The price of wisdom

"I would not have expected you to be involved in that sword scholar nonsense, Hayna." Pyot stood in the doorway with his arms folded, a severe expression on his face. The woman he was speaking to refused to look up, intent as she was on fixing the tear in the apron. She pushed her needle through the garment and smiled slightly to herself before replying.

"I don't think I've ever actually met a sword scholar." She paused for a moment as it to contemplate the idea and then continued. "I doubt I ever will, really."

"So why give Yarvi such a hard-time? He looked like he'd been mauled by a wolf by the time you finished."

"The wise test what they know, Pyot." She spoke mildly but there was granite beneath her words. "Like a squirrel looking for nuts hidden under the snow. You have to find the right question."

"You made him look a fool Hanya. Why do you do that? He said the Synod sent him... Is there going to be trouble?" The people of the vale knew better than to argue with silver-tongued Hayna, but Pyot was worried. She was a wise one, even if she wasn't that old. But she'd embarrassed the beloved old story-teller in the taproom of his inn, and he felt he had a right to know why.

Hanya put her needlework down and looked up at him. She considered an apology; she knew he and the storyteller were friends, and she'd made Yarvi stammer in front of people who looked up to him. But she realized she didn't feel the slightest bit sorry, so she gave him a firm look instead.

"Test what you've learned Pyot. Only fools accept hearsay as truth. That's what the Way teaches. What it doesn't teach is test what you've learned... unless someone important says otherwise. What it doesn't say is - you have to find the right question, unless the Synod sent them, in which case just let it go."

He took a deep breath, ready to ask another question, but Hayna's look turned frosty and she held up a finger. "No Pyot. I'm not arguing right now. I need to finish this stitching before the candle burns down. If you still have questions... well that's very good. Everyone should be a bulging sack of questions. But you can come back in the morning, and we'll talk about it properly. But make sure they're better questions than the ones you've offered up so far. Give some thought to what it is you're actually asking me, or we're not going to get very far."

It looked for a moment as if Pyot might continue to argue, but she kept her gaze steady, and after an awkward moment or two, he nodded his head once, muttered a good night, and closed the door. Hayna spent a minute or two staring at the door, lost in thought, before remembering that the candle was burning away while she pondered. Mocking herself with a half-smile and a shake of the head, she turned back to her sewing.

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The influence of the Wisdom Assembly should mean that all these mandates need to be upheld with a greater majority to be enacted. However, thanks to the spiritual pilgrimage called for during the Autumn Equinox, for this season only, mandates only need a simple majority to be enacted.

Overview

• Due to the actions of the Wisdom Assembly and the Urizen National Assembly, Synod mandates require greater majorities before they can be enacted successfully.
• After the Autumn Equinox, several mandates that had been upheld failed to be enacted.
• You can learn a bit more about the background to this situation in the further reading section below.

One of the key powers of the Imperial Synod is the ability to enact mandates. Arising from statements of principle, a mandate allows the Synod to influence the hearts and minds of the virtuous, and thus guide the Empire. After the Autumn Equinox, several mandates from the Imperial Synod that were enacted, still failed to find purchase in the hearts and souls of Imperial citizens. The priests charged with enacting them were stymied at every turn by the virtuous themselves, querying the wisdom of their mandate and challenging them to complex debates. The named priests and their supporters did nothing wrong - but they could not move the virtuous while dealing with these challenges.

The General Assembly has laid the blame for this state of affairs squarely at the doors of the sword scholars. While it is true that the heirs of Sulemaine are enthusiastically questioning the legitimacy of the Synod's mandates, their influence is largely confined to Urizen. Everywhere else, the questioning is coming from another quarter. It is the Wisdom Assembly that sent Galene Nethewatch to encourage the virtuous to question what they were told. The sword scholars helped to block the Synod's wishes in Urizen, but it is the Wisdom Assembly that is responsible for the wider failure of the Autumn mandates throughout the Empire.

