Pride in the Marches

"So William Guildenstern's a folk hero now. Like Tom Drake and Jonah Gold and what have you."

Pike stared at his rod but it obstinately refused to move. He'd readily agreed to come with Bridge for the day but he was starting to regret that decision. Bridget Fisher had three fat yellow perch in her basket while his looked like he'd spent the morning straightening daisies. It was always the same when the two went fishing, but it was still grating on him. "Says Who?" he demanded tersely.

"Says the Assembly. You know all the priests and everything, down at Anvil."

Bridget Fisher had an unremittingly sunny disposition. It was one of the things everyone liked about her. It was one of the things Pike liked about her. Still it was easy to be sunny when you'd caught your tea before the first rays of sun had appeared. It was midday now and he had a nagging feeling he was going hungry tonight. "What sort of folk hero goes around putting on airs and graces?" he groused.

"Airs and graces? Have you ever met our William? He wouldn't know a grace if it kicked 'im in the 'ead."

"Well, why dun't he call himself Bill then?" Pike demanded. It was a cheap jibe, but it suited his mood right now. "A proper Marcher name. Should be Bill Guildenstern shouldn't it? Anyway - what's he dun to be so impressive? Why's he a folk hero?"

"Star fell on him. Apparently."

Pike never could catch fish, but he could sense an opening at fifty paces. Bridget was on weak ground, time to press the attack. "Right, so Bill Guildenstern is up there with Thomas Drake who killed Alderei the Bleeding Fair and Jonathan Gold who didn't let dying stop him fighting for the Mourn because a star fell on his head? A bottle of dark ale fell on Drew Miller's head last week when that wonky shelf he put up collapsed on him. They gonna make him a folk hero?"

"It was his chest I think. And Jonah ain't short for Jonathan so that doesn't work. You're being ratty and you know it. William Guildenstern has done loads of other stuff. Loads of stuff. Oh shit." Bridget jumped to grab her rod before she could explain exactly what the loads of stuff were. It was jerking around like a frit pig.

"Unbelievable." was all Pike could say as he watched his best friend reel in a fish the length of her forearm.

"Nah it's true. He has. He's dun loads of stuff." Bridget knew perfectly well what Pike was unhappy about but she seemed to genuinely want to talk about Guildenstern for some reason.

"Well they should have told us what he's done then shouldn't they? And it better not turn out to be a shopping list of titles he's had. It'd better be things he'd dun, not things he's been. The point of saying someone is a folk hero is so everyone knows what being a hero looks like. It's so they know who to look up to. Who to help. Who to emulate. For that we got to know what they done. Or what they're doing."

"Who to emulate? Pike Bailer! Are you putting on airs and graces?" Bridget grinned at her old friend. She never won their arguments, but a chance to needle him was too good to pass up.

"I'm serious Bridge! If there's an honest to goodness folk hero around the place then it's a bloody good idea to let everyone know about it. Folk need a bit of good news right now, with Jotun in the marshes and everything else. That's the sort of thing gets people fired up. But we ain't got owt to be fired up about, if they don't tell us what he's a folk hero for."

Bridget dropped the large yellow fish into the empty basket. "You'll have to take this one," she apologised, "there's no room in my basket. C'mon lets get back. I'll tell you what William Guildenstern has done, and you can tell me what you're gonna do to "emulate" that."

It was just bloody typical of Bridget Fisher. This was why everyone liked her. Pike contemplated saying no but this was one argument he was not going to win. Not against the hero of Pike's Pond.

Overview

Pride in small things, Loyalty to great ones. That's what they always say when people talk about the Marches. But Pride in what? And Loyalty to what? That's the sort of thing people go to war over if you're not careful. There's a lot going on in the Marches on the way to the Summer Solstice, a lot to be proud of but also a lot to worry about. The reward for a good job is more work, and if you want a job done give it to someone who's busy, as they say.

It's time to take stock. Of the situation in Mitwold; worrisome developments in the Gullet; questions of folk heroes new and especially old; hauntings in Bregasland; and the overwhelming question of the large number of heretics in the Marches (also know as the Marcher orc population); and the scions of Red Walder who have apparently failed to get the message that now is not the time, who are engaging in peculiarly targeted rowdiness that needs nipping in the bud before it spirals out of hand.

So let's start at the beginning, then, with the war in Mitwold...

The households of Mitwold engage in feuding and bitter rivalry.

