Hammers and boxes

“Are they still watching us?” Denize didn't look up from her bowl of hot stew. Navil squinted, shaded his eyes, peered in the direction of the hills.

“Why, aye they are,” he said. “Looks unhappy. Maybe?”

“This is getting on my last nerve,” said Denize. “It's putting me off my dinner.”

She put her stood up, and waved her shovel, calling out. “Hey, friend, do you want to come over here and stop staring at us eating?”

The shapeless figure didn't move for a minute or more, then left their position and stomped over. As they grew closer, the two roadbuilders could see that he was neither human nor orc. A blocky person, a little shy of six feet tall and nearly as broad across the shoulders, with tree-trunk arms and legs, and a crown of curling copper corns circling his brow. Somewhat incongruously perched atop the rack of horns was a soft felt hat in the Apulian style. He didn't seem paticularly happy, but he also didn't seem particularly threatening.

Navil glanced over to the two Urizeni magicians taking their lunch nearby while their ushabti continued to clear away the spoil from the morning's digging. They seemed interested but unconcerned, and Navil took that to mean they didn't consider the figure a threat either.

Denize wordlessly scooped a bowl of stew and offered it to the peculiar individual. He took it in his oversized hands, and stared at it for a while with his wide bronze eyes. Then in one motion he swallowed the lot, like he was shucking an oyster. Navil was struck by how wide his mouth was when he opened it fully, how large and blocky his teeth were, like menhirs.

“Good,” he said, the first words he'd spoken. “Thank you.” Neither of them could place his accent.

“So we've seen you watching us...?” Said Denize, pouring the figure a tin mug of coffee from the pot. “What's that about?”

The figure's wide shoulders undulated in what might have been a shrug. He took the mug of coffee and, in contrast with the stew, sipped it appreciatively and smacked his lips. He didn't smile, though he radiated a certain contentment.

“I wanted to see how it was between you,” he said. He inclined his head toward the ushabti, and the curious Urizeni. Then he narrowed his eyes

“What protections have your employers provided against the... whatever this is?” He spoke sharply, and gestured expansively with the hand holding the coffee mug. It took them a moment to realise he was referring to the oppressive atmosphere that hung over the open spaces of Spiral.

“Oh, the... aye. The thing. The...” Navil lowered his voice to a whisper. “The plateau you mean?”

The newcomer nodded, eyes flicking between the pair of them with an intensity that made them both uncomfortable.

“Well, there's not a lot to be done,” said Denize philosophically. “We usually spend the night in one of the new buildings if they're close enough, and if the mithril net has been installed we get a good night's sleep. Otherwise we just look after each other as best we can. Navil here -” She nudged her friend with her elbow “- stumped up a donation and got himself an anointing before we left the city so he's alright. And I've got the touch of Autumn so I mostly can't be bothered with it...”

She touched her own curling horns with one finger in illustration. Their visitor glowered in the vague direction of Apulian. He finished his coffee, and put the mug back next to the pot with surprising delicacy in his thick shovel-fingers. He frowned, and both Denize and Navil tried very hard not to step back. It was not a happy expression on his craggy face.

“So, there are tools available to protect you from this... this this,” he gestured again and his frown deepened. “And yet you are expected to purchase your own protective gear? Your employers pay nothing toward this? Despite the fact they know the danger of working in this place?”

Denize and Navil exchanged a look. “Well, we get paid....” began Denize but the odd fellow cut her off.

“Aha. So they pay you additional wages above what you would expect in less... this then?”

“Not really,” said Navil philosophically. “Same shit different shovel, you know?”

The newcomer actually growled at this, a low rumbling that began in his feet, rose up through whatever served as his belly, thundering into his barrel chest. His eyes flashed. Denize put her bowl down and rested one hand on her blade, but Navil remained annoyingly collected and watched with interest to see what the fellow would do next.

What he did was pull out a lozenge of slate from somewhere about his person, and a length of what looked like slightly luminous red chalk from behind his ear. He made a note, then put both away again.

“Right then,” he said. He'd clearly made up his mind about something. “Once you've finished your break, I'd very much appreciate it if you could show me where you labour and talk to me about how the work is going, and at the end of it I will give each of you five rings for your time. Is that acceptable?”

