385YE Spring Equinox interlude
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 Autumn Equinox 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. In most cases, there will be further information in the Winter Solstice 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 XXXXX.
Warfare
Any player 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 an adventure. 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 an army, fortification, or special project will receive nothing for doing so.
The Guerdon stands at 350 thrones. XX TBC XX
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:
Other Effects
- Congregations in Highguard gain +1 liao, +2 votes, and 1 crown income as detailed in [[Full_of_sacred_sound#Neither_Beg_Nor_Fear[[
- Dare Do All Full_of_sacred_sound#Dare_Do_All_2
- League Congregations Every congregation run by a League citizen preaching Ambition will receive an additional liao and two additional votes in the Imperial Synod until the end of the Winter Solstice 385YE. As per Don't_blame_me#The_Price_of_Dreams
- Every congregation: If this mandate is enacted, every congregation in the Empire will benefit from the Free Folk visits. While they won't swell congregations directly, they will make donations to the priests they meet with. Every congregation in the empire will gain a bonus of 36 rings in the form of either actual donations, gifts made by the Free Folk, or the benefit of their hard work. Again this benefit would only apply to Varushka and Urizen if the mandate received a greater majority. Folklore#Study_and_Spirituality
- Folklore#Finding_the_Way. Every business in Highguard will suffer a -1 rank to production for the rest of the year. This money will go to fund scholarships, purchase liao, and provide access to tutors for the Free Folk who want to become priests. At the end of the year, the Free Folk would have easily a hundred priests capable of performing all the religious skills - but crucially they would have been trained by Highborn priests. While they wouldn't abandon their peculiar reverence of the paragons and exemplars, they would have a much broader understanding of doctrine, and the tenets of the virtues, and would begin integrating their beliefs with those of the orthodox Way.
- If this mandate is endorsed, the Great Forest Orcs will create the Great Forest Steading in Miaren and the High Pines Steading in Hercynia. They aren't asking for assistance with this - they have the funds and expertise to build their new homes. While some will work as herbalists, cultivate forests, or trade, others will seek employment at the weirwood groves themselves. The Great Forest Orc expertise in working with wood, especially weirwood, is well known. This will provide immediate benefit with the holder of the Golden Trees of Seren and the Heartwood of the Great Vale. Provided they are prepared to pay money to hire Great Forest Orcs to work the groves, their expertise will help boost production of the Bourse seats.
Destroy the Vyig
- League and Varushka both did mandates - assume varushkan mandate was intended to complement this one
If this mandate is enacted it will rouse the people of the League to bring an end to the Vyig once and for. Some will take part directly, by tracking them to their lairs whether in Varushka or further afield. Others will provide funds to pay bounty hunters, Imperial Orcs thief-takers, League bravos, and Varushkan sell-swords to engage on their behalf. The task will be performed within the law whenever possible, of course; suspected Vyig will be given a chance to surrender and be brought before a magistrate. Only if they resist they will be dealt with ruthlessly. It is likely that a few innocent people may be dragged before the magistrates, but those innocent of involvement with the Vyig will have nothing to fear, and the Ambitious well know that it is sometimes necessary to break some eggs when making a frittata.
The mandate will create an opportunity for military units from the League, the Imperial Orcs, and Varushka to take part in breaking the power of the Vyig. This takes the form of an adventure found in the independent action dropdown menu: Break the Vyig following the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Instead of their normal production, any military unit that takes part will receive 144 rings, and 2 random resources (ingots of metal or measures of forest materials). Military units that have been upgraded or enchanted receive commensurately higher rewards.
Regardless of how many military units take part in the adventure, by the start of the Summer Solstice the Vyig will be broken. The vast majority will either have been dealt with by magistrates after a trial, or dealt with more directly while resisting arrest. There will still be crime in the Empire - smaller fry will rush into the void left by the Vyig - but it will be disorganised and the magistrates will work hard to keep it that way. In addition, the bite trade will be massively disrupted. There will still be bite, and people will still crave it, but it will not flood the streets. As long as the drug remains illegal, the magistrates will no longer need the additional funds, and there will be no return to the disruption of 382YE. This means that the Imperial Senate will be able to reclaim the 25 Thrones each season currently allocated to support the magistrates in the fight against bite.