If the status quo is maintained, nothing will change. All Synod mandates will require a greater majority before they are enacted. Any that do not achieve a greater majority will simply fail. No liao will be lost; no impact will be felt. Mandates are a transitory thing; there is almost invariably only one chance to enact them. If they fail due to the opposition of the followers of Wisdom, then the opportunity is gone.

The General Assembly

• The sword scholars bear the brunt of the Synod's ire, but it was a mandate by the Wisdom Assembly that provoked the challenges to the Imperial Synod.
• To resolve the current situation the General Assembly could condemn Sulemaine i Taziel, overrule the Wisdom Assembly, or both

At the moment, no Synod mandate will be enacted unless it is upheld with a greater majority. While the sword scholars are invoked as being the cause, their influence outside of Urizen is small. The words of the Wisdom Assembly, by comparison move people across the entire Empire. Both those devoted specifically to Wisdom, and those pilgrims dedicated to the Way, are actively challenging priests who attempt to spread word of mandates that do not provably have the backing of their assembly.

To change the situation, the General Assembly would need to identify whether it is the inspiration of Sulemaine, or the call-to-arms of the Wisdom Assembly, that is at the root of the problem.

Ruthless, Indiscriminate, Murderous

• The General Assembly could enact a mandate that condemns Sulemaine i Taziel and her teachings.
• If enacted, this would resolve the current situation outside Urizen but have serious implications for Urizen and the General Assembly itself.

Rafael Barossa du Tassato's description of the founder of the sword scholars leaves little to the imagination. He described her as someone who "taught them to browbeat, silence, and murder any who raised a dissenting voice" and who "would rather strike down a soul seeking the right question than face an unwelcome truth". He urged the virtuous "stand against such narrow minded and dogmatic behaviour". By supporting this statement with a greater majority, it certainly seems as if the General Assembly of the Synod considers the first sword scholar to lack virtue, and that those who look to her for inspiration are wrong to do so.

The General Assembly could take a deep breath, agree with Rafael Barossa di Tassato and condemn Sulemaine as a false paragon, denounce her teachings, and by extension those who follow them. A mandate could be enacted that declares veneration of her "narrow minded and dogmatic" ways to be unvirtuous and dangerous.

The actions of Sulemaine i Taziel embody neither Wisdom nor virtue. We condemn her as a false inspiration - her legacy and her words blind pilgrims to the Way. We must reject her narrow minded and dogmatic behaviour, and disavow this lawless sect whose philosophy promotes silence, shame, and inaction. We send [named priest] with 200 doses of liao to urge citizens to put aside all actions inspired by this murderer.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

This would end the current situation across most of the Empire. Mandates would no longer require a greater majority to be upheld. The Wisdom Assembly urged their followers to look to Sulemaine for inspiration, so passing this mandate would remove their interference with the Synod's mandates at a stroke. Once completed, there would be no further questioning of mandates anywhere except Urizen.

The mandate would not restore the original status quo in Urizen. This is because the nation's assembly recently embraced Sulemaine in the strongest possible terms calling her the "Paragon of Blades" and describing her as the "perfect epitome of the Urizeni spirit". As a result, their influence in Urizen is now sufficiently strong that it is exceeds the ability of the General Assembly to denounce them effectively. The mandate does however have far reaching implications for the sword scholars of Urizen and while it does not by itself declare them to be heretics or blasphemers it paves the way for the Synod to take that final step.

Unfortunately the mandate would have deep implications for the General Assembly itself because it would flatly contradict their own judgement when they agreed with Aspar a season earlier. They said that "Although the Synod has not accepted that Sulemaine meets the criteria to be judged a paragon, it is clear that she taught and practised widely on the virtue of Wisdom. As such she cannot be regarded as a false paragon."

If the General Assembly now reverses its position on Sulemaine, this will raise concerns across the Empire as it begs the obvious question of what other recent judgements might be similarly reversed. A number of important mandates were enacted during the Summer Solstice, at the same time as the General Assembly explicitly declared that Sulemaine was not a false paragon. If so soon afterwards they are now saying the exact opposite then citizens across the Empire will wonder what will be next? Will Dead Reckoning be declared blasphemous? Will the people of Wintermark be condemned for drawing inspiration from the heroic actions of their forebears?