Navil looked at Denize, who nodded. Five rings was five rings, after all. And despite his peculiar appearance and odd manners, she could feel herself warming to this fellow. She held out her hand.

“Denize Paters de Temeschwar, from Temeschwar” she said. He stared at her hand for a moment, then engulfed it in his own massive mitt.

“Baas Sterner of the Coalition of Struggle and Stone,” he said. “From the City of Fire and Stone. Here at the invitation of the Archmage to see how your people build roads.”

A slow, slightly grim smile spread across his face as he released Denize's hand.

“And once I'm done here I'm going up to Apulian and I am going to make some recommendations.” he relished that last word in a way that, again, made Denize de Temeschwar just a little bit uneasy.

Click for pdf version

Overview

Agents of the City of Fire and Stone offer recommendations regarding Pakaanan's Pass and Curstag's Way
Agents of the City of Gold and Lead discuss trades, and changes to the way Ephisis' Scale will operate going forward

Two groups of heralds from the Autumn realm have visited the Empire in the last few months. Several hail from the Fire Mountain Shikal, the domain of the Forgemistress. They have come at the behest of the Archmage of Autumn to offer their expertise to the Imperial Orcs in Skarsind and Mareave (or more correctly, Spiral. After several weeks of exploring Pakaanan's Pass and evaluating the work on Curstag's Way they have presented proposals as to how the City of Fire and Stone could offer their aid.

In other parts of the Empire, agents of the City of Gold and Lead have been abroad, discussing details of ways they plan to improve the functioning of the Ephisis' Scale ritual. They have also been talking about certain deals, and are apparently keen to meet with folk at the coming Solstice Summit in Anvil to discuss the purchase of a certain enchantment of Autumn magic that was made permanent with ilium by the sadly departed former Archmage of Autumn, Maurice de Gauvin.

Ceaseless Hammers

As already mentioned. the Archmage of Autumn, via their proxy Ashborn Trosk, has used the power of plenipotentiary to petition Estavus for aid relating to two large-scale construction projects of benefit to the Imperial Orcs. The heralds involved represent some of the factions in the City of Fire and Stone - the immense volcanic metropolis of Shikal presided over by the Foregemistress. The results of their assessment have been made public knowledge, and present opportunities of interest not only for the Imperial Orcs but for the League and potentially Wintermark.

Clearing the Pass

The Architects of Iron and Stone have assessed the ruins of Pakaanan's Pass in Skarsind
The House of Fire and Flame are prepared to take a contract to clear the pass in return for a significant amount of beggar's lye
The Imperial Conclave can employ the House by passing a suitably worded Declaration of Alignment, and providing the beggar's lye required

Several resolute heralds appear in Sermersuaq, and Skarsind, and set about examining the damage done to Pakaanan's Pass by the Jotun. Two of them at least - soft spoken Architect Noether and delicately armoured Assessor Hedymarr - have visited the Empire before. They are agents of the Architects of Iron and Stone, a guild of engineers from the City of Fire and Stone.

They work quickly at their task, and after a month of assessment and examination they deliver their findings. Assessor Hedymarr, resplendent in segmented crimson armour, does most of the talking. The damage to the pass is extensive, but not especially complicated. The heralds of Adamant helped their Jotun allies by "simply" causing several of the flanking mountains to "close" around it. The job would primarily involve removing prodigious amounts of collapsed mountain, and ensuring that in the process they do not trigger any new landslides. The Architects of Iron and Stone will not do the job themselves - they are consultants not labourers - but the House of Fire and Flame are prepared to take the contract They would deploy sufficient rondures to clear enough of a pass for an army to pass through relatively comfortably and where an army may pass, roads and traders can quickly follow.

The house does not work for free, of course. A Declaration of Acceptance would need to be approved by the Imperial Conclave, accepting the offer of the House of Fire and Flame to clear the pass. In return they demand two hundred and fifty measures of beggar's lye, payable in advance by whomever raised the Declaration, as well as rights to claim any valuable minerals from the rubble they clear. This offer remains available until the start of the Summer Solstice 387YE, at which point the Empire would need to renegotiate a new deal with the Bronze Artisan. OOC Note: The character raising the Declaration of Alignment would need to ensure the 250 measures of beggar's lye was in their inventory after the event the declaration was passed, and e-mail plot@profounddecisions.co.uk to ensure it is not missed.

