War games

Revision as of 17:32, 17 July 2026

The ambassador looked at his team, at the long lines of exhaustion carved into their faces. They'd been pouring over every word in the message for two days now, looking at every possible interpretation. What could they possibly mean by that? There had been little enough rest this last year, and none at all since the winged message arrived and turned the world upside down.

What was the saying the Sarcophan had? "Things are always darkest before the ship goes down." Bloody Sarcophan black humour.

And besides it wasn't true, not really. Things had been looking up these last few days. The Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges had made his offer, and both governments had agreed to send their brightest and their best. Negotiations would be fraught obviously, bound to be. But it was plain enough to their side how bad the situation was getting, it was bound to be the same for their old adversaries. A lasting peace was hardly likely, but without a ceasefire the Cold Sun would continue its rise. Thousands more would die. More towns and cities reduced to crystalline slag. Surely their people could make the other side see they would need to swallow their pride or this would be the end of them.

The ambassador sighed, and wiped a hand across their forehead. It had been a long nine months, never mind a long three days. Nine months doesn't even scratch the surface, really. Long days and exhausting nights since the quiet war turned loud. Two giants pressed shoulder-to-shoulder for too long. Anyone could have predicted the outcome. The secret to avoiding war, the ambassador read once, is to make sure everyone has enough room to swing their army around. Or to beat their chests, perhaps.

At least they were not alone against the Oblivion Gate. The Empire has proved invaluable in recent months. Their incursion might have been on a smaller scale, but the experience it had given them was invaluable. A year ago, it would have seemed inconceivable that their magicians would be on the battle-lines, but here they were. They'd helped save lives and if this meeting Clever Spider had arranged went well, perhaps the door on Cold Sun could finally be closed... Then the recriminations can begin in earnest he thought with a sardonic chuckle.

The ambassador sighed gloomily and pulled his thoughts back to the room. He coughed to clear his throat. "Right, we've been over this letter fourteen times now. Today we're going to go over it again. Before we start, I'll remind everyone that we all know what it says, we've all got a copy in front of us, we're here to work out what it means."

It was always the same, nobody wanted to go first. They inclined their head slightly to lock eyes with the understudy and nodded to indicate he should start with his analysis. The fellow was too ambitious by far; it would be good for him to get a taste of leadership here at the sharp end of the wedge.

Cold Sun is not the only thing causing chaos among the great powers of the east.

Overview

The Commonwealth and Jarm remain at war
Cold Sun has destroyed the minor nation of Lantir
The scions of Cold Sun threaten both larger nations

The Commonwealth and the Principalities of Jarm have been at open war for some time now, a conflict that erupted over control of the borderlands between their nations. Now, the tiny country of Lantir is no more - the Cold Sun has risen and the scions seek to ravage the two eastern powers as they once attempted to do in the Empire. Attempts to contain the incursion have failed, despite the aid of Imperial soldiers and magicians. The failure of the two rival powers to appreciate the full magnitude of the threat posed threat by the Oblivion Gate means there has so far been no coordinated response to the invasion. Yet even in this time of heightened conflict, the wheels of diplomacy continue to turn... and sometimes those same wheels snag your sleeve and before you know it your entire arm has been crushed to pulp.

Principalities of Jarm

The Empire remains at peace with the Principalities of Jarm, but trade with that nation is embargoed
The Senate has approved trade with the tiny independent nation of Zemelslo that lies within the Jarmish sphere of influence
Jarm is at war with Imperial allies in the Commonwealth, and faces the threat of Cold Sun
The Imperial ambassador to the Principalities is Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll, of Highguard

The magocracy of the Principalities of Jarm are not exactly friendly to the Empire. Ruled by the House of Princes, relations have been rocky for years. The Empire is allied with their great rival, the Commonwealth, via the Liberty Pact, and have made several attempts to interfere in Jarmish interests. They may not be at war with the Empire at the moment, but diplomatic relations remain somewhat chilly. Communications tend to be brusque, bordering on the curt.

The Jarmish ambassador to the Empire is Lord-Magister Anton Trescher of the Hidden Hook, who attends at the House of Princes. A canny and influential politician who has served the House of Princes for over forty years, he represents the Jarmish to the Empire and vice-versa. A potent master of Autumn magic, he is known for his sarcasm and dry wit, and for his commitment to the sovereignty of the Principalities he serves.