The result of this doubt would be that any future statement of principle upheld by the General Assembly that could be seen to reverse one of the seven other statements given in response to the Gray Pilgrims would have a dramatic impact. Even if it only receives a simple majority of support, it would bring all the questions raised by the Gray Pilgrims back with a vengeance, and could trigger a crisis of faith in the General Assembly.

The Definition of Folly

• The General Assembly could enact a mandate that explicitly overturns the judgement of the Wisdom Assembly.
• If enacted, this would resolve the current situation outside Urizen but raise further questions about the relationship between the General Assembly and the virtue assemblies.

Clarice Novarion, speaking on behalf of the Assembly of the Nine and using more measured language than Rafael Barossa stated that "Debate is necessary and laudable, but obstructing the Synod's capacity to act and guide our citizens on the Way is not." Although she referred to the sword scholars, what many people have read into her judgement was that anyone who wishes "to improve and influence the quality of Imperial thinking" should do so "by participating in the business and processes of the Imperial Synod, not by obstructing its ability to act."

What has obstructed the Synod's ability act across the Empire is the decision by the Wisdom Assembly to urge the virtuous to question every mandate upheld by the Imperial Synod. They passed a mandate calling on all the virtuous to test what they learn and to "despise folly and chastise the fool that spreads it, especially when it is done by those close to you." The alternative to condemning Sulemaine i Taziel would be to rebuke the Wisdom Assembly for this judgement. If the General Assembly "overrule" the Wisdom Assembly then that stop the virtuous obstructing the Synod.

The priests of the Assembly of Wisdom were wrong to tell citizens to question every mandate the Synod passes. While it is virtuous to despise folly, Wisdom knows that all knowledge is incomplete. By urging the virtuous to oppose the mandates of the Synod, the Wisdom Assembly has overstepped its authority. Debate and discussion are tools of the Wise, but they must not be wielded to impede the Synod in its duties. We send {named priest} with 200 doses of liao to remind the Wise that they are part of the Empire, not above it.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

If enacted, this mandate would end the current situation across most of the Empire. Mandates would no longer require a greater majority to be upheld. The Wisdom Assembly urged their followers to question the Synod's judgement but the General Assembly can put a stop to that by publicly overruling them in this way. Once completed, there would be no further questioning of mandates anywhere except Urizen.

The mandate would not restore the original status quo in Urizen since it does not directly address the sword scholars. Given the conviction with which the Urizen Assembly have repeatedly embraced Sulemaine and her followers, it is has become harder for statements of principle passed by the Assembly of the Nine or the General Assembly to affect Urizen.

However the mandate leaves no doubt that the General Assembly have overruled the judgement of the Wisdom Assembly. By doing this, the General Assembly are demonstrating that they have the authority and inclination to overrule any judgement of a virtue assembly that they disagree with. That raises serious questions about the role of the virtue assemblies in the Empire. Directly confronting the Wisdom Assembly in this way begs the question: should anyone listen to the virtue assemblies?

While the General Assembly has clashed with virtue or national assemblies in the past, there has not been such a direct confrontation in living memory. If this mandate were enacted then for the next year at least, any statement of principle in any virtue assembly will not create a mandate that that virtue assembly can enact. It may lead to a mandate as normal, but if that happens, the mandate would have to be passed by the General Assembly. The virtue assemblies would no longer receive opportunities to enact their own mandates themselves.

No Single Cause

Alternatively, the General Assembly could both condemn Sulemaine and overrule the Wisdom Assembly. The Wise accept that a situation can have many causes, after all.

The actions of Sulemaine embody neither Wisdom nor virtue and priests of the Assembly of Wisdom were wrong to tell citizens to be inspired by her. We condemn Sulemaine i Taziel as a false inspiration and reject her narrow minded and dogmatic behaviour. We will not allow the virtuous to be cowed into silence, shame, and inaction. We send {named priest} with 200 doses of liao to urge people to put aside all actions inspired by this murderer, and remind the wise that they are part of the Empire, not above it.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, it has all the effects of both previous mandates.

