ago.
For while they stay there as a spike, The Vallorn's strength will flow.

So now we walk the Founders’ Dance, to walk the route they paved.
Disaster, foe or Vallorn, all dangers have we braved.
For every step upon those trods, our ancient foe is bled.
And on this path we’ll ever walk, till each Vallorn is dead.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.
</song>

Founders' Dance (song)

2026-09-28T15:41:50Z

Twiggy:

A song by '''Nathair Autumngale'''

<song>
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.

Terunael fell to the hubris call, a thousand years ago.
They paid no heed nor caution warned, they simply would not know.
And as they watched their Empire fall, Star to survivors turned.
"Away we must to Sanctuary Falls, to teach what we have learned."

Navarr and Thorn with Star did fight, to keep Vallorn at bay.
But every inch they gained by night, they'd lost again by day.
Thorns tactics grew more cunning, with each Vallornspawn slayed.
Navarr inspired folk to her, with the Dance, and each part played.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.

The fight raged on and year by year, their hope began to fade.
Until one night by candlelight, a path to victory made.
They'd draw the greentides life away, through paths laid in the earth.
And Thorn swore oaths to aid Navarr, ink marked our Nation's birth.

At first they travelled eastward, Broceliande was passed.
And where they went did steadings rise, to help their new dream last.
Then Tharunind to Bendol, through lands where orcs long dwelled.
Their comrade Talon slay them, some hundred foes he felled.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders' Dance.

Their ally Dusk was vital, in battle favour-skewed.
With every potion distilled, and every poison brewed.
Each played their part within the Dance, to see their plan bear fruit.
Then further still to Cavan’s Tomb, our founders wove their route.

So year by year this plan was wrought, by duty were they spurred.
When Star she fell a moment held, in Sanctuary Falls interred.
And then their path turned Northward, Hacynian land of frost.
But from that point we know no more, to time their way was lost.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.

Though know not of the path they took, we know where they are found.
For in the heart of Terunael, Navarr and Thorn are Bound.
They made the greatest sacrifice, a thousand years ago.
For while they stay there as a spike, The Vallorn's strength will flow.

So now we walk the Founders’ Dance, to walk the route they paved.
Disaster, foe or Vallorn, all dangers have we braved.
For every step upon those trods, our ancient foe is bled.
And on this path we’ll ever walk, till each Vallorn is dead.

Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.
Dance, Dance, Join our Founders’ Dance.
</song>

The bargain store

2026-09-25T17:36:29Z

Twiggy: /* Crystal Mana */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>"What even is a bargain!" The mountebank's question was clearly rhetorical. "In Doctor Samiana di Holberg's ''Big Book of All the Words'' it is defined as "something sold at a price that advantages the purchaser, while still providing advantages to the vendor that are all too often invisible."

There was muttering and nodding from the crowd.

"I however have a different definition, and after today, friends and strangers, I think you will share my understanding." Leia was really getting into her role now, feeling the spirit of ''the'' Mountebank grabbing her tongue and set her words aflame. She had the crowd in the palm of her hand. "For me - and for you folk lucky enough to be here in the markets today - a bargain is a ''once in a lifetime opportunity''! A ''unique and never to be repeated chance'' for ''you'' to acquire the finest jewels of the far west! Magical treasures the like of which no Imperial artisan can hope to replicate! Spices that transform even the most mundane of street-food into a feast for the senses! And now... do I have a volunteer to demonstrate the amazing properties of the merchandise I have to sell you today?"

She resisted winking at Mecuto, as he stepped up with a pugnacious expression and began his spiel about how he didn't believe any of this. Before he could really get into the swing of it however, a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he was jerked back into the crowd. In his place stepped out one of the Lantern Wolf's agents, grinning from ear to ear.

"This sounds amazing!" she said, eyes wide with practiced innocence. "I'd be more than happy to volunteer to show these good people the true worth of your goods!"

''Bugger'', thought Leia, feeling the Mountebank's inspiration drain out through her feet like water from a bathtub when the plug was pulled. This was ''not'' going to go well.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EphisisArt.jpg|align=left|width=300}} </div>
==Overview==
* '''In addition to deals and services, certain specific goods are available from the City of Gold and Lead during the Autumn Equinox'''
The [[Ephisis|City of Gold and Lead]] deals with the Empire through the use of a unique ritual - [[Ephisis' Scale]] - that allows trade in all kinds of valuable items drawn from all over the world. As well as general deals for familiar goods, the [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of the eternal market sometimes serve as go-betweens for specific offers. These offers often come from mortal magicians looking to smooth over the challenges of transporting valuable goods over distances, but the ''Eternal Bazaar'' is equally happy to represent the other cities of the [[Realms#Autumn|Iron Labyrinth]].

Some arrangements have already been discussed in the [[Not from the benevolence]] wind of fortune which is a counterpart to this one. Here, we lay out some specific deals for Imperial traders to purchase specific goods from named buyers. Each is only available during the Autumn Equinox, and each requires the casters of ''Ephisis' Scale'' to clearly indicate the deal they wish to take advantage of.
==Bonds and Bars==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Lictors001a.webp|align=right|width=200}}</div>
* '''The lictors have arranged for Imperial magicians to gain access to objects from the City of Bar and Bond
* '''These items will be delivered before the Winter Solstice 388YE
The [[Archmage of Autumn]], '''Ashborn Trosk''' has apparently invited the [[Lictors|City of Bar and Bond]] to arrange an Autumn market. The ''Brass Magistrates'' themselves have [[Here_you_come_again#Bonds|organised a bond auction]] in the Hall of Worlds, but they have also engaged with the City of Gold and Lead. While they are creatures of the [[realms#Autumn|Iron Labyrinth]] the ''Steel Judges'' are not merchants; but they see no reason not to make use of those who are. During the Autumn Equinox the ''Infinite Market'' will serve as go-betweens to sell goods provided by the ''Gaolers'' for use by Imperial citizens.

During the Autumn Equinox, any number of these deals can be secured with a single box. During the Equinox, any box that contains a 6" by 6" [[Hirmok]] rune will be processed by the brokers representing the Lictors. The rune must be included along with a list of which items it is that the magicians hope to purchase. The details will be checked during the Sunday meeting, and assuming everything is satisfactory, the goods will be provided before the Winter Solstice.

The following deals are on offer from the ''Masters of the Green Iron Prison''.
===Rod of the Gaoler===
* '''A Rod of the Gaoler allows the wielder to cast the entangle spell and to do so three times a day without spending personal mana'''
* '''This item can be acquired for 25 Green Iron'''
This [[:Category:Rods|magical rod]] is used by servants of the Lictors to prevent prisoners from fleeing. The wielder - who must be a [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] - can always cast the [[entangle]] spell as if they knew it, and three times each day they can do so without expending any personal mana. Usually made of heavy-duty metal, the rod can obviously be used as a bludgeon as well should it prove needful to perform a beat-down on a particularly recalcitrant prisoner. As with most items crafted by the Lictors, it also has a subtle [[roleplaying effect|aura]] that gently urges those wielding it to capture those who they suspect of breaking the law and hand them over to the appropriate authorities.

===Lawkeeper's Truncheon===
* '''A Lawkeeper's Truncheon allows the wielder to call ENTANGLE once per day while wielding the weapon'''
* '''This item can be acquired for 7 Ambergelt'''
A counterpart to the [[#Rod of the Gaoler|Rod of the Gaoler]], this [[:Category:One-handed Weapons|one-handed weapon]] can be used to call [[entangle]] once per day. It follows the rules for a [[Calls#Heroic_Calls|heroic call]] rather than a spell, meaning it can be employed by a wielder who is not versed in magic or indeed one wearing full armour. The item bears a similar aura to the Rod of the Gaoler, urging the bearer to keep the peace and defend the law.

===Binding Chains===
* '''Binding Chains allow the wearer to cast entangle twice per day without expending personal mana, provided they already know how to cast the spell'''
* '''This item can be acquired for 9 Green Iron'''
A set of ''Entangling Chains'' are a [[:Category:Mage Armour|mage armour]] component that is generally crafted in the form of literal chains, often with locks, worn crossed over the torso or bound around the arms and wrists. They function in a similar manner to a [[Splintering Gorget]] or [[Wyvernsting Spaulders]], allowing a [[Magical_skills#Battle_Mage|battle mage]] vesed in the [[entangle]] spell to cast it twice a day without expending personal mana. This is apparently the "least" of the mage armour sets the Lictors create in the Green Iron Prison, but they have not made any of their more powerful pieces available this season. It also comes with an aura that urges the wearer to actively encourage others to obey the law and abide by the strictures of society.

===Mask of the Magistrate===
* '''A Mask of the Magistrate provides a 2 rank bonus to perform Stance of the Constricting Scourge, Brazen Claws of the Lictor, and Inescapable Chains of Bitter Glass'''
* '''In addition the wearer can spend a point of personal mana to gain a source of spiritual strength to overcome roleplaying effects that cause them to doubt their judgement or abandon their duty'''
* '''This item can be acquired for 25 Green Iron'''
The ''Mask of the Magistrate'' is usually a full-face covering affair made of metal or leather, featureless save for eye holes. It is generally created to be as unsettling and intimidating as possible. A [[:Category:Foci|magical focus]], it allows a ritual magician adept in [[Autumn magic]] to wield additional power when contributing to [[Stance of the Constricting Scourge]], [[Brazen Claws of the Lictor]], and [[Inescapable Chains of Bitter Glass]]. More subtly, the mask bears an influential aura that can be called on (through the expenditure of a point of personal mana) as a source of spiritual strength to resist [[roleplaying effects]] that would cause the wearer to doubt their judgement or abandon their duty.

===Ritual Scroll===
* '''The Lictors offer two ritual scrolls to Imperial citizens'''
* '''The first is a curse that weakens a target for a year but can be removed easily by the caster'''
* '''The second is an enchantment that allows a warrior to entangle opponents'''
* '''Any number of these can be purchased by people prepared to pay the price'''
The lictors are not only about [[magic items]]; they also have an interest in magic, especially that dealing with binding. They are already offering a mystic scroll [[Here_you_come_again#Bonds|that summons Furious Warders]] as a reward for capturing the fugitive ''Ringsnap '' who attempted to break into the Green Iron Prison. In addition they are offering two other ritual scrolls during the Autumn Equinox to magicians interested in purchasing their aid.

Ritual scrolls are a rare type of arcane document similar to a [[ritual text]] but much more limited. They can't be placed in lore or used directly to perform any magic - instead they are activated items that contain the knowledge of a ritual. When activated, up to a dozen magicians who are able to master a new ritual (have an empty ritual slot) can master the ritual they contain. The magicians don't have to be from the same coven, or even the same nation, but all must be present when the scroll is activated and the item generally has a limited shelf life before losing its effectiveness.

Claiming one of the scrolls requires an amount of material be placed in an Ephisis box, along with a request for the specific scroll. As with many such arrangements, if the box contains anything else it will be ignored by the heralds of the City of Gold and Lead. The box will be reviewed as normal and the magician will receive the scroll if they remain happy to make the trade.

The first ritual is '''Chains of the Guilty'''. This is a [[curse]] that was created by the Lictors for use on those suspected of a crime who are still being investigated. It causes the target to become [[Weakness|weak]], limiting their ability to resist capture or imprisonment. While under the effect of the curse, they feel chains around them that remind them they have been judged. The curse lasts for a year, but has an interesting removal method - anyone who contributed to the ritual can touch the target and verbally release them from its effects. The ritual is Autumn magic, obviously, and is of magnitude 52. To claim a copy of this arcane scroll requires the investiture of 200 ingots of green iron, and it will retain its properties until the end of the Winter Solstice 388YE.

The other ritual is '''Brass Magistrate's Arrest'''. This is a potent personal [[enchantment]] of magnitude 20 that allows the target to use a [[heroic skills#hero point|hero point]] to call [[Calls#ENTANGLE|entangle]] while wielding a [[Weapons_%26_armour#One-handed_Spear|one-handed spear]] or [[Weapons_%26_armour#Polearms|polearm]] they are proficient with. To claim a copy of this ritual scroll costs 200 measures of ambergelt, and it will likewise retain its properties until the end of the Winter Solstice 388YE.

What ''isn't'' clear, and perhaps reflects something that will influence whether the magician chooses to complete the trade or not, is what assurance is associated with the rituals. The Lictors are not averse to sharing the two rituals more widely, but any such discussion would require a [[archmage#plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] before the costs involved could be discussed.
===Runesmith Law===
* '''The Runesmiths of Wintermark'''
The items offered for sale here are just some of those created at the City of Bar and Bond. They do not produce items on the same kind of scale that they do in the [[Estavus|City of Fire and Stone]], and they are currently quite pleased with the way Imperial Citizens are exploring new legal procedures such as the [[judgement]] or [[proscription]]. As such they are prepared to offer a rare boon, specifically to the [[crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] of [[Wintermark]]. They model their offer on that which the ''Forgemistress'' [[Inkpot_gods#The_Mediators_Bargain|presented]] three years ago. There are four schema available, and the smiths of Wintermark may choose to acquire any, all, or none of them; each will cost 12 rings of ilium. The items available are:
* [[#Rod of the Gaoler|Rod of the Gaoler]]
* [[#Lawkeeper's Truncheon|Lawkeeper's Truncheon]]
* [[#Binding Chains|Binding Chains]]
* [[#Magistrate's Mask|Magistrate's Mask]]
If more than one magician pays for a schema, then half of the contents of all such boxes will be returned and the heralds of the ''Infinite Market'' will negotiate other deals for the remaining contents. '''SOMETHING SOMETHING'''
===Imperial Guild of Artisans===
* '''If the Senate recognises the Imperial Guild of Artisans (by whatever name) before the end of Saturday they can secure schema for Imperial artisans'''
* '''The Speaker of the Guild, Xanthius Storm's End, will be empowered to send a single Ephisis box to acquire all four schema'''
The Lictors are aware that full recognition of the Imperial Guild of Artisans is being [[Fair share of labour|Discussed by the Senate]]. As with many of the eternals of the Autumn realm, the Lictors are... keen would be the wrong word for such phlegmatic beings. "In favour" is probably closer. In the event that the Senate chooses to recognise the Imperial Guild of Artisans (by whatever name) before the end of Saturday Night during the Autumn Equinox, the Lictors have arranged a special deal with the City of Gold and Lead.

The current [[Guildmaster of the Artisans]], '''Xanthius Storm's End''' is empowered to send a single box using [[Ephisis' Scale]] containing 48 rings of ilium, along with a signed statement that they will do their best to ensure that the Guild operates within Imperial law at all times. In return, the ''Brass Magistrates'' will provide Xanthius with a complete set of the four schema for use by the Guild - or the Empire if they decide to give up their monopoly on such things.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Indian Spices.jpg|align=right|caption=Jarms is known for magical items and unique spices, as well as for the touchiness of its leaders.|width=400}}</div>
==The Mila Offers==
* '''Prince Mila offers three particular deals from the Principalities of Jarm'''
* '''Each deal involves exchanging Imperial currency for items from the Principalities'''
* '''A single box can purchase from any or all of these opportunities but must include a scroll that details exactly what is wanted'''
* '''These offers cannot be combined with any other offer'''
Prince Mila of the Violetinu Mishkas is by all accounts an ambitious and energetic [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarmish]] Magician-Prince. They were involved in the recent arrangements around [[My_passions_from_a_common_spring#Free_Ports_And_Free_People|Radosmo]] that allowed Imperial traders to visit the Jarmish satellite state and trade with merchants there. The Senate has since embargoed that trade, as they have trade with Jarm as a whole. Inspired apparently by the words of '''Ibiss Briarheart''', Prince Mila has reached out to the City of Gold and Lead to provide evidence that Imperial merchants are eager for Jarmish goods. Their hope is that if the deal with the ''Eternal Markets'' goes well, it will convince the Senate and the House of Princes to bring their ongoing disagreement over trade to an end.

===Star Jewels===
* '''Jarmish Star Jewels allow a magician to perform spells they already know more often'''
* '''Prince Mila has secured promises to produce some common star jewels for sale to Imperial magicians'''
* '''Each star jewel can be bought for 16 crowns apiece but the purchaser must specify which jewels are wanted'''
The [[crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] of Jarm focus most of their efforts on making things that empower magicians, both ritual masters and those who favour the use of spells. Among the best known of their particular tools are the ''star jewels'' - magical [[:Category:Foci|foci]] that allow a magician who has mastered a given spell to perform it many more times each day. There are a great many variants of star jewels, with rival guilds and Magician-Princes having their own proprietary models, but there are also items that are more commonly available - some of which have been granted to Imperial traders visiting Radosmo or the [[Those_memories_of_you#Jakhalsmarkt|Jakhalsmart]] in the [[Sarcophan Delves]].

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial magicians can choose to purchase star jewels directly from their crafters, supplied to the City of Gold and Lead by Mila's contacts. In return, Mila wants Imperial coinage. To take advantage of the offer, a box must contain ''only'' Imperial coinage, and a scroll detailing which specific jewels are desired. There is no limit to how many jewels can be acquired, but each one costs 16 crowns.
* '''Jewel of the Cup''' - Three times per day when you cast, but not swift cast, the heal spell you may do so without spending any mana
* '''Jewel of the White Palm''' - Three times per day when you cast, but not swift cast, the purify spell you may do so without spending any mana.
* '''Jewel of the Three''' - Three times per day when you cast, but not swift cast, the repair limb spell you may do so without spending any mana.
* '''Jewel of Wyrmscale''' - Three times per day when you cast, but not swift cast, the mend spell you may do so without spending any mana.
* '''Jewel of the Fire Bird''' - Three times per day when you cast the Empower spell you may do so without spending any mana
* '''Jewel of the Heights''' - Three times per day when you cast the Repel spell you may do so without spending any mana
* '''Jewel of the Shackle''' - Three times per day when you cast the Entangle spell you may do so without spending any mana
In each case, the freshly crafted jewels will be delivered shortly before the Winter Solstice by heralds of the Autumn realm.
===Spices===
* '''Prince Mila is providing a melange of Jarmish spices to Imperial buyers'''
* '''Every 2 crowns secures a random dose of one Jarmish spices, delivered at the Winter Solstice'''
As well as star jewels, Jarm is known for its magical spices. These consumables are a special kind of [[potion]] that are used by mixing them with a warm drink or hot food as it is consumed. Not only do they provide bold and vibrant flavours, the rarest are known to provide benefits to magicians such as filling them with energy, restoring their personal mana, providing remarkable healing, enhancing senses, and the like. Unlike potions they are not designed to be used on a battlefield - they require a little time to work their subtle magic but that is rarely seen as a drawback as they are intended to be used in a social setting. Indeed, some have relaxing drug-like effects that make them popular despite their limited power. Their only real drawback is that they can sometimes have negative side-effects on people who are not magicians, but that isn't seen as a drawback in the Principalities of Jarm.

There are a lot of different kinds of Jarmish spice, and rather than focus on specifics Prince Mila instead offers Imperial buyers to purchase samples of different kinds. For every 2 crowns, Mila will arrange for the buyer to take custody of a pouch of one of the Jarmish spices at the Winter Solstice. Once they have experienced the variety of magical spices available, Mila is certain that Imperial merchants will be eager to acquire more.

===Crystal Mana===
* '''Prince Mila can arrange for almost unlimited amounts of crystal mana'''
* '''Mana must be purchased in ''sacks'' which is a Jarmish unit of ten mana'''
* '''The box must contain the money and an indication of how much is desired'''
* '''Mana will be delivered before the Winter Solstice'''
Jarm is a nation of magicians, and magicians need crystal mana. A combination of [[great work|great works]], ready access to [[mithril]], and of course ''[[Better_world#The_White_Seed|Beloye zerno]]'' (pronounced very roughly as BYEE-el-o-yay zerr-NO, also known as "white seed") means that they literally have mana to burn. Prince Mila offers some of the great wealth of Jarm's mana sites to Imperial buyers.

During the Autumn Equinox, crystal mana can be purchased from the Jarmish at the rate of 12 crowns for every 10 mana (a price of 24 rings per crystal). Prince Mila is not prepared to deal in "fiddly" amounts of mana and is only selling in "''sacks''" (an official Jarmish measurement apparently). As with the other two offers, a given box can be used to purchase sacks of mana from Jarm alongside spices and star jewels. Again though, the scroll included with the coinage must indicate exactly how much mana is required. The ''sacks'' of mana will be delivered before the Winter Solstice.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Coloured cloth.jpg|align=right|caption=The artisans and wizards who work with the Blue Silk Scarf guild are masters of creating magical garb.|width=400}}</div>

==Blue Silk Scarves==
* '''The ''Blue Silk Scarf'' guild of Faraden provides access to unique magical coats'''
The [[Winds_and_flames#Silken_Butterflies|Blue Silken Scarf]] is a guild of Faraden [[Crafting skills#Artisan|artisans]] and [[Magical skills#Magician|wizards]] who specialise in the creation of find quality garb. They have done [[Where_five_winds_meet#Butterflies_and_Boxes|business with the Empire]] on [[All_the_wind#Blue_Silk_Scarves|multiple occasions]], often in pursuit of the Iridescent Gloaming they need to create their finest pieces of clothing. Building on past successes, they offer another trade deal to Imperial magicians to purchase some of their magically-infused coats. This time however they are more interested in acquiring Imperial coinage - which reflects an interesting shift in their priorities.

Purchasing one or more of the coats the Blue Silk Scarf offer during the Autumn Equinox requires a box contain only money and a sheet of paper with a butterfly or moth drawn on it. On the paper the buyer must specify which coats they wish to buy. Assuming everything is in order, the clothes will be delivered to the trader in time for the Winter Solstice. They are currently offering the following items, each of which is an enchanted [[:Category:Mage_Robes|mage robe]].
* A '''Moonmoth Coat''' costs 22 crowns. This is a deep blue jacket with moonsilver embroidery. It can be invoked once each day by a magician to allow them to increase their ranks of Night lore by one (subject to the usual limits) for the performance of one ritual.
* A '''Windwing Cowl''' costs 24 crowns. This is a bright yellow hood with sungold embroidery. It can be invoked once each day by a magician to allow them to increase their ranks of Day lore by one (subject to the usual limits) for the performance of one ritual.
* A '''Nightfire Sash''' is more expensive, at 35 Crowns. It takes the form of a multicoloured silken sash that absorbs and stores magical energies. It functions much like an [[Ashen Mantle]], but the enchantment also imbues the wearer with a particular appreciation for music, fire, and dancing.
* A '''Wildwind Coat''' can be acquired for the princely sum of 50 crowns. This padded coat is decorated with fragments of tempest jade and embroidered weltsilver thread that allows a wearer versed in its use to [[Spellcasting#Swift_casting|swift cast]] the [[purify]] spell at the cost of only a single mana rather than two. It also provides a source of spiritual strength for overcoming any [[roleplaying effect]] that relies on fear and despair.
The Blue Silk Scarf guild are confident they will be able to fill any orders sent by Imperial magicians with the aid of their contacts in the ''Silent Market''. The Autumn herald will still need to confirm the order with the box-holder, and confirm any details as to where the garb should be delivered. They have however been instructed ''not'' to gossip about why the Blue Silk Scarf are looking for hard Imperial cash rather than iridescent gloaming.

'''OOC Note:''' Much as we'd like to we can't provide physreps for these magical coats, sashes, and cowls. They will be delivered as ribbons in the inventory of the appropriate character at the Winter Solstice.
==Vallorn Exports==
{{:Those_memories_of_you}}

==Further Reading==
* [[Ephisis]]
* [[Ephisis' Scale]]

Asavean factions

2026-09-25T11:55:21Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]

==Overview==
Towards the end of 386YE the magicians of the [[Sevenfold Path]] [[One_of_us#Many_Paths_to_the_Truth|made contact with three groups of magicians]] who could help the Empire. Each of these groups have some connection with the Imperial faith but none of them are followers of [[the Way]]. They might be persuaded to embrace the Way more fully, though it is clear that their beliefs are a long way from what any inquisitor might call orthodox. Even so, if they could be relied on then they would be effective allies in the aim of establishing the way in [[Asavea]].

In the following season, the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Assembly of Loyalty]] decided emphatically that they wished to find [[Two_suns_in_the_sunset#Tear_Them_Down|those groups who would be interested in tearing down the corrupt rule of the Plenum]]. These groups would need significant support from the Empire to raise an effective rebellion, but they could help hasten the demise of the Plenum.

Supporting these rebellious groups is ''guaranteed'' to incite the furore of the Plenum. It is one thing to make contact with the curious who are keen to experiment with the Way. It is another entirely to provide military aid to groups set on rebellion. Once the Empire commits to this path then this war will go from a matter of retaliation and honour to one of survival. The Asaveans have a massive military force of navies and armies that dwarfs anything the Grendel possess. Once it becomes clear that their rule is in jeopardy they will do everything they can to ensure that it is the Empire that falls - not the Plenum.

==The Curious==
These are groups (of magicians) that profess to be curious about the Way. All of them appear to be potential allies, but the Empire has been warned by the [[Whisper Gallery]] that one of them is lying - one of the three groups described below are double-agents who are actually loyal to the Plenum. They will ultimately take whatever they are given, betray the Empire and get everyone dealing with them killed.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Dark Adapted Eye 2.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

The Empire is attempting to infiltrate another nation, to insert spires, to turn agents, to establish networks of rebels and informants and covert priests attempting to spread the Way. The [[Sumaah]] have spent years making similar attempts, and the Plenum are wise to them and expend a lot of effort trying to prevent exactly this kind of action. One of the most effective ways for them to do that is to conceal double-agents of their own within their own population - individuals who will respond favourably to any approach by a foreign power, but who will then betray that power at a moment that the Plenum deem it right.

===The Cerularios===
* '''The order has made contact with members of the Cerularios family'''
* '''They have confirmed that at least one of the Cerularios is dedicated to Prosperity'''
* '''If the Empire give the shield Glistering to Catella Cerulario then her family will embrace Prosperity'''
* '''This will reduce the materials needed to Anchor the Way by 20 wains of white granite and 60 crowns'''
* '''Glistening is the property of the title, it would require a senate motion to strip it from the title so that it could be ''legally'' sent to Asavea'''
There have been whispers for a while that one of the powerful Plenum families has dabbled with Virtue. There are claims that the Cerularios are secretly devout dedicates of Prosperity. They clearly can't be openly advocating for Virtue, not in the current climate, but their status and position in the Plenum would be enough to allow them to keep their actions hidden. They are exactly the sort of people who would represent allies in powerful places in Asavea - if they could be brought on side.

Some of the Sevenfold Path have pursued this line of enquiry, and reported back that they have had a positive meeting with two members of the family, ''Catella Cerularios'', a mercenary captain recently returned from the Empire, and her lover ''Rolerto'', a dissolute [[Autumn magic|Autumn magician]] whose family moved to Asavea from [[the Brass Coast]] decades ago and were adopted by the family. Thorough [[insight]] has confirmed that ''both'' these individuals are dedicated to [[Prosperity]]. Catella claims she converted to the Virtue five years ago when relations between the Empire and Asavea were better.

Rolerto is no priest, but he can at least name the seven virtues and tell you his favourite paragon (a Sumaah figure named ''Sjördeyr'' whose inspiration stresses the importance of celebrating as hard as one works). Beyond that, his knowledge of the Way is pretty shaky. Catella seems fairly disinterested in the Way itself, but appears to enjoy being a dedicate of Prosperity, claiming that the Virtue does more for her than the ''Black Bull'' ever did. It appears that Catella and an unspecified number of her family would welcome the opportunity to experience "more of what Prosperity has to offer".

The Cerularios are relatively well connected and influential in Asavean society, they are also a rarity in Asavea in that they are a coven of powerful Autumn magicians, able to cast rituals of high magnitude and wealthy enough to afford the mana crystals needed for it. Getting them onside would help to anchor the faith in Asavea, reducing the materials needed to complete the project by 20 wains of white granite and 60 crowns ('''OOC Note:''' This is not payment from the family, it is abstraction of the benefits provided by bringing this family on side).

There is a cost to this though. Catella came to the Empire, not to fight, but to search for a legendary artefact, a powerful relic of the faith that inspires those who hold it. She is talking about ''Glistering'', one of the original [[Pilgrim's Shield|Pilgrim's Shield]], an artefact created in ages past that has been born by the champions of Prosperity since then.

Catella has no interest in haggling over this. She is more interested in acquiring Glistering than she is in pursuing Virtue. It is a personal quest for her, that thus far she has failed. She won't be bought off, even by something more powerful and more valuable - it is very explicitly the shield Glistering that she wants. If she is given the shield she and Rolerto will use it to encourage more of their family to embrace Prosperity. They are not about to adopt the Way anytime soon, but they could be allies in Virtue - and well connected ones at that.

Clearly this is a high price, but as Catella herself points out, the Empire are asking her and her family to take enormous risks. ''"All that is worthwhile is shared with those who deserve it."'' smirks Rolerto.

===The Mikanos===
* '''The order has made contact with a powerful Winter coven called the Mikanos Covenant'''
* '''The Mikanos control an island labyrinth far from the Asavean Capital'''
* '''The group are prepared to convert to the Way in exchange for ten doses of true liao'''
* '''This will reduce the materials needed to anchor the way by 25 wains of white granite and 75 crowns'''
* '''A successful judgement of rewarding by the General Assembly would be needed to provide the true liao to the magicians'''
The Asavean Empire extends across a great archipelago that includes scores of islands, large and small. In addition to the islands that make up the heart of the Republic, there are dozens of subject states, called satrapies which are theoretically sovereign nations. In practice they are ruthlessly controlled by the Asavean Plenum in various different ways.

The Mikanos covenant are a powerful group of Winter mages, who came together as far from the rule of the Plenum as they could get, to study magic. They built their covenant on a tiny island over the ruins of a maze of stone passageways that endlessly twist and turn in an attempt to mislead anyone who would try to navigate them. The entire labyrinth is part of a powerful Winter [[regio]], so only the most experienced members of the coven are allowed to attempt to walk the passageways. Those who fail to meet the challenge of the maze do not return.

The Mikanos are utterly ''obsessed'' with death. They are very familiar with the Way and they are absolutely convinced that the labyrinth beneath their covenant is the ''actual Labyrinth'' into which human souls pass when they die. They have spent years studying their labyrinth, mapping parts of it (it seems to stretch for miles) and performing magical rituals to try and learn more about it. Their dream is to find a way to penetrate to the very heart of the maze - obviously anyone who does that will have mastered death itself and will become effectively immortal.

The Mikanos are open to converting to the Way. They are eager to learn from Imperial priests, and could make useful allies in the attempt to anchor the way in Asavea. They are far from the centre of power, but that makes it easier for them to operate more freely and as powerful and respected winter magicians they are often called on to deal with problems in this part of the world that require their skills. In particular, they loathe the Asavean church, which they regard as a pack of parasitical charlatans that is holding Asavea back from achieving its true destiny - every member of the covenant is a devout anti-theist; they are required to swear an oath renouncing all gods when they join. They appear to have a particular dislike for the Asavean God of the Dead - the immense [[Mundane_beasts#Kraken|kraken]] that some believe will ultimately drown all the world and bring an end to human civilisation.

However, the Mikanos demand a price for their help - a way to further their study of death and the Labyrinth. They know about [[liao#True Liao|true liao]] and are eager to sample its benefits. They want ''ten'' doses of true liao, one for each of the magicians in the covenant, so that each can experience a past life. Their hope is that the true liao will help them further penetrate the veil between this life and the next. They are quite clear however that they are not going to come to the Empire to experience these visions - it's far too dangerous and would likely expose their involvement with the Sevenfold Path to their enemies.

Some of the magicians who made contact with the Mikanos acknowledge that the price is high, but remind the Order of the example set by the First Empress. If one of the members of the covenant experiences a past life as someone from another land, even another empire, it ''could'' help them understand that all humanity is united under the way, which would bolster their conviction in the Way beyond what is at the moment, somewhat theoretical more than Virtuous. And of course true experience of their past lives would likely help them to see the ignorance in their belief that their labyrinth is ''the'' Labyrinth. Hopefully.

Regardless of the outcome, they would make useful allies in the attempt to anchor the Way in Asavea. Providing them the true liao they have requested will reduce the materials needed to complete the project by 25 wains of white granite and 75 crowns ('''OOC Note:''' This is not payment by the covenant, it is abstraction of the benefits provided by bringing this group on side).
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Rafael2979.jpg||caption='''Rafael Barossa di Tassato''' served as Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path when contact was made with the Curious.|align=left|width=300}}</div>

===The Bells of Becephelas===
* '''The order has built links with a group of Summer mages in Becephelas'''
* '''The magicians of Becephelas despise the Plenum and would like to rebel'''
* '''The group are knowledgeable in the Way having had periodic contact with Sumaah missionaries, many of their members are dedicated to Ambition, Courage or Loyalty'''
* '''The magicians need access to Imperial lore to give them the power to resist the Asavean military'''
* '''This will reduce the materials needed to anchor the way by 30 wains of white granite and 90 crowns'''
* '''A successful Declaration of Concord would be needed to share Imperial lore with the magicians'''

The satrapy of Becephelas has a long and fractious relationship with the Plenum. They have rebelled twice in the last hundred years, but each time the revolt was put down. The most recent occasion was just thirty years ago; inspired by the preaching of Sumaah missionaries who spread the Way here. With the determination of the Virtuous, they attempted to assert their independence, but the Plenum sent armies to crush the rebellion. They appealed for aid from Sumaah, who sent dozens of small military units to assist them, but it was not remotely enough to turn the tide. They were defeated and the leaders of the revolt were executed.

