My friends are my estate
"I'm sorry," said Karolin, trying to keep her patience. "But I do not see why this proposal requires a big statue in the middle of it. How does that promote the shipwright's arts exactly?"
Rafe shook his head, grin fixed, hands dancing as he talked as usual. "No, see, it makes perfect sense."
"But it's the mountebank. They may be dressed up as the sailor, but in many ways that makes things worse given some of the resonances."
"Oh for sure," agreed Rafe in a way that made it clear he did not, in fact, agree with his colleague. "But also, think about it. As a mascot for Apulian it's ideal! Let me explain!"
"I doubt we can stop you," interjected Hyame d'Apulian. The orc was leant back in his chair, boots on the table, dividing his time between the conversation and a large box of chocolate-covered cherries balanced on his stomach. Rafe ignored him.
"Everyone talks about Apulian as the fifth city of the League," explained Rafe. "We'll always be the newest city, until the nation incorporates somewhere else, and even then we'll be listed after the other four. Tassato, Temeschwar, Sarvos, Holberg. They all have centuries of history."
"Apulian has centuries of history," interrupted Arius. The Urizen architect didn't look up from the plans scattered across the table between them. They leant forward as they spoke and made a slight adjustment to one of the diagrams. "Indeed, it could be argued that the city has more history than some of the League given my people were here before yours arrived on these shores."
"I don't disagree," said Rafe. "But also no. That was, without offence, Urizen history and that doesn't entirely count. You see?"
"I'm not sure I do..." began Arius, but Rafe continued speaking as if they had not spoken. The robed merrow closed their eyes momentarily, drawing their poise around them like a cloak, and continued tweaking the plans. Karolin noted their lips were quite thin, however, and suspected they were not used to being talked over.
"For hundreds of years it was a glorified town - no offence Arius - and then it was Grendel - and now it's League and I'm sorry but that counts for a great deal. But we're the newest child on the street, here. We've not really claimed our place. We're "the place the orcs came from" - no offence Hyame - and the "city below" where all the night magicians are dicking about - no offence Karolin - and that's about all the rest of the League thinks of us. The Mountebank is exactly the iconic presence we need. The upstart, the clever rascal, the spirit of transformation and... and..."
"Unleashed primal forces and destruction?" said Hyame, even more amused. The League orc dropped his feet from the table and leant forward. "Disguise and concealment? Dangerous emotions? Or given you've chosen the Sailor, a short-lived period of lavish entertainment that leaves you with a sword with no hilt? A blowhard and a braggart?"
Rafe coloured a little, but soldiered on.
"Look, I'm just saying. This is only part of it. I hear people saying we can't compete with Sarvos, or Holberg. We were barely in the great competition for paragons' sake! But I say where's your ambition? What are we even here for if we don't compete with the other cities? If we don't nail our sails to the mast and show them that we are here and we are League!"
"And a statue of the Sailor says all that does it?" Karolin asked quietly. Rafe fell silent, and huffed a great sigh.
"Well, only a bit. Unless... unless..." His eyes flared with light again, and he became animated again. "Unless we build the biggest goddam statue of the Sailor the world has ever seen and stick two fingers up to il Volpe and Sarvos! Then we'd really be sending a message to the rest of the League that we're coming after their crowns!"
As he'd spoken, Rafe had jumped up onto the table and posed dramatically, one foot in a plate of rice and the other on the plans for the new boatyard, two fingers raised in a traditional gesture of defiance. Hyame applauded, only slightly sarcastically. Karolin shook her head, face clouded with doubt.
Arius didn't roll their eyes, and held their peace, and not for the first time wondered why the League was like this, and why they were so drawn to their often misplaced enthusiasms. Not for the first time they promised themselves that when this project was done they would head back up into the mountains for a little peace and quiet... knowing as they did so they were fooling nobody least of all themselves.
