Mithril and rope
After Spring
In the days following the Spring Equinox, fortifications bloom across Mareave like flowers after the rain. In Icarion, a tower of white marble and blue ice garrisoned by pale-eyed elfin warriors in chain and silk. Over Nadir, a keep of ice with six cruel iron minarets from which squat hirsute archers scan the hills. Yet both are dwarfed by the citadel that rises in southern Clisearn. Iskander's Donjon, a boon granted by the Queen of Ice and Darkness and called forth from the regio at the Ohwinn Scour on the battlefields of Mareave. The Donjon is a massive monolithic castle of adamant, with a grand gatehouse from which the heralds of the Breath of Winter issue forth to aid the defence of the Unshackled territory. These mighty warriors, sheathed in heavy armour that conceals their features from the Imperial soldiers they fight alongside bear massive iron tower-shields marked with a sigil of blue flame. When they battle the invading Grendel, the runes worked into their armour ignite surrounding them in a flickering aura of blue-white fire that cows their enemies and adds weight to their dreadful blows. All told, the three magical fortresses bring with them nearly two entire armies of supernatural warriors drawn from the frigid realm of the Immovable One, to fight alongside the Imperial Orcs and defend their lands against the Grendel.
And fight they do. The Winter Sun may have withdrawn to Zenith along with the Seventh Wave, but in their place come the Summer Storm. The presence of an Unshackled army is paramount; without it the promise given to the eternal of the Summer realm at Ohwinn Scour would be broken, and her aid forfeit. The Summer Storm do not march alone, though. Down through madness-haunted Spiral alongside them come the Towerjacks, the Wolves of War, and the Argent Sword. The League and Urizen have their own reasons, perhaps, for ensuring the Grendel attention remains focused in southern Mareave and not in Spiral or Redoubt.
As they pass through Eoradal, the Summer Storm are joined by the orc soldiers of Rucraic's Redoubt. The bastion bears an enchantment that makes it easily the equal of Iskander's Donjon, and the walls are aglow with the Ramparts of Ashlar. The garrison is bolstered by towering constructs of bronze wielding devastating mattocks, maintained by engineers from the City of Fire and Stone. Recent months have also seen a notable increase in the number of northern Mareave orcs signing up for a tour of duty at the Redoubt. Even the notoriously cynical Uthni family have been heard encouraging support for the Redoubt; perhaps they have finally begun to believe the Unshackled when they say they will not abandon the arid southern territory.
As the equinox passes, however, even the traditionally dry north of Mareave enjoys unseasonal rain that brings life to the scrubby grasslands. The Rivers of Life have risen in Mareave, bringing with them the life-giving essence of the Spring realm. All potable water in the territory serves to bolster the health of those who live and fight here. Wounds sustained in battle heal overnight, provided they are not mortal in the moment. The work of the physick and the battlefield healer are made so much easier by the Spring magic flowing through the territory.
The curse of life is indiscriminate of course, and aids the Grendel as well as the Empire. This makes the fighting all the more bloody, because only the killing blow will serve to actually deplete the enemy forces. Injured soldiers who might take weeks to recover will be back on duty tomorrow, unless they are dead. A feeling of recklessness spreads through the territory this season, on both sides. After all, when serious wounds are no more inconvenient than minor injuries, why not take the risks that might win you victory or see your enemy in the ground?
Legionnaires, it is time to bring our strength to Mareave. Let us defend our land once again. It is imperative that we do not let a single Grendel advance further into our southern territory. Let us show those still undecisided that the Imperial Orcs will always defend our home. Let the Clarity of Day assist our efforts. Mareave is Imperial.
Stormsteel Skorr, General of the Summer StormTowerjacks, for thirty years you held the indomitable walls of Hoberg. Now a tide of Grendel wash against the homes of our friends. You will be their walls. Drive back the tide.
Gabriel Barossa, General of the TowerjacksThere is perhaps a little trepidation on the Imperial side given the reports of chaotic events last season wherever powerful magic held sway. Yet the stories are contradictory, with the most common claiming the threat is past thanks to events at Anvil during the Spring Equinox. Perhaps everything will be fine, as it has been in the past. Perhaps nothing will go awry.