Competing Mandates: General

These General Assembly mandates are competing. In each case, however, the mandates of other assemblies would need to be taken into account. The civil service assessment of what will happen is based on the assumption that the General Assembly position is not challenged in the Wisdom or Urizen assemblies (at the very least). If that is not the case, then the situation will almost certainly become much more complicated.

The Wisdom Assembly

• The Wisdom Assembly motivated the virtuous across the Empire to question the mandates of the Imperial Synod

The Wisdom Assembly urged the virtuous across the Empire to question the Synod's mandates with a mandate raised by Amnis Johan Menkovich that was enacted by Galene Netherwatch. Since it is the followers of the Wisdom who are responsible for the wider situation, their Assembly is in a better position to address the matter than any other.

To Chastise Folly

• The Wisdom assembly could recant its previous position.
• Doing so ends the opposition to mandates in the wider Empire, but severely damages the credibility of the assembly and does nothing to change the situation in Urizen.

The Assembly did not pass judgement on this matter at the recent summit, but the Assembly of Nine did issue a statement of principle implicitly criticizing this decision. This judgement passed unanimously with no abstentions, so it must have gained the support of the Cardinal of Wisdom. If the Assembly of Wisdom wished they could follow the leadership of their cardinal, publicly recant their earlier mandate, and ask their followers to embrace the position advocated by the Council of Nine.

The Wise know all knowledge is incomplete, but the virtuous apply what they have learned. Questioning the decisions of the Synod is virtuous, but a mandate represents the settled will of the Assembly and should not be interfered with. We send {named priest} with 200 liao to urge everyone who wishes to influence the quality of Imperial thinking let them do so by participating in the business and processes of the Imperial Synod, not by obstructing its ability to act.

Synod Mandate, Wisdom Assembly

If enacted, this mandate would end the current situation across most of the Empire. Mandates would no longer require a greater majority to be upheld. Only the situation in Urizen would be unchanged; mandates would only affect Urizen if they received a greater majority.

Unfortunately, the mandate cannot help but undermine the authority of the Wisdom Assembly, as people question their judgement. For the next year, every congregation led by a priest dedicated to Wisdom will lose 2 liao and 4 Synod votes as their congregants look elsewhere for inspiration. Any statement of principle that the Wisdom Assembly passed with which they achieve a greater majority will not create a mandate that the assembly can enact. It may lead to a mandate as normal, but if that happens, the mandate would have to be passed by the General Assembly. For the next year, the Wisdom assembly would no longer receive opportunities to enact their own mandates themselves.

While this mandate is listed as requiring 200 doses of liao, if it is enacted with Galene Netherwatch as the named priest - the same priest responsible for enacting the original mandate - it will require only 150 liao.

To Test What You Learn

• The Wisdom Assembly could restate their current position reaffirming the importance that people test what they have learned
• This mandate would prevent a condemnation of Sulemaine i Taziel from resolving the current situation

When the Wisdom Assembly passed a mandate encouraging their followers to challenge all Imperial Synod mandates, they started by saying "The example of the sword scholars of Urizen should inspire all those who follow the path of Wisdom." Now Rafael Barossa di Tassato has condemned Sulemaine in visceral terms and concluded by stating "Above all, we should not let the will of the Synod be stymied by followers of a lawless sect whose philosophy promotes silence, shame, and inaction". It is clear that Rafael Barossa has little fondness for Sulemaine, but it isn't clear that the people who are challenging the Synod's mandates are followers of a lawless sect.

Martiala, a sword scholar of the Temple of the Last Breath is at pains to point out that none of the modern day sword scholars imitate Sulemaine's methods. She and her fellow adherents of Wisdom are not browbeating anyone, they're not shaming anyone, and they are most certainly not murdering anyone. All they are doing is to follow the tenets of Wisdom and seeking to test what you learn, by demanding answers of those who attempt to carry out the Synod's business.

