Despise treachery

"Perhaps if we tried a mixture of mazzarine and bladeroot to..."

"No." The Jotun physic stared at Ricola, his face was inscrutable, but his tone brooked no arguments. "We have done that already. Everything that could be done... has been done."

The grimnir bit his lip and ran his hand through his long braid. The Jotun had allowed him to examine the prisoner's wounds but they had point blank refused to allow him to attempt any treatment. She might be an enemy of the Empire, but she was also a dying woman. Not being able to save her was driving him to distraction. Deep down he knew the Jotun were right, there was nothing that could be done. They'd already done everything that could be done, but still it was eating away at him. "Perhaps an infusion of marrowort to treat the pain and..."

"No!" The physic turned to face Ricola, and locking eyes with him, he placed a firm hand on the young man's shoulder. "This is not what we wanted. This is not what you want. This is not what she wanted. But a falling star will not carry you over the Abyss. Everything that could be done, has been done. She has accepted her fate. You and I must honour our ancestors by accepting ours. If you open up this wound to try to treat it, you will only make it worse. You will not save her, you will murder her. She will die and your honour will die with her."

The Jotun fell silent, but he didn't break eye contact or release his grip. Finally Ricola could bear the orc's gaze no longer and his head slumped until his chin hit his chest. His reluctant acceptance seemed to move the older orc and he adopted a kinder tone as he spoke again.

"All our training is to heal what is harmed. To set what is broken. To treat the wounds of battle. But when the limb is gone, no herb will bring it back. Some wounds cannot be healed. Some bones will not mend. Some lives cannot be saved. That is the nature of war. When the axe falls it rends the flesh and what is done cannot be undone. The honour in your heart tells you this is true." He stopped for a moment, and his eyes closed briefly before he resumed speaking, as if remembering a lesson taught long ago.

"That is what it means to live in this world. The tide swells and ebbs. The sun rises and sets. These things do not change and thus they change nothing. Those with the power to change the world can only do so because what is done cannot always be undone. If it were otherwise, we would be as the sun and the tide. Powerful and mighty... and entirely without purpose or meaning."

Ricola stared at the old orc, but he could find no words to deny their wisdom.

The poacher Bushel Sykes; to some an arsehole poacher, to others a symbol of unrest and Imperial oppression.

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Overview

Bregasland is still recovering from the reign of Mathilda Fisher as Steward of the Bregas. There is bad blood between those who supported her and those who denied her Stewardship. There is no chance of getting past the bad blood unless it is dealt with, and no obvious way of doing so that wouldn't "store up trouble for years to come". Drawing a line and allowing the suspected collaborators to continue without investigation would have made those who risked everything to support the Empire furious. Allowing the fenlanders to resolve it themselves would have seen the marsh waters stained with blood.

The Imperial Senate chose to prevent harm to those who had stood against the Fishers and elected to send the magistrates to root out any traitors who collaborated with the Jotun and let Imperial law take its toll. That approach was guaranteed to dig a deep well of resentment but at least this way nobody will be in a position to cause trouble, "because everyone who might have openly opposed Imperial rule in Bregasland will be dead."

Shortly after the equinox it became clear that Cold Sun was attacking Bregasland, but with the arrival of four Imperial armies the magistrates were able to continue with the task that had been set before them. Their investigations were focussed on the three significant households that stood accused of collaboration with Mathilda Fisher: House Brawness of the North Fens, the Droverbill Clan of Grey Fens, and the Clakes of Beandown.

And while all that is going on, there remains the small matter of Bushel Sykes' legacy. And perhaps most importantly of all, what to do about the imminent arrival of the self-styled Steward of the Bregas, taken prisoner by Imperial heroes following a battle in Jotun lands far to the north.

To invite the magistrates under Chief Magistrate Karkovitch to go in force to investigate recent events surrounding the households of Bregasland during the recent conflict in Bregasland.