Mitwold Triumph

• The Jotun have abandoned Mitwold in the face of the concerted counter-attack by the Empire

At the end of last year the Jotun barbarians broke into the territory of Mitwold, seizing both Oddmire and Meade March and pressing into The Meadows. At the end of last year, five Imperial armies fought to take back what had been conquered, culminating in the Battle of Wayford and the magical chaos that accompanied it. They reclaimed the Meadows, and drove the Lasambrian armies back across Meade March, but it was clear that the orcs intended to fight to keep what they had taken. Only the absence of the Jotun armies that had withdrawn north to Skallahn allowed the Empire their hard-fought victory. It was clear that if the Jotun contributed more of their forces to defend Mitwold - or to press east - Imperial armies would have a major fight on their hands.

The Military Council doubled down, with the Drakes (of course) at the forefront, supported by the Autumn Hammers, the Bloodcloaks, the Green Shield, the Valiant Pegasus, and the Golden Sun. More than ten thousand force of strength joined the Drakes, who also marched with the sungold banners of the Knights of Glory at their side, as did the Green Shield. With the garrison of Forte Fidelis and the beaters of the Marches beside them, they enacted a split strategy. While the Autumn Hammers and the Bloodcloaks took a defensive stance, the remaining four armies thrust into the heart of the Jotun held territory, seeking to force them back and reclaim the city of Meade and Odd's End.

They discovered the Lasambrian Jotun in full retreat. They had already abandoned their defence of Meade, and forced-marched westward back into Bregasland. From there, they swiftly withdrew south into Liathaven and there Imperial scouts lost track of them. The folk of the Marches might characterise their withdrawal as a cowardly rout, claiming they fled with their tails between their legs, but this is far from the truth. Abott Matilda of Becktunn Monastery told a different story. It was, she said, not as if the Lasambrians were running from something, but as if they were desperately running toward something. The most logical assumption is that news of the Iron Confederacy invasion of Reinos had reached them and they were returning to protect their homes.

Not every Jotun fled; some warbands stayed behind intentionally to seek out "a ruck" as the Marchers put it. Others were a little slow to get back across the borders with their ill-gotten loot. Yet the victory of the Empire was bought with a few skirmishes, rather than anything approaching a full-scale battle. On the one hand, few lives lost. A victory is a victory for the Marchers, land is land after-all - but some of their allies grumble that a triumph because the other side ran away is hardly heroic or glorious.

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Tom Drake's Pride

Walls and Statue

Commission Type: Edifice

Location: Meade March, Mitwold

Cost: 25 white granite, and 75 crowns in labour

Time: 3 months

Effect: Repairs the walls of Meade and creates a statue of Tom Drake in the heart of the city Improves the Drum Up Support order available to the Drakes

Availability: One year. Until the end of the Spring Equinox 389YE, or until the general of the Drakes breaks their oath

Special: This commission can be undertaken by the Mistress of Monuments despite the amount of white granite needed

• The people of Meade are Proud that their army and their allies have defeated the Jotun and liberated Meade
• An opportunity exists for the people of Meade to show their appreciation for the Drakes
• Investing in swift repair of the walls, and a statue of Tom Drake, will improve the Drum up Support order available to the Drakes

The Corazón and the Jotun champions between them have looted the heart and soul of the Marches, the city of Meade. They haven't gone out of their way to harm the city, or the people, because that isn't the Jotun way. But they haven't been shy about taking anything of value they can get their hands on. They raided the markets and the warehouses, tore open vaults, took any jewels they could find. They didn't go out of their way to steal old relics or documents - again not the Jotun way - and they've been scrupulous about avoiding anything that might be a burial ground. But the wealth of the city has been decimated. But not ruined.

The people of Meade are angry because they've been robbed and burgled, at swordpoint. But they are overjoyed to see the Imperial armies, with the Drakes marching before them. Tom Drake's beloved army, marching to free Meade from occupation, causes folk to put aside their cares and come out to line the walls and cheer, an inverse rough music. The soldiers that come to Meade, Marcher and otherwise, are showered not with rose petals but with food and drink and comfortable beds. They've lost almost everything valuable, but they've kept what is most precious to them - the Marcher spirit that no bandit can ever steal and no thief ever take from them.

The walls of Meade are broken in places, the gates destroyed, and the scars of the fight to defend the city from the Jotun are still visible. But walls, and gates, can be rebuilt, just as Prosperity can. Because the free people of the Marches can recover from any setback - especially when they have an example like Tom Drake's army to fill them with Pride. As in the Mournwold, as in Bregasland, the people of Mitwold take great Pride in the Loyalty shown them by the general of "their" army, and they are not shy about showing it.

The alders of Meade don't come out and say it, but this is a great opportunity for the general of the Drakes to make a mark in history. Assessing the damage to the walls, it will require 16 wains of white granite to repair them; yet the alders also suggest that it is about time that someone built a proper statue commemorating the Drakes in Meade, or more specifically its founder Tom Drake. Nothing too extravagant - 9 wains ought to be enough to make a nice sculpture you could take the kiddies to see. The repairs and the statue represent a single commission that costs 25 white granite, and 75 crowns in labour, and would take three months to complete.