Martiala asserts that the problem here is not the actions of a woman who has been dead for over three centuries, but the simple fact that the Synod does not like to have its authority challenged. Mandates are powerful, they move hearts and minds across the Empire. Isn't it right that such a weighty responsibility is employed only when it is clear that the greater majority of an Assembly have judged in favour of it? The Wisdom Assembly have not prevented the Synod's ability to lead, they have simply restricted it to those circumstances where it is clear that the greater majority of priests in an Assembly are agreed on the right course of action. The alternative, she points out, is that a mandate might be enacted if a single priest voted in favour of it - does that seem wise?

She has proposed that the Wisdom Assembly pass a mandate that makes clear that the virtue of their current position is not predicated on the legacy of Sulemaine i Taziel.

Wisdom teaches that you should test what you learn; only fools accept hearsay as truth. The approach of the Wisdom Assembly is virtuous and wise, irrespective of the history of Sulemaine i Taziel. A mandate is a sword that pierces the flesh of the Empire; it must not strike if the wielder lacks surety. We send {named priest} with 100 liao to thank every follower of Wisdom who opposes any Synod mandate that does not achieve a greater majority and urge them to continue on this virtuous path.

Synod Mandate, Wisdom Assembly

if this mandate were enacted, it would strengthen the resolve of the virtuous to question Synod mandates, they would continue to require a greater majority to be effective for the foreseeable future. By refocussing their efforts explicitly on those mandates that failed to get a greater majority, it would make their task easier, allowing them to persevere indefinitely.

In addition, because this mandate makes a case for opposing Synod mandates that do not have a greater majority on grounds of Wisdom, not on the grounds of being inspired by Sulemaine i Taziel, then any action taken to condemn Sulemaine would no longer have an effect on the actions the Wisdom Assembly are taking.

Competing Mandates: Wisdom

Obviously, these two mandates are in competition with each other

The second mandate, the one proposed by Martiala that emphasises that the current actions of the Wisdom Assembly are virtuous irrespective of the status of Sulemaine i Taziel is not in competition with the General Assembly mandate condemning Sulemaine i Taziel. However, if both are passed, then Martiala's judgement will subvert the General Assembly mandate, such that it will no longer end the current situation across most of the Empire. Mandates will continue to require a greater majority to be upheld. Furthermore no Statement of Principle that criticizes Sulemaine will give rise to a mandate that would remove the need for a greater majority.

The second mandate is in competition with the General Assembly mandate that declares that "The priests of the Assembly of Wisdom were wrong to tell citizens to question every mandate the Synod passes." and with the mandate that condemns the sword scholars and rebukes the Assembly of Wisdom. If any of these mandates are passed, only the mandate with the greatest margin of votes in favour will be effective.

The Opposing Assemblies

Brother Martin Orchard has proposed a mandate for the Vigilance Assembly to consider:

Virtue lies in action, not passivity. The path of Vigilance calls us to warn our neighbours of danger, and to pay heed to such warnings. The Synod is the moral sentry of the Empire, and mandates are its hue and cry. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of liao to inspire Vigilant citizens to take action when a mandate calls for their aid.

Synod Mandate, Vigilance Assembly

A similar proposal has been submitted by Clarice Novarion for a mandate for the Courage Assembly to consider:

Courage does not cavil endlessly to no purpose; Courage acts. The Virtuous assess the knowledge available to them, and then they act upon it - questioning is laudable, but questioning without action is mere quibbling. Citizens who mean to act upon their opinions of the Synod can do so at Anvil and through their congregations. Their pursuit of Virtue must not be impeded by those who choose to bicker but not act. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to inspire Courageous pilgrims to cast off this pall of idle argument and take action when a mandate calls for their aid.

Synod Mandate, Courage Assembly

An equivalent proposal has been submitted by Jenny Arbor for a mandate for the Pride Assembly to consider:

Pride is a Virtue of Emotion, not cold logic. How can we inspire others without our burning passions and unyielding convictions? Both the Wisdom and Urizen Assemblies seek to use cold logic to attempt to silence opinions they do not value. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to call upon all devotees of Pride to oppose these actions whenever possible, in accordance with the teachings of Pride.