Lizzie Stamp of Bildewold, Senator for Bregasland, Autumn Equinox 385YE

Imperial Judgement

• The magistrates have enacted justice on the traitors of Bregasland

During the Autumn Equinox 385YE the Imperial Senate voted to pass the motion raised by Lizzie Stamp of Bildewold, Senator for Bregasland, to send the magistrates into the territory in order to root out traitors. The fact the call came from the Bregas senator inclined most Bregas to cooperate with the investigation, but many people are unhappy about it. Most of the anger, however, is directed toward the Senate rather than the magistrates. Despite their best efforts, the investigation has caused disruption across the territory as magistrates perform top-to-bottom searches of every household property, every farmstead, every barn as they follow up leads and eliminate suspects from their inquiries.

The Marcher assembly supports the decision of Lizzie Boholt-Stamp, Senator of Bregasland, to send the inquisitors in to Bregasland to find, and bring to justice, those who supported the Mathilda Fisher rebellion. The Marcher assembly calls upon Bregas priests to support justice and provide clemency pleas for the virtuous.

Friar Rosemary Stamp, Marches National Assembly, Autumn Equinox 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 258-16

House Brawness of the North Fens

• House Brawness are undoubtedly guilty of treason. All involved have been executed

The investigation of House Brawness was the most straightforward. The evidence clearly showed the household had willingly supported the Fishers and the Jotun during their conquest of Bregasland. While initially neutral, the household quickly threw their lot in with the Fishers once it looked like they might have a chance. They were the first to accept a seat on Mathilda's "Council of Bregas", and encouraged other houses to join them, arguing that it would give the Households a say in the running of Bregasland. Half a dozen of their beaters took part in schemes to steal food and equipment that had been purchased for the Strong Reeds and evidence soon came to light that proved they were responsible for the attempted attack against the holdings of House Greywater.

At first there is an initial show of cooperation from the house, but that ended once it became clear that the investigation was going against them. In the end Steward Aldith Brawness and her supporters resisted the magistrates' attempt to arrest them, resulting in a pitched battle. The Brawness had no chance of standing against the forces of law, who called in support from neighbouring households and were also supported by soldiers from the Bounders. With unequivocal evidence that the house sided with the Fishers, all those responsible have been executed for treason. There are clemency pleas from a few, but Aldith goes to her death utterly unrepentant.

House Brawness has been absolutely devastated, reduced to fewer than a dozen members clinging to a single farm in the North Fens. It's no secret that their friends and allies are quietly seething at the way the household has been dealt with, but everyone is keeping their heads down, eager to avoid meeting the same fate. There was never much love for the Empire in the North Fens - it's not a coincidence that's where Fisher's Rock stands - but now there is none. The region has gained the rebellious quality, reflecting the suppressed anger that many here feel. It's quiet for now and could remain that way indefinitely, but as things stand all it would take is an appropriately worded mandate from the Marcher Synod or some equivalent incitement, and the North Fens could rise in armed rebellion.

Fair words won't bury grudges.

Marcher Proverb

The Droverbill Clan of Grey Fens

• The Droverbill Clan are undoubtedly guilty of theft and handling of stolen goods. All involved have been fined

The Droverbill Clan prove much more challenging to deal with. When questioned by the magistrates, Steward Tress Droverbill boldly admits that she took money from Mathilda Fisher and the Jotun in return for a promise to stop the Feni causing trouble, but she is adamant that the family kept the money and never passed on Mathilda's requests to the Feni. The few successful attempts to speak with the Feni on the matter seem to confirm the steward's account of events. The Feni did keep a low profile during the invasion, but that was because they feared the Jotun, not because the Droverbill Steward asked them to.

A tawdry list of similar incidents soon comes to light. It's clear that the Droverbills are guilty of profiteering, earning good money selling goods to both sides, but as often as not Tress finds evidence to demonstrate that she cheated Mathilda Fisher, selling them rotten hemp, holed coracles, and grain laced with weevils. She isn't able to clear their name completely - more than half a dozen of her yeofolk are found guilty of handling goods stolen from other farms - but there is no evidence that their actions had directly supported the Jotun. They refused the call to aid the Greywaters and the Strong Reeds against the invaders - but ultimately there is no law against refusing to support a fellow Imperial citizen. The result is a series of heavy fines, all of which the steward pays with an iron expression on her face

The rigid and just application of Imperial law has likely saved the Droverbills from much worse punishment at the hands of their neighbours. If they'd been tried by the mob, then no amount of evidence that they took the Jotun's money but didn't provide anything worthwhile in return would have saved them. After all, the Feni might swear on their gods that nobody told them to steer clear of the Jotun, but they're thick as thieves with the Droverbills so they would say that wouldn't they? A string of heavy fines for handling stolen goods has hurt the clan, but the cynical believe they've still come out ahead.

