384YE Summer Solstice winds of war

Few plans survive beyond first contact with the enemy.

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. This season, we're trying something a little different with the Winds of War. While the overarching details of the campaign are summarized here, some of the Winds of War - where there's been more dramatic action or where there is a battle opportunity - have been given their own pages. We've also worked to try and provide even more detail about the battle opportunities for the event than ever. After the event, we'd be interested in reading your feedback about how these changes affected the game in the field at the usual address (matt@profounddecisions.co.uk).

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 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.

Also, 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.

With that in mind, 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.

In the West

The Jotun are in Kahraman, and despite the best efforts of Imperial heroes during the Spring Equinox, the Lasambrian Jotun claimed the plains of Gambit. The orcs and their Mournwold allies did not have it all their own way however - the delay at Rotoga, and a powerful Imperial enchantment prevent the orcs raiding the Great Mine of Briante and the Damatian Cliffs. The defenders of Fort Braydon cannot match their zeal for conquest, however, and they are able to take control of Jade Range shortly before the Summer Solstice. You can learn more about the Jotun campaign in Kahraman in Down that road.

Further north, Mathilda Fisher presses her claim to Bregasland with the support of the Jotun. The self-styled steward receives limited support from the Bregas, but that does not stop her - or the armies of orcs alongside whom she fights. Armies clash, but the Jotun have the upper hand and the Imperials are forced to cede first Grey Fens and then the Ottermire. Bregasland is no longer Imperial, but who precisely is in charge of it remains to be seen. You can learn more about the disposition of the western fens in Deep when the river's high

Let your eye slide further north, skipping over the growing threat from deep beneath the earth, to Sermersuaq. The alliance of Empire and Otkodov overwhelms the Jotun, driving them from Suaq Fount and Suaq Wastes. Only when they reach the forts of Tanikipari and Stark does their triumphant advance falter. Regardless, Sermersuaq is once again an Imperial territory - during the Summer Solstice it will fall to the Senate to assign it to a nation and allocate the Pride of Ikka's Tears. The territory has been liberated, but the war is not over - the same Spring magic that heals and protects the alliance is just as effective at ensuring that the western orcs can continue to fight. You can read about the Sermersuaq campaign in In good company.

In the East

Along the eastern borders of the Empire, Imperial forces clash time and again with the insidious orcs of the Mallum. Out of the Forest of Ulnak come the Druj, seeking to reconquer Ossium and punish those who thought themselves free of their tyrannical yoke. A major force attacks the Echofell, bent on destroying the Tower of the Scorpion. With only the Thule garrison of Fljajokep are there to aid the defenders; the Tower falls and the forests of Echofell are once again in enemy hands. You can read about the invasion of Ossium in Delerium.

At the same time the Druj are trying to recover Ossium, Imperial armies are striking against them in the Barrens. It has been three long years, but the Empire ionce again fights to conquer the great wilderness. The Imperial strategy involves a risky pincer movement to cut the territory in half, with armies attacking both the northern Carmine Fields and the southern hills of Hope's Rest. Despite the warriors of the rebuilt Spires of the Dusk, the Empire has carved a Steel Causeway through the heart of the Barrens with barely a casualty. You can learn about their conquest in Into the valley.

While Ossium and the Barrens are barely contested, the same cannot be said of Zenith. Two massive forces clash for control of the former Urizen territory, with orc and Imperial caught in a bitter struggle for control of the hills of Clypion. The Druj are no longer defensive here - going on the attack to try and drive the Imperial armies out of the territory, and to slaughter as many of them as possible in the process. They are unsuccessful - but they manage to hold the Empire's advance. You can learn about this bitter, grinding campaign in This little light of mine.

Battle Opportunities

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Imperial prognosticators have identified four possible major conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate at the coming summit. The Friday night muster will see the generals debate these options and select two of them to be taken up by Imperial heroes eager to influence the direction of the Empire's military campaigns.

Location	Opportunity	Opposition	Day	Learn More
The Barrens	Secure Imperial presence in the Barrens	Druj	Saturday	link
Zenith	Claim the beach head in Clypion and inspire Urizen to engage in Iteri	Druj	Saturday	link
Kahraman	Stymie Lasambrian efforts to isolate fortifications and secure an advantage in the coming season	Jotun Yegarra	Sunday	link
Sermersuaq	Delay the completion of Olgafsdottirshal	Jotun Yegarra	Sunday	link

There will also be skirmishes throughout the weekend that allow Imperial heroes to engage the barbarian enemies of the Empire; some will be detailed in the Winds of War, others in the Winds of Fortune.