The magicians of Becephelas remain committed to Virtue and the Way. They still believe in the inspirational power of the six Virtues (they appear to have no working knowledge of the Virtue of Prosperity) but they have severed all contact with Sumaah, who they believe encouraged them to rise up and then abandoned them. The Dawnish yeofolk who spoke with two of them was able to confirm that both were dedicated to Courage, but they claim that there are followers of Ambition and Loyalty among their numbers also.

Getting their support would be one of the most effective ways to anchor the Way in Asavea and help foster rebellions against the rule of the Plenum. However there is a significant cost - the people of Becephelas feel that they have been betrayed by followers of the Way once already - they're not such fools as to try it again unless they can be confident of success. They want to have the means to defend themselves this time, a way to ensure that they can raise an army against the Plenum and have some hope of victory.

After the last time the magicians declared their independence, the Plenum forcibly destroyed every ritual text they could find in the Satrapy. They left a handful of rituals that can be used to enchant farms and businesses, everything else was burned. The intention was not just to send a clear signal to any other Satrapy that might consider rebellion, but to ensure that the magicians themselves were left powerless.

What they want, what they need, they say - is access to Imperial lore. If Becephelas magicians could study Imperial lore, if they create new ritual texts and smuggle them into Becephelas, they could rebuild their lore, rebuild their power, and when the time came they would be able to raise an army and back it with their own magic.

Having the magicians on side would be important if the Empire wants to try and overthrow the Plenum. Even if they stop short of that goal, they will be useful allies in the attempt to anchor the Way in Asavea. Providing them with access to Imperial lore will reduce the materials needed to complete the project by 30 wains of white granite and 90 crowns ('''OOC Note:''' This is not payment to the covenant, it is abstraction of the benefits provided by bringing this group on side).

==The Rebellious==
{{SOP|by=Sufyan i Zuhri i Guerra, Loyalty Assembly|statement=The Way tells us that no-one may demand your loyalty and obedience to their rule. We send Sufyan i Zuhri i Guerra with 25 doses of liao to teach the Asaveans to abandon those who have done nothing to deserve their Loyalty|vote=364-32|when=Winter Solstice 386YE}}
The mandate enacted by Sufyan i Zuhri i Guerra has sent a clear signal from the Assembly of Loyalty to the faithful that they should try to start a revolution in Asavea. This will not be simple - it is no easier for the Synod to tear down the Plenum than it would be for the Plenum to start a successful revolution in the Empire. This will be ''expensive'' and dangerous and take years. Uprisings are not unknown in Asavea - in fact they are not even uncommon - which is precisely why the Plenum are so experienced at dealing with them.

===The Satrapy of Ibaria===
* '''Ibaria is a poor satrapy on the edge of the Archipelago whose rebellion was ruthlessly crushed'''
* '''They are a martial people who would rise again, if they had the means and there was a chance of victory'''
* '''They could raise up to three armies if supplied with mithril'''
On the near edge of the vast [[Asavean Archipelago]], lies the island satrapy of ''Ibaria''. Though a peripheral and comparatively poor satrapy, Ibaria has a proud martial tradition with soldiers serving in more than one Asavean army. The Satrapy is known to some [[the League|League]] merchants who have unofficially been docking there for years, buying wines, oils, and fine metalwork. Maybe it was that contact that inspired these people to try and rise up and overthrow their satrap, it's hard to say. Either way, a few years back, their attempt at rebellion was crushed by the Plenum. Those rebels who survived fled, and some came to the Empire, helped by the same League merchants who had once prospered from the trade.

To the best of anyone's knowledge the refugees settled somewhere in the League, the [[egregore]] has even confirmed that they took League citizenship and at least some of them have attended [[Anvil]] recently, so they shouldn't be too hard to find. It may be that they have turned their back on their former homeland, and are happy to embrace their new lives in the Empire. Even if that is true, they may be able to help Ibaria raise again.

Doing so will be expensive. Rebellions need armies and armies need mithril, and huge quantities of it. The Ibarians have an intense martial spirit and the will to fight. They are eager to rise up, if the opportunity presents itself. But they are poor and the Plenum ensures they stay that way, as punishment for their last revolt. The Empire could raise up to three armies here. The [[Senate]] could pass a motion instructing the civil service to make the relevant arrangements or the Loyalty Assembly could use an appropriately [[statement of principle]] calling on those who are already involved in these efforts to make the relevant arrangements.

Either approach would work - but neither approach will supply the huge quantities of mithril needed. That will be up to the people of the Empire.

===The Children of Asav===
* '''The Children of Asav are a reactionary movement in Asavea who want to return the Archipelago to its glory days '''
* '''They lionise the nation's martial spirit, and decry the corruption and venality of the Plenum'''
* '''They are an influential cult, whose influence would grow if they were backed with Imperial funds'''
The Plenum is a hotbed of corruption - bribery, nepotism, and graft are commonplace at every level and there is a wide-spread understanding that the powerful families that run the Archipelago act largely in their own best interests. There is a natural suspicion amongst many members of the Plenum towards anyone who claims to be serving the common good. Plenum members who speak openly of how their ideas will benefit themselves are seen as more honest than those who decry self-interest. Idealists are viewed as dangerous demagogues, the kind of people who might whip up the mob to claim a mandate from the people - deluded at best, deceitful at worst.

As a result, the Plenum does not tolerate idealists for very long. In theory, the head of each major household has a seat on the Plenum but those who don't share the general philosophy quickly find themselves on the out, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. In practice, most households deal with this matter themselves - family members with dangerous ideas of change are encouraged to get themselves killed fighting the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or otherwise pushed out or ignored. There is little place in Asavean society for people hungry to improve the lot of their fellow human beings.

One such group is the ''Children of Asav''. Largely compromised of well-educated members of households who have found themselves ostracised for their political views, the Children are opposed to the rule of the Plenum and would like nothing more than to see it torn down. They dream of a return to a supposed golden age, when Asavea was the most powerful empire in the world, under the rule of warriors forged in battle. Many of them are members of the Asavean armies, and are open about their desire to replace the Plenum and the priesthood with military rule.

The Plenum doesn't waste a lot of time on the Children of Asav, partly because they are fiercely loyal to Asavea, if not the Plenum, but mostly because they are largely powerless. Any who speak openly are thrown out of their families for their idealism so they have little in the way of open political connections. What they do have is a loose network of connections spread right across Asavea that could grow into a genuine political movement. The one question the Loyalty assembly are unable to answer is how many ''other'' Children of Asav there might be, quietly toeing the Plenum line - and how committed they would be to tearing down their society if push came to shove.

To threaten the Plenum would require vast resources though, the Empire would need to set up arrangements to fund the Children of Asav directly. If they had large sums of money flowing to them, they could parlay that into growing influence in Asavean society. All it would take is the said large sums of money to come from somewhere... The Senate could do it of course, they could even use a Senate motion to set up regular payments from the Imperial treasury if they could find the money from somewhere. Or the Loyalty Assembly could make arrangements, perhaps by drawing on the Virtue fund and collecting sizable donations.

It would need to be at least 75 thrones a season to have a noticeable impact - and it would take years to build a movement. The Children of Asav want to throw down the Plenum and return Asavea to its heyday, but that can't happen overnight - even with the Empire's backing.

===The Lost Weepers===
* '''The Lost Weepers are a group of rebels who have turned to dark powers'''
* '''They worship all the gods of the Asavean pantheon and more'''
* '''They are a dangerous cult, whose influence would grow if they were backed with ritual texts'''
The Lost Weepers were once part of an influential band of rebels who managed to raise a rag-tag army, the ''Pride of Aracossa''. After the fall of Fort Maragladia to the vicious Plenum forces four years ago, the rebels who would become the Lost Weepers scattered. Left behind by the Sumaah and the Empire they hardened, reaching out for anything that would help them survive, calling to all the gods of the Asavean pantheon. And in their darkest moments, ''something'' answered them.

Now, the Lost Weepers act as ruthless soldiers, wholly committed to their cause of ''hurting'' the Asavean Plenum. They could be a dangerous weapon, double-edged and liable to nick the throat of the one trying to wield them, but potentially deadly if used correctly. If the Empire can stomach allying with those who think nothing of murder and butchery and can ignore the fell powers that the Lost Weepers have thrown in their lot with, then this group could inflict significant damage on the Plenum.

What the cult really need is access to ritual texts and large volumes of mana. If the [[Conclave]] were able to disseminate [[Thunderous Tread of the Trees]], [[Rivers Run Red]], [[Mountain Remembers Its Youth]], and [[Wither the Seed]], then they would start wreaking havoc on satrapies across Asavea. They ''know'' exactly what Mountain Remembers Its Youth does and are eager to use weapons like these on their enemies.

They have some small stores of mana, so initially the rituals text alone would be sufficient to allow them to exact revenge on the Plenum. Beyond that, they would need supplies of mana or else any rebellion will quickly peter out.

{{Asavean Links}}

Cup of choices

2026-09-24T21:18:38Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:388YE Spring]][[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>
"..so of course, it was the obvious choice for the Navarri to choose the people of the High Peaks to join us in the great dance"

"To be your pivotal node in the net of heavens, yes. Now, please understand vate Arwydd, I mean no offence to your centuries of trials and suffering, but if i may make one small suggestion?"

"Of course, Arbiter?"

"What if, and bear with me here, we used ''even more magic''?"
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Navarr.png|align=left|caption=The garden long-tended by the Navarr begins to bear fruit.|width=400}}</div>
===Overview===
Last season, the Navarr national assembly chose that Urizen should be the first nation they share their centuries of knowledge with in order to support the growth of the nascent [[Vallornguard]], and better prepare them for the fight that is to come. Not only did the Urizen national assembly welcome this with open arms, but the Loyalty assembly urged all those who know that this cause commands the devotion of their heart above all else to rise up and lend their aid.

The Navarr descended upon, or rather ascended to the Urizen territories with an unprecedented enthusiasm whether they were warmly welcomed by spires, citadels and temples across the south west. They have spent the last four months in deep discussions and constructive debate on how the masters of the high peaks might best be prepared and utilised in the war against the vallorn.

<div style="display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr; gap: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
{{SOPInner|statement=The Virtuous raise up their fellows. Any nation willing to raise arms and join the Vallornguard shall have our full support. We send Brynn Tendfallen with 50 doses of liao to lead our people in sharing everything we have with Urizen to prepare to finish the fight.|by=Teleri Thornweaver, Navarr National Assembly|vote=267-0|when=Winter 387YE}}

{{SOPInner|statement=We seek to deploy the Eyes of Loyalty to embolden the following mandate: The Virtuous raise up their fellows. Any nation willing to raise arms and join the Vallornguard shall have our full support. We send Halkyon of the Myriad Stream with 25 liao to lead our people in sharing everything we have with Urizen to prepare to finish the fight|by=Veikko Bondforger, Loyalty Assembly|vote=316-28|when=Winter 387YE}}

{{SOPInner|statement=We recognise and welcome the statement by the Navarr National Assembly (Judgement 71) and its highest calling to assist in defeating the vallorn. Urizen welcomes their aid and expertise.|by=Lepidina, Urizen National Assembly|vote=162-0|when=Winter 387YE}}
</div>
===Lifeblood===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril Woven Nets'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Great Work</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Ventosi, Redoubt</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 75 mithril, 225 crowns, and six months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the start of Spring Equinox 389YE or another great work that increases investment in mana sites is built in Redoubt</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Increases investment of mana sites in Redoubt by one
* Creates the title of ''Woven Architect of Crystal''
* Ensures that Ventosi will not suffer unduly from flooding in the future, if the territory is cursed with [[Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea|Foam and Spittle]]</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Woven Architect of Crystal'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Imperial</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Vallornguard</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receives support from Spire of the Wealdawn to purchase mana crystals and sunfruit from spires in Redoubt</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' To gather supplies of mana to fight the vallorn.</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color: LightYellow;">'''Wealth of the Wealds'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>17 crowns</td><td>14 mana crystals and 1 sunfruit</td></tr>
<tr><td>30 crowns</td><td>21 mana crystals and 2 sunfruits</td></tr>
<tr><td>46 crowns</td><td>27 mana crystals and 3 sunfruits</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''A great work could be built to boost mana production in Redoubt and allow the Vallornguard to buy large quantities of crystal mana'''
* '''The plan repurposes an old idea to create mithril nets in Ventosi'''

Just as the Marches supplies the Empire with food, so the nation of Urizen provides the Empire with mana crystals. It has long been hypothesised that there is something in the rarefied air that makes it easier to distil mana here. As if the currents of magic were being distorted by a thousand eddies as they are forced to wind their way between the tall mountain peaks.

This is fortune, for there is no doubt that the war against the vallorn will require casting ''quite a lot'' of magic. Great skill will be needed, of course, but skill alone is not enough; a ritual magician must have mana crystals to perform their work. Spurred on by the enticing possibility of actually defeating the vallorn, a chance to build a better tomorrow for everyone, people dust off old plans first looked at two years ago to increase mana production in Urizen.

''Claudius Nightstricken'', a [[stargazer]] who used to work at the [[Penumbral_Watcher#Tower_of_Light_and_Shadow|Tower of Light and Shadow]] before it was destroyed [[Sound_the_bells#Sodden_Plains|drew up the original plans]]. The plan involved a series of thinly woven mithril nets that could be installed in key points across the steep Ventosi cliffs. They would help to dissipate energy from any future storms, preventing the risk of damage from storms if the curses are needed to attack the Grendel. They would also help to strengthen the flows of magic in the territory, raising the level of investment in every [[mana site]] across [[Redoubt]].

Best of all, the nearby Spire of the Wealdawn will offer support to whoever is appointed to oversee the delicate mithril nets. The Spire of the Wealdawn will arrange for the title, ''Woven Architect of Crystal'', to be able to purchase mana crystals from across the territory and will even sell them their rare ''sunfruit''. If properly distilled, a single ''sunfruit'' can be used to restore the personal mana of a group similarly to [[Tranquil Nostrum]].

The plans have been examined and the costs updated to reflect recent changes in the territory, but they would definitely still work. It's a lot of investment, of course, and it would need funds to pay for all that mana, which would have to come from somewhere. The wind blowing through the Senate in recent times suggests that [[The circle game|markets and the like have fallen out of favour]]. But that can't apply to mana surely? Everybody needs more mana - it is ultimately more important than money.

===Coming home===
<div {{float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Sunspire'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Sinecure</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Peregro, Morrow</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 10 wains of [[white granite]], 3 wains of [[weirwood]], 3 wains of [[mithril]] 48 crowns, three months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the start of Spring Equinox 389YE</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Income of prismatic ink is dependent on continued good relations with Zakalwe</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Creates the title Arbiter of Sunspire
* Creates a sinecure producing 4 prismatic ink
* Results in supportive Urizen adding a new ritual to Urizen lore
</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Arbiter of Sunspire'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Urizen National</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Vallornguard</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receives an income of four [[prismatic ink]] each season
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:'''
* Coordinate efforts to eradicate the vallorn by Urizen magicians
* Should the Spire ever come under threat, the Arbiter would be in charge of defending it</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
*'''Sunspire could be rebuilt to resume its role as the centre for knowledge about the vallorn in Urizen'''
*'''Enthusiastic spires would donate a new ritual text to Urizen lore if it were completed'''
* '''The new Arbiter would receive a seasonal income of four vials of prismatic ink'''
It was [[Morrow#Sunspire_(ruined)|Sunspire]] that served as the centre for learning about the vallorn in Urizen. It was said that if any outside Navarr understood the vallorn, it was the Urizen of Sunspire. Navarri vates were known to visit here to exchange news and knowledge. That all changed after the Summer Solstice 386YE when a [[Ashes#Twilight_(Morrow)|force of Druj]] from Therunin looted what books and scrolls they could before burning the rest of the spire to the ground.

With the upswell of support within Urizen for the Vallornguard however, there is a newfound interest in rebuilding it so the spire can resume its rightful place in co-ordinating Urizen's response to the threat of the vallorn. If those at Anvil were willing to follow through on their words and manage to raise Sunspire again, ''Arbiter Sophia'' of one of the spires who managed to save one of Sunspire's ritual texts before its destruction would be willing to submit it to [[Urizen lore]], to see the work of her slain cousins be continued. Heralds of the eternal Zakalwe have pledged to provide a seasonal bounty of six vials of prismatic ink to the Arbiter, if they are charged to coordinate efforts to eradicate the vallorn by Urizeni magicians.

====Chalice fills from the Fountain====
<box>'''Day ritual: Magnitude 14;''' ''Enchants a character who has the magician skill to cast the Purify spell four times per day''<br><br>
This enchantment targets a character with the [[Magical_skills#Magician|Magician]] skill. Four times each day they may cast the Purify spell as if they knew it without expending any reserves of personal mana. They also experience a roleplaying effect that encourages them to root out all impurities of themselves and others of the mind, body and soul. As with similar enchantments, any effect that restores all someone's personal mana in one go will also restore uses of this ability.</box>

===A Change of Season===
*'''The Citadel Guard could take a season to refocus its application of Spring magic'''
*'''Until the end of 388YE, the General could use specific orders when on resupply to make it more effective at causing casualties'''
*'''This would replace its existing Spring magic order with a new attacking order'''

One of the very first things that the vates and thorns of Navarr teach when discussing how to kill vallorn is its susceptibility to poisons and venoms. The sentinels and stargazers meeting with them started grinning and looking at each other, and quickly discussed just how much [[Spring_magic#Venom|venom]] could theoretically be channelled through the [[Citadel Guard]] at any given moment. After significant calculations and experiments performed by the stargazers and vates working together, a new technique is distilled for consideration.

The current Technique of the Transcendent Claw could be replaced, at any point before the start of Spring 389YE, with the Technique of the Immanent Claw. Ritualists and battlemages would train with vates and thorns to learn how to blanket any enemy they face in waves of venom, poisoning supplies, and choking the lungs. The sickly sweet aroma of poison would trail in their path wherever they went. The practical conviction of the Urizeni, that they seek the most efficient path to the desired outcome, and can wield magic to do so like no other people would be on display for all to see.

====Technique of the Immanent Claw====
<box>'''Fire in the Blood'''<br>
* '''All casualties inflicted by this army are increased by a tenth'''
* '''All casualties suffered by this army are increased by a tenth'''
* '''All casualties inflicted by allied armies in the same territory who have issued attacking orders are increased by a tenth'''
The magicians of the Citadel Guard focus on realigning the arcane reverberations of the army with that of poison and venom, massively increasing the casualties they inflict to their foes which will be especially effective when fighting the vallorn. They focus on the resonances of [[Spring_magic#Venom|venom]] and [[Spring_magic#savagery|savagery]] to focus purely on the task of killing.
</box></div>

===In Sickness and in Hell===
<div {{float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''The Eastern Citadel'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Navarr wayhouse|Wayhouse]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Whisperwood, Turan Flats, or Bloodwater Marsh, Sarangrave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 10 rings of ilium, 15 wains of weirwood, 35 wains of mithril, 150 crowns, and three months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 10 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Requirement:''' Trods are placed in Sarangrave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:
* Creates the title Bulwark of the East
* Creates a 3000 strength garrison to protect Sarangrave
* Creates a guarding action to patrol the borders of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]]
* Increases taxation in Sarangrave by one throne a season
* Allows for the targeting of the Sarangrave from the Imperial regio as long as the region the wayhouse is in remains in Imperial control</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the start of Spring Equinox 389YE</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Bulwark of the East'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Navarr</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Any</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Income:''' 11 mana crystals</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:'''
* To protect the citadel and its guests and support the garrisons and their allies
* To respond to threats from the vallorn in Sarangrave
* To support the Urizen defence of the territory</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="float: right; margin-left:10px; width=50%; max-width:500px;">
<tr><td style="background-color: HotPink;">'''Patrol Béantal Dol'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Venture Type:''' Guarding Action</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Sarangrave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Urizeni, Navarr, Dawn</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Rewards:''' Same as [[Venture#Quest_Against_the_Vallorn|Quest Against the Vallorn]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' If the garrison is involved in a campaign, the military unit applies its strength to support the garrison instead of gaining any rewards</td></tr>
</table></div>
*'''The Navarr could construct a unique fortified wayhouse near the vallorn in the Sarangrave'''
*'''It would serve as a home for a garrison to protect the territory from the vallorn (or anyone else) attacking the territory'''
*'''Urizen, Navarr, and Dawnish military units could take a guarding action to patrol the vallornheart and protect the territory if needed'''
While the Urizen may be struggling with their swooping robes and reliance on Ushabti to make the swamps of the Sarangrave work for them, the Navarr are no stranger to living in conditions where nature is fundamentally opposed to your continued existence. After length discussions with the Urizeni, they draw up plans for a unique commission that combines the best of both national traditions, a wayhouse to protect and shelter people on the trods, but built in the style of a fortified Urizeni citadel. It could be built in Whisperwood, Turan Flats, or Bloodwater Marsh, at least as long as there were no other fortifications in those regions.

In addition to the normal benefits of a wayhouse, would serve as a staging ground a garrison of three thousand Urizeni and Navarr warriors. Sentinels and thorns, training to fight side-by-side against the vallorn so that both nations are ready to face Béantal Dol when it is awoken. Sarangrave is the only territory containing a vallorn that the Empire has ever controlled which hasn't been assigned to the Navarr - building the Eastern Citadel would be a way to ensure there oathsworn brands be on hand the moment they are need them.

Military units from Navarr, Urizen, and Dawn could take an action to support the garrison patrolling the eaves of Béantal Dol. It would be dangerous work fighting the spawn of the vallorn, but provided the garrison wasn't engaged in battle, the military units would have a chance to claim valuable herbs and forest resources. They would gain the same returns as those that took quest against the vallorn. The Citadel would be a valid target for any rituals that can target garrisons normally.

The architects loved this plan, and added their own ideas; using the trods not only to supply people, but magic too. By using a spiral of ilium nodes to create a grounded magical target in conjunction with the energy being leached via the vallorn-adjacent trods, and staffing it with a series of experienced seers, it would be possible to anchor Urizen's magical dominion over the territory. This would mean that, as long as the Empire held the region that the Citadel was built in, they would still be able to target it with magic from the Imperial regio, even if the Empire lost dominion over the territory. Naturally, this would require the Imperial regio to be able to target territories which they understand had been malfunctioning as of late, but the architects are sure their colleagues who visit Anvil will have no trouble realigning the regio as necessary, if they haven't done so already.

===Keep Your Friends Close===
<div {{float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''The Venom Den'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Fane</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Whisperwood, Sarangrave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 10 rings of [[ilium]], 20 wains of [[weirwood]], 60 crowns, and three months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:
* Creates the campaign title the Spider Prince
* As long as there is a resident Spider Prince, heralds will aid Imperial armies to do a total of 500 more casualties when fighting the vallorn in [[Sarangrave]] and [[Therunin]]
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the start of Spring Equinox 389YE</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Spider Prince'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Non-Imperial</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Chosen by Arhallogen</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Income:''' 9 vital honey</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:'''
* To protect the Venom Den from any threats
* To represent Arhallogen and promote their interests across the Empire
* To encourage the Empire to hunt down and slay their enemies
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Arhallogen has offered to support a fane in the Sarangrave to aid the fight against the Vallorn, for the last time'''
* '''This will support Imperial efforts to fight the vallorn in both Sarangrave and Therunin'''
* '''It is illegal to build this fane, while service to an eternal is proscribed'''

Despite the saga with the [[Navarr]] in [[Brocéliande]], [[Arhallogen|the Scorpion Queen]] is willing make this offer one last time to the [[Archmage of Spring]]. The ''Scorpion Queen'' is clear however that if this offer is not taken, it shall be the last of its kind on this scale. If the Empire turns up its nose at this gift and the Spider King is approached again for significant boons to combat the vallorn then the Archmage and the whole Empire will get a profoundly adverse response. ''Sharp-Fangs'' is patient, but eventually every hunter must ''eat''.

Once the Venom Den was complete, the ''Maw-of-Spikes'' would provide a bounty of 9 vital honey to the citizen they chose to become the Spider Prince. The eternal would also grant a [[Scorpion's Sting]] to whoever they allowed to assume the position each year.

The den itself would be a nexus of interweaving branches that would dig into the ground and rise into the treeline across a wide area. The den would allow huge spiders to lair in the area from where they could be called forth if suitably commanded. The idea of the heralds of the Spider-King fighting alongside Imperial armies to slaughter the vallorn offers clear military benefits. Specifically, all Imperial armies fighting the vallorn in both [[Sarangrave]] and [[Therunin]] would inflict 500 total extra casualties.

There's just one problem - the proposal is currently proscribed - forbidden by judgement of the Synod that condemns all such titles as unvirtuous since they sublimate mortal will and destiny to an inhuman entity. Philosophers can argue the nature of free will but is hard to argue that there are many beings in all six realms more inhuman than the ''Centipede General''.

387YE Winter Solstice Synod judgements

2026-09-24T21:02:42Z

Twiggy: /* Judgement 27 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 387YE Winter]]

<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Winter 387 Synod judgements.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Synod raised a hundred and sixty judgements.}}</div>
==Overview==
During the Winter Solstice 387YE, the Imperial Synod raised 160 judgements.

==Statement of Principle==
Fifty-seven [[Statement of Principle|statements of principle]] were presented to the assemblies during the Winter Solstice
===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Way
* '''Raised By:''' Brynn Tendfallen
* '''Judgement:''' The crises of recent years have exposed a weakness in the Imperial Way. Wisdom teaches us to test what we know. We must work to build a Way that is strengthened by truth, not threatened by it. This is the highest calling of our Assembly.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (46-100)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 13===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Luke
* '''Judgement:''' The scars of Whittle run deep. A people massacred due to zealotry. The Marchers know too well the risks of following your traditions. While the Marchers have no intent of undermining the Synod’s spiritual authority, the fact of the matter remains; A Marcher, A Marcher. Should the Synod proscribe the beliefs of the Marcher Orcs as heretical, the Marches as a whole will defend their neighbours as they would any other Marcher unduly persecuted. To echo the words of the First Empress: “You will take all of us, or none of us.” The Synod may make it’s choice.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (146-50)
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">
{|
|+ <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]|| 57
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] || 11
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] || 2
|-
|[[#Revocation|Revocation]] || 1
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] || 15
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] || 9
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] || 25
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] || 2
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] || 21
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] || 14
|-
|}
</div>
===Judgement 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The sacred Hallowed Bells of Virtue have come to gather Marcher Inspiration, shepherded by Ardeniel of the Woodwych Harts! To Upwold, the Bell of Prosperity will chime the work song, keeping the ploughs in line; the Bell of Wisdom will turn minds to tactics to fortify our land. To Bregasland, the Bell of Loyalty will follow General Amberlain, echoing her call; the Bell of Ambition will sound with the Strong Reeds as they rise. To Mournwold, the Bell of Pride will ring from the hillside of Rebellion’s Ridge, for the miners’ cause; the Bell of Vigilance will beat the bounds, readying for attack. To Mitwold, where we would send others, we send only one; the Bell of Courage. Sound it on the border. Sound it over Fort Fidelis. Sound it where the Jotun will hear. We are a Nation of hospitality and a Nation at war. We will protect these Bells with our lives and honour carrying them on their journey.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (196-0)

===Judgement 20===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Eurybia of the Wanderers
* '''Judgement:''' The Urizen national assembly approves the awarding of the Golden Cascade to Darien Numbers. Their use of the Eyes of Prosperity upon Zenith, and their generous support in building the benefice of the Golden Cascade proves themselves a virtuous friend and ally of Urizen. Citizens of Zenith - witness your donations in use.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
__TOC__
===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Rafael Barossa d’Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' The Hallowing of the Master teaches us to use others as tools to further our own aspirations: spreading the Way across the world. We should therefore seek a way to incorporate neighbouring foreign powers, and defeated barbarian nations, into the Empire as vassal-states, using them as a buffer against external aggression while their culture adapts to Imperial rule. Ultimately, this may allow them to join the Empire as an eleventh, twelfth, or twentieth nation once they have learned the Way and their place in it. We should look first to apply this to the Druj septs once we defeat their leaders, the vile Buruk-Tepel. This is our Highest Calling.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (368-80)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' The truly virtuous are loyal even through hardship and misfortune. The Loyalty Assembly took the first step to anchor the Way in Asavea and we will not falter now! We search for Loyalty sects inspired by the actions of Exemplar Alberto Acciai that we might support to help further anchor the Way in Asavea. This is our Highest Calling.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (302-162)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 25===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Samantha “Tongs” Barossa
* '''Judgement:''' AS PRELATE OF ADELMAR’S SHRINE, I CALL ALL LEAGUISH BRAVO’S and MERCENARIES TO RAISE THEIR SWORDS AGAINST THE DARKNESS IN THE WILD PLACES OF SPIRAL.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (302-22)
* '''Notes:''' A call to action for the League to clear out the threats present in Spiral, as per the '''[[My_friends_are_my_estate#Swords_Against_Darkness|My friends are my estate]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 27===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Isario i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' Live brazenly, fiercely, and truthfully; so that your life becomes proof of what is right. Cast down the chains of tyranny, fear and empty tradition wherever you find them! Act with Courage to choose what you know is true and moral, and confront the world when it stands against you. By inspired by the Exemplar Ahraz, who had the Courage to champion freedom, dignity, and prosperity, and seized them for all, through daring action and unflinching conviction. We were brave, wise, and ambitious enough to reject slavery, break it’s chains on our Empire and then on the world. We are the Freeborn heirs of a legacy of brazen passion, morality, and liberty. We do not just think it, or believe it, we live it. <u>We are fiercely proud of our culture and its freedom of ideas. We must protect and nurture both so that they can flourish. This is our Highest Calling.</u>
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (32-116)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 35===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Gwen Tendfallen
* '''Judgement:''' The Way as it exists is built upon a crumbling foundation of hearsay. The truth was supposedly contained in High Guard libraries, but those have been burned on the accusation of falsehood. It is paramount to the goals of the Way and the Empire that this hearsay be challenged. To test what we think we know about the nature of Virtue, the labyrinth, and the Way is the highest calling of this assembly.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (248-96)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 36===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Nathair Autumngale
* '''Judgement:''' From the very heartlands of this Empire, to the furthest lands touched by Virtue. We are the blood of the Empire, we are Shepherds of the Great Dance and we find ourselves entwined with our fellow Nations as never before. Paths in the dance braided together in these moments. Bring our voice through the veins of the trods that cross the lands while they resonate with our song. In the midst of winter we gather at the hearth, at home. At Wayhouse, Stead, and Tarry. We trade Song and Story with one another, and regales our history, our tale, our culture. Take heed these words, commit to memory these songs, and as winter turns to spring, bring them as a chord along these resonant trods. Bring them to our closest allies and the furthest reaches of our Empire both, so that all know that even when this magic has faded. As sure as the seasons do change. Where Navarr go, music follows.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (265-0)

===Judgement 38===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Nere
* '''Judgement:''' With the new year Highguard reaffirms its claim on the Salt Flats of Sanath once more. Necropolis is our past. Bastion is our present. Leen will be our future. These 3 cities will become the defining Pilgrimage path of our faith. And Leen itself will be our gateway to lands far across the sea and through its virtuous rebirth we will show the world the power of our faith. Highguard, there will be challenges in this endeavour, so we call on you to plan ahead. Consider the challenges we will face and how we may prepare to face them. We shall sow Virtue where they wrought filth.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (542-10)
* '''Notes:''' References a previous [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_111|judgement]] from the Summer Solstice 386YE

===Judgement 40===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Hans
* '''Judgement:''' During the Fall of Therunin, Great Forest Orcs were taken by the Druj and are now enslaved across the Salt Flats and The Mallum. Viture calls for us to show that the Empire will do anything to never allow slavery to happen under our watch. Our unconquered and military units, use your expertise to liberate the Great Forest Orcs who where enslaved by the Druj. We have laid claim on the salt flats - this is one step of many to inspire the inhabitants and our allies with our virtuous deed
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (500-0)

===Judgement 42===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Nicodemus of Balthazar’s Vineyard
* '''Judgement:''' The Grand Inspiration is now two-thirds complete. In those stones lie a promise. Designed by an Orc and a Marcher and funded by contributions from citizens of all ten nations of the Empire, this peerless structure proves to the world that in the Way of Virtue, and in this Empire, all people can achieve their highest destiny. Let us ignite the Empire’s Pride and ensure the greatest construction of our lifetimes is a flourishing success for all. The Virtuous must create what none can rival. This is our highest calling.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (34-132)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune. Refers to the [[Construct Grand Inspiration of the Way|Grand Inspiration of the Way]].