Jarm

Status: Foreigner
Ports: Kavor, Vezak, and Rigia (all closed)
Ambassador: Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll of Highguard

Commonwealth

The Commonwealth remains friendly to the Empire, and allied via the Liberty Pact
The Commonwealth is at war with the Principalities of Jarm
The Commonwealth has recently encountered the threat of Cold Sun
The Imperial ambassador to the Commonwealth is Cyrus of Ebon's Hall of Highguard

Commonwealth

Status: Foreigner
Ports: Leerdam and Volkavaar
Ambassador: Cyrus of Ebon's Hall of Highguard

The Commonwealth are one of the closest allies the Empire has among the great powers of the known world, thanks primarily to their shared membership of the Liberty Pact. Both nations are dedicated to extending their influence over the whole world, but for now their rivalry with the Empire remains amicable. Even if it the two great nations must eventually clash, nobody sees that happening any time soon. The Empire shared its mastery of magic with the magicians of the Commonwealth, and Commonwealth soldiers fought and died alongside the Freeborn in the fall of Siroc.

Their ambassador to the Empire is Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen, of Die Stahlhalle in the port-city of Volkavaar, a veteran soldier who reports to the generals who hold the reins of political power in their nation. An old campaigner, they generally speak plainly and as honestly as any politician can when dealing with their Imperial counterpart.

Cold Sun

The Lantir Incursion sees scions of Cold Sun expanding outwards from a central point, and the number of heralds involved is orders of magnitude greater than the armies that invaded the Empire.

Cold Sun continues its incursion on the borderlands of the Commonwealth and Jarm
At the request of the Autumn archmage, the eternal Prospero has brokered a summit to address cooperation between the two nations
Several Conclave orders continue to support the Principalities of Jarm
There have been major revelations about the factors that lead to the Lantir incursion
These revelations have resulted in significant disruption

Following the Autumn Equinox, the Cold Sun began a major incursion into the lands between the Commonwealth and the Principalities of Jarm. The tiny nation of Lantir, whose disposition had ultimately led to the war currently raging between the two great powers, was destroyed and overrun. Six Conclave orders and one Imperial army were able to provide direct aid to the two great nations of the Sea of Steel in their fight against the scions of Endless Nothing but the situation continued to look dire. Centuries of rivalry, and the ongoing war between the two great powers, meant that they were unable to reach anything like a coordinated plan of response to the forces of Oblivion. Efforts to contain the blight failed, and the scions continued to spread across the borderlands, and began to press into Commonwealth and Jarmish territories.

The last season has seen the fighting continue, and members of the Conclave orders involved continue to provide support both on the front lines and behind the scenes. The presence of experienced Rod and Shield warrior-magicians fighting with Commonwealth soldiers has proved especially effective at countering probing strikes by the scions. Yet each order has contributed in their own way. There has also been some measure of assistance from officers and veterans of the Highborn armies, visiting the Commonwealth as part of an effort to build closer ties between Highguard and the martial nation.

Vossk, Archmage of Autumn

Following the Spring Equinox, and in part thanks to efforts by the Celestial Arch, there has been an unofficial redirection of forces away from the battle lines between the two nations. This repositioning doesn't represent any kind of ceasefire, but perhaps a grudging awareness in both governments that soldiers fighting each other are effectively doing Cold Sun's job for it. Negotiations about a full ceasefire are underway, with the Jarmish broadly in favour (again thanks to the Celestial Arch as much as anything else), and the Commonwealth being stubborn.

Regardless, it seems that Cold Sun has made only minor gains this season in territories bordering Lantir. Sadly, while only a few regions have changed hands, there have been numerous deeper raids aimed at claiming mithril and ilium that have seen hundreds die and further stretched the resources of the Silver Chalice to help grant succour to the scions civilian victims.

There is some good news, however. Emissaries of the Commonwealth and the House of Princes have agreed to meet on neutral ground to discuss cooperation against the devastating rampage of Cold Sun. The Jarmish were already prepared to accept the need for collaboration with their bitter rivals due to the politcal machinations of the Celestial Arch. The Archmage of Autumn, Vossk of Sarangrave Reforged prevailed on the Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges to bring the Commonwealth to the negotiation table, and provide neutral ground for those negotiations to take place. Neither side trusts the other, but a summit to discuss a ceasefire and potential cooperation was agreed to.