The fact that the Droverbills seem to have prospered from Fisher's reign has left many families that stayed loyal to the Empire angry that they have got off so lightly. The Grey Fens has always had a dark reputation, now the region has gained the sullen quality, reflecting the distrust that permeates the area. Nobody is going to do anything stupid, but the next time something like this happens, then folks in these parts will be sure to put their own household first.

Even damp wood burns in a hot fire.

Marcher Proverb

The Clakes of Beandown

• Half the Clakes are found guilty of treason and executed but the head of the household, Sammy Clake, manages to flee

The Clakes live in the Rushes near Sallow. Widely disliked, they are not pleasant to deal with. They know what is and isn't a crime and are willing to stop just short of breaking Imperial law all whilst smiling right at you. They are known to have actively collaborated with the Jotun, informing on their neighbours, and using a position on the "Bregas Council" to rob their fellow citizens. It's patently clear that the lands and livestock gifted to the household were taken from Imperial citizens - only once the Fishers were run out of the territory did Sammy Clake make token efforts to buy folk off by returning livestock to original owners.

The magistrate are ruthless with their punishments and three dozen Clakes end up paying the ultimate price for their treachery. Sadly the ringleader, the head of the household, Sammy Clake, somehow manages to engineer an escape, fleeing the scene after his family ambushed the militia escorting him to trial. By all accounts he has gone to ground in Sallow, but the settlement is notoriously uncooperative and it proves impossible to find him, despite turning the place upside down. With a five throne reward for his capture, he'll turn up eventually; folk like Sammy Clake always do. For now, though, he's an outlaw at large.

For the Clakes guilty of lesser crimes there are stiff fines that leave them and their kin throughout the region deep in debt, impoverished and desperate. The region has gained the resentful quality, reflecting the deep sense of injustice that permeates the Clakes and their close kin throughout the Rushes. With Sammy Clake gone to ground, it won't mean much for now, but Marchers hoard grudges the way a magpie hoards shiny beads. Folk here would jump at a chance for payback from those they judge have wronged them, if the opportunity presents itself.

Plant a grudge in the soil, it will last a lifetime. Set it in stone and it will last forever.

Marcher Proverb

The Other Bregas

• The investigations of the magistrates have rooted out dozens of traitors from across Bregrasland

While the Brawness, Droverbill, and Clakes are the biggest families investigated, the magistrates visited every farm and settlement in Bregasland. After a painstaking investigation that left no stone unturned, more than a score of traitors were tried, convicted, and executed. Dozens more were fined for more petty acts of collaboration that broke Imperial law for one reason or another. Every accusation was weighed carefully, and those that seemed based on fact rather than long-standing grudge or suspicion were brought to trial. Everyone knows someone who faced the magistrates, even if they were not called to account themselves. Everyone knows someone who is not happy about the magistrates' intervention, even if they were not under suspicion themselves.

Sow, tend and reap; fight, toil and weep.

Marcher Proverb

House Greywater

• House Greywater remain in the North Fens
• They are bitter about the lack of recompense for their efforts to defeat Matilda Fisher

House Greywater took inordinate risks to support Amberlain P. Black and the Strong Reeds against the Fishers and the Jotun. They did so because of an ancient grudge between their family and the Fishers rather than any great love for the Empire, but even so, it was clear they expected to be rewarded for their efforts. After Matilda was forced to flee, they asked the Senate to concede the Bregasland granaries of the Marcher Breadbasket to them in recognition of their services. The Marcher Synod attempted to see them recompensed with land in return for their service, just as those who serve two years in the army get, but the household already has farmland - much of it secured by service in the Marcher armies. They have as much land as they can farm already, more won't help them one iota. If they'd have settled for more land they'd have asked for it - what they asked for, the Breadbasket, was something that would have made them rich.