===Judgement 44===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Dr Lysimachus
* '''Judgement:''' At recent summits, we’ve had Wanderer Tulpas showing up in Anvil. Going round tossing out curses as if they were handing out sweets on t’sweet corner, and just generally being a bloody nuisance. This includes cursing some of us as a “Lesson in Hubris”. After asking us for directions.. Now some may say ‘who are we to question the workings of the minds of such lofty and unknowable entities?’ And I says Bugger That! If some Pretentious Polestar-Wannabe Pillock is gonna curse Virtuous folk for “Hubris” because they’re the one who had to stop and ask Us for directions, then I’ve got too much Imperial Pride to let their folly slide. Besides I thought the Stars were meant to be Bright? So Sod off to these Sneering Stellar Snobs Says !. Tha’s not welcome in our lands.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (166-68)

===Judgement 47===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Kellin Embercast
* '''Judgement:''' Bloodcrow Meep is campaigning to rebuild Thornsong House in Skarsind, where it can benefit from the expertise of the Yerende. I know that this will not sit easy with some in Navarr. Last Spring, Travid Longest Path’s statement that Thornsong House is “the living legacy of Therunin”, the heart of Navarr’s potioncraft, was upheld in this Assembly with a greater majority. But Courage tells us to respond to defeat by adapting our strategy and trying anew. We do not know when Therunin will return to us, but we do know that Skarsind is secure from the grasping hands of the Druj. Our nation already has an enclave there, thanks to the Ashen Tears and their Wayhouse. I urge this Assembly to throw its support behind Meep’s plan. Let us share the fruits of Therunin’s proud legacy, and forge a new one together in the forests of Skarsind.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (225-16)

===Judgement 53===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Eli of the Cenotaph
* '''Judgement:''' The completion of the Grand Inspiration of the Way is the highest calling of the nation of Highguard. Through its completion we will lay the foundations necessary to inspire pilgrims to spread the Way across the known world. It will be the greatest tool we will leave our future lives and a legacy that will endure.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (750-0)
* '''Notes:''' Refers to the [[Construct Grand Inspiration of the Way|Grand Inspiration of the Way]]. Further information on highest callings can be found in the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 54===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' BEHOLD: VIRTUE! As the MARSHALL of the FAITH, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse FIELD MARSHALLS and COMMANDERS for their WISDOM and BRAVERY in recent battles: EIRA LARKSONG and ROWAN BELLWOOD, GUNTHER, VESPASIAN of TROPAION CITADEL, AKSEL REZNOV RAZORADZE, THE VINES OF NAVARR, THE IRON BASTARDS, THE “RITUAL HUNTERS” covens destroying miasma pillars in the SARANGRAVE. And for the enchantment of TEN ARMIES in one summit the Warcaster commends: The COVEN of BARABBAS. A fuller list may be found on the Synod Notices.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (260-16)

===Judgement 66===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Khan i Erigo
* '''Judgement:''' Great deeds are eternal, and pride teaches us to lift up our fellows. Lady Emberlyn Brontide of Dawn solo cast Piranhas Devour the Kraken on 40 Imperial Captains at the Autumn Equinox, bolstering our Navy with the strength of another entire Imperial Navy of summer magic. Let this master of summer magic forever be remembered for her loyalty to the Imperial people of the Bay of Catazar. We are in your debt.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (108-0)

===Judgement 67===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Kay i Orzezz i Guerra
* '''Judgement:''' For the rebuilding of the Celesti Lighthouse of Oran, a symbol of Freeborn Pride, we the Freeborn Assembly seek to thank those who contributed, as we could not name them all on the Senate motion. Sadiq i Isa i Erigo. The Fleet Hubs of the Empire. Iago & Shivanna i Erigo. Esk i Erigo. Bakar i Riqueza. Argento i Erigo. Ghisli the Provider. Esteban i Del Rio Blanco i Guerra. Velasco i Guerra. Estevanico i Hayim i Riqueza. Let their prosperity be recorded.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (106-24)

===Judgement 68===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Rafe
* '''Judgement:''' We welcome the bell bearers of Highguard into Wintermark. They each carry a bell hallowed by those of all nations. They seek to gather the stories of our heroes so they can be used to inspire all nations. We must all seek them out and share our stories. The heroes of Wintermark should be recognised as the shining example of virtue to all that they are to us.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (308-0)

===Judgement 74===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Maja Świętosława Przewałski
* '''Judgement:''' Years ago, a (now dead) Varushkan destroyed the Jotun meeting place at the request of their patron Agramant. It has now been built anew as a place of hospitality to further closing the Jotun front. Sulkavaris is satisfied and no longer angry with our nation. Now is the time for the peoples of the north to come together as per J67 Autumn 387. Let us work <u>together</u> to prepare for the war with the Thule.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (168-52)

===Judgement 77===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Melchior of Adina's Charge
* '''Judgement:''' While we recognise virtue, we must also face the unwelcome truths of the empire's role in actions past. Whilst we vote to declare Rahvin as an exemplar, extolling his virtue and the virtuous inspiration we believe he can teach others. We also wish to recognise the Empire as responsible for his death. In the heat of battle, a case of mistaken identity, Imperial citizens killed Rahvin and those he was with. We face this truth not only in the action that it occurred, but also recognise that it was the Empire's actions which drove Rahvin's followers into this situation and back into captivity under the Druj for years to come. Where we have failed before, the light of courage teaches us to see our mistakes and expose them to overcome them in future.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (226-0)

===Judgement 78===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' The rebuilding of the Hall of the Soturi represents the start of a bold new story, no matter what is built there. When we rebuild it, let it be witnessed and remembered as a site of import. As the legacy of the new army grows, let this become a place of pilgrimage and a sinecure established there.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (140-70)
* '''Notes:''' The Hall of the Soturi would serve to allow an army raised in the Kallavesi tradition to become fearless. More information can be found in the '''[[Flight of birds]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 80===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Kasmira Milankova Ygrev
* '''Judgement:''' Two years ago, the Cold Sun came to Varushka. Volodmartz was left two options: Burn in the light of the Cold Sun or condemn Livardz to ruin. Our cousins made this sacrifice for the defence of all Varushka. Now, let us aid the people of Livards in their efforts to rise from ruin to prosperity.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (202-0)

===Judgement 82===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Yosephus Morningson
* '''Judgement:''' We are the Assembly of the Way. Our purpose is to bring new souls to knowledge of the whole Way, and lead them to full understanding. There are Seven Virtues that guide the spirit, Seven that lead to Great and Inspiring deeds. Yet there are Asaveans who know but one, others who know but six, while others claim a physical Labyrinth. This is our highest calling - to enlighten all souls, beginning with Asavea, that they may know the Seven Virtues, the Eight Doctrines, and the One True Way.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (62-84)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 91===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Task
* '''Judgement:''' The Empire has changed in the last hundred years more than could possibly be imagined. We have orc citizens now... And thus we should shape our laws to reflect that. The Prosperity assembly suggests that the religious crime of idolatry be amended to include orc citizens of the Empire. Correcting the wording as follows: Subsuming a sapients' will and destiny to any inhuman entity or force. This includes the worship, veneration or exaltation of any such being or power. Anything less than this in law is seen as an affront to the virtue of orcish citizens.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (308-0)

===Judgement 94===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Sufyan i Zuhri i Guerra
* '''Judgement:''' Building on this Assembly's recognition of the Exemplar Lady Elenor Novarion, we hold the growth and prospering of her legacy, the Proffered Hand Network of sanctuaries for refugees and freed slaves, to be the greatest present opportunity for spreading Pride across the Empire and beyond, and seek to make it this Assembly's focus for the coming year. We support the Network in completing its ambition to build a sanctuary in every nation, with only facilities in the Marches and the League remaining to be built. We encourage the Prideful to look further for new ways to support the Network in its mission to heal deep-cut scars of slavery, to offer compassion and an open hand to those in need, to uplift those who have suffered to future greatness. This is the highest calling of our assembly.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (52-122)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 95===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Wulfric
* '''Judgement:''' I Wulfric, Ambition Priest, Marcher. With the support of both Assemblies and approval of the AO9. Call for a Symposium with the purpose of discussing proscriptions and ensuring we employ wisdom and vigilance in creating a Solid foundation to build and spread virtue on.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1226-170)
* '''Notes:''' This judgement was elevated by '''Lenarius Ankarien''', the [[Cardinal of Ambition]]

===Judgement 98===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Solas of the Spire of the Waxing Sun
* '''Judgement:''' Seers of the Spires! We call on your expertise. The crushing dread of the miasma in the Sarangrave inhibits virtuous action and impedes our aspirations in the territory. Use your arete to locate the pillars that anchor this miasma, and send this information to those most able to leverage it.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (250-10)
* '''Notes:''' This judgement follows on from the '''[[Everything is trying to kill us]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 100===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Tabris, Son of Armisael
* '''Judgement:''' Fintan Nighthaven's life has ended, and his spirit has returned to the Labyrinth. The delegation from Axos who wish to collect his body are welcome to do so. This in accordance with the Nighthaven family's wishes.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (76-58)

===Judgement 104===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Callista of the Dark Shard
* '''Judgement:''' We have given our assurances to the Urizen "rebels" of Spiral - who have <u>courageously</u> chosen to leave the Empire rather than cede their ancestral homes to the League - such as the Silver Flame - that we hold them to be Urizen. Invoking the Chalice that rejoins us, we encourage our <u>Wise</u> magicians with Imperial lore mastery to assist them with their research, as well as our <u>vigilant</u> priests to advise and aid them in their dealings with pernicious eternals.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (192-0)

===Judgement 106===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Lady Gwendoloena de Sarroi
* '''Judgement:''' The Dawnish national assembly, now that the time is right, encourages Dawnish citizens to set forth and settle the regions of the Barrens that are not ceded to foreigners. With the important exception of the Bleaks as we are not settling to harass the Karass, we are settling to promote virtue for Dawn and Dawnish citizens.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (334-32)

===Judgement 111===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ignacio i Zuhri i Erigo
* '''Judgement:''' Gisli the Provider stands accused of Blasphemy; in this matter he is not a criminal but a victim. This assembly celebrates his peerless contributions to the rebuilding of the Brass Coast. His virtue and Prosperity is unquestionable.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (94-0)

===Judgement 112===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Halkyon of the Myriad Stream
* '''Judgement:''' Children of the spires, the Lost haunt the dark places of <u>Spiral</u>. The malice of the Druj and Grendel lingers. In Courage and Vigilance let us raise our SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS and make this part of the Sanctum of Stars a place for the virtuous to prosper.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (226-0)
* '''Notes:''' A call to action for Urizen to clear out the threats present in Spiral, as per the '''[[My_friends_are_my_estate#Swords_Against_Darkness|My friends are my estate]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 114===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Yrkja Riansson Sigeing
* '''Judgement:''' The vision that led us to Gull Isle showed ghodi and mystic fostering each other's children, Jotun and Imperial learning from each other as equals. This is not a place for preaching, and we do not intend to do so. Rather let us <u>display</u> virtue through our words and deeds in this place. And likewise witness how the inspiration of the ancestors is borne out in the acts of those we meet with.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (256-14)

===Judgement 117===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Eskah Swift Hart
* '''Judgement:''' Over the winter, all Navarri have heard the song "Painted", we reveal to you now that the writer and singer of "Painted" is Idwynn Splitroot, through ritual Idwynn sang "Painted" directly to Navarr & Thorn so they know we continue their great ambition to destroy the vallorn. Many have heard two voices singing back to Idwynn; they were Navarr & Thorn themselves. Know that we have heard their voices singing in unison with Idwynn & all our nation.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (138-24)
* '''Notes:''' References the song spread across the Empire, as per the '''[[The_tune_without_the_words#An_Ode_To_Blood_And_Sacrifice|The tune without words]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 119===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Jesper Luukasson
* '''Judgement:''' At the Summer Solstice of 383YE, Rane Sherarding plead clemency for the members of Zepheniah's Lament, who had shattered the mirrors of Sarvos to free thousands of souls being kept from the labyrinth by Skathe, then raised funds towards their fine. Sharing in the burdens of the necessary deed earned her name Shardbearer. Since then she has borne not only the shards of Sarvos but the weight of duty to the Empire; serving as the Inquisitor of Pride and then as Senator Kallavesa. She has fiercely fought for Wintermark's interests and often asked of us the hard and necessary questions. Her voice will echo in eternity as the priest who consecrated our sacred marsh. Her wisdom has reached out across the Empire time and again in Senate, Synod and in the Imperial Address. We see the burdens you bear and we name you the pride of our nation. We name Rane Shardbearer to the Chronicle of Heroism.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (308-0)
* '''Notes:''' Rane Shardbearer has been added to the [[Heroism#Chronicle_of_Heroism|Chronicle of Heroism]]

===Judgement 122===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Molly Mae of Mitwold
* '''Judgement:''' The walls of Meade must be built, the people of Mitwold have spilt their blood for their land and the Marches. Bree Shaw fought with courage, spilt her blood on Marcher soil and died fighting for her Loyalty to the Marches. The Marches must come together as neighbours to help defend Marcher land. Bree has always shown her pride in the Marches, as proud and loyal Marchers we owe it to her memory to build the walls, and call them Brees' Stand.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (154-0)

===Judgement 125===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Sister Juliette of Balthazar's Vineyard
* '''Judgement:''' Our siblings in Varushka have called for Livardz to rise from the ashes. In <u>peerless kinship</u>, Highguard answers their call. In Loyalty, let all those who can be spared from their duties journey north to help erase the stain of the Cold Sun and support the pride and prosperity of Varushka, in accordance with judgement 80.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (474-22)

===Judgement 126===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Pete Tong
* '''Judgement:''' Imperial citizens themselves humour malign agents by consorting amongst them. Beware <u>the enemy within</u>. Experimentation does not justify reckless acts by mages which threaten the safety of the Empire. Do not fail to call into question those who knowingly endanger us by engaging with the Whisper Gallery or any other such entity. Hold them to account.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (172-32)

===Judgement 127===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Lenore Hearthweaver
* '''Judgement:''' Veikko Bondforger is a name known all across Anvil. It is known to be the name of a hero who has built up others and forged bonds of Loyalty that stretch across every nation of the Empire. They have inspired pilgrims of Loyalty across the Empire leading the Loyalty Assembly, and raised the funds to rebuild the Hall of Rund, restoring it to the Stormcrows of Wintermark. Veikko has delved into their own skein and learned wisdom from a past life and from a Krampus curse, then returned to share that wisdom with others, sparing no effort to bind the broken and forge them stronger. The very name of Bondforger is precious to us - Wintermark rose in fury when the memory of it was threatened. We therefore name Veikko Bondforger to the Chronicle of Heroism.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (304-0)
* '''Notes:''' Veikko Bondforger has been added to the [[Heroism#Chronicle_of_Heroism|Chronicle of Heroism]]

===Judgement 130===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Dagonet de Gauvain
* '''Judgement:''' The Karass are foreigners, not barbarians. They are friends of the Empire, not enemies. To fight an enemy is to display virtue and win glory. To bully a friend displays the exact opposite. No true Dawnish folk will hurt, molest, or harass the Karass.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-20)

===Judgement 131===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Lady Laudine duLac
* '''Judgement:''' We send the Silent Bell to the Bay of Catazar to investigate the Grendel spy networks in the area
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (150-34) Margin of 116
* '''Notes:''' This judgement was in competition with [[#Judgement 132|Judgement 132]]. References an offer made by the Silent Bell in the '''[[Finding_is_the_final_act#How_Many_Fields?|Finding is the final act]]''' wind of fortune. The report of the Silent Bell will be delivered before the Summer Solstice 388YE.

===Judgement 132===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Adelorna Ordraig
* '''Judgement:''' We send the Silent Bell to the Barrens to investigate the Karass and their motivations, interactions and nature of collaboration with the Druj
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (122-16) Margin of 106
* '''Notes:''' This judgement was in competition with [[#Judgement 132|Judgement 132]]

===Judgement 133===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Torin
* '''Judgement:''' Naming is our greatest tradition that leads us to Virtue. The Wintermark Assembly believe our new Kallavesi army should exemplify that. We support building a Hall of Names to both honour the Kallavesi fighting spirit, and chronicle the names and deeds of heroes both living and dead. Let this Hall encourage named warriors to show their Virtue, and show that there is no place for savagery or cruelty, that Wintermark fights with honour. To be named is to make our ancestors proud.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (310-10)
* '''Notes:''' More information on the Hall of Names can be found in the '''[[Flight of birds]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 134===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Jared of the Sentinels Tower
* '''Judgement:''' It is virtuous to send military forces to combat the heralds of any eternals with enmity. It is important we do not dilute our efforts. Look to the Vigilance Assembly for direction to the immediate threat.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (246-0)

===Judgement 135===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Illya Nikovitch Volkov
* '''Judgement:''' Citizens of Varushka, the Varushkan children at Anvil have been investigating the lack of bees in Karov. Honey Bee of the Sovereign's Head asked the coven 'Moonlight Finds the Mountain Pass' to petition Sung for aid in this endeavour. As a result of this investigation, the National Assembly of Varushka urges all Prosperous citizens to aid in re-flowering Karov. Plant flowers, send seeds. Make Karov bloom again.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (228-0)

===Judgement 136===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Lepidina
* '''Judgement:''' We recognise and welcome the statement by the Navarr National Assembly (Judgement 71) and its highest calling to assist in defeating the vallorn. Urizen welcomes their aid and expertise.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (162-0)

===Judgement 139===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Larkin Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' The enemy are in our heartland. Just as we did in the Mourn, so shall we do in Upwold. Open your doors to Mitwold refugees, share the food from your table, and the labour with your neighbours. We encourage the people of Upwold to open your their doors to welcome Mitwold refugees. In Loyalty, we left others up.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (106-0)

===Judgement 140===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, on behalf of the Urizen National Assembly wish to condemn Aspar of Urizen by promoting the False Virtue, PURITY, by offering to give clemency to Severus of the Blinding Sun, under a virtue not recognised by Imperial Law. This action sets not only a poor example, but encourage other priests to follow his foolish actions. WISDOM DEMANDS WE CHASTISE THE <U>FOOL</U>.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (74-82)

===Judgement 144===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Galene Netherwatch
* '''Judgement:''' The Urizen National Assembly supports the efforts of the Gryphon's Pride in improving the Empire's relationship with the septs of the Sarangrave; the Bloodwater Spears, the Waterwalkers, and the free folk who have no sept. Let us uplift each other in Pride and prove the Empire are not the monsters they think we are.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (244-0)

===Judgement 147===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Amaro d'Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Since parting ways with Varushka, Temeschwar has forged its own identity as the League's city of craft and commerce. The city is more than its rats. Temeschwari citizens deserve to celebrate their achievements. The National Assembly encourages them to demand Giselle's Tomb to become the Pride of Temeschwar.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (184-0)

===Judgement 151===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Bloodcrow Knott
* '''Judgement:''' The Unshackled National Assembly thanks the Illarawm for the opportunity to create the annals of ancestors. Let the first words carved into the side of the Ossuary be: "When faced with the choice between death or protecting what is worthy, we face no choice at all. For if we stand our ground, our ancestors will welcome us on the other side of the abyss". - Jannik of the Rahvin, slaughtered by the Gryphon's Pride, ancestor of Bloodcrow Knott. His words speak of facing a force determined to wipe out your culture. The Rahvin still live due to the ultimate sacrifice of their heroes.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (110-0)

===Judgement 156===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Skywise Gralka
* '''Judgement:''' I was afraid, I broke my ties to the general in the dark, cut marks that made me his from my skin, then fled into the Sarangrave swamp to escape, the mud was deep and stank of poison. I was alone, the banners painted Druj did not matter here. And then came the sound of Drums, I followed that sound. I did not want to be alone. I saw a light. In that light the shaman and preachers of the Summer Storm passionately spoke of worth and virtue and I wanted for what they had. The Imperial Orc National Assembly encourages the shaman and preachers of the second legion to guide the lost and those who have escaped the Druj.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (110-0)

===Judgement 157===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Bloodcrow Meep
* '''Judgement:''' The National Assembly extends its thanks to the Black Tillers for their careful cultivation of Hearkerner's Hope; and for the insight and intention that guides its creation. Alas, the yield of the Legion's Rookery has already been committed to a competing opportunity, and cannot be turned aside. Even so, we recognise the worth of this work and would still seek access to Hearkener's Hope. The Assembly therefore asks whether the Black Tillers might consider an alternative for example, allowing orc priests to purchase it through the exchange of liao. Let no good root go untended.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (110-0)
* '''Notes:''' The Black Tillers presented an offer to the Imperial Orcs to take ownership of the Legion's Rookery in the '''[[Every day of your life]]''' wind of fortune.

===Judgement 159===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Enchantress Areloe Larmallevés
* '''Judgement:''' People of Dawn, our cousins in the Marches need our help: They need to raise their fifth army. However they can't due to their obligation to feed the Thule. Our senators and I ask us to help, this is not a permanent fixture. Once the breadbasket is expanded they have promised to take the obligation back. Let us help! Let us work with our cousins! Let us show what Dawn does for our Empire! Our National Assembly endorse feeding the Thule!
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (420-0)
* '''Notes:''' References the [[387YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Replace_Food_to_Thule|motion]] raised by the Senator for Semmerholm and passed by the Senate that replaced the food sent to the Thule as part of the ongoing [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|Thule treaty]]

===Judgement 160===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Fredegar Bloodmouth
* '''Judgement:''' Courageous Marchers of the Gullet! The end is in sight for the plague of coral husks. The National Assembly calls for citizens along the Gullet's coast to collect samples of coral wisely and with vigilance. If this task is undertaken and an infection is present, seek the assistance of a shatter magician and qualified physick. Samples, alive or dead, should go to Houses Goatsbridge and Myrtle for further investigation. Noting the loyalty and pride of the bold marchers, the Assembly also warns special vigilance in this task. If it comes between Marcher lives or husks samples, choose life every time.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (168-0)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Frater Pontius of Adoniram's Testament
* '''Judgement:''' Be alert to all dangers; within and without. We send Frater Pontius of Adoniram's Testament with 50 doses of liao to encourage our courageous soldiers to stand apart from these servants of eternals. Seek out falsehood and expose the truth.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (678-12)
* '''Enacted''' Highborn soldiers [[The_thing_with_feathers#In_the_Fields_of_Glory_(Eleonaris)|will deliberately keep their distance from any heralds]] sent to fight alongside them.

===Judgement 70===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Harwyn Eternal
* '''Judgement:''' The Terunael city of Hacynian has passed into history, ruined by the vallorn. We send Towlen Nighthaven with 25 liao to urge the folk of Hercynia. To swear an oath that neither they nor their descendants will seek to rebuild Hacynian. Accept its passing as a sacrifice for future free of the folly of Terunael.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (223-16)
* '''Enacted:''' Kaela will provide her support for the construction of [[Every_path_you_know#Beware_of_Dog|the Grim Pryamid]] in the Starless Vale.

===Judgement 71===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Teleri Thornweaver
* '''Judgement:''' The Virtuous raise up their fellows. Any nation willing to raise arms and join the Vallornguard shall have our full support. We send Brynn Tendfallen with 50 doses of liao to lead our people in sharing everything we have with Urizen to prepare to finish the fight.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (267-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Navarr from all walks of life [[Every_path_you_know#Thanks_for_Sharing|will travel to the named nation looking for ways to help]]. This will generate at least one opportunity for a new Imperial title to help the Vallornguard prepare for the fight with the enemy.

===Judgement 79===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Azir i Shartha i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' Beware the seduction of the false virtue of Anarchy! We send Azir i Shartha i Riqueza with 150 doses of liao to rally the people of the Brass Coast to turn away from those who would revel in false freedoms. Reject Anarchy, lest your virtue be lost! Let virtue reveal the deceiver!
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (42-96)

===Judgement 88===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Joran of Reikos
* '''Judgement:''' Seek out falsehood and expose the truth! We send Joran of Reikos with 25 doses of liao to rally the people of Highguard to use their well-earned skills to find those who betray the people of Sarvos. Let Virtue reveal the deceiver!
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (552-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Highborn congregations can [[Finding_is_the_final_act#Expose_the_Truth|lecture to citizens to investigate Sarvos]].

===Judgement 107===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Viviane Barossa
* '''Judgement:''' Seek out falsehood and expose the truth! We send Viviane Barossa with 25 liao to rally the people of the League to use their well-earned skills to find those who betray the people of Sarvos. Let virtue reveal the deceiver!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (168-0)
* '''Enacted:''' League congregations can [[Finding_is_the_final_act#Expose_the_Truth|lecture to citizens to investigate Sarvos]].

===Judgement 109===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' We seek to deploy the Eyes of Loyalty to embolden the following mandate: The Virtuous raise up their fellows. Any nation willing to raise arms and join the Vallornguard shall have our full support. We send Halkyon of the Myriad Stream with 25 liao to lead our people in sharing everything we have with Urizen to prepare to finish the fight
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (316-28)
* '''Enacted:''' The loyal will seek to assist with [[#Judgement 71|Judgement 71]]

===Judgement 116===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Creighton Blackewater
* '''Judgement:''' Pride in small things, Loyalty to great ones. We send Richard with 50 doses of liao to encourage Marcher citizens to settle the land. War is a thrice-ploughed field.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (144-0)
* '''Enacted:''' For one year, [[The_circle_game#Stirring_the_Pot|Marcher citizens can change a military unit, fleet, herb garden, mine or forest to a farm]] of the same resource level in the same territory without incurring a cost. Players wishing to take advantage of this opportunity should {{plot}}.

===Judgement 118===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Paulus Adelaar van Holberg
* '''Judgement:''' Nothing great without cost. We send Frideswide Adelaar van Holberg with 50 doses of liao to encourage League citizens to invest in business. Coin counts and everything costs!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (230-0)
* '''Enacted:''' For one year, [[The_circle_game#Stirring_the_Pot|League citizens can change a military unit, fleet, herb garden, mine or forest to a business]] of the same resource level in the same territory without incurring a cost. Players wishing to take advantage of this opportunity should {{plot}}.

===Judgement 124===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Exarch Aemon of the Suns of Couros
* '''Judgement:''' The Sarcophan folk of Alivetti estates celebrate their enclave, but we must all remain vigilant to the threats it may represent. While they seem to be honest traders, their ways are not our ways, and their faith is very different to ours. Their refusal to acknowledge Imperial law is a challenge to the Empire. We send Exarch Aemon with 25 doses of liao to urge all virtuous citizens who must attend this gathering to keep their wits about them and remain alert for threats within and without.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (338-54)
* '''Enacted:''' Sends a message to the Alivetti estates that [[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Party_Planning|while that nation tolerates them, they do not welcome further engagement]].

===Judgement 158===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Skywise Rykana
* '''Judgement:''' Ambition is much more than lines on a map. We send Jim with 15 crowns to lead a delegation of mystics and shamans to discover more of the ancestors the Karass.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (110-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Jim will lead a group of willing orcs [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|in search of information and lore about the ancestors of the Karass]].

==Writ of Consecration==
Two [[writ of consecration|writs of consecration]] were presented to the assemblies during the Winter Solstice

===Judgement 56===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Martin Orchard
* '''Judgement:''' We have the exemplar, now where is their tomb? This assembly authorises and applauds the creation of an inspirational site to memorialise the <u>EXEMPLAR OF VIGILANCE, RAVADI FOUNDERS’ DANCE</u> (consecrated to vigilance, of course).
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (334-20)

===Judgement 81===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Skáldsgrým Dunhearth
* '''Judgement:''' Following the recent destruction of the historic meeting stone where the Jotun and Empire could meet. We the Loyalty Assembly seek a 'writ of consecration' to dedicate part of the newly built feasting hall on Gull Island to Loyalty. We wish to recognise it's importance and protect from future harm as a place of both virtue and honour. Loyalty is not displayed by words or deeds alone, but the unity of both.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (534-0)

==Revocation==
One [[revocation]] was presented to the assemblies during the Winter Solstice

===Judgement 142===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Rosanna Vtrachenich
* '''Judgement:''' It is the unwise boyar who leaves none to tend the hearth. Sirka Parakgoosier Bashnya, Senator for Karsk, has abandoned their post and left no named proxy. It is your prerogative however there is no excuse in not providing a contingency. We in the Varushkan Assembly move for revocation.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (174-0)

==Proscription==
Fifteen judgements of [[proscription]] were raised in the General Assembly during the Winter Solstice

===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' The Synod proscribes the use of the ceremony of excommunication without authorisation by writ of the Synod as an abuse of powers.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1522-684)

===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' The Synod proscribes as blasphemy the act of dedicating any person to a false virtue or of creating an aura of a false virtue.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (2301-370)

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' The desecration or destruction of any relics associated with a paragon or exemplar, or the destruction of any memorial associated with them, is proscribed.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1744-290)

===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' The General Assembly proscribes the Excessionist Heresy - the claim that too much of a Virtue can be as bad as too little.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1532-580)

===Judgement 8===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' The General Assembly proscribes the creation of statues in the likeness of any eternal. It is idolatry to commission a structure designed to honour an inhuman entity.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (1094-1254)

===Judgement 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Corey Wayfarer
* '''Judgement:''' The General Assembly proscribes the Yaelian Heresy - the belief in the Land Without Tears and in Yael as a rebirth of the First Empress. These have shown to be false.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1880-110)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Vaclav Mladenovich Kosti
* '''Judgement:''' The Eternal Sadogua, the Brother of Wizards, has boasted of being the same entity known in the Iron Confederacy as Dumon, Father of Lies, a god within the Suranni pantheon. Nonetheless, he constantly seeks tribute, veneration, and adulation from the citizens of the Empire. The General Assembly proscribes the creation of statues, fanes, or edifices created in honour of Sadogua. It is idolatry to commission or to build such a thing.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (860-992)

===Judgement 97===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Geoffrey Orchard
* '''Judgement:''' The Synod proscribes the receiving of a False Virtue Anointing or a False Virtue Dedication as BLASPHEMY.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1252-536)

===Judgement 110===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Syene
* '''Judgement:''' The Synod proscribes the act of ceding land to those who are not sentient beings of this world, such as eternals or tulpas, as an act of idolatry. We make clear that it is the act of ceding itself that is idolatrous, and those who are responsible for such places are not de facto idolators.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (698-864)

===Judgement 128===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Felix Saltspire
* '''Judgement:''' Venerating an icon of an Eternal is Idolatry. Producing an Image of one is just Art. To make art exalts your pride. To venerate an eternal subsumes your will.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (496-244)

===Judgement 145===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Eevi of the Gadrai
* '''Judgement:''' The Synod proscribes entering into the service of an eternal or tulpa, where the service subsumes the individual's free will. This is idolatry. This is different from bartering for limited boons in service to your virtue.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1010-102)

===Judgement 152===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alessi of the Basilisks of the Labyrinth
* '''Judgement:''' We proscribe as blasphemy the preaching or promotion of the false virtue of vengeance
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (804-46)

===Judgement 153===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Olyvar of Esther's Sanctum
* '''Judgement:''' We proscribe as blasphemy the preaching or promotion of the false virtue of understanding
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (770-70)

===Judgement 154===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Silas of the Cenotaph
* '''Judgement:''' We proscribe as blasphemy the preaching or promotion of the false virtue of hatred
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (842-46)

===Judgement 155===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Theodora
* '''Judgement:''' We proscribe as blasphemy the preaching or promotion of the false virtue of freedom
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (790-70)

==Inquisition==
Nine [[inquisition|inquisitions]] were presented to the assemblies during the Winter Solstice

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Cato Hypation
* '''Judgement:''' I call <u>Severus of the Blinding Sun</u> to inquisition, at a time to be arranged at the convenience of the magistrates at this summit. Let him be provided with an opportunity to defend his creed under Imperial scrutiny, having failed to defend it under Sword Scholar tradition.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (30-0)

===Judgement 29===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvidottir
* '''Judgement:''' I call Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer to inquisition Saturday 16:00 at the Wanderers camp. Concerning her courage involving the autumn realm, raising an army for her nation and other matters that come up.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (118-10)

===Judgement 30===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Eirlys Ashes Blaze
* '''Judgement:''' Raising a Statement of revocation as the adjutant of the general you are targeting is an action worthy of Scrutiny. I call Harwyn Eternal to Inquisition, to tell me the loyalty in his action and answer to the treachery it appears to be. Woven roots camp Saturday 5:00pm in Navarr (right by Songs and Stories).
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (202-0)

