It's my time

"Look, it's perfectly clear that Jared has sent us here to study the history of the Witan! There's so much oral history that Wintermark just takes for granted. If we write it down, we can help them remember what the Witan once was. It could inspire them - it could inspire everyone!"

The fire in the hall was dying down. Their hosts had all gone to bed leaving their guests to see in the dawn alone To be fair they'd kept them company to the wee hours, but they'd eventually tired of the debate. Thibault, the halls thane had left at them and told them he full expected them to still be arguing in the morning when the hall awoke. At this rate he might not be wrong...

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but we were expressly told to look for what could inspire Wintermark. There's no-one more inspirational than the banner-bearers. They put down their shield to inspire everyone around them. You think it's a coincidence that Britta was a banner-bearer? That she carried Guntherms' banner? Come on... history is shouting at us! We need to help them build that hall."

On paper it had seemed like an inspired idea to send the benefactors and the archivists north together. And on paper it still was. Once they stopped arguing which was more important, recording history or building up civic society, then they would do incredible work together. Of course that argument would not be settled until every mortal soul had ascended from the Labyrinthe, but still...

"I still think that we're ignoring the Agramant in the room," interrupted Rebekah, deliberately dropping the name to make her point. "He's north of here, or his followers are. They've got this Wemba fellow - but the other one is still out there. And who knows what else... I for one would jump at the chance at an opportunity to strike back at the Shadow Courtiers.

Thibault had been drinking to the early hours, but he still rose with the dawn just like he always had. There was a price to be paid for being a thane. Expectations had to be met. People didn't make you their leader so you could lie in bed like a drunken maggot. So he was the first in the hall that morning. He was pleased to find he'd been wrong and his guests had finally taken delivery of their senses and gone to bed.

"Perhaps they settled their argument after-all" he mused, thought somehow he doubted it. He'd suggested they just got a mystic to read the runes, but that hadn't settled it either. Perhaps nothing would.

Overview

As is now their custom, the Highborn have expressed their peerless kinship, this time under the leadership of Jared of the Suns of Couros to their cousins in Wintermark. The statement responds to the judgement of the Wintermark Assembly, one submitted by Yrkja Riansson Sigeing that looks to inspire Wintermark for the future.

Yrkja's statement covers a lot of ground and though her goals seem clear, those Highborn pilgrims who make the long trek north soon find themselves caught in doubt. Unwilling to risk focussing their efforts on the wrong thing, and thus wasting their Virtue, they instead look back to the Highborn Assembly for further guidance. There are three things here, which could benefit - but which one does Wintermark want aid with? Which one does the Highborn Assembly want them to focus their efforts on?

Two Judgements, Three Forks

As we memorialise the Fist of the Mountains, as we raise our fourth army, as we dare Tsirku, let us also seek to inspire Winterfolk whose skein calls them to other fields. Wintermark gave the Empire the Senate; we laid the cornerstones of Imperial law. We have been guides and architects of the Empire since its foundation. We invite the Highborn in peerless kinship to find how we may best draw inspiration from that legacy today.

Yrkja Riansson Sigeing, Wintermark Assembly, Summer Solstice 388YE, Vote: 236=0

Highborn! In peerless kinship we encourage our archivists and benefactors to journey to Wintermark to support our northern siblings in their reflections on their role in the Empire, as out in Judgement 104 in the Wintermark Assembly. As a fellow nation who understands the role of the past to inspire and building upon we can help strengthen their legacy to the Empire.

Jared of the Suns of Couros, Highborn Assembly, Summer Solstice 388YE, Vote: 378=0

• There are three problems that could benefit from Peerless Kinship

Scores of Highborn pilgrims make the long trek north to Wintermark, the words of their Assembly ringing in their ears. The visitors are made welcome in halls across Wintermark, where they enjoy the famed hospitality of Wintermak. Feasted and entertained by scops, they speak with the grimnirs and the mystics and the mediators to find out what problems they might help with.

It soon becomes clear that things are not clear. Not clear enough at any road. Jared's judgement calls on archivists and benefactors to journey to Wintermark to support Wintermark, to help them reflect on their role in the Empire and look how the past might inspire them. It is clear that they are here to help Wintermark to find ways to draw inspiration from the past - but it is painfully clear that there are two very different routes that could take them down.

