The tune without the words
This wind is a roundup of magical events and effects. Normally, this would be one of the last winds to be published because it is heavily dependant on plots that are running at the event. This can be unsatisfying, because it often results in us presenting things that don't leave players enough time to consider them before heading to the event. To try and combat this, we're planning to publish it in an "unfinished" state - and add elements to it as they are developed. Once everything is on here that needs to be on here, we'll remove this box and the tag at the top of the page and let people know that it isn't going to change again.
Overview
Magic fills the Known World. It rides the winds, it rises with the sun and the stars, it flows in great currents through the forests and the seas and the sky. It is part of the rivers and the forests, the seas and the skies. It is studied, mastered, examined, and debated. It is mysterious, enigmatic, unpredictable, and yet follows its own strange laws. All mortals practice magic, and yet they are not the only sources of magic in the world. It comes from rattling runes, from the heavens, from the wellspring of blood, from the shapes and symbols of creation, and while it can be bidden it cannot always be restrained. Wonder is all around, an endless wordless tune that winds and weaves around all things.
This wind of fortune rounds up a roundup of assorted strange events, some arising from mortal actions some with less explicable causes. There is a companion piece to this wind, The thing with feathers, that deals with things relating specifically to the eternals of the six realms.
Out With Lanterns
- Since the Autumn Equinox, five new rituals have become part of Urizen Lore
- Two of the rituals were contributed by Imperial covens who are open about their decision to do so
- Three others draw on the power of the destructive eternal Siakha and are illegal to perform
Urizen lore was created with the aid of the eternal Phaleron as a repository of magic that can only be performed by the magicians of Urizen. As part of the arrangement a ritual - Gift of Knowledge - was created by the Celestial Library to allow new rituals to become part of that body of magical lore. While no rituals were contributed to Urizen lore during the Autumn equinox, in the months since a surprising total of five new rituals have become available. Given the Gift of Knowledge can be cast by any Imperial or Commonwealth coven with even a rudimentary understanding of Day lore, it is perhaps surprising it doesn't happen more often. Perhaps the innate value of a ritual text, jealously guarded by those who have access to them, makes it more surprising that any rituals are presented. Either way, each of these rituals is now part of Urizen lore. They can be mastered following the usual rules, but can also be cast by Urizeni magicians who have not mastered them.
Bells and Dragons
- Two new rituals have been added to Urizen lore since the Autumn Equinox
- Bells of Silver and Brass restores the strength of a depleted garrison
- Might of Vstaive strengthens the garrison of a fortification
- Golden Ramparts has been updated in line with the new fortification rules
A week or so before the Winter Solstice, the librarians of the Grand Library of Canterspire discreetly let it be known that two new rituals have been added to Urizen lore - Bells of Silver and Brass and Might of Vstaive. It seems that these rituals were originally codified at the Halls of Knowledge, long before it was destroyed by the Druj. While the rituals came from different sources, both covens involved have indicated that they were persuaded to contribute their rituals by representatives of the Moonsilver King. Both groups admit they received boons from the Unicorn Prince in return for their ritual texts, but neither discloses exactly what their boons were. In both cases, likewise, they claim that the heralds indicated their master, the Lord of the Forest of Arden, was motivated by a simple desire to help Urizen protect itself from its many, many enemies and expected nothing in return.
The first ritual, was submitted to Canterspire Library by members of the Shield of Thought coven from Willstone Citadel in Redoubt. The Bells of Silver and Brass is a work of Autumn magic, codified during the reign of Emperor James. It seems that originally it was used to inspire soldiers to come to the defence of their neighbours through the use of invisible bells, but the ritual seems to have other, somewhat more practical applications. When this magnitude 60 Autumn ritual is cast on a fortification it subtly draws volunteers to take up weapons, and improves the process of turning a raw recruit into a seasoned soldier. This means that over the coming season, the garrison of the target fortification is restored, regaining 250 points of strength, in addition to any other resupply the garrison receives, even if the garrison is involved in fighting.
The other ritual is a much older, dating from the early reign of Empress Varkula, and contributed by a Dawnish coven. The Roses of Racqueen are a Weaver cabal from Semmerholm and how they came into possession of the ritual text for Might of Vstaive is not clear. The ritual itself employs Summer magic to enchant a fortification, reinforcing both the bastion and the garrison. Examination of the ritual by Urizen magicians of the Unfettered Mind and Rod and Shield indicates that it is almost identical to Golden Ramparts but with some very distinct differences. Golden Ramparts calls forth several dozen golden lions from the realm of Meraud to fight alongside the garrison, and relies on an assurance to give it power. Might of Vstaive however instead fills the mortal defenders of a castle with courage, preternatural prowess, and a thirst for victory. Yet the outcome from a purely practical point of view is the same - save that one uses the power of a Summer eternal and the other does not.