Overview
Spiral, for centuries Urizen heartland, now part of the League. The transition has not been entirely trouble-free, but the treaty with the Silver Flame, the non-Imperial Urizen has tamped down the risk of open conflict. Members of the Synod have been attempting to heal the rift, with more positive sentiments emerging from both sides. The League Assembly endorsed Isaia Pavone di Sarvos' statement of principle calling for people to "enjoy the fruits of both nations’ labour together, now and in years to come" with a greater majority. If the Urizen Assembly were a little less enthusiastic about Halkyon of the Myriad Stream's complimentary statement that is perhaps understandable given the circumstances.
Where the two sides have managed to cooperate, the results have been impressive. Projects like Curstag's Way and Damming the Doubt demonstrate what can be achieved for both nations when they work together. During the Autumn Equinox, Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian the Senator for Spiral, proposed a timely appraisal to build on these successes by looking "for ways to draw on the best of League innovation and Urizen wisdom to bolster Spiral's prosperity." The Senate agreed, and as requested Naomi of Virtue's Rest was dispatched to explore opportunities in the south-eastern Empire.
As is ever the case in Spiral, the work is made more difficult by the omnipresent yoke of the Black Plateau. The malignant force that squats at the centre of the territory exacerbates every bad feeling, every doubt, and if not checked seeps into the spirit of anyone who spends time in the territory. Urizen ingenuity in the form of the Block has helped blunt its effects, at least in the remaining spires and in the settlements of the League, but the rocky land between settlements remains difficult and dangerous.
Fleets, businesses, military units and farms are all suffering particularly badly from the effects of the Black Plateau. There's precious little point in trying to help farms, since there are so few of them, but it is clear that one of the simplest ways to boost the Prosperity of Spiral might be to find an approach that could mitigate the problems that the other resources are suffering.
Situation in Spiral
- Relations between the League citizens, and remaining Urizen citizens, are becoming easier
Some have compared the city of Apulian with Temeschwar - a League city with a similar past in that it combines Varushkan Wisdom with League Ambition. While the Plateau remains a problem, recent developments have gone some way towards helping bolster the prosperity of Spiral. The creation of the Bridge of the Air has seen several smaller "skyways" link isolated spires and settlements, ease passage through more difficult areas, and greatly improve trade between and through the mountains. The completion of Curstag's Way, the grand highway that runs through southern Spiral and links Mareave to the rest of the Empire, has likewise done wonders for the wealth of the city of Apulian in particular.
Naomi is the ideal choice to try to bring League and Urizen minds together to work on the problem. She always focuses on finding the most diplomatic possible solution to the problems she is dispatched to examine. She is known to be adroit at identifying options that are best placed to satisfy the concerns of the people affected though she tends to concentrate on the best possible solution to a problem rather than the cheapest or the most efficient.
The timing is also apposite - work on the new College of the Dramaturgical Arts is underway, but the high costs involved have meant progress is slow. The College should prove a valuable boon for the territory, especially for those interested in the arts of Dramaturgy, provided some way can be found to fund the development.
There are several areas, then, that Naomi has explored. The independent city-state of Beoraidh lies just to the south of Spiral and has recently become a "protectorate" of the Sarcophan Delves - a people known for their love of trade and enthusiasm for wealth who are already invested in the Empire. The city of Apulian is expanding and growing in leaps and bounds, clearly benefitting from the fusion of Urizeni and League magical lore. The spires of the highlands are rich in magical understanding, crystal mana, and magical metals.
Night Sailing
- Building a specialised dock in Apulian would remove the penalties suffered by Imperial fleets in Spiral
- It would also provide benefits to Spiral fleets engaged in espionage, scouting, and smuggling
- It could serve as a refuge for an Imperial navy
- It would bring more maritime trade into Apulian and increase taxation by 2 thrones a season
The city of Apulian is a bustling port with an eclectic feel. It grew slowly over the years, but the infusion of settlers, first the Grendel and then the League have ushered in two major waves of expansion. Now the docks are extensive, but syncretised, merging many different styles of architecture, Imperial and otherwise. Trade has grown with it, with more ships from foreign ports as well as vessels from Highguard and the Brass Coast seen entering the harbour.
| Obsidian Shipyard |
| Commission Type: Great Work |
| Location: Apulus, Spiral |
| Cost: 35 wains of weirwood, 25 wains of mithril, 200 ingots of weltsilver, 180 crowns, six months |
Effect:
|
| Special: Increasing the costs to 85 weirwood, 50 mithril, 200 ingots of weltsilver and 405 crowns would increase the benefits to fleets to two ranks rather than one and increase the taxation by five thrones a season |
While the statue of the Sailor is integrated into the Obsidian Shipyards, it is not a rival to the Colossus of Sarvos. On the other hand, Ambition is a virtue and there's no reason it couldn't be a rival to the Colossus of Sarvos... All it would need is a little vision, some engineering know-how to scale it up a little, and a large amount of white granite.
