Opening ceremonies
"Hold! Hold!" The koboldi surveyor had a piercing high pitched voice that cut through the hubbub like a greatsword through leather. The koboldi labourers did indeed hold, while the surveyor quickly examined the site with an oversized loupe and several references to a scrunched up parchment. Caroline peered over their shoulder (easily done given the statue of the koboldi) and saw that it was an esoteric, arcane diagram of a structure of columns, a foundation, and some low walls. She was not an architect herself, of course. For all she knew the surveyor was holding it upside down and it was actually a roof.
"Perfect! Perfect!" piped the surveyor excitedly, and the workers released their ropes with a great cheer that nearly drowned out the sound of the stone column dropping into place. There was a certain amount of backslapping and yipping at what Caroline assumed was a job well done. The surveyor didn't waste any time on congratulations, but turned all their attention on the League citizen behind them.
"Can I help you?" Normally when Caroline was asked this kind of question there was an undertone of suspicion or challenge, but the koboldi seemed genuinely to be offering assistance.
"I hope so," she said, hunkering down slightly. "We were just wondering what was going on here?"
There were some more cheers and cries at the other end of the structure as another column was expertly guided into place. The koboldi surveyor nodded several times.
"Oh we're just building a frame," they piped. "It's nothing to worry about. It's perfectly safe.
As if to cast doubt on their words, there was an outbreak of yipping and shouting over the surveyor's shoulder as a vital rope snapped and a rod of blue-white stone nearly sheared through the middle of a group of labourers into one of the pillars. The labourers managed to get control just in time. The surveyor noticed that Caroline was staring aghast and followed her eyeline.
"Oh don't worry," they said chuckling. "All the stone is infused with adamant. It's almost impossible to damage."
"I was more worried about the workers," said Caroline. The surveyor frowned and blinked, then chuckled again and just looked expectant. Caroline turned her full attention back to the little creature.
"Is all this approved then?" She asked. "Only there are rules about building things in Anvil..."
"Oh no need to worry about that either." The koboldi beamed at her. "The site's been carefully chosen, right on the edge of Anvil where the restrictions end."
"And the Master knows all about this then?"
"Oh absolutely, it was the master who instructed us to put this in place, very prestigious commission you know. Serious magic involved. Why if one of the anchor pillars is more than a fingers width out of place the whole thing might collapse. Or explode, you know? Ha! I wouldn't want to be nearby if that was happening let me tell you."
One of the other koboldi leaned in and whispered to the surveyor, who frowned again.
"Oh, you mean the Imperial Master! Dima Vasilyevna Novosad! Wonderful person, very proud to work with them. No, they don't know anything about this. This has come from the Master himself. The King Under the Mountain. Some arrangement with the Iron Duke, you know? But don't worry - the Conclave is friends with both of them so I assume they've sorted out all the permissions and things you people worry about so much!"
All the koboldi were smiling at her now, and a woman who had fought all four of the barbarian nations in her time found herself taking a step backward from all those on-display sharp ivory teeth. After a moment of consideration, she decided this was very much above her pay grade, and that she'd found out as much as she was going to find out, and so just nodded and muttered something about that all making sense before beating a hasty retreat.
Several of the koboldi waved goodbye as she departed and one of them called out "Have a lovely afternoon!" without the slightest hint of sarcasm.
Overview
Barely a week after the Autumn Equinox, a gang of koboldi pass through the Hall of Worlds and emerge at Anvil. They carry large numbers of surveying tools and spend a cheerful afternoon exploring, taking measurements, and avoiding direct questions. Over the next month, they set to work pinning out a sizable area of ground; more and more koboldi arrive and bring with them building materials and construction tools of all kinds. Working at remarkable speed, over the next fortnight, they begin to raise a sizable structure on the edge of Anvil. Several wagonloads of white granite and weirwood are delivered to the site from Casinean warehouses, as the koboldi overseer Molibolt redeems a stack of very old wains some dating back as far as the reign of Empress Mariika. More and more koboldi arrive, swelling their numbers until some local residents are concerned an actual invasion from the Summer realm may be underway.
At first it is assumed this is some sort of arrangement with the Imperial Conclave, the Archmage of Summer, or the Master of the Koboldi but the heralds themselves cheerfully explain that it is nothing of the sort. They are here on a commission directly from the King Under the Mountain themselves. A commission they describe as "ever so exciting" to the worry of many.
Barien's Gift
- Adamant and Barien have collaborated to deliver a gift to the people of the Empire
- A new structure has been created on the margins between Anvil and Outer Anvil
With supernatural skill and speed, the servants of the Stone Dragon complete their work and, despite worries, return through the Imperial regio. It isn't at first clear what they have built - it seems to be less a building and more the skeleton of such. A large open space outlined by a series of support pillars. It looks incomplete, but when questioned Molibolt smiles secretively and says that they weren't commissioned to build the whole thing, only to construct "somewhere to put it."
