A friend like you
Overview
Six realms of magic align with the mortal world, whose inhabitants are fundamentally different to the people of the mortal world and yet, to a degree, share some of their concerns. They are both complex and simple at the same time, seeking to change the world to match their perception of how it should work. They bargain and negotiate, threaten and cajole, and while it can be difficult to predict exactly where their gifts or curses might lead, still they have much to offer.
The Empire can reach out to the eternals through the powers of the Archmages and the Conclave, but the creatures of the realms may sometimes take the initiative themselves. The power of alignment allows the Conclave to make it easier or harder for them to touch the world, relationships shaped by the tension between true friends and dire enemies. Some desire that state of amity, some revel in the enmity they have earned, but none can deny the power of the Conclave to guard the borders of the Empire.
It is a rare season that passes without an eternal, or a handful, seeking to influence the Empire. There are other winds of fortune that speak of different situations. The responses to the plenipotentiary missives of the Archmages from this season is covered in the Here you come again wind of fortune, while TBC deals with magic of an astronomantic, mortal, or mysterious provenance.
In Progress - This Wind of Fortune will be updated in the run up to the event with additional content; we'll remove this marker when the last information goes on it.
Summer
An Immovable Challenge (Cathan Canae)
- The Immovable Warhost of Cathan Canae heralds are travelling to the Arena at 20:40 on Friday evening
- The Thane of the Enduring Bastion has laid down a challenge to four title holders to withstand the Immovable Warhost
- Four titles have been called on to recruit warbands of 20 people to compete against the heralds
- This is a combat highly likely encounter
The Thane of the Enduring Bastion has called on each of Lord Roland de Lagriffe, the Knight-protector of Summer; Florian von Temeschwar, the Captain of the Throne Guard; Quint, the Dauntless Warrior, and William Guildenstern to gather warbands of allies to attempt to withstand the Immovable Warhost.
Each warband must number no more than twenty people, though only ten will be able to fight at any one time. The contest will comprise four bouts, each lasting up to five minutes, with a five-minute break before the next is scheduled to take place. The active warband will be able to field up to ten of its members to start against fifteen heralds of the warhost, with the rest held in reserve. Any herald which is defeated - that is, unable to fight - will score that warband one point, and be replaced by another herald so that there are always fifteen heralds to fight. Any member of a warband who is defeated - again, unable to fight or who yields - will be allowed to be escorted from the arena, but may not return or be replaced by a reserve. At any point during the bout, a member of the warband may step outside the arena to be replaced by one of their reserves, up to a total of ten times. Within the arena, only those who are part of a warband may heal or repair their allies, whilst outside the arena there are no restrictions on receiving aid and support.
If multiple warbands are able to last the full five minutes, then it will instead be decided by the number of heralds each warband was able to defeat. Each member of the winning warband will receive a boon, similar to that offered to Unshackled in Mareave, whilst the leader of the winning warband will receive a suitable reward in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE.
Autumn
Arch of the Sky (Estavus)
| Binding Oak Spire |
| Commission Type: Edifice |
| Location: Proceris, Zenith |
| Cost: 70 thrones in labour costs |
| Time: Three months |
Effect:
|
| Availability: Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE |
| Special: Can permanently remove investment for businesses in Zenith from the Bridge of the Air to half the cost of purchasing additional wains |
Restriction:
|
| Additional Production | |
| 9 thrones | 3 wains of white granite |
| 21 thrones | 6 wains of white granite |
| 36 thrones | 9 wains of white granite |
- The Architect of Hammers has used their power to assess the Arch of the Sky
- The Architects of Iron and Stone have investigated and drawn up plans to rebuild Binding Oak Spire to host additional workers
- If raised as a motion, it could include removing the investment for businesses in Zenith from the Bridge of the Air to halve the cost of purchasing wains
The Architects of Iron and Stone were excited to receive their next assignment from the Architect of Hammers. Following an investigation into the Arratan Gamble, Edmundo of Damakan's forge set them the task of assessing the Arch of the Sky in Proceris, Zenith. The Arch of the Sky is relatively new, having only been allocated by the Senate a year ago. However, there is always room for improvement! Architect Noether has spent much of the last season on the fabled Bridge of the Air speaking with the residents and merchants of the territory who make use of the mithril cables. The skyways have clearly created much good for the citizens of Zenith, and further afield, but Noether has a plan that uses one of the stopping points and potentially makes better use of the Bridge.
The Binding Oak Spire was once home to a vibrant and bustling community of artisans, Summer magicians, and sentinels. When the Golden Cascade was destroyed, and the floodwaters unleashed, the spire fell and has remained a ruin ever since. Architect Noether has drawn up plans to rebuild Binding Oak Spire to host additional workers for the quarry, which would allow the custodian to set out a call during the season for skilled workers to travel to the region and extract even more white granite. Rebuilding the spire for workers of the Arch of the Sky would also increase its production to twenty wains a season.
The true potential in the plan comes from an unlikely source. Crown, a herald of Ephisis who has spent some time in Zenith this season, suggests making better use of the Bridge of the Air. Apparently he got the idea from talking with members of Sarangrave Rising. If the motion to construct the Binding Oak Spire included that profits for businesses in Zenith from the skyways were instead to be directed towards supplies for the workers of the Arch of the Sky - including those at Binding Oak Spire - then it would halve the cost of purchasing additional wains of white granite. It would mean permanently reducing investment in businesses in the territory by one, but the excitable herald points seems confident the nation will welcome the proposal.
Day
Advantages to a Bond (Zakalwe)
The General of Day wishes to witness tactics win out against strength. The fens are awash with those who think it is their destiny to find glory and victory. Four miles from Ottery is Bella’s Bluff, where the yegarra and soldiers of the golden armies march. Defeat them, and I shall remain here providing three measures of prismatic ink a season while the Master Strategist maintains the friendship of the Conclave. Fail, and my support will go to the yegarra.
Telephysius the Polemarch of Tactics- A herald of Zakalwe has challenged the Quartermaster of the Hanuri Garrison to prove their strategy
- This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
- The Quartermaster of the Hanuri Garrison is responsible for defeating the yegarra
- This conjunction is against barbarians; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
Telephysius the Polemarch of Tactics, herald of Zakalwe, has spent most of the last season in Temeschwar. The strange herald has become a common sight in the old city, and she has spent most of her time talking to both the Hanuri garrison and the Hanuri Garrison. After some time, the Polemarch of Tactics reveals that she has a task, somewhat linked to the guiding hand given to the Imperial Seer to slay Jarl Ebbe of Overgaard. She has grown fond of a yegarra in Bregasland, but wishes to see them tested. As such, she asks the Quartermaster of the Hanuri Garrison to defeat the yegarra's warband and the heralds of Eleonaris that accompany them.
The Quartermaster of the Hanuri Garrison, Erikas Van Temeshwar, is responsible for besting the yegarra warband moving across Bella’s Bluff. If the warband and its herald allies are defeated, Telephysius will remain in Temeschwar and provide three pawns of prismatic ink to the Quartermaster each season whilst the Hunter of Tides maintains the amity of the Conclave. If the Empire does not succeed, then Abby the Feller, the leader of the yegarra, will instead gain the favour of the Polemarch of Tactics.