Despite the amount of white granite, the commission could be overseen by the Mistress of Monuments, Ada Droon Drifting Bough. The actual statue of Tom Drake is the heart of the commission, the repairs to the city are vital but easily done once the materials are on hand. If the Mistress were to commission the repairs and the statue, the grateful folk of Meade would provide all the labour needed for the entire project - removing the requirement to provide any crowns.

Once the statue and repairs were complete, it would also stand as a monument to the Pride and Loyalty the people of the Marches feel towards their armies. As long as the statue stood, and remained in Imperial hands, the Drum Up Support order available to the Drakes would be significantly enhanced, providing a total of 500 natural resupply whenever they took the order in Marcher territory.

The Taken Cup

Appraise foot-the-ball league

Motion Type: Appraisal

Necessary Details: Appraise ways to implement some kind of foot-the-ball league

Availability: One year, until the start of the Summer Solstice 389YE

• The Empire could appraise the creation of a foot-the-ball league to restore the sport's prestige

Meade was looted, but the Jotun had a purpose for that wealth beyond mere theft. Last season there was a report of a treasure train full of stolen treasures from Meade and Wayford including Beater trophy, a symbol of Marcher pride. It's doubtful the Lasambrians realised what they had - it was just a shiny cup to them - but it's struck to the heart of what foot-the-ball means to people of Mitwold (and Upwold, truth be told). The foot-the-ball season has been cut short; even with the Jotun gone there's less enthusiasm for the game than there has been in a while. "We were robbed," as one of the Wayford alders put it, "and we can make more coin. But we can't make another Beater's cup."

Which is fine as a sentiment if it were true. The Marchers certainly can't replace the history and legacy of the Beater's cup, but they surely could order a new trophy. Truth be told the old one was widely regarded as somewhat cheap and tawdry in appearance. But what can be done about the enthusiasm for the foot-the-ball? Would some kind of grand league help? The League have their great game after all, but the problem with that, as one Marcher points out, is that all that messing around doing politics is neither great nor a game. Maybe an appraisal is the answer.

Worrisome Gullet

• The Jotun gave the stolen loot as tribute to the Fjorknae orcs
• Orc warships have turned up in the Gullet
• They are interfering with Marcher and Wintermark fleets

While sporting matters are a concern for the Marches, a bigger concern are the reports of exactly what the Corazón did with the treasure. There weren't many eyewitnesses, but it seems that the reason they were dragging it on a sled to make some formal gift to the folk of Fjorknae. They met an honest-to-goodness fleet of ships at Steward's Landing and handed over the runebox full of stolen loot to what are described as "very nasty looking orcs in scale and chain". Marchers aren't great at judging such things in general, but the witnesses are confident that these orcs had ships and not boats. Jotun with ships? Is such a thing even possible?

Not long before the Summer Solstice, it becomes clear that such a thing is indeed possible. Marcher captains engaged in raiding Kalsea's coast, and Winterfolk providing an escort to the fisherfolk of Westerhal report fast moving ships with uniformly blood-red sails, crewed by armed and armoured orcs. Orcs who are definitely not Jotun thralls. The assumption is that they are Jotun, but the mere fact they seem to be at home on the sea raises questions as to whether they are true Jotun or represent some other sept the orcs have drawn on. They attack Marcher raiders, and engage with the Winterfolk escort, with clear enthusiasm for the fray that suggests a Jotun connection but they are utterly fearless of the sea of the Gullet. They even give the crews of captured or surrendered ships a version of "the Choice" - they can either lay down their weapons and become thralls, to be carried back to wherever the ships came from, or they can "fight the sea" - they're given a weapon and thrown overboard. These ships at least seem disinterested in making warriors of their defeated human foes, and there are disturbing reports of akhlut in the Gullet trailing behind the Fjorknae vessels that give the Winterfolk in particular pause.

Following the Summer Solstice, every Wintermark or Marcher fleet suffers a -2 rank penalty to Raid Kalsea's Coastline, Escort the Fisherfolk of Westerhal, or to trade with the Faraden port of Caitun. At the moment the presence of these ships is focused in the Gullet and the northern Sea of Snow - Marcher and Wintermark ships who sail fast and don't stop for anything are able to outrun the raiders.

These orcs on ships are also an unknown quality. A little over a year ago, the Senate commissioned Graciana i Lòpez i Guerra to look into ways that the Kongegőr could be neutralized. The opportunities she identified had a limited shelf-life anyway, but the addition of this new factor renders them moot. The attack on Skallahn brought the Empire within a hair's breadth of claiming Bjarkey, and the northern end of the Kongegőr. The Jotun are now awake to the very real threat of Imperial armies permanently separating their northern and southern Jarldoms.