===Judgement 48===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Arvel Tendfallen
* '''Judgement:''' I call Silas of the Cenotaph to inquisition at the Tendfallen camp in Navarr at 11am on the Saturday of this summit to discuss the virtue of his decision to canvas against a certain judgement last summit.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (30-16)

===Judgement 57===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost
* '''Judgement:''' Magistrate Sayid i Zurhi i Erigo. I call you to inquisition on the matter of a spontaneous aura upon your soul and its unclear virtuous nature. We will test what virtuous guidance it offers you. 14:00. The hub annex.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (248-0)

===Judgement 85===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Nim of Ebon's Hall
* '''Judgement:''' Iniska Ashwood, I am interested in testing whether you have been wise during your time as Inquisitor. I fear you take the words of fools too seriously. Saturday 14:00-:1500. Woven Roots.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (332-10)

===Judgement 96===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Brynmor Rootround
* '''Judgement:''' I call Neve Dreadshield, of the Quiet Step to inquisition. This winter Neve has sacrificed all her oaths to save the people. As Navarr, our tattoos make us one nation. Let her speak if her Loyalties lie with Navarr or her actions lead to her being foresworn. Drunken Goose meeting room 5:00pm Navarr
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (233-0)

===Judgement 101===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Donato of the Crucible
* '''Judgement:''' I call Cosme i Guerra, magistrate, to discuss: their role in cursing Veikko Bondforger; the virtue in this action; how this was not acting in the spirit of <u>retribution</u>. Wanderer's camp, Urizen, Sat 5pm
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (120-0)

===Judgement 150===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Iniska Ashwood
* '''Judgement:''' I call to Inquisition Mendicant Garev of Highguard to investigate his claims of Prosperity while refusing to pay those who saved his life. This will occur at the spring summit when he is available (there will be cake)
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (334-20)

===Writs of Inquisition===
The following writs of inquisition were issued this summit:
{|
| '''Called by''' || '''Subject''' || '''Judgement or Title''' || '''Matter'''
|-
| Cato Hypation || [[To_fight_aloud#Fallen_Hero|Severus of the Blinding Sun]] || [[#Judgement 18|Judgement 18]] || His [[The_deepest_cut#Interred_With_Their_Bones|creed]]
|-
| Maarit Suvidottir || Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer || [[#Judgement 29|Judgement 29]] || Her [[Courage]] involving the [[Realm#Autumn|Autumn realm]] and raising an army
|-
| Eirlys Ashes Blaze || Harwyn Eternal || [[#Judgement 30|Judgement 30]] || Calling for the revocation of his [[general]] as [[General#Appoint an Adjutant|adjutant]]
|-
| Arvel Tendfallen || Silas of the Cenotaph || [[#Judgement 48 |Judgement 48]] || Canvassing against a [[Judgement]] at the previous summit
|-
| Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost || [[Civil_Service#Imperial_Magistracy|Magistrate]] Sayid i Zurhi i Erigo || [[#Judgement 57|Judgement 57]] || A spontaneous aura
|-
| Nim of Ebon's Hall || Iniska Ashwood || [[#Judgement 85|Judgement 85]] || Their [[Wisdom]] as [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor]]
|-
| Brynmor Rootround || Neve Dreadshield || [[#Judgement 96|Judgement 96]] || Sacrificing her oaths
|-
| Donato of the Crucible || [[Civil_Service#Imperial_Magistracy|Chief Magistrate]] Cosme i Zuhri i Guerra || [[#Judgement 101|Judgement 101]] || Cursing Veikko Bondforger
|-
| Iniska Ashwood || [[Apparently_with_no_surprise#Whatever_Happened_to_Mendicant_Garev?|Mendicant Garev]] || [[#Judgement 150|Judgement 150]] || Refusing to pay those who saved his life, at the Spring summit
|-
| Galene Netherwatch || Mirella of the Twisted Rose || [[Arcane Inquisitor]] || Her work as [[Archmage of Summer]], especially with regards to [[Knights of Glory]]
|-
| Vauraus "Prosperity's Forge" Korppitkotka || Natalia "The Falcon" Barossa || [[Auditor of Senatorial Accountability]] || Their work as [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies]]
|-
| Alfred Eawolfson || Tristan Ramson von Holberg || [[Basilisk of the Bourse]] || Virtue and Economics, at the Spring summit
|-
| Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost || Ser Guy of the Twisted Rose || [[Imperial Inquisitor]] || Their dealings with [[Irra Harah]]
|-
| Maarit Suvidottir || (the Face of) the Earl of Fools || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Courage]] || Taking [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]]
|-
| Eevi of the Gadrai || Bloodcrow Rasp || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Loyalty]] || Bonds built across the Empire
|-
| Iniska Ashwood || [[Emperor Vesna|Emperor Vesna Borkovna Prochnost]] || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Prosperty]] || Their [[Prosperity]]
|-
| Jedediah Boon || Brother Geoffrey Orchard || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Pride]] || Words and acts of questionable virtue
|-
| Brother Geoffrey Orchard || Ibiss Briarheart || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Vigilance]] || [[Realm#Spring|Spring]], its perils & lessons, at the Spring summit
|-
|}

==Sanction==
Twenty-five [[sanction|sanctions]] were presented to the assemblies during the Winter Solstice
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Sabella of the Silent Tide; Only a person’s own actions may be judged under an Inquisitor’s gaze, and each action you have taken has been guided by Virtue. The Proud embrace their past acts and strive to repeat - or learn from - them going forward. You did not earn the steadfast Loyalty of your Chapter for nothing; your trust in them to conduct themselves with Virtue is testament to that Loyalty returned. You have shown unfaltering Pride in taking the path you deem Virtuous and continuing to walk it. Your Chapter walks with you. The shared desire expressed to let sleeping dogs lie has been accepted Virtuously. Inquisition is our sacred tool for raising the sword when required, just as it is one for putting down the sword where needed - let this Vindication acknowledge the Pride in your actions and bring conclusion to previous division.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (126-34)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Myshki Marishka Letuchaya, Little Boyar of Levski, Senator for Miekarova, Leader of the Vale’s Heart, lighter of the lamp in the dark. Your visage is etched in stone, your hand now and always fortifying Delev. The Little Boyar’s Welcome stands; your Legacy stands with it. It is clear as a cloudless day that you have carved out your Benevolence in defiance of the Cold Sun, building refuge for those displaced by its hatred. Stories follow you from Anvil; how you have raised castle walls, been the architect of armies. What Inspiration this will become will be for your friends and followers to witness. Pride uplifts. Inquisition tests. The Signs of the Exemplar have ignited themselves in your actions. Surely as you pursue Virtue closer to home, your future deeds will be watched closer still.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (160-0)

===Judgement 31===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvidottir
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Escalating J231, Summer 387. I inquisited Viviane Barossa about the courage of her past year of challenges to fulfil a vow to carry a hallowing. I however failed because it became incredibly clear throughout this inquisition that what motivates the soul and body of Viviane is the burning flame of Ambition. Excessionism is a heresy and one that she does not follow, she committed to this challenge with her whole self. Her ambition in this act is the salvation of Axos and bringing them to the Way and out of their misunderstanding of the world. Her route is reaching out to them so they can see we can be worked with before encouraging them to come to us, to learn from our schools of thought in exchange knowing that this will help expose the failings in their philosophy and use of these dangerous auras. While intellectually she understood this aura she told me she was still not prepared enough for the way it pushed her to freeze up, to fawn to threats, to want to give everything over and just perform what the other person wanted. She condemns this aura as unvirtuous and has and I’m sure will again speak at length against its use. She seemed justifiably angry that she has had to spend a year wasting political capital and time being inquisited, doing penance, being threatened and assaulted, and having to avoid helping reform doctrine but I think felt it worthwhile to build this bridge with Axos.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (166-10)

===Judgement 32===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvidottir
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Escalating Judgement 226 Summer 387 - I clear Genoveva and Rafael Barossa d’Apulian of any nonsense about running a “dark crusade” sacrificing virtue of innocents. If debate and discussion be the food of priests I have eaten well in this inquisition. These are courageous citizens of the Empire who are dedicating themselves to both the material and spiritual conditions of human souls both inside and outside of our borders and facing the challenges and problems we are in with courage, without pretending such obstacles do not exist. While they appear to disagree on Asavea they are both devoted to liberation and protection of souls and spreading The Way, and work towards such things even occasionally at the expense of personal relationships. These views may also stem from their cooperation enabling the Night Fane to Sung in Spiral going through Senate, they however have clear views on the dangers of this and how it is being overseen to understand the role that Fanes may play in the future of the Empire and wish us to understand them. They’re both magicians with above board dealings with a handful of Eternals. If you wish to understand their virtue talk to them.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (236-10)

===Judgement 34===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvidottir
* '''Judgement - Condemnation:''' Escalating J189 Autumn 387 - I accuse Bloodcrow Knott of Heresy for willfully rejecting and perverting orthodox doctrines of both Enlightenment and The Ancestors. I do not seek his death, he is clearly a courageous Orc who cares for the souls of others in his nation, but I feel he has erred and should re-read the constitution which tasks Synod priests to "ensure virtuous behaviour", engage with the Virtue Assemblies, and reconsider his preaching in line with doctrine and the virtues. Knott admitted he has told many Orc citizens "You do not need virtue". He said he would never tell an Orc to abandon virtue if it was for them, those "not sure of virtue" he would not always help them learn about the virtues, or see virtuous behaviour of their ancestors, or see the virtues demonstrated by those around them, instead emphasising only the legends and ancestors he knows of. Enlightenment states the "practice of Virtue" will help both Orcs and Humans "develop the strength, knowledge, and enlightenment" toward their spirits "highest destiny" and he is obstructing and denying the laity's enlightenment and ability to achieve their highest destiny. The Ancestors because he is denying that "embracing the Seven Virtues leads an orc to the Great and Inspiring deeds that make an Ancestor" and thereby rejecting the doctrines clear encouragement that this helps make "Virtuous Ancestors [who] can guide future generations on the Way". While "there may be other ways to cross" he is obstructing the laity becoming virtuous ancestors as guided by doctrine. I hope his ambitions help bring more Orcs into Orthodox Virtue in time.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (174-0)

===Judgement 37===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Galene Netherwatch
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' I vindicate Sakari, Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield for raising a Declaration to uninterdict Rivers Run Red. His Ambition to achieve his goals through any means is clear. Just because you disagree with a person’s actions does not mean they are unvirtuous.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (742-96)

===Judgement 39===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Geoffrey Orchard
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Escalating from Judgement 39 of Autumn 387: LUCA I TAZIEL I RIQUEZA, CARDINAL OF PROSPERITY, offered a clear description of the circumstances around Aunty Hem’s Dedication to Anarchy, her subsequent Inquisition, and the fact that he was aware of her status for a full season before undertaking any action. This was a failing of Vigilance, and in so failing the Cardinal missed an opportunity to pull Aunty Hem back from the brink. I have proposed - and the Cardinal has agreed - that the right Penance is for the Cardinal to SPEND A YEAR UNDER ANOINTINGS OF VIGILANCE. This will allow Luca to better know this Virtue, without interfering with the Cardinal’s duties to Prosperity. In Escalating I ask the Synod to ENDORSE this course of action and to SUPPORT Luca in knowing Prosperity better. Full Inquisition reports available from me and from the citizen noticeboard. (ON OPPOSITE WALL.)
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1128-54)

===Judgement 41===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Lars Makarov
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' I Lars Makarov present my findings of following the inquisition in Autumn 387. My aim was to examine if the 5 named members of the Guard, who had taken Dark Wine and were seen to bite fallen Jotun in battle during Spring and Summer, were using it as a cover for worship of Blood in the Snow. Conclusion - None of those named in Autumn 387 serve Agramant, but by following Virtue you will all stand better prepared for the trails to come. Judgement has been provided to Molli to bear the weight of a either the Hallowing of Permion or of Isaella’s Resolve for a year and for Slark to carry a Hallowing of the Questor, to remind you of the importance of asking questions. To help continue to live with virtue.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (150-0)

===Judgement 45===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Lepidina, Chaplain Consular. I find your actions and virtue beyond reproach on the matter of Fintan Nighthaven. I look forward to watching the progression of your career.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (862-52)

===Judgement 46===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Aster Acae. You served as Chaplain Consular during the most critical juncture of Fintan Nighthaven’s tenure as Ambassador to Axos and found yourself ill-equipped for the necessities of the position. There is little point in wondering what could have been avoided had you acted. You did not. But you have done something few are capable of - you own your mistakes and learn from them. These lessons have cost much. Do not squander them.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (812-72)

===Judgement 62===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Kaspar Yakovitch von Holberg
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Teodore Dusesna of the Camorra Dusesna, you have been inquisited regarding your accusations of idolatry against Genoveva Barossa d’Apulian, Sofonisba Amilcara, Cesare di Tassato and Raphael Barossa d’Apulian and have been found wanting. You admitted you knew your accusations had no basis in fact or as anything other than unfounded gossip yet you repeated them as factual truth. The Virtuous do not tear down others nor demean them, yet you spent your time in baseless accusations. Your penance is to spend the next three months speaking with those you spread your accusations to, advising them of the lack of substance and apologising for misleading them. Following this you will attend Anvil to make a public apology to those you wronged, at the League Assembly meeting 7pm Friday of the Spring Solstice.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (304-0)

===Judgement 63===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' The Loyal serve without concern for reward, ignore qualms of actions they take for their loyalty, defend that which they care about, and protect those they love from harm regardless of any cost. Knight-Captain Alethia Wooder was not only willing to pay that cost, but did. I find no fault in their Virtue when treating with Agramant. It was impeccable. Her heart was guided by the true Loyalty of her soul, in accordance with all appropriate teachings and auras thereof. As she continues her journey on the path, she should remember that whilst the Loyal are ready to pay this cost, she should be conscious it never strays to acting as the Peaceful Martyr, willing to suffer to alleviate the suffering of others, as this, as she knows, is a malign spiritual intent.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (888-58)

===Judgement 73===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Iniska Ashwood
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' I called General Jean d'Apulian to inquisition as my first act as Inquisitor of Prosperity, as asked by members of House de Gauvain. Jean was open and honest about what happened to the permanent enchantment of Bound by Common Cause on the Wolves of War. His Loyalty shone through his words and actions. His Prosperity is also unquestionable; when the enchantment changed, the Empire would have had to pay to remove it. Jean was able to engineer another option, that saw the army able to resupply and stand stronger for the Empire. I would, however, prevail upon his virtue and ask that he find a way to remember Maurice de Gauvain to the League and the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (182-20)

===Judgement 75===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Iniska Ashwood
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Lugh Llaw Whisperleaf, I am not sure what I expected when I called you to Inquisition. Please thank your friends again for the song. I cannot call into question your virtue, your Prosperity, Loyalty, or Pride. You took heretical icons out of the grasping hands of would-be cultists, ensuring you did not impoverish those who found them, and show your work with Pride. Your decision to Hallow them to True Virtues and share them with fellow Magpies who prove themselves Virtuous and worthy is a good one. I look forwards to hearing from whoever investigates the Vallorn flowers you wear on your hat.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (197-10)

===Judgement 76===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Iniska Ashwood
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Cadenza i Fontanilla i Riqueza, Nation's Hearth, I called you to Inquisition to investigate your Prosperity and I have not been left wanting. You work hard at the Spilled Tea each day, and do not rest on your laurels with the money you make. You give so much to your Nation, to your Empire, and you deserve recognition. So many see Prosperity as the act of making money, but you make sure it keeps moving, going where it needs to go. You remind people what a single soul can do when it chooses to. You walk the path of Prosperity well, and I seek to learn your example.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (207-0)

===Judgement 84===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Nim of Ebon's Hall
* '''Judgement - Condemnation:''' Gisli, you told me that beneath a shroud of your own creation lay one of the true Virtues of the Way - but I found only Anarchy. For this, we condemn you for Blasphemy. The Institutions of the Casinean Empire will do well without your malign influence
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (256-32)

===Judgement 102===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Iniska Ashwood
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Emperor Vesna, you asked me to inquisit you to judge and recognise your Prosperity, and I am honoured that you did. Your work in Ossium gave freed slaves the opportunities to become Prosperous citizens, and you have continued this on the grandest scale across and beyond the Empire. Your foresight into the only path to take to bring the Way to the world is inspiring, and as a Navarri, your willingness to make the hard choices resonates. There is only one thing I disagree with you on - you <u>are</u> loved by your Empire. To remind you of this, the Prosperity Assembly wish to Testimony you as "Beloved" with the strength of 7 priests.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (171-30)

===Judgement 108===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Pete Tong
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Juniper du Froste, Merchant of the Fangs, in your inquisition you showed me and my co-council of your virtue. Not only are you ambitious, wise, and Prosperous - your intentions and competency are clear - but your loyalty to the Empire's duty to the Rahvin and your commitment to them is commendable. Maybe one day more bourse seat holders may be like you, and we might live in a better world.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (734-20)

===Judgement 113===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' T i Dahr i Riqueza
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Gisli (Judgement 84 Wisdom) is not guilty of Blasphemy because it is not yet a crime. We condemn people for the crimes we have written down - and in fact he was wise in his efforts to remove the effects of his experiments with the aura "to trust his own judgement." Gisli is wise, knows the law, knows magic, and makes very good business decisions. He is an asset to the Empire, and it would be wise to see the fault of his actions, which were not illegal as dedication itself is not blasphemy. Fintan Nighthaven's poison must be cleared from the Empire, but not by killing all those he poisoned.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (266-924)
* '''Notes:''' Scrutiny was extended on this judgement by '''Silas of the Cenotaph''', the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]]

===Judgement 137===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvvidottir
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' I inquisited Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer (J29) and found her courage evident. She has a strong theology and practical virtue is important to her. She is fully aware of what she needs courage to face and what challenges are within her capabilities more easily. She faces things clearly and knows when to press forward and when to try new approaches and I feel she will continue to work on her soul, improve this empire and inspire others to act for a long time.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (120-0)

===Judgement 138===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvvidottir
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' I inquisited Ida the River today at 15:00 about courage. She spoke well of her virtue and the challenges she faces in life, the ways she faces dangers and failures. Others of the hospital spoke well of her, Tiberius described her as his rock, the most steadfast mother and north star Kellen of Kingstoke attributed Ida's courage with her continuing at the hospital. Ambrove di Sarvos talked of Ida pushing them forwards to establish connections. Emileo di Sarvos talked of her not hesitating. Isolde said she gives others courage, not aiming to inspire just doing a ripple of virtue from her actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (130-00)

===Judgement 143===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Eirlys Ashes Blaze
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Harwyn Eternal described his loyalty and conviction in seeing Navarr best represented in military council. I think that this conviction is a testament to his loyalty to Navarr. However, his actions have not build up the people and team that forms the Navarr contingent of the military council. I call Harwyn to tell me in a years time of the actions that he takes from today to act with his virtue to aid this team and the goals of the military council team, in the interest of elevating his words with actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (66-0)

===Judgement 146===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Eevi of the Gadrai
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Following the inquisition of Dagon Barossa it was clear that whilst his intention was virtuous, his decision to give away the shield intended for the Champion of Loyalty lacked loyalty. It tore down his fellows and his words and deeds not united. I task Dagon to suffer the curse Bitter Mantle of the Leaden Crown next season. Even the strongest may err, the truly great learn from what scars them
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (208-0)

===Judgement 148===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Brynmor Rootround
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Neve, over the long dark, lost all her oaths in sacrifice to the Empire. SHE decided the price was of worth against the Duvanku. Without her, all of Sarangrave would have been plunged into the depths of a winter curse upon the lands. She took this great sacrifice in loyalty to the Dreadshields, to Navarr, and to the Empire, with Pride and great Courage. May she be Branded to honour her actions, knowing they will be remembered and respected, and testimony her with "Oathsworn Renewed"
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (142-0)

===Judgement 149===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Maarit Suvvidottir
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' I inquisited the Earl of Fools, along with several others. He was pleasant if nervous and demonstrated a clear growth of virtue and courage to acknowledge his actions. I wish him well in future endeavours and look forward to his benevolence in his virtue and in the future
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (84-0)

==Recognition==
Two judgements of [[recognition]] were presented to the assemblies during the Winter Solstice

===Judgement 72===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Luca i Taziel i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' To recognise Zemress i Ezamara i Erigo as a Paragon of Prosperity. Her Exemplardom is known. There is no question of Benevolence, Inspiration, Pilgrimage, Salvation and Legacy. There never has been. No voices have spoken out against her Liberation. No Past Life Visions to be seen, and no ashes yet found. For Miracles we need only look. Look to the past. The Kraken's Bane returning to post. She was thought lost in the bay with her captain. But there She came. Un-crewed. Bound for home. Look to the present. The Captain's Touch, a treasure trove of True Auras tied to Zemress. Hallows a-plenty, easy to find by simply asking an enthusiastic Zemress at Anvil. The Sumaah already recognise our captain. In times of uncertainty, let us look to stories we know are true; a Paragon that already teaches the Known World what a Prosperity looks like
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (223-30)

===Judgement 83===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Masha Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' We recognise Rahvin as an Exemplar of Courage and the first Ancestor Exemplar. <u>Inspiration</u> Fighting against the Druj, surrounded on all fronts, he inspired his people and thousands of others to fight to the bitter end, courageously standing for what they believed in, time and again. <u>Benevolence</u> Rahvin suffered greatly in the fight for the freedom of the Barrens, committing his life to bring about a better future for his people. <u>Liberation</u> Many individuals close to Rahvin report hearing his voice as an Ancestor, proof that, from his courageous actions he has crossed the Howling Abyss. <u>Legacy</u> Though the Rahvin (people) were thought destroyed by the Druj, they lived on, and fight now in his name to drive the Druj east into the sea. <u>Salvation</u> Rahvin was the driving force behind the uprising against the Druj in the Barrens, sending them to the howling abyss and ultimately leading to his followers working with the Empire.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (238-10)

==Appointment==
Twenty one [[appointment|appointments]] were raised by the [[Tribune of the Synod]] during the Winter Solstice

===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Cardinal of Prosperity]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Heilyn Bronwen’s Rest''' was appointed with 126 votes; Gorwen received 20 votes; Mabel received 20 votes; Syene received 12 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Way
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Cardinal of the Way]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Volya Nebov''' was appointed with 78 votes; Yosephus Morningson received 42 votes; Kosta-Konstanin Rabovich Bolotnikov received 30 votes; Tabris, Son or Armisael received 22 votes; Brynn Tendfallen received 10 votes

===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Lepidean Librarian|Lepidean Library]] dose of [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Caleb of the Cenotaph''' was selected with 426 votes; Kaspar Yakovitch von Holberg received 170 votes; Aspar received 150 votes; Gaelen Embercast received 146 votes; Claudia Varkulova Remislav received 132 votes; Mirella of the Twisted Rose received 106 votes; Starac Sijed Orzel received 74 votes; Mel of the Mourn received 44 votes; Frater Pontius of Adoniram's Testament received 42 votes; Tom Appleseed received 30 votes

===Judgement 10===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Champion of Loyalty]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Talos of the Silent Tide''' was appointed with 206 votes; Skaldsgrym Dunhearth received 40 votes; Haungar Oakenlegs received 38 votes; Shibboleth Tzipporah received 36 votes

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Arbiter of the Four Winds]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Donato of the Crucible''' was appointed with 98 votes

===Judgement 28===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Hand to the Dance]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Farren Silver Streams''' was appointed with 90 votes; Emrys Barbbearer Edgestalker received 41 votes; Brynn Tendfallen received 28 votes

===Judgement 33===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Voice of Barbs]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Eirlys Ashes Blaze''' was appointed with 187 votes

===Judgement 43===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Speaker of the Highborn Assembly]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Nicodemus of Balthazar’s Vineyard''' was appointed with 404 votes

===Judgement 49===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Curator of the Printers' Guild Museum]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Fabio Costas d’Apulian''' was appointed with 106 votes

===Judgement 50===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Voice of Ambition]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Ser Purslane Artorigus''' was appointed with 116 votes; Lord Roland de Lagriffe received 86 votes; Earl Cerys de Rosier received 70 votes

===Judgement 51===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Champion of Pride]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Katchiana Razorradze''' was appointed with 80 votes; Vespasian received 48 votes; Kali Keen-Eye received 34 votes

===Judgement 59===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Lantern Wolf]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Nadia von Holberg''' was appointed with 176 votes; Katarina Palantini received 60 votes; Savi Avocatt received 34 votes

===Judgement 60===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Keeper of the Orchard]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Basil Goodbeard''' was appointed with 150 votes

===Judgement 61===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Keeper of Oaths]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Veikko Bondforger''' was appointed with 398 votes

===Judgement 64===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Courage]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Masha Sigeling''' was appointed with 110 votes; Ada of House Meliora received 32 votes

===Judgement 65===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Miroslav Temnavoda''' was appointed with 142 votes

===Judgement 69===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[High Exorcist]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Belmarie de Courtenay-Wyldrose''' was appointed with 6 votes. Solas of the Spire of the Waxing Sun received 1 vote

===Judgement 86===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Nim of Ebons Hall''' was appointed with 132 votes. Gwen Tendfallen received 22 votes

===Judgement 89===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Basilisk of the Bourse]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Alfred Aewulfson''' was appointed with 7 votes

===Judgement 93===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Hand of Guerra]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Sufyan i Zuhri i Guerra''' was appointed with 74 votes

===Judgement 65===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Voice of Virtue|Voice of Vigilance]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Bryce the Hare''' was appointed with 94 votes

==Rewarding==
Fourteen judgements of [[rewarding]] were presented to the General Assembly during the Winter Solstice
===Judgement 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Valentin Ivarovich Orzel
* '''Judgement:''' The Inspirational Tomb of Ozren de Orzel has been chosen and will include an Academy of the Arts and Apartments for the High Bard of the Empire! At the formal consecration with True Liao the Culwich Witches of Weirwater have promised gifts and recognition to the Eighty-One (81) named musicians and poets chosen by the High Bard in early 386. Nearly half the funding for this Virtuous endeavour is secured. The True Liao is held in preparation. We are almost there! I request the General Assembly’s support in a Rewarding from the Virtue fund of 40 Thrones to complete the purchase of white granite to build the Bardic Academy of the Exemplar Ozren to support the ongoing work of the High Bards of the Empire and secure the Proud legacy of the 81 named performers celebrating Imperial Virtue and wonderous deeds!
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (470-662)

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Ioan Longshadow
* '''Judgement:''' Since the death of Empress Britta, the Anvil Hospital has stood as a beacon of Quiet Courage and Virtue. It has not been sustained by the Empire’s coffers, but by the Prosperity of private citizens and the relentless goodwill of volunteers. These individuals face the brutal aftermath of battle, keep soldiers in the fight, and tend to those who support them on and off the battlefield. Their Courage is not loud - but it is unyielding. And it has been overlooked for far too long. I seek the aid of the General Assembly for this Virtuous cause and request a rewarding from the Virtue Fund of 10 thrones for the purchase of herbs, mana, liao, and other essential resources in support of the Hospital - and by extension, the Empire. Let us honour the Quiet Courage of those who give their time, effort, and resources to the Hospital. Courage does not only charge - it heals, it endures, and it refuses to break.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1242-106)

===Judgement 26===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Ser Lorell Copiste
* '''Judgement:''' It is no secret that with Dawn’s deficiency in wealth, the nation struggles to build anything of use. So that this issue may be solved, Lord Morgann de Vere, ever prideful of his homeland, ambitiously seeks 8 wains of Weirwood from the Virtue Fund, to help in constructing a great work that benefits not only Weirwater, but the nation of Dawn entire. Let Lord Morgann be rewarded, and your prosperity shall greatly aid the Dawnish people.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (300-808)

===Judgement 52===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Serrusto Caeli Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' I seek to reward VITTORE van TEMESCHWAR The sum of TWENTY-TWO THRONES From the virtue fund for having prosperously created multiple items of office and regalia for Imperial titles and to assist in his further works in this endeavour
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (382-628)

===Judgement 55===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' We reward Bledri Eternal with fifteen thrones. Bledri has spent more than 40 thrones of his own funds on codifying two rituals. Stars Mantle has already been added to Imperial Lore. Revelations of the Past, which shares a vision of an item’s past beyond the ritualist’s coven, will be added to Imperial Lore shortly after being loaned to the Academy for a period. This kind of generous prosperity should be encouraged and rewarded.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (400-582)

===Judgement 58===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Laurencio di Sarvos
* '''Judgement:''' Over 150 Imperial Fleet Captains forwent personal prosperity to support the Unguerdoned Red Wind Corsairs in destroying the pirate-cultist navy of the Children of Wrecks effectively closing a front. We reward them with 40 Thrones to be shared between them.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (620-424)

===Judgement 87===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Anatolij Paukov Zorkin
* '''Judgement:''' I am seeking 6 wains of white granite to create a monument to the Silent Bell sodality to reward their tireless work Vigilantly and Courageously defending this Empire and furthering our knowledge of the Way. I have the Senate announcement, I have the labour costs, all I need is the white granite
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, partial (three white granite) (528-334)

===Judgement 90===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Oleander Ashwood
* '''Judgement:''' We seek to reward Geraint Bronwen's Rest with 16 weirwood to be put towards the City of Dreams. This is an investment in to the future of Navarr and will allow us to seek new ways to use liao
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (434-389)

===Judgement 99===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Lia Adelaar
* '''Judgement:''' The Kleists of Holberg have, through their ingenuity and tireless effort, succeeded in raising the walls of Holberg to be the greatest fortification in the known world. Funds for this great work (500T) come from the Kleists' efforts co-ordinating the prosperity of our citizens and from their own pockets. We ask for a rewarding of 8 white granite in recognition of their great Ambition and Prosperity, and to support future projects including the Imperatrix docks.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, but none remain (408-380)

===Judgement 103===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Cyrus of Athaliah's Handiwork
* '''Judgement:''' We award Naomi of Felix's Watch, 5 wains of white granite towards the restoration of Berechiah's Basilica in Bastion, which is in a dangerous state of disrepair, and is a threat to the life and limb of pilgrims. It was consecrated with true liao in 385YE and has provided only a fraction of the benefit it might have. Now, when we need Berechiah's inspiration to fight foreign espionage rings is the perfect time to complete the work and create a new title to be appointed by the Vigilance Assembly
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (672-214)

===Judgement 115===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Catena
* '''Judgement:''' To bring the Way to the hermit kingdom of Tsark, we must <u>talk</u> to them. An opportunity to build that bridge has arisen in the form of the Garden of the Perfect World - this will allow us to trade weirwood to them for white granite and improve the Prosperity of us both. This door was opened by Abel the Rounder, and I ask that this Assembly provide him 8 wains of weirwood in order that it may be built as soon as possible.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, but none remain (188-154)

===Judgement 120===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Emrys Fleurir
* '''Judgement:''' We seek to reward Ser Raine Fisher with 16 Weirwood for their efforts in rousing Dawnish fleets to aid the Red Wind Corsairs, so that they may fund Ambitious projects to increase the Empire's naval strength.
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (178-248)

===Judgement 121===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Xandor Trodbroker
* '''Judgement:''' We seek to reward Eleri Bronwen's Rest with 6 wains of mithril to be put towards the army currently mustering in Hercynia. The army will be put to use defending the Empire's borders to help safeguard the spiritual centre of the Way
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (261-106)

===Judgement 123===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Neala Blackhawk
* '''Judgement:''' We reward Halwyn Splitroot for achieving the great ambition of rebuilding and consecrating First Voice Glade and School inspiring pride and increasing prosperity within the Empire. We grant him 16 weirwood as reward for this great work and in the knowledge that this will support his efforts to further improve the Glade and School to benefit the prosperity and herbal knowledge of the Vallornguard
* '''Outcome:''' Not Upheld (144-146)

==Special Considerations==
The following considerations should be borne in mind when bringing judgements before the Imperial Synod during the Winter Solstice.
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Assembly'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Consideration'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Link'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Duration'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>All Assemblies</td><td>Statements that prioritise the greater good over personal loyalties are less effective.</td><td>[[Cardinal_of_Loyalty#Additional_Powers_-_The_Eyes_of_Loyalty|Eyes of Loyalty]]</td><td>Ongoing</td>
<tr><td>All Assemblies</td><td>Statements that try to compel Loyalty will fail.</td><td>[[Cardinal_of_Loyalty#Additional_Powers_-_The_Eyes_of_Loyalty|Eyes of Loyalty]]</td><td>Ongoing</td>
<tr><td>All Assemblies</td><td>Revocations and Excommunications for disloyalty to the nation or Empire risk causing dissent.</td><td>[[Cardinal_of_Loyalty#Additional_Powers_-_The_Eyes_of_Loyalty|Eyes of Loyalty]]</td><td>Ongoing</td>
<tr><td>All Assemblies</td><td>Any mandate that does not pass with a greater majority will have limited or no effect on Urizen or Varushka. It is not impossible that a mandate might lead to a response in one of the two nations, but it won't lead to any immediate consequences for the people of the nation. </td><td>[[Hard_and_suspecting#The_Urizen_Assembly|Urizen Link]]<br>[[Hard_and_suspecting#The_Varushkan_Assembly|Varushka Link]]</td><td>Ongoing</td>
<tr><td>All Assemblies</td><td>Any mandate that does not pass with a greater majority will have limited or no effect on Wintermark unless enacted by the Wintermark Assembly. It is not impossible that a mandate might lead to a response in the nation, but it won't lead to any immediate consequences for the people of the nation. </td><td>[[The_final_cut#Questions_for_Wintermark|The final cut]]</td><td>Ongoing</td>
<tr><td>All Assemblies</td><td>Statements that stress the need to follow Imperial law rather than virtue will be unlikely to lead to a mandate.</td><td>[[Knocking_on_every_door#A_Paper_Shield|Knocking on every door]]</td><td>Ongoing</td>
<tr><td>League Assembly</td><td>No statement of principle raised by the League Assembly that calls on citizens to support a different cause will have an effect.</td><td>[[The war of thorns and flowers#The League|The war of thorns and flowers]]</td><td>Until Winter 387YE</td>
<tr><td>Varushkan Assembly</td><td>No statement of principle raised by the Varushkan Assembly that calls on citizens to support a different cause will have an effect.</td><td>[[The war of thorns and flowers#Varushka|The war of thorns and flowers]]</td><td>Until Winter 387YE</td>
</table>

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Winter Solstice 387YE summit, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>88 thrones, 15 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>16 wains</td><td>1 dose</td>
</table>

Total donations made were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>65 thrones, 7 crowns, 16 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

The total amounts carried forward to the next summit were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>104 thrones, 11 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 1 throne, 2 crowns at the [[Rewarding#Counting Houses|counting house]] of [[Reikos]]
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 10 thrones to '''Ioan Longshadow''' following [[#Judgement 12|Judgement 12]] being upheld (margin 1136)
* 5 wains of white granite to '''Cyrus of Athaliah's Handiwork''' following [[#Judgement 103|Judgement 103]] being upheld (margin 458)
* 40 thrones to '''Laurencio Lemmini di Sarvos''' following [[#Judgement 58|Judgement 8]] being upheld (margin 196)
* 3 wains of white granite to '''Anatolij''' following [[#Judgement 87|Judgement 87]] being upheld (margin 194)
* 6 wains of mithril to '''Xandor Trodbroker''' following [[#Judgement 121|Judgement 121]] being upheld (margin 155)
* 16 wains of weirwood to '''Oleander Ashwood''' following [[#Judgement 90|Judgement 90]] being upheld (margin 45)
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations made during the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 65 thrones for the Bourse dose of True Liao from '''Umbar'''
* 6 crowns from '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian'''
* 1 crown from '''Berith Martel'''
* 16 rings in small donations
</div>

==Doses of True Liao==

Six doses of [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]] were disbursed this summit:
* One dose to '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''' as [[the Throne]]
* One dose in connection to the [[Lepidean Librarian|Lepidean University]] to '''Caleb of the Cenotaph''' via [[#Judgement 3|Judgement 3]]
* One dose to '''Umbar''' by purchase in the [[Public auction|Public Auction]]
* One dose to '''Ashborn Trosk''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Ingrid Talon-of-the-Mark''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Amberlain P. Black''' by decision of the Gatekeepers

==Assembly Strength==
The table below shows the size, total voting strength and greater majority thresholds for each assembly as calculated at the start of the summit.