Leading the Way

The Coalition of Stone and Struggle are interested in helping the League and the Imperial Orcs complete Curstag's Way in southern Spiral

While Architect Noether and Assessor Hedymarr are busy in the north, another emissary of Estavus appears in the south. A sturdy, almost square creature, as wide across the shoulders as it is tall with tree-trunk limbs and wrapped in heavy iron appears at the gates of the Palace of Apulian and waits patiently to be admitted. It is a baas - a leader - of the Coalition of Stone and Struggle, one the greatest collections of labourers in the City of Fire and Stone. The Coalition is prepared to assist the Imperial Orcs and the League with the construction of Curstag's Way. Ashborn Trosk has informed Estavus that the coffers of the Imperial Orcs are dry, something which makes the herald rumble grumpily that hard work demands fair payment - and that if the powers that be want something badly enough they can always find the money to pay for it. However, there are more forms of payment than just money.

By the assessment of Baas Sterner, as the Winter Solstice dawns there are 38 wains of white granite, 14 wains of mithril, and 205 crowns worth of labour outstanding on the project. He makes three proposals.

Labour

If the League vote to allow the Coalition into their businesses, the Coalition will provide 100 crowns of labour towards the construction of the new road
The Chambers of Commerce of each city are to be consulted with the aid of the Civil Service
This opportunity is available only during the Winter Solstice

On the matter of labour, the Coalition of Stone and Struggle are prepared to work alongside Imperial labourers, but not replace them entirely - they are not interested in stealing the livelihoods of fellow workers. By Sterner's assessment their assistance will cut the labour costs significantly - effectively covering 100 crowns of the remaining costs. In return they want permission from the chambers of commerce of the five League cities to send some Strugglers - a title that combines elements of recruiter and agitator - to talk to workers and labourers, employed in their businesses.

The civil service express caution about this apparently simple offer. Wages for construction workers have risen sharply in recent times - as a direct result of the recent influence of Day magic. The Coalition seems to be very much in favour of elevating the standing of labourers and builders. Unlike many other "guilds" from the City of Fire and Stone, they seem to be motivated as much by a political agenda as by pure economics. Allowing them access to the cities of the League risks raising construction costs in those territories even further - indeed that could easily be their real goal. Whether they succeed or not is another matter - the League National Assembly in particular might have some ability to influence the outcome.

The decision to allow the Coalition Strugglers to enter their businesses and talk to their workers would require the collective approval of the Chambers of Commerce in each League city (that is, the agreement of the majority of business owners). To help make a decision, the League egregore has asked the Imperial civil service to distribute additional voting bonds to every League citizen with a business. There will be a public meeting at the Plaza at 3:30pm on Saturday, immediately after the senatorial election. This meeting will allow business owners to discuss whether they collectively wish to allow the Coalition to enter their premises. If there is support for the idea, then at the end of the meeting, business owners of the League will take a vote on it, with each merchant having the same voting strength they do when they're giving someone a Bourse seat to run. If the vote passes, the egregore will pass a formal invitation to the Coalition.

Metal and Stone

For every 17 measures of ambergelt sent via Ephisis' Scale, the Coalition will provide one wain of white granite for the road
For every 19 ingots of orichalcum sent via Ephisis' Scale, the Coalition will provide one wain of mithril for the road
This opportunity remains available until the end of the Spring Equinox 387YE

That still leaves a potential shortfall of white granite and mithril. The Coalition have their own supplies of such materials but they are not about to give them away for free. They would sell them to the Empire however, delivering them directly to the civil service managing the construction if they are paid. In return they want large quantities of ambergelt or orichalcum.

To facilitate the trade, during the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, any Ephisis' Scale box that contains only ambergelt or orichalcum and a token bearing a depiction of the Mountain will be delivered to the Coalition. For every seventeen measures of ambergelt received, they will contribute one wain of white granite directly to the road. For every nineteen measures of orichalcum they purchase, they will contribute one wain of mithril directly to the road. Each contributor will receive a receipt in exchange for their goods, if the Empire plans to reimburse them in some way. In the event they receive more than they need, they will work something out but Baas Sterner just shrugs his immense shoulders when asked what form that might take.