As winter settles in the realisation that they'll get nothing for the risks they took has left them angry, bitter, and resentful. The household are mostly staying to their lands, refusing to talk to outsiders or welcome visitors. They weren't that popular before the Jotun invaded and their expectation of a reward has done little to improve their standing. Some of their detractors - those who openly called them poachers to their faces - are suggesting the fact that the Empire hasn't rewarded them only proves their bad character. Did their efforts really amount to that much after all or were they were just in it for themselves? They are the butt of more than a few jokes with revellers in the backrooms of taverns - "What do you call a poacher who steals a Jotun chicken? A Greywater!".

The Greywaters make no bones of the fact that they risked everything to back the Empire and they've ended up worse off than those that stayed out of the fighting- though admittedly better off than the Doverbills, the Brawness, and the other households that threw in with the Fishers. The North Fens, the region where the Greywaters live, has gained the embittered quality, reflecting the sense of betrayal that the Greywaters and their allies feel at the way the Empire has treated them. There will be no help from this quarter in the future, no matter what the threat, and any attempt by the Imperial Synod to rally Bregaslanders to support the Empire will founder in the face of the open resentment of House Greywater.

Grudges

• The decision to send in the magistrates has dealt with all the immediate problems but stored up trouble for years to come
• Some of the NPCs who live in parts of Bregasland are variously resentful, sullen, embittered, and rebellious

Mathilda Fisher's dream of ruling an independent Bregasland has been firmly crushed. After so many generations away, returning at the head of a Jotun army ensured that few if any Marchers who regularly attend Anvil had any desire to openly support her. But there were more than a few, led by folk like Bushel Sykes, who disliked the Empire as much as they did the Jotun and more and more of those did support her cause as time went on. And of course, there are always folks like the Clakes or the Droverbills whose only Loyalty is to themselves and their own Prosperity.

Sending in the magistrates has rooted out the traitors and the collaborators, those who broke the law have been brought to justice. Great pains were taken to remain as scrupulous as possible, the investigations were thorough, the trials were fair, and the magistrates made a deliberate point of welcoming priests to present clemency pleas. All the immediate problems of Bregasland have been dealt with by this decisive action, there is nothing here that requires further attention. The situation in the territory is completely stable.

But it is impossible to conduct a sweeping investigation of this kind, rooting out traitors and punishing everyone who sided with the Jotun, without reaping a bitter harvest of resentment and anger. For every Bregas happy to see justice come to those who sided with the Jotun there is another who has lost a family member or close kin to what they see as a purge. It's a questionable distinction between siding with the Jotun and standing for an independent Bregasland but it's an important one in the minds of those Bregas who supported Mathilda Fisher. In their eyes, the investigation is little more than a brutal reprisal for daring to defy the Empire... it's everything that Bushel Sykes warned them it would be. The actions of the magistrates have stored up trouble for years to come. One day that bill will come due.

There are plenty of Marchers in Bregasland, particularly in Graven March, who remain loyal to the Empire. There are plenty more who have no love for the Empire but are Marchers through and through and thought Mathilda Fisher was a fool, an upstart, and a Jotun puppet. But in parts of Bregasland there are some who mutter darkly to themselves when someone mentions the idea of going to Anvil. People for whom news of the new Empress produces only scowls or curses. For now these malcontents are ostracised and weakened by recent actions leaving them powerless to act. These sentiments won't dissipate, these are Marchers, they would carry their grudges through the Labyrinth if they could. But they won't have a dramatic impact unless the situation takes a turn for the worse.

The current situation is stable, and it could remain like this indefinitely. It won't deteriorate randomly or without warning; the eyes of the civil service are on Bregasland, so it won't happen without the Empire having a chance to influence events. But it could happen at any time. One of the Empire's enemies might try to take advantage of the situation or it could be the Empire itself. The future is unpredictable; the Empire might be faced with some opportunity that offers benefits too powerful to refuse but which comes at the price of worsening the situation in Bregasland, after all.