Yegarra Battles

Two of the battle opportunities listed involve Jotun Yegarra as the main opponents. Whichever opportunity the Military Council decides on for Sunday, we will ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of human warriors fighting for the Jotun.

In the Kahraman battle, the Empire will be facing human warriors formerly of Mournwold in the Marches. You can help make this battle even better by bringing along any Marcher or Wintermark-style kit or armour you have, as well as any iconic Marcher weaponry particularly a bill, spear or other pole-arm; along with any appropriate shield or buckler. This will help us create a dramatic battle opportunity where the Empire must face down a predominantly human opponent. You can find out more about iconic Marcher look here.

In the Sermersuaq battle, you can help by bringing along any Jotun-style kit or armour you have, as well as any iconic Jotun weaponry particularly axes, maces, and circular shields. Javelins are ideal if you have them. You can find out more about the iconic Jotun look here but the key element for portraying these northern Yegarra is plenty of leather and fur, over mail as their iconic look.

We understand the difficulty of getting to an event with additional kit at the best of times, especially as it will not be possible to tell before Friday night whether the military council will elect to take this battle, but if you are able to bring such kit along it will improve the experience as well as that of the players you are fighting against,

If you are already part of an elite monster unit that monsters as a Jotun warband, then please come to battle prep as you normally would for these battles. If you are part of such a unit but do not have your own orc mask then we hope that we will be able to supply an orc mask for you, but cannot guarantee one. If we do run out of orc masks for EMU on the Sunday battle then the Battle Team will make alternative arrangements at the time.

IMPORTANT - we will NOT be issuing any orc masks to players for these battle opportunities. Our orc masks will only be used once this event and then washed ready for the next event. We are continuing the provision of battle opportunities with non-orc enemies as part of our plan to reduce coronavirus risks until such a time as we have sufficient masks to run two fully orc masked battles.

There are a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate that will allow Imperial heroes to intervene in various different ways.

Large Conjunctions

For most conjunctions we've suggested Imperial titles that might be most fitting to take overall responsibility for ensuring that an opportunity is organised. Whilst the named individual has been deemed the most appropriate by the Civil Service, there is no legal requirement for them to coordinate a response or travel on the conjunction. They may delegate oversight to another individual of their choosing. As always, Imperial war scouts will be on hand at the muster point by the Sentinel Gate to provide further information to any citizens wanting to know more. Further information relating to the nature of the large conjunctions might be available from the War Scouts on duty at the Sentinel Gate. They can provide updates on barbarian movements, guides on how to engage enemy troops or advice on how to avoid casualties and return back to Anvil in safety.

Sometimes it is necessary to make small adjustments to the timing or size of skirmishes, owing to delays or availability of crew that arise between the time of publication and when an encounter runs at the event. Details will be finalised on Friday afternoon of the event before time-in. Please do check the details of a conjunction you are interested in before using the gate to ensure that you have the full and up-to-date information. You can check a conjunction by casting Detect Magic (Discover Conjunction) on the Sentinel Gate in the presence of a ref.

For each of these large conjunctions, combat is highly likely.