The Grendel are unaware of such chaos, of course, or at least mostly so. They certainly show no signs of trepidation in their attempt to reclaim Mareave. Even as the citadels bloom and the armies move, the Broken Shore continues to probe the defences of Clisearn. Their navies are in position off the coast of Fleisardh, but they cannot intercede directly. For the moment, the yellow-sailed Golden Winds and the crimson-sailed Shamaal must content themselves with supporting their inland expansion. There is notably no sign of the green-sailed Tempest or the cerulean-sailed Simoom. The other half of the Grendel armada has not yet returned, it seems, from the wild goose chase they embarked on to try and destroy the Red Wind Corsairs.
There is no shortage of warriors in Mareave this season, but the Grendel may miss the aid of their missing naval forces. The fighting balances on a knife-edge and any factor might tip it one way or another.
Ebb and Flow
The Salt Lords still seem to be committed to claiming Clisearn and especially the Fundindelve. The Empire remains equally resolute that they will not achieve that goal, and will press no further into Mareave. The Summer Storm and the Towerjacks, along with soldiers from Rucraic's Redoubt and the forces of the Summer realm, see to the defence of Clisearn. Iskander's Donjon provides a fine base of operations from which to plan the best way to hold the hills against the Broken Shore.
At the same time the Autumn heralds of the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War go on the offensive. Both armies seek to steal back the wealth of Mareave from the Grendel, and perhaps supplement their gains with a few treasures of the Broken Shore in the process. The Argent Sword need no additional impetus to focus on relieving their enemies of their possessions, and the Wolves have bolstered their number with hard-bitten mercenaries more enthusiastic about the opportunity for further profit than for high-minded ideals of protecting the Empire.
The Broken Shore assault has lost none of its momentum. They continue to build on their successes last season, keeping up the pressure on the Imperial defence. All the magical warriors in Mareave are not enough to do more than blunt their attack, to slow their advance. Last season it was the Black Eels and the Brine Turtles in the vanguard; this season they have fallen back a little and a new force leads the way forward. The Storm Sharks were mustered in the wake of the disastrous loss at Solen's Doubt. Their banners bear the image of the shark-and-thunderbolt, and their mien is very different to that of the typical Grendel army. They are violent, aggressive, savage, and concerned only with crushing their enemies. Time and again they assault Imperial positions, seeking to break them through sheer force of will and an unflagging resolve to kill as many of their opponents as possible. They pay in blood for their reckless audacity, but they also win as often as they lose and with their strength at the fore, the rest of the Grendel attackers follow suit.
At first it seems the Grendel, led by the Storm Shark assault, will push the defenders back but they have reckoned without quite so many heralds of Summer and Autumn. The supernatural clarity helps the Imperial commanders to coordinate the disparate groups of defenders, to deploy them where their strengths will be most apparent and their weaknesses protected. The headlong rush to battle of the Storm Sharks is blunted by savvy tactics. While the Anvil of the Summer Storm and the Towerjacks contains the Grendel advance, the opportunistic aggression of the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War begins to turn the invasion back.
Unfortunately, the invaders have their own magics. The armies of the Broken Shore swiftly counter the advantages provided by the clarity of Day with preternatural strategic acumen of their own. A dizzying sequence of attack and counterattack, thrust and parry, plays out across the front with cohorts of warriors as the swords and careful positioning as the shields. It looks as if the Grendel, with their sheer force of numbers and their effective naval support, will win the day.
Yet Clisearn is defended by Iskander's Donjon. Unlike the usual citadels raised by the Empire, the Donjon is one of Cathan Canae's larger fortifications, and its garrison is composed of mighty warriors and guardians who have fought countless battles over the centuries. The lords of the Broken Shore are purely mortal, and unprepared to directly beat against the might of the Summer realm itself. They pay dearly for every step they make across the rich lands of Clisearn, and with their advance slowing, the Wolves and Sword can focus more of their efforts on driving them out.
That said, the main focus of the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War is not on defeating the Grendel, but on taking back what the orcs have stolen. Even coordinated with Day magic, their soldiers are often out-of-position pursuing one opportunity or another to raid the enemy. When the fighting is thickest, they are often absent entirely, their attention drawn to a different part of the region or even focused in launching a raid into Grendel-held territory to the south. Weighed against that, they are by no means the only ones looking for loot and plunder. Three of the enemy armies likewise are distracted from the goal of capturing Clisearn by their personal goal of gathering as much wealth from Mareave as possible.
