Damming the Doubt

"What's going on?" whispered Bertolli to the others.

"Shush!" hissed Neave, putting her finger over her lips and glaring at the bravo. She paused for just long enough to be sure he'd got her meaning. "The mystagogue is reaching out to the ancestors..." she said in a voice laden with tension and mystery.

Bertolli raised an eyebrow. "She's what now?" he blurted out, his face a mask of incredulity.

"Shush!!" The rebuke was louder this time, as more people in the crowd turn round to direct their animus at the bravo. He waited for them to turn back before wrinkling his face in contempt at the crowd's back, followed by taking a noisy slug from the skin of wine he was carrying.

In front of them, the mystagogue began to rock back and forth, while two orcs accompanying the orc priest took out drums and began to beat them to a slow, sombre tempo.

He sidled over, to stand next to Neave. "Bet you 3 rings fuck all happens," he said, with what he hoped was a cheeky grin.

Neave glared at him again. "You're not going to see anything, you complete prick. She's... connecting to her ancestor... or something... I don't know. It's sort of like an anointing, isn't it? But for orcs. Something like that."

"Right. And we're all stood round watching this thrilling entertainment... when we could be getting drunk... or...?" He waved the half-empty wineskin and winked lasciviously at his friend and occasional lover to indicate how he'd rather be spending the afternoon. Neave rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the midriff. Bertolli winched. "Shut up!" Neave hissed. "That's the only thing you're connecting with tonight."

Ahead of them, both the tempo and the volume were increasing. Even a sceptic like Bertolli could feel something. It was almost like his heart was pounding in time with the beat, even as the drummers picked up the speed.

The River Doubt presents an opportunity for the orcs of Mareave, but also the League citizens of Apulian.

Overview

At the Winter Solstice, plans were raised to dam the River Doubt in Apstrus, as part of ongoing efforts to relieve the aridity of the region of Icarion in Mareave. This would be no small undertaking. Portions of the region would become a sizable reservoir for the Doubt's waters, but some of that water would still wend its way through lower Apstrus down to the city below. The River Doubt would not be redirected wholesale though it would be much reduced - but a good portion of it would be redirected to Icarion.

This is not without complications. The abandoned spire of Solen's Doubt, which sits by the river, was the site of the bloody battle in which the Black Plateau was awakened to its current state some five years ago. The woods where the battle took place are undoubtedly haunted, and, compounded with the dangers of the Black Plateau, it will require the intervention of the Towerjacks or a suitably enchanted army. Any such army will be subject to the implacable effects of the madness that lies in wait in the heart of Screed, always awake and always listening for troubled thoughts.

The Aid of the Dove

• Ylenwe is prepared to offer assistance but cannot do so without amity or an Empire wide enchantment like Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths

It seems that a plenipoteniary message has been sent to the Day Eternal Ylenwe, Zie of the Perfect Morning. This curious eternal has a somewhat chequered history with the Empire. Zir exact relationship to the Cold Sun, the eternal who attacked the Empire not so long ago, has never been entirely clear. Zie has shown a particular willingness to assist with the Empire's recovery from the destruction caused by the scions of Oblivion. Some might cynically call this the act of the guilty, but whatever the reason, the eternal seems eager to help. One of zir heralds, a pearlescent floating orb calling itself Convergent Form has approached representatives of the Imperial Conclave. The herald explains that the Dove is quite willing to assist in Spiral and will offer aid to anyone who travels there with the intent of helping with this project.

Moreover, zie will not ask for anything in return for this aid, but the task is difficult and would require a substantial effort on zir part. Unfortunately, such effort is not physically possible with neutrality alone. Zie of the Perfect Morning would require the Conclave to grant zir the benefits of amity for the duration that the aid was required in order to be able to help. Amity grants an eternal the power to use their powers freely in the Empire; without the license of the Conclave to act freely zie cannot do this.

In theory, there is one alternative; if the Empire was enchanted with Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths or a similar enchantment of Day magic, that would also give the eternal the scope to act in this regard. Since rituals of this kind are interdicted, Convergent Form assumes this is unlikely. But the herald does add that should the Empire resume its interest in finding the perfect harmonies of the higher resonance, this is a matter on which Chimes of Water would be most interested to host a discussion - but zie will not do so while it is a prohibited matter.

Convergent Form does relay one final addendum to this offer. If the Conclave were willing to extend to Zie of the Perfect Morning the trust of friendship for a whole year - and the Dove were to continue to demonstrate zir willingness to aid those who seek a more perfect harmony in the world and in themselves - then the Perfect Morning would present plans for a fane that the Empire could construct in Spiral, with the active purpose of providing more sustainable protections for those travelling in or defending Spiral against the influence of the Black Plateau: to augment, of course, the wonderful efforts of the constructors of the Block in this regard.