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | Virtue Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Ambition || 53 || 742 || 372
|-
|Courage || 41 || 492 || 247
|-
|Loyalty || 61 || 788 || 395
|-
|Pride || 36 || 440 || 221
|-
|Prosperity || 42 || 513 || 257
|-
|Vigilance || 47 || 532 || 267
|-
|Wisdom || 41 || 554 || 278
|-
|The Way || 29 || 320 || 161
|-
|General || 350 || 4381 || 2191
|-
|}

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | National Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Brass Coast || 15 || 166 || 84
|-
|Dawn || 51 || 672 || 337
|-
|Highguard || 74 || 940 || 471
|-
|Imperial Orcs || 9 || 138 || 70
|-
|League || 36 || 514 || 258
|-
|Marches || 22 || 250 || 126
|-
|Navarr || 43 || 499 || 250
|-
|Urizen || 27 || 314 || 158
|-
|Varushka || 31 || 398 || 200
|-
|Wintermark || 42 || 490 || 246
|-
|General || 350 || 4381 || 2191
|-
|}

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>

List of Criminal Offences

2026-09-23T00:48:45Z

Twiggy: /* Crimes against the Person */

==Overview==
The definitions of the crimes are brief, but this reflects the laws of the setting. Crimes are based on simple principles and are addressed by following the spirit of the law rather than complex technical arguments. The magistrates will do their best to interpret and apply the law with the pursuit of justice and the imperial interest as their goal. Justice is intended to be swift but fair and to be available to all without the need for lawyers to interpret what the law means to the ordinary citizen. Please note that the law usually refers to a "person" but who actually benefits from protection under the law can be found [[Imperial_Law_Overview|here]]. Any exceptions to this are referred to explicitly in the definitions below e.g. for treason.

==Crimes against the Person==
* Murder: Unlawful assault or other action against a person with intent to kill and which results in someone’s death.
* Manslaughter: Unlawful assault or other action against a person which results in someone’s death.
* Assault: Unlawfully striking a person.

There is a traditional defence to an assault charge which applies where unwelcome visitors who refuse to leave your camp are cut down, removed from camp and then provided with sufficient medical assistance to avoid permanent injury. One who is accused of assault but wishes to claim this defence should plead not guilty if it goes to trial. However, if the magistrate decides that the accused’s behaviour was unreasonable they will be found guilty.

Remember that persons who consent to do so can fight each other without fear of legal sanction, provided that nobody is seriously hurt and they are not causing a public order issue.
* Mayhem: Unlawfully maiming or mutilating a person.
* Poisoning: Introducing or applying a poisonous substance or effect to a person which causes them harm.
* False Imprisonment: Unlawfully detaining a person against their will. Suspects must be directly supervised during any period of lawful custody.
* Malsanguino: Willfully preventing someone from receiving medical attention with the intention of causing them harm.
Note that malsanguino does not apply where somebody simply refuses to provide medical attention.
* Slavery: Unlawfully holding the power of life and liberty over any person. The direct [[Amend_crime_of_slavery|purchase]] and sale of slaves is also illegal but this does not encompass the repatriation or ransoming of Imperial citizens.

It is worth noting that [[Orc|orcs]] were redefined as people when they became [[Imperial Orcs|a nation of the Empire]]. Whether a person is a citizen or not is irrelevant, so it is also illegal to enslave barbarian orcs. In Winter 382 the constitution was amended as part of the [[Ratify_Liberty_Pact|Liberty Pact]] to define hylje and daeva as people.

A note on piracy: Although there is currently no crime specifically relating to acts of piracy, in practice this activity falls under the crimes of assault, theft, criminal damage, murder and so on. Be aware that acts of piracy committed against [[Imperial_Law_Overview#Individuals and the law|foreigners]] by Imperial citizens will be investigated as criminal acts.

==Crimes of Property==
* Theft: Dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. The burden is on the accused to satisfy the magistrate as to their intention to return the property.
* Handling Stolen Goods: Receiving or disposing of goods which you know or believe to be stolen.
* Counterfeiting: The falsifying, or unlawfully creating or amending of an imperial document or legal tender.
* Criminal Damage: Unlawfully destroying or damaging any property either belonging to another person or to the Empire. Magistrates often refuse to bring to trial cases involving accidents or claims of negligence, preferring such cases to be held in the civil courts. Criminal damage to Imperial property is almost always dealt with in the criminal courts however.
* Possession or supply of controlled substances or items:
** It is illegal to carry the substance [[Legacy of Thorns#Gutwrench|gutwrench]].
**The [[Potion#Poisons|poisons]] created by [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecaries]] using the lores of [[The Assassin's Gate]], [[The Winter Moon]], and [[The Last Resort]] are likewise illegal.
**The blasphemous [[:Category:Musical_Instruments|musical instruments]] known as Drums of Strife, Harbinger of Chaos, and Horns of Madness are illegal.
**The drugs [[Create_law_prohibiting_Bite|"Bite"]] and [[385YE Winter Solstice Senate sessions#Criminalise Ocean's Caress|"Ocean's Caress"]] are also illegal.
*[[Outlaw Vallorn cultivation|Vallorn cultivation]]: It is illegal to cultivate vallorn. Note: Magical interactions with vallorn may fall under the Conclave's constitutional remit to ensure the fit and proper use of magic in the service of the Empire. Magistrates who investigate a potential offence of vallorn cultivation will seek expert testimony from the Conclave in cases where the position is unclear. For example, planting or tending a vallorn is very likely to be interpreted to be vallorn cultivation but harvesting magical ingredients from a naturally occurring vallorn pod may or may not be.
*[[Outlaw foreign True Liao trade|Trade of true liao to foreigners]]: It is illegal to trade [[Liao#True_Liao|true liao]] to anyone who is not an Imperial citizen. [[Amend_law_regarding_foreign_True_Liao_trade|However]], the distribution of true liao by the gatekeepers of virtue, for no payment, does not constitute "Trade" for this purpose.
* [[Ratify_treaty_with_the_Iron_Confederacy|Liao trade to the Iron Confederacy]]: It is illegal for imperial citizens to sell or trade liao to the Iron Confederacy via ports or the Suranni-Imperial border.
*[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Create_law_criminalising_Semmerlak_items|Semmerlak items]]: It is illegal to own, take, or sell any object from the depths of [[The Semmerlak|the Semmerlak]].
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2">'''Narcotics prohibited to trade with Iron Confederacy'''</td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Ancestor's Word]] </td><td> [[Philtre of Strength]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bite </td><td> [[Radiant Transcendence]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Black Star]] </td><td> [[Ravenwing Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Bronze Spider Balsam]] </td><td> [[Shadowcrow Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Chiaroscuran Balsam]] </td><td> [[Skar's Strength]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cognos </td><td> [[Skop's Mead]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Decoction of the Hungry Moon]] </td><td> [[Sorrow's Mask]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Dragon's Blood]] </td><td> Stoneheart Syrup </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Effulgent Primessence]] </td><td> [[Suffusion of Blood]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Elixir of Exalted Puissance]] </td><td> [[Talonvine Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Essence of Verdigris]] </td><td> [[The Barren Watchtower]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Firewine]] </td><td> [[The Elixir of Empyrean Art]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Goldencrown]] </td><td> [[The Philtre of Heavenly Lore]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Goosewhisper Infusion]] </td><td> [[Tincture of the Whipped Cur]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Indomitable Might]] </td><td> [[Tisane of the Stuttering Fool]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Ironblood Tonic]] </td><td> [[Tonic of Sunlit Glass]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jadebloom Petals </td><td> [[Tonic of Surging Flame]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Leaden Quicksilver]] </td><td> [[Tonic of the Distant Shore]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Legionnaire's Will]] </td><td> [[True liao]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Liao]] </td><td> [[Usher's Decoction]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Lucent Quintessence]] </td><td> [[Vernal Balm]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Mageblood]] </td><td> [[Warming Armour]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Magpie Infusion]] </td><td> [[Waywalker's Suffusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Moondust </td><td> [[Weakening Sun]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Oakenhide Tonic]] </td><td> [[Winterskin Tonic]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ocean's Caress </td><td> Yellow Lotus </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Philosopher's Stone]] </td><td></td></tr> </table></div>
*[[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Treaty_with_the_Iron_Confederacy|Narcotics trade to the Iron Confederacy]]: The sale of export of any and all narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is prohibited. The magistrates interpret this to mean any drug that affects mood or behaviour and whose function is not medical treatment. Note: Although this was passed with the intention of a three year term, this law will stand until it is actively repealed by the Senate. The magistrates have compiled a list of known narcotics that may not be exported to the Iron Confederacy. If other narcotics are identified by the magistrates later, they will be added to the list.
*[[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Cannibalism|Cannibalism]]: It is illegal to disburse, trade, sell or consume the flesh of the sapient denizens of the mortal realm. This has specific implications for Sarcophan funerary traditions and the Sarcophan drug "visivlees" which is made from the flesh of sapient creatures.

==Crimes of Position==
* Treason: Aiding barbarians, [[eternal|eternals]] or foreign powers to act against the interests of the Empire. Committing an assault against the emperor or empress. Only citizens and former citizens of the Empire may be charged with treason. There is some magistrate's guidance on interactions with eternals [[treason guidance|here]]. We do not prosecute bona fide ransoms for exchange of prisoners as such prosecutions are judged not to be within the imperial interest.
* Impersonation of an Imperial Official: Falsely and dishonestly claiming to be a senator, civil servant, member of the militia etc. Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates an official of the Empire or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that they are, shall be found guilty of this crime.
* Dereliction of Duty: Volunteering for an imperial duty and then failing to carry it out through neglect or cowardice. Members of the Militia are expected to act in accordance with their duties when they observe a crime in progress or about to occur. Anyone who takes the battlefield and then shows conspicuous cowardice in the face of the enemy may also be tried for this offence. This offence does not relate to the abuse of an imperial position, which is within the remit of the Synod.
* Membership of an Illegal Organisation: being a member of an organisation which has been banned by the Senate. In some instances, the Senate has placed additional restrictions.
** It is [[Create_law_outlawing_the_Vyig|illegal]] to be a member of the [[Vyig]], or to bear their tattoos.
** It is [[384YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Make_membership_of_Hand_of_Dumon_a_crime|illegal]] to be a member of the Hand of Dumon, or to aid them.
** It is [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Cult_of_the_Falconer|illegal]] to be a member of the Cult of the Falconer.
** It is [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Disciples_of_Sulemaine|a serious crime]] to be a member of the Disciples of Sulemaine.

==Crimes against the Processes of the State==
* Contempt of Court: any behaviour which impedes the proper operation of the legal process. For example, being disruptive during a trial or disrespectful of the magistrate's authority, failing to attend court (or any other relevant meeting with a magistrate), and failing to obey the lawful order of a magistrate.
* Perverting the Course of Justice: any behaviour calculated to unduly affect the course of the judicial process. For example, bearing false witness, making false allegations, concealing offences or assisting others to evade arrest, interference with witnesses or evidence and evading, withholding or perverting a lawful punishment.
* Subverting agencies of the state: any behaviour which contravenes or subverts the constitutionally protected procedures or powers of an agency of the state.

''For example:'' rigging or ineligible participation in the national election of senators (such as a yeofolk disguising their identity to enter a grand tourney for the position of knight-protector), a senator entering the Military Council to interfere with their military strategies, a member of the synod being refused the right to witness (without cause), a failure to attend lawful inquisition, ignoring the decision of an [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|identified citizen]] to go through the Sentinel Gate and so on. This crime does not apply to the abuse of constitutionally granted powers by the person or body who is entitled to wield them.

* Resisting Arrest: Any course of action with the intent to oppose a lawful arrest.
* Contravening a [[Declaration#Declaration of Sorcery|Declaration of Sorcery]]: breaching the [[Sorcery|prohibitions]] placed upon a sorcerer is a serious crime.
* Contravening a [[Declaration#Declaration of Interdiction|Declaration of Interdiction]]: breaching the [[Interdiction|prohibitions]] placed upon interdicted magic is a serious crime.
*Improper placement of an aura on the senate building: The placing of an aura on the senate building without prior explicit permission from the Senate.
*Improper placement of an aura on the civil service hub: The placing of an aura on the civil service hub without prior explicit permission from the magistrates and civil servants.

==Religious Crimes==
The Synod defines certain acts as religious crimes through the judgement of [[proscription]], which are then enforced by the magistrates.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Idolatry|Idolatry]]: Subsuming human will and destiny to any inhuman entity or force. This includes the worship, veneration or exaltation of any such being or power.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Blasphemy|Blasphemy]]: The denigration of the paragons and the paths of virtue. This includes promoting false virtues and the teachings, or example, of false exemplars or False Paragons.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Heresy|Heresy]]: The willful rejection, or perversion of, the orthodox Doctrines of the Faith as laid down by the Imperial Synod, or actively teaching and promoting false doctrines.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Abuse_of_Powers|Abuse of Powers]]: The misuse, or abuse, of the powers of a priest. This includes the powers of the Synod, as well as liao ceremonies.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Desecration|Desecration]]: The removal of spontaneously created virtuous auras such as legacies of ascendance to paragonhood. This includes such auras arising on areas and objects, and on those people who do not wished them removed.

==What isn’t a criminal offence?==
* '''Fraud:''' Dishonesty calculated for personal gain. However be aware that a victim might raise a civil case in these circumstances.
* '''Blackmail:''' Using threats to make a gain or to cause a loss to another.
* '''Bribery:''' Anyone can try to pay another citizen to get them to do as they wish without breaking the law - however it is a serious offence to attempt to pervert the course of justice.
* '''Slander and Libel:''' Making disparaging and false statements about another in public.
* '''Use of magic:''' Using magic on another person is never in and of itself a crime. However if the effect of the magic meets the definition of a crime then the fact that this effect was achieved by magic is no defence. ''For example,'' a curse of poverty doesn't meet the definition of any criminal offence but a death curse most certainly does. The Conclave are responsible for overseeing the proper operation of magic and have powers which allow them to both take action against those who use it [[Sorcery|inappropriately]] and to [[Endorsement|endorse]] magical acts to prevent them from being treated as crimes by the magistrates.

==Five things about criminal offences==
* '''Attempt to Commit a Crime:''' An attempt to commit a crime will be tried in the same way as if they had committed the crime but may (or may not) result in a lesser sentence.
* '''Aiding and Abetting of Crime:''' Encouraging, soliciting or helping with the perpetration of a crime. This will be tried in the same way as if the accused had committed the crime but may (or may not) result in a lesser sentence.
* '''Consent:''' It is possible for willing participants to give consent so that what would otherwise be crimes being committed against them are not. ''For example:'' two individuals who have agreed to spar with weapons would not be guilty of assault for striking each other. It is considered wise to make such terms clear in the event that there is a disagreement later. While duelling is permitted it is not possible to consent to your own murder (but a priest for the surviving party might make a plea for clemency based on the reasons for the duel).
* '''Lawful Arrest:''' If an ordinary citizen or member of the militia who believes another person has committed a crime apprehends them, then the law provides some protection against crimes (for example, assault) associated with this act. However, if a magistrate decides that their actions were disproportionate or that it was not reasonable to believe that the person apprehended had committed a crime then this protection will not apply. If a citizen wishes to claim this defence at trial then they should plead not guilty.
* '''Self-defence:''' If a person reasonably believes that their property or the safety of themselves or others is in immediate jeopardy then they may use reasonable force in order to protect them. If someone wishes to claim this defence at trial then they should plead not guilty. The magistrate will determine whether their behaviour was reasonable and if she decides that it was not then the accused will be found guilty. Claims of self-defence will also fail where the accused is already engaged on a course of criminal activity or is subject to lawful arrest. Using a claim of self-defence to justify protecting a barbarian will very likely fail unless the Magistrate is satisfied that the accused reasonably believed that the victim was entitled to [[Imperial_Law_Overview#Individuals and the law|protection under the law]].

{{Crime Links}}

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

List of Criminal Offences

2026-09-23T00:46:04Z

Twiggy: /* Religious Crimes */

==Overview==
The definitions of the crimes are brief, but this reflects the laws of the setting. Crimes are based on simple principles and are addressed by following the spirit of the law rather than complex technical arguments. The magistrates will do their best to interpret and apply the law with the pursuit of justice and the imperial interest as their goal. Justice is intended to be swift but fair and to be available to all without the need for lawyers to interpret what the law means to the ordinary citizen. Please note that the law usually refers to a "person" but who actually benefits from protection under the law can be found [[Imperial_Law_Overview|here]]. Any exceptions to this are referred to explicitly in the definitions below e.g. for treason.

==Crimes against the Person==
* Murder: Unlawful assault or other action against a person with intent to kill and which results in someone’s death.
* Manslaughter: Unlawful assault or other action against a person which results in someone’s death.
* Assault: Unlawfully striking a person.

There is a traditional defence to an assault charge which applies where unwelcome visitors who refuse to leave your camp are cut down, removed from camp and then provided with sufficient medical assistance to avoid permanent injury. One who is accused of assault but wishes to claim this defence should plead not guilty if it goes to trial. However, if the magistrate decides that the accused’s behaviour was unreasonable they will be found guilty.

Remember that persons who consent to do so can fight each other without fear of legal sanction, provided that nobody is seriously hurt and they are not causing a public order issue.
* Mayhem: Unlawfully maiming or mutilating a person.
* Poisoning: Introducing or applying a poisonous substance or effect to a person which causes them harm.
* False Imprisonment: Unlawfully detaining a person against their will. Suspects must be directly supervised during any period of lawful custody.
* Malsanguino: Willfully preventing someone from receiving medical attention with the intention of causing them harm.
Note that malsanguino does not apply where somebody simply refuses to provide medical attention.
* Slavery: Unlawfully holding the power of life and liberty over any person. The direct [[Amend_crime_of_slavery|purchase]] and sale of slaves is also illegal but this does not encompass the repatriation or ransoming of Imperial citizens.

It is worth noting that [[Orc|orcs]] were redefined as people when they became [[Imperial Orcs|a nation of the Empire]]. Whether a person is a citizen or not is irrelevant, so it is also illegal to enslave barbarian orcs. In Winter 382 the constitution was amended as part of the [[Ratify_Liberty_Pact|Liberty Pact]] to define hylje and daeva as people.

A note on piracy: Although there is currently no crime specifically relating to acts of piracy, in practice this activity falls under the crimes of assault, theft, criminal damage, murder and so on. Be aware that acts of piracy committed against [[Imperial_Law_Overview#Individuals and the law|foreigners]] by imperial citizens will be investigated as criminal acts.

==Crimes of Property==
* Theft: Dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. The burden is on the accused to satisfy the magistrate as to their intention to return the property.
* Handling Stolen Goods: Receiving or disposing of goods which you know or believe to be stolen.
* Counterfeiting: The falsifying, or unlawfully creating or amending of an imperial document or legal tender.
* Criminal Damage: Unlawfully destroying or damaging any property either belonging to another person or to the Empire. Magistrates often refuse to bring to trial cases involving accidents or claims of negligence, preferring such cases to be held in the civil courts. Criminal damage to Imperial property is almost always dealt with in the criminal courts however.
* Possession or supply of controlled substances or items:
** It is illegal to carry the substance [[Legacy of Thorns#Gutwrench|gutwrench]].
**The [[Potion#Poisons|poisons]] created by [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecaries]] using the lores of [[The Assassin's Gate]], [[The Winter Moon]], and [[The Last Resort]] are likewise illegal.
**The blasphemous [[:Category:Musical_Instruments|musical instruments]] known as Drums of Strife, Harbinger of Chaos, and Horns of Madness are illegal.
**The drugs [[Create_law_prohibiting_Bite|"Bite"]] and [[385YE Winter Solstice Senate sessions#Criminalise Ocean's Caress|"Ocean's Caress"]] are also illegal.
*[[Outlaw Vallorn cultivation|Vallorn cultivation]]: It is illegal to cultivate vallorn. Note: Magical interactions with vallorn may fall under the Conclave's constitutional remit to ensure the fit and proper use of magic in the service of the Empire. Magistrates who investigate a potential offence of vallorn cultivation will seek expert testimony from the Conclave in cases where the position is unclear. For example, planting or tending a vallorn is very likely to be interpreted to be vallorn cultivation but harvesting magical ingredients from a naturally occurring vallorn pod may or may not be.
*[[Outlaw foreign True Liao trade|Trade of true liao to foreigners]]: It is illegal to trade [[Liao#True_Liao|true liao]] to anyone who is not an Imperial citizen. [[Amend_law_regarding_foreign_True_Liao_trade|However]], the distribution of true liao by the gatekeepers of virtue, for no payment, does not constitute "Trade" for this purpose.
* [[Ratify_treaty_with_the_Iron_Confederacy|Liao trade to the Iron Confederacy]]: It is illegal for imperial citizens to sell or trade liao to the Iron Confederacy via ports or the Suranni-Imperial border.
*[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Create_law_criminalising_Semmerlak_items|Semmerlak items]]: It is illegal to own, take, or sell any object from the depths of [[The Semmerlak|the Semmerlak]].
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2">'''Narcotics prohibited to trade with Iron Confederacy'''</td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Ancestor's Word]] </td><td> [[Philtre of Strength]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bite </td><td> [[Radiant Transcendence]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Black Star]] </td><td> [[Ravenwing Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Bronze Spider Balsam]] </td><td> [[Shadowcrow Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Chiaroscuran Balsam]] </td><td> [[Skar's Strength]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cognos </td><td> [[Skop's Mead]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Decoction of the Hungry Moon]] </td><td> [[Sorrow's Mask]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Dragon's Blood]] </td><td> Stoneheart Syrup </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Effulgent Primessence]] </td><td> [[Suffusion of Blood]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Elixir of Exalted Puissance]] </td><td> [[Talonvine Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Essence of Verdigris]] </td><td> [[The Barren Watchtower]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Firewine]] </td><td> [[The Elixir of Empyrean Art]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Goldencrown]] </td><td> [[The Philtre of Heavenly Lore]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Goosewhisper Infusion]] </td><td> [[Tincture of the Whipped Cur]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Indomitable Might]] </td><td> [[Tisane of the Stuttering Fool]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Ironblood Tonic]] </td><td> [[Tonic of Sunlit Glass]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jadebloom Petals </td><td> [[Tonic of Surging Flame]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Leaden Quicksilver]] </td><td> [[Tonic of the Distant Shore]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Legionnaire's Will]] </td><td> [[True liao]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Liao]] </td><td> [[Usher's Decoction]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Lucent Quintessence]] </td><td> [[Vernal Balm]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Mageblood]] </td><td> [[Warming Armour]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Magpie Infusion]] </td><td> [[Waywalker's Suffusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Moondust </td><td> [[Weakening Sun]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Oakenhide Tonic]] </td><td> [[Winterskin Tonic]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ocean's Caress </td><td> Yellow Lotus </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Philosopher's Stone]] </td><td></td></tr> </table></div>
*[[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Treaty_with_the_Iron_Confederacy|Narcotics trade to the Iron Confederacy]]: The sale of export of any and all narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is prohibited. The magistrates interpret this to mean any drug that affects mood or behaviour and whose function is not medical treatment. Note: Although this was passed with the intention of a three year term, this law will stand until it is actively repealed by the Senate. The magistrates have compiled a list of known narcotics that may not be exported to the Iron Confederacy. If other narcotics are identified by the magistrates later, they will be added to the list.
*[[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Cannibalism|Cannibalism]]: It is illegal to disburse, trade, sell or consume the flesh of the sapient denizens of the mortal realm. This has specific implications for Sarcophan funerary traditions and the Sarcophan drug "visivlees" which is made from the flesh of sapient creatures.

==Crimes of Position==
* Treason: Aiding barbarians, [[eternal|eternals]] or foreign powers to act against the interests of the Empire. Committing an assault against the emperor or empress. Only citizens and former citizens of the Empire may be charged with treason. There is some magistrate's guidance on interactions with eternals [[treason guidance|here]]. We do not prosecute bona fide ransoms for exchange of prisoners as such prosecutions are judged not to be within the imperial interest.
* Impersonation of an Imperial Official: Falsely and dishonestly claiming to be a senator, civil servant, member of the militia etc. Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates an official of the Empire or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that they are, shall be found guilty of this crime.
* Dereliction of Duty: Volunteering for an imperial duty and then failing to carry it out through neglect or cowardice. Members of the Militia are expected to act in accordance with their duties when they observe a crime in progress or about to occur. Anyone who takes the battlefield and then shows conspicuous cowardice in the face of the enemy may also be tried for this offence. This offence does not relate to the abuse of an imperial position, which is within the remit of the Synod.
* Membership of an Illegal Organisation: being a member of an organisation which has been banned by the Senate. In some instances, the Senate has placed additional restrictions.
** It is [[Create_law_outlawing_the_Vyig|illegal]] to be a member of the [[Vyig]], or to bear their tattoos.
** It is [[384YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Make_membership_of_Hand_of_Dumon_a_crime|illegal]] to be a member of the Hand of Dumon, or to aid them.
** It is [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Cult_of_the_Falconer|illegal]] to be a member of the Cult of the Falconer.
** It is [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Disciples_of_Sulemaine|a serious crime]] to be a member of the Disciples of Sulemaine.

==Crimes against the Processes of the State==
* Contempt of Court: any behaviour which impedes the proper operation of the legal process. For example, being disruptive during a trial or disrespectful of the magistrate's authority, failing to attend court (or any other relevant meeting with a magistrate), and failing to obey the lawful order of a magistrate.
* Perverting the Course of Justice: any behaviour calculated to unduly affect the course of the judicial process. For example, bearing false witness, making false allegations, concealing offences or assisting others to evade arrest, interference with witnesses or evidence and evading, withholding or perverting a lawful punishment.
* Subverting agencies of the state: any behaviour which contravenes or subverts the constitutionally protected procedures or powers of an agency of the state.

''For example:'' rigging or ineligible participation in the national election of senators (such as a yeofolk disguising their identity to enter a grand tourney for the position of knight-protector), a senator entering the Military Council to interfere with their military strategies, a member of the synod being refused the right to witness (without cause), a failure to attend lawful inquisition, ignoring the decision of an [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|identified citizen]] to go through the Sentinel Gate and so on. This crime does not apply to the abuse of constitutionally granted powers by the person or body who is entitled to wield them.

* Resisting Arrest: Any course of action with the intent to oppose a lawful arrest.
* Contravening a [[Declaration#Declaration of Sorcery|Declaration of Sorcery]]: breaching the [[Sorcery|prohibitions]] placed upon a sorcerer is a serious crime.
* Contravening a [[Declaration#Declaration of Interdiction|Declaration of Interdiction]]: breaching the [[Interdiction|prohibitions]] placed upon interdicted magic is a serious crime.
*Improper placement of an aura on the senate building: The placing of an aura on the senate building without prior explicit permission from the Senate.
*Improper placement of an aura on the civil service hub: The placing of an aura on the civil service hub without prior explicit permission from the magistrates and civil servants.

==Religious Crimes==
The Synod defines certain acts as religious crimes through the judgement of [[proscription]], which are then enforced by the magistrates.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Idolatry|Idolatry]]: Subsuming human will and destiny to any inhuman entity or force. This includes the worship, veneration or exaltation of any such being or power.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Blasphemy|Blasphemy]]: The denigration of the paragons and the paths of virtue. This includes promoting false virtues and the teachings, or example, of false exemplars or False Paragons.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Heresy|Heresy]]: The willful rejection, or perversion of, the orthodox Doctrines of the Faith as laid down by the Imperial Synod, or actively teaching and promoting false doctrines.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Abuse_of_Powers|Abuse of Powers]]: The misuse, or abuse, of the powers of a priest. This includes the powers of the Synod, as well as liao ceremonies.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Desecration|Desecration]]: The removal of spontaneously created virtuous auras such as legacies of ascendance to paragonhood. This includes such auras arising on areas and objects, and on those people who do not wished them removed.

==What isn’t a criminal offence?==
* '''Fraud:''' Dishonesty calculated for personal gain. However be aware that a victim might raise a civil case in these circumstances.
* '''Blackmail:''' Using threats to make a gain or to cause a loss to another.
* '''Bribery:''' Anyone can try to pay another citizen to get them to do as they wish without breaking the law - however it is a serious offence to attempt to pervert the course of justice.
* '''Slander and Libel:''' Making disparaging and false statements about another in public.
* '''Use of magic:''' Using magic on another person is never in and of itself a crime. However if the effect of the magic meets the definition of a crime then the fact that this effect was achieved by magic is no defence. ''For example,'' a curse of poverty doesn't meet the definition of any criminal offence but a death curse most certainly does. The Conclave are responsible for overseeing the proper operation of magic and have powers which allow them to both take action against those who use it [[Sorcery|inappropriately]] and to [[Endorsement|endorse]] magical acts to prevent them from being treated as crimes by the magistrates.