The contribution of Might of Vstaive suggests that Jaheris' real motivation in encouraging these rituals to be given to Urizen might be to undermine Meraud. Regardless of provenance, both rituals are available to any Urizen magician who wishes to learn them by the usual means. Indeed given that neither relies on an eternal for their power, they could be used as a template for an arcane projection and even codified at a college of magic and made part of wider Imperial lore, if anyone wished to do so.
Quivering and Chill
- Three new rituals that draw on the power of Siakha have become part of Urizen lore
- These rituals are illegal to perform while the eternal remains under enmity
During some of the worst storms of the early Winter, three new works of Spring magic are added to Urizen Lore without additional fanfare. The text they are drawn from is apparently a water-damaged ship's logbook, filled with cryptic poems in praise of the unceasing sea, the power of the storm, and the admirably simple life of the shark. Interspersed between the poems are crude drawings of sea monsters, and what seem to be actual prayers in praise of the Mother of the Maelstrom asking for her to send her children to torment the unknown author's enemies, or begging her to fill them and their crew with the power of the tempest. These sections become increasingly difficult to read, and the last few pages are almost entirely obscured by old blood splatter. Scrawled across the cover - carved into the thick leather with a knife - was the message “at the mother’s command, a gift for Ibiss Briarheart.”
It should come as no surprise then that the three rituals contained in the book bear the unmistakable mark of the eternal Siakha. Rhythm of the Tempest, Blood-dimmed Tide, and Shark's Rampage each draw on potent resonances of savagery and ruin, and are shot through with the bloodthirsty power of the Mother of Wrecks.
The attendants at the Library - pale-eyed servants of Phaleron - are clearly uncomfortable with these magics, but can do nothing to prevent them becoming part of Urizen lore. After all, despite the request of the Celestial Library, Gift of Knowledge was made part of Imperial lore. As such any magician of the Empire, including those who have turned traitor in the service of the Mother of Wrecks, can use it to present whatever rituals they choose. The librarians of Phaleron are not empowered to pick and choose - they must accept any ritual text that is offered. They cannot turn down the rituals of Siakha any more than they were able to turn down those that draw on the power of Agramant.
Of course these rituals are illegal to perform while Siakha remains under the enmity of the Conclave. There is some speculation as to what Ibiss Briarheart may have done to merit these “gifts” - and a great deal of debate about whether any true Urizen would touch these spells with the tip of a measuring rod.
The Clouds are Mean
- Madruga, Feroz, and Sarvos have been cursed by the Children of Wrecks
- Torrential rains and gale winds have swept across the three territories
- Farms and businesses have been harmed by the Thunderous Deluge, and there have been additional effects in each territory
Shortly before the Autumn Equinox, the Children of Wrecks in Feroz and Madruga unleashed tumultuous storms on the territories. Then, during the summit, wreckers were able to make use of the Circle of Savagery in Sarvos to unleash the same curse on that territory of the League.
Madruga and Feroz
- The storms that have struck Madruga and Feroz have stirred up some of the magic of Crucible
Unlike Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea, the Thunderous Deluge covers the entire territory. Rain falls in sheets as far west as Morajasse and as far north as Torres. It fills the Scorrero - a wild river at the best of time - causing it to burst its banks. This is hardly something new, but it adds to the hardship of those trying to reclaim Oranseri and will likely make any attempt to bridge the river - to restore easy movement between the two easternmost Freeborn territories - that much harder.
The storms are especially odd in Madruga, where the power of the storms collides with an Night magic enchantment. Storm clouds roil with colours not normally found in the sky and on one occasion there is a five minute rain of tiny red frogs over Calvos that rapidly turns into a short-lived plague as the things breed and spread. Feroz is hit much more heavily by the storms, especially given that the populace such as it is, is currently busy trying to rebuild. One thing worse than living out of makeshift shacks and old tents is trying to live out of waterlogged shacks and leaky tents.