Whoever commissions the Obsidian Shipwrights could choose to increase the costs by 50 white granite, 25 mithril, and 225 crowns, and add an extra six months to the construction. The Sailor would then be a massive figure, gazing indulgently down on the docks and towering over the city of Apulian. Another wonder of the world! This would increase the level of investment in Spiral's fleets by another rank, fleets engaged in trade with Sarcophan or scouting actions would gain a total of two ranks. It would also increase the taxation by five thrones rather than two and further cement Apulian as a rival to Sarvos, as well as a centre of dramaturgical excellence.
One of the Urizen dramaturgists, incidentally, points out that whether a giant statue is built or not is besides the point because they argue that instead of the Sailor, the best choice for a statue on the Obsidian Shipwrights is the Witch who represents mysteries, common sense, and Prosperity. There's no reason that whoever commissions the construction couldn't specify that the statue should be of the Witch instead of the Sailor - either would work fine (other personae would be too dissonant with obfuscation to complement the work).The looming presence of Black Plateau remains the biggest impediment to further expansion of the trade. Until recently, moving goods and passengers across the Bay of Catazar by sail was preferable to travel under the Plateau's sinister gaze. The creation of Curstag's Way, complete with rest stops infused with mithril, made it easier to move goods by land in the territory. Could a similar solution benefit the Apulian docks?
While the Block protects any structure properly infused with mithril, that's little comfort to ship's crews. Among some of the first people to arrange an appointment with Naomi when she arrived in Apulian were a loose association of ship owners and merchant traders supported by members of the Purple Sail sodality. While most were League citizens, there were a handful of Urizen interests represented as well as some Sarcophan and a merchant from Beoraidh. All were keen to find a way to ameliorate the effects of the Plateau on shipping.
Much discussion between various experts ensues, but in the end it is the seagoing expertise of Danilo di Tassato, a former gondolier and reckoner, and an Urizeni seer, Procopius of the Shadow Moon that provides the answer. Between them they have developed a way to infuse mithril and weltsilver into the hulls and sails of ships to protect them from the Black Plateau by wrapping the vessel in whispers of shadow pulled from the Night realm. According to Procopius, it works because the enchantments woven into the ship make it harder for the Black Plateau to "see" the vessel, which has some rather disturbing implications. Regardless of how the magic works, a night-time trip across the bay in Danilo's converted Sarcophan Bumboat is enough to prove to Naomi and her team that the approach is undeniably effective.
The demonstration draws interest from many, including the Sarcophan College of Silent Voices and the League orcs of the Circle of Black Sand. Working together produces an ambitious proposal that might see Apulian eventually rival Sarvos as a seat of trade. The Obsidian Shipwrights would be an area of the docks dedicated both to building trading vessels, and refitting existing vessels with mithril traceries to protect them from the Black Plateau. A centrepiece of the construction would be a large mithril inlaid statue of the Sailor. This raises a few eyebrows - the Sailor is a specific version of the Mountebank in dramaturgy associated with suspicious gifts, good times, and trouble. Yet they are also an excellent fit for magic that hides folk from unfriendly eyes. It would in no way rival the Colossus of Sarvos... but it might send a message about the Ambitions of the people of Apulian.
The shipyards would remove the penalty suffered by fleets in Spiral due to the presence of the Black Plateau. However, the benefits go further than that. The Night magic would suffuse fleets based in the territory, allowing them to move quickly and quietly, making them excellent spies and smugglers. Every fleet based in Spiral, both League and Urizen, would receive a one rank bonus whenever they undertake a scouting action. Such vessels would also be well received in the Sarcophan Delves, providing the same bonus to any trading action with the Delves - both the city itself, the Betovering docks but also the less accessible, satellite ports allowing improved access to the medicines of Moeraskriden or the contraband of Schedalhaven.
