388YE Summer Solstice winds of fortune

News spreads through word of mouth as fast as it does through broadsheets and posters, and is sometimes more reliable. Or at least, unreliable in more amusing ways...

Overview

Wind of Fortune	Order Released	Last Updated	Note
In the Court of Far Horizons	1	03/07	Appraisal
Satraps of the Abyss	2	04/07	Appraisal
The Oran operation	3	05/07	Appraisal
Viridian nemesis	4	06/07	Navarr Highest Calling

Over the past three months, events have taken place which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. These are the winds of fortune, counterparts to the winds of war that detail the Empire's military campaigns. They lay out situations and usually include things that characters can do to take advantage of opportunities or to resolve problems. In almost every case, they start with a piece of flavour text. This fiction helps introduce the wind of fortune or draws out a particular theme or element. Often, it represents a viewpoint that one or more NPCs might have in-character. In all cases, these pieces are intended to help create an atmosphere and provide a little entertainment. Where they contain opinions, those are the opinions of the fictional people depicted - and where they contain information or rumours, the assumption is that the reader will create their own context for that information or gossip if they want to use it in character.

The body of the wind of fortune describes situations and lays out ways players can engage with them. Except where we explicitly talk about something being "rumoured" or use a phrase like "some might say..." the details of a wind of fortune are factual. They represent briefing material presented by the civil service or similar authoritative sources and represent something the average educated citizen would acknowledge as a reliable truth. Unless we specify otherwise, we're also being as thorough as possible. This information doesn't need further checking in-character. It's not an opinion, and we're not trying to trick you.

Nation	Diplomacy Wind

As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of Fortune is to maintain the illusion of the Empire as a living, breathing place where things happen - and to make players aware of things their characters could know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months. It's perfectly acceptable to turn up to Empire having read only a few Winds of Fortune that directly interest your character; part of the fun on the field can come from learning about situations and opportunities in other parts of the game.

In each case, we've tried to tag the Winds of Fortune entry with the nations or political bodies to which it is most relevant. We've done this to help people who are interested only in events that are especially relevant to them. In no way are these tags intended to be exhaustive; the Empire is a complex place, and very little happens in isolation. We are also adding the dates that they were last updated (other than typos and correcting red links) in an attempt to make it easier to keep track of the newest releases.

Winds of Fortune

In the Court of Far Horizons

• Throne; Senate; Fleet owners; Ambassadors; titles involved in international trade

At the recent summit, the Throne, requested that the Constitutional Court appraise the implications of a new Imperial sodality, the Court of Far Horizons. Magistrate Abraham has conducted an analysis of the constitutional implications of the new sodality's provisional manifesto. Abraham notes that the manifesto is "bold and vigorous" in establishing it's remit, but that that means that some of implications are far-reaching... which can be both a good and a bad thing depending where you stand.

You can read about Abrahams findings, as well as some proposals from interested parties, in the In the Court of Far Horizons wind of fortune.

Satraps of the Abyss

• Conclave; Ambassador to Sumaah; scholars of magic and the eternal realms

The Senate has taken advantage of an opportunity brokered by the Ambassador Accalon to engage in a spot of magical cooperation with the Sumaah Republic. Freshly-appointed prognosticator Lisane de Terresford has been sent to appraise how the High Houses of Virtue and the Imperial Conclave can find ways to co-operate in interactions with eternals. While Lisane is expected to be engaged for the next several seasons, she has dispatched a preliminary report on her findings; a review of the relation between the magicians and the Präster of the republic - and the dealings they have with the creatures of the realms.

You can read about Lisane's findings, and about the opportunity for the Conclave to assist, in the Satraps of the Abyss wind of fortune.