==Five things about criminal offences==
* '''Attempt to Commit a Crime:''' An attempt to commit a crime will be tried in the same way as if they had committed the crime but may (or may not) result in a lesser sentence.
* '''Aiding and Abetting of Crime:''' Encouraging, soliciting or helping with the perpetration of a crime. This will be tried in the same way as if the accused had committed the crime but may (or may not) result in a lesser sentence.
* '''Consent:''' It is possible for willing participants to give consent so that what would otherwise be crimes being committed against them are not. ''For example:'' two individuals who have agreed to spar with weapons would not be guilty of assault for striking each other. It is considered wise to make such terms clear in the event that there is a disagreement later. While duelling is permitted it is not possible to consent to your own murder (but a priest for the surviving party might make a plea for clemency based on the reasons for the duel).
* '''Lawful Arrest:''' If an ordinary citizen or member of the militia who believes another person has committed a crime apprehends them, then the law provides some protection against crimes (for example, assault) associated with this act. However, if a magistrate decides that their actions were disproportionate or that it was not reasonable to believe that the person apprehended had committed a crime then this protection will not apply. If a citizen wishes to claim this defence at trial then they should plead not guilty.
* '''Self-defence:''' If a person reasonably believes that their property or the safety of themselves or others is in immediate jeopardy then they may use reasonable force in order to protect them. If someone wishes to claim this defence at trial then they should plead not guilty. The magistrate will determine whether their behaviour was reasonable and if she decides that it was not then the accused will be found guilty. Claims of self-defence will also fail where the accused is already engaged on a course of criminal activity or is subject to lawful arrest. Using a claim of self-defence to justify protecting a barbarian will very likely fail unless the Magistrate is satisfied that the accused reasonably believed that the victim was entitled to [[Imperial_Law_Overview#Individuals and the law|protection under the law]].

{{Crime Links}}

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

List of Criminal Offences

2026-09-23T00:44:21Z

Twiggy: /* What isn’t a criminal offence? */

==Overview==
The definitions of the crimes are brief, but this reflects the laws of the setting. Crimes are based on simple principles and are addressed by following the spirit of the law rather than complex technical arguments. The magistrates will do their best to interpret and apply the law with the pursuit of justice and the imperial interest as their goal. Justice is intended to be swift but fair and to be available to all without the need for lawyers to interpret what the law means to the ordinary citizen. Please note that the law usually refers to a "person" but who actually benefits from protection under the law can be found [[Imperial_Law_Overview|here]]. Any exceptions to this are referred to explicitly in the definitions below e.g. for treason.

==Crimes against the Person==
* Murder: Unlawful assault or other action against a person with intent to kill and which results in someone’s death.
* Manslaughter: Unlawful assault or other action against a person which results in someone’s death.
* Assault: Unlawfully striking a person.

There is a traditional defence to an assault charge which applies where unwelcome visitors who refuse to leave your camp are cut down, removed from camp and then provided with sufficient medical assistance to avoid permanent injury. One who is accused of assault but wishes to claim this defence should plead not guilty if it goes to trial. However, if the magistrate decides that the accused’s behaviour was unreasonable they will be found guilty.

Remember that persons who consent to do so can fight each other without fear of legal sanction, provided that nobody is seriously hurt and they are not causing a public order issue.
* Mayhem: Unlawfully maiming or mutilating a person.
* Poisoning: Introducing or applying a poisonous substance or effect to a person which causes them harm.
* False Imprisonment: Unlawfully detaining a person against their will. Suspects must be directly supervised during any period of lawful custody.
* Malsanguino: Willfully preventing someone from receiving medical attention with the intention of causing them harm.
Note that malsanguino does not apply where somebody simply refuses to provide medical attention.
* Slavery: Unlawfully holding the power of life and liberty over any person. The direct [[Amend_crime_of_slavery|purchase]] and sale of slaves is also illegal but this does not encompass the repatriation or ransoming of Imperial citizens.

It is worth noting that [[Orc|orcs]] were redefined as people when they became [[Imperial Orcs|a nation of the Empire]]. Whether a person is a citizen or not is irrelevant, so it is also illegal to enslave barbarian orcs. In Winter 382 the constitution was amended as part of the [[Ratify_Liberty_Pact|Liberty Pact]] to define hylje and daeva as people.

A note on piracy: Although there is currently no crime specifically relating to acts of piracy, in practice this activity falls under the crimes of assault, theft, criminal damage, murder and so on. Be aware that acts of piracy committed against [[Imperial_Law_Overview#Individuals and the law|foreigners]] by imperial citizens will be investigated as criminal acts.

==Crimes of Property==
* Theft: Dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. The burden is on the accused to satisfy the magistrate as to their intention to return the property.
* Handling Stolen Goods: Receiving or disposing of goods which you know or believe to be stolen.
* Counterfeiting: The falsifying, or unlawfully creating or amending of an imperial document or legal tender.
* Criminal Damage: Unlawfully destroying or damaging any property either belonging to another person or to the Empire. Magistrates often refuse to bring to trial cases involving accidents or claims of negligence, preferring such cases to be held in the civil courts. Criminal damage to Imperial property is almost always dealt with in the criminal courts however.
* Possession or supply of controlled substances or items:
** It is illegal to carry the substance [[Legacy of Thorns#Gutwrench|gutwrench]].
**The [[Potion#Poisons|poisons]] created by [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecaries]] using the lores of [[The Assassin's Gate]], [[The Winter Moon]], and [[The Last Resort]] are likewise illegal.
**The blasphemous [[:Category:Musical_Instruments|musical instruments]] known as Drums of Strife, Harbinger of Chaos, and Horns of Madness are illegal.
**The drugs [[Create_law_prohibiting_Bite|"Bite"]] and [[385YE Winter Solstice Senate sessions#Criminalise Ocean's Caress|"Ocean's Caress"]] are also illegal.
*[[Outlaw Vallorn cultivation|Vallorn cultivation]]: It is illegal to cultivate vallorn. Note: Magical interactions with vallorn may fall under the Conclave's constitutional remit to ensure the fit and proper use of magic in the service of the Empire. Magistrates who investigate a potential offence of vallorn cultivation will seek expert testimony from the Conclave in cases where the position is unclear. For example, planting or tending a vallorn is very likely to be interpreted to be vallorn cultivation but harvesting magical ingredients from a naturally occurring vallorn pod may or may not be.
*[[Outlaw foreign True Liao trade|Trade of true liao to foreigners]]: It is illegal to trade [[Liao#True_Liao|true liao]] to anyone who is not an Imperial citizen. [[Amend_law_regarding_foreign_True_Liao_trade|However]], the distribution of true liao by the gatekeepers of virtue, for no payment, does not constitute "Trade" for this purpose.
* [[Ratify_treaty_with_the_Iron_Confederacy|Liao trade to the Iron Confederacy]]: It is illegal for imperial citizens to sell or trade liao to the Iron Confederacy via ports or the Suranni-Imperial border.
*[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Create_law_criminalising_Semmerlak_items|Semmerlak items]]: It is illegal to own, take, or sell any object from the depths of [[The Semmerlak|the Semmerlak]].
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2">'''Narcotics prohibited to trade with Iron Confederacy'''</td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Ancestor's Word]] </td><td> [[Philtre of Strength]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bite </td><td> [[Radiant Transcendence]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Black Star]] </td><td> [[Ravenwing Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Bronze Spider Balsam]] </td><td> [[Shadowcrow Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Chiaroscuran Balsam]] </td><td> [[Skar's Strength]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cognos </td><td> [[Skop's Mead]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Decoction of the Hungry Moon]] </td><td> [[Sorrow's Mask]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Dragon's Blood]] </td><td> Stoneheart Syrup </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Effulgent Primessence]] </td><td> [[Suffusion of Blood]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Elixir of Exalted Puissance]] </td><td> [[Talonvine Infusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Essence of Verdigris]] </td><td> [[The Barren Watchtower]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Firewine]] </td><td> [[The Elixir of Empyrean Art]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Goldencrown]] </td><td> [[The Philtre of Heavenly Lore]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Goosewhisper Infusion]] </td><td> [[Tincture of the Whipped Cur]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Indomitable Might]] </td><td> [[Tisane of the Stuttering Fool]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Ironblood Tonic]] </td><td> [[Tonic of Sunlit Glass]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jadebloom Petals </td><td> [[Tonic of Surging Flame]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Leaden Quicksilver]] </td><td> [[Tonic of the Distant Shore]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Legionnaire's Will]] </td><td> [[True liao]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Liao]] </td><td> [[Usher's Decoction]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Lucent Quintessence]] </td><td> [[Vernal Balm]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Mageblood]] </td><td> [[Warming Armour]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Magpie Infusion]] </td><td> [[Waywalker's Suffusion]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Moondust </td><td> [[Weakening Sun]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Oakenhide Tonic]] </td><td> [[Winterskin Tonic]] </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ocean's Caress </td><td> Yellow Lotus </td></tr>
<tr><td> [[Philosopher's Stone]] </td><td></td></tr> </table></div>
*[[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Treaty_with_the_Iron_Confederacy|Narcotics trade to the Iron Confederacy]]: The sale of export of any and all narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is prohibited. The magistrates interpret this to mean any drug that affects mood or behaviour and whose function is not medical treatment. Note: Although this was passed with the intention of a three year term, this law will stand until it is actively repealed by the Senate. The magistrates have compiled a list of known narcotics that may not be exported to the Iron Confederacy. If other narcotics are identified by the magistrates later, they will be added to the list.
*[[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Cannibalism|Cannibalism]]: It is illegal to disburse, trade, sell or consume the flesh of the sapient denizens of the mortal realm. This has specific implications for Sarcophan funerary traditions and the Sarcophan drug "visivlees" which is made from the flesh of sapient creatures.

==Crimes of Position==
* Treason: Aiding barbarians, [[eternal|eternals]] or foreign powers to act against the interests of the Empire. Committing an assault against the emperor or empress. Only citizens and former citizens of the Empire may be charged with treason. There is some magistrate's guidance on interactions with eternals [[treason guidance|here]]. We do not prosecute bona fide ransoms for exchange of prisoners as such prosecutions are judged not to be within the imperial interest.
* Impersonation of an Imperial Official: Falsely and dishonestly claiming to be a senator, civil servant, member of the militia etc. Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates an official of the Empire or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that they are, shall be found guilty of this crime.
* Dereliction of Duty: Volunteering for an imperial duty and then failing to carry it out through neglect or cowardice. Members of the Militia are expected to act in accordance with their duties when they observe a crime in progress or about to occur. Anyone who takes the battlefield and then shows conspicuous cowardice in the face of the enemy may also be tried for this offence. This offence does not relate to the abuse of an imperial position, which is within the remit of the Synod.
* Membership of an Illegal Organisation: being a member of an organisation which has been banned by the Senate. In some instances, the Senate has placed additional restrictions.
** It is [[Create_law_outlawing_the_Vyig|illegal]] to be a member of the [[Vyig]], or to bear their tattoos.
** It is [[384YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Make_membership_of_Hand_of_Dumon_a_crime|illegal]] to be a member of the Hand of Dumon, or to aid them.
** It is [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Cult_of_the_Falconer|illegal]] to be a member of the Cult of the Falconer.
** It is [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Criminalise_Disciples_of_Sulemaine|a serious crime]] to be a member of the Disciples of Sulemaine.

==Crimes against the Processes of the State==
* Contempt of Court: any behaviour which impedes the proper operation of the legal process. For example, being disruptive during a trial or disrespectful of the magistrate's authority, failing to attend court (or any other relevant meeting with a magistrate), and failing to obey the lawful order of a magistrate.
* Perverting the Course of Justice: any behaviour calculated to unduly affect the course of the judicial process. For example, bearing false witness, making false allegations, concealing offences or assisting others to evade arrest, interference with witnesses or evidence and evading, withholding or perverting a lawful punishment.
* Subverting agencies of the state: any behaviour which contravenes or subverts the constitutionally protected procedures or powers of an agency of the state.

''For example:'' rigging or ineligible participation in the national election of senators (such as a yeofolk disguising their identity to enter a grand tourney for the position of knight-protector), a senator entering the Military Council to interfere with their military strategies, a member of the synod being refused the right to witness (without cause), a failure to attend lawful inquisition, ignoring the decision of an [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|identified citizen]] to go through the Sentinel Gate and so on. This crime does not apply to the abuse of constitutionally granted powers by the person or body who is entitled to wield them.

* Resisting Arrest: Any course of action with the intent to oppose a lawful arrest.
* Contravening a [[Declaration#Declaration of Sorcery|Declaration of Sorcery]]: breaching the [[Sorcery|prohibitions]] placed upon a sorcerer is a serious crime.
* Contravening a [[Declaration#Declaration of Interdiction|Declaration of Interdiction]]: breaching the [[Interdiction|prohibitions]] placed upon interdicted magic is a serious crime.
*Improper placement of an aura on the senate building: The placing of an aura on the senate building without prior explicit permission from the Senate.
*Improper placement of an aura on the civil service hub: The placing of an aura on the civil service hub without prior explicit permission from the magistrates and civil servants.

==Religious Crimes==
The Synod defines certain acts as religious crimes through the judgement of [[proscription]], which are then enforced by the magistrates.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Idolatry|Idolatry]]: Subsuming human will and destiny to any inhuman entity or force. This includes the worship, veneration or exaltation of any such being or power.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Blasphemy|Blasphemy]]:The denigration of the paragons and the paths of virtue. This includes promoting false virtues and the teachings, or example, of false exemplars or False Paragons.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Heresy|Heresy]]: The willful rejection, or perversion of, the orthodox Doctrines of the Faith as laid down by the Imperial Synod, or actively teaching and promoting false doctrines.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Abuse_of_Powers|Abuse of Powers]]: The misuse, or abuse, of the powers of a priest. This includes the powers of the Synod, as well as liao ceremonies.
* [[Religious_Crimes#Desecration|Desecration]]: The removal of spontaneously created virtuous auras such as legacies of ascendance to paragonhood. This includes such auras arising on areas and objects, and on those people who do not wished them removed.

==What isn’t a criminal offence?==
* '''Fraud:''' Dishonesty calculated for personal gain. However be aware that a victim might raise a civil case in these circumstances.
* '''Blackmail:''' Using threats to make a gain or to cause a loss to another.
* '''Bribery:''' Anyone can try to pay another citizen to get them to do as they wish without breaking the law - however it is a serious offence to attempt to pervert the course of justice.
* '''Slander and Libel:''' Making disparaging and false statements about another in public.
* '''Use of magic:''' Using magic on another person is never in and of itself a crime. However if the effect of the magic meets the definition of a crime then the fact that this effect was achieved by magic is no defence. ''For example,'' a curse of poverty doesn't meet the definition of any criminal offence but a death curse most certainly does. The Conclave are responsible for overseeing the proper operation of magic and have powers which allow them to both take action against those who use it [[Sorcery|inappropriately]] and to [[Endorsement|endorse]] magical acts to prevent them from being treated as crimes by the magistrates.

==Five things about criminal offences==
* '''Attempt to Commit a Crime:''' An attempt to commit a crime will be tried in the same way as if they had committed the crime but may (or may not) result in a lesser sentence.
* '''Aiding and Abetting of Crime:''' Encouraging, soliciting or helping with the perpetration of a crime. This will be tried in the same way as if the accused had committed the crime but may (or may not) result in a lesser sentence.
* '''Consent:''' It is possible for willing participants to give consent so that what would otherwise be crimes being committed against them are not. ''For example:'' two individuals who have agreed to spar with weapons would not be guilty of assault for striking each other. It is considered wise to make such terms clear in the event that there is a disagreement later. While duelling is permitted it is not possible to consent to your own murder (but a priest for the surviving party might make a plea for clemency based on the reasons for the duel).
* '''Lawful Arrest:''' If an ordinary citizen or member of the militia who believes another person has committed a crime apprehends them, then the law provides some protection against crimes (for example, assault) associated with this act. However, if a magistrate decides that their actions were disproportionate or that it was not reasonable to believe that the person apprehended had committed a crime then this protection will not apply. If a citizen wishes to claim this defence at trial then they should plead not guilty.
* '''Self-defence:''' If a person reasonably believes that their property or the safety of themselves or others is in immediate jeopardy then they may use reasonable force in order to protect them. If someone wishes to claim this defence at trial then they should plead not guilty. The magistrate will determine whether their behaviour was reasonable and if she decides that it was not then the accused will be found guilty. Claims of self-defence will also fail where the accused is already engaged on a course of criminal activity or is subject to lawful arrest. Using a claim of self-defence to justify protecting a barbarian will very likely fail unless the Magistrate is satisfied that the accused reasonably believed that the victim was entitled to [[Imperial_Law_Overview#Individuals and the law|protection under the law]].

{{Crime Links}}

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

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-22T08:51:16Z

Twiggy: /* Judgement 6 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements



==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals''' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)
===Writs of Inquisition===
{{stub}}
The following writs of inquisition were issued this summit:
{|
| '''Called by''' || '''Subject''' || '''Judgement or Title''' || '''Matter'''
|-
| Caduceus of Aureate Peak || Tiberius Stormspire Cascade || [[#Judgement 22|Judgement 22]] || Contributions to [[Conclave]] and Imperial magic
|-
| Jurand Biezacz || Tomasi Giralo i Erigo || [[#Judgement 36|Judgement 36]] || The [[Iron Confederacy]]
|-
| The Earl of Fools || Simargl, the Empty One<br>Zlata Ruznikova Perenel, the Dread Auntie<br>Maritza Orlova Pescherapokova<br>Vaclav Mladenovich Kosti<br>Talvikaarne, The Winter Guest<br>Lutobor Branislavovich Glinka<br>Yevgeni Katzev<br>Veverica, Two threads<br>''of the Circle of Zulgan-Tash'' || [[#Judgement 70|Judgement 70]] || Deeds dark and terrible
|-
| Oleander Dreamsreach || Syl Umbral Path || [[#Judgement 81|Judgement 81]] || [[Testimony]] of ''Hidden Hand''
|-
| Aspar || Vespasian of Tropaion || TBC || The price he has paid and the lessons learned
|-
| Galene Netherwatch || Tyburn Natkysset, Grandmaster of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] || [[Arcane Inquisitor]] || Her long years of work with the Shuttered Lantern
|-
| Vauraus Korppitkotka || Bronimir, Senator for [[Ossium]] || [[Auditor of Senatorial Accountability]] || Mustering an army in two seasons
|-
| Amicia of the Semmerlak || Cyrus of Ebon's Hall, [[Ambassador to the Commonwealth]] || [[Chaplain Consular]] || The [[Cold Sun]] [[If_we_never_meet_again#Commonwealth|situation]]
|-
|-
| Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost || Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco || [[Imperial Inquisitor]] || Her relationship with [[Eleonaris]]
|-
| Maarit Suvidottir || Magistrate Abraham || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Courage]] || Technical definitions of theological terms
|-
| Eevi Hawk Heart of the Gadrai || Bakar i Riqueza || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Loyalty]] || Magical guidance, especially concerning [[Madruga]]
|-
| Iniska Ashwood || Asthore Autumngale || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Prosperity]] || His time as Senator for [[Miaren]], at the Winter summit
|-
| Brother Geoffrey Orchard || Eliza di Sarvos || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Vigilance]] || Night activities for the Winter summit
|-
| Vera || Friþmær Sunhildsdottir || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of the Way]] || A [[scop]]'s virtue
|}

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgement 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth. Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa. This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)
==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE summit, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns, 14 rings</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>6 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Total donations made were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>52 thrones, 4 crowns, 17 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

The total amounts carried forward to the next summit were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>52 thrones, 4 crowns, 17 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 9 thrones, 6 crowns at the various [[Rewarding#Counting Houses|counting houses]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 15 thrones to '''Yvonne von Apulian''' following [[#Judgement 13|Judgement 13]] being upheld (margin 601)
* 8 wains of white granite to '''Athiel Westernborn''' following [[#Judgement 32|Judgement 32]] being upheld (margin 495)
* 6 wains of mithril to '''Hildelith Kaukosdottir''' following [[#Judgement 37|Judgement 37]] being upheld (margin 463)
* 40 thrones to '''Aster Aceae''' following [[#Judgement 31|Judgement 31]] being upheld (margin 220)
* 15 thrones to '''Nikolovich Drakov''' following [[#Judgement 10|Judgement 10]] being upheld (margin 168)
* 8 wains of weirwood to '''Lydus''' following [[#Judgement 108|Judgement 108]] being upheld (margin 154)
* 10 thrones to '''Chauntecleer Words''' following [[#Judgement 20|Judgement 20]] being upheld (margin 115)
* 3 thrones, 6 crowns, 14 rings to '''Dagonet''' following [[#Judgement 28|Judgement 28]] being upheld (margin 52)
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations made during the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 51 thrones for the Bourse dose of True Liao from '''Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo'''
* 6 crowns from '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian'''
* 3 crowns, 16 rings from '''Leonardo i Del'Toro i Riqueza'''
* 2 crowns from '''Nathair Autumngale'''
* 1 crown from '''Berith Relieur'''
* 1 ring in small donations
</div>
==Doses of True Liao==

Six doses of [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]] were disbursed this summit:
* One dose to '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''' as [[the Throne]]
* One dose to '''Hazelelponi of the Shattered Tower''' as [[Lepidean Librarian]]
* One dose to '''Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo''' by purchase in the [[Public auction|Public Auction]]
* One dose to '''Corwyn Heartsbane''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Adel de Ordraig''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Belmarie de Courtenay Wyldrose''' by decision of the Gatekeepers

==Assembly Strength==
The table below shows the size, total voting strength and greater majority thresholds for each assembly as calculated at the start of the summit.

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | Virtue Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Ambition || 42 || 550 || 276
|-
|Courage || 40 || 514 || 258
|-
|Loyalty || 63 || 888 || 445
|-
|Pride || 40 || 492 || 247
|-
|Prosperity || 35 || 413 || 207
|-
|Vigilance || 43 || 480 || 241
|-
|Wisdom || 39 || 472 || 237
|-
|The Way || 53 || 584 || 293
|-
|General || 355 || 4393 || 2197
|-
|}

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | National Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Brass Coast || 19 || 228 || 115
|-
|Dawn || 57 || 750 || 376
|-
|Highguard || 71 || 938 || 470
|-
|Imperial Orcs || 6 || 66 || 34
|-
|League || 41 || 508 || 255
|-
|Marches || 22 || 258 || 130
|-
|Navarr || 33 || 401 || 201
|-
|Urizen || 32 || 350 || 176
|-
|Varushka || 35 || 424 || 213
|-
|Wintermark || 39 || 470 || 236
|-
|General || 355 || 4393 || 2197
|-
|}
==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>

388YE Autumn Equinox Conclave sessions

2026-09-18T20:44:55Z

Twiggy: /* Enmity: Ungholt */

[[Category: Conclave]] [[Category: Conclave Sessions]] [[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Precedence and the Font==
*'''The mana sent for distribution to the grandmasters following 388YE Summer was 64 mana.'''
*'''The mana remaining after distribution was 3 mana.'''
*'''The mana collected via the Principle of Proportions at 388YE Summer Conclave was 296 mana.'''
*'''The mana used to purchase the Rogue Declaration at 388YE Summer Conclave was 30 mana.'''
*'''Twenty mana was provided by Thule warlocks as part of their treaty obligations with the Empire.'''
*'''Fifteen mana was provided by the grand lodge of the Golden Pyramid.'''
*'''The mana available in the font for Conclave at 388YE Autumn is 364 mana.'''
The members of each order in attendance at the end of the previous summit determine precedence for the following summit according to the [[Principle of Precedence]]. There was 64 mana in the font after the final Conclave session of the 388YE Summer Solstice. This was distributed to the grand masters of the Conclave according to the Principle of Precedence as per the table below.

This left 3 mana, which is added to the 296 mana collected at Conclave, the 15 mana from the Grand Lodge of the Golden Pyramid, the 20 mana from the agreement with the Thule, and the 30 mana from the [[Arbiter_of_the_Rogue_Declaration|rogue declaration]] at the previous event to form the font for the coming summit. The Conclave has access to a font of 364 mana at the 388YE Autumn Equinox.
<table class="wikitable mw-collapsible sortable"><tr><th>Order</th><th>Precedence</th><th>Members</th><th>Mana</th><th>Ilium</th></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Rod and Shield</td><td>1</td><td>152</td><td>13</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Golden Pyramid</td><td>2</td><td>139</td><td>11</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Shuttered Lantern</td><td>3</td><td>119</td><td>10</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Unfettered Mind</td><td>4</td><td>99</td><td>8</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Sevenfold Path</td><td>5</td><td>94</td><td>8</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Silver Chalice</td><td>6</td><td>87</td><td>7</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>Grandmaster of the Order of the Celestial Arch</td><td>7</td><td>56</td><td>4</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>
__TOC__
==Friday==
===Interdiction: Cast Off The Chain of Memory===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Fiorente Vicente d'Apulian, on behalf of the [[Unfettered Mind]]
* '''Declaration:''' Vigilance demands caution in placing memories in the river when Apeiron the Sixth Eye is consuming them
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Performing [[Cast Off the Chain of Memory]] has been added to the list of interdictions.

===Concord: Oracle Pig and Friends===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Tyburn Natkysset, on behalf of the [[Shuttered Lantern]]
* '''Declaration:''' "Go Oracle Pig and friends, you can beat the Eater of I, we believe in you"
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Endowment: Vossk of Sarangrave Reforged===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Elagabala, on behalf of the [[Sevenfold Path]]
* '''Declaration:''' All that is worthwhile is shared with those who deserve it. This Conclave endows 60 mana to Vossk of Sarangrave Reforged, to pay the other half of the endorsed projection Fortune Favours the Bold in recognition of its completion and Virtue.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. 60 mana crystals delivered to '''Vossk of Sarangrave Reforged'''

===Concord: Invite High House of Wisdom===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Xanthippe Of the Lighthouse-That-Was, on behalf of the [[Celestial Arch]]
* '''Declaration:''' This Conclave invites magicians from the High House of Wisdom to visit the Empire and work with the Celestial Arch to review rituals in Imperial lore that draw on the assurance of an eternal.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Imperial Lore: Chance Blossoms, Chaos Thrives===
*'''Raised by:''' Yarvi Swiftwind, on behalf of the [[Silver Chalice]]
* '''Declaration:''' To enter into Imperial lore "Chance Blossoms, Chaos Thrives" created by the Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice, with support from the order, with thanks to the Wise Flower chapter of Highguard who have promised to pay the 10 thrones for distribution of the ritual
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Awaiting [[Imperial_lore#Resolution|funding]]

===Imperial Lore: Shadows Hide the Passing Spear===
*'''Raised by:''' Syl, as [[Dean of the Lyceum]]
* '''Declaration:''' Shadows Hide the Passing Spear
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Awaiting [[Imperial_lore#Resolution|funding]]

===Acceptance: Unifying Pontifex and the League===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Terentia of Sarangrave Reforged, on behalf of the [[Golden Pyramid]]
* '''Declaration:''' For the whole to prosper we have to look to those within one borders - the Conclave chooses the aid of the Unifying Pontifex in efforts to bring non-citizens in the Empire into the Empire. The League's highest calling.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

==Saturday==
===Reconciliation: Courgetta Thistleseeker===
*'''Raised by:''' Zlata Ruznikova Perenel, The Dread Auntie, as [[Witness of Conclave]]
* '''Declaration:''' Isolation is the thief of wisdom. Reconcile Courgetta Thistleseeker so she may join us and show what she has learnt.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. '''Courgetta Thistleseeker''' has been removed from the list of [[Sorcery#Active_Sorcerers|active sorcerers]].

===Neutrality: Callidus===
*'''Raised by:''' Ashborn Trosk, as [[Archmage of Autumn]]
* '''Declaration:''' Callidus to neutrality
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. [[Callidus]] has been moved to [[Alignment#Neutality|neutral]]

===Concord: Guide Unfettered Mind to Madruga===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Fiorente Vicente d'Apulian, on behalf of the [[Unfettered Mind]]
* '''Declaration:''' To guide the order of the Unfettered Mind to Madruga to assist in locating and rescuing the Drakes
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Endorsement: Crimson Conjunction on Semmerholm===
*'''Raised by:''' Jeziah i Radah i Guerra, as [[Arcane Envoy]]
* '''Declaration:''' Conclave endorses the casting of "The Crimson Conjunction" on Semmerholm. A magnitude 27 Autumn projection which will result in the territory becoming cursed. In doing so, Conclave agrees to help recover damage to the territory
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Concord: Guide Celestial Arch to Jarm===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Xanthippe Of the Lighthouse-That-Was, on behalf of the [[Celestial Arch]]
* '''Declaration:''' We guide the Celestial Arch to speak with those in Jarm that work with Night eternals to learn more of their knowledge
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Dissemination: Streams of Silver to Karrak===
*'''Raised by:''' Sorcha Embracing Fold, as [[Arbiter of the Rogue Declaration]]
* '''Declaration:''' To disseminate a copy of the Autumn Mag 2 ritual "Streams of Silver" to Karrak to exchange with the Black Sand Circle coven of Beoraidh for "Kinfolk's Promise", the sword of the orc ancestor Rucraic
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Awaiting [[Dissemination#Resolution|funding]]

===Neutrality: Meraud===
*'''Raised by:''' Vesper Lucentia, on behalf of the [[Archmage of Summer]]
* '''Declaration:''' Since his victory over Jaheris, the behaviour of the two eternals has shifted. Recent missives from the Silver Fox have given cause for concern in how he views his amity. Until we have gained a greater understanding of this new nature, and his intent, Meraud shall remain at neutrality
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. [[Meraud]] has been moved to [[Alignment#Neutality|neutral]]

===Concord: Chosen of Eternals===
*'''Raised by:''' Ilysses Of the Lighthouse-That-Was, on behalf of the [[Rod and Shield]]
* '''Declaration:''' It is the position of the Conclave that it is acceptable for an eternal to have a named, favoured individual. It is the business of Senate to determine whether these delegates are to receive Imperial positions.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Amity: Roshanwe===
*'''Raised by:''' Gralka, as [[Archmage of Day]]
* '''Declaration:''' In a voyage full of questions, why found an answer. But that led only to further questions in this journey. How does the seeker of the star help the world repel the Cold Sun? Tonight we ask the Conclave to change the alignment of Roshanwe to amity to find this out. And perhaps by doing so meet Little Lamp before they assume their position among our civil service.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. [[Roshanwe]] has been moved to [[Alignment#Amity|amity]]

===Enmity: Ungholt===
*'''Raised by:''' Brat, as [[Archmage of Night]]
* '''Declaration:''' We are an Empire of Dreams. We declare enmity against Ungholt the Delirium King.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Ungholt has been moved to [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]]

===Concord: Grand Lodge of Rod and Shield===
*'''Raised by:''' Ilysses Of the Lighthouse-That-Was, on behalf of the [[Rod and Shield]]
* '''Declaration:''' Conclave requests an appraisal of a grand lodge of the Rod and Shield in Sermersuaq to work hand in hand with the famed Wintermark smiths. To honour Sakari's Legacy. To defend from the Jotun, the Thule, and the unknown.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.
*'''Note:''' This is the second declaration raised on behalf of the order on Saturday, and the matter is being investigated

===Sorcery: Gisli i Phovas i Guerra===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Tyburn Natkysset, on behalf of the [[Shuttered Lantern]]
* '''Declaration:''' To declare Gisli, known as Gisli the Provider, a sorcerer
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Gisli i Phovas i Guerra has been added to the list of [[Sorcery#Active_Sorcerers|active sorcerers]]

===Concord: Moral Injury===
*'''Raised by:''' Casimir Pakkanovic Mislova, as [[Imperial Magus]]
* '''Declaration:''' Conclave thanks the Senate for the new law protecting mortal souls from moral injury. Conclave calls on Imperial magicians and Conclave attendees to speak to Synod priests to help explain how magic might, and does not cause moral injury to mortal souls
*'''Outcome:''' Failed.

===Concord: Guide Sevenfold Path to Jarm===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Elagabala, on behalf of the [[Sevenfold Path]]
* '''Declaration:''' As the Convocation of Virtue meet with the Lepidean Librarian to discuss their inspiration Vsilia, let the Sevenfold Path be guided once more to Jarm to share with the Convocation stories of our inspirations, to compare what inspires them. Let us learn new ways to exemplify and inspire.
*'''Outcome:''' Passed.