Sadly the approach is not completely without drawbacks - the obfuscation provided by the lingering Night magics would inevitably cause consternation in Sumaash and Commonwealth ports. Both nations are sticklers for the rule of law, with little time for smugglers. The suspicion that such a vessel would be sure to arouse means every fleet based in Spiral, both League and Urizen, would receive a one rank penalty whenever they undertake any trading action with a port controlled by either nation.
This focus on swift, subtle vessels with low draughts means the Shipwrights would be unsuitable for creating an Imperial navy. Built in harmony with the magics coursing through Apulian, however, the Obsidian Shipwrights would provide a safe haven for warships - it would provide the refuge benefit to a navy that docked in Apulian, where the Palace of Apulian provided further protection.
On which subject...
Mellow Mists
| Palace of Mists |
| Commission Type: Fortification Upgrade |
| Location: Apulus, Spiral |
| Cost: 80 wains of white granite, 240 crowns, a year |
Effect:
|
- Naomi's proposal would upgrade the fortification at Apulian to rank two
- Forces using shore offensive or equivalent orders would suffer a twenty percent penalty to VPs
- Bolstering the defences would increase taxation by five thrones a season, offsetting some of the increased upkeep
The sea is the lifeblood of Apulian, but it brings with it additional threats. The Grendel have demonstrated their ruthless capacity to seize Imperial ports with their recent attack on Elos. The Children of Wrecks have been defeated but not destroyed. The Asavean warships that burnt Siroc are still out there. Apulian is protected by the Palace of Apulian but there is a limit to what it can achieve, especially against a maritime threat.
League engineers and Urizen architects have worked together to address the problem that is the flip-side of a lot of Apulian's prosperity. Their proposal is to build on the foundation laid by Salt Lord Kaliact. The beautiful, well-fortified palace takes pride of place near the docks but there is more to expanding it's defences than simply building its walls up. Part of their inspiration comes, unsurprisingly, from the Great Chain of Sarvos, a mighty series of walls, towers, and barracks, coupled with great iron chains attached to blocks of white granite that can be raised or lowered to provide a serious obstacle to naval forces attempting a shore offensive aimed at capturing Cigno. Part of the defence incorporates a similar set of obstacles, but thanks to the ingenuity of both Urizen and the League there is more to their plan.
The Dripping Echoes of the Fen is a useful ritual that weaves wards of obfuscation and misdirection through an area of marshes. While Night magic is generally of limited usefulness in a war, the resonance of obfuscation presents several opportunities to protect against assault. Urizen Seers calculate that it would be possible to permanently tap into some of the rich veins of Night magic that now permeate the city, and focus it across the coast of Apulian.
Keen eyes study the effectiveness of the walls of mist that surround the Lyceum, and the involvement of the eternal Sadogua in protecting that place. Heralds of the Black Sloth have been sought out - some Urizen make the long trek to the Marches to put some of those celebrating the wassail there on the spot - and it seems that the Globbersnotch has provided some advice on ways to make the most of the magic in Apulian. While being a little shifty about Night magic and its relationship to the sea (recent historical research into the nature of eternals associated with the sea might provide some insight here).
Under the proposal, the Palace of Apulian would become the Palace of Mists, capable of calling up confusing fogs to misdirect invading ships and even armies attempting to attack Apulus. It would become a fully effective level two fortification, and in addition, any force attacking the region from the sea - any navy and armies using shore offensive - would suffer a 20% penalty to VPs.
The palace would require 80 wains of white granite and 30 thrones in labour costs, take a year to complete. It would increase the upkeep of the Palace by an additional 10 thrones each season, however, the presence of such a powerful defence protecting the port and the ships using it would boost trade in Spiral. As a result the taxation of the territory would increase by five thrones a season, offsetting half of the increased upkeep.