A fane would enable Ylenwe to provide protection from the effects of the Black Plateau to travellers all over the territory or to a single Imperial army each season. It would also allow Zie of the Perfect Morning to study the strange chaotic maelstrom of discordance and magic that forms the Plateau's malign aura.

The Words of the Synod

• While there is support for the dam in some assemblies, others are more cautious

The remains of Leaguers are usually cremated and thrown into one of the great rivers of the Empire. It is only right that the soldiers of the Towerjacks and Wolves of War who died at the battle of Solen's Doubt should have the same opportunity - let us dam the river Doubt and finally give our soldiers the funerals they deserve. We welcome other nations' efforts to ensure their dead are treated with respect.

Rafael Barossa d'Apulian, Winter Solstice 386YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority (306-68)

Many soldiers from across the Empire lost their lives in the Battle of Solen's Doubt, many of whom were buried in the Fallen Valley, the ideal spot to create the new reservoir. Five nations collectively lost thousands of soldiers in the final battle against the Grendel, Urizen, the Imperial Orcs, the League, the Brass Coast, and Varushka. Would their national assemblies want to speak about a plan that involves flooding the final resting place of the brave soldiers who gave their lives trying to free Spiral?

The League's National Assembly appears to have embraced the plan wholeheartedly. Rafael Barossa d'Apulian, Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path, has spoken of the appropriateness of this plan to flood the site of the battle, in line with Leaguish customs regarding cremation and scattering the ashes in the waters of its great rivers. Of course, the graves at Solen's Doubt do not contain cremated bodies for the most part, but the meaning is clear.

Moreover, Rafael has welcomed other nations' efforts to ensure their dead are treated with respect. The Imperial Orc and the Varushkan National Assemblies have each made clear what that respect looks like to them.

The Wards of the Restless

• The Varushkan Assembly can use a mandate to urge volhovs to create wards in Apstrus
• If the mandate is enacted then the dam and those working on it will not be threatened by ghosts

We, the Varushkan Assembly, support the creation of a reservoir in Spiral on the graves of fallen Varushkan soldiers. We request that their deeds be recognised and wardings placed on any dams involved.

Nisha Strascovich, Winter Solstice 386YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority (338-0)

The Varushkan request is clear enough. They support the creation of the dam, but wish that the deeds of the dead be recognised and wardings placed on the dam itself. This is a wise plan for the land here is stalked by the ghosts, a legacy of a brutal battle in which thousands died in anguish and horror. Only the brave travel here and only when they have few other choices.

Hold Back Frozen Hunger will keep the spirits of the dead at bay but the ritual is expensive and far too short lived to help here. Wards constructed with hearth magic are not as reliable as ritual magic, but they are cheaper and they last much longer. Once the wards are placed, only a deliberate attempt to disturb them is likely to remove their protection.

Such wards are common throughout the world, but few people have the experience and skill in creating them as the Varushkans, especially their volhovs, who are masters of the art. Their expertise with the hearth magic of wards honed over generations in response to the harsh toll imposed by their monsters that lurk beyond the circle of light. There is nobody better suited to create such wards, but for the fact that Spiral is a long way from Varushka. A successful mandate would be enough to persuade enough volhovs to make the journey.

Let us bar the door to the shadows of the past. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to urge volhovs to create the wards needed to make the dam in Apstrus safe. Do not leave the road.

Synod Mandate, Varushkan Assembly

If this mandate is enacted then those volhovs who are able to will travel to Apstrus to help create the wards needed to keep the restless spirits of the dead at bay. They can't do anything for the baleful influence of the Black Plateau, but they can make the dam safe, and they can make it safer to work on the dam. The mandate will be sufficient to ensure that the dam and the people working on it are protected from ghosts and other restless spirits.

The Bones of the Fallen

• Illarawm mystagogues are travelling to Apstrus to recover the bones of the fallen
• League congregations can preach Loyalty to protect the mystagogues from the dangers of the Black Plateau
• Carving the names of the fallen on the stones used to build the dam will increase costs by 5 thrones

Bleak was the battle that fought through the valley as a vivid black sunset cast the plateau's shadow over us all. So many lost, that have remained silent, still, dead. Names lost in the malaise of Solen's Doubt and war. To you who would build in this place and wipe clean wars blood face. We the Imperial Orc National Assembly ask that you, the builders, let us send our bonetenders to reclaim the remains of our fallen and chart their names or marks in the bricks of the dam.

Gralka, Winter Solstice 386YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority (56-0)

The Imperial Orc request is somewhat more difficult, as it emphasises the need to collect the bones of the fallen. The Tamazi bonetenders are happy to help support that, but their work focuses on ritual magic that combines dramaturgy with veneration of the ancestors. Quite a few bonetenders are interested in discussing dramaturgy with the League, but it is the mystagogues of the Illarawm who are most eager to collect the bones of the fallen.