Brilliance

If the Imperial Senate relinquish the Brilliant Shore to the Imperial Orcs, the Coalition will increase its production by 4 wains a season
This will also raise taxation in Skarsind by 5 thrones a season for as long as the white granite quarry remains an Imperial Orcs national position
The burst of prosperity provided will increase personal income of Imperial Orcs by 2 rings a season for at least a year
This opportunity remains available until the end of the Autumn Equinox 387YE

The third proposal made by the Coalition herald has nothing to do with the road itself, but with Ashborn Trosk's assertion that the Imperial Orcs, as a nation, are "broke". Baas Sterner accosts the first group of Imperial Orcs he can find, with a proposal to pass to their people. The herald is aware that Skarsind contains one of the largest sources of white granite in the Empire - the Brilliant Shore. He takes it as a personal affront that the quarry is not under the control of the folk who work there - in this case the Imperial Orcs. However, he points out that what has been relinquished once could be relinquished again - a precedent has been set after all.

If the Bourse seat were to be relinquished again, and the move approved by the "Imperial Baas" (by which he means the Throne - a requirement for any relinquishment) then the Coalition of Stone and Struggle would be prepared to labour alongside Imperial Orcs to improve and work the quarry there. As long as it remained an Imperial Orc national seat, and the Conclave did not declare enmity against the City of Stone and Fire, the Coalition would claim mundane stone and ore from the workings there and in return, help increase the production of the Brilliant Shore from 26 to 30 wains of white granite each season.

In addition, if the Brilliant Shore were given to the Imperial Orcs, the Coalition would work with Imperial Orcs across the territory to help them set up new businesses. Wealth would flow as a result, both to the Imperial treasury and to the Imperial Orcs themselves. As a result, taxation produced by the territory would permanently increase by 5 thrones a season, and the personal income of every Imperial Orc character would increase from 18 rings to 20 rings for at least the next year and potentially longer.

Baas Sterner knows that politics takes time, especially when it involves the Imperial Senate, and so this particular offer remains open until the end of the Autumn Equinox 387YE.

The City Gold and Lead is made up of hundreds of interlocking markets and bazaars, and the exchange of goods and services thrums through its streets like a heartbeat.

The Markets

Agents of the City of Gold and Lead have been abroad in the Empire discussing the use of the Ephisis' Scale ritual

The three merchants from the City of Gold and Lead that appear in Anvil shortly before the Winter Solstice are quick to point out that they are not here in response to a plenipotentiary of the Archmage of Autumn. Rather, they are here on business for the City and its markets, with particular regard to the recent trade facilitated by Imperial magicians. The experiment with Ephisis' Scale has proved successful from their point of view, and they are keen to see the trade with the Empire continue.

A Matter of Time

The heralds have made adjustments to the way they assess the boxes delivered by Ephisis' Scale
Starting with the Winter Solstice they will endeavour to deal with boxes received on Friday before those received on Saturday

When a box is sent to the City of Gold and Lead with the Ephisis' Scale ritual it passes through several hands. Its contents are assessed, and offers collected, with the best being presented to the magician who cast the ritual. Previously, due to the vagaries of time that the Autumn Realm experiences, the boxes have been dealt with in an ad hoc order. In an effort to reduce uncertainty, the brokers of the City commit to attempting to clear the boxes in a slightly different order. When the bazaar begins at one o'clock on Sunday, the new Broker's Boxes will be dealt with first. After that, they will call all those boxes that were sent on Friday. Only once all those boxes have been called will they call the boxes sent on Saturday.

Representatives of the Assayers of Sand and Wind (a guild of the City of Gold and Lead that deals heavily with logistics and efficiency) will continue to assess the situation and propose further improvements to the process if they believe they can facilitate them. After all, the ultimate goal of the City of Gold and Lead is to make it as easy as possible for Imperial citizens to trade their goods with the Autumn realm.

