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388YE Summer Solstice Synod judgements

2026-09-23T21:00:34Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Judgement 11 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Summer]]
==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] || 1
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]|| 64
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] || 20
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] || 2
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] || 8
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] || 21
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] || 13
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] || 4
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] || 1
|-
|[[#Revocation|Revocation]] || 1
|-
|[[#Challenge|Challenge]] || 2
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] || 24
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] || 11
|-
|}
</div>
__TOC__
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement 84===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Velko Perunvich Razoradze
* '''Judgement:''' To remove the Doctrine of the Howling Abyss: Those who refuse to defend the Bonewall Doctrines should have the courage to strike them from the doctrines of the faith.
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (284-1310)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable, of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' The Grand Inspiration of the Way is our highest calling, and still requires vast resources to complete. The Prosperous know that there are three things that should never be made: food that goes uneaten, coin that goes unspent, and magic that goes unused. We call upon the Highborn citizenry to tell their benefactors and local attendants of Anvil of any unexploited resources in their regions. Whether these take the form of untended forests, mines, herb gardens, or legends and local myths of glittering stone, strange golden woods, or odd craters, nothing is too small. Every lead should be followed. Let us use the full resources of our territories to complete our highest calling, and build prosperity for future virtuous projects.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (638-0)

===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Luke
* '''Judgement:''' Pride is not a solitary flame. It is a torch passed from hand to trembling hand until all may see its light. When we build up our fellows - when we safeguard their health, nourish their wellbeing, cherish their art, and celebrate their culture - we declare before the world that no soul is too small to be worthy, no life too humble to be raised. As such. WE will aid, support and uplift the persecuted, the enslaved, the broken, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the voiceless, and those who cannot yet speak for themselves. We will lift them from vanished silene into the gilded embrace of greatness. This is our Highest Calling.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (214-10)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' We the Wintermark National Assembly recognise and embrace The Bear Pit as organised by Artorix, Pit Master Bear Keeper, as an expression of heroism and part of our national Pride. The Beat Pit gives the heroes of the mark an opportunity to display their skill and their courage and thus inspire others to find their own heroism. Therefore in loyalty we applaud The Bear Pit and support it as part of our nation. The storm cannot break us.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (266-10)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Claude Deeds
* '''Judgement:''' The children of Montane fled to the forests while Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka and the soldiers of the Northern Eagle slaughtered their parents. It was not Courageous to turn an army of four thousand soldiers upon a few hundred Montanians who had gathered for a council. It was not glorious. This slaughter did not end the Montanian heresy: see how their orphan children now Hate the Empire more and crave Freedom more. Next time we encounter the scions of Montane, let us choose a more Courageous and more glorious path. We will answer the question of Montane with words, not swords. Dawn will spill no more Montanian blood.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (354-40)
* '''Notes:''' The remnants of the Montanians remain in the [[The_Barrens#Heart_of_Peytaht|Heart of Peytaht]] with the [[Great Forest Orcs]]

===Judgement 17===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Destin of the Woodwych Harts
* '''Judgement:''' The Greenwatch was built following an Eternal's offