Mermaids in the basement

Albrecht von Temeschwar stared mournfully at the invader in his study. Time was a precious commodity, one he didn't have to spare since his class on buttresses was due to start in barely two hour's time and nearly a third of their papers were not yet marked. Still, it didn't do to give short shrift to one of La Salle's people; the chancellor would have his guts for garters. Best to be polite - civil even - he thought with a smile he kept off his face.

"I'm sorry Madam Lutomysla, " he said somewhat unsure of her correct title, "I hadn't realised your request was... serious." He spread his hands, painfully aware of what a poor answer that was.

The hard-faced Varushkan woman's eyes narrowed and her lips pinched. "I see. Well, for future reference... please understand that I am always serious." He expected her to say something further, but she fell silent simply staring at him. His eyes fell on the pile of unmarked papers... surely she didn't expect him to attempt this now?

"It's just the costs... they would be... incalculable" he protested.

"Just so I understand you - are you saying that your knowledge of engineering is not sufficient to calculate the costs?"

Albrecht bristled with indignation even as he appreciated that was exactly the response his visitor had wanted. "Look" he demanded, pointing to the picture on his wall of the Spider's Tollkeep. "That was one of finest works of engineering proposed in the Empire! When it was damaged it needed thirty wains of mithril and ten wains of white granite just to repair it!"

The prognosticator's gaze didn't waver, so he tried again. "The Spider's Kiss spans the Vassa - but it's barely a mile wide at that point! You're proposing a bridge, no!, a set of bridges, fifty times that size! It would take literally thousands of wains of white granite to join all those islands to the mainland! It would take decades!"

"But it could be done? We could calculate the costs?" she asked in a voice that implied she was asking him to price up a baker's dozen warm rolls.

"No!" he said firmly, trying to keep control of his temper. "It most certainly could not be done, Madam Lutomysla. The Spider's Tollkeep is built to withstand the rushing waters of the Vassa. But that terrible river pales into insignificance compared to the winter storms that trouble the Brass Coast. You'd need to design something capable of surviving waves as high as the walls of Holberg! You'd need a way to sink the piles two hundred feet and more into the sea bed. And that's not counting for all the blood-thirsty monsters the crazy shark worshippers let loose! So no Madam, it can not be done."

The last was said with a voice of complete finality. Or at least that was what he was aiming for. It always worked with his students. Sadly he had misjudged either his tone or his audience. Possibly both.

"Thousands of wains..." the woman's quill moved across the parchment, as she made hurried notes. "And you would need a design capable of withstanding the waves and the monsters." She looked up at him, and smiled, "Now we're getting somewhere professor..."

Under the domination of the Children of Wrecks, the islands of Free Landing and Cazar Straits have become much harder to reach.

Overview

At the Autumn Equinox, the Imperial Senate approved a motion calling for an appraisal into the potential for constructing a bridge between the mainlands and the islands of the Brass Coast to enable armies to move easily between them. Lutomysla Niegoslava was selected to investigate the possibilities.

Regrettably, Lutomysla quickly confirms that it is effectively impossible to connect the islands to the mainland with bridges in this way - the costs are astronomical and the work would require a feat of engineering greater than any the Empire has ever achieved. Rather than waste too much time pursuing this approach, the prognosticator has summarised the problems involved. They're not technically insurmountable - but the experienced prognosticator knows a cliff face when she sees one.

This is not an unusual state of affairs - the prognosticator's role in an appraisal is to find a solution to a problem the Senate have identified. If it were possible to know what approach would work best before the appraisal has been carried out, then no prognosticators would be needed. The civil service guidance is clear that all prognosticators can ultimately ignore a suggestion on how to solve the problem, if it is clear, this will only make the work more difficult. While that is rare, it definitely applies here.

Rather than linger on what can't be achieved, Lutomysla has spent what time she has left looking at what might be achieved...

To appraise the construction of bridges between the mainlands and islands of the Brass Coast to remove the island quality. Lutomysla Niegoslava

Proposed Madruga, Seconded Kahraman

A Bridge to Nowhere

• Building bridges to join the islands of the Brass Coast to the mainland would be difficult and prohibitively expensive

The Empire has significant experience creating bridges - the city of Sarvos has many beautiful constructions that join the mainland to the nearby islands, albeit over shallow waters. The Spider's Tollkeep is a unique suspension bridge linking Madruga and Sarvos, designed by the talented engineer Carmen i Dehasa i Erigo to bridge a very specific river. These examples are deceptive; however, they all feature relatively small bridges, or at least small in comparison to the distances that would be needed to span the waters of the Cazaar Straits and Free Landing.

The actual bridges themselves would represent a massive investment of time, resources, and labour. Even without the threat of monsters, pirates, and Grendel, these bridges would be built over very deep water indeed. Connecting the six major islands of the Cazar Straits - a region that runs the length of the Feroz coastline - would require more than half a dozen miles-long bridges. Free Landing is a little more feasible - by which Lutomysla means it would require "only" half a dozen bridges. Total costs for the project would end up in excess of three thousand wains of white granite.

That is only the start of the problem - any concrete plan would require both Free Landing and Cazar Straits to be in Imperial hands. Despite recent victories, Free Landing remains under the control of the Children of Wrecks. In the south, the Iron Confederacy has taken control of the Cazar Straits. The threat posed by the creatures of Siakha still remains - building anything while literal sea monsters are attacking the builders would be impossible without the use of slaves. Nobody would take that job out of choice, not for all the crowns in Giovanni's purse.

Creating a bridge capable of withstanding the kind of sea storms that occasionally batter the Brass Coast would require a reinforced bridge deck and need supports that reached all the way down to the seabed. The Empire lacks the engineering know-how for such a feat, but it is rumoured that the Commonwealth might know a way it could be done. Given the good relations that exist, it is likely that the Empire could find a way to acquire such knowledge if it were genuinely determined to proceed. The Ambassador to the Commonwealth might make such an enquiry, or a Winged Messenger dispatched to Professor Gelberg might also determine if this is the case.

Even if all the other hurdles could be overcome, the bridges would not remove the island quality from either region. Rather, they would provide the bridged quality, allowing armies to move between the mainland and the island regions and back again... as long as nobody destroyed any of the bridges. That might suffice, but it is important to remember that the Grendel in particular have demonstrated a talent for smashing bridges up...

Magical alternatives to mundane methods are equally difficult. While some eternals are capable of impressive feats, Lutomysla cautions that their powers are neither boundless nor without cost. The Golden Causeway is a boon from Eleonaris that allowed the armies of Dawn to march across the massive Semmerlak to invade Ossium. But the Commander of the Golden Armies created the Causeway to enable the Empire to go to war with the Druj. The Queen of Summer always seems eager to plunge the Empire and their neighbours into conflict - and is more than ready to use her magic to help make that happen. In many ways, her "payment" was the years of warfare that followed the act. But a causeway in the Brass Coast would offer little in the way of glory. As recent events show, the Wreckers are a danger, but they are a pale shadow of the threat cast by the Druj. This project would require dozens of bridges and risks angering the Lion of Summer if she thinks the Empire are invoking her aid to do something which is beneath her regal demeanour.

Adamant and Estavus are more than happy to help the Empire building things - and for the King Under the Mountain the bigger, the better, and the more white granite is involved the more enthusiastic he tends to be. Having the aid of either eternal would remove the need to ask the Commonwealth to help with the engineering. Adamant could also help protect the commission from casual destruction by the Grendel, if the Empire were prepared to meet the eternal's price to infuse the bridges with indestructible adamant. However, the Deep Dragon would be certain to require the Empire to foot the bill, so someone would still have to find at least three thousand wains of white granite. It also risks marring the Empire's good relations with the Throne of Stone if, as seems likely, thousands of koboldi are killed and eaten by the immature kraken and other monsters that currently dwell in the waters while the work is underway. Estavus might take a more pragmatic approach, but any construction she oversees is likely to involve at least as much mithril as white granite, and while she seems less concerned than Adamant about the wellbeing of her workers she would surely expect a premium be paid for any harm done to them.

When the appraisal was discussed in Senate at the time, there was some debate about whether tunnels would be a better solution than bridges. League engineers are quick to scotch that idea - even the most experienced mining professors of Temeschwar have never heard of anyone attempting to dig such a massive series of tunnels. They would need to stretch for many miles, all under the seabed. The slightest mistake would mean that the entire thing would collapse and quickly flood even with the best pumps the engineers of Holberg could design. They are confident that the methods and skills needed to create tunnels under the sea do not exist anywhere in the world.

OOC Design

Any appraisal involves three elements - the first is the fundamental problem that the players wish to overcome or address. The second element, is the method - the way that the problem will be addressed. The final part is the outcome - the result that will occur if the methods outlined are enacted by the Empire.

The crucial information needed by the plot team to write a useful appraisal response is a clear outline of the problem that the Empire wants addressed. Only if we are certain what problem the players want to deal with can we be confident that the solutions we present will address those issues. We don't want to give players possible solutions to different problems.

It is usually better to avoid outlining a method for the appraisal, as this can lead to disappointment if it isn't possible to solve the problem that way. However, it is also better to avoid defining the outcome you want - since that outcome may not be possible. A motion that clearly states what problem the Senate would like addressed is the best way to maximise your chances that the results achieve what the Empire wants.

In this example, the Senate motion stated that the method should be to employ bridges. We've ultimately ignored that element, as per the published guidance, because we considered it wouldn't be possible to construct a vast network of sea bridges in the time of the Empire. The Senate motion also stated that the outcome would be the removal of the island quality. That isn't possible at this time, so we've had to guess at what the problem is that the appraisal was intended to address. We have inferred that the problem is most likely to be a way to allow the Empire to extend its military control to the island chains, so we've offered ways to address that.

Adapt and Prosper

• Given the challenges of meeting the terms of the assessment, Lutomysla has looked at alternatives
• She has tried to guess what the underlying goals for the Senate motion are

Lutomysla is frank that the prospects are dim for building enough bridges to the islands to end their current isolation. While it might technically be possible, the volume of white granite required seems prohibitive. The first limit of magic is not what you can achieve but what you can afford, as Lutomysla's grandmama was fond of saying.

Worse, Lutomysla can see few options to achieve the specific outcome stated in the motion. Removing the island quality from the Brass Coast archipelago is beyond the limits of ritual magic, and despite Lutomysla's best efforts, she has not been able to identify any way to achieve that outcome. Even if bridges could be built - the islands would still be islands - and the problems would immediately return if the bridges were destroyed.

That being the case, Lutomysla has focused her remaining efforts on what problem she believes the Senate were looking to solve with this appraisal. The most likely answer is that the Military Council were looking for a way to extend military control to the islands, but even that creates more questions than it answers. Is the aim a way to quickly move armies to and from the islands, or does the Council simply need a way to secure them from attack? Or is the concern more economic? That the isolation of the islands might be injurious to the Prosperity of the Coast? It is unlikely that the Senate simply want the islands themselves gone, but even that is not unthinkable. Difficult, yes, but not unthinkable.

Lutomysla has tried to look at each of these problems in turn, to outline possible solutions.

Reaching the Islands

• The cheapest way to enable any Imperial army to reach the islands is to commission a navy
• There are ways the Empire could allow two Freeborn armies to reach the islands without building a navy

The prognosticator hasn't found any way to be rid of the insular quality of the islands, but she has identified ways the Empire might enable two of the Freeborn armies to reach them. The simplest way to reach the islands is to commission a navy. That might prove challenging, and the Senate already has the ability to do so, so Lutomysla has left that option to the last.

The Red Wind Wharfs

• The Red Wind Corsairs could reach the islands at any time
• Creating dedicated berths at Oran would allow the Red Wind Corsairs to cross the straits without delay
• Plans for municipal docks at Calvos could be expanded to create the same potential in Madruga

New Berths in Oran

Commission Type: Shipyard

Location: Oranseri, Feroz

Cost: 5 weirwood and 15 crowns

Effects: Allows any army with the Forayer quality to move normally between the Cazar Straits and the mainland ignoring the island quality Increases the upkeep of the wharfs by 1 throne

The Brass Coast already has an army that can reach Free Landing and Cazar Straits. The unique ability of the Red Wind Corsairs to put to sea means that they could do so relatively easily. For that matter, they could even transport an army with them if needed.

The problem with putting to sea - and back again - is the time and risks involved. It takes a season for the army to put to sea, and they are exposed throughout. Delays are expensive, and no general wants their army vulnerable. But the recently completed wharfs at Oran offer one way around that problem. If new berths were constructed and set aside for the sole use of the Imperial military, then it would allow the Red Wind Corsairs to move normally between the Cazar Straits and the mainland ignoring the island quality.

The proposals for municipal docks in Madruga have not yet progressed, but if the Senate wished, then it would be simple to include similar dedicated berths at those docks. Once complete, they would allow the Red Wind Corsairs to move normally between Madruga and the mainland ignoring the island quality. If both sets of berths were built, then the Red Wind Corsairs could move normally between Free Landing and the Cazar Straits.

Obviously, this outcome doesn't allow any Imperial army to reach the islands quickly - but it does have the advantage of being pleasingly cheap (at least relatively speaking). It would only take 5 wains of weirwood and 15 crowns to build the dedicated berths in Oran - though it would increase the upkeep of the facilities by one throne a season. Professor Gelbert's municipal docks have not been approved, but if they were, the Senate could easily include dedicated berths in the plans. It would increase the construction costs by an additional 5 wains of weirwood and 15 crowns and increase upkeep by a throne each season, but it would mean all the work could be done at the same time.

The Alcazar of Flame

• Janon has maintained a great interest in the Burning Falcon
• The eternal will enable the Falcon to reach the islands if the Empire builds a fane on Free Landing
• A fane would allow the General of the Burning Falcon to submit a special defensive order to improve natural resupply
• The Fane would allow the Keeper of the Flame to exchange liao for crystal fire

The Alcazar of Flame

Commission Type: Fane

Location: Free Landing, Madruga

Cost: 16 white granite, 10 mithril, 10 rings of ilium and 78 crowns

Effects: Allows the Burning Falcon to move normally between Free Landing and the Cazar Straits and between the islands and the mainland Allows the Burning Falcon to submit the fervent celebration defensive order, increasing their natural resupply by 250 Creates the Freeborn national position, Keeper of the Flame of Passion

Keeper of the Flame of Passion

Type: Freeborn

Appointment: National Assembly

Restriction: The Keeper can only purchase crystal fire and communicate with Janon if they are a Sutannir

Powers: Voice of Janon Can purchase Crystal Fire in exchange for liao at the Fane Can send a winged messenger to the servants of Janon once per summit

Responsibilities: To inflame the passions of the Freeborn people to set the world ablaze

Enflamed Passions
2 liao	1 Crystal Fire
5 liao	2 Crystal Fire
9 liao	3 Crystal Fire
14 liao	4 Crystal Fire
20 liao	5 Crystal Fire

There is another Freeborn army that might be able to reach the islands... if they had the right help. There are far fewer experienced sailors in the Burning Falcon, and they lack the access to the ships and support that the Red Wind Corsairs enjoy. But they do benefit from the friendship and approval of the Shadowed Fire, the strange eternal of Night whose remit is passion and conviction. Aided by the Muse of Fire, the army already burns with true conviction, a fervour that drives them to treat every battle like it is their last.

Given their recent history, Lutomysla is able to track down a herald of Firebrand, a performing musician which calls itself Qraqeb. With some care, she outlines the problem to it... "The soldiers of the 'Falcon burn with desire to retake their homeland from their enemies, but their ardour is stymied by the treacherous waters. The straits are holding their passions in check... will Shadowed Fire help them unleash their fury on their enemies?"...

Qraqeb soon returns with the answer that Shadowed Fire is eager to support the passionate soldiers of the Burning Falcon, but he cannot do so without a little help from the Empire. If the Coast wishes the Night eternal to aid them, they must build a temple to their passions on the islands. Qraqeb describes the ideal for this temple, a simple palace of white stone that will resound with music and become a crucible for passion. If the Empire grants Shadowed Fire dominion over the temple, then his followers will abide there, joining the soldiers of the Burning Falcon in revelry, dancing and passion whenever they visit the isles. The Alcazar will become a sanctuary for the army, reviving their spirits whenever they might flag. Crucially, once Torchbearer is able to extend their power throughout the region they will ensure that nothing prevents the Falcon from moving swiftly to or from the islands.

After some discussion, it is clear to Lutomysla and her team that Qraqeb is proposing a fane, albeit one that is particularly large and grandiose. That means it would have to be ceded to the eternal to function - a solution the Senate has only rarely permitted in recent times. Janon isn't asking the Empire to cede the entire region, just the palace itself, but it is clear from the discussions that such a move would permit the eternal to use their power unhindered throughout Free Landing and the Cazar Straits.

If that happened, then the Alcazar of Flame would allow the Burning Falcon to move normally from Free Landing to the Cazar Straits and from the islands to the mainland. Qraqeb will not be drawn on what magic Shadowed Fire would employ to achieve this, but it assures the prognosticator that the soldiers - nor any local civilians - will not be harmed - all the general need do is issue the relevant orders and Qraqeb and its fellow musicians and performers will handle the rest.

In addition, the Alcazar of Flame would allow heralds of the Night eternal to travel abroad, allowing them to join with the Burning Falcon wherever they were. Their presence would enable the general to submit the fervent celebration defensive order, causing the army to engage in wild festivities and Night-fuelled revelry. Soldiers and anyone living nearby would be drawn into these uninhibited celebrations, raising the blood of all those who took part. The army would regain an additional 250 force provided they were eligible for natural resupply, as they spread Janon's message of embracing your emotions. The order would default to desperate reinforcement if the army were attacked (in terms of how it effected the armies ability to defend territory rather than movement).

Janon would require the Freeborn National Assembly to appoint a suitable sutannir to oversee the celebrations and festivities on the island. This Keeper of the Flame would be charged by Janon to work to inflame the passions of the Freeborn people, encouraging them to throw caution to the wind and commit themselves utterly to their destiny.

Defending the Islands

The Song of Salt and Sand

Commission Type: None required

Location: Quzar, Lightsea, Madruga

Cost: Free (Lashonar may demand payment for their aid)

Time: 1 season

Requirements: Requires the agreement of the eternal Lashonar

Effect: Allows the Hakima of Salt and Sand to call the corsair families to defend the Brass Coast Creates a garrison of 3,000 force protected just Free Landing and the Cazar Straits for one season Creates a defensive voyage for corsair fleets to join the defence of Free Landing and the Straits Costs the Imperial treasury six thrones each season it is employed

• If the Empire is concerned about defending the islands from attack, they could fortify them
• Lashonar could provide a way for the corsairs to defend the islands

Given the recent victory by Imperial fleets, the Red Wind Corsairs should face little opposition if they attempt to take the islands back from the Children of Wrecks. However, that might not be the case in the future and with the Grendel's armada still controlling the seas, the islands could easily become a vulnerability for the Empire if their armies cannot reach them. If that is what the Senate are concerned about, then a better alternative might be to look at some way to defend the islands.

The obvious way to do that would be to build a massive fortification at a suitable location in each territory. That would be expensive, of course, but it would still save a fortune compared to bridging all the islands together. The Empire wouldn't need an appraisal to do that, so it may be that the Senate considers even this cost too much.

Seeking a cheaper alternative, Lutomysla explores many avenues before finally managing to secure a possibility that could help defend the islands of the Brass Coast. In her view, the best way to defend the islands would be to call on the combined might of the corsair families. If they sailed to the defence of Madruga or Feroz they would represent an effective force that would prove a powerful deterrent. The problem is how to coordinate the defences - corsair vessels would pile on sail to come to the rescue of their homes from any attacker, but they can't afford to abandon their livelihoods and commit to this full-time. The Coast would need some way to call their wayward scions home for the fight.

After some searching, Lutomysla discovers a possible solution in the Burning Feathers, a parador in Calvos. The establishment is run by a retired corsair who goes by the name of Sabella i Tourez i Erigo and her husband, a hakima called Ramiro i Erigo. The Tourez family have a small choir of beautiful songbirds with brilliant red and gold feathers - all of which exhibit a most peculiar talent. The birds know more than a dozen different tunes which they will sing on command, but they always sing the same song, no matter how far apart they are.

Lashonar is currently under the enmity of the Conclave.

When pushed, Ramiro admits that the birds were a gift from the Guardian of the Southern Skies, though he is coy about what moved the Eater-of-Silence to make the endowment. What he will say is that they were gifted to the pair many years ago so that they could remain in touch - so he could know that his wife was safe, even while she was far away at sea. Now they are retired, the birds are little but a curio, an amusing entertainment for the guests staying at the Feathers.

Lutomysla is confident that if Lashonar the Loquacious were approached in the right way, the eternal would be more than happy to provide more songbirds for the people of the Brass Coast. Those corsairs who wanted to help with the defence of the islands could keep one on their boat - while the Hakima of Salt and Sand could maintain a small breeding flock in a volery. If the need presented itself, the Hakima could call the birds to sing an agreed warning song, which would be immediately mimicked by the birds on the ships. It's no heliopticon, but the prognosticator is confident it would work.

If the eternal agreed to support the Coast in this way, then Lutomysla calculates that the Hakima of Salt and Sand could use the songbirds to call the corsair families to the defence of the islands off the coast of Madruga and Feroz. That would amount to a naval garrison with an effective military strength of three thousand that would be effective against any attack on Free Landing or the Cazar Straits. This garrison could benefit further if those corsairs who regularly attend Anvil also took up the call (OOC Note: characters with a fleet resource and the corsair archetype could choose to defend the islands).

There are two clear drawbacks to this approach. The first and most obvious is that the eternal Lashonar is under enmity by the Conclave. It would not be illegal for the Archmage of Night to use a plenipotentiary to discuss the idea with the eternal, but unless the Conclave changed Lashonar's status, it definitely would be illegal to make any exchange.

The other problem is the costs. The approach wouldn't require any substantial upfront investment - cages for songbirds are not dear. Lashonar would have to be convinced, however and might demand a high price. It is impossible to tell what price Lashonar they might require for their aid without asking them, but this subtle magic would be well within Lashonar's purview.

More importantly, calling the corsairs to fight to defend the islands, even for a single season, would mean a loss of trade. Taxes in both Madruga and Feroz would fall - reducing the money flowing to the Imperial treasury by six thrones in the season immediately following the call.

Crucially, the corsairs themselves would lose all their income for the season, unless the guerdon were made available to them in exchange for their efforts. Corsairs who regularly attend Anvil would find themselves with nothing but their personal income the following season - all the corsairs in the Brass Coast would lose out in the same way. They would cheerfully shoulder that burden to protect their homes for a season or two, but if they were being called to defend the islands every season and there was no enemy in sight, they would soon lose patience to match their lost profits.

Counting the Coins

The Archipelago Parador

Commission Type: Sinecure

Location: Cazar Straits, Feroz

Cost: 3 wains of mithril, 7 wains of white granite, 2 rings of ilium and 30 crowns

Effects: Removes the impoverished quality from the Cazar Straits Creates the Freeborn national position, Proprietor of the Thousand Islands

Proprieter of the Thousand Islands

Type: Freeborn

Appointment: Tally of the Votes

Powers: The Proprietor receives twenty random materials each season

Responsibilities: To protect the Parador and encourage the Freeborn to embrace change

• The insular quality of Free Landing and the Cazar Straits has not damaged the Prosperity of the Brass Coast
• If the Brass Coast embraces the islands, Azoth will help the people of the Cazar Straits restore their fortunes
• Building the Archipelago Parador will remove the impoverished quality from the region

For the most part, Lutomysla concentrates on the military problems posed by the island, but the canny Varushkan does not rule out the possibility that the Senate was concerned about any impact the isolation of the islands might have on the Prosperity of Madruga and Feroz. While bridges might conceivably have provided some economic benefits, she calculates they would not be significant, if only because sailing to the islands would be likely to remain appealing compared with a slow, dangerous journey along a vast windswept bridge. There may be monsters hunting the waters, but the Freeborn are born to the sea, so there are still plenty of smaller vessels prepared to risk sailing out to the islands to allow trade to occur. These ships aren't large enough to convey an army across the waters, but they are more than enough to allow the people who live there to get by.

At least that is true in Free Landing. The situation in the Cazar Straits is a little more complicated. The entire territory suffered under the brutal rule of the Grendel governor Rahab. Constantly provoked by Freeborn partisans, the tyrant squeezed his holdings harder and harder with each new assault, desperate to try to replenish his dwindling coffers. He is gone now, but much of the territory, including the Straits, has been left impoverished as a result. Abandoned and underpopulated, there seems to be little hope for the region to recover.

The Rebis is fascinated by transformation, and already has an interest in the Brass Coast thanks to the Crucible in Madruga]].

Lutomysla has spent some time in discussions with the servants of the Rebis. This esoteric serpent is fascinated by change and transformation. Rather than offering to help remove their insular quality, Crucible has instead suggested that it would aid the Freeborn to recover their wealth if they embrace the changes they have experienced, and look for the new opportunities that the islands might present. The Great Work claims that the islands are one expression of the true nature of the Freeborn. "What are islands, but great ships of stone? Homes afloat upon the sea, encircled by the waters that bear them up to the sky. To live on an island is to dwell upon the sea. What could be more Freeborn than that?"

After discounting a not entirely serious proposal by the Azoth to find a way to tear Feroz free of the mainland in its entirety, Lutomysla works with the eternal's heralds to congeal an idea that would provide a concrete benefit to the prosperity of the islands. The Azoth's peculiar request involves the creation of a new sinecure, which the eternal calls the Archipelago Parador. The eternal's heralds describe an intriguing restaurant whose kitchens are infused with Night magic, so that every meal they produce is unique in aroma, taste or texture. The alluring prospect of a meal in such an establishment would draw people from afar, eager to sample the wares. The Parador would quickly attract other businesses to the island, helping to create Prosperity and spread it across the Cazar Straits.

Lutomysla is at pains to stress that the Parador would not be a fane. The Azoth has no interest in the location being ceded to the eternal; in fact, it seems to think that that would be a very bad change for reasons which remain inscrutably opaque. The Crucible would send heralds to help with work in the kitchens of the Parador, but other than that, it seems to have no designs on the place. The eternal's only requirement is that the Senate motion or similar, that is used to create the Parador, must explicitly stress the importance of embracing change and make sure that promoting such an attitude is the primary responsibility of whichever Freeborn citizen is elected to oversee the operations of the Parador.

Once the Archipelago Parador was established, its impact would remove the impoverished quality from the Cazar Straits. This benefit would be permanent; if the Azoth were ever subject to enmity, the Parador might slowly lose its eclectic nature but the economy of the islands would have already recovered so they would not become destitute.

The Eye of the Storm

• The Archmage of Winter could use plenipotentiary to ask Khobel Tavah to pull the islands beneath the waves
• The impact would be a small loss of life and some economic damage but the islands would be gone

The Queen of the Vast and the King of Nowhere are relative newcomers to the Empire.

Lutomysla has found one way that the Empire could be rid of the islands of the Brass Coast. If the Archmage of Winter used plenipotentiary to approach the Monarchs of the Vast, Khobel Tavah, then they could implore that eternal to sink the chain of islands beneath the waves. It would need a careful approach as ever, but if the Winter Archmage made it clear that the islands were doomed and that the Empire had decided to cut its losses, then the eternal might be persuaded to help.

Of course, the impact would be severe - some loss of life would be inevitable. The wars that have ravaged the island chains have left them mostly uninhabited, but there are still some Freeborn clinging on. The Empire could warn them of impending destruction, but there are always some people who refuse to flee.

The permanent loss of the islands wouldn't damage the economy of Feroz and Madruga - much of what would be lost in that way was swept away by the wreckers. The loss of the islands would mean that wealth would never return, but it would create as many opportunities as it destroyed.

What would be lost is the connection to the past. The islands are often seen as the birthplace of the Brass Coast, tied as they are with the story of the three sisters. With the Shining Pillar destroyed, can the Freeborn afford to condemn the last of their heritage to the abyss?

Even if the islands meant nothing to anybody, Lutomysla advises caution. Magic of this kind is deeply unpredictable, with far-reaching consequences that are impossible to predict. A forest fire bring news opportunities, but only at the cost of destroying everything it touches...

Commissioning a Navy

• The Empire could commission a navy capable of transporting two armies to the islands
• The Empire cannot launch a navy without building a shipyard
• The Empire's military rivals have repeatedly destroyed every Imperial shipyard

The corsair families once held court in Free Landing and Cazar Straits, and might do so again.

As a result of the dreadful magic of the Maelstrom unleashed on the Coast, the waters separating the islands from the mainland have become treacherous and dangerous to navigate. The terrible sea beasts spawning in the waters will become a threat that only grows with time, but for now, they aren't powerful enough to prevent a military force from making the crossing. As recent events demonstrate, an army or navy can make a passage if they have the means to cross the waters.

The simplest way for the Empire to allow any army to reach the islands would be to employ a navy, ideally one with large hulls capable of carrying two armies with it. Now that the Red Wind Corsairs have put to sea, they could transport an army to the islands, but a lone navy carrying a single army could be at risk if they were attacked by a large Grendel force. A second navy, could double their fighting strength or more, making any military action on the islands more secure.

Commissioning a navy would require the Empire to maintain a suitable shipyard, which has proved to be a stumbling block. Lutomysla notes that the Grendel took pains to destroy the shipyards at Atalaya, and the short-lived peace treaty forbade the Empire from building any more. It is clear that the Grendel fear this outcome more than any other.

Commissioning a new shipyard is expensive, but there are some outstanding opportunities that the Empire could take advantage of, such as the Municipal Docks proposed by Professor Gelberg. Simply building a shipyard might not be enough however, the Empire would need to find a way to stop the Grendel targeting them. Lutomysla can imagine various possibilities, perhaps defending the shipyard with a massive fortification, or using powerful magic to hide its existence behind impenetrable mists. The prognosticator hasn't had time to look into this matter in depth, but she would be happy to do so if the Senate used a subsequent appraisal to request it.

Old Rope

• The cheapest option would be to expand the facilities at Elos and Atalya into a shipyard
• Either facility would allow the Empire to commission a navy while the shipyards were being built
• The wharfs at Oran are less expansive but could still be expanded to build a shipyard
• Only Oran is under Imperial control at this time

There is a set of outstanding opportunities to build new shipyards, which could cut costs and, in some cases, save precious time. It would require 10 wains of white granite, 10 wains of weirwood and 20 crowns to expand the existing facilities at Elos into a new shipyard, and the Empire could commission a navy as soon as the work began, potentially allowing them to launch a new navy a season earlier.

The same opportunity exists to expand the docks at Atalya. It would again cost 10 wains of white granite, 10 wains of weirwood and 20 crowns to create a shipyard here, and work could start on a new navy in the same season the shipyard was being built. Any facility here would be exposed to attack from the Grendel, but it would be a bold restatement of the Freeborn commitment to control their own destiny and their own waters. Given the destruction of the Shining Pillar at the hands of the Children of Wrecks, it would help to raise sentiment across the Coast.

Unfortunately, the Elos docks are currently in the control of the Grendel, and Atalya Harbour was seized by the Wreckers. The Children of Wrecks navy might be gone, but the pirates still control Free Landing, at least for now. Nothing could be done with either of them until they are back in Imperial control, and Lutomysla warns that it's impossible to know what state the docks will be in by the time the Empire does reclaim them.

Realistically, it might be more practical to upgrade the wharfs at Oran. That would be more expensive, costing 15 wains of weirwood, 20 wains of white granite, and 105 crowns. It wouldn't make building a navy any quicker, but it would secure Oran's position as a crucial port on the Bay of Catazar.

New Sails

• Urizen has an existing opportunity that could allow them to raise a navy
• If the Empire had a shipyard, they could use the prow of the Storm's Child to commission a new Freeborn navy

Assuming that the Empire had access to a shipyard, they could commission a navy, but it would cost 200 wains of weirwood. There is nobody working in the prognosticators office today who is capable of devising solutions that are cheaper than the standard methods. Whatever happens, raising a navy is going to be expensive.

However, there are other limitations as well. Several Imperial nations are already supporting as many forces as they can, including every nation that adjoins the Bay of Catazar. Urizen, The Brass Coast and Highguard are all supporting as many forces as their nation can supply and the League will be in a similar situation as soon as their new army is completed. There seems to be little point in building a shipyard if the Empire cannot supply a navy.

Where there is a will, there is a way, however. The people of Urizen have an existing opportunity that would allow them to raise a navy if they were able to build all the maritime infrastructure required. The Nostos and Elos Docks are now complete, though of course the latter would need to be in Imperial hands to serve in that capacity. But if the Empire reclaims Elos without major damage, and constructs the Cargo Cranes, then they could support a navy in addition to the Citadel Guard and the Argent Sword.

In the meantime, another opportunity has presented itself that might be useful. The Empire could employ the mystique surrounding the prow of the Storm's Child - the flagship of the Gathered Storm, which bears the stolen figurehead which once sailed at the front of the Freeborn Storm.

If the prow were given to the Freeborn egregores, they could use it to rally the families to support the creation of a new navy. It would need to have a new name, it is decades before anyone will be ready for the Freeborn Storm to ride the waves again. But the prow would be a symbol of the Freeborn victory over their enemies and an important link to the past. It would inspire corsairs and others to join the new flotilla and seize the opportunity to take the battle for control of the waves to the Grendel. The Empire would still need a shipyard - there's no easy way to get around that problem - but with the additional support that the prow would produce, the Brass Coast could afford to supply an additional force, provided it were a navy.

Further Reading

• Appraisal
• The Brass Coast
• Madruga
• Feroz
• Germinating a city - 387YE Spring wind of fortune with an opportunity to build a shipyard that can raise and/or harbour two navies at once