At present there is nothing the Empire can do to heal these wounds. There is no statement that the Marcher Synod can pass that will help. An appraisal would produce some ideas but it will not provide any way to remove these qualities. Time won't heal these scars either, but within a generation an opportunity will come along that offers a chance to address one or more of these grievances.

Sullen - folks are sullen that the Droverbills and their kin got off so lightly. They could remain that way indefinitely and it won't be a problem, but if that anger spreads across Bregasland it will be a serious problem. When Imperial armies march through an Imperial territory, they are usually welcomed by cheering supporters. The citizens of the Empire take Pride in the Courage and Loyalty of those who pledge their lives to keep them safe. That warm welcome brings benefits which are all the more noticeable by their absence in Bregasland. A sullen population are less willing to sell their food to the Empire; if they do, they want a premium for it. It costs a lot to feed an army - on campaign in enemy lands you can reduce those costs a little by plundering what supplies you can from the enemy, but you can't do that at home. If the sullen mood of the Droverbills spreads then all Imperial armies spending the season in Bregasland will require 50% more upkeep from the Imperial treasury.

Resentful - the Clakes and their associates are resentful of the Empire and would seize any opportunity to strike back. There aren't enough of them to pose a risk at at the moment, but it would be a problem if that resentment spreads to the rest of the territory. Fighting in any territory where the population is resentful is always more difficult. There is the ever present risk that they will inform on your movements to the enemy. Scouts are delayed or betrayed, vital supplies go missing, everything is more dangerous when any civilian could be spying for the enemy. If the resentful mood of the Clakes spreads across the territory then all Imperial armies campaigning in the territory against a human or orc enemy will suffer a 30% penalty to fighting strength for the purpose of calculating victory.

Embittered - the Greywaters and their cousins are bitter at what they see as the Empire's failure to reward them for their sacrifice in fighting Mathilda Fisher. For now they're keeping themselves to themselves, but it would become a challenge if that bitterness spreads throughout the marshes. The words of the Imperial Synod fall on deaf ears when faced with people who are embittered and angry with the Empire. Liao may be powerful but no aura can change the outlook of someone who refuses to listen. If the rest of the Bregasland becomes as bitter about the Empire as the Greywaters, then any statements of principle that call on people to support any part of the Empire would fail and no mandate passed by the Imperial Synod would affect the territory.

Rebellious - the Empire has punished House Brawness and their allies for their involvement in the Council of Bregas. Their power is broken, but that has done nothing to crush the dream of an independent Bregasland. Provided the outlook doesn't change, they won't be fool enough to try again any time soon, but it would be catastrophic if the mood spread. That would tip Bregasland into open rebellion: the Empire would immediately lose control of any rebellious regions and Imperial armies would be needed to put down the rebellion and prevent it from spreading.

Is there anything that could make the situation deteriorate? Two things spring to mind...

Bushel Sykes betrayed his oath as an Imperial citizen, and yet his soul bore a spontaneous true aura of Loyalty. He knew what commanded his heart's devotion above all else, and he willingly paid the price for that. We recognise Bushel Sykes' Loyalty and his Virtue.

Father Edmund, Marches National Assembly, Autumn Equinox 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 282-26

Not By Words Or Deeds Alone

• Bushel Sykes was a notorious poacher and curmudgeon who was instrumental in persuading Mathilda Fisher to form the Council of Bregas
• If the Assembly of Loyalty recognises his Virtue in opposing the Empire, it will spread the rebellious sentiment to Ottermire
• If the Assembly does not recognise his Virtue they will permanently lose the ability to use the Eyes of Loyalty to support other mandates

In life, Bushel Sykes was not well-liked. He was a notorious poacher who knew the fens better than anyone, and by all accounts he was a bad-tempered arsehole even by the standards of Ottermire. Say what you like about Bushel Sykes - and people often did - his one redeeming quality that no-one denied was his unswerving loyalty to Bregasland. When Mathilda Fisher invaded Bregasland at the head of a Jotun army and declared herself Queen of the Fens, it was Bushel Sykes who understood what the invasion could mean for Bregasland. The old poacher who had spent half his life moaning about the Empire realised that here at last was a chance for Bregas to be done with the Empire and rule themselves. It was Bushel Sykes who persuaded Mathilda Fisher to form the Council of Bregas and it was Sykes that did the legwork of persuading some of the households to join. Not for the Jotun, not for Mathilda Fisher, but for Bregasland.

Sykes had never left Bregasland his whole life, so perhaps it's no surprise that he didn't go with Mathilda Fisher when she fled after her Jotun allies were defeated. According to the rumours, it was the old poacher himself that smuggled her out past the Imperial lines, but he turned back and waited for the Empire to catch up with him in his favourite watering hole, the Wet Dog tavern in Ottery. He died there, struck down by Imperial citizens after he refused to let them cart him back to trial in Anvil. He refused point blank to face trial by magistrates he passionately believed had no authority over him.

They say "the Virtuous build up their fellows; they do not tear them down" and Sykes strove tirelessly to warn people what was going to happen, to make them see that the only good Bregasland was a free Bregasland, to make them dream that such a thing might be possible. He may have been an arsehole, but he never hid what he was, and he never betrayed the Bregas. But he was an implacable opponent of the Empire, who utterly refused to compromise, and so few were surprised when he came to a grisly end. It's what followed his death that has raised eyebrows.

During the Autumn Equinox 385YE the National Assembly of the Marches upheld a statement of principle raised by Father Edmund with a greater majority that recognised the Loyalty and Virtue of the old poacher. The tenets of virtue say "Know your heart and what commands its devotion above all else." They agree that "the truly virtuous are loyal even through hardship and misfortune" and that "Loyalty is not displayed by words or deeds alone, but by the unity of both". It's impossible to argue that Sykes wasn't all of that and more. He definitely had that anti-authoritarian streak that runs through the Marcher character and makes them so fiercely independent, proud, and stubborn. He really believed that the Empire didn't give two shits about Bregasland or its people... and now he's been recognised by the Marcher Assembly who says that his virtue gave him a miracle.

Nobody in Bregasland, or the Marches as a whole, is sure of where all this goes. Will the Loyalty Assembly raise a judgement of recognition for someone who was ultimately a self-confessed collaborator? Does the Assembly really believe that the Loyal should "know your heart and what commands its devotion above all else?" Or does the fact that Sykes wasn't Loyal to the Empire invalidate any inspiration he might provide?

The judgement of the Marcher Assembly poses a grave challenge for the Assembly of Loyalty. In recent years the Assembly has taken a firm stance that no power may compel your Loyalty, following the preaching of Anastasiya Volkov and Highborn Able who urged pilgrims everywhere to know their own hearts, and what commanded their devotion above all else. This seemingly innocuous statement contains a deeply subversive message. What do you do when your personal Loyalty demands that you oppose your nation and your Empire? Taken at face value, Bushel Sykes, the traitor of Bregasland, seems to exemplify exactly what Anastasiya and Able said about the Virtue of Loyalty. If there was any doubt then surely this miraculous aura on his soul is the only evidence needed?

At this stage, nobody is suggesting that Sykes was an actual exemplar. Miracle or no miracle, the man was still a massive prick. And a poacher to boot. But the Assembly could use a judgement to recognise Bushel Sykes as Loyal. That would be completely consistent with everything they have said on the matter in recent years...

But it would be a disaster in Bregasland. Fisher invaded Bregasland with a Jotun army looking to reclaim "her family lands" - it was Sykes who tried to turn that invasion into a rebellion against the Empire. If the Assembly recognise his Virtue, then it makes Sykes into some kind of hero for trying to get Bregas to fight against the Empire. The tavern keep at the Wet Dog has already said he plans to change the name of the tavern to Sykes End if that happens, so that visitors can openly toast his memory. With the tacit encouragement of the Assembly of Loyalty, the rebellious sentiment in the North Fens will spread to Ottermire. It won't start a rebellion - but it does mean that if a rebellion ever did start it would be twice as bad, with both the North Fens and Ottermire turning on the Empire. Rumour has it that something like this is exactly what Sykes wanted to happen.

