384YE Spring Equinox interlude

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The skein of fate twists and bends

Interlude

Downtime will be open shortly, allowing players to process their character's downtime choices. The Spring Equinox winds of fortune will come out shortly before the next event. However, there are a number of significant events happening in the wake of the Winter Solstice that may affect some players' Downtime actions - primarily effects on personal resources or options for characters with military unit or fleet personal resources.

On this page we'll be outlining, and offering some context for, these various effects on this page. In each case, there will be further information in the Spring Equinox Winds of Fortune. As always, these are quick OOC summaries to explain effects such as large-scale enchantments and curses. We'll cover all these and more when we start to present the Winds of Fortune for next event.

Downtime is due to close at midnight on TBC.

Warfare

Any players whose character controls a military unit can choose from a number of downtime options. Left to their own devices, a military unit defaults to paid work guaranteeing an income of herbs, ingots or measures, money, or mana crystals. Otherwise, they may log into the downtime system and choose to support an army or fortification, or assign to a special project such as a spy network or one of the unique opportunities available this downtime. Players who want to support one of the Imperial armies can also read the orders issued by each general before making their decision.

As always, the guidelines around discussing military matters online can be found here.

Imperial Guerdon

The Imperial Guerdon is a bursary set up by the Imperial Senate primarily to reward military units that support Imperial armies, spy networks, and fortifications. The value of the Imperial Guerdon is divided between each military unit and fleet that supports an army in proportion to their effective strength. The Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has the power to exclude any or all Imperial armies and navies, fortifications, or special projects (such as spy networks) from the Guerdon. If they do so, then a character who supports such a army, fortification, or special project will receive nothing for doing so.

The Guerdon stands at 350 thrones.

This season, the Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has announced that shares of the Guerdon will be shared between military units supporting the following armies or opportunities:

• TBC

Action in Ossium

• Military units can contribute to one of three special actions found in the independent action dropdown
• Units receive different production based on what action they support
• Each action contributes to the success of the overall project to better cement Imperial control of Ossium

There are several options related to the effort to solidify Imperial control over Ossium, in Varushka. Any military captain can choose to take part in one of these actions:

• Wagon Raiding in Ossium - Attacking Druj insurgents, striking deep into unfamiliar territory, raiding resource caches, and engaging in guerrilla mining and lumberjacking.
  • In place of the normal random production, a standard military unit with no bonuses or penalties would expect to earn 3 random measures of forest resources, 6 random herbs, and 54 rings of valuable goods recovered from the Druj or seized from the wild places. Higher rank military units would gain greater profits.
• Support the settlement of Ossium - Seeking out former Druj slaves who can be brought into Varushka, and helping them establish vales, as well as guarding Varushkan traders travelling east out of Karsk, helping the new vales build their protections, and offering some protection to the independent enclaves of orcs who are no friends of the Druj.
  • In place of their normal random production, a standard military unit with no upgrades or enchantments will earn 78 rings, 3 ingots of random mine resources, and 2 crystal mana. Higher rank military units will receive commensurately greater profit.
• 'Venture into the unknown in Ossium - Engaging in adventurous expeditions into the dark and foreboding places of the new territory. Part of the task will be to find isolated human settlements, now freed from the Druj, and encourage them to join the Empire and the nation of Varushka. It also involves locating fell presences in the woods and marshes and dealing with them or at least warning settlers of their locations, and making peaceful contact with the non-Druj orcs who still remain in the territory.
  • In place of their normal production, a standard military unit, with no upgrades or enchantments, will earn four measures of random forest resources, four random healing herbs, a mana crystal, and 36 rings in random bits of treasure and payment. Higher rank military units will gain commensurately more treasure.

Anyone who supports one of these actions is also contributing to the to overall success of the mission to secure greater control of Ossium. You can learn more about this opportunity in the beyond the light wind of fortune,

Loyal Pilgrims

• Highborn characters can upgrade their military unit at the cost of one fewer wains of mithril

Thanks to the influence of the Three Watchers, any Highborn character who owns a military unit can upgrade their resource for one wain of mithril less than normal. The reduced cost will appear automatically in your downtime options. A military unit can only be upgraded once each season, but they could, potentially, be upgraded every season, saving one mithril each time. This opportunity remains until the start of the Autumn Equinox 384YE.

Pride of the Raiders

• Wintermark military units that participated in the recent raid against the Jotun-held Pride of Ikka's Tears receive a two rank bonus to their effectiveness

Following the raid against the Pride of Ikka's Tears, Rafe proposed a mandate that was endorsed by the Wintermark National Assembly. As a consequence, every Wintermark military unit that took part in the expedition receives a boost in courage and morale equivalent to two additional ranks for the next two seasons (until the start of the Spring Equinox 384YE).