Swords Against Darkness
| Swords Against Darkness |
| Commission Type: None |
| Location: Spiral |
| Cost: None |
| Special: Requires a statement of principle in support of raising swords against the darkness to pass the League and the Urizen Assembly in the same season. |
Effect:
|
| Swords Against Darkness |
| Venture Type: Questing |
| Location: Spiral |
| Availability: The League, Urizen and Dawn |
| Duration: One year |
Rewards:
|
Special:
|
- The League and Urizen national assemblies could use a statement of principle to create a new questing venture in Spiral
- If enough military units undertake the venture over the next year then it will increase taxation by 6 thrones a season and remove the penalty on Spiral military units
One of the challenges in Urizen is that after three decades of war, and the chaos that followed, and the influence of the Black Plateau, the places between spires and outside the walls of Apulian and Ballaghadruh, are filled with unknown dangers. Of course there are dangers in many of the less travelled parts of the Empire, but Spiral is particularly afflicted.
The Lost is the common term for those folk whose minds and spirits have been undone by the baleful glare of the plateau. They are not the only threat however - there are still remnants of the Druj insurgents and Grendel invaders, small groups of orcs belonging to neither nation hiding out in the wilds. There are also rumours of disciples of Sulemaine i Taziel hiding in the nooks and crannies of Spiral. These former sword scholars have decisively split with the Empire and represent a real threat to those who remain loyal. All in addition to the usual threats posed by dangerous creatures from the realms, unliving horrors, bandits and outlaws, and allegedly even some rogue ushabti.
Most spires are sufficiently well-defended to be protect them against incursions and the city of Apulian is far too large to be threatened. As a result, many inhabitants of Spiral have been able to ignore these threats - the League can go about their business in Apulian, while the spires communicate via the heliopticon, and keep to the most well-trod routes when travelling. As a result, thus far, it has not been a pressing problem.
Just because the threat is not urgent does not mean it is not important however. The Urizeni are having to employ extra sentinels to keep their spires safe - and can only travel abroad in large well-protected groups. League merchants moving cargo down the Great Apulian Way are struggling to hire enough guards to protect the caravans. Everywhere you look, there is a need for competent warriors to keep loyal Imperial citizens safe. To many that's just life in Spiral - but to Naomi, it's a subtle but pervasive tax on the Prosperity of everyone who lives here.
After a lot of work persuading some of the wealthier Apulian merchants and key arbiters, Naomi is able to persuade them to back an attempt to solve the problem. The solution is simple enough, and for once, Naomi 's idea requires relatively little upfront investment. If the Empire can muster enough military units to directly attack the threats in Spiral, then that the inhabitants of the territory would be able to get on top of the problem. If that could be achieved, it would only need a little support on an ongoing basis to keep the threats under control. Naomi likens it to weeding an overgrown garden - it requires a lot more effort to get the weeds under control than it does to keep it that way.
If her proposal is successful, then it wouldn't just help to make Spiral safer, it would boost Prosperity and taxation in the territory and free up numerous sentinels, and bravos to find work elsewhere, which would make efforts by military units based in the territory more profitable. The challenge is logistics - getting enough volunteers for the dangerous work won't be easy.
For that to happen, will require a suitably worded Statement of Principle in support of the venture in both the League and the Urizen Assembly. If both passed in the same season, the proposal would draw enough support from both League and Urizen backers to be viable. That would create a new questing venture, Swords Against Darkness, which would be available to League and Urizen military units (and Dawn since it's more trouble than it's worth to keep their glory hunters away from a quest). With the backing of wealthy patrons, the venture would provide 3 mana crystals and two liao to any standard military unit taking part. A military unit with at least 200 effective strength (from upgrades or rituals) would receive a Circlet of Falling Snow as part of their rewards. The potential returns aren't great - but of course the Senate could always apply the Guerdon to the expedition.
The venture would last for a year - but if at least 2000 strength of military units undertook the venture on three seasons out of the four, then the venture would remain available for the foreseeable future. If that happened, then the taxation of the territory would permanently increase by 6 thrones a season and the current penalty to military units from the Black Plateau would be permanently removed.