Sarvos
- Flood defences have protected Sarvos from the thunderous deluge
- The region of Riposi has permanently gained the coastal quality
This is by no means the first time such powerful storms have been called up by the Children of Wrecks, but it is the first time in a very long time that Sarvos has been targeted in this way. The tempest rages for several months after the Autumn Equinox. The waters rise, and there is a great deal of worry in Sarvos that doom has finally arrived to wash away the City of Masks. If only there were suitably robust flood defences... but of course there are suitably robust flood defences! Commissioned by Senator Rosalina Gulia Viola di Sarvos they were built with the aid of the Vandersaar family of the Sarcophan Delves. The Vandersaar were no doubt partly motivated by the desire to protect the low lying Alivetti estates enclave, but their help has proved invaluable. The canals rise a little, as the rain and wind mercilessly shakes the towers of Sarvos, but there is no lasting damage.
The same cannot unfortunately be said for other parts of the territory. There's some flooding in Rodez and Trivento; estates along the broad banks of the Gancio are left sodden and waterlogged; and the only folk who seem happy with the situation are the huge, white cranes that picked their way through the reed-beds of the river. The worst damage, however, is incurred in Riposi. The flat plains are known for their poor, chalky soil. The thunderous deluge pelts the farmlands here with particular virulence, but nobody is expecting it when the low cliffs that run along the southern side of the region give way and collapse into the hungry sea. Waves wash inland nearly a quarter of a mile in places, carrying away what little topsoil there is.
When the storms abate, as the Winter solstice approaches, there can be no denying that it is now considerable easier to approach Riposi from sea (the region has permanently gained the coastal quality). There's not a lot that can be done about it, it seems - especially not by "dirt poor Riposi farmers."
Odd Dreams
- More odd dreams in Feroz, Madruga, and Sarvos
People living in or visiting Feroz, Madruga, and Sarvos find their nights filled with dreams of rushing water, rain. More peculiarly, dreams also prominently feature water features - springs, waterfalls, fountains of all kinds - and horses of all colours often racing through the sky as the rain falls. People who awaken from these dreams report feeling either tired or filled with vigour. The dreams fade as the Winter Solstice approaches, and don't seem to leave any particular lingering effects.
The Sky Is Low
- Madruga has also been wrapped in Night magic
- People in Madruga experience peculiar dreams of transformation
- Heralds of the Night realm are more active in Madruga
- Some of the effects have spilled over into Feroz
While storms are wracking Madruga, a very different kind of magic wells up within the territory. It rises from the marshes of the south-west primarily, and seeps quickly across the territory. It brings with it peculiar dreams - dreams that are made all the more peculiar by those accompanying the storms. Folk living in or visiting Madruga find themselves having recurring, vivid dreams of dark forests, filled with strange foliage that seems to shift in size, shape, and colour, as well as those brought with the rain. Through the trees slither mighty serpents, with scales that ripple and change with all the colours of the rainbow and some that are impossible to describe. Those who experience these dreams speak of a profound awareness of the way things change, and the ways they themselves have changed throughout their lives.
In waking hours encounters with creatures of the Night realm become more common, especially within the environs and at the borders of Crucible and Siroc Sound. Brightly dressed heralds of Azoth and Janon are encountered the most often; the former enthusiastic if hard to understand, the latter keen to celebrate or dance in the pounding rains. They actively seek out Freeborn, magicians and otherwise, and encourage them to either seek self-transformation or embrace their passions. While they don't offer many boons, certainly not on the large scale, it's clear that their presence helps shape the magical effects that do arise from this powerful enchantment.
Liberty For All
Beware the seductions of the false virtue of Anarchy (also known as Freedom). It will shatter your Glass, tempting you towards lies and dishonesty. It will scatter your Dust, eroding bonds to family, tribe and kin. It will stutter your Flame, leaving it destructive and uncontrolled, yearning to burn everything we built. We are Flame. We are Dust. We are Glass. Reject Anarchy - lest it undermine that.
Azir i Shartha i Riqueza, Autumn Equinox 387YE, Vote: Greater Majority 134-40- The enchantment brings with it a powerful sense of rebellion and interest in liberty
As the Night magic waxes across Madruga, and as the thunderous Spring storms continue, it rouses something in the Freeborn spirit. A transformative urge that speaks to a fundamental desire for personal liberty that some claim underlies the history of the Brass Coast. Even as the dreams of forests and dragons spread, so too does a subtle urge for freedom bubble up from somewhere deep within the soul. This manifests itself in a number of ways - arguments about the philosophy of liberty; discussions about what can be learned from the example of Ahraz; a general refusal by young people to tidy their rooms or listen to their elders; a marked increase in opposition to taxation and fines; angry words directed at magistrates doing their business; a flourishing in music and art that calls for people to be able to live their lives freely and as they wish. These sentiments are cheerfully encouraged by the heralds of Shadowed Fire and The Great Work abroad in Madruga.