The past could be interpreted as the search for Foe-slayer, Guntherm's ancient banner and the goal to build a hall to house the banners of Wintermark's past. It is painfully clear that this is a great source of inspiration for Wintermark, the banner-bearers are iconic figures who literally carry inspiration into battle. And there is work to be done to recover the past and build the future, so that Wintermark might achieve all that it can on the battlefield. Benefactors could set to, to help Wintermark build the hall - and thereby make it exceed all expectations.

But it could just as easily refer to the current efforts to restore the importance of the Witan. The Witan is one of the foundational achievements of Wintermark - one of their great gifts to the Empire. Without the Witan there might be no Senate. Arguably without the Witan there might be no Empire. Archivists could set to, to help Wintermark compile the history of the Witan, to remember the history of this great and storied institution and see how it might be restored to prominence.

And finally there is of course, the ongoing exploration of Tsirku. Both the archivists and the benefactors are certain that that is not what Jared sent them north to support, but it was mentioned by Yrkja in her judgement and it is very clearly important. What could be more Ambitious than climbing to the top of the world, exploring the edges of civilisation? What could be more Courageous? It's hard to find a problem more inspirational - and so both the benefactors and the archivists agree that that is something they would both support if that was what was needed.

Three Mandates, One Choice

• The Highborn Assembly can enact one of the following mandates
• Whichever choice is made, the Highborn citizens will throw themselves into the decision
• The impact will be striking, but there is no way to tell what in advance what it will be
• If any of the three mandates name Jared of the Suns of Couros the the liao cost is reduced to zero

As ever, the pilgrims who have come to Wintermark look to their Assembly to make a decision. If the Assembly wants them to support Wintermark's efforts to restore the prominence of the bannerbearers and raise a hall to celebrate the nation's artistic history, they can pass the following mandate.

Strive for excellence in that of which you are proud! We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to direct Highborn efforts to celebrate the inspirational artistic traditions of Wintermark. Those who bear our banners uplift our souls

Synod Mandate, Highborn Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, the Highborn visitors in Wintermark will do everything possible to help those pursuing the problems outlined in hidden inventory. Even if Wintermark itself makes no progress in this area, the Highborn will not falter. If they act in support of Wintermark, those efforts will exceed expectations, if they act alone, they will find a way to achieve something.

If the Assembly wants the faithful to support Wintermark's efforts to promote the Witan and the problems it is wrestling with, they can pass the following mandate.

Let every word you speak carry meaning! We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to direct Highborn efforts to promote the Witan. Those who speak Wise wods in Counsel can inspire us all.

Synod Mandate, Highborn Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, the Highborn who have come north will focus all their efforts on the challenges outlined in a fork in the path. Even if Wintermark concentrates its efforts on other matters, the Highborn can still help. If they act in support of Wintermark, those efforts will exceed expectations, if they act alone, they will find a way to achieve something.

Finally if the Assembly decides that the exploration of Tsirku is more important than anything else, with all the promise and the threats it contains, they can pass the following mandate.

Seek out falsehood and expose the truth. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to encourage the Highborn to help Wintermark wrestle with the dangers in the frozen north. The names of exemplars not yet known will be written in those frozen lands.

Synod Mandate, Highborn Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, then benefactors and archivists alike will turn their attention to the challenges outlined in roses in the snow. Even if Wintermark choses not to continue the exploration during the cold winter, there is plenty that Highguard can still do to help. If they act in support of Wintermark, their northern cousins efforts will exceed expectations, if they act alone, they will find a way to achieve something.

The Highborn who have made the long journey north came here at the urging of Jared of the Suns of Couros. As such it is easier for Jared to rally them to their cause. If they are the priest named in the mandate then the liao cost is reduced to zero, provided that Jared comes north personally to enact the mandate. (OOC Note: We will assume that this character is in Wintermark, personally leading the efforts to help if this mandate is enacted by them).

Competing Mandates

These mandates in the Highborn Assembly are competing. If more than one mandate is enacted, then the mandate with the cheapest liao cost will take effect. If two or more mandates are tied for liao cost, the one with the greatest margin will take effect.

One Skein, Nine Siblings

• Highguard can still employ their peerless kinship with another nation as normal this season
• They cannot send archivists or benefactors to whichever nation they choose to aid

The presence of so many archivists and benefactors in Wintermark will limit the options available to Highguard this season. They can still employ their peerless kinship as normal, but they cannot direct either the archivists or the benefactors to take part. Any attempt to engage these groups while they are already engaged will cause the judgement to fail. Other groups can be called upon to help another nation as normal.