The Perils of Egalitarianism

The City of Lead and Gold are offering three sigils for a Broker's Box - one for each of the three markets that currently service the Ephisis' Scale ritual
A box containing one of the three sigils will be given priority treatment; they will be disposed of first on the Sunday morning
The City plans to auction the rights to each of the three sigils at the Arcane Colloquium
They have asked Herminius of Urizen to arrange the auction in exchange for the right to use an oversized box

At the moment, each box that arrives in the City is treated the same. It arrives in the hands of the brokers of the City of Gold and Lead, is examined and evaluated, and interested parties make offers for the contents. The agents of various markets associated with the ritual then serve as go-betweens with the magicians who sent the boxes to the City. This is all very fine and egalitarian, but it does not recognise that some merchants do not have the time to wait around for their box to be randomly selected. With that in mind - and after discussion between brokers and agents - a new service will be available beginning at the Winter Solstice 386YE. It will continue to be available until the Autumn Equinox 387YE at which point its effectiveness will be assessed.

Each market currently working with Ephisis' Scales will offer a Brokers Box to Imperial magicians. Three sigils, one for each Brokers Box, each bearing the respective market's name will be made available for purchase. Pending permission from the Autumn Archmage they will be auctioned during the Autumn segment of the Arcane Colloquium. The heralds have asked Herminius of the House of the Wanderer to oversee the auction, and deliver the proceeds. In return, he will receive an over-sized box for the year by way of payment.

A broker's box - that is a box that contains one of the three sigils - will function exactly like any other Ephisis' box except that they will be the first box called by their respective markets.

Three markets are currently supporting the ritual in the Empire, and they have different interests. The Silent Market deals in curios, unique items, rare magic objects, drugs, consumables of all kinds, potions, and art objects. The Street of Grains is interested in supplies of raw materials - ingots and measures as well as herbs, crystal mana, and vis. The Third Turn is interested especially in high value items - wains of white granite, mithril, and weirwood, as well as rings of ilium. Obviously any market will deal with any goods - this is the City of Gold and Lead after all - but the brokers are interested to see if the priority boxes are of particular interest to those who deal in the goods they are most concerned with.

Oversized Boxes

The City of Lead and Gold is offering an Imperial magician the right to use a single oversized box when casting the Ephisis' Scale ritual
Bids can be submitted along with other goods when casting the ritual during the Winter Solstice
The highest bid will gain the right to use an oversize box once each summit in the coming year
All losing bids will be returned

There has been some discussion among the brokers about a certain relatively common boon the city has offered in the past - that of the ability to send larger boxes using Ephisis' Scale. Impressed by the enthusiasm of Imperial merchants for trade with the city, the agents of the markets have secured permission to offer the permits required for Imperial magicians to use an oversized box. Such boxes have obvious benefits - more goods can be sent with a single box, and an oversized box can more easily contain larger items such as magic weapons or implements.

One such box has been arranged as a gift for Herminius of the House of the Wanderer, in expectation of his support in arranging the auction for the broker's boxes. A second oversized box will be offered during the coming solstice. Anyone who casts Ephisis' Scale can bid for the right to use such a box by including any number of crowns in their box, along with a scroll bearing the rune Lann and a note of how much money they are bidding.

The highest bid received during the Solstice will secure the rights to use a single oversized box - an Ephisis' Scale box that is 12" in a single dimension rather than 8" in all dimensions - in future castings of the ritual. The right to use an oversized box gives the magician permission to send a single, larger than normal box, once at each summit.

All unsuccessful bids will be refunded when the magician collects their box. If this opportunity proves lucrative, further opportunities may be presented to acquire the right to use oversized boxes with Ephisis' Scale.

High Value Trade

The City of Lead and Gold is willing to enter negotiations to purchase the enchantment Bound by Common Cause that has been cast on the Wolves of War
They are planning to visit the Crimson Reapers camp in the League at 21:00 on Saturday evening to see if a deal can be agreed

At the previous Autumn Equinox, Crown, a herald normally employed as a buyer by the Street of Grains spoke with Bella Di Sarvos, Purser of the Crimson Reapers, about the possibility of a major sale. It appears they discussed the opportunity for a face-to-face negotiation for one or more potentially very profitable deals. It's not clear precisely what was discussed, but Crown appears to believe that the City might be offered an opportunity to acquire the specific permanent enchantment, Bound by Common Cause, that has been cast on the Wolves of War.

This ritual has a lot of history behind it. It is one of very few permanent enchantments that currently exist in the Empire and was created in Autumn 378YE by the Archmage at the time, Maurice de Gauvain. He took advantage of a specific conjunction that made permanent enchantments easier to create, and made the ritual on the Wolves of War permanent. Legend has it that the archmage was only able to acquire half of the still-considerable amount of ilium needed for the ritual, but managed to broker a deal with the Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges to borrow the outstanding amount. Wisely, the archmage found a way to pay the loan back before he defaulted it, much to the displeasure of the Lord of the Loom, who by all accounts may have had designs on the army itself. Maurice died under tragic circumstances while fighting alongside the heroes of the Empire against unliving horrors invading Dawn. The enchantment remains part of his legacy - at least for the moment.

Archmage of Autumn Maurice de Gauvain, tragically slain while fighting to protect the people of Dawn.

The magic wrapped around the Wolves of War has served the Empire well in the years since, but with the power of the ritual permanently warped by the recent conjunction, perhaps now is a good time for the Empire to try and recover their investment? The ritual is still useful, but perhaps the Wolves of War benefit from the flexibility of being able to benefit from different enchantments in different seasons?

Crown is intending to make his way to the Reapers' camp at 9pm on Saturday to see if an agreement will be reached. They have been procured a vessel to hold the enchantment, (it would normally require Thief's Arcane Gambit at magnitude 120 to move the permanent Bound by Common Cause) and would be prepared to purchase the ritual there and then, assuming that the general of the Wolves of War is present.

In its place they offer one of the following;

A single Tear from the Crying Star - this comet has not been seen in Imperial skies for the best part of a century, but its appearance usually harbours good fortune. It is said to scatter "tears" in its wake, huge drops of silver ilium that fall to earth. This one is the property of Towers of Calx and Coom and according to Crown it contains 82 rings of pure ilium. The civil service have confirmed that the Tear could be melted down into standard ilium ingots if the purchaser wished.
The Marching Banner - the pole of this Mercenary Banner was created over a century ago by a Dawnish weaver called Yvelle Silver-Eyes, and infused with ilium. Yvelle was a cambion who was notorious for their avaricious nature. They apparently made the banner in an attempt to convince their earl of the benefits of a more pecuniary outlook. They passed their Test of Mettle but failed in their broader goal and the pole was later acquired by the City of Chains for an unknown price.
The Immaculate Architect - this powerful ritual was created by Jarmish magicians centuries ago. Imperial magicians owned a copy of the ritual once, but the text ended up with the Thule who undiplomatically refused to give it back. This offer would be for a copy of the ritual text, which could either be put into Imperial lore, or studied to master the ritual as the General of the Wolves of War decided. It is not clear who the seller would be.
The Celestial Arch's Favour - the Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges holds a marker for a favour owed to the city by the Celestial Arch. Last time the Empire owed the Prince of Ties a favour he called it in to demand that they disseminate a powerful war ritual from Imperial Lore. The text was turned over to the Jarmish, causing considerable diplomatic problems. Threadweaver has indicated that if the general of the Wolves of War freely gives him the permanent enchantment, then he will consider the favour paid in full.
The Ring of Stones - this ring is a powerful artefact, that was made for the Sovereign Lord of the City of Locks by the Forgemistress. The Bronze Artisan set a single stone, taken from each of the great cities of the Autumn realm into a ring to create a powerful talisman. According to Crown, any mortal who wore the ring could invoke its power once a day to gain two additional ranks of Autumn Lore for the purposes of performing a single ritual, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. It is not clear why Basileia would be interested in selling the ring now, but it may be linked to her latest transformation.

It is clear that Crown does not have this kind of wealth to call on personally, indeed it seems very unlikely that the Street of Grains who normally employ the herald have such valuable prizes in their vaults, given that they normally deal in supplies of raw materials, mostly ingots and measures, mana, and vis. The herald is honest about the fact that they are freelancing, and is fronting for one or more wealthy patrons in the Autumn realm. They have refused to reveal who the offers are from, all they will say is that they guarantee that the enchantment will not be sold to anyone who is currently at war with the Empire.

Only the general of the Wolves of War can agree to the offer, and they would need to be present, for the exchange to be completed anyway according to Crown. The herald is assuming that the Reapers can ensure that the general is available, if a deal seems likely. The herald cannot remain long, but is always happy to discuss business while they are there, with the Reapers and their guests. He stresses that he won't be able to agree to any other offers at the time, but he will take an offer back if he thinks it would be of interest to another denizen of the Autumn realm.