The very next morning, the guards set to watch over the construction find ten heralds bearing the owl banners of the Lord of the Crossroads have arrived. They encircle the koboldi-work building site and as the sun rises, they raise their banners high. Among their number are familiar faces - Revel, Temper, Flute, and Bellows - and several who have never been seen at Anvil before including one clearly of orc appearance and draped in crimson and steel. It is clear from the exertion on their faces that whatever they are doing is no easy task, and they ignore all attempts to question them. Molibolt and her gang do their best, but their very technical explanation about what is happening leaves most who speak to them none the wiser.
Scholars among the Celestial Arch are aware of the Resounding Deep - a great chamber between the Summer realm and the mortal world where Barien is known to bring those who would challenge great beasts of the wilderness. The tourneygrounds there have been used in the past for several magical challenges between Imperial citizens and the Lord of the Crossroads. The koboldi overseer Molibolt mentions in part of their explanation of what is happening that the arena was "easier to move" because it was already quite close to the mortal realm, but that the logistics were still "a proper headscratcher"
At midday, there is a sound like all the strings of a great harp being plucked simultaneously and between one moment and the next under the late Autumn sun, a building appears. An arena, marked with age, but formed around the pillars and supports the koboldi provided. Beaded with sweat, the heralds of Barien lower their banners and in some cases practically collapse from exhaustion. It falls to Revel to explain what has happened here.
This, it seems, is a gift from Barien to the Empire in recognition of the challenges they have faced and those yet to come. A place for them to celebrate, to practice arts of war and peace alike, and for new challenges to be set under the watching eyes of Imperial citizens. In much the same way that the Lady of the Blizzard allows her great citadels to be called to the mortal world, Barien has moved the Tourneyground of Camock from his demesne to the mortal world. From its place on the edge of the Resounding Deep where the icewalker Saara Vartiainen once bested the terrible emerald dragon Saxesangwin in a contest of riddles, and Ser Cadacus moved Barien to tears with their bittersweet music, the tourneygrounds are now in Anvil. A sign that the Master of Revels recognises and exalts the enduring prowess of the Empire, and its heroes.
The Anvil Arena
- There is a new arena in Anvil, a gift from Barien to the people of the Empire
- The civil service have been lumbered with sorting out the details of how it will be used
- Barien intends to use the space for challenges but the rest of the time it is free for use by Imperial citizens
When the heralds depart, the arena remains behind. Temper and Flute formally hand the structure over to the nonplussed members of the civil service, on the understanding that they will be able to "handle the paperwork". Bellows is the last to depart, and mentions in an off-hand way that some of Barien's reeves will be in touch before the Winter Solstice with a proposal of how to best celebrate the creation of the new arena. The only thing that the Iron Duke asks in return for his gift is recognition that the civil service give priority to the Summer realm when it comes to the use of the space - on the understanding that they will receive plenty of advance warning when such things are to take place.
Imperial magicians are quick to explore the structure. They are able to confirm that it is physically there - not the result of an ongoing enchantment. The foundations and several of the supports are imbued with something akin to adamant - the indestructible stone of the Summer Realm - and while it is not impossible to harm the structure it would take profoundly potent magic to do so in any meaningful way. Ritual divinations are deployed by members of the Unfettered Mind. Night magic suggests that there is an enigma regarding the place - "What does it mean to be victorious, to triumph? What is the value of a contest with rules? What is the reward for those who do not win?". Not precisely illuminating, but perhaps a riddle for mystics and philosophers to debate. Day magic is more forthcoming - "This is the tourney ground of Camock that once stood in the Resounding Deep, where Imperial heroes bested and were bested by the powers of the Summer realm, given as a gift to the Empire by the Lord of the Crossroads at the end of 387YE in recognition of the willingness of Imperial champions to challenge themselves and the world."
The structure itself is relatively simple - a flat open space surrounded by tiered rows of seats with some small offices attached. It is sparsely decorated - many of the impossibly bright banners and standards hung here when it arrived dissolve into mist and seafoam as the sun sets. As well as having room for martial contests, it's clear that with a little projection and a willing audience it would also serve well as a performance venue for music and drama. The seating area might also work reasonably well as a place for passionate debate, reasonable discussion, or the delivery of studious lectures.
The civil servants entrusted with looking after the place have confirmed that they plan to operate a system similar to that which already exists with regard to other "Imperial" spaces - to schedule its use by Imperial citizens.
Calling the Drottningbjotha
- The rulers of the Summer Realm have called the Drottningbjotha
- It will take the form of a grand tourney of the Imperial nations
It's been some eight years or more since the last time one of the monarchs of the Summer realm called the Drottningbjotha (Drott-ning-BEE-yo-thar). As the Winter Solstice approaches, heralds of the monarchs of the Summer realm - of Adamant, Cathan Canae, Eleonaris, Jaheris, Meraud, and Rhianos - let it be known that they intend to do so once again, to celebrate Imperial victories and the strong bond between the courts of Summer and the Empire. It falls to heralds of Barien to deliver the details of the challenge, which they do in discussion with the civil service.