#	Day	Time	People	Duration	Location	Responsibility	Overview	Link
1	Friday	18:30	75	20 mins	Sermersuaq, Stark, White Plume Rocks	Mediator of Hyljehal	Free a hylje hostage from the Jotun	Second skin
2	Friday	19:00	75	20 mins	Sermersuaq, Suaq Wastes, Spirax wood	Weigher of Worth	Deny the Spear of Bounty to the Jotun and cause their quest to fail	Old bones
3	Friday	19:30	75	20 mins	Sermersuaq, Stark, Flat Hills	Ambassador to Otkodov	Retrieve a vital Thule warlock captured by the Jotun	The Missing Warlock
4	Friday	20:30	50	20 mins	Bregasland, unknown, unknown	Archmage of Day	Opportunity for the Imperial Orcs to recover the artifact Pilgrim's Shield Oath-Heart	Heart of Oaths
5	Friday	20:45	25	20 mins	Segura, Lucksprings, Cereva Hall	Imperial Fleet Master	Intercept a raiding party of Wave Riders on Imperial soil	Captain's Price
6	Friday	21:00	50	20 mins	Bregasland, Ottermire, Greywater Estate	General of the Strong Reeds	Help House Greywater escape a Jotun execution squad	A little time
7	Saturday	14:30	50	20 mins	Zenith, Proceris, Golden Cascade	Curator of the White City Museum	Recover the Amulet of Truth from a wicked Druj warleader	Stolen history
8	Saturday	15:00	50	20 mins	Zenith, Lustri, Sleetstorm Pass	Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind	Deny the ghulai of Sarangrave a mysterious magical text	Stolen knowledge
9	Saturday	15:30	50	20 mins	Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Dead Stone Woods,	Senator for Temeschwar	Recover a Bloodwater Spear orc from the Druj	Kick against the pricks
10	Saturday	17:00	60	20 mins	Barrens, the Bleaks, Stormwood	Archmage of Spring	Claim the Stone of Storms from Druj dedicated to Siakha	Stormwood
11	Saturday	17:30	60	20 mins	Ossium, Echofell, the Bone Hives	Keeper of the Bone Hives	Stop the Druj destroying the Bone Hives	Sour honey
12	Saturday	17:45	25	20 mins	Karsk, Lestazny, Ashen Fields	Boyarina Nisha Melinka Rupeilia Strazcovich	Deal with the self-styled Boyar of Isember Alexi Iskandrova Isembrioch	Boyar of Steel
13	Saturday	18:00	60	20 mins	Barrens, the Bleaks, Circle of Falling Trees	General of the Golden Axe	Stop a group of Druj ghulai trapping soldiers on the wrong side of the river	Troubled waters
14	Saturday	18:15	25	20 mins	Karsk, Lestazny, Wild Copse	Dean of the First Voice Glade	Rescue kidnapped Navarr and recover an ancient relic	Lost Wanderers
15	Saturday	18:45	25	20 mins	Karsk, Lestazny, Whispering Glade	Guardian of the Maze of Zoria	Find a way to deal with the dark power of Isember	Dark spirits
16	Saturday	20:00	60	20 mins	Barrens, the Bleaks, Lupine Arbour	Knight-Protector of Spring	Defeat a horror from the Spring realm threatening the Dawnish armies	From the forest
17	Saturday	20:30	60	20 mins	Barrens, Carmine Fields, Red Plains	General of the Wolves of War	Retrieve cursed treasure and end a threat to the Wolves of War	A poisoned chalice
18	Saturday	21:00	70	20 mins	Barrens, Bitter Strand, Saltmaw	Archmage of Spring	Unleash the Barren Sea to flood the Fangs and the Saltmarsh	A sudden flood

Smaller Conjunctions

These conjunctions are similar to large conjunctions but are smaller in size. In some cases the conjunction may lead the players into a fight with the Empire's enemies but others do not feature any combatants for the players to face. Please check the listed accessibility status for each conjunction carefully.

As with any conjunction, it may be necessary to make small adjustments to the timing or size of skirmishes, owing to delays or availability of crew that arise between the time of publication and when an encounter runs at the event. Details will be finalised on Friday afternoon of the event before time-in. Please do check the details of a conjunction you are interested in before using the gate to ensure that you have the full and up-to-date information. You can check a conjunction by casting Detect Magic (Discover Conjunction) on the Sentinel Gate in the presence of a ref.

#	Day	Time	People	Duration	Location	Responsibility	Overview	Link	Combat
A	Saturday	14:00	100	60 mins	Semmerholm, Causse, the Semmerstones	Iron Duke challengers	A grand audience with Barien to reward those who have completed his Challenge	Reeve of the Summer Lands	Unlikely
B	Saturday	20:15	16	20 mins	Zenith, Clypion, Allied Groves,	Grandmaster of Silver Chalice	Investigate and deal with the malaise	Allied Groves	Unlikely
C	Saturday	20:45	16	20 mins	Zenith, Clypion, Grove of the Halls	Herbalist of the Hearth	Save as many of the ex-prisoners as possible	The Grove of the Halls	Unlikely
D	Saturday	23:00	50	20 mins	Hahnmark, Bruckland, Turelva	Scops of Wintermark	Help the ghostly spirits haunting the area pass on	Ghosts in Wintermark	Unlikely

Military Considerations

The following considerations should be borne in mind when discussing military strategies during the Summer 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 Bregasland, Upwold, or Mitwold. Link
• Dawn: Dawnish armies cannot take the Cautious Advance order or the Give Ground order. Link
• Highguard: Highborn armies benefit from double the normal amount of natural resupply. Link
• Highguard: Highborn armies can issue the Crusading Storm order. Link
• The Marches: Marcher armies cannot take the Give Ground order. Link
• Urizen: The Citadel Guard will begin to deteriorate again after the Summer Solstice. 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.
• 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