Trade Opportunities

Freeborn Traders

• CHECK
• Every Freeborn fleet captain who engages in trade will suffer a -1 rank to their production for at least the next two seasons

The Brass Coast national assembly chose to support a mandate by Efenia i Maristela i Riqueza that urged Freeborn captains to engage in privateering.

Trading with Asavea

• Anyone trading with Asavea suffers a two-rank penalty to production due to trade sanctions.
• CHECK

The sanctions imposed by both the Empire and the Asavean government mean that any fleet captain trading with Nemoria itself suffers a significant loss of profit. That loss could have been offset by the presence of the two temples - one in Feroz and one in Nemoria. Unfortunately the Temple in Nemoria has been heavily damaged by the mob. As such, confidence among Asavean merchants trading with the Empire has been badly shaken. If the Temple in Nemoria is repaired by the Senate then the benefits of having an obvious symbol of Asavean and Imperial cooperation would resume.

The Temple of Balo and the Black Bull has been claimed by the Grendel in their conquest of Feroz. Any benefit that Imperial traders gained from that symbol of cooperation has been lost to the orcs of the Broken Shore.

Trading with Axos

• Imperial fleets visiting Issyk experience a -2 rank penalty to their production this season.
• CHECK

There has still been significant disruption in Axos. The sudden release of slaves, and the need for many wealthy concerns to reorganise themselves, meant that the economy was in turmoil. This had an immediate consequence on foreign trade, meaning there were significantly fewer goods available to purchase on the docks at Kantor. In the months since, this turmoil has settled down a little - in part thanks to the Empire's efforts to improve trade relations with Axos. As such the penalty to ships trading with Kantor has been removed.

The Chambers of Issyk has been opened to Imperial traders, and so another port has been made available for fleet owners. Due to the nature of the fleets that previously docked at Issyk, and the longstanding arrangement with the Principalities of Jarm and the Sarcophan Delves, the Empire's traders are suffering under the bureaucracy of the citadel's Ilarchs.

Trading with the Iron Confederacy

• The Iron Confederacy has closed its borders to Imperial merchants and goods.
• The port of Robec has been closed to Imperial traders

The port of Robec is closed to Imperial ships. As such the Empire cannot trade directly with the Iron Confederacy.

Trading with the Commonwealth

• Imperial captains visiting Leerdam receive an additional dose of Bladeroot; captains visiting Volkavaar receive an additional vial of Artisan's Oil.
• CHECK

Any Imperial fleet visiting Leerdam during the coming season will receive an additional dose of Bladeroot as a sign of Commonwealth enthusiasm for the Liberty Pact. Likewise, captains visiting Volkavaar will receive an additional vial of Artisan's Oil. It is not certain how long this enthusiasm will last, but it is anticipated to persist for at least a year.

Trading with Jarm

• Any Imperial fleet trading with Vezak or Kavor has a -2 rank penalty on their production.
• The eastern port of Rigia remains closed to Imperial shipping.
• EMBARGO

Imperial fleets visiting Jarm are struck by not one but two sets of tariffs; one imposed by the House of Princes on Imperial goods brought to Jarm, and then again when they attempt to bring Jarmish goods back to the Empire.

Provide passage out of Axos

• Imperial fleets can participate in an action to liberate former orc slaves from Axos and bring them back to the Empire

Following the Winter Solstice, Skywise Gralka of the Imperial orcs enacted a mandate to encourage fleet captains to liberate the orcs of Axos. Imperial fleet captains can select the "Provide passage out of Axos" action from the independent action downtime dropdown. If sufficient force is provided, the Empire will be able to bring a large number of former Axou orc slaves back to Imperial territory. A fleet that participates does not receive the normal production for independent action: a standard fleet instead receives 1 measure of beggar's lye, 1 ingot of orichalcum, 1 ingot of tempest jade, 1 crystal mana, and luxury goods worth 12 rings; higher or lower rank fleets will receive commensurately more or less.

You can learn more about the opportunity in the Written in salt wind of fortune.

Major Effects

Every season sees large-scale effects impact individuals and nations. Where possible we've summarized these effects here.

Mandates

• You can find details of the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.

TBC mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod, and enacted by named priests. As per our recent update, all mandates have automatically been enacted as long as the named priest has sufficient liao in their inventory before Downtime opens.

Some mandates were upheld by their respective assemblies but should have failed due to the intervention of the Wisdom assembly and the sword scholars. The pilgrimage in the name of Imperatrix Lisabetta, hiowever, focused on matters of the spirit and temporarily countered this effect. The following mandates would have failed without it:

Imperial Lore

Three rituals were added to Imperial lore during the Winter Solstice.

• Gift of Knowledge by Skywise Gralka
• The Basalt Citadel by Simargl, the Empty One
• Regrow the Land's Heart by Tenaes

Urizen Lore

A number of rituals were added to Urizen lore during the Winter Solstice.

• TBC