===Endowment: Rashid i Hayim i Riqueza===
*'''Raised by:''' Rashid i Hayim i Riqueza, as [[Bursar of the Conclave]]
* '''Declaration:''' I, Rashid i Hayim i Riqueza, will endow 150 mana to myself, to support the construction of grand lodges and colleges of magic
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. 150 mana crystals delivered to '''Rashid i Hayim i Riqueza'''

===Candidacy: Archmage of Autumn===
*'''Raised by:''' [[Grandmaster]] Terentia of Sarangrave Reforged, on behalf of the [[Golden Pyramid]]
* '''Declaration:''' To elect the Archmage of Autumn
*'''Outcome:''' '''Ashborn Trosk''' was elected as the [[Archmage of Autumn]]

===Imperial Lore: The Arc of Sküld===
*'''Raised by:''' Yarvi Swiftwind, on behalf of the [[Silver Chalice]]
* '''Declaration:''' To enter into Imperial lore "The Arc of Sküld" Winter Mag 200. Effectively a boosted Wither the Seed but only 10 years long and <u>very</u> effective against vallorn
*'''Outcome:''' Passed. Awaiting [[Imperial_lore#Resolution|funding]]

===Candidacy: Imperial Censor===
*'''Raised by:''' Vesna Borkovna Prochnost, as [[The Throne]]
* '''Declaration:''' To elect the Imperial Censor
*'''Outcome:''' '''Nos Umbral Path''' was elected as the [[Imperial Censor]]

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-16T18:42:32Z

Twiggy: /* Judgement 4 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (No-no)
* '''Notes:''' ''</big></div></div>
==Veto==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:'''
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (No-yes)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Lorein Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' Exaltation: Velasco i Guerra, I call for your exaltation.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals'' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns 14 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>
Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 1 throne, 7 crowns at the counting house of [[Holberg]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div> STEVE DOUBLE CHECK I HAVEN'T COPIED SPRINGS OVER AUTUMN'S SORRY!

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*check list of what was handed over
</div>

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgment 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth.
Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa.
This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-16T18:42:19Z

Twiggy: /* Judgement 14 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (No-no)
* '''Notes:''' ''</big></div></div>
==Veto==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:'''
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (No-yes)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Lorein Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' Exaltation: Velasco i Guerra, I call for your exaltation.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld with a {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals'' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns 14 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>
Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 1 throne, 7 crowns at the counting house of [[Holberg]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div> STEVE DOUBLE CHECK I HAVEN'T COPIED SPRINGS OVER AUTUMN'S SORRY!

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*check list of what was handed over
</div>

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgment 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth.
Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa.
This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-16T18:42:11Z

Twiggy: /* Judgement 12 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (No-no)
* '''Notes:''' ''</big></div></div>
==Veto==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:'''
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (No-yes)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld with {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Lorein Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' Exaltation: Velasco i Guerra, I call for your exaltation.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld with a {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals'' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns 14 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>
Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 1 throne, 7 crowns at the counting house of [[Holberg]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div> STEVE DOUBLE CHECK I HAVEN'T COPIED SPRINGS OVER AUTUMN'S SORRY!

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*check list of what was handed over
</div>

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgment 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth.
Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa.
This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-16T18:36:11Z

Twiggy:

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (No-no)
* '''Notes:''' ''</big></div></div>
==Veto==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:'''
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (No-yes)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld with {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld with {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Lorein Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' Exaltation: Velasco i Guerra, I call for your exaltation.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld with a {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals'' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns 14 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>
Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 1 throne, 7 crowns at the counting house of [[Holberg]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div> STEVE DOUBLE CHECK I HAVEN'T COPIED SPRINGS OVER AUTUMN'S SORRY!

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*check list of what was handed over
</div>

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgment 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth.
Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa.
This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)

Rules update 2023

2026-09-16T18:28:26Z

Twiggy: /* Spring Rituals */

{{audio|link=https://youtu.be/9G3H8DdrlFg}}
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hupgkHTOPMU}}
==Overview==
Every year we carry out a review of some part of the game looking to see what we improve. Although that process has been slowed this year, we've still been working on some important updates. This page summarises and explains the changes so that players can identify and understand the changes easily. There were no updates in 2021, due to the pandemic.

We try to include a section after each update to explain the reasoning behind the change, as well as providing an in-character rationale for what has changed where appropriate.

==Inspirational Locations==
We have created a new page for [[inspirational location|inspirational locations]] that includes memorial (or inspirational tombs as they were called previously) as well as other sacred sites.

We have rewritten the rules on how you create a inspirational location to lay out the specific sequence of actions that players must follow to create one. To create an inspirational location, players must submit a Synod judgement, a [[statement of principle]] laying out their intention to use [[liao#True Liao|true liao]] to create either a memorial to a paragon or exemplar, or to create a sacred site. This judgement must be submitted in the relevant virtue assembly or in the general assembly.
__TOC__
If the judgement passes with a [[greater majority]] then it will most likely lead to a wind of fortune that offers a mandate to use a single dose of true liao to create a lasting [[consecration]] that will make an area become an [[inspirational location]]. If the Synod approves the [[mandate]], then the named character can enact the mandate using a dose of true liao.

It is possible to use true liao in downtime without following these steps, but it won't have any wider effects on the setting - it won't create an inspirational location.

===Reasoning===
There has been a significant increase in the use of true liao to make consecrations in recent events and it was clear that the processes listed on the wiki were confusing and creating a lot of potential for disappointment. Previously it was possible to use true liao in downtime without any idea whether it would do anything or not. Our game is generally built on giving players informed decisions to make, in most circumstances we don't want participants just gambling on unknown outcomes. In particular we don't want a situation to develop where a character uses true liao and either it doesn't have any wider game effect or the effects are very negative, without them being aware that that is what will happen.

In theory it was previously possible to use true liao in downtime without any reference to the Synod at all. Our game is one of politics and social interactions on the field - we want the key decisions to be made by players when interacting with each other on the field. True liao is very powerful, it doesn't suit our game style that a character can create very powerful game effects without interacting with one of the major political bodies of the game to get approval for that.

The new processes also make it much easier for us to determine what will happen - they give us a basic framework to work to - and set expectations that we are more confident that we can deliver on. It does make it slower, it means players need to use a statement of principle first - and then study the resulting wind of fortune next event to decide if they want to proceed or not. That brings it into line with how similar elements of the Synod game work, where players first raise a statement and then a mandate.

Where true liao was handed in last event to be used in downtime, we have treated any statements raised as if they were raised in the relevant assembly. That means they either have (or are getting) a wind of fortune that describes the possible outcomes if the Empire chooses to proceed with the consecration.

===IC Explanation===
The Imperial prognosticators have provided the civil service with an updated guide on how they can deliver the best possible information on what will happen if the Empire choses to use true liao in this way. In theory nothing has changed (since it was never possible to know if true liao would have an effect or not previously) - but now the prognosticators have been able to be clear about exactly what will and will not produce a meaningful outcome.

==Divination Ritual Updates==
We've made changes to two divination rituals, [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]] and [[Combing the Beach]]. Both of these rituals now require you to use a small effigy to send a message to the relevant eternal - a question for Sung with Clear Counsel and a statement for Roshanwe with Combing the Beach.

The key change is that the question or statement must now be submitted the night before the ritual is performed at the latest. Anyone can use [[operate portal]] to submit a message to the eternal on behalf of their [[coven]], but doing so requires an appropriate effigy - a unique game item made between events. The effigy must be used the night before the ritual is due to be performed (at the latest) to give the game team sufficient time to prepare the answer to the question.

Anyone who has mastered Clear Counsel or Combing the beach can make the appropriate effigies in downtime provided they have 2 measures of ambergelt for Sung or 2 measures of tempest jade for Roshanwe in their account. Once made, they do not expire but each effigy can only be used once.

Finally, we've allowed the ritual to be cast at higher magnitude to allow a coven to ask more than one question or send more than one statement at a time - provided they have submitted them all to the eternal in advance with the appropriate number of effigies.

In each case you must prepare the effigy in downtime (anyone who possesses the relevant ritual can do this) for a cost of 2 ambergelt or 2 tempest jade respectively. You can make as many effigies as you want - you'll get them in your pack at the next event you attend.

If you have the ritual already - and want to make one or more of these effigies for this event but don't have access to the materials in your group just email [mailto:plot@profounddecisions.co.uk] and we'll create the effigies for you and leave it as a debt on your account you can clear after the event.

===Reasoning===
These changes follow on from the [[Rules_update_2019#Swim_Leviathan.27s_Depth|changes we made to Swim Leviathans Depths in 2019]] and we've made them for the same reason. We want the ritual itself to culminate in an opportunity to get the answer the ritualists are looking for - getting players to submit the questions well in advance allows us to do that. We feel the change worked well for Leviathan, and so we've extended the idea to other rituals.

===IC Explanation===
In each case, the explanation for the changes is the esoteric conjunction of [[the Key]] and [[the Lock]] that has been going on for some time.

==Roleplaying in Downtime==
We've updated the rules restrictions for [[Downtime#Social_Media_and_IC_roleplaying|using social media and IC roleplaying between events]]. We've updated some of the language used to make clearer that it applies to things like discord servers and we've changed the wording of the rules so that you can't send large bulk emails of IC messages to email lists if you're pushing an IC agenda or campaigning for a title. "You can send in-character communications by email, provided they represent a letter or the equivalent that you are sending to an individual - but don't mass-send a communication to an email list if it is promoting an in-character agenda or pushing a controversial point of view. Please keep this for when everyone is in-character at the event. "

This follows the ethos of the existing rules which are trying to encourage players to engage in politics at the event - but the new restrictions on email lists providers a fairer balance for the game for all players.

We've added an extensive OOC design section to the page to provide more clarity on our thinking.

==Military Rituals==
We've made changes to some existing rituals that have an impact on the military campaign. We have changed the effects produced by two rituals for [[enchantment|enchanting]] [[Army|campaign armies]] - [[Knights of Glory]] and [[Bound by Common Cause]]. We have also increased the magnitude of four rituals used for summoning magical [[fortification|fortifications]] - [[Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae]], [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]], and [[Dripping Echoes of the Fen]], and [[The Basalt Citadel]] - as a ritual that enchants fortifications with additional strength - [[Golden Ramparts]].

We hope that these changes will ensure a good balance of options available to ritualists involved with the Empire's military campaigns going forwards, but we'll continue to monitor the situation carefully.

As always, if you had mastered one of the rituals that was changed you can email [mailto:admin@profounddecisions.co.uk admin@profounddecisions.co.uk] and we'll remove the mastery leaving you free to master a different ritual.

===Reasoning: Knights of Glory===
Knights of Glory was a much better ritual than any equivalent ritual in Imperial lore. The benefits it provided were significantly better than those provided by equivalent rituals. While some realms will always be better at creating certain magical effects, in this area of the game we want there to be a lot of viable options to chose between. To remedy this we have reduced the potency of Knights of Glory from 3000 additional strength to 2000 additional strength to bring it into line with other rituals. It has a higher magnitude than a ritual like [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]] because the additional strength gained inflicts more casualties.

We also added a few details - a [[roleplaying effect]] and a new option for players to target [[Knights of Glory#Additional Targets|multiple generals]] in one ritual. We also made it explicit that it might have unpredictable effects on characters whose military units support the army - something we'd done via Winds of War in previous seasons. Finally, we've revealed the [[Knights of Glory#Assurance|assurance]] bound into the ritual that will cause it to lose power entirely if it is broken.

We have previously been running a plot regarding the Empire's relationship with [[Eleonaris]], the eternal whose patronage is responsible for Knights of Glory. Last event she said she was going to remove the ability to perform the ritual entirely, and replace it with a new ritual. We knew we needed to change the rituals power to play balance it, and we thought the easiest way to do that would be to replace it with a different ritual. Instead, we've reduced the effects of the ritual, and left it available to players to cast. We took this new direction because the realities of placing a new ritual in [[Imperial lore]] via the [[Conclave]] felt too punished, especially under the new rules about how a [[declaration]] works.

===Reasoning: Bound By Common Cause===
The ritual now provides additional strength solely for the purpose of taking or holding territory rather than a flat bonus as it did previously. This change makes the effects comparable with [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]]. We've made it possible to cast the ritual on [[Bound by Common Cause#Additional Targets|multiple generals]] at once at reduced magnitude as we did with Knights of Glory. The permanent enchantment on the [[Wolves of War]] will provide the same benefits as the new version of the ritual.

===Reasoning: Citadels===
We've increased the magnitude of the three citadel-summoning rituals - [[Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae]], [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]],and [[Dripping Echoes of the Fen]], - from 80 to 100. These rituals produce very powerful effects that can have a dramatic impact on the military campaign - so they need to have a cost that reflects that impact. We have adjusted their magnitudes to reflect their powerful effect. We've also changed the magnitude of [[Golden Ramparts]] and [[Stone's Unyielding Defiance]], rituals that provide additional strength to fortifications, bringing them into line with these changes.

===In-character Explanation===
In each case, the explanation for the changes is the esoteric conjunction of [[the Key]] and [[the Lock]] that has been going on for some time.

With Knights of Glory, we have assumed that the representatives of the Empire have continued to flatter and charm [[Eleonaris]] causing her to change her mind regarding her ritual. The ritual has changed because of the conjunction - but the eternal is now happy for the Empire to perform it. At least for the time being... The Lion of Summer will always be a volatile figure who is quick to anger. She won't hesitate to express her anger at the Empire in the future if she feels slighted.

==Military Units and Fleets==
We've changed the conquered territory limit so that it also applies to [[fleet|fleets]] and [[military unit|military units]]. Previously they were not affected by the conquered territory penalty - now they suffer the penalty just like any other resource.

Military units and fleets that are going to suffer the penalty can be protected by the [[Vale of Shadows]] ritual, like any other resource.

===Reasoning===
The existing rules provided these two resources with a small advantage that is simply not warranted from a play-balance point of view. Initially we'd erred on the side of simulation - imagining that because military units and fleets were mobile the penalty ought not to reply to them. As the game progressed this exception has become increasingly jarring. It has never been possible to move a fleet or military unit from one territory to the next - so it was a mistake to treat them differently for other purposes.

===IC Explanation===
While military units and fleets are inherently mobile, the people in them have families who are not. If your military unit or fleet is based in a territory, it represents the fact that the individual soldiers or sailors who work for you have families and lives there. A fleet or military unit has a "home base" that exists in a territory, and if that territory is conquered the people who operate the resource will be less productive. This is why you can't simply move a military unit to another territory and why they are now also affected by the penalty for being in a conquered territory.

==Conduct==
===Disability===
We have added a [[Conduct#Disability|new section to our conduct rules]] to make clear that you must not question another player's right to use aids and adaptations put in place for disabled participants. This is particularly important in light of the new rules we have put in place for [[#Vehicle_Access|vehicle access]] at the events. The provisions we have put in place are there for those that find they have need of them on a self-declared basis. If you are absolutely certain that someone is repeatedly using a facility or service they openly admit they don't have a need for, to the direct detriment of disabled participants, then you may report the matter to Profound Decisions to deal with. Challenging other participants or publicly complaining about their behaviour is not acceptable under any circumstances.

===Smut===
Recently we've had an upsurge of interest and promotion of sexual publications in Empire, with a range of stuff from the simply smutty to the more explicit. There has always been a fair bit of it about in Empire, and in general we don't have any issue with it at all. Indeed one of the reasons we ran a plotline involving such publications in Empire was because we wanted to make clear to players that the new conduct rules didn't mean that folks couldn't do that sort of things at events anymore.

However there are two things that anyone playing in this space does need to be sure they're being very careful about. The first issue is consent - a person's character belongs to them - it's an extension of their personality in some form. As such it is absolutely not acceptable to take that character and use it in your erotic fiction without their explicit consent to what you're creating, even if that character is no longer in play. Historical figures in the game are fine, folks are welcome to write any kind of fiction about figures from the setting who died long before the game began. But anyone who has been phys-repped as a living character is not yours to write about. This includes all our NPCs, our civil servants, magistrates, egregores etc, as well as characters played by PCs. Our conduct rules clearly state that any attempt to sexualise another participants character without their permission will be treated as [[Conduct#Sexual_Harassment|sexual harassment]].

The other thing you ''must'' be mindful of is the requirement to avoid sexualising the environment in a way that makes other players uncomfortable. Lots of players enjoy these publications - and lots of players don't want anything to do with that in their LRP. We have updated our conduct rules on [[Conduct#Sexual_Activity_and_Performances|sexual activity]] at events to make clear that anyone who wants to engage in that kind of roleplaying must ensure that it is handled discreetly and in a way that doesn't force other players to be involved with it against their wishes. In particular that means you can't promote it on our Facebook groups, since that's incompatible with the need to handle it discreetly in a way that doesn't cause discomfort for other players. I've asked the moderators to take down posts promoting material that is smutty or explicit in the future.

==Spring Rituals==
We've made some significant changes to three Spring rituals. We've clarified [[Blood of the Hydra]], and made it clear that it only works on limbs ruined by Cleave and Impale effects. We've made a change to the [[roleplaying effects]] of [[Fan the Flame of New Life]], to remove the idea that the enchantment makes targets "horny". We've removed the '''Midwife's Recourse''' ritual. In the latter case, if you were the target of an ongoing Midwife's Recourse [[enchantment]], its effects will end before the start of the next event.

As always, if you had mastered one of the rituals that was changed you can email [mailto:admin@profounddecisions.co.uk admin@profounddecisions.co.uk] and we'll remove the mastery leaving you free to master a different ritual.
===In Character Explanation===
In each case, the in-character explanation for these changes is the effect of the ongoing conjunction of [[the Key]] and [[the Lock]]. The esoteric tension between "things are hidden" and "things are revealed" has unexpected, permanent effects on certain rituals.
===Reasoning: Blood of the Hydra===
When it was initially created, the intention of Blood of the Hydra was that it be one of a suite of low-magnitude rituals that allow ritualists to create the effects of certain spells. This suite includes rituals such as [[Hands of Sacred Life]] that duplicates the [[heal]] spell, and the combination of [[Ascetic Star of Atun]] and [[Renewed Strength of the New Day]] which between them duplicate the effect of the [[purify]] spell. Over time, the scope of the ritual shifted to allow it to be used to repair any lingering damage to the body. We've restored the ritual to its original purpose.

Permanent life-changing injuries are not a theme of our game because we don't want our game mechanics to trivialise these injuries. We never want a situation where someone with an out-of-character disability is asked in-character why they don't use Blood of the Hydra (or any magic) to remove their disability. This is one of the reasons our existing [[Healing in Empire]] page talks about Spring magic speeding up natural healing processes rather than regenerating lost limbs or the like. Disabilities and long-lasting or permanent injuries exist in the setting but players who are not themselves disabled should be sensitive to the experiences of others and think carefully about playing a character who has any kind of long-term disability.

There are deliberately no rules to allow one character to maim another character. It is fine for a player to choose to roleplay that they have received a specific injury when they suffer damage - but unless there is a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|traumatic wound]] or similar card involved our rules will treat that injury like any other loss of hits. You might roleplay severing your fingertip in a knife game, but our expectation is that the heal spell or attentions of a physick will allow that severed fingertip to be reattached or repaired just as it would any other loss of hit points.

We don't want a single low-magnitude ritual to replace the [[Surgical skills#Physick|physick]] skill. Some of the [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|traumatic wounds]] we created early on in Empire imposed a need for ritual magic to deal with powerful magic effects that were devastating the body. We retired these wounds some time ago - while they were fun they were at odds with the lower-fantasy feel we want for the game. Blood of the Hydra will remain a useful tool for some traumatic wounds where the requirement to mend a cleaved limb is explicitly mentioned - but it will not be the ''only'' tool that works.

===Reasoning: Fan the Flame of New Life===
The original version of this ritual had the roleplaying effect of making participants "vigorous and lusty." Over time it became clear that this had too much potential to put players in uncomfortable positions. There's no place for any kind of game effect that might impact a character's capacity to consent in Empire or to put any player under pressure to roleplay something they're not comfortable with. As a consequence we have completely removed the roleplaying effects of this ritual. We've also removed reference to the ritual not being "powerful" enough to allow conception between orcs and humans as it's not our intention that ''any'' magic will allow conception between different in-character species.

We've removed language around women and men. The ritual works on any two willing characters of the same IC species. Groveblossom exists in the setting to allow characters to transition if they chose, matters of sexual physiology up to and including the ability to conceive are a matter for the individual participant. As with other parts of the game that are serious and can affect participants in the real world we require that anyone using the ritual treat the matter sensitively.

We still wanted to keep the idea of a Spring ritual that allows people to address questions of infertility, and give players a way to bless a union so we have left the ritual's role as a component of marriage ceremonies in place.

===Reasoning: Midwife's Recourse===
The original purpose for this ritual was to address situations where players who were roleplaying being pregnant were pressurised into avoiding skirmishes or battles. In practice it was a mistake to address the issue with a ritual because many participants chose to roleplay that their character is pregnant because they are pregnant in real life. The ritual compounded the problems that happen when in-character and out-of-character are overlapping. We never want a situation where someone tells an out-of-character pregnant person they should get this ritual cast on them so they can go on battles, for example.

The ritual was also intended to show how the Empire world has excellent pre- and ante-natal care that is equivalent to that found in the modern United Kingdom, rather than the kind of medical technology that might be expected from a broadly medieval setting. Miscarriage and death in pregnancy are not themes of the game - they exist in the setting so that players who need to refer to them for real world reasons can do so. Players who have not themselves had a miscarriage should be sensitive to the experiences of others and think carefully about playing a character who has experienced any kind of difficulty with childbirth.

Because we don't want the medical issues related to childbirth to be a theme of the game, we have removed the ritual. In Empire a [[Surgical skills#Physick|physick]] will treat any issues during childbirth using herbs and be successful most of the time. In character the expectation is that nobody tells pregnant characters what they should or should not do. We have updated the pages on [[Technology#Medicine|technology]] and [[healing in Empire#Pregnancy and childbirth|healing in Empire]] accordingly. Out of character our [[combat_safety#Battle_Safety|event safety rules]] make clear that any player who is advised by a medical professional to avoid strenuous physical activity - should not participate in fighting. This means that an OOC decision to participate in any part of Empire is a matter for the player based on the medical advice they have received and is not a matter for other participants to comment on.

==Conclave Changes==
As Empire has grown, it has become clearer that Conclave is starting to creak under the strain. Conclave sessions have become so long that they've become a standing joke among the player base. It has also become clear that some of the mechanisms aren't providing the kind of game experience we want to promote. With that in mind, we're making some changes to how the Imperial Conclave operates.

===Conclave Agenda===
* '''Declarations are raised by Grandmasters, and by a handful of other titles'''
* '''The agenda remains publicly available, and anyone can check and see what declarations have been raised and by whom'''
The first major change we're making is to the agenda itself. Each Grandmaster can raise a single [[declaration]] to the agenda each session for a total of two declarations each summit. They can raise these declarations themselves, or pass the declaration on to a member of their order to raise and present.

Certain existing titles have gained the ability to raise a single ''specific'' declaration each event (rather than each session). The existing titles, and the declaration they will be able to raise, are:
* [[Bursar of the Conclave]] can raise a [[Endowment|Declaration of Endowment]]
* [[Imperial Censor]] can raise a [[Interdiction|Declaration of Interdiction]]
* [[Dean of the Lyceum]] can raise a [[Imperial lore|Declaration of Imperial Lore]]
* [[Imperial Magus]] can raise a [[Concord|Declaration of Concord]]
* Each [[Archmage]] can raise a [[Alignment|Declaration of Alignment]] (which encompasses the old declarations of Amity, Enmity, and Neutrality) for an eternal of their realm
* [[The Throne]] can raise a [[Candidacy|Declaration of Candidacy]]

Finally, the [[Arbiter of the Rogue Declaration]] is a special Imperial title that is auctioned for crystal mana each Saturday, and works in a similar manner to an [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave|Imperial Wayleave]]. It allows the Imperial citizen who wins the auction to raise a declaration of their choice to the agenda for the Saturday evening Conclave session. The mana raised becomes part of the Font.

As before, declarations are submitted to the Conclave civil servant at the Hub, and are displayed publicly. Declarations are added to the agenda in the order they are received. The deadline for submitting declarations remains the same - an hour before the session is due to begin.

The Senate would be able to create new titles with the power of ''Declaration'' but no more than one title per type of declaration. Our intention is to limit the number of titles that can gain the Declaration power so that only ''one'' additional declaration of each "type" can be raised during an event (so using the examples above only the Bursar of the Conclave can have the power to raise a bonus Declaration of Endowment, and if the Senate wants a different title to have that power they will need to remove it from the Bursar).

===Declarations===
We've also overhauled the declarations, pinning down what they can do and wherever possible making them more impactful.
* [[Alignment]] - this declaration combines the old Amity, Enmity, and Neutrality into a single declaration that sets the "status" of an eternal in relation to the Conclave. The effects of amity and enmity have not changed.
* [[Candidacy]] - this has been significantly overhauled and is covered in its own section below
* [[Concord]] - the declaration works the same as it did previously, but the potential impact is much greater, comparable to a [[statement of principle]] in the [[Synod]]
* [[Dissemination]] - unchanged
* [[Endorsement]] - this is a new declaration that allows the Conclave to declare an act of magic to be in the interests of the Empire
* [[Endowment]] - the changes to the Font (the pool of mana the Conclave controls) adds significant new functionality to this declaration ensuring there is always a pool of mana for the Conclave to distribute if they wish to do so
* [[Imperial lore]] - unchanged
* [[Interdiction]] - We've expanded the guidance on how this declaration works, and what it explicitly does in each case. We've also combined it with the Declaration of License (which removes interdiction). We've removed the idea that an item or ritual might be interdicted in a way that means the magistrates seize something and keep it. If the Conclave deems something dangerous, it is destroyed.
* [[Sorcery]] - as with Alignment, we've combined Sorcery and Reconciliation into a single declaration. We've also made it possible to use a single declaration to declare multiple people to be sorcerers, but on the understanding that the Conclave either condemns ''all'' or ''none'' of them.
===Candidacy===
We've made extensive changes to candidacy to make it more impactful, and of greater interest. Rather than the declaration being "this person should have this title", the emphasis changes to "there should be a new person in this title". When candidacy is declared, ''anyone'' can throw their hat into the ring to claim the title. Each of them can then spend mana to speak on their own behalf, but there is no cross-examination. Once every candidate has declared themselves and made their pitch, the Conclave moves straight to the vote.

Our intention is that Candidacy be more impactful in that it has the potential to engage everyone in the room.

===Conclave Session===
* '''During a session each declaration is presented in turn'''
* '''Orders have one minute to discuss the matter at hand among themselves, then the formal debate begins'''
* '''Grandmasters recognise speakers in order of precedence from lowest to highest'''
* '''Discussion continues until all grandmasters pass, or half the grandmasters have ''moved to vote'''''
During a Conclave session, declarations are raised, discussed, and voted on by the Imperial Conclave in the order they were added to the agenda. The Civil Service read out the precise wording of the declaration. Then the person who raised it can spend mana to make a presentation - to speak before the Conclave on the matter at hand. The orders then have a minute to speak among themselves, and then the discussion begins.

During the discussion the civil servant calls on each grandmaster in order of precedence, starting with the largest order, to contribute to the discussion. They have three options at this point:
* They can nominate someone to speak. This costs mana.
* They can choose to "pass" - they don't nominate someone to speak but their order still participates in the discussion. If all the grandmasters pass, the discussion ends.
* They can choose to "move to vote" - they don't nominate someone, and will not be called on again to discuss the current matter. Essentially they indicate that their order is done with the matter and want to get to the vote. Once half the grandmasters have "moved to vote" the current round of discussion plays out (so that every order has had equal opportunity to discuss) and then a vote is called.
===Speaking During Conclave===
* '''Speaking during Conclave still costs mana but each additional minute costs more than the preceding minute'''
Speaking during Conclave requires mana. The first minute costs one mana, the second minute costs two mana, the third three mana and so on. This same cost is used whether the magician is making a presentation for a declaration, or speaking during the discussion.

===The Font===
* '''Rather than immediately distributing the Font to the grandmasters, the crystal mana in the Font remains under the control of the Conclave and the Declaration of Endowment'''
* '''We've added 211 mana to the starting Font for the first event of 2023'''
The Font consists of all the mana used during a Conclave session, plus that raised by auctioning the ''Rogue Declaration''. Rather than being divided among the grandmasters at the start of the next event, the Font remains in the control of the Conclave, subject to Declaration of Endowment like any other resource the Conclave controls. It functions in a similar way to the way the Imperial Treasury works in the Senate, or the Virtue Fund in the Synod. A Declaration of Endowment allows the Conclave to give any amount of it to a specific named individual.

Any remaining crystal mana left in the Font at the end of the event is divided among the grandmasters as before, and received in their packs at the start of the next event. Anything left over is added to the mana raised during the event and becomes the new Font.

We've added 211 mana to the Font for the next event as a one-off payment to cover the transition effects of this rules change.

===Conclave Address===
* '''We have removed the Conclave Address as a concept'''
* '''A new Conclave session is added on Saturday afternoon specifically for the Archmages to address Imperial magicians'''
The Conclave Address has been removed (with one specific exception covered below). We want the Conclave to be about characters coming together to make decisions, and addresses, by their nature lack a decision point. In the past we shied away from removing them for a number of reasons, foremost among them was the concern that it would just lead to Declarations of Concord being repurposed as addresses. With the limited number of declarations each session, and the added impact of the Declaration of Concord, this is no longer a concern.

One group of titles, however, had a special relationship with addresses - the Archmages. To recognise this we're introducing the ''Arcane Colloquium''. This is an additional Conclave session ''specifically'' for the Archmages. Taking place early on Saturday afternoon, the Civil Service will support the Archmages in a meeting in the Hall of Worlds during which each one in turn has a fifteen minute slot to use as they wish - making announcements, hosting discussion, chairing a seminar, or giving space to other magicians to do the same.
===Conclave Titles===
* '''We've made some changes to Conclave titles'''
Where possible we've made as few changes to existing Imperial titles as possible. We've removed the "free address" from those titles that had it, as mentioned above. Those titles who had the ability to make a "free declaration" now have the much more significant power to add a specific declaration to the agenda each summit. Unlike the grandmasters, this ability is very much a power of the title - only the title holder or their proxy can present the declaration during the Conclave session.

The title that has seen the greatest change to their powers is [[the Throne]]. They can still nominate speakers as a grandmaster does, but we've removed the ''Master of Magic'' power because this ability was simply too disruptive given the changes we've made to the Conclave. Instead given them several new powers;
* When the Throne moves to vote it ends the discussion once the current round is complete regardless of what the grandmasters may have voted, This gives the Throne greater influence over the business of the Conclave and partly reflects the master of magic power.
* They can raise a Declaration of Candidacy once each summit, partially reflecting the old master of magic power, but reinforcing the idea of the Throne having a say in who is best suited to serve the Empire.
* We've given them the ability to address the Conclave - reflecting their power to speak in other houses and their existing ability to address the Empire.
* We've given them the ability to influence the agenda - prioritising one declaration and moving another to the end of the agenda.

===Reasoning===
Each of the "houses of power" in Empire (Senate, Synod, Military Council, Bourse, Conclave) works differently. Each influences different areas of the game, and each uses unique mechanisms to do so. The Imperial Conclave ultimately makes decisions about magic, and allows any magician in the Empire to participate through open debate and open voting. We want to try and keep as much of this core identity intact as possible.

The main challenge we need to address is that the Conclave sessions are too long - regularly reaching three or four hours in length and often getting bogged down in discussions that many people in the room are not invested in. Our ideal conclave is no longer than ninety minutes, and has a tight focus on the most important issues to try to get as many people invested in the matters being discussed as possible.

Our initial approach was to reduce the number of people who could talk on each declaration. The fact that anyone can talk for as long as they want as long as they pay mana is a key factor in the length of Conclave sessions. After further discussion, however, we decided that reducing the ability of characters to argue and debate would be discarding one of the elements that makes Conclave unique - the mass participation. Instead of restricting players' ability to speak, we've opted to take the only other option that would reduce the length of the sessions - cutting down the number of Declarations. By doing that, we hope the sessions will be shorter, and if the declarations are limited in number, then they're more likely to be focussed on key issues that impact the game as a whole.

Of course more people will want to submit declarations than the system allows for - so players will have to fight over what declarations are submitted. We hope that grandmasters in particular will be kept very busy with people trying to persuade them to use one of their orders declarations to support whatever agenda that character is pushing. We expect there will be a lot of politics and roleplay around this, but it will take place outside of Conclave, rather than during Conclave.

We've also taken the decision to remove the Conclave addresses entirely from the Conclave sessions. Most addresses have always had a very specialised audience - the addresses by the archmages in particular are often focussed on eternals and their business. Where you have a part of the game that is of high interest to a small group of players but low interest to everyone else, the trick is to separate it off, so that only the players who care are there for it.

So that's what we've done - we've moved the archmage addresses to their own special session - the Arcane Colloquium. This is effectively six special sessions, one for each realm of magic, which the archmage can either use to address those assembled or cede the floor to others to let them speak. While we expect there may be less people present than came to Conclave, the audience for the new Colloquium will be there explicitly to hear what is being said and to take part in the discussions, so it should be much more engaged.

Overhauling the way Conclave works required us to look at the role of the [[Conclave order|orders]] and how the [[Grandmaster|grandmasters]] operate. The changes we're making also require us to look at the [[archmage|archmages]] and many of the other titles, both those that have been in the game since the start, and those the players have created themselves. We've also taken this opportunity to look at the Font; how it's calculated and how it's used and what we can do to make it more integral to the functioning of the Conclave.