Controlling either Bjarkey or Alsterbo is no longer a guarantee that the Kongegőr can be severed. It would certainly be possible to damage it, or to create a bottle-neck where Jotun forces trying to cross it would need to recover Imperial controlled region at either end, but to be sure of destroying the bridge permanently the Empire would need to control both ends. And if the Fjorknae are as comfortable fighting at sea as they appear to be, even that might not be enough.

Fear the Unknown

Appraise Fjorknae intelligence

Motion Type: Appraisal

Necessary Details: Appraise ways to find out more about the Fjorknae

Availability: One year, until the start of the Summer Solstice 389YE

Appraise response in the Gullet

Motion Type: Appraisal

Necessary Details: Appraise ways to respond to the Fjorknae threat in the Gullet

Availability: One year, until the start of the Summer Solstice 389YE

• The Empire knows nothing about the Fjorknae
• There are concerns that fighting on the Gullet will make the coral husk problem worse

The biggest obstacle to assessing the threat posed by the Fjorknae is that the Empire knows next to nothing about them. During their efforts to map the Sea of Snow, Imperial fleets did not cross the Blood Straits between Bryadvik and Fjorknae. The Empire knows there is what looks to be a huge island on the other side, and the assumption is that it is Jotun held. No landfall was made, although a handful of small settlements were visible from aboard ship, but they looked rough and primitive - crude buildings with slate walls and turf rooves. There were signs of industry, though, and vivid red flags that matched the colour of the ships' sails. Of course the banners also bore the image of a monstrous sea-beast of some kind, and so far that hasn't been seen on the ships in the Gullet.

There's also the worry raised by some of the gloomier sorts about the other problem the Gullet is having at the moment. Weird coral husks, that rise in the depths and come ashore to drag helpless victims into the surf. The Fjorknae are churning up the waters with violence and blood in a way that it has not been disturbed for centuries, if ever. Even the Asavean attempt to destroy Meade was mostly fought on land or in the immediate vicinity of the city. Is it possible that the Fjorknae are going to rile up the coral horrors even more? They have been conspicuous by their absence for a little while now, and nobody is so addled by hope that they can imagine the problem has just... gone away.

At the moment, the Empire seems to have limited ability to find out more about what is going on in the Gullet and the threat the new orcs represent. A spy network or smugglers cove needs a certain proximity to the territory where it will be built that means Fjorknae is out of reach of the Imperial Spymaster. The Regario Dossier has no agents that could be assigned there - it's hard to imagine what they might look like - and the Shuttered Lantern would have no idea where to start.

The best suggestion as to what could be done is an appraisal. Either one to find out more about the Fjorknae, or to deal with the ships in the Gullet. These are two very different appraisals, in the opinion of the Prognosticator's Office, and to do both would take two appraisals.

The other possibility lies with plenipotentiary either from an archmage or given Autumn is coming up, from the Stone Smith. The challenge would be working out which eternal to ask about the orcs of Fjorknae and the ships in the Gullet. In the past, the Archmage of Night might have been able to invoke the Caucus Forum to arrange a meeting with someone from the island, but that option is no longer available. Any other eternal will want something of value in exchange for their aid, assuming they have any to offer in the first place.

Some regions of Bregasland are spookier than others.

Bregasland

• The Jotun remain in Bregasland
• The Strong Reeds are lying low in the territory, building their strength for a counterattack
• The Grey Walkers are spreading through Grey Fens to the chagrin of the invading orcs

Last season saw serious fighting in Bregasland, with the Empire ultimately victorious and Graven Rock recovered from the Jotun. In the wake of their victory, the Empire pulled their troops out. All save the Strong Reeds, who have slipped back into the fens and the rushes, and now lie low waiting for another opportunity to strike. The assumption must have been that the Jotun would immediately move to recover Gravenmarch, but in the end... they don't.

There are still Jotun armies here, but they are braced for further Imperial efforts to reclaim Bregasland. In the absence of such attacks, the barbarians simply continue to consolidate their hold over the marshy territory. Although in the process they encounter problems they themselves have created. At the Spring Equinox, news reached the Military Council of Sunne Astar and a quixotic plan to drag one of the stones that make up the Ullsmere Rock dolmen back to Hordalant to inspire the Howling Night. The Jotun achieved their plan, and as near as the Strong Reeds can tell, the left leg of the dolmen has already left Bregasland and is presumably being installed in the kirkje of the Howling Night.