Such work is already underway across the Empire (with the exception of Urizen), as part of the bone pilgrimage. It is easy for those in the south who are engaged in this great work to focus their efforts for the next few seasons on Solen's Doubt. Given the overwhelming greater majority decision of the Synod they are already making preparations to do just that.

The one problem is that those collecting the bones of the Imperial Orcs ancestors usually avoid this part of the Empire, and with good reason. The pernicious influence of the Black Plateau represents a constant potentially devastating danger, especially to orc priests who can't create their own anointings to help resist the effects of the thing that lurks at the heart of the territory.

After the Spring Equinox there is an additional preaching action available to League characters with congregations in Spiral - Preach Loyalty by protecting the mystagogues. This urges members of the congregation to sacrifice their time to help with the bone pilgrimage, recovering the bones of those Imperial Orcs who died at Solen's Doubt. Choosing this action means the priest is preaching Loyalty with a specific focus on encouraging their congregation to travel to Apstrus to protect the Illarawm mystagogues. This means that they will be part of the Loyalty assembly at the Spring Equinox (and will remain so until they take a different downtime preaching action next season). Any citizen who holds a title that requires them to be a member of a different Virtue assembly would automatically lose their position.

Those who choose this option are assumed be travelling to Apstrus personally, with members of their congregation. They will receive no liao from their congregation following the Spring Equinox - any liao available will be needed to provide anointings and other auras that can protect from the influence of the Black Plateau. There are currently only four League congregations in Spiral that can help; if none of them are available to help, the mystagogues and others orcs travelling to Apstrus will be in great danger.

The other request of the Imperial Orc Assembly was that the names of the fallen be carved into the stones used to build the dam. That is relatively easy to accomplish - the civil service can dig out the records of the names of those who fell and hire masons to carve their names into the stones. It will be expensive however, increasing the material costs of the work by 5 thrones. If the Empire raises a Senate motion to authorise the work then the motion should indicate if these additional costs are going to be shouldered.

Note that this opportunity is not available to Urizen congregations in Spiral, even though they are in a League territory. The initial mandate that established the bone crusade did not achieve a greater majority, and so has had little impact among the priests of Urizen.

The Voice of the Pensive

• There is still time for the national assemblies of the Brass Coast and Urizen to speak on the matter

The two nations whose assemblies have not expressed an opinion on this matter are the Brass Coast and Urizen. The former surprises nobody. The Brass Coast regard life as a matter for the living; if there are fewer ghosts there than other lands perhaps it is because the Freeborn sail into the labyrinth with hearts full of honest passion, free from regret. Perhaps a glass or two of syrah can be raised for the dead of the Doubt... and then the living can get on with life. There is no reason why the Freeborn Assembly must concern themselves with the dead of the Doubt beyond that if they choose not to. Many of the fallen Freeborn will have been cremated after all.

The Urizen take a more balanced approach to death, on the whole. Few are sentimental about the body - the flesh is just a transient vessel for the soul on its way to enlightenment - but most think that bodies ought to be treated with respect. Only their Assembly could decide if more work is needed to ensure those Urizen who died at Solen's Doubt are appropriately interred.

But what of Solen's Doubt itself? There are none still alive from that unfortunate place... but their writings remain in the library at the spire's heart. Should those writings be preserved in some way, or is it better that the dark waters of the reservoir take them? If the National Assembly chooses to speak with a clear voice then it could guide sentiment on how much effort the nation should go to, to preserve the Spire's legacy.

Resolution

The Varushkan Assembly enacted a mandate, empowering Nisha Strascovich to call for the volhovs of Varushka to travel to Spiral to prepare to ward the foundations of the new dam. Fabio Costas d’Apulian, Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below, and Merlof Von Temeschwar travelled with the mystagogues preaching Loyalty and offering them spiritual succour. Halkyon of the Myriad Stream made a well-regarded statement in the Urizen assembly that passed with a greater majority. Finally, the Conclave granted Amity to Ylenwe, opening the door for her to offer her aid to the dam project. The outcome of the statement by Halkyon and the amity granted to Ylenwe should be available in the Winds of Fortune for the Summer Solstice.

The Senate has yet to commission the Dam of the Doubt, which must happen before the work can be carried out by an army. The holders of titles able to commission edifices of a suitable size, such as the Master of the Koboldi or the Chair of the Wolf would also be able to commission the dam and allow an army to begin the work.

Further Reading

• Spiral and Mareave
• Speak to me - 387YE Spring Equinox wind of fortune detailing the plenipotentiary with Ylenwe
• Million miles of water - 386YE Winter Solstice wind of fortune proposing the initial opportunity

• The play that came to Apulian - Companion wind of fortune relating to magical happenings in the city of Apulian
• Our eyes in Spiral - Companion wind of fortune relating to the efforts of the Vigilance assembly to expose threats in Spiral