This disconnection of purpose is made abundantly clear halfway through the season when three Grendel armies launch an audacious raid deep into Imperial-held territory.
Heralds of Autumn, we have unfinished business. The coward slavers have run from redoubt - but that's alright, autumn loves to Travel! This season I get to fulfil my ambition to defend Imperial Territory outside of Urizen. This season I renew my bonds of loyalty to my Imperial siblings. The Grendel are a plague in Mareave - taking the land and property of the Imperial Orcs - This season we take it back. We plunder the riches of the Grendel and we reclaim the property of the Imperial Orcs. Our focus is precise, our work is professional - the Grendel and the Grendel only are our target. Together with the Wolves of War, this season the Grendel will pay not only dearly, they will pay with everything they have. No coin left untaken, no wain left unclaimed, their property is ours - they just haven't realised it yet.
Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer, General of the Argent SwordThere are free companies that are easier to march with. But no one will remember them. Empty your packs for the spoils to come. Earn our prosperous shares with steel and toil aplenty. Iron bites, while loyalty binds us to the citizens of Mareave. Tear into the baggage, make their supply ours. Bring me the means to take the fight to the vultures of the Broken Shore.
Jean d'Apulian, General of the Wolves of WarMithril! The promise of wealth, the promise of fine spears and finer armour! Right now it is lying in great piles in the mountains of Clisearn, and not where it should be. In our hands! And when we are done with Fundindelve, there is plenty more easy wealth scattered across southern Mareave for us to claim.
Beagh Seosam, General of the Black EelsNone know the bounty of Fundindelve better than we! Foolish Eshan has let it slip through his fingers, which makes it fair game for anyone audacious enough to take it from under Imperial noses!
Neeve, General of the HamsinThe Salt Lords give license to take as we will. We must not squander it. Fundindelve is the prize, but never forget that any Imperial soldier can be a valuable prize. Loot or ransom, what is theirs will be ours!
Jaimtar Gat, General of the Bone NautilusThe Great Fundindelve Heist
As invaders and defenders clash across central Clisearn, the Black Eels and the Bone Nautilus make their move. While perhaps half the warriors of the two septs aid their fellows in the fight against the Empire, their leaders take advantage of the "distraction" to put into operation plans of their own (and it would perhaps be news to the Salt Lords that this vital struggle is seen as a "distraction" by two of their septs). A sizable cohort made up of the canniest warriors from the two armies skirts the eastern mountains along the edge of Skoura, avoiding the main engagement, moving as quickly and stealthily as some four thousand warriors can manage. The Black Eels and the Bone Nautilus are composed of warriors from the inland septs, so they are no strangers to the wild and rugged terrain of the Broken Shore. Nor are they alone; alongside them come around three thousand Hamsin, an army with a very different tenor to the rough warriors of the Eels and the Nautilus. This is a Grendel army, one that bucks the traditions of that powerful sept by choosing to fight on land rather than at sea. Youthful, ambitious, and audacious they have used their influence to recruit talented raiders, orcs and humans experienced at stealing the treasures of the Empire, and scouts familiar with southern Mareave. Together, they plan to raid the Fundindelve.
Nearly seven thousand troops cannot hope to avoid detection for long, but their care buys them precious hours before the Empire become aware of them. As soon as they realise the jig is up, they drop all pretence of stealth and move arrow-swift towards their target. There have been raids across Clisearn - by both sides - throughout the war, but this is a concerted attack planned with precision. The attackers breach the defences of the mithril mine before anyone realises what is happening, overwhelming the protectors with sheer force of numbers. The defenders of Mareave are stretched too thin and even with the aid of Summer heralds from Iskander's Donjon, the miners can't hope to hold back the tide of raiders. After a short, bloody, battle, the mine falls. Yet there is no attempt made to hold the Fundindelve; the raiders know that the only way that can happen is if the Imperial defenders are driven out of Clisearn. This attack is not about land, but about money.