Horror at Ullsmere Rock

• The Grey Walkers haunt Grey Fens and seek to drive out all trespassers
• They are treating the Jotun as trespassers
• Unfortunately they are also treating everyone else as trespassers

What's unfortunate is that what it has left in its wake are a large number of Grey Walkers. Shadow figures, clearly Marchers, wearing garb common in the fens hundreds of year ago, are draped in the tatters of funeral bindings. They slowly and silently seek out "trespassers" and drive them away. Hitting them with weapons causes them to dissipate... but a few minutes later they simple coalesce again a short distance away. They can be exorcised individually, but there are a lot of them. Worse, some of them are clad for battle, deliver potent curses, and are much harder to deal with than the "lesser" spirits.

The good news is that right now, they are causing serious issues for the Jotun in Grey Fen. The entire region has become haunted as the Grey Walkers have spread. The Jotun are no stranger to ghosts, but the ability of their warriors and ghodi to deal with them is significantly lower than that of the Empire. The Grey Walkers are treating the orcs as intruders and trespassers, and slowly eroding the barbarian's control over the entire region. They don't seem to be extending beyond the Grey Fens themselves, at least, but that covers a very large area of marsh. There are Marcher households there, and they are likewise reporting harassment by these spectral creatures. True to form, the Jotun are actively protecting the households - just as they would any other thralls - but it's clear that they're struggling to keep a firm grasp on the Fens.

Get Off My Fen

• The Jotun are slowly losing their grip on Grey Fen
• While this is causing problems for the Jotun, it will also be a problem for the Empire should they retake Bregasland

Something clearly needs to be done, but Grey Fens is currently a Jotun problem. If the Empire retakes Bregasland, however, it's going to become a Marcher problem pretty quickly. While Grey Fens remains under Jotun control, the Grey Walkers are a tenth of the way towards taking the region themselves. What this will mean is impossible to say - but if the region does fall under control of these spectral walkers the one thing it won't be is under Imperial control, making it that much harder for anyone to control the territory.

There is an effective force of 1,000 strength in Grey Fens - each season it will attempt to take control of the region. Any army that issues an appropriate defending order in the territory can prevent the ghosts gaining any headway, and an attacking order will drive the ghosts back and reassert control over the region (as long as it achieves sufficient victory points). But while the haunted quality remains, the ghosts will simply come back next season, and the season after, and keep trying to drive everyone out of Grey Fens. They don't take casualties (although they do inflict them), and anyone actively trying to stop them claiming Grey Fens will not be able to resupply that season.

Notably, the presence of these Grey Walkers is even messing with the magical elements of the territory. For some reason, any magical ward created in Grey Fens - Dripping Echoes of the Fen for example - will not impede the ghosts at all. They will continue to slowly but inexorably try to usurp control of the region, even as the enchantment has its normal effects for everyone else.

Pride and Politics

William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes

• Two judgements of the Marcher assembly related to Pride in a way that resonates with the Marchers

Recently the Marcher Assembly passed two big judgements. The first was about Pride, celebrating a folk hero. It's received a broad welcome across the nation, a bit of good news in dark times. But people can't be Proud of someone unless they know what they're Proud of them for. So they want to know what this folk hero has done to be singled out like that.

The second judgement is also a matter of Pride. Nearly two years ago now the Pride Assembly recognised the leaders of the Ore Hills Rebellion and then the General Assembly narrowly agreed. Now it's down to the Pride Assembly to see if they want to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge the new monument they've just built to remember folks by.

If that happens, it will be a lit match in a dry field. All the arguments about just who should be appointing senators will come boiling back to the surface.

Holding Out For a Hero

William Guildenstern was recognised as a Marcher Folk Hero in 384YE. As my cousin Pipit Boon called out to our people in 385YE; "Let us sing his story for generations to come, across our territories." There is no better time than these - our homes under siege and our territories dividing - to draw Marchers to great Marcher deeds. As a Folk Hero walks among us as General of the Drakes, remember: Jonah Gold made weapons so fierce it turned a war's tide. Odd of Odd's End drained the Oddmire against the Marshwalker threat. Tom Drake struck down Alderei the Fair. William Guildenstern caught a falling star in his chest. All are Marchers, all fought our battles, all did deeds of great renown, all had rivals who would see them fail, and all are remembered in song.

Jedediah Boon, Marcher National Assembly, Spring 388YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority 152-20

• William Guildenstern has been recognised as a folk hero by the Marcher Assembly
• The Marches are eager to hear what act or acts he has done to be inspired by
• It is unclear what being recognised as a folk hero will actually do, it will depend on what the act is

Most Marchers hold three things close to them: a favourite proverb, a patch of land they call home, and someone they look up to. Proverbs are important and an apt demonstration of Wisdom; they allow an important idea to be communicated with as few words as possible. A patch of land to call home is the foundation of every Marcher household, the starting place for Loyalty. But someone to look up to can be important too; it lets people take Pride in the actions of their fellow Marchers, and inspires them to do great deeds themselves.