The last time the Drottningbjotha was called, by the Queen of Ice and Darkness, it was a test of endurance and fortitude as well as military prowess. This time, it is to be a test not of individuals but of bands of champions. Each nation of the Empire is invited to present a ten-strong warband of heroes, seasoned warriors and veterans of the Empire's battles against their enemies. They will contend against one another until only one remains and the warband - and the nation they represent - will receive the accolades of Summer. All who participate, however, will be granted a gift, commensurate with how far through the contest they get.
Barien has not yet revealed how the warbands will be selected, nor who will be asked to take responsibility for doing so. His heralds have indicated that they intend to do so nearer the Winter Solstice. What they have revealed is that the opening ceremony will take place on Friday evening, where there will be opportunities for grandstanding and boasting. The actual fights themselves - and there will be several rounds thereof - will take place on Saturday afternoon.
Spoils of the Contest
- Every contestant eliminated in the first round will receive a dose of Skops Mead
- Contestants eliminated in the second round will each receive a dose of Troubadours Glory
- Contestants eliminated in the final round will each receive a dose of Champion's Honey
- The ten winning contestants will each receive an Iron Owl
- The nation that wins the contest will receive a boon from those kings and queens of the Summer Realm who have amity
While they have been coy about exactly how the warbands will be chosen, the heralds of the Reeve of Summer have been much more voluble about the rewards those who fight will receive. After each round of the contest is complete, the heralds of Barien will distribute these rewards to those who took part - spoils of the contest for those prepared to test their mettle.
Each individual warrior who takes part but is eliminated in the first round will receive a single dose of Skops Mead in recognition of their brave efforts. Those eliminated in the second round will be given a flash of Troubadours Glory, a heady brew prepared by servants of the Lady of Pennants which apparently has the same benefits as Skops Mead but also restores three lost body hits to the imbiber.
Each of the brave fighters eliminated in the final round will be granted a snifter of Champion's Honey, a rare brew from the cellars of the Moonsilver King with effects comparable to those of the Elixir of Exalted Puissance. Each of the ten winners will instead receive an Iron Owl, a powerful talisman enchanted by Barien themselves, which grants one additional hero point to anyone bonded to it.
Perhaps just as importantly, a nation that wins the contest will also receive the boons of the Summer Realm. Each of the monarchs of the Summer Realm who has amity at the end of the Winter Solstice summit will find a way to bless the lands of the winning nation. These effects will become obvious in the winds of fortune before the Spring Equinox.
Rules of Engagement
- Contestants may benefit from enchantments, boons, magical items, and similar
- Consumable items including potions, herbs, and crystal mana are not permitted in the field
- Participants may not receive aid from anyone outside their team once a bout begins
- Enterprising citizens are welcome to take bets on the outcome or to sell refreshments to the crowd
The rules of this Drottningbjotha are straightforward. Warbands can bring with them as many enchantments or magic items as they wish but once the engagement starts there must be no use of consumables (including but not limited to potions, herbs, and crystal mana). There must be no interference from outside the field itself; supporters must not provide spells, potions, herbs or similar to their team once their bout begins. Only the participants may effect the outcome of the challenge, and they must do so with their wits and prowess not with endless sacks of healing potions. In the event of any dispute about the rules the heralds of Barien will adjudicate, with advice from the Summer Archmage (or their proxy).
A herald of Adamant has suggested that the Imperial Apothecaries Guild provide sufficient healers to ensure that wherever possible nobody actually dies. They will be the sole exception to the rule that only the contestants will be on the field, but their role will be to get the fallen to safety and ensure their wounds are not fatal. They will be free to use whatever resources they desire in pursuit of this aim, but anyone saved in this way cannot return to the fray until after the bout ends.
A query from a respected member of the Golden Pyramid order, about whether it is acceptable to take bets on the outcome, or to sell sausages on sticks to the audience, is met with polite incomprehension. The heralds of the Summer realm see no reason that what happens in the stands should be of interest to them or the participants in the Drottningbjotha. It seems that anyone with services to offer is more than welcome to make what coin they can from the assembled crowds.
Out of Character
- Our new site includes a large covered grandstand
- This is now part of the IC location of Anvil and can be booked by players for their use through liaison with the civil service
Our new site features a large grandstand, which we're keen to integrate into the field at Anvil. Our set team are hard at work already, adapting that to make it look as impressive as possible for the first event. We don't have any plans to run a grand tourney like this every event, but it will be the natural place for plots like this to run in the future. Having the grandstand means we won't have to take over the Dawnish Glory Square every time we need to run a large set piece of plot in the future - so that location can remain for the exclusive use of the Dawnish and for plot aimed at the Dawnish.
The space will be a normal part of Anvil, managed by the civil service, so players are welcome to book the arena for anything they are planning that would benefit from open space and tiered seating.
This wind is in progress; it contains the meat of the opportunities discussed but details of how precisely the Drottningbjotha will run is intentionally left vague. The wind will be updated with a full explanation, along with details of who has been asked to organise the team for each nation, closer to the Winter Solstice.