Unfortunately, the preliminary reports of that meeting filtering back to the Empire as the Summer Solstice approaches is that it ended disastrously - in large part due to the actions of Imperial ambassadors.

Jarmish Anger

The Ambassador has informed Jarm that the Empire know who was responsible for the Lantir incursion
The House of Princes demand that the Ambassador disclose everything they know immediately

According to Lord-Magister Anton Trescher of the Hidden Hook, Ambassador Thaumiel has revealed that Imperial spies have uncovered who it was that invited Cold Sun to destroy Lantir City, devastate the tiny nation, and begin the rampage that has so far cost thousands of Jarmish lives (never mind those of folk of the independent border region, or the Commonwealth). Thaumiel reassured their opposite number that the actual perpetrators were no more - that "only ash remains." They did not reveal who these perpetrators were but the ambassador said their investigations had confirmed "no Jarmish Prince was foolish or desperate enough to conjure up the Oblivion Flame" and invited the Lord-Magister "to draw the appropriate conclusions."

Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll, Ambassador to Jarm

Obviously, Trescher immediately reported to the House of Princes. Despite their public insistence that the Commonwealth was behind the atrocity, it is likely that the Lord-Magister may be quietly relieved to discover the attack wasn't carried out by one of their own. None-the-less, they have responded by demanding that the Empire immediately share everything they know. While the magicians who caused the breach may be dead, the people behind their cowardly attack must face retribution. The fact the ambassador has chosen to be coy on this matter means there are only three realistic conclusions, according to Lord-Magister Anton.

The first is that the Commonwealth is behind the attack, and the Empire is shielding their allies. The alliance between the two nations is well known, after all, even before the Liberty Pact made it official. If this is the case, then it will expose Commonwealth idealism as a sham. For them to try and use a weapon like the Cold Sun shows that they will truly stop at nothing to enforce their dominance over the independent countries that surround them, and use any tool to try and murder Jarmish citizens. There will be no cooperation with the Commonwealth, and Jarm will take every opportunity to ensure that Cold Sun turns its burning gaze towards them and destroys as much of their nation as possible.

The other conclusion is that it is the Empire who are behind this attack. That some coven of Imperial magicians opened the regio that allowed Oblivion to enter Lantir and begin murdering and destroying. It is questionable whether the Commonwealth have the necessary command of magic to open a portal for Cold Sun, but everyone knows the Empire can, because they did it once already. It's possible that they were acting on their own, that they didn't have the full support of the entire Empire, but that doesn't matter. After all these years of Imperial diplomats taking a holier-than-thou attitude, for their people to fall back on unleashing an unequivocal force of destruction against the Jarmish people will put the final nail in the coffin of Imperial-Jarm relations. The House of Princes will have no alternative but to declare war, and throw their resources toward bringing the Empire to its knees.

The only other real possibility is that the Commonwealth and the Empire are jointly responsible. That they conspired together to destroy Jarm, with Commonwealth magicians backed by Imperial knowledge and resources. They sacrificed the people of Lantir, and then saw the situation explode in their own faces. Is this the truth that the Ambassador is hinting at?

The Civil Service advise that the House of Princes is demanding answers. The Jarmish ambassador has suggested to the princes that his Imperial counterpart may have told them everything he knows. Or more hopefully that he is pausing simply to ensure that he has the names of those involved and the proof to back up the claims, and that both will be forthcoming as soon as the Empire have them. If that happens, then the House of Princes will be deeply grateful, but they are now unlikely to accept anything less than that. The Cold Sun has slaughtered thousands of Jarmish subjects, finding out who was responsible for that atrocity is almost more important than winning the war. The Empire will need to provide answers and quickly.

This would be a difficult enough proposition if not for...

Commonwealth Fury

Cyrus, of Ebon's Hall, Ambassador to the Commonwealth

The Ambassador has informed the Commonwealth that the Shuttered Lantern has determined who was responsible for the Lantir incursion
They have indicated they know that it was Commonwealth citizens who unleashed Cold Sun and that they will tell Jarm in the coming season
The Commonwealth demands that under no circumstances must this information be made public

According to Militärattache Schöningen, Ambassador Cyrus has indicated that the Shuttered Lantern have discovered that the source of the Lantir incursion was "deceased terrorist citizens of the Commonwealth." Further, they informed their counterpart that "Jarm will learn the source of Cold Sun in Lantir next season; the wider world will learn thereafter."

The Militärattache has quietly harboured suspicions that one of their own might be responsible for the catastrophe. Her greatest fear has been that the Jarmish might find a way to pin the act on the Commonwealth. Never did she imagine that the Empire would discover who was responsible and then decide to tell Jarm and rest of the world. It is hard for the Commonwealth to see this as anything other than a betrayal of their friendship with the Empire. Worse, it comes from an Empire claiming to act in the interests of the Commonwealth, and demanding that the nation meet with Jarm to discuss an armistice. Rather than allowing this matter to be dealt with internally, the Ambassador implied the Empire fully intended to share their "investigation" with Jarm and the world.

It's then clear that the Jarmish already know - or at least suspect. When Commonwealth diplomats arrive at the meeting arranged by Prospero at the urging of the Imperial Archmage of Autumn, one of the first things their opposite numbers from Jarm did was to share their "conclusions" based on what the Empire had already told them. What should have been a forum for discussing a ceasefire, and arranging cooperation against the threat of Cold Sun, instead devolves into shouted accusations and bitter denials.

There is a great deal of anger at the highest levels, but Militärattache Schöningen cautions against acting precipitously. The Empire have been good allies to the Commonwealth to this point. The two great powers have worked well together in the past, and despite tempers running hot in the wake of this seeming betrayal, cooler heads must prevail.

There is talk of immediately exiling the advisors from the Rod and Shield and the Golden Pyramid from Commonwealth lands, given that the Conclave is clearly engaged in espionage on behalf of the Empire. However, a more measured argument points out that it is the Shuttered Lantern who have been spying, and that order is currently based in Jarm (fuelling further concerns about how trustworthy their evidence is). In the end, the Commonwealth assigns a cadre of observers to keep an eye on the two Conclave orders, to ensure they are not spying while appearing to help against Cold Sun. This, inevitably, reduces the effectiveness of their aid. It's also clear that ejecting the magicians is still on the table, which would end opportunities to gain hero stones or acquire a schema from the smiths of Murolosch. So far, the Commonwealth has not made any move to end the gift of soldier's booze to the Granite Pillar - but whether that continues or not will depend entirely on how the current situation is resolved.

There's also talk of withdrawing immediately from the Liberty Pact. Doubts about the value of the alliance have been growing in the Commonwealth for some time, this perceived betrayal could easily be the final straw. As the Imperial Ambassador already puts it, "the Liberty Pact has crushed the international slave trade." With apologies to Jarrigk Silktongue Du Meravon, it seems that the Liberty Pact has run its course, and the Commonwealth has no interest in "a more trade-focused agreement" at this time. Militärattache Schöningen notes that the Empire may have been better served investigating claims made by Octavious of the Celestial Cartographers that their friends in Axos are trading with slavers from the Mallum, but its clear she is speaking from frustration and anger.

Once the fury has cooled slightly, Militärattache Ludkhannah formally requests that the Empire share all the information the Shuttered Lantern has gathered on this matter with the Commonwealth. They ask that under no circumstances should it be shared with anyone else, especially the Principalities of Jarm.

If the Empire shares their claim that the Commonwealth was responsible for the attack on Lantir with anyone, then it will cannot help but mark the end of the current friendship. It will do considerable damage to the Commonwealth, it will let Jarm claim the high ground in their devastating war and undermine Commonwealth diplomacy with many smaller nations in their orbit. The generals will have no choice but to view the Empire as at best untrustworthy, and at worse as a force opposed to the Common Good.

Untangling the Knot

Both Jarm and the Commonwealth have demanded the Empire's evidence regarding who caused the Lantir incursion
How the Empire proceeds will be crucial in defining their relations with the eastern powers and their own standing among the nations of the Known World
The civil service have done their best to advise on how the situation could precede

The civil service advise that while the situation is almost as bad as it possibly could be, there might be ways to mitigate some of the fallout. While anyone can correspond with a great power, it is the words of the appropriate ambassador that has the greatest weight, exceeded only by the formal declarations of houses such as the Senate or the Conclave. A random citizen of the Empire could claim to have "proof" about who was responsible for Lantir, but unless that claim was backed up by an ambassador, or perhaps in the case of the Commonwealth, the Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern, it would carry comparatively little political weight. Thus a lot will hinge on what is said next.

Unfortunately, given the Jarmish know the Empire have learned who unleashed Cold Sun, but the Commonwealth demands that they do not tell the Jarmish, the ambassadors are placed in a tricky position. They also note that the Principalities, unlike the Commonwealth, are unaware that the Shuttered Lantern were involved in investigating this matter. If that information were released then it may trigger an expulsion of Imperial magicians from Jarm - but it might not. The Jarmish are often weirdly pragmatic about such matters. A lot would depend on how it was presented.

When it comes to actually sharing the evidence, the key information that would need to be communicated would be the name of the person or persons who invited Cold Sun into Lantir; how they acquired the resources to do so; and what their motivation was. Assuming the Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern has this information, it would be up to the appropriate Ambassador to communicate it. The full details won't be needed - the Commonwealth and Jarm are both capable of using this limited information to perform their own investigations.

This means that attempts to present false information could quickly unravel. The Jarmish and the Commonwealth will investigate and swiftly identify the lie if the evidence does not stack up. Any lie will need to be utterly watertight and stand up to thorough investigation to avoid making the matter worse. Even then it might not work - if it is not compelling then the two nations might not believe it, even if they can't prove it's a lie.

If the Empire provides Jarm with any proof of Commonwealth guilt then it will be diplomatically devastating. The Commonwealth prides itself on pursuing the Greater Good, and any evidence that their people had caused the deaths of thousands of people and wiped out an entire nation would give all their critics a bludgeon with which to beat them. It would wreck their relationship with their allies in the east, and it would take years for them to recover.

Worse, if the evidence pointed to the Empire, it would damage their own standing on the "world stage". Significant credence would be given to Jarmish accusations that Imperial spies and agitators are set on interfering in their business. Depending on the nature of the evidence, it might see other nations leery about allowing Imperial citizens to visit, cause problems for Imperial traders, and potentially complicate existing Imperial treaties. It would also inevitably support the concerns of Axos in particular in relation to their worries about Imperial intentions regarding the vallorn.

The civil service also caution that a degree of coordination will be needed in any event. Jarm and the Commonwealth despise one another, but as shown by recent events, each side will rapidly become aware of what the Empire has told the other. Both great powers are angry and suspicious, and will seize on any inconsistency in the Imperial response here.

Orders and Opportunity

Six Conclave Orders remain active in the east
While opportunities still exist, they may not survive the fallout from the diplomatic crisis
The Sevenfold Path interactions with the Convocation of Virtue are discussed in the Full circles wind of fortune

Six Conclave orders still remain active in the east; the Celestial Arch, Sevenfold Path, Shuttered Lantern are still offering aid to Jarm; the Rod and Shield and Golden Pyramid are in the Commonwealth; and the Silver Chalice continues to look to the injured of all sides, and the succour of the civilians threatened by the war. The Sevenfold Path are pursuing their own path in the east, but it is worth considering the position of the other orders in light of the crisis.

The grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern remains in a position to guide their order, to instruct magicians in Jarm to engage in a stratagem of some kind. Doing so at the moment, with the additional scrutiny due to House of Prince anger with the Ambassador, would mean that it would be hard to undertake a stratagem without the Jarmish being aware they have done so. With that in mind, however, the grandmaster could guide the order during the Summer Solstice by urging them to undertake some action involving protecting and exposing secrets and knowledge, acquiring the knowledge and secrets of the Empire's enemies, or guarding and shielding the secrets of the Empire in the east. If they do so, this will create an opportunity at the Autumn Equinox, even if in the meantime Jarm ejects Imperial magicians or declares war.

The Celestial Arch are still present, but the current chaos makes it impossible for them to achieve a political aim this season. Only once the matter of the Lantir Incursion intelligence is resolved would there be any opportunity to influence the magicians of Jarm - and that opportunity will be entirely lost if Jarm expels the order magicians, or they are directed to apply their expertise somewhere else.

The Rod and Shield are engaged on the front lines, fighting alongside Commonwealth soldiers. Their aid is having a notable effect in slowing Cold Sun's expansion. This isn't because of their martial prowess - although that is a factor - but because of their experience fighting the scions in the Empire. While they remain in the Commonwealth, and in the absence of a ceasefire and cooperation between the Commonwealth and Jarm, they are actively contributing to the defence against Cold Sun. Without their presence, it's likely the scions would have made more gains this season and many more people would have died.

The Golden Pyramid continue to be welcome in Murolosch. A number of artisans chosen by the grandmaster have been taught to make War Rings, and the offer of a schema remains on the table. Of course, this potential prize can only be claimed if they continue to aid against Cold Sun, and are not expelled by the Commonwealth. There has also been no further invitation to Imperial war-smiths to visit and study with those in Murolosch, although the port remains open to Imperial captains. Until the matter of the Lantir Incursion evidence is resolved, no further opportunity will be forthcoming.

Finally, the Silver Chalice continue to have the grudging support of both sides. While the Commonwealth is furious with the Empire and suspects Conclave spies, they cannot deny the work the Chalice is putting in to protect the victims of Cold Sun. Their lack of favouritism - treating warriors of both the Commonwealth and the Principalities - garners grudging respect. There is also no question that they are helping to reduce the suffering of the people threatened by the scions. There is no need for the Grandmaster to guide the order to have members continue to work in the east, but if they are guided to go elsewhere there will be no opportunity to return.

Any order currently in the Commonwealth or Jarm will remain active there until they are expelled by the host country, or the grandmaster guides the order elsewhere. Once an order leaves, however, it will require a new opportunity for them to return - one whose likelihood depends a lot on what happens with the current diplomatic crisis.

Commonwealth and Highguard

The Highborn armies have sent members to the Commonwealth
While warmly received, the diplomatic crisis has soured the tenor of their visit

Following the Spring Equinox, the Pilgrim's Defiance, Seventh Wave, and Valiant Pegasus all sent officers and veterans to the Commonwealth to speak with their counterparts. There was much discussion about vigilant war, and the ways armies of differing specialities could work together.

Unfortunately, while the visit is well received at first, the furore surrounding the accusations of Commonwealth involvement in inciting the Lantir Incursion quickly throws a pall over the exchange. The exchange has been beneficial, but it is clear that unless the current diplomatic crisis is resolved, there will be no further talk of any practical advice around army qualities, nor the opportunity for key members of a new Highborn army to train in the Commonwealth and adapt their tactics.

Still, the specialists have returned to the Empire with the promised gifts from their time spent advising the General's Council. Each general of Highguard has received a heldenstein, a gesetzstein, and a kriegsamulett.

Trade Matters

Radosmo and Murolosch remain available to Imperial traders
Imperial vessels trading with Leerdam and Volkavaar have a -1 penalty to their production

For the moment, at least, matters of trade have not been directly impacted. The port of Radosmo, in the "independent" nation of of Zemelslo remains open to Imperial captains. The smiths of Murolosch remain keen to treat with visiting merchants from the Empire, although how long this will remain the case is hard to say. Once the matter of the Lantir Incursion intelligence is resolved, it's possible there will be a major impact on all trade in the Sea of Steel.

It's also notable that Commonwealth merchants remain a little leery of visiting captains on Imperial vessels, due to the knowledge that the Empire is also effectively trading with Jarm in Radosmo. As such the -1 penalty to the production of fleets visiting Volkavaar and Leerdam continues. This penalty will certainly be removed if the Ambassador shares the secret intelligence reports gathered by spies using trade with Radosmo as cover to conduct espionage (although given the current crisis in relations between the Empire and the Commonwealth that might not be saying much depending on how things shake out in the end).

Brazen Enthusiasm

The City of Locks offers access to a smuggler's port on the Sea of Steel
All that is required to claim it is for the Conclave to uphold a declaration of acceptance

While the Commonwealth and Jarm are both angry with their respective ambassadors for different reasons, there is at least one group that is more than pleased with this outcome. Shortly before the Summer Solstice, a herald from the City of Locks arrives at the Hub with an offer for the Empire. Apparently, the Princess of Weirs is very impressed with the way the Empire is handling the situation in the east; the chaos serves her interests very well indeed and as a consequence she offers a simple reward.

The City of Locks will arrange for the Empire to gain access to a hidden island on the Sea of Steel. There they will find a smugglers port, independent of both the Commonwealth and Jarm, where Imperial captains will be able to acquire choice goods from the two great powers. The port has extensive markets, and crucially neither Jarm nor the Commonwealth would know Imperial captains were trading there. Unless one of the Ambassadors decided to tell them, of course. The Carver of Cliques will not tell anyone the Empire trades there, and will forbid the Five Pillars likewise from doing so.

All that is required is for the Conclave to support a Declaration of Acceptance thanking the City of Locks for their offer, and accepting it on behalf of the Ambassadors of the Empire. As long as they do so before the end of the Summer Solstice, details of where the port is located and guides from the Union of Lock-Keepers and Stevedores will help Imperial captains find it.

There are two tiny other matters of consideration; access to the port remains only so long as the Conclave does not declare enmity against the City of Locks or the Union of Lock-Keepers and Stevedores; and only vessels enchanted with the Lure of Distant Shores will be able to make the journey safely. Ships that don't have this specific enchantment will simply be unable to reach the port. It is, apparently, all part of an old arrangement between the lords of that place and the City of Locks, the details of which need not concern the Empire at this time (says Basileia Brazen's herald).

The Civil Servant Jorgen, who has long experience dealing with heralds bringing messages from eternals, describes the offer as stinking like week old fish, but at least on the surface it appears to be a legitimate offer, and the promise that the City of Locks will not reveal the Empire's trade with the smugglers in particular seems to have significant weight.

Public Record

Public Embassy

Motion Type: Senate Motion

Necessary Details: Specify that correspondence sent through an embassy be made public

Cost: 2 thrones

Effect: The text of any letter sent via the communication power of an ambassador with an embassy would be published on the wiki

Availability: The Senate could do this at any time

Special: Only letters sent via an embassy would be public

The Senate could require that letters sent by ambassadors be a matter of public record
Only letters sent by Imperial ambassadors via the communication power of an embassy would be affected

The fact that both the Commonwealth and Jarm are making claims about what Imperial Ambassadors have said makes some folk uneasy. The only Imperial citizen who knows for sure what was actually in the letter is the Ambassador themselves. And, theoretically, the Imperial civil service of course. Each embassy has a staff of civil servants associated with it that will handle communication with their counterpart in the nation they deal with. This handily defrays the costs of sending a Winged Messenger and gives the ambassador an opportunity to compose a missive away from the chaos of Anvil.

After some discussion with key embassy staff, the civil service has grudgingly responded to enquiries by indicating that their involvement means that it would be possible to make the formal letters sent by an ambassador a matter of public record. Arguments that the letters represent a "meeting" by an Imperial body facilitated by the civil service, and thus fall under the right of witness, so all formal correspondence should be given to the Synod gets short shrift. But, if the Senate wished to do so, they could require that letters submitted via the embassy staff be recorded and copies published. This would remove any doubt as to what an ambassador has or has not said, and potentially allow valuable continuity between ambassadors.

The civil service stress that this would only affect letters set via an embassy. Correspondence sent directly during a summit via Call Winged Messenger would not be made public. Furthermore, it would not be possible for the Senate to demand that ambassadors only communicate via the embassy - it is at the discretion of the ambassador how they discharge their responsibilities. Finally, it would be "all or nothing". Either all embassies would work in this way or none would; it would not be possible to pick and choose.

There is no particular rush on this; the civil service identify that this is a power of the Senate, and they could make this change at any time if they wished to do so.

OOC Note: If the Senate pass this motion, then the contents of ambassador letters emailed to plot@profounddecisions.co.uk after an event would be added to the wiki. This would start in the downtime after the summit where the motion was passed, and continue until it was abrogated. If the Senate later abrogated this provision, no more letters would be added but existing missives would remain a matter of record. Our usual rules on secrecy would apply - while the letters would be available for players to read this would not mean everyone in the known world immediately knows everything about Imperial diplomacy.

Jarm Further Reading

Winds of Fortune

War games - 388YE Summer wind of fortune about diplomacy with Jarm
Full circles - 388YE Summer wind of fortune about the Convocation of Virtue
Weaving tangled nets - 388YE Spring wind of fortune about diplomacy with Jarm
When peace was far away - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about diplomacy with Jarm
Cold war - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about the incursion of Cold Sun into Jarm
My passions from a common spring - 387YE Autumn wind of fortune about the Lantir war
Strangers when we meet - 387YE Summer Wind of Fortune in which Lord-Magister Anton speaks candidly
Authority and acceptance - 386YE Autumn Wind of Fortune relating some Jarm diplomatic matters
Thrones and principalities - 386YE Summer Wind of Fortune discussing Jarmish diplomatic matters

Jarm Associated Titles

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Click Expand to see a summary of various pages related to the Principalities of Jarm.

Commonwealth Further Reading

About the Commonwealth