Synod Mandate, Pride Assembly

And a final mandate proffered by Tom Keeper for judgement by the Loyalty Assembly:

The constitutional place to challenge a mandate is in a synod vote, we send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to call those loyal to the constitution and Synod to do what is needed to stop those that would interfere with the synod powers by blocking successfully passed mandates, the wise aren't the only ones that know how to use a sword when needed.

Synod Mandate, Loyalty Assembly

If any of these mandates are enacted, then followers of Courage, Loyalty, Pride, or Vigilance respectively will be alerted to the problems being caused by the Wisdom Assembly, the Sword Scholars, and potentially other assemblies. They would be ready to oppose that interference following the lead of the Assembly.

As a result the Cardinal of the assembly could submit a mandate using 25 doses of liao in support of another mandate. The judgement would need to use the exact wording of the mandate that they want priests to support, but end with the phrase "We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to inspire Vigilant/Courageous/Loyal/Proud citizens to prevent interference with this mandate." rather than the equivalent line.

If either mandate is passed by the relevant assembly with a greater majority then the original mandate would take full effect even if it only obtained a lesser majority, due to followers of that assembly openly opposing anyone who challenged it. That opposition would be verbal... at least initially.

The Other Virtue Assemblies

• Able the Taller has proposed a mandate for consideration of the Loyalty Assembly
• Bartimaeus has proposed a mandate for consideration of the Prosperity Assembly
• These mandate would motivate the Assemblies to add their voice to those questioning the mandates of the Imperial Synod

Able the Taller of the Shattered Tower has proposed a mandate for the Loyalty Assembly to consider.

Loyalty must stem from personal conviction and not be presumed or coerced. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of Liao to urge all followers of Loyalty to consider carefully their own devotion and only support the Mandates of the Synod if they can do so wholeheartedly

Synod Mandate, Loyalty Assembly

If this mandate were endorsed, it would cause all Loyal citizens of the Empire to question Synod mandates, to consider their own feelings and to only support those mandates that they felt were inline with their personal convictions. This would mean yet more citizens questioning Synod mandates, compounding the existing opposition from the sword scholars of Urizen and the Wisdom Assembly. This would mean that the current situation (mandates need a greater majority) would continue indefinitely unless the Synod found a way to overcome the opposition from members of the Wisdom Assembly and members of the Loyalty Assembly.

Bartimaeus has proposed a mandate for the Prosperity Assembly to consider.

A Prosperous person strives and toils on that which matters to them. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of Liao to inspire all followers of Prosperity to question mandates put to them, to ensure their labor is put to the most Prosperous possible use.

Synod Mandate, Prosperity Assembly

If this mandate were endorsed, it would cause all Prosperous citizens of the Empire to question Synod mandates, to question every mandate and to support only those that they felt were the best use for their labour. This would mean yet more citizens questioning Synod mandates, compounding the existing opposition from the sword scholars of Urizen and the Wisdom Assembly. This would mean that the current situation (mandates need a greater majority) would continue indefinitely unless the Synod found a way to overcome the opposition from members of the Wisdom Assembly and members of the Prosperity Assembly.

If the General Assembly enacted the mandates described in either Definition of Folly or No Single Cause, they would supersede this mandate. Both are sufficiently critical of the idea of the virtue assemblies encouraging people to question the Imperial Synod. The virtue assemblies might still wish to spend the liao enacting this mandate, as a matter of principle, but all that would happen in this case is it would make it even clearer that the General Assembly was claiming supremacy over them.

The Urizen Assembly

• The Urizen Assembly have declared that Sulemaine is the perfect embodiment of the Urizen ideal
• They also said that all sword scholars should act within Imperial law
• There is an opportunity to pass a mandate to make clear that modern sword scholars follow Sulemaine, they don't copy her

The Urizen National Assembly have not shied away from publicly endorsing Sulemaine, authorizing Aurum of the Nightingale Temple to use 50 liao to encourage "every Urizeni to embrace her teachings". However, while it cannot be denied that Sulemaine was a deeply controversial figure who attacked and murdered dozens of Highborn missionaries as she sought to oppose them spreading the Way through Urizen, there is little sign that any modern sword scholar is interested in reprising this approach.