Given the plan needs the support of enough military units over the coming year, there's a brief discussion of whether it would be easier to just send an army to do it. It wouldn't be a cheap option - armies operating in Spiral suffer badly, but the idea is abandoned when the real cost becomes clear. Sending in an army to attack hundreds or more enemies is almost certain to rouse the Black Plateau still further. Dozens of small scale operations to hunt down dangerous individuals will be fine - an attempt to have thousands of soldiers comb the mountain side would not...
Spiral and Zenith
- Building a road to connect southern Spiral with Zenith could bring significant benefits
- The special ushabti created at the Crucible of Fate would work well in the Legacy
Since it was recovered from the Druj, the Urizen territory of Zenith has seen significant investment in its prosperity. Between the restoration of the Golden Cascade and the establishment of the Crucible of Fate, great wealth has accrued to the spires north of Spiral. Some of that wealth has filtered through to the spires of Spiral - via the Bridge of the Air in particular - but Naomi believes that more could be done. She is very interested in fostering more communication between the arcanists and artisans of Zenith and their opposite numbers in the city of Apulian.
At the moment, while the Bridge of the Air provides benefits to the people of Spiral, the skyway is mostly restricted to the northern and western mountains. However, the success of Curstag's Way presents obvious opportunities. The highway is already proving to be a success, both for its ease of use and the well-protected hostelries along its length. After consulting with Lucia, Sheeva, Tressida and Croilus, Naomi proposes to build on that success - much as the they intimated might be the case when the four first proposed the new road.
The Grendel have laid in cursory highways between Apulian and the Legacy; Naomi suggests that it would be possible to expand those roads, and most importantly the stopping points along their length, up through the Twilight Gate into Proceris, there to connect with a major artery of the Bridge of the Sky connecting the farms around the Golden Cascade to the Crucible of Fate. Running through Apstrus and Ossuary, the route would give Screed a wide berth but would provide a useful trade connection not only for Apulian, but for the spires both in Spiral and Zenith, and potentially to the Imperial orcs in Mareave as well.
Northern Way
| Northern Way |
| Commission Type: Great Work |
| Location: Apulian, Spiral |
| Cost: 50 wains of white granite, 30 wains of mithril, 240 Crowns, six months |
| Special: If the Master of Rings commissions the road 6 wains of white granite will be provided by League citizens |
| Special: If the Urizen Assembly supports the road with a suitably worded statement of principle, 4 wains of mithril will be provided by Urizen spires |
Effect:
|
- A great work investing in roads between Apulian and Zenith would boost businesses in Zenith
- It would also remove the penalty imposed on businesses by the Black Plateau
Naomi isn't worried about what the road is called, apart from to note with amusement that the chances it will be called the Northern Calumo-Sheeva-Nightshadow Highway are vanishingly low. Whoever commissions it will determine how it is referred to in official documents. It builds on the success of Curstag's Way, providing not only a safe and reliable route through the lowlands but plenty of specifically established stopping places for caravans and travellers protected by the power of the block.
The costs will be greater than those associated with Curstag's Way, as it must pass through much more difficult terrain. The immediate benefits will accrue not in Spiral, but in Zenith. Easing trade between Urizen and the League allows the benefits of cargos brought into Apulian to be felt in Zenith, and creates new markets for Urizen goods - especially books and magic items. This would represent another level of investment in Zenith, over and above that provided by the Bridge of the Sky.
Securing a second - and arguably more lucrative - trade route through Spiral to Apulian would also provide significant benefits to businesses and farms in the territory. The impact of the Black Plateau is particularly acute on those moving cargoes overland through the territory. With regular stopping places, and a road to speed travel, this impact would be almost entirely mitigated. The penalty to businesses from the plateau would be cancelled as long as the roads were operable.
The project is expensive, but the costs could be cut slightly if the project has the clear backing of prominent citizens of Urizen and the League. If the Master of Rings commissions the road, 6 wains of white granite will be provided by enthusiastic League citizens. If the Urizen Assembly passes a suitably worded statement of principle in support of the new road then 4 wains of mithril will be provided by Urizen spires.