But if the Assembly doesn't pass a favourable judgement that recognises Sykes' Loyalty, if they find some way to cavil about his virtue, or even if they simply ignore it, it would be just as disastrous. In recent years, the Assembly has built a dedicated following of Loyal followers who have used the Eyes of Loyalty aura to support the mandates of fellow priests. They've done a lot of good, but all of that has been predicated on the principle that nobody may command your Loyalty. Not the Synod, not the Assembly of Loyalty, not even the Throne. Refusing to acknowledge Sykes' virtue after the Marcher Assembly chose to call it out would shake the faith of the virtuous preventing further use of the Eyes of Loyalty.

If the Loyalty Assembly pass any judgement that effectively recognises the virtue of Bushel Sykes during the Winter Solstice, the rebellious mood that exists in the North Fens will spread to Ottermire. If the Loyalty assembly don't do that, then the Cardinal of Loyalty will permanently lose the ability to use the Eyes of Loyalty power.

A tree with only one leaf casts little shade.

Marcher Proverb

Homecoming Queen

• Mathilda Fisher has been brought to the edge of Anvil, if she survives long enough she will be brought into the Wintermark camp at 22:00 on Friday
• She has requested to be buried at Fisher's Rock in Bregasland
• Doing so would spread House Greywater's bitterness causing all of Bregasland to become embittered
• Refusing the dying wishes of the Jotun jarl will clearly offend the other jarls
• It is not clear who should make this decision

As if that wasn't bad enough, there is a second problem looming. After Mathilda Fisher fled Bregasland, the Empire invaded Tromsa. Chasing after the pretender, she was mortally wounded at the Battle of Viheltavathorn but the Jotun spirited her away to the safehold of Oksenesfestal, the home of Fisher's ally the Jarl of Tromsa before the Empire could capture her. With Mathilda Fisher too weak from her injuries to take the battlefield when the Empire threatened to take the keep, the jarl offered a battle of champions to save Mathilda from the dishonour of not taking the field. If the Empire could capture the Fisher Queen's banner on the battlefield, then Mathilda would acknowledge her defeat and surrender to Imperial forces. If the Empire failed then the jarls would not allow her to surrender and would "spirit her away to Fjorknae, far beyond the Empire's reach."

With the Empire victorious in the ensuing battle, the Jotun are true to their word. A day later, an entourage of Jotun warriors issues forth from Oksenesfestal bearing a flag of truce and a simple wooden litter, little more than a bier, on which they carry Mathilda Fisher towards the Imperial encampment. They pointedly march into the Wintermark camp, but rather than hand the Fisher Queen over, they insist that they will accompany her until she passes into the Abyss. It is clear that she is too weak to walk and it seems they are absolutely determined to convey her all the way to Anvil. They ask Iron Osric to provide them with an honour guard of Wintermark warriors to ensure that nothing untoward befalls the jarl. They know they are carrying her to her death, but they are determined to ensure that she does not suffer a dishonourable end on the road before she faces her enemies for the final time.

As easy to escape as a Landskeeper's Oath.

Marcher Proverb

Arrangements are quickly agreed to allow the Jotun honour guard to bear the captured traitor to Anvil with Wintermark warriors ensuring the party reaches the destination without incident. This proves remarkably difficult, not because of treachery, but the state of Mathilda Fisher's wounds. A Marcher bill has shattered five of her ribs and completely destroyed her right lung. She is far beyond the reach of any medicine or magic to save, but the Jotun have done everything that can be done to keep her alive. Even so, she can barely breathe, let alone stand and is constantly coughing up blood. Only the carefully ministered herbs of the accompanying Jotun physic are keeping her soul in her body. Without that she wouldn't survive an hour... there are more than a few occasions on the road where it seems even that will not be enough.