We've also introduced a brand new type of declaration - Endorsement. The Conclave was always intended to be the body that regulates magic in the Empire, but without the right legal tools to do that, there was a tendency for everything to fall back on the Imperial Senate. The Imperial Senate should make laws, but the laws are enforced by our magistrates. Rituals and pacts with eternals that are controversial are often ending up for legal interpretation with our magistrates, which means our NPCs are deciding if the players should have done the thing or not. That's the very opposite of what we want - so we've created the new Declaration of Endorsement to put that control very firmly back in the hands of players where it should have been all along!

Finally we've adjusted the significance of the Declaration of Concord to make clear that the Empire's magicians are listening to what the Conclave has to say. We want to try and get some of the game the Synod generates with its use of Statements of Principle and Mandates. Previously there have been so many declarations that it was hard for us to focus on them individually. The Synod has a similar problem, but there we could use the requirement for a greater majority to help us focus on the most important ones. Now the number of Declarations of Concord is likely to be strictly limited, we hope to respond to the most controversial of those passed with winds of fortune or other plot developments. In that way we can further enhance the importance of the Conclave and what happens there.

===IC Explanation===
Any in-character explanation is always a fig-leaf at best. We're exercising our position as the event organisers to use our experience to try and improve the overall game design. We do that each year because we want to keep improving Empire so that it remains the best game we can possibly deliver for our players. We know any change is always painful and it always upsets people, but it is part of what keeps Empire fresh.

In a situation like this where we have fundamentally rewritten some parts of how the game design works, it is near impossible to create an in-character explanation for the changes that fits the theme of the setting. We could claim this change is supposed to happen after an Empress magically disappears or that a comet did it, but it would be patently preposterous. In the end the only IC explanation that is even vaguely credible is that the Civil Service have the authority to make administrative changes to the processes of the Empire to ensure its smooth running. That is closest to the actual reality - that these changes are being made by Profound Decisions to make the game better - and it will work every time we need to use it in the future to make changes to improve Empire. So that's what we're going with, even if it doesn't fully fit the theme of the setting that the Civil Service have that kind of power.

We do want to be clear that this is just an IC fig-leaf for anyone who absolutely needs a way to refer to changes in-character. This is a change that PD have made - it isn't a change the characters who run the Civil Service have come up with in-character. There is no point in trying to harangue them to make reverse course or make new changes because they are the justification for this change, not the architect of it.

==Site Changes==
Due to the growing popularity of Empire we are having to make some difficult choices about how we use the current site. These changes will affect the space allocated to tents for in-character camping as well as vehicle access to the site before and after the event. The changes are summarised below, along with the OOC reasoning for the update.

===IC Camping===
In 2023, camp planners will only be able to guarantee sleeping space on the IC field to people with accessibility or childcare needs.

* Our camp planners will be asking everyone who is bringing an IC tent to the event whether it is required or optional.
* "Required" tents include all tents for roleplaying in and any tents that need to be on the IC field for any accessibility reason (mobility, fatigue, childcare, etc).
* "Optional" tents include any tents that could move to an OC field if required because they are just used for sleeping or storing equipment and aren’t needed for any accessibility reason.
* You won’t be asked to justify or explain your choices - just mark your tent as optional or required with your camp planner.
* If we run out of space, camp planners will move some or all of the sleeping tents labelled as optional to the new overflow fields we have hired.
* The overflow fields are not in-character and don't form part of the Anvil game area, but they are adjacent to Anvil to keep walking distances to a minimum.
* If we only need to move a few tents, we will ensure we aren't moving the same tents each time.

===Vehicle Access===
You can drive into the IC area to set-up if conditions allow, but you must set up quickly and then move your vehicle to the OOC camp as soon as you are done. On take-down you must take your tent down and have your kit ready to go before you bring your vehicle on, unless you need your vehicle for accessibility reasons during take-down.

* If you drive into the IC area at the start of the weekend, you must remove your car from the site as soon as you’ve unpacked and set up your tent.
* Unless you have specific accessibility requirements, you must pack up your camp at the end of the weekend before you bring your vehicle back into the IC area. Once everything is completely taken down and ready to be quickly packed away, you can bring your car onto site (assuming ground conditions are reasonable), collect your stuff and go.
* After 7pm on Sunday, all participants are free to drive onto site without needing to take their tents down first. We will actively review this deadline between events and move it earlier in the day if we are confident that we can do so without the site becoming deadlocked.
* All these rules apply to the IC camping areas only, there are no equivalent restrictions on vehicle movements in the OOC or crew camping areas.
* We strongly recommend bringing a plastic sheet, tarpaulin or similar to protect your gear from any inclement weather - please remember that if the weather gets too bad, we won't be able to allow most vehicles on site at all!

===Reasoning===
We've started planning our events in 2023, and an important part of that is the need to reflect on the amount of field space we have available. We’ve had a really successful 2022 - our numbers across the year climbed by nearly 35%.

This is brilliant news, but by the end of the year we were absolutely at the limit of what the site could cope with. Camping space was at a premium, and quite a few participants had to camp in the OOC areas even if they had a suitable IC tent. During takedown, there were huge delays getting everyone on site to pack their cars, because there simply wasn't room for so many vehicles to come on site when the ground was so crowded with tents.

We've now concluded our negotiations with the landowner to make enough additional space for our use next year, but there are some major challenges. In theory, we could simply assign another field to Anvil, making the IC area 50% bigger - but that is not without drawbacks. Players in Dawn and Wintermark already face long walks to reach the camps at the other side of the site or to reach facilities like GOD, the Hall of Worlds or the regio. The distances everyone has to walk all weekend get worse as the site expands. The physical site is a challenge already for any player who has mobility or fatigue issues; we don't want to make that situation worse if we have any alternative.

After a lot of consideration, we decided to try a different approach for 2023. Before now, some IC tents in the in-character area were being used purely for sleeping or storage. Some of these absolutely need to be there, either because they are being used by groups to roleplay in or because the occupants need to have their sleeping tent nearby for accessibility or childcare reasons. In some cases, however, the IC tent is just to have a tent nearby for convenience. While we understand everyone wants their personal tent on hand, continuing with that approach would mean that next year *everyone* would have to walk much further throughout the event.

In an effort to keep Anvil as accessible as we can manage, this is a new approach we’ll put in place for the first event. It may be that we don't grow much next year and we don't have to ask anyone to move their tent to the overflow area. Equally, we may grow and find that we need to bite the bullet and expand Anvil to cover another field. We will adapt to the circumstances as we find them.

We have problems currently with vehicles blocking camping spots on the in-character field. We can deal with this relatively easily if the owners are present or nearby and are putting up their tent, but it is very difficult to deal with if the owners have simply parked up and abandoned the car, especially if they haven't pre-recorded the vehicle registration number with us. Players must make sure they set up their camp as quickly as possible and then move their vehicle to the OOC camp so that other participants can use the space. You must not leave your vehicle overnight in the IC area under any circumstance.

There is not enough room for all participants to bring their vehicles into the IC area during take-down while all the tents are still up. There simply isn't enough space for the vehicles to pull up with so many tents everywhere. As a result the traffic backs up and completely locks up - this led to increasingly long queues for many participants in 2022, with some players having to queue in their vehicles for up to two hours waiting to get onto the site. If everyone takes their tent down first, this will create enough room to let people bring their vehicles on significantly reducing the queuing. If you need to have your vehicle present while you take your tent down for accessibility reasons, then that is fine, otherwise you must follow the new guidelines if you bring your car on before 7pm on Sunday.

At some point enough of the site will be clear that it is fine to let vehicles come on regardless of whether they packed down or not. We will review the 7pm deadline for bringing cars on before you've packed up after each event. If we're confident that we can move the deadline earlier without causing traffic jams and delays for everyone then we will update the time accordingly.

We know we will have to expand Anvil at some point, if Empire keeps growing. However, these two changes will help us delay that point as long as possible, and let us keep the physical size of Anvil to the smallest possible footprint which benefits everyone - especially the many players for whom the physical size of the IC site is a challenge already.

==Crossbows==
Participants under the age of 18 can no longer use crossbows at Empire

===Reasoning===
It has been brought to our attention that under the UK Crossbows act 1987, it is illegal for anyone under 18 to be in possession of a crossbow over 1.4Kg draw (3 pounds). As such, we have updated our rules.

==Must Avoid Policy==
Participants under a "must avoid" must now avoid each other's group camps completely, rather than just when the other party is there.

===Reasoning===
This has been a rule which has caused confusion, and which we felt there was no benefit to allowing participants who were avoiding each other into the other party's group camps in certain rare, specific situations.

==Tents and Flammability==
Tents are no longer considered to be flammable.

===Reasoning===
This is a rule that dates back to before the days of Empire, when camp attacks were a thing we needed rules for, and we felt it was time to remove it. The safety rules still apply, you should still not fight in an area where it will cause an accident, but we've no longer got a rule in place to allow you to force people out of the space, as we felt it was not needed.

{{Rules Updates}}

It's my time

2026-09-16T16:33:02Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Peerless Kinship]]
<ic>
"Look, it's perfectly clear that Jared has sent us here to study the history of the Witan! There's so much oral history that Wintermark just takes for granted. If we write it down, we can help them remember what the Witan once was. It could inspire them - it could inspire everyone!"

The fire in the hall was dying down. Their hosts had all gone to bed leaving their guests to see in the dawn alone To be fair they'd kept them company to the wee hours, but they'd eventually tired of the debate. Thibault, the halls thane had left at them and told them he full expected them to still be arguing in the morning when the hall awoke. At this rate he might not be wrong...

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but we were expressly told to look for what could inspire Wintermark. There's no-one more inspirational than the banner-bearers. They put down their shield to inspire everyone around them. You think it's a coincidence that Britta was a banner-bearer? That she carried Guntherm's banner? Come on... history is shouting at us! We need to help them build that hall."

On paper it had seemed like an inspired idea to send the benefactors ''and'' the archivists north together. And on paper it still was. Once they stopped arguing which was more important, recording history or building up civic society, then they would do incredible work together. Of course that argument would not be settled until every mortal soul had ascended from the Labyrinth, but still...

"I ''still'' think that we're ignoring the Agramant in the room," interrupted Rebekah, deliberately dropping the name to make her point. "He's north of here, or his followers are. They've got this Wemba fellow - but the other one is still out there. And who knows what else... I for one would jump at the chance at an opportunity to strike back at the Shadow Courtiers.

Thibault had been drinking to the early hours, but he still rose with the dawn just like he always had. There was a price to be paid for being a thane. Expectations had to be met. People didn't make you their leader so you could lie in bed like a drunken maggot. So he was the first in the hall that morning. He was pleased to find he'd been wrong and his guests had finally taken delivery of their senses and gone to bed.

"Perhaps they settled their argument after-all" he mused, thought somehow he doubted it. He'd suggested they just got a mystic to read the runes, but that hadn't settled it either. Perhaps nothing would.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px;; clear: right; margin: 15px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBHighguard.jpg|align=right|width=2000}}</div>
==Overview==
As is now their custom, the [[Highguard|Highborn]] have expressed their [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Peerless_Kinship|peerless kinship]], this time under the leadership of '''Jared of the Suns of Couros''' to their cousins in [[Wintermark]]. The statement responds to the judgement of the Wintermark Assembly, one submitted by Yrkja Riansson Sigeing that looks to inspire Wintermark for the future.

Yrkja's statement covers a lot of ground and though her goals seem clear, those Highborn pilgrims who make the long trek north soon find themselves caught in doubt. Unwilling to risk focussing their efforts on the wrong thing, and thus wasting their Virtue, they instead look back to the Highborn Assembly for further guidance. There are three things here, which could benefit - but which one does Wintermark want aid with? Which one does the Highborn Assembly want them to focus their efforts on?

==Two Judgements, Three Forks==
{{SOP|statement=As we memorialise the Fist of the Mountains, as we raise our fourth army, as we dare Tsirku, let us also seek to inspire Winterfolk whose skein calls them to other fields. Wintermark gave the Empire the Senate; we laid the cornerstones of Imperial law. We have been guides and architects of the Empire since its foundation. We invite the Highborn in peerless kinship to find how we may best draw inspiration from that legacy today.|by=Yrkja Riansson Sigeing, Wintermark Assembly|vote=236=0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE}}
{{SOP|statement=Highborn! In peerless kinship we encourage our archivists and benefactors to journey to Wintermark to support our northern siblings in their reflections on their role in the Empire, as out in Judgement 104 in the Wintermark Assembly. As a fellow nation who understands the role of the past to inspire and building upon we can help strengthen their legacy to the Empire.|by=Jared of the Suns of Couros, Highborn Assembly|vote=378=0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE}}
* '''There are three problems that could benefit from Peerless Kinship'''
Scores of Highborn pilgrims make the long trek north to Wintermark, the words of their Assembly ringing in their ears. The visitors are made welcome in halls across Wintermark, where they enjoy the famed hospitality of Wintermark. Feasted and entertained by scops, they speak with the grimnirs and the mystics and the mediators to find out what problems they might help with.

It soon becomes clear that things are not clear. Not clear enough at any road. Jared's judgement calls on archivists and benefactors to journey to Wintermark to support Wintermark, to help them reflect on their role in the Empire and look how the past might inspire them. It is clear that they are here to help Wintermark to find ways to draw inspiration from the past - but it is painfully clear that there are two very different routes that could take them down.
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; margin: 15px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBWintermark.jpg|align=right|width=2000}}</div>
The past could be interpreted as the search for Foe-slayer, Guntherm's ancient banner and the [[Hidden_inventory|goal to build a hall to house the banners of Wintermark's past]]. It is painfully clear that this is a great source of inspiration for Wintermark, the banner-bearers are iconic figures who literally carry inspiration into battle. And there is work to be done to recover the past and build the future, so that Wintermark might achieve all that it can on the battlefield. Benefactors could set to, to help Wintermark build the hall - and thereby make it exceed all expectations.

But it could just as easily refer to the [[A_fork_in_the_path#Omens|current efforts to restore the importance of the Witan]]. The Witan is one of the foundational achievements of Wintermark - one of their great gifts to the Empire. Without the Witan there might be no Senate. Arguably without the Witan there might be no Empire. Archivists could set to, to help Wintermark compile the history of the Witan, to remember the history of this great and storied institution and see how it might be restored to prominence.

And finally there is of course, the [[Roses in the snow|ongoing exploration of Tsirku]]. Both the archivists and the benefactors are certain that that is ''not'' what Jared sent them north to support, but it was mentioned by Yrkja in her judgement and it is very clearly important. What could be more Ambitious than climbing to the top of the world, exploring the edges of civilisation? What could be more Courageous? It's hard to find a problem more inspirational - and so both the benefactors and the archivists agree that that is something they would both support if that was what was needed.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: right;">
[[file:Assembly Highborn.png]]
</div>
==Three Mandates, One Choice==
* '''The Highborn Assembly can enact one of the following mandates'''
* '''Whichever choice is made, the Highborn citizens will throw themselves into the decision'''
* '''The impact will be striking, but there is no way to tell what in advance what it will be'''
* '''If any of the three mandates name Jared of the Suns of Couros the the liao cost is reduced to zero'''

As ever, the pilgrims who have come to Wintermark look to their Assembly to make a decision. If the Assembly wants them to support Wintermark's efforts to restore the prominence of the banner-bearers and raise a hall to celebrate the nation's artistic history, they can pass the following mandate.

{{Mandate|mandate=Strive for excellence in that of which you are proud! We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to direct Highborn efforts to celebrate the inspirational artistic traditions of Wintermark. Those who bear our banners uplift our souls|assembly=Highborn Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted, the Highborn visitors in Wintermark will do everything possible to help those pursuing the problems outlined in [[hidden inventory]]. Even if Wintermark itself makes no progress in this area, the Highborn will not falter. If they act in support of Wintermark, those efforts will exceed expectations, if they act alone, they will find a way to achieve ''something''.

If the Assembly wants the faithful to support Wintermark's efforts to promote the Witan and the problems it is wrestling with, they can pass the following mandate.

{{Mandate|mandate=Let every word you speak carry meaning! We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to direct Highborn efforts to promote the Witan. Those who speak Wise wods in Counsel can inspire us all.|assembly=Highborn Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted, the Highborn who have come north will focus all their efforts on the challenges outlined in [[a fork in the path]]. Even if Wintermark concentrates its efforts on other matters, the Highborn can still help. If they act in support of Wintermark, those efforts will exceed expectations, if they act alone, they will find a way to achieve ''something''.

Finally if the Assembly decides that the exploration of Tsirku is more important than anything else, with all the promise and the threats it contains, they can pass the following mandate.

{{Mandate|mandate=Seek out falsehood and expose the truth. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to encourage the Highborn to help Wintermark wrestle with the dangers in the frozen north. The names of exemplars not yet known will be written in those frozen lands.|assembly=Highborn Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted, then benefactors and archivists alike will turn their attention to the challenges outlined in [[roses in the snow]]. Even if Wintermark choses not to continue the exploration during the cold winter, there is plenty that Highguard can still do to help. If they act in support of Wintermark, their northern cousins efforts will exceed expectations, if they act alone, they will find a way to achieve ''something''.

The Highborn who have made the long journey north came here at the urging of Jared of the Suns of Couros. As such it is easier for Jared to rally them to their cause. If they are the priest named in the mandate then the liao cost is reduced to zero, provided that Jared comes north personally to enact the mandate. ('''OOC Note:''' We will assume that this character is in Wintermark, personally leading the efforts to help if this mandate is enacted by them).

====Competing Mandates====
These mandates in the Highborn Assembly are [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]]. If more than one mandate is enacted, then the mandate with the cheapest liao cost will take effect. If two or more mandates are tied for liao cost, the one with the greatest margin will take effect.

==One Skein, Nine Siblings==
* '''Highguard can still employ their peerless kinship with another nation as normal this season'''
* '''They cannot send archivists or benefactors to whichever nation they choose to aid'''

The presence of so many archivists and benefactors in Wintermark will limit the options available to Highguard this season. They can still employ their peerless kinship as normal, but they cannot direct either the archivists or the benefactors to take part. Any attempt to engage these groups while they are already engaged will cause the judgement to fail. Other [[:Category:Archetype#Highguard|groups]] can be called upon to help another nation as normal.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-16T16:31:58Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to fully explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by the [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all life, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasant. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. Clearing the snow, the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wounds, others no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observes explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the Jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The scops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often than not lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.

==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
* '''These two mandates are considered to be competing'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is enacted, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is enacted every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is enacted, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

These two mandates are [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|in competition]].


==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowelled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just desserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investigate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kaarina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kaarina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority of the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell members sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Loud and proud

2026-09-16T16:29:52Z

Twiggy:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>
"If it goes ahead, Magistrate Abraham, has said he'll prepare a legal paper on options for the restoration of the Inquisitorial Court!" The enthusiasm in Miriam's voice was obvious as she spoke. The young girl had made no secret of her Ambition to become an inquisitor one day.

Rebekah didn't want to shatter her daughter's dreams, but Ambition needed to be tempered with realism, like a blade needed to be quenched in oil, otherwise it would shatter the first time it struck steel. "Hmmmmm. And did Abraham say ''when'' he was going to produce this legal paper?" she asked innocently.

"Well after the Grand Inspiration is complete would be the right time. Assuming we can get the chambers built of course!"

"Of course. And I'm sure people will. But I wouldn't put ''too much'' stock in what Magistrate Abraham says dear..."

Miriam looked shocked, the fiery-indignation of youth flowering within her. "What do you mean?" she demanded.

Rebekah thought carefully, keen to pick her words carefully to avoid a fight. Mim was at ''that'' age - where every time you said the wrong thing it was fireworks before dinner and then tears before bedtime.

"Well it's just I remember going to Anvil with Abe, years back, and he was always the same... Full of Ambition - and no-one can fault his Prosperity. He loves his work. But... well... delivery was never his strong point darling... Look! I'm just saying not to get your hopes up is all!" Rebekah threw up her hands defensively. Apparently that ''was'' the wrong thing to say.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Grand Endeavours.png|caption=The Grand Inspiration of the Way promises to cement the Empire's position as the heart of the faith.|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
Despite the many demands on their time, the Highborn Assembly have continued to focus on completing [[Construct_Grand_Inspiration_of_the_Way|the Grand Inspiration of the Way]]. It is a colossal effort, a commission on a scale unseen in the history of the Empire - but it is not yet complete despite work beginning more than three years ago. The renewed focus of the people of [[Highguard]] is reaping dividends however as they have begun to [[lay the foundations]] for how the grand edifice may be laid out and [[A lasting commitment|explore how it might be used]].

Now in the beginning of 388YE, the [[Ambition]] Assembly have joined them with a sense of urgency; not just to complete the largest commission the Empire has ever attempted but to do so by the end of the year. Just the idea of declaring something to be your highest calling seems to embrace the Virtue of Ambition, but even so this is an extraordinary thing to attempt. There is still a vast amount of work to be done, but if the Assembly can achieve the impossible it will have a dramatic impact.

===Loud and Proud===
* ''' Aspiring cantors have offered a donation of 6 thrones to the Maestro of the Cat's Graces if they will make the arrangements for a concert at the Winter Solstice'''
* '''If the concert goes ahead, a member of the Custodes Clavium plans to attend to discuss the nature of cantors, their aims and ambitions, after the concert is finished'''
{{SOP|statement=Those who spread salvation with the inspirational beauty and power of their voices must come forth to take up their rightful place in the Grand Inspiration. We send Kish of the Flame Beneath the Earth with 50 doses of liao to encourage the cantors of our nation to congregate and sing the songs their souls yearn to share that all may hear them and know their destiny.|by=Kish of the Flame Beneath the Earth, Highborn National Assembly|vote={{GM}} 626-10|when=Summer 388YE}}
Following the words of '''Kish of the Flame Beneath the Earth''', the Senate [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Amend_Grand_Inspiration_of_the_Way_II|agreed]] that the Cantors of Highguard should be [[A_lasting_commitment#Language_beyond_words|encouraged]] and given a place to perform their beautiful compositions in the Grand Inspiration of the Way. Once the Grand Inspiration is complete, the Cantor archetype will become playable for Highborn characters. In the meantime, aspirant Cantors from across the nation have asked for the [[Cat's Graces]] to host a concert at the Winter Solstice, and will make a donation of 6 thrones to the Maestro to help pay for any supplies and labour required.

The '''Custodes Clavium''' are especially interested in this emerging Highborn tradition. While they normally focus on recording the lives of exemplars and paragons, their interest is in inspiration itself that obsesses them. They want to record the history of key figures so that they can continue to inspire generations to come. But few forces can inspire like music, so the Custodes are intrigued by the prospect of the cantors and eager to ensure that a suitable account of their purpose is prepared. If the Cat's Graces are able to ensure that the proposed concert is going ahead then he asks Maestro to inform the chapter ('''OOC Note:''' by email to {{plot}}). If the performance is confirmed then Malachi of the Custodes Clavium would like to attend as he is hoping for a chance to discuss inspiration with the cantors after the concert, to get their views on what it means to inspire others and how music can be used for that, so that he can make a record of their thoughts for the meticulous records that the Chapter keeps.

===Straight and Narrow===
{{SOP|statement=The spiritual security of all people is sacrosanct to furthering the Way of Virtue. To this end, we declare the inquisitorial court be given the next set of rooms in the Grand Inspiration of the Way. Ensuring those who are converted do not become lost on their path is as important as converting them.|by=Eli of the Cenotaph, Highborn National Assembly|vote={{GM}} 430-0|when=Summer 388YE}}
* '''The Grand Inspiration could be modified to incorporate an inquisitorial courtroom and chambers'''
* '''If the inquisitors are given chambers in the Grand Inspiration the Blade of Wisdom will provide a foci to the Imperial Inquisitor'''
* '''Once the Grand Inspiration is complete, Magistrate Abraham will endeavour to prepare a legal paper laying out options for the restoration of the Inquisitorial Court'''
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<tr><td style="background-color: #C994FF;">'''Inquisitorial Chambers'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Motion Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Amend commission]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Necessary Details:''' Amend the designs for the Grand Inspiration of the Way to incorporate a courtroom and chambers where interviews and interrogations may take place</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the completion of the Grand Inspiration</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Establishes a set of interview rooms in the Grand Inspiration of the Way upon its completion
* The Blade of Wisdom Chapter will provide a useful foci to the Imperial Inquisitor each year
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
Much nodding of heads and stern approval meets the words of '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' regarding his words on the noble work of the [[Inquisitor]]. The Magisters of the ''Blade of Wisdom'' chapter have come forward to offer something useful for the work of the elected Inquisitors who guard the paths of those citizens who attend Anvil. The have offered to supply the [[Imperial Inquisitor]] with a useful [[:category:foci|foci]] of their own design (in conjunction with some guidance from [[Wise Rangara]]) each year that grants two ranks of lore to the casting of [[Freezing Brand of Irremais]], [[Bitter Mantle of the Leaden Crown]] and [[Chastise the Foolish]]. They view these rituals as a valuable tool in the belt of the inquisitorial team and hope that they can be used to great effect by the Imperial Inquisitor and their team.

The Blades of Wisdom are not the only Highborn keen to show their approval. It is sometimes easy to forget that one of the members of the [[Scrutiny#Constitutional_Court|Constitutional Court]], ''Magistrate Abraham'' is Highborn. The ageing magistrate is rarely called on to try cases any more, out of respect for his age, but he is technically still a magistrate. What is more, he is deeply concerned with matters of Virtue and [[The Doctrines of the Faith]]. Perhaps not surprisingly then, he also expresses deep approval for the idea of giving the inquisitors their own chambers in the Grand Inspiration. Putting them at the centre of the faith makes clear just how important they are to the preservation of [[the Way]].

If that happens, if the plan is approved, then Magistrate Abraham has indicated that he will use Winter to prepare a legal paper laying out options for senators that would allow them to explore ways the Empire might restore the Inquisitorial Court. Of course the old man understands that it can be an uphill struggle to get the Senate to give the Synod the power to enforce their will and carry out their responsibilities sometimes, but having clear legal options that lay out what could be done are bound to help cardinals and others "bang heads together" as the magistrate puts it.

===Bright and Beautiful===
* '''The Assembly of Ambition have publicly committed to completing the Grand Inspiration by the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''If they achieve their Ambition, it will inspire the faithful all across the Empire'''
* '''Trade at businesses in Bastion are already booming in anticipation of the grand event'''
{{SOP|statement=We shall ignite the flame to illuminate the Second Age of Virtue. We send Micah of The Navigators of Virtue with 50 doses of liao to spread the word of the grand opening ceremony to take place as 388 turns to 389. Let the whole Empire know that the hour is at hand.|by=Sister Elysium, Ambition Assembly|vote={{GM}} 442-0|when=Summer 388YE}}
Led by '''Sister Elysium''', followers of [[Ambition]] have spread the news of the imminent completion of the Grand Inspiration across the Empire. They have ensured ensure that everyone knows that the great project will be completed by the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE. As long as the Grand Inspiration is completed by the start of 389YE, then it will spread a [[A_lasting_commitment#Mean_What_You_Say|powerful confidence]] through the faithful, creating an [[opportunity]] for members of the Assembly of Ambition to see other great ambitions fulfilled.

There are already people setting aside provisions and planning a great pilgrimage to come and see the opening ceremonies, meaning places are already being booked up in inns and hostels across [[Bastion]]. As a result of this, each [[business]] in Bastion will operate at one rank higher following the Autumn Equinox, representing an increase in trade and tourism for the related industries that support it.

==The First Test==
{{SOP|statement=For many years our Sumaah cousins in virtue have recognised Zemress, the Blade of the Isles, as a paragon. To the Empire, she is an exemplar, lacking proof of liberation, recognition and miracles. The Way Assembly ask the prasters of the House of Prosperity to demonstrate why Zemress stands alongside Tian, Korl, and Atun as a paragon of virtue.|by=Tisserande Griffinsbain, The Way Assembly|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|vote=388-0 {{GM}} }}
* '''The Assembly of the Way have questioned the providence of Zemress, who the Sumaah believe is a Paragon of Prosperity'''
* '''The Sumaah have responded with what they believe is the evidence to support the belief that Zemress has escaped the Labyrinth'''
* '''They expect the Synod to act on this information'''

The Assembly of the Way have declared their highest calling to be testing what the faithful really know. They assert that ''"the Way is strengthened by questions, challenges, and revelations rather than being threatened by them"''. As a result they are in a position to question the authority and status of an exemplar and paragon - is the evidence really there to support their status? Doing so is not without risk - to test your faith, you must put it under pressure.

Initially, the Assembly have elected to turn their attention to the beliefs of the [[Sumaah]]. A statement in the Assembly called on the Prasters of the House of [[Prosperity]] to demonstrate why [[Zemress]] is a [[paragon]]. It was not clear whether any response would be forthcoming, but it seems that the Sumaah Pride simply would not allow them to ignore it.

Shortly before the Autumn Equinox, a short letter is received at the Sumaah Embassy in Necropolis. Written by a ''präst'' who appears to be an adjunct to the Cardinal of Prosperity, it acknowledges the request by the Imperial Assembly of the Way to clarify why Zemress is recognised as a Paragon by the High House of Prosperity.

''Präst Stelltus'' conveys the impression of being more than a little bemused as they write that Zemress is considered a Paragon because she has met six of the necessary signs. In no particular order, the signs recognised by the Sumaash are:

* '''Salvation''' - Zemress is credited with the conversion of the entire pirate nation of Frieøyer to the Way, swaying them with powerful rhetoric and beautiful songs. Whilst she also converted various other smaller groups she came across, this pales in comparison to a whole nation.

* '''Benevolence''' - Zemress defended the Sumaah Republic from a significant Asavean naval invasion, saving countless lives from slavery and the crushing yoke of satrapy. In addition, whilst in Sumaah she made dozens of significant investments, enriching each community she visited.

* '''Inspiration''' - Zemress provides a constant role model for Sumaash willing to brave the seas in defence of the Republic’s shores, as well as for many within the High House of Prosperity who look to her example of reinvesting the profits of war in the communities most harmed by it.

* '''Pilgrimage''' - Zemress famously travelled all the way from the Empire to Timoj, and it was there that she found a passionate zeal for waging war against the threat of the Asavean satraps.

* '''Ascension''' - the Empire of course knows that famously, Zemress’ ship the Kraken’s Bane was found drifting empty of its crew near to its home port of Calvos after her last quest. Knowing that Zemress was a fearless and determined warrior, along with her crew, the Sumaash hold that the only reasonable explanation for the lack of any trace of them must be that at the peak of her successful hunt, she and her crew ascended straight into the Labyrinth, leaving the ship to drift back home.

* '''Legacy''' - The Sumaash recognise that the Kraken’s Bane might be a legacy in itself, but they place more stock in the Storm Temple in Xeier, which by all accounts was designed and funded by Zemress as a sign of her commitment to spreading the Way to the Frieøyer. Some also credit her with providing the design and resources for the flagship of the Sumaah navy - the Tyrannbane.
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: #C994FF;">'''Historical Research'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Necessary Details:''' To travel to Sumaah to research the life and history of Zemress in those lands</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 5 thrones </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Provides historical research on the details of Zemress life and exploits while in Sumaah lands</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Available until the end of Summer Solstice 389YE</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' The Sumaah have indicated that they would support this historical research</td></tr>
</table></div>
If the Empire truly desires to learn more about Zemress' virtuous and heroic actions in Sumaah, then the High House of Prosperity would welcome a delegation from the Department of Historical Research (or the Lepidean University). There would be some costs involved - 5 thrones should cover the costs involved for the Sumaah - but it would need the Senate to authorise the work, either them or the Lepidean Librarian.

Even without that, the [[Prosperity]] Assembly could decide to rule on the matter, given the Sumaah seem very confident of their facts. They could uphold a statement of principle with a greater majority, asserting that Zemress is merely an Exemplar. Alternatively, they could uphold a judgement of recognition for her to be recognised as a paragon. If that achieved a greater majority, it would be raised for the attention of the General Assembly by the Tribune of the Synod at the following summit. That would require another greater majority to be successful - but if the Prosperity Assembly can make its case, it would be the first new recognition of a Paragon in the Empire in over 300 years.

Ultimately, the Sumaah expect the Synod to ''do'' something with this information. Virtue lies in the unity of both word and action. The Synod needs to either refute Sumaah and insist she is merely an exemplar; or accept their reasoning and elevate her to Paragonhood; or send in a historical research to learn more, leading to one of the two prior outcomes. In any case, simply leaving it here would be insulting to the Houses of Prosperity. As they see it, the Synod has demanded answers - the Sumaah have provided them. The ball is now firmly in the Synod's court - they will have to respond one way or the other to avoid a diplomatic faux-pas.

In the meantime the Assembly of the Way still have other fish to fry. Three seasons remain for them to look for other paragons or exemplars whose provenance they decide is in question. Whatever happens, the Sumaah won't respond again, so that avenue of investigation is now closed.