387YE Spring Equinox winds of war
Overview
Over the last three months, Imperial forces have engaged in military campaigns. Sometimes those engagements have been wide ranging and dramatic, other times they have been more sedate. Where there has been dramatic action, or where there are opportunities, we've given a Wind of War its own page; other military actions are discussed here.
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 War and the Winds of Fortune is to make players aware of things their characters should know, based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing, and to maintain the Empire as a living, breathing place where all kinds of events take place beyond the scope of Anvil.
It should go without saying that we ask everyone to abide by the rules about online roleplaying with regard to the military campaign. It's important that the key in-character activity of the Empire world takes place at events. The game is busier and better if everything that can happen in the field, does happen in the field. Military planning and political discussions should happen at events. For this reason we generally discourage too much downtime roleplaying between events and put strict limits on what can be done online particularly using our forums and Facebook groups.
All that said we now present a summary of the key military activity in the Empire - both with links to the expanded Wind of War pages and notes about other important things that have happened that didn't need a full battle campaign write-up.
Along the Winding Road
From midwinter, the days get longer and the nights shorter. The promise of Spring whispers of renewal, of green shoots and pale flowers amid the frosts. A new year! The three-hundredth-and-eighty-seventh since the founding of the Empire! How changed our nations are, how unchanged the face of war. There are battles in the east and the west, with the south and the north quiet - for now.
There are victories and defeats for Imperial soldiers. The armies of the Empire have withdrawn from Therunin in the west, leaving the Druj free rein to rampage across the Navarr territory. They conquer the Tarn Valley, and pour into Peakedge Song hungry for destruction. Between courageous defenders who will not abandon their homes, and the blessings of the Tarnfather, the ancient houses of healing and life are preserved - but for how long? Worse, as Spring blooms and blossoms and slumbering life awakens beneath the soil, the Ghulai of the Tainted Basilisk, uninterrupted, complete their malignant magical workings and rouse the vallorn of Tharunind to wakefulness.
The Empire is not idle in the east. Four armies come from the south, through the night-haunted forests of Lustri across the borders into the Sarangrave. They find armies of the Druj resting here, disrupting their recovery and forcing them to fight alongside the garrison of the Tower of the Skink to try and hold Imperial soldiers back. The Bloodwater Marsh teems with life, much of it seemingly intent on eating or draining the blood from human and orc alike. The Empire is victorious, but it is slow going, and they have yet to claim a beachhead.
Further south, along the Bay of Catazar, the Imperial presence in the desolate petrified forest of Ayereed comes to an abrupt end. A force of Grendel land-troops sweeps up from the interior, and those soldiers who do not retreat are slain or captured. The Imperial beachhead in the arid south-east is brought to an abrupt end. The Salt Lords now control the southern borders of Mareave once again.
Across the Bay, the defences of the lands most at risk of attack from the sea are bolstered. Folks look to the horizon, watching for the sails that will herald a brutal invasion. In the west, in recently liberated Feroz, the Children of Wrecks launch an attack against the battered town of Oran, pirates, privateers and Imperial traitors eager to loot the imagined treasures of the late and unlamented Governor Rahab. There are few Imperial defenders to stand against them and the unnatural servants of Maelstrom that throng in the waters around their ships. Aid comes from an unexpected source, as the entire garrison of Mora's Rock under Commander Fliesarch comes to the defence of the Brass Coast. Not, they are clear, from any particular love for the Freeborn but because they despise the Children of Wrecks. The raid is turned back, and the Grendel return to their vigil in their mighty fortress.
North, then, to the Marches. Two armies fight the champions of the Jotun for control of Mournwold - and the Ore Hills are once again freed from the yoke of the barbarians. Across the border in the fens of Bregasland, however, things are very different. A host of Jotun erupt from Liathaven, through their magical fortifications at Gravenmarch, and across the marshes. The Strong Reeds rally the defenders, but it is difficult for the household militia to hold back a force of this magnitude. In the end, only the town of Otterly, on the eastern borders, remains in Marcher hands.
As the Jotun invade in the north, Imperial armies gather in the south. Five armies march out of Segura into Reinos, into the Lasambrian Hills, to bring war to the barbarians. The garrisons of the twin castles there do their best, but the Empire quickly conquers the olive groves and the fig orchards of Ribeira and almost all of Bastasor. The Lasambrians refuse to surrender, their Pride driving them to fight the Empire every step of the way. The battles continue.