The sands of the hourglass are in free-fall; the Empire is already on the move sending troops to reinforce the mine and rout the attackers. The Summer Storm pulls back, trusting the garrison of Rucraic's Redoubt and the heralds of Iskander's Donjon to fill their place in the defence of Clisearn, and march east as fast as they can. When they arrive, though, they find the raiders have already left. They have cleaned out the Fundindelve, stolen every wain of mithril they could get their hands on, and raided the vaults of precious jewels and more mundane minerals that accumulate in any mithril mine. The orcs are already exhausted, from weeks of fighting and a forced march, but nonetheless once they are assured the mines are safe, they pursue. It's clear though that the raiders have too much of a head start, one that widens by the hour. Once they reach the safety of Flesiardh, once they are back in Grendel-held territory, they will be beyond the reach of the Unshackled.
Unfortunately, the raiders have made a costly mistake; they have not factored the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War into their calculations. Rather than race to Fundindelve, the two armies dispatch their own swift-moving soldiers to intercept them. It's a gamble; if the attackers plan to hold the Fundindelve then the Imperial defenders will catch them there. If they don't, then the Sword and the Wolves will catch them on the move, before they can make it back to Fleisardh. A gamble that pays off.
The raiders are not expecting to find Imperials waiting for them, between them and the safety of Fleisardh. There is no chance to go round - and every minute that passes brings the Summer Storm and the rest of the Imperial defence closer. They have no choice but to fight; a battle not for land or lives, but for the wealth of Fundindelve. The three Grendel forces immediately split up; the Bone Nautilus dodge west, the Black Eels try to move quickly through the foothills, and the Hamsin attack the Imperial interceptors head on trusting to their mercenaries to help them carry the day. Unfortunately for the raiders, they have stolen so much that they are heavily encumbered. Wagons of mithril and ore are hard to manoeuvre at the best of times, never mind when trying to flee Autumn heralds and League mercenaries over the rugged terrain of eastern Clisearn. Yet the Imperial forces have problems of their own; they are separated from their own lines, dangerously close to Grendel-held land, and cannot be sure what is waiting just across the border for them. As the Grendel have split up, so too must the Argent Sword and Wolves of War split their forces to counter them.
Vicious struggles erupt in the borderlands between the individual raiding bands. The Autumn heralds of the Argent Sword possess a preternatural sense for the presence of wealth that renders Grendel attempts at stealth ineffective; the Hamsin possess the classic discipline of the Grendel that helps counter the opportunistic brilliance of the Wolves of War counter-strategy. Yet the Empire does have an edge - not only the imminent threat of the Summer Storm but also the fact that they are able to cooperate much more effectively than the three raiding groups. The Black Eels, Bone Nautilus, and Hamsin might have coordinated their raid together but now it is every Grendel for themselves with no attempt made to help the raiders from one of the other forces.
In the end, the raiders are not prepared to sell their own lives either for the wealth they've stolen or to help their allies escape. It's not entirely clear how much of their ill-gotten gains the Grendel have managed to escape with. Ironically it seems the Hamsin have been most successful - the Grendel of the mercenary army appear to have taken steps to ensure their soldiers were enchanted with Day magic allowing them to exploit an opening in the Argent Sword's defences. Wagons of precious mithril, gold, silver, and iron are left scattered all across southern Clisearn, claimed by the soldiers of the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War, but others are dragged safely back behind Grendel lines. Despite the Spring magic that infuses Mareave, however, several hundred warriors on both sides have fallen to claim this wealth.
This clash - the Hamsin, the Bone Nautilus or the Black Eels on one side and the Wolves of War or the Argent Sword on the other - is repeated throughout the rest of the season. All five armies are seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of their enemies, although nothing approaching the audacity of the raid on Fundindelve occurs. At points it is almost farcical - the same cargo of riches stolen from one of the villas of Clisearn may change hands three or four times as both sides try to get the booty back to the safety of their own lines. Farcical, but also deadly serious. The wealth of southern Mareave will help fund ambitious projects and magical rituals as well as simply lining the pockets of septs and Salt Lords.
Katabat
And so the fighting continues, the warlines rising and falling like waves on the shore. Yet as the Summer Solstice draws ever nearer, the advantage appears to be with the Empire. Four armies, two magical citadels, a supernatural fortress, an enchanted bastion, the power of Imperial magic, all contribute to the strength of the Empire's defenders. It looks as if they will hold the line, and for a time there is a possibility that the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War might actually make headway, drive the Grendel out of Clisearn entirely. Unfortunately there is one more shoe to fall; the Grendel have one final ace up their sleeves.