Dark Depths
- Completing the Northern Way could enable the Architect of the Crucible to employ members of League artisan guilds
- Employing more artisans would enable the Architect to boost production of the Legacy
- It would also restore and extend the ability to upgrade personal resources
The road would obviously run past the Legacy; while the raw mithril here shelters the miners from the dank miasma of the plateau while they are working it still requires the Senate to pay a significant dividend to attract those workers to the location. With an easy route between Zenith and Spiral, however, another opportunity presents itself.
At the moment, the Architect of the Crucible is providing specialist ushabti to the Brilliant Star in Redoubt. These ushabti are designed to operate in the deadly light that infuses the mines, a legacy of Cold Sun. Rather than support the Brilliant Star, the Architect of the Crucible, could instead create a workforce of ushabti infused with weirwood and mithril could to help operate the Legacy. That would boost the output of the Legacy by three wains of mithril at the cost, but production at the Star would drop by the same amount.
What is really needed is a way to expand the output of the Crucible of Fate. As is common with Urizeni structures, the facility is large and spacious; the problem is getting enough skilled artisans to work the forges. Urizen has never been a very populous nation, and there simply aren't enough artisans available to make it worthwhile running the forges night and day.
However there are more than enough League artisans in the various guilds that have moved to Apulian who are eagerly looking for work. If the Architect of the Crucible invited them to travel to the Crucible of Fate, then they could quickly learn how to make ushabti and once they had mastered the arts it would significantly improve the Architect's capacity to create ushabti.
If the Northern Way is completed, then at any time the Architect of the Crucible could email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk and indicate that they are overseeing the creation of ushabti for the Legacy rather than the Brilliant Star. That would reduce the output of the Star by 3 wains and increase the output of the Legacy by 3 wains.
Alternatively the Architect could email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk to indicate that they are inviting League artisans to come to the Crucible to learn how to make ushabti. With the benefit of so many additional artisans, the output of the Crucible would double - the Architect could support the Legacy and the Brilliant Star, increasing the output of both bourse resources.
In addition, the extra workforce would restore the ability of the Architect of the Crucible to upgrade personal resources. With Spiral back in Imperial control and League magicians receiving training in the creation, use and maintenance of ushabti, it would be possible for the Architect of the Crucible to upgrade League or Urizen personal resources in Spiral.
Once each season during downtime, the Architect of the Crucible could select a single Urizen or League character with a mine, forest, herb garden, farm, or business in Morrow, Redoubt, Spiral or Zenith, and commission the artisans at the Crucible to create bespoke ushabti for them. This would upgrade their personal resource by one level at a cost of three thrones for each level it is being upgraded to (so to upgrade a standard resource costs six thrones, while a level three resource would require twelve thrones to upgrade to level four). This is in place of all other costs - no mithril, white granite, or weirwood is required.
Of course the Architect of the Crucible might not want to share the secrets of ushabti with members of the League. That would be a decision that was down to them. But in either case, nothing could happen until the proposed Northern Way was completed.
The Dark Mesa
- The opportunity to build a fortification designed to enclose the Black Plateau is still viable
- The proposal for Oblivion's Edge would mitigate the impact of fighting in the territory for a season
- As long as the Block remains in tact it would also reduce the impact of the Plateau on life in inhabited areas of Spiral
- This proposal completely replaces the previous details for the creation of Oblivion's Edge
| Oblivion's Edge |
| Commission Type: Fortification |
| Location: The Black Plateau, Screed, Spiral |
| Cost: 80 white granite, 20 mithril and 300 crowns in labour |
| Time: 4 seasons |
| Upkeep: 10 thrones |
| Availability: Open-ended |
Effect:
|
Special:
|
As part of their work to assess the threats present in Spiral and suggest ways to counter them, members of the Vigilance Assembly suggested the construction of a fortification to enclose the Black Plateau. Their goal was to wall off access to the area, to prevent people blindly wandering into the most dangerous part of the territory, but also to prevent any opportunity for malicious actors - such as the Druj or the Grendel - from deliberately rousing it to violence by directly attacking it, as the Iron Helms did so dramatically five years ago.
