381YE Winter Solstice winds of fortune

Overview

Over the past three months, several events have occurred which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. You can also read about the progress of the Empire's military campaigns here.

In each case, we've tried to tag the Winds of Fortune entry with the nations, or political bodies, to which it is most relevant. We've done this to help people who are interested only in events that are especially relevant to them. In no way are these tags intended to be exhaustive; the Empire is a complex place and very little happens in isolation.

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 Fortune is to maintain the illusion of the Empire as a living, breathing place where things happen - and to make players aware of things their characters 'should' know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months.

Many winds of fortune open with a short section of in-character text. In all cases, these pieces are intended to help create an atmosphere and provide a little entertainment. Where they contain opinions, those are the opinions of the fictional people depicted - and where they contain information or rumours the assumption is that the reader will create their own context for that information or gossip. They're mostly just a bit of fun and they tend not to contain anything vital to the understanding of the wind of Fortune.

The Yaelian Schism

• Highborn military units fighting alongside non-Highborn Imperial armies suffer a 60% reduction in their effective fighting strength.
• Non-Highborn military units fighting alongside Highborn armies likewise suffer a 60% reduction to their effective fighting strength.
• The penalties to not apply when supporting, or supported by, an Imperial Orc unit or army.

The Highborn Assembly has chosen to bring the Yaelian Schism to an end. While Melchior of Adina's Charge has undertaken the mandate to refute the legacy of Yael, his influence is not instantaneous. Over the coming season, the distance between the Highborn and the rest of the Empire will diminish, but for now the situation is chaotic and divisive. The penalties are expected to have ended by the start of the Winter Solstice.

This also means that the Highborn continue to enjoy their bonus rank to all resources except congregations for the coming season. The bonus will be permanently lost at the start of the Winter Solstice, however.

Trade

• A detailed breakdown of trade opportunities can be found here.

Relations with Nemoria remain good in the wake of the exchange of temples. Any fleet that trades with Nemoria receives an additional ingot of orichalcum and an additional measure of iridescent gloaming.

Likewise, the Principalities of Jarm retain their positive outlook on Imperial captains, although the effect is somewhat diminished. Any Imperial captain visiting Vezak receives an additional mana crystal.

Winds of Fortune

Individual winds of fortune from last event (which you can find listed here) now have their own "Resolution" section added at the end. A few have an impact on downtime, which is briefly summarized here.

The Talented Koboldi

The Grandmaster of the Golden Pyramid, Arsenio Rezia di Tassato accepted the offer of the eternal Adamant to send koboldi to aid the Empire. Any mine enchanted with Delve Deep, Beneath the Mountain will be visited by Koboldi engineers and workers who will help to expand the mine in return for taking custody of any valuables they may discover in the process.

As detailed in the opportunity, any mine owner whose mine has been enchanted with the ritual can upgrade their mine using white granite instead of mithril. A player eligible to do so, who wishes to take advantage of the opportunity, should make sure they have the wains of white granite in their inventory and e-mail us (plot@profounddecisions.co,uk). This offer only allows one rank of upgrade in the coming season, and cannot be combined with a normal upgrade using mithril. If the player attempts to do both, only the normal mithril upgrade will take place.

Blessing of Hylje

• Wintermark fleet or farm owners in Sermersuaq receive a small bonus to production.

The blessing of the hylje seems set to continue through until the start of Winter. Any Wintermark character who owns a fleet or a farm in Sermersuaq receives a small bonus to their production in the coming downtime. The bonus represents the aid of the magical seal people, the hylje, who are supporting farmers, hunters, and fisherfolk, as well as ships traveling through the cold northern waters. You can learn a little more about these magical shapechanging seal people here.

The Thimble

• The production of the Thimble has been reduced by 4 wains each season.

The Imperial Senate has voted to accept the offer of the Great Forest orcs in Therunin to take over the operation of the Thimble. This both removes the upkeep on the Bourse seat, and effectively reduces the production of the forest by 4 wains each season which are claimed by the orcs in payment.