Last season, the Marcher Assembly upheld a judgement raised by Jedediah Boon which echoed the call from Pipit Boon that William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes and former Senator for Mournwold, was a folk hero. The statement of principle called out several other folk heroes from the history of the Marches and the inspirational acts they had done. People are keen to hear more about this folk hero - and Friar Alyn asks that the Marcher Assembly use the coming summit to recognise the thing William Guildenstern has done that is most inspiring. Something that has been done that the Marchers can be inspired by and rally behind. When tales of Jonah Gold were spread of making weapons, it inspired the blacksmiths to focus on making blades for soldiers; when stories of Odd of Odd's End were spread, it led to beaters tracking marshwalkers and protecting settlements from them. If Guildenstern has done something that people be Proud of and rally behind it just do some good.

Inspirations are a lot like wheat. You need to harvest them when you can, and be aware that they might turn rotten.

Friar Alyn of Hay

Some nations have annals or chronicles to record their inspirations. Some assemblies have rolls or walls to mark theirs. Friar Alyn of Hay pours scorn on that idea. Marchers don't need to keep records of their folk heroes - what's the bloody point? If you have to write their name down to know who they are, then they're not much of a bloody hero are they? In the opinion of the friar, the best inspirations are fleeting. They represent the zeitgeist of the Marches at the height of summer, when the sun is high and there is time to have the proper chats without worrying about the weather.

Rebellion's Ridge

Three years ago, Meri stated on my behalf that we knew the importance of all Marchers working the land, that the Nation must consider the plight simmering over Mourn hillsides. The Pride Assembly agreed. The miners of the Mourn have worked their land for us. They have battled the Jotun, fought off the Howling Bear. They raised rebellions against tyranny twice, were the last ones standing against recent invaders. They work tirelessly to supply our armies, to build our Great Works, braving the Singing Caves and tearing its bounty from enemy hands. They have stood with our Nation since Marcher boots first met Mourn soil. So we too stand with them - we will not turn our backs another year not take their Loyalty to the Marchers, the Pride in their work for granted. We recognise their right to a voice in the leadership of the Mournwold, where the ore runs deep and so many of us have fought together, shoulder to shoulder.

Jedediah Boon, Marcher National Assembly, Autumn 387YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority 208-22

• Rebellion's Ridge has been completed in the Mournwold
• A writ of consecration for the Leaders of the Ore Hills Rebellion on the great work would have consequences
• It would breathe new life into old arguments, long since buried, about who runs the Mournwold

During the Autumn Equinox 387YE, Alfred Aewulfson-Boon, as the Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave, commissioned the construction of Rebellion's Ridge. A great work in Ore Hills dedicated to the leaders of the Ore Hills Rebellion. These exemplars of Pride were recognised during the Winter Solstice 386YE as a group, in much the same way as the Marked. The exemplars were instrumental in the Ore Hills Uprising, and were identified as ringleaders and executed by the magistrates for their role in inciting, and in most cases participating in, the violence that marred Mournwold.

Now, Rebellion's Ridge stands completed. The finishing touches have been made, and the congregations of the Mourn will receive their first doses of liao at the Autumn Equinox. But what next? During the Autumn Equinox 387YE, the Marcher Assembly voted to uphold a judgement raised by Jedediah Boon which drew attention to the plight of the miners of the Mourn.

Resentment between miners and farmers in Mournwold had been simmering for almost three centuries, until it finally kicked off in 326YE.

If the Assembly chooses to pass a writ of consecration for Rebellion's Ridge, then it would inevitably reopen those old wounds. Miners work every bit as hard as farmers, nobody denies that, but they have no say in who speaks for them. That's what the Ore Hills Rebellion was all about. Power, who has it, and who doesn't. The miners demanded that the yeofolk share their power. When the yeofolk refused to let their power be diluted and their traditions lost, it ultimately resulted in bloodshed.

Folks are full of fond memories for the Rebellion now, but it was the most bitter fight imaginable at the time. Any move to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge will force the Mournwold to reckon with that struggle. You simply cannot draw inspiration from a bunch of Marchers who died fighting for something they believed in, without making everyone ask what were they fighting for?. It'll fire up every single mine owner in the Mournwold with fresh demands for a change in how the the territory appoints its senator. And it won't just be the yeofolk who are worried - it'll make every Marcher who thinks traditions are important, worried about where all this is going.

Seriously contemplating a change in how the Mournwold elects its senator is absolutely guaranteed to open a sack full of angry kittens.