Of most interest to Naomi is the idea that the fortification might include mithril laced into the walls to try and contain some of the fell energies seeping out of the mesa. She has been charged with finding ways to improve the Prosperity of Spiral, but one of the first tenets of the Virtue enjoins people to "enjoy the fruits of your labour". It is harder than it should be to enjoy life in Spiral with the fearful shadow of the Black Plateau hanging over the territory. The more that can be done to contain it - the better people's lives will be.
Thus she is interested in the proposal to fortify Screed, because of the potential it offers to contain some of the fell energies leaching from the heights. The effects are small, but combined with the protections provided by the Block it would make life in Apulian and the lofty spires in the mountains much more liveable. At least it will for as long as the great mithril structure remains in good working order, which should be fine provided relations with the Cinion rebels who control the Block remain stable.
Thus, Naomi has spent time revising the original proposals to bring them up to date with the latest techniques. The fortification would not be cheap - it would require 80 wains of white granite and 20 mithril and take a year to build, but now that the Empire has given Ylenwe amity, Zie is prepared to shield the workers from the Dark Eye's baleful glare so the labour costs would be no higher than normal
The fortification would offer a number of benefits; it turns out the area is not as defensible as first assumed, but the bastion would make the region much harder to take (the region would require 20VPs to capture) and provide a base for a garrison to patrol Urizen. That would be enough to dissuade the Druj or the Grendel staging a lightning raid on the Black Plateau to try and trigger it.
The mithril spines incorporated into the structure would slow the flow of energy to and from the Plateau, That wouldn't completely remove the risks involved in fighting in the territory, it wouldn't even reduce the losses inflicted on armies, but it would mean that the plateau would not be triggered by a single season of campaigning in the territory - and it would mean there might be an opportunity to prevent an eruption if the fighting went on longer than a season. Far from ideal maybe, but still a lot safer than the current situation.
When the fortification was first put forward, there was a suggestion that building it would help to reassure League and Urizen citizens in Spiral that the Empire was not ignoring the dangers posed by the Black Plateau. Interest in the work of the Oblivion Sentinel has only grown since then and after some effort Naomi is able to convince various League guilds to offer 20 crowns in support of the position - to match the five crystal fire provided by the Deathless Caves - but on the proviso that the title becomes a League and Urizeni national appointment - (like the Spider's Tollkeep). It's not these League businesses particularly want to control the title, but they want to know their senators have a say in who holds the position.
The real gains though are the improvements in quality of life for the folks living Apulian as well as the spires, citadels and temples that dot the mountains. Most of these structures are now protected by mithril filigree that shields people from the worst of the Black Plateau while they are indoors. Crucially as the density of buildings in Apulian continues to rise, people have noticed that some of the narrower streets are now benefitting in the same way.
If the fortification were built - then it wouldn't just protect Screed, it would ameliorate the impacts of the Black Plateau on anyone who is protected by the novel architectural techniques developed by Urizeni magicians. It would do nothing for the wilderness - that would remain a treacherous and dangerous landscape, one only the hardy or the foolhardy might contemplate - there is a complimentary offer from Ylenwe that might be able help with that problem. But the fortification would mean that most citizens living in Spiral could go about their business without having to endure the constant pressure the Plateau creates while they were indoors.
That would be invaluable. Naomi calculates that taxation from the territory would rise by four thrones a season, but the real benefits would be to the everyday life of the people who live in Spiral. Their capacity to enjoy the fruits of their labours would be much improved.
Further Reading
- The moth for the star - 387YE Autumn wind of fortune, relating to dramaturgical eccentricities in Spiral
- Daybreak in Spiral - 387YE Summer wind of fortune, discussing events in Spiral as a whole
- Nightfall in Apulian- 387YE Summer wind of fortune discussing events in the city of Apulian
- Damming the Doubt - 387YE Spring wind of fortune discussing options and concerns related to Solen's Doubt
- Our eyes in Spiral - 387YE Spring wind of fortune summarising the situation in Spiral
- Million miles of water - 386YE Winter wind of fortune introducing the opportunity to flood the Doubt