White granite
Of course the Creator has a sense of humour. Who else would pit a merchant against a priest?
Emperor GiovanniOverview
White granite is a highly precious smooth white glittering stone prized for the ability to withstand damage while maintaining a beautiful finish. It is one of the key materials used by the Senate to raise and repair fortifications or to commission new buildings and is a vital component of many opportunities.
White granite is bought and sold in Imperial wains. These weigh about 500kg, with a volume of half a cubic metre. Due to the vast weight, trading is done in Bourse Certificates provided by the civil service.
Bourse Certificate
White granite is too bulky to easily transport to Anvil. To help facilitate trade across the Empire, the Imperial civil service provide Bourse certificates for every wain. Citizens can trade these certificates safe in the knowledge that they can be exchanged for a wain of white granite when the need arises.
Uses of White Granite
Commissions
White Granite is primarily useful as a building material. Emperor James was known as the White Granite Emperor for the large number of fortifications he created during his reign. The Senate can commission a range of buildings that fortify, enrich or uplift the Empire. White granite is usually required in the construction of:
- Fortification
- Ministry - a ministry built with white granite would allow the purchase of forest materials
- Sinecure - a sinecure built with white granite would generate rings, forest materials, or a combination of liao and votes in the Imperial Synod
- Great work - a great work built with white granite would generate rings or forest materials
- Runeforge
- College of Magic
- Shipyard
- Folly
Upgrading personal resources
White Granite can be used to upgrade:
- Business - each upgrade gives 36 additional rings per season
- Congregation - each upgrade gives 2 additional votes and one dose of liao per season
- Forest - each upgrade gives 2 additional material per season
To upgrade a resource requires Imperial wains of white granite equal to the level the resource is being upgraded to. So the first upgrade of a starting level 1 forest costs 2 Imperial wains of white granite, from 2 to 3 costs 3 Imperial wains, etc.
White Granite Seats
There are few places in the Empire that produce white granite. A white granite seat can be a source of great wealth and prestige to whoever holds it. Elections for white granite seats are held in summer each year.
Imperial Bourse Seats
| Resource | Location | Output | Occupant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brilliant Shore | Gildermark, Skarsind | 26 wains of white granite | Lumi Warmthbringer |
| Sutton Stone Quarries | The Heath, Upwold | 23 wains of white granite | John Hawcombe |
| The Arratan Gamble | Enterio, Tassato | 25 wains of white granite | Berrak of The Navigators of Virtue |
| The Damatian Cliffs | Serra Damata, Kahraman | 27 wains of white granite | Naomi, Felix Watch |
| The Night Quarry | Mieriada, Miekarova | 28 wains of white granite | Pipski Bearonovitch Strascovich |
National Bourse Seats
| Resource | Location | Output | Occupant | Eligiblity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Granites of Veltsgorsk | Brez, Volodmartz | 28 wains of white granite | Blazh Zbignev | Varushkan Position |
| The Vigilant Swan | Riverwatch, Reikos | 26 wains of white granite | Ehud | Highborn Position |
Ministries
| Resource | Location | Potential Purchase | Occupant | Eligibility | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boar's Market | Winterbourne, Astolat | 6 wains of white granite | Maryc | Dawnish Position | Autumn |
| Cinderpath Exchange | Mareholm, Casinea | 15 wains of white granite | Kapik | Highborn Position | Summer |
| Concordium Dock | Limus, Redoubt | 32 wains of white granite | Gaspar di Temeschwar | Imperial Position | Summer |
| Elosian Docks | Naris, Redoubt | 14 wains of white granite | Telemachus of The Lighthouse at Nikephoros | Urizeni Position | Summer |
| Kauppahall | Valasmark, Hahnmark | 14 wains of white granite | Eerikki Korpi | Wintermark Position | Spring |
| Temeschwar University Department of Architecture | Hanuri, Temeschwar | 6 wains of white granite | Laughlan Vi Temeschwar | League Position | Winter |
| The Granites of Veltsgorsk | Brez, Volodmartz | 12 wains of white granite | Blazh Zbignev | Varushkan Position | Summer |
Recent History
In 377YE, the Druj captured the quarry known as the Vigilant Swan, slaughtering the swans and draining its washing pools. The same year, the Senate assigned the Brilliant Shore as a national position following the liberation of Skarsind. This was vetoed by the Imperial Synod. Later, in Spring 378YE, the position was confirmed as a Wintermark national seat.
In 379YE, the Empire liberated the Vigilant Swan. However the slaughter of slaves by the Druj rendered it unusable until High Exorcist Solas oversaw the mass exorcism of the site. The quarry was initially allocated as a national seat to the Imperial Orcs, but this was vetoed by the Imperial Synod. The seat was instead allocated to as a national Highguard seat in Winter 379YE.
In Spring 380YE, the Jotun seized parts of Kahraman including the Damatian Cliffs.
In Summer 380YE, after the Senate changed the allocation of Skarsind from Wintermark to the Imperial Orcs, the Brilliant Shore became an Imperial Orc national seat.
In Winter 380YE, the Damatian Cliffs were freed from the Jotun. The Jotun left the message "We came. We shall come again." in foot-high carved letters on the walls of nearby Damata.
In Summer 381YE, the Damatian Cliffs were allocated as an Imperial Bourse seat. At the same time, the Cavabianca Docks were completed allowing the purchase of white granite from Asaveans - these replaced the docks destroyed during the the sack of Sarvos
In Autumn 381YE, the Concordium Dock was created, allowing the purchase of white granite from the Sarcophan Delves
In Spring 382YE, the power of Relinquishment was used to remove the Brilliant Shore as a national position, and redefine it as an Imperial position.
In Autumn 382YE, the Empire briefly lost and then reclaimed the Damatian Cliffs from the Jotun. The quarry was allocated as an Imperial position. A large white granite mine called the Kame Quarry was discovered by Imperial spies in the Mountains of the Moon.