385YE Summer Solstice winds of war
Overview
Over the last three months, Imperial forces are engaged in military campaigns against barbarian forces. Sometimes those engagements have been wide ranging and dramatic, other times they have been more sedate. Continuing the approach we took last year, we're presenting a summary of the campaign on this page. Where there's more dramatic action, or where there are opportunities, we've given a wind of war its own page. We're also continuing to provide information about the battle opportunities, listed in the theatres that they concern.
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 War and the Winds of Fortune is to make players aware of things their characters should know, based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing, and to maintain the Empire as a living, breathing place where all kinds of events take place beyond the scope of Anvil.
It should go without saying that we ask everyone to abide by the rules about online roleplaying with regard to the military campaign. It's important that the key in-character activity of the Empire world takes place at events. The game is busier and better if everything that can happen in the field, does happen in the field. Military planning and political discussions should happen at events. For this reason we generally discourage too much downtime roleplaying between events and put strict limits on what can be done online particularly using our forums and Facebook groups.
All that said we now present a summary of the key military activity in the Empire - both with links to the expanded Wind of War pages and notes about other important things that have happened that didn't need a full battle campaign write-up.
Acts of War
Following the Spring Equinox, the Empire is engaged in several campaigns but three are of particular note. In the east, Imperial armies work to secure their grip on the Barrens, despite a barrage of malign curses thrown across the territory by the Druj. You can read about their progress in Taken at the flood. At the same time, on the western borders, the Empire's soldiers advance into Kahraman, but find that the main bulk of the western forces already in retreat. That is not to say there is not chaos and conflict aplenty; bands of Jotun and yegarra champions raid north, south, east, and west, spreading war into Madruga, Tassato, Sarvos,and the Mournwold. You can read about these raids, and about the battle for Fort Braydon, in Shallows and miseries. Finally, in the north-west, the first invasion of actual Jotun jarldoms has begun as warriors from Wintermark and Skarsind cross the border into Skallahn. You can read about their progress in The current when it serves.
Imperial forces are also engaged elsewhere, and news of their progress is good. Those Marcher armies who have not gone to aid the Freeborn are in Bregasland this season. They are joined by the Granite Pillar, who have marched across the width of the Empire with the aid of a powerful enchantment laid on them by the magicians of Urizen. The Jotun armies have left the Dour Fens, pulling back into Liathaven shortly after the Spring Equinox. They are not the only ones to have made an orderly retreat: Mathilda Fisher, her supporters, and her household have likewise quit Bregasland, returning to their former domain in Hordalant. This is not the last the Empire has seen of the would-be "Steward of Bregasland" and the Marchers have no doubt she will be back one day soon with a new scheme to conquer the marshes. One of her supporters has apparently stayed behind to continue to cause trouble: Bushel Sykes and a handful of his allies are still active in the Marches, spreading secessionist dogma and a vision of a Marches "free from the yoke of the Empire". There's more on this topic in the Welly boots wind of fortune.
Finally, in the far south-east, the Wolves of War have entered Spiral to claim the territory as agreed with the orcs there. By all accounts they have been successful, despite the terrible malignancy that hangs over the territory since the Black Plateau awoke. You can read about the conquest of Spiral in A tide in the affairs.
Battle Opportunities
Imperial prognosticators have identified three possible major conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate at the coming summit. The Military Council will muster on Friday night, and the generals will select two of them to be taken up by Imperial heroes. At the moment the full details of these battle opportunities are not clear; more information will be provided nearer to the event. Note that there are no major conjunctions involving the Druj during the Summer Solstice, and no opportunities for elite military units from that nation to take the battlefield.
All battle opportunities are Combat Highly Likely environments.
| Location | Opportunity | Opposition | Day | Learn More |
| Kahraman | Block the mountain passes out of Serra Damata | Jotun | Saturday | link |
| Kahraman | Prevent Fort Braydon from collapsing | Jotun | Either Saturday or Sunday | link |
| Skallahn | Deal with the threat of Blade Quencher's Hall | Jotun and Autumn heralds | Sunday | link |
| Nation | Force Weight |
|---|---|
| Brass Coast | 19 |
| Dawn | 46 |
| Highguard | 20 |
| Imperial Orcs | 5 |
| League | 16 |
| Marches | 25 |
| Navarr | 52 |
| Urizen | 15 |
| Varushka | 11 |
| Wintermark | 60 |
The sides for the battles will be chosen by the generals in the Muster of the Imperial Military Council on Friday night. Each of the two battles must have at least 130 and at most 139 force weight sent on it.
Military Considerations
The following considerations should be borne in mind when discussing military strategies during the Winter Solstice.
- Adamant Gate: The Adamant Gate in Semmerholm cannot be reduced below 1,000 military strength. Link
- Billeting: Any Imperial army can take the Billet order in Upwold or Mitwold. Link
- Court of the White Fountain: The Court of the White Fountain in Redoubt cannot be reduced below 1,000 military strength. link
- Dawn: Dawnish armies cannot take the Cautious Advance order or the Give Ground order. Link
- Highguard: Highborn armies can no longer issue the Crusading Storm order; wherever they are on campaign there is a chance to generate a mandate for the Highborn assembly. Link
- The Marches: Marcher armies cannot take the Give Ground order. Link
- The Marches: Marcher armies fighting in Upwold, Mitwold, or Mournwold each receive an additional 1000 strength. The Strong Reeds receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Bregasland. This lasts until the start of the Winter Solstice 385YE, or until they leave Bregasland in the case of the Strong Reeds. link.
- Varushka: Varushkan armies involved in the same campaign as an army from the Brass Coast or Wintermark generate 10% fewer victory points. If armies from both nations are present, the reduction is increased to 20%. Link.
- Varushka: Varushkan armies can take the Hospitality of the Boyars order whilst in Ossium. Link.
- Wintermark: Wintermark armies can take the Fight with Honour order. Link.
- Wintermark: Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun will gain 10% more victory points but inflict 20% less casualties. Link
- Zenith: Any Highborn or Urizen army attacking into Zenith from Morrow gains a 20% bonus to any territory captured and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link
- Morrow: Any Highborn or Urizen army that defends in Morrow against an army attacking from Zenith gains a 20% bonus to defend territory and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link