Loyalty and Heresy

The scars of Whittle run deep. A people massacred due to zealotry. The Marchers know too well the risks of following your traditions. While the Marchers have no intent of undermining the Synod’s spiritual authority, the fact of the matter remains; A Marcher, A Marcher. Should the Synod proscribe the beliefs of the Marcher Orcs as heretical, the Marches as a whole will defend their neighbours as they would any other Marcher unduly persecuted. To echo the words of the First Empress: “You will take all of us, or none of us.” The Synod may make its choice.

Statement of Principle, Brother Luke, Marcher Assembly, Winter Solstice 388YE, Vote: Greater Majority 146-50

• The priests of the Marches preach of Pride, inspiring both human and orc
• The folk of the Marches are mostly united - the Marcher orcs are Marchers

And talking of lit matches... At the Spring Equinox, the Marcher Assembly voted to uphold a judgement raised by Brother Luke with a greater majority. It called on the Marches to defend the Marcher orcs if things came to a head with the Synod. After the Summer Solstice, inspired by the statement, more than half the congregations in the Marches preached the importance of supporting the Marcher Orcs, and that any attack on them was the same as an attack on anyone else in the nation. "Pride in small things," as the saying goes. The congregations who took this action used their liao to create suitable auras, but in return received gifts of recognition and support from Marcher Orcs and their allies.

It's been less direct than a mandate, but it's had the desired effect. If there was any doubt as to whether the Marcher Orcs are Marchers or not, it's been dispelled. If the Empire sends anyone to attack the Marcher Orcs for their beliefs, whether that be armies or magistrates, the folk of the Marches will resist. The argument that their beliefs mark them as heretics butters no mustard in Mournwold or elsewhere. The nation knew they believed in reincarnation when they embraced them; the egregore knew their beliefs were at odds with doctrine when they recognised them as Marchers. They are Marcher folk, and the general consensus in the Marches is that their belief in reincarnation is not a problem in a nation that firmly believes humans can be reincarnated as trees, or vermin.

When the Generals of the Marches swore their oaths to protect their territories, there was no equivocation about whether they would protect some Marchers and not others. If the Synod moves against the Marcher Orcs, the Marches will resist. With weapons to protect those who won't take them up themselves, if need be. And they will expect the generals to honour their oaths, and if need be fight the armies of the Empire to defend an attack against their own.

Not everyone is on board, but those who are not have the good sense to keep quiet about it. When challenged to explain how the beliefs of the Marcher Orcs can be reconciled with doctrine, one pugnacious Abbott turns the question around, and demands to know why nobody ever asks how Doctrine can be reconciled with the beliefs of the Marcher orcs? The only thing that brands the Marcher Orcs as heretics is the Doctrine of the Howling Abyss that was created less than a decade ago based solely on the spiritual beliefs of the Unshackled - and a belief that is challenged by septs of orcs all over the world.

The Tom Drake Revelation

Hazelelponi of the Shattered Tower is the controversial Lepidean Librarian who commissioned the investigation into the life of Tom Drake.

• Recent revelations regarding Tom Drake incline the folk of the Marches to view the state bodies of the Empire with scepticism
• Inspired by Pride and Loyalty, the human Marchers will defend the orc Marchers

The Marchers as a whole have no patience for people who give themselves airs and graces, but they take a quiet Pride in a number of folk from history. Among those they are proudest of is Tom Drake, the original general of the Drakes who helped put the Military Council together. Recently, the Lepidean Librarian undertook an examination of Tom's life, and the truths contained within were at odds with the popular historical version. Tom Drake fought against Brigit of Dourfell, and led the rebels. He was rightly recognised as an exemplar of Loyalty, always willing to show it to those who deserved it, to the Marches, and to its people.

It's been quiet, but these historical revelations have spread quietly across the Marches and increased Marcher scepticism of what some see as "Imperial excesses". It's nothing like as dramatic as the problems in Bregasland in the wake of the Fishers - but there is a quiet, grass-roots belief that the Marcher dislike of people putting themselves above their peers extends to everyone. Including, arguably, the Senate and the Synod. When push comes to shove, they ask themselves what Tom Drake would do, and the answer is usually some variation of "stand up and be counted", "be Proud and Loyal", and "tell the Empire to go... take itself away... if it comes to it."

What This Means

• The Empire risks a second Cousin's War if they persecute the Marcher Orcs for their beliefs

With these two key factors in mind, the only predictable outcome is that Marchers will defend their orc citizens against the Synod, the magistrates, or Imperial armies. What form this will take is not clear, it will depend on exactly what is tried. There are tens of thousands of Marcher orcs. Their willingness to pitch in, the fact they are never slow to contribute when there's a big project on, and their sheer enthusiasm for the Marches has won them a lot of friends even before the priests of the Marches spoke of the Pride of having them among their number. Then there's the lessons of Tom Drake, exemplar of Loyalty, who would never stand by and let the Empire declare war on his neighbours (or at least that's the current feeling).