The Urizeni Spirit

During the Autumn Equinox Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer, submitted a statement of principle to the Urizen Assembly encouraging "all sword scholars to act within Imperial law in the prosecution of their virtuous challenges. With our increased responsibilities comes increased obligation to virtue." As a result, Urizen could choose to draw a firm line under the controversial past of the sword scholars. It could make clear that while the modern sword scholars are inspired by Sulemaine's unwavering resistance to the Highborn missionaries, but they no longer see the Empire or the Way as inimical to the pursuit of virtue in Urizen. The sword scholars might be diametrically opposed to the authority of the Imperial Synod, but they intend to pursue that opposition only in ways that are legal.

The teachings of Sulemaine i Taziel are timeless and we seek inspiration from them. But the Paragon of Blades lived and died three centuries ago and her enemies are not our enemies. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of liao to underline that every Urizeni citizen should explore the teachings of virtue with civil debate between fellow citizens and reserve armed conflict for Urizen's enemies.

Synod Mandate, Urizen Assembly

If this mandate were enacted, it would mean that no statement of principle that was about Sulemaine i Taziel would lead to a mandate for the next year at least. The situation in Urizen, where the sword scholars oppose any influence from Synod would remain, but the matter of Sulemaine would cease to arouse controversy for the immediate future.

Questions and Answers

There are several alternative mandates that the Urizen Assembly could consider. They could seek to renounce their earlier position, encouraging Urizeni citizens to challenge the Synod's mandates. That would have major implications for the credibility of the Assembly given how strongly they have embraced the Paragon of Blades, but it could reduce the opposition to the Synod's mandates. Alternatively, they could reject Rafael Barossa's statements about Sulemaine and make clear that they do consider the methods and targets that she employed to be legitimate in the modern era. Since there are no statements from the Assembly even remotely supporting either such position, the civil service have not investigated the matter further, but any Urizeni priest who wanted to put forward such a mandate publicly could do so if they wished.

The Temple of Blades

• The Senate could strengthen the sword scholars position by funding fortified temples in Morrow
• This would require 60 wains of white granite, 50 wains of mithril, and 220 crowns and take six months to complete
• It would need to be ceded to the sword scholars, but in turn they would pay to maintain it
• The Temple of the Four Winds would become a special fortification that inflicted additional casualties on anyone attacking it

During the Autumn Equinox, the Urizen Assembly upheld and enacted a mandate that declared the Paragon of Blades to be the perfect epitome of Urizen spirit, and encouraged every Urizeni to embrace her teachings. "Let us bring strength against weakness and victory will be ours" the mandate concluded. This vocal support for the sword scholars means that a number of the more reticent sects have come forward to recruit new members, and there is a steady stream of petitioners wishing to learn more at the gates of their temples. The sword scholars are warrior-priests; independent thinkers who do not work well as part of an organised military - but even their opponents among the sentinels do not question their martial prowess.

The Imperial Senate could recognise this, and fund the creation of fortified sword scholar temples across Morrow - and potentially in any future Urizen territory. This would strengthen the position of the sword scholars. The merciless warriors living and studying at these temples would seek every opportunity to destroy the enemies of Urizen, keen to turn their weapons on the Druj, the Grendel, or any other foe that threatened their home. While individual temples would benefit from the funding, the focal point for this project would be the Temple of the Four Winds in Peregro.

The commission would require 60 wains of white granite, 50 wains of mithril, and 220 crowns and would take six months to complete. As part of the motion, the Senate would need to formally cede control of the fortified temples to the sword scholars themselves, otherwise construction could not go ahead. Once complete, the commission would see the Temple of Four Winds become a strength 3000 fortification in its own right. Garrisoned by merciless sword scholars, it would be supported by and support smaller temples across the territory. If the Temple were engaged by an enemy force during a campaign, it would inflict half again as many casualties on any attacking army as a fortification of the same size.