Missing College

And finally ... The Halls of Knowledge in Zenith have disappeared. Three nights after the end of the Autumn Equinox, a thick sparkling mist descended on the halls at sunset. When it dissipated with the first rays of the sun the next day. the mountainside where the halls stood was now an empty alpine meadow. Most of the scholars associated with the College of Magic are accounted for, but a handful are still missing.

The current Provost, Octavius of Auric Horizon, maintains his title but cannot make use of the guidance or Mastery of the Lore of Day powers, nor access the Provosts apartment until the halls are restored.

Round Up

Lorenzo the Builder

The Blood Red Roads will connect the people of the Empire and make them stronger. This project is one of the most Ambitious in Imperial history. It demonstrates the Benevolence of Lorenzo “La Volpe” Macelliao von Temeschwar, and will stand as a lasting Legacy. We send Jonah Yakovitch with 25 liao to encourage the faithful to aid in this endeavour.

Jonah Yakovitch, League Assembly, Autumn 381YE, Upheld 508-165

Thanks to the inspirational preaching of Jonah Yakovitch, supported by the League Assembly, the Butcher's Benevolence - the Blood Red Roads are complete. The four cities of the League have been connected by a series of broad highways, and the roads extended to Stockland, Kalpaheim, Delev, Siroc, and Holt in Miaren. The roads will bring prosperity to each territory they pass through, and there is already a plan afoot to extend the south-western roads to include the Freeborn trade town of Anduz.

Not content with the Blood Red Roads, work has also been completed on an extensive series of red stone monoliths in Holberg, Temeschwar, Tassato, and Sarvos designed to focus and enhance the flows of mana through the League territories. There has been some controversy - the Asavean architect Almodin Oktístis, priest of the Builder, has put his own unique stamp on the monoliths in Temeschwar and Tassato. Lorenzo watchers are waiting with interest to see what project the visionary designer will turn his hand to next.

Imperial Lore

The rituals Combing the Beach, Ride the Noble Steed, and Aid Once More have been added to Imperial Lore and any Imperial magician may master them following the normal rules.

Mandates

Five mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod. You can find the details of all the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.

Assembly	Mandate	Priest	Outcome
Wintermark	A hero's tale ends with a good death - for us or our enemies. We send Gunnbrand Ironwill with 25 liao to urge our warriors to face the Jotun on the battlefield as heroes, and strive with every sinew for victory, not for slaughter. Thus will we let the grimnir of either side treat their fallen	Gunnbrand Ironwill	The tactics of the Wintermark armies will be changed for the next four seasons.
Highguard	We cannot prove for certain if Yael was the first Empress reborn or not. Regardless of this and no matter who Yael was, the Land without Tears is not part of doctrine and preaching it as such is Heresy. We refute the claim of the Land without Tears and encourage our citizens to look to only those Doctrines which have been debated and agreed upon by the Synod rather than allowing one figure to tear our faith and our Empire apart. We the priests of Highguard send Melchior of Adina's Charge with 250 Liao to spread this message to the citizens of Highguard.	Melchior of Adina's Charge	Will heal the effects of the Yaelian Schism
Navarr	The Navarr assembly send Tynan Lonestriker with 25 Liao to urge Navarr apothecaries, physicks and brokers to share what herbs they can spare with our guests and allies.	Tynan Lonestriker	Grants aid to the orcs of Therunin
Brass Coast	All things can have a price. We send Gonzalo i Riqueza, known as “Lupo” with 25 liao to remind people of their prosperity as well as their courage and to take a ransom from those foes we defeat rather than count their bodies. We will fill our souls with virtue and our pouches with coin.	Gonzalo i Riqueza	The quality of the Red Wind Corsairs will be improved.
General	The Blood Red Roads will connect the people of the Empire and make them stronger. This project is one of the most Ambitious in Imperial history. It demonstrates the Benevolence of Lorenzo “La Volpe” Macelliao von Temeschwar, and will stand as a lasting Legacy. We send Jonah Yakovitch with 25 liao to encourage the faithful to aid in this endeavour.	Jonah Yakovitch	The Blood Red Roads will be completed at the start of the Winter Solstice.