One of the ways the side-effect of the enchantment manifests is in outspoken opposition to the statement of principle raised by Azir i Shartha i Riqueza during the Autumn Equinox and supported by the Freeborn assembly. The statement called for people to "beware the seductions of the false virtue of Anarchy" claiming that it would ultimately damage the soul. While the statement may have had more impactful effect in other parts of the Brass Coast, in Madruga under the power of Night magic, it is taken very differently. Far from taking these words to heart, people across Madruga actively resist them.
Participation
Anyone whose personal resource is in Madruga may choose to experience a roleplaying effect during the Winter Solstice: You feel an urge to question and disregard accepted traditions and laws in pursuit of freedom and liberty for yourself and others. Active resistance to authority feels profoundly satisfying, and any restrictions on beliefs or actions, especially by the Synod, the Senate, or the magistrates, feels like an act of violence."
If you choose to experience the roleplaying effect, then during the Winter Solstice you have a source of spiritual strength for purposes of overcoming any roleplaying effect. Instead of the expected outcome of the roleplaying effect you feel a potent urge to rebel, resist, and oppose the source of that roleplaying effect - physically if necessary. The effect will have faded by the end of the Winter Solstice.
Furthermore any Freeborn character whose personal resource is in Madruga may decide they have sought out dedicates of the Malign spiritual presence known as anarchy and petitioned them for a hallowed item. The heralds of Janon in Madruga have an uncanny knack for bringing such people together with folk with the ability to create such hallows. If you want to do this, you can email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk before the 1st of April and request a hallow. We'll provide you with a ribbon in your pack. You should clarify in the email if you are more interested in liberating others, undermining authority, inspiring rebellion against the status quo, or fighting oppression by whatever means are necessary. In each case, we will be giving the hallow its name, and it will take the form of an amulet or talisman. You will need to provide your own physrep.
Bear in mind that possession of hallows created by people dedicated to Anarchy (or freedom, or liberty, or whatever else it might be called) is of dubious legality and might incur serious consequences if it becomes known you have acquired one.
Pool of Transformation
- Characters with naga or briar lineage can visit Madruga and strengthen their lineage trappings
In Crucible there is a fountain in the courtyard of an old parador that once stood by the road along the banks of the Scorrero that now flows with rainbow waters; drinking from them by moonlight can prompt a transformation in unlineaged humans. There is a chance that the drinker will unpredictably gain the naga, briar, or draughir lineage over the course of a few days. Between the Autumn and Winter solstice, these waters have flown especially fast and strong, flooding the courtyard itself with a shallow pool of shifting prismatic waters. It is soon discovered that any naga or briar who bathes in the waters while the magically conjured rain falls find that their trappings - both those physically apparent and more spiritual effects of the touch of the realms are intensified.
Participation
Any naga or briar who wishes to do so may choose to have visited the pool in downtime and bathed in it, using it as an excuse to strengthen or increase their lineage trappings. Bear in mind that once this is done it represents a permanent change to your character; it is rare for lineage trappings to become weaker over time. Naga who do so are more likely to develop scales in unexpected colours or feathers, and find their intuitive tendencies greatly pronounced at least in the short term. Briar who do so are more likely to evidence flowers, and find their mercurial tendencies greatly pronounced at least in the short term. This option is only available in the lead-up to the Winter Solstice.
Strange Flowers
- There is an opportunity to harness some of the power of the magical marshes in the south
- This opportunity is also available to the herb gardens of Feroz
In combination with that magically conjured rain, the night magic has an unexpected effect. When the magical marshes of the south first formed, they did so due to a confusing melange of Night, Spring, and Winter magic. Now cursed storms raised by Spring magic, and Night enchantment, combine with the magic already in the water and mud to send ripples of transformation across Madruga - and into Feroz as well. It seems as if the storms have caught the chaotic magic of Night, and infused it with a little of the uncontainable nature of Spring. Wisps of the enchantment have been swept into Feroz, along with some of the transformative essence of the marshes. Magical theorists say that this is impossible; that is not how either enchantments or curses work. They're at a loss to explain what has happened here.
During the Winter Solstice, any herb garden in Madruga or Feroz can be diversified to grow marsh flowers. This requires the garden to be targeted by a performance of Ruthless Vigilance, Healthy Crop, providing the vital third ingredient of Winter magic. The ritual must also include a ring of ilium for each target of the ritual, which is consumed in the casting. In addition to its normal effects, and in conjunction with the Night and Spring magics in the territory, the culled energies released will help the odd flowers take root. The target herb garden permanently loses the ability to provide 2 drams of Imperial Roseweald, but will instead produce a single random marsh flower each season.