Ceding the temple would mean it would not require any upkeep from the Senate treasury - the sword scholars would maintain their own temples and see to the provisioning of their own warriors. However, the civil service point out that this would also mean that the Senate would have no ability to control the fortification once it was complete. It could not simply be abrogated; it would take armed might or the destruction of the Temple of the Four Winds to remove them. The Temple could become a rallying point for any resistance in the unlikely event of conflict with the wider Empire.

It is not possible to build sword scholar temples in Redoubt - the resistance from the sentinels is still too strong. If the Empire were to reconquer Spiral or Zenith, or gain a new territory through conquest, there would be opportunities to fund sword scholar temples there as well - provided the situation in Urizen had not changed.

The opportunity to build the temple in Morrow remains available until the end of the Spring Equinox 384YE. After this time, the enthusiasm created by the earlier mandate will have ebbed away.

The Freeborn Assembly

• The Freeborn Assembly can embrace opposition to the General Assembly

While all this is going on, the Brass Coast National Assembly has voiced support for the Urizen Assembly, the sword scholars, and the reduced power of the Imperial Synod to enact mandates. While the statement references the Feast of the Broken Wheel, it has most impact among those who agree that the Synod has too much power over the spiritual wellbeing of individual citizens. People should be free to find their own paths, as the Founders did. The Freeborn Assembly could reach out to their people, and urge them to treat the words of the Imperial Synod with a healthy degree of skepticism. It would reduce their own ability to influence their nation but it would also ensure they were at liberty to better navigate their own paths through life.

The example of the sword scholars of Urizen reflects the importance of individual faith and rejecting the authority of a Synod that has overstepped its bounds. Only fools obey without question. We send {named Priest} with 50 doses of liao to urge the Freeborn people to find their own path to the truth, and to challenge every Synod mandate.

Brass Coast mandate

If this mandate were enacted, then even if the General Assembly ended the mandate effect across the entire Empire, it would persist in the Brass Coast. As with Urizen, no mandate would have an effect on the Freeborn people unless it were backed up by a greater majority. Again, as with Urizen, the exact effect this would have would depend entirely on the mandate in question.

This is a bold stance for the Freeborn Assembly to take in the face of obvious opposition from the General Assembly. If the mandate were enacted it would encourage the people of the Brass Coast to consider their individual, personal relationship with the virtues in more detail. Over the next year it would likely lead to more opportunities to establish a new relationship with the Way.

Submitting Alternative Mandates

This situation is very volatile; priests are likely to have their own alternative mandates to submit. Check the rules carefully - you can only submit an alternative mandate for an assembly you are part of, you can only submit one, and it will only be added to the wind of fortune if it offers a different outcome to those mentioned here.

It is also worth pointing out that while there are currently no mandates for the other virtue assemblies, there could be. Such mandates would need to address the matter of mandates needing a greater majority - most likely by supporting or opposing the General, Wisdom, or Urizen assemblies.

It's not possible to submit an alternative mandate in a national assembly other than the Urizen or the Brass Coast. If any other national assembly wishes to weigh in on the matter of mandates and opposition to the Synod, they would need to start with a statement of principle.

Resolution

During the Winter Solstice, Rafael Barossa di Tassato raised the mandate detailed under the Definition of Folly. While the mandate did not achieve a greater majority, the spiritual pilgrimage dedicated to the memory of Imperatrix Lisabetta meant that the mandate was still successful. At the same time Gaelene Netherwatch raised a mandate in the Wisdom Assembly encouraging the devoted of Wisdom to keep opposing mandates. It's not clear what the outcome of these two opposing mandates will be. Eurybia Melampus de Tassato enacted a mandate to encourage the Loyal to oppose mandates alongside the Wisdom assembly.

The civil service assessment of what will happen is based on the assumption that the General Assembly position is not challenged in the Wisdom or Urizen assemblies (at the very least). As this is not the case, then the situation will almost certainly become much more complicated.

Meanwhile, Clarice Novarion enacted a mandate allowing the Cardinal of Courage to prevent interference in a single mandate each season, and Clytemnestra of Urizen enacted the mandate to end discussion of Sulemaine.

Further Reading

• Return of the sword scholars summarizes the background behind this wind of fortune