The Oran Operation

• The Brass Coast, especially citizens of Feroz and Madruga; Imperial Senate; Military Council

The river Scorrero broke its banks several years ago, and washed away the dreadful threat of the dry patricians. As a consequence of the wild river rising, the bridges connecting Madruga and Feroz were washed away. Last season, the Senate accepted an offer from the Protectorate of Morajasse to apply their expertise to the challenge of reconnecting the eastern Brass Coast. Their appraisal of the situation has been submitted, with notes added by the Prognosticators Office, and involves a major feat of engineering in the southern Empire.

You can learn about their proposal, and some changes that might make it a little more feasible, in the The Oran operation wind of fortune.

Viridian Nemesis

• The League; Navarr; the Vallornguard; Loyalty assembly; Senate, Military Council

The highest calling of the the Navarr is to share their long experience fighting the vallorn with other nations. Last season, they chose to work with the people of Urizen; now the Navarr National Assembly has urged their people to embrace the citizens of the League to arm and armour them for the upcoming battle with the Doom of Terunael. Once again, the Loyalty Assembly has supported the cause, calling upon those whose heart drives them towards the destruction of Terun's Folly.

You can read about the proposals put forward to help the League fight the vallorn, some of which are somewhat esoteric, in the Viridian nemesis wind of fortune.

Diplomatic Winds

Each season, the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations, based on communications received from their ambassador, along with any useful intelligence gathered from other sources. While the Senate and the other houses of Imperial power may respond to these offers, it is important to note that it is the appropriate ambassador that the foreign power will expect to hear from. Their communication with the foreign power is the primary element that will determine the tenor of any response.

These winds of fortune deal with the Empire's diplomatic relationship with one or more foreign or barbarian nations. Usually, the wind is shaped by communications from the appropriate ambassador or the Imperial Consul. While these winds revolve around international matters, their focus is still on the Empire and what its citizens can do to influence diplomatic matters, so they're as likely as any other wind to contain something of interest to characters from all walks of life.

Mandates

• You can find details of the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.

A number of mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod last season. As long as the named priest provided sufficient liao, those mandates have been automatically enacted.

Spring Conjunctions

• Last event there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate; their known outcomes are listed here

During the Winter Solstice, there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate identified by the Imperial prognosticators. In each case, a band of Imperial heroes used that conjunction to travel to a location far from Anvil and intervene in an ongoing situation. These are the known outcomes of those conjunctions. In the case of battles, it is important to remember that the Military Council can only make use of two of the major conjunctions each summit, choosing which to take advantage of during the Muster.

Major Conjunctions

Location	Opportunity	Opposition	Link	Outcome
Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Mantifent's Bier	Hold back the vallorn	Druj	Bloodwater Marsh	Field Marshal was Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was of Urizen; The five Mantifent Stones were warded; Leadership of the Bilious Breath were killed; Two of the Urizen seers were rescued
Mareave, Clisearn, Ohwinn Scour	Freeze the Grendel advance	Grendel	Wealth of Water	Field Marshal was Skywise Rykana of the Imperial Orcs; Iskanders Donjon was summoned; Scutt-Tadgh taken back to Anvil using Cuckoo's Egg and negotiated with; Two of the Tholdie Rotary were rescued, but others were killed; Fergus Konnaugh succesfully cursed with Like Water Through Your Fingers; Blades of Evdokia were killed.
Sarangrave, Nesustak Forest, Feverbank Trees	Hold back the vallorn	Druj	Nesustak Forest	Not taken; Vallornspawn of Béantal Dol attacked into Nesustak Forest; Envenomed Claws remain a threat in the area; Fate of the hares of Irra Harah unknown
Mitwold, Meade March, Meade Meadow	Recover Meade's treasures	Lasambrian Jotun	Plundered Gold	Not taken; Warband of Fjorknae orcs have been hired; Foot-the-ball trophy lost
Bregasland, Grey Fens, Drayham Mere	Erect the Mere Stone	Jotun	A Broken Rock	Not taken; Ullsmere Rock stolen; Howling Night have improved their quality; Grey Fens has gained the haunted quality; Fate of Friar Bloughton unknown; Grey Walkers remain in the area.