After an excruciating journey in every sense of the word, the party finally reach the outskirts of Anvil. By this time the Winter Solstice is imminent and it makes sense to wait a few more days so that Mathilda Fisher can face all her accusers when they gather for the forthcoming summit. The Jotun agree to bear Mathilda Fisher to the Wintermark camp at 10pm on the Friday night; from there the Empire may dispense whatever justice they have decided upon. The Jotun expect the Marchers to come to the Wintermark camp to claim Mathilda Fisher, but they have no power here now to determine what happens.

Nobody is under any illusion that Mathilda will be executed, though quite how that will happen remains unclear. Jarl Igya made a request of General Osric, to allow her father's ally to die with honour, but it is unclear if that request will be granted. What is clear is that the Jotun have not come all this way just to honour the jarl's final moments. They are here to witness the manner of her death and to carry word of how the Empire treats their defeated enemies back to her fellow Jotun jarls.

The Empire must now decide how she will meet her fate. Any idea of her fighting to the death is quickly dismissed as completely impossible - her wounds are beyond the help of any Imperial magic to allow that. Perhaps more important than how she meets her end is what will happen to her body afterwards. She has made it clear that she hopes that her body will be conveyed to Bregasland and buried on her lands with seeds in the grave as is traditional.

It's a simple request, but given the febrile mood in Bregasland it would be a disaster. House Greywater loathe the Fishers, and many Bregasland yeofolk gave their lives to drive them from Bregasland. If Mathilda Fisher is allowed to return to the territory, if she is buried there as she has requested, with all the trappings of a traditional Marcher funeral, they and their allies will be incandescent. It is one thing for the Empire to ignore House Greywater's demands to be rewarded for their support of the Empire, it is another thing entirely for the enemy they fought against to be buried with all the honour the Empire can give her. If that happens, then everyone in Bregasland who tried to fight Mathilda Fisher will be incandescent. House Greywater's anger will spread to every citizen in the territory who opposed the Jotun, causing the whole of Bregasland to become embittered.

If that isn't tolerable, then what is to happen with the body after she has been executed? There is no legal precedent for this. Someone will have to make a decision, but who? The Imperial Synod, or the Marcher Assembly perhaps? The Imperial Senate? The Imperial Consul perhaps? The General of an army present in the territory? Or the Senator for Bregasland? If nobody does anything, the Jotun will carry the body to Bregasland and bury it themselves with all the problems that will bring. The Jotun could be asked to bear her back to Tromsa to be buried there, but whatever decision is made, the Jotun are determined to witness it. It seems to matter a great deal to the Jotun. They refer to Mathilda Fisher as a jarl, they treat her as such - they seem to consider it incredibly important to know if the Empire are prepared to honour the jarl's burial wish.

The Fisher Queen may be on her deathbed, but it seems she is not quite finished causing problems for the Empire.

Participation: Bregasland

Any Marcher beater or Marcher member of the Anvil militia could have been involved in helping the magistrates track down their suspects and deal with resistance and such. They might also have been involved in one of the fights this downtime - with the Droverbills or the Clakes. You might use this as an excuse to speak to the magistrates, using your service in Bregasland as a reason for offering further services in Anvil for example.

One group that has not specifically been involved in Bregasland are the Anvil militia; while Karkovitch has overseen the investigation in the west he has used local recruits and deputies rather than exacerbating the bad feeling by bringing in large numbers of outsiders associated with the heart of Imperial politics.

If your personal resource is in Bregasland you're welcome to roleplay that members of your family have been executed, fined, or exonerated as you see fit. Bear in mind though that the magistrates have been both scrupulous and rigorous in their investigations. Nobody who was innocent of active collaboration has been punished.

When it comes to the sympathies and resentment of Bregasland, there's no requirement for a Bregas visiting Anvil to agree with their fellows. Characters who attend Anvil are often supporters of the Imperial dream, and believers in its political processes. On the other hand, if you do want to play a sullen, bitter, or resentful Marcher who either believes in Free Bregasland, thinks that the magistrates' intervention did not go far enough, or holds that House Greywater has been poorly treated, then this is the perfect excuse to take on a politically risky stance going forward.

Further Reading

• Bregasland
• House Greywater
• When Spring comes - 385YE Autumn Equinox Wind of Fortune