This opportunity only exists at the Winter Solstice.
Exotic Foliage
- Herbalists in Madruga have noted some new marsh flowers growing in the wake of the Spring curse and Night enchantment
- These flowers might appear in herb gardens diversified to produce them or via titles
One last feature of the Night magic spilling over Madruga is that herbalists in the territory have begun to encounter some new marsh flowers. In a way this should be unsurprising - Night magic has a fundamental resonance of transformation and change and the marshes are still relatively new. Among the peculiar wonders seen over the last few months are beautiful multicoloured flowers that take wing like butterflies when startled before settling on entirely different plants and becoming sessile again; flowers that chime like bells when the wind blows across them; a gorgeous crimson bloom that smells strongly of the syrah (an impressive feat given that syrah itself comes in a myriad of different shapes and scents) and whose petals can be boiled up to make a very passable sweet, brown tincture; and immense orchids larger than a human or orc within whose blooms bitter nectar pools. Some of these new blooms have been harvested by those who have cultivated marsh flowers in their herb gardens, but what properties they may have is not clear at this time.
Fish Dreams
- Odd dreams are experienced by sensitive folk especially in Kallavesa, Bregasland, and Mitwold
- Any citizen from other territories who has touched the waters of the Gullet may also experience one of these dreams
Imperial citizens are no strangers to peculiar dreams. Some arise spontaneously from within the spirit, others are guided by priests using liao ceremonies, but just as common are those created through the use of ritual magic, especially the lore of the Night realm. After the Autumn Equinox, a trickle of odd dreams in Kallavesa, Bregasland, and Mitwold soon becomes something of a flood. It becomes apparent that similar dreams are also being experienced by anyone who has touched the waters of the Gullet or the Westmere at any point in their lives.
The dreams differ in specifics, but comparing notes indicates there are several themes and images in common.
It's up to you whether your character has personally experienced these dreams or not. While they're most appropriate for characters whose personal resource is in Bregasland, Mitwold, or Kallavesa, they're also being experienced by people across the Empire who have a connection to the Gullet or the Westmere, albeit with reduced frequency. Anyone who lives in one of the affected territories, however, is likely to have met people talking about these weird dreams even if they don't experience them themselves.
- The dreamer feels as if they are leaping from their body, flying on unseen wings beneath a night sky resplendent with stars. The sky is full of black and golden owls, wings close enough to touch. Together they soar over a great valley, spotted with stands of trees and great unfamiliar beasts. Without warning a great wave of water crashes through the valley from the north, drowning the creatures, and plunging the dreamer into freezing waters salted with the tears of the dead and the lost.
There are astronomantic practitioners all over the Empire, and the Marches and Wintermark are no exception. One titbit of information that suggests this is more than a simple dream is that when the dreamers are flying through the night sky, the constellations of the Key and the Spider are prominent among the stars. While not everyone recognises these shapes in the sky, they are consistently present in the dream.
- The dreamer understands that the seas of the world are ossuaries, full of bones, places of death. They are full of wrecks and ruins and the silent sadness of the drowned. They are also places of life, as well, albeit life that often seems very strange to people who live on the land in the air. Millions of creatures with fins, and eyes, and claws, and limbs, and jaws; but also things not beasts, not plants, but living still.
- As the dream draws to an end they become aware of something new, a glimmering sense of growth and life. This thing is not native to cold waters, and prefers warmer seas. It is composed of comingled senses of wonder and terror that ultimately wants to bring everything within itself, unique but integrated. It is something alive, familiar and utterly unknown, a blossoming celebration of the life of salt water. A thing of bright colours, of the many that are part of the whole, and it is terrible.
Those who wake up speak of feeling chilled to their bones, but also of a disquieting yearning to travel to the shores of the Gullet and immerse themselves in the waters.
One odd element that leaves mystic and landskeeper alike a little confused is that there is no sign of any enchantment responsible for these dreams. Normally a skilled magician can divine an active enchantment, and there's no sign of it here. By the Winter Solstice the dreams have mostly fallen away, but it is possible that a ritual such as Eye of the High Places targeted at Mitwold, Bregasland, or Kallavesa may be able to catch some of the whisps of... whatever caused this.
Participation
'Hope' is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - And sore must be the storm - That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.Emily Dickinson