This is obviously a problem. For an Imperial nation to reject the rule of law in this fashion - the Synod has the power to declare something heresy, which is a crime. The magistrates are expected to deal with criminals under the law.

What seems clear is that any move to condemn the Marcher Orcs as heretics is likely to trigger a conflict along the lines of the Cousin's War, albeit with most of the Marches lining up against the rest of the Empire, and with those Marchers who regularly visit Anvil to represent their nation potentially caught in the middle.

Pragmatism

• Some Mournwold priests have proposed a "solution" to the problem

So far only one positive proposal has come out, and that's from the Marcher Orc spiritual leader and a couple of his old friends among the priests of the Mournwold. He proposes that while the Synod determines what is a crime, it's the Senate and the magistrates who decide what the punishment is. There are basically two punishments - death and fines. "So fine us," say the Mournwold priests. "Fine the orcs for their heretical beliefs. How about 5 thrones a season that the Marcher Orcs continue to believe in reincarnation, and then maybe we can all get back on with sorting the harvest?" Obviously this is an outrage and the magistrates will do their nut. But a Senate motion to this effect would see 5 thrones a season into the Imperial treasury, and its likely the Marcher Orcs might go higher if they had to especially if their human neighbours pitched in.

While this proposal seem ludicrous, it does highlight at least one potential avenue to try and deal with the problem represented by tens of thousands of Marchers that the Synod seem to deem to be heretics. Ultimately, the Synod does not operate in isolation within the Empire. Nobody is suggesting that the Senate alone can solve this problem, but at the end of the day it is the Senate that has the power to define the laws, and guide the magistrates as to the punishments that arise when those laws are broken. Perhaps some compromise can be reached?

Rowdy Bandits (Conjunctions)

• The scions of Red Walder are causing trouble in Mitwold
• Jyll Longleys is interfering with the Maiden Stone
• Dusty Cobb leads a gang to burn the Golden Fields of Hay

And finally ... the scions of Red Walder are following in their forbear's footsteps and causing a brace of difficulties in Mitwold. Armed by Stephen of Sarcobe (and many Marchers spit when they say his name these days), there's rumours doing the rounds that they've also been empowered by the terrible Jack-in-Chains, the horror buried at the bottom of a well near Wayford. Probably expecting the Empire to be busy fighting Marcher armies, two of them have collected rowdy mobs around themselves and set about causing trouble.

Something needs to be done, and fortunately the Sentinel Gate provides an opportunity for response to immediate problems. Frankly, it might be a bit of a relief to have problems that can be dealt with directly by sticking the boot into some wrong'uns.

The Champion of Prosperity fights for virtue.

Apples First (Mitwold)

• A gaggle of rowdy Marcher rebels are travelling to curse the Maiden Stone
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• The Champion of Prosperity is responsible for stopping Jyll Longleys from cursing the Maiden Stone
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

Jyll Longleys, daughter of the wicked old bandit Red Walder and former flax farmer, has been spotted once again in Mitwold. This time, in the Maiden Downs, moving towards the Maiden Stone with fire in her eyes and plagued with tremendously bad luck, if rumours are to be believed. Jyll and her unruly band are travelling with purpose and are - according to hearsay, rumour, and the best guesses - going to "fuck up" the Maiden Stone. Whether this is by some unknown curse, malicious use of hearth magic, or they're just going to find some hammers on the way there, it will be bad if they aren't stopped.

The Champion of Prosperity, Tom Appleseed, is responsible for stopping Jyll Longleys before they reach the Maiden Stone. If they cannot be stopped, then it will have, at minimum, consequences for farms across the territory. The farms will be able to cope, but it will eat up the profits from the Breadbasket in the territory for at least six months.

The golden fields of Hay are watched over by a Silent Giant.

The Right Thing (Mitwold)

• A gaggle of rowdy Marcher rebels are travelling to burn the Golden Fields of Hay
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• The Keeper of the Golden Fields is responsible for stopping Dusty Cobb from setting Golden Fields alight
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

Dusty Cobb, the old soldier turned monk who has once again taken up the mantle of bandit, has been spotted in the Golden Downs, travelling towards Hay and its golden fields. Though frustrated by bad luck, the shriver of Red Walder has gathered a gaggle of Marcher rebels to them and is travelling with the intent of setting the Golden Fields of Hay alight with good old-fashioned flint and tinder.

The Keeper of the Golden Fields, Nicolas Reaper, is responsible for stopping Dusty Cobb from setting the Golden Fields alight. If they are not stopped, the Silent Giant will no doubt suffer damage from the flames, significantly reducing its production of mana crystals until repaired.