The scouts have been reporting on unexpected troop movements along the coast of Fleisardh for some weeks, but it is in the aftermath of the attack of Fundindelve that it becomes apparent just how serious the situation is. Unidentified warships had been sighted last season, but no further details had been uncovered. Now, though, they are in Mareave and their presence begins to tip the balance in the favour of the attackers.
There's no avoiding the truth; the Grendel have completed raising a fifth navy on the Bay of Catazar. It is clear, though, that this is a navy of a very different character to the Golden Sails, the Tempest, the Simoon, or the Shamal. The warships of the violet-sailed Katabat have a uniformity to them that is not common in the other Grendel navies. Most Grendel vessels reflect the idiosyncrasies or tastes of their captains; many such vessels are heirlooms that belong to one wealthy family or another, handed down like one of the Unshackled may pass on an item of worth. A Grendel navy can easily present the appearance of a number of individual warships that just "happen" to be sailing together, their only common feature being the colour of their sails.
Not so the Katabat. This navy is composed entirely of custom-made warships rather than being drawn from the vessels of the Grendel families. They share a common design, combining the practicality and speed of Grendel ships with the smooth lines and slightly archaic look of Asavean battleships. Each ship is clearly well armoured, manoeuvrable, and crewed by disciplined mariners. This would be cause for concern even if not for the other features they have in common.
The sails of every ship in the Katabat is embroidered with designs that show the unmistakable sheen of mithril. It isn't uncommon for Grendel ships to have decorated sails of course, but it is the nature of the designs that causes some scouts - Urizeni in particular - to take note. Normally Grendel iconography is inspired by the sea and its creatures, but in this case the sails each bear the image of one of the constellations familiar to Imperial astronomancers. Most common are the Oak, the Great Wyrm, and the Stork but all the others are represented, with the notable exception of the red eye of the Wanderer. Each warship also bears a figurehead carved in the image of a sea serpent or perhaps a dragon, in the jaws of which burns a large polished lightstone of obvious purity. An Urizeni lightstone.
It is too early to guess at the exact capabilities of the Katabat, but it seems clear that this represents something new. Not just in the cooperation between the Grendel and the Asaveans, either. It is too early to be sure, but there is a great deal of concern that this new navy has in some way drawn inspiration - and power - from the magical resources stolen from Redoubt during the recent invasion.
The impact of the new navy is still limited by their need to act at sea, of course. As with the Shamal and the Golden Winds, though, they provide significant support to the landbound armies fighting in Clisearn. Keen eyed Towerjacks talk of competent battlefield magicians, versed in both offensive magics and support spells. Worse, there are signs of disciplined battlefield covens active in the Grendel lines, making use of all kinds of useful enchantments and rites to further strengthen their warriors.
But from the point of view of the Empire the situation is compounded by the Asavean armada that accompanies the Katabat. With them are a flotilla of Asavean warships, great floating fortresses crewed by dozens of sailors, carrying ruthless, arrogant warriors in polished breastplates and helms. The Plenum continues to support their "allies" in the east, continues to send their warriors to aid the Grendel in their battles with the Empire. In a way, the withdrawal of the bounty on Imperial vessels has played to the favour of the Plenum; there are more ships free to send to the Bay of Catazar to make war on the Empire. And make war they do.
Where the Grendel troops are tiring, after months of continuous campaigning in Mareave, the "scions of Asav" are fresh and eager to demonstrate the might of their ancestors. Their weapons, armour, and shields may look archaic to Imperial eyes, but this is a nation older than the Empire that once bestrode the Known World before its leaders fell into venality and corruption. Their burnished bronze breastplates are of an alloy that turns aside blows and arrows as effectively as mithril, and they are no less deadly with their spears and gladii.
In the end, it is the purple-sailed ships and the Asavean alliance that decisively turns the tide against the Empire. After months of back and forth, the sea washes up the beach. The Grendel rally and press the Imperial armies on every front, and slowly but surely they are forced to step back. They cannot take the whole of Clisearn - Iskander's Donjon sees to that - but more and more territory falls to their slow grinding advance. Fundindelve and the Grand Lodge remain in Imperial hands, but as the Summer Solstice dawns, after months of fighting, the winds of war favour the Grendel.