Across the Empire itself, in Astolat, in Reikos, in Upwold, and Tassato, the rest of the Imperial armies prepare themselves for the year to come. Just over the borders from the fighting, readying themselves, recovering from the battles of the three-hundredth-and-eighty-sixth year of the Empire. The road calls to them, the winding road to battle, to death, and to glory.
Battle opportunities
Imperial prognosticators have identified TBC possible major conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate at the coming summit. The Military Council will muster on Friday night, and the generals will select two of them to be taken up by Imperial heroes. At the moment the full details of these opportunities are not clear; more information will be provided nearer to the event.
All battle opportunities are Combat Highly Likely environments.
| Location | Opportunity | Location | Opposition | Day | Learn More | CS Briefing |
| TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Nation | Force Weight |
|---|---|
| Brass Coast | TBC |
| Dawn | TBC |
| Highguard | TBC |
| Imperial Orcs | TBC |
| League | TBC |
| Marches | TBC |
| Navarr | TBC |
| Urizen | TBC |
| Varushka | TBC |
| Wintermark | TBC |
The sides for the battles will be chosen by the generals in the Muster of the Imperial Military Council on Friday night. Each of the two battles must have at least TBC and at most TBC force weight sent on it.
Conjunctions
The Sentinel Gate also allows smaller groups of Imperial citizens to reach locations all over the Empire where their intervention might change the course of events. Many of these conjunctions involve combat, but there are also a variety of other opportunities presented by the magic of the Gate.
For most conjunctions, the Civil Service has identified the Imperial titles that are the most appropriate to take overall responsibility for ensuring that a response is organised. Whilst the individual has been named by the Civil Service, there is no legal requirement for them to coordinate a response or travel on the conjunction. They may delegate oversight to another individual of their choosing. As always, Imperial war scouts will be on hand at the Sentinel Gate to provide further information to any citizens wanting to learn more. They can provide updates on the barbarians' goals, guidance on how to engage the enemy troops or advice on how to avoid casualties and return back to Anvil in safety.
Sometimes it is necessary for us to make small adjustments to the timing or size of encounters at the time of this publication and when an encounter runs at an event. Details for the conjunctions on Friday will be finalised on Friday afternoon of the event before time-in (18:00) whilst details for the conjunctions on Saturday will be finalised on Saturday before time-in (10:00). Please check the details of any conjunction you are interested in as soon as possible to ensure that you have the full and up-to-date information; it might also be sensible to check again shortly before the planned time of the encounter. You can check the details of a conjunction by casting Detect Magic (Discover Conjunction) on the Sentinel Gate in the presence of a referee.
It's very important to pay attention to the accessibility note for each conjunction, which covers the likelihood of combat. Further details about the accessibility of a conjunction are available both before and during the event. You can learn more about this on the accessibility page.
Friday
| Time | People | Duration | Combat | Location | Responsibility | Overview/Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Saturday
| Time | People | Duration | Combat | Location | Responsibility | Overview/Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Military Considerations
Several territory pages now contain details of strategic obstacles presented or advantages provided by movement through or fighting in those lands. There are also several fortifications that follow different rules. Several armies or nations have special rules or opportunities related to the orders they can issue, which should be borne in mind when discussing military strategies during the Autumn Equinox.
- Billeting: Any Imperial army can take the Billet order in Bregasland, Mitwold, Mournwold, or Upwold. Link
- Dawn:
- Dawnish armies cannot take the Cautious Advance order or the Give Ground order. Link
- The borders of the Barrens are patrolled by citizens of the territory as a result of the mandate enacted by Ser Tunic. The Druj require 25 victory points to claim a beachhead in the Barrens.
- Imperial Orcs
- The Marches:
- Marcher armies cannot take the Give Ground order. Link
- The Strong Reeds receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Bregasland. Link
- The Tusks receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Mournwold. Link
- The Drakes receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Mitwold. Link
- The Bounders receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Upwold. Link
- Urizen:
- Varushka:
- Wintermark:
- Wintermark armies can take the Fight with Honour order. Link.
- Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun will gain 10% more victory points but inflict 20% less casualties. Link
- Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun have their casualties taken reduced by 10%. This effect continues as long as the Winterfolk continue to fight honourably. Link
Click Expand to see military considerations that are less relevant at the current time but are still active.
- Zenith: Any Highborn or Urizen army attacking into Zenith from Morrow gains a 20% bonus to any territory captured and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link
- Morrow: Any Highborn or Urizen army that defends in Morrow against an army attacking from Zenith gains a 20% bonus to defend territory and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link