Game Information
Mareave
- The Grendel have advanced in Clisearn; they are now three-quarters of the way toward seizing the region
- If not for Iskander's Donjon, the Grendel would have taken the region entirely
- The Grendel have raised a fifth navy incorporating Urizen lore stolen during their attack on Redoubt
- Beoraidh remains neutral in the conflict between Grendel and Imperial forces
The Empire continues to hold Clisearn - but only just. The Grendel have committed significant forces to the fight in Mareave and have driven the defenders back. If not for the additional defence of the region provided by Iskander's Donjon, Clisearn would already have fallen. A large number of factors influenced the outcome of the campaign, but the addition of an additional navy, and the Asavean warships supporting it, ultimately led to Grendel victory.
The city state of Beoraidh remains neutral in the fighting between the Grendel and the Empire. The Palace of Chains - the fortification in Beoraidh city - has aided neither side.
The Rivers of Life significantly reduced casualties during the fighting, but both sides suffered significant losses. In part, in the narrative, this is because the powerful healing meant that the only way to be sure an enemy soldier would not be back on the lines again tomorrow was to inflict lasting injury or death on them. The Empire has lost over a thousand soldiers, and it is estimated the Grendel may have suffered as many as twice this number of casualties. As noted in the Things go awry wind of fortune from last event, there are unexpected side effects from Rivers of Life in the territory. While they did not directly impact the fighting in the territory this season, their effect is presented in the Winds of Stars wind of fortune.
Fundindelve
- The mithril of the Fundindelve has been raided by the Grendel
- Some of that mithril has been recovered as part of the plunder claimed by the Argent Sword and Wolves of War
- The legal situation of wains recovered from thieves in a battle is not clear
The Fundindelve has been raided, and all 24 wains of mithril it would have produced this season has been stolen. The seat holder - Landon Hawcombe of the Marches - will receive their normal bounty of mithril this season, but there will be nothing for the Autumn equinox. The Fundindelve, as with all mithril seats, is due to be reappointed in Autumn, but the person taking the seat will receive no mithril. If nothing is done, then the price the seat fetches at auction is bound to reflect this.
The mithril has not disappeared however. A significant portion of it has been recovered by the Argent Sword and the Wolves of War. How much of it was actually stolen back is known only to the generals of those armies. Traditionally, whatever an Imperial plundering army takes from their enemies belongs to the general of the army but it might be advisable for the generals and the next Bourse seat holder to discuss the legal implications.
Participation : Summer Storm
- Anyone who fought alongside the Summer Storm may have gained a boon from Cathan Canae
- Any orc or changeling affected by the boon gains one rank of endurance for the event
- Any other character affected by the boon gains one temporary hit which cannot be restored with healing
This season there have been a significant number of heralds in Mareave drawn from the Summer realm, specifically from the demesne of Cathan Canae. In addition to the garrisons of the Frozen Citadels in Icarion and Nadir, Iskander's Donjon represents a major fortification called from the endless glacier of the Queen of Ice and Darkness. The garrison of the latter are powerful heralds and guardians sworn to the Immovable One and their presence fighting alongside Imperial troops cannot help but have unexpected effects.
If your military unit supported the Summer Storm on campaign this season, you may choose to have had an encounter with one of the powerful heralds of the Glacial Throne. If you choose to do so then for the duration of the Summer Solstice, you experience a roleplaying effect: You find it hard to back down, even if you might be in the wrong. Your natural stubbornness is greatly enhanced, and if challenged it feels satisfying to dig your heels in and refuse to change your position. It is easy to see anyone attempting to convince or force you to modify your beliefs as a rival at best and an enemy at worst, and it is hard not to respond to such perceptions with force.
While you experience the roleplaying effect, if you are an orc or a changeling you gain one additional rank of endurance for the Summer Solstice. If you are not an orc or changeling, you instead gain one temporary hit that is the first one lost when you are injured and cannot be restored with any kind of healing.
Participation : Mareave
- Any Imperial Orc whose personal resource is in Mareave may have received a boon from Cathan Canae
- Any orc affected by the boon gains one temporary hit
While the heralds of Cathan Canae are most active in fighting the Grendel, they protect every part of Mareave. Any Imperial Orc character whose personal resource is in Mareave may choose to have had a significant encounter with one of the servants of the Lady of the Frost. If you choose to do so, you experience the roleplaying effect described above, and gain one temporary hit that is the first one lost when you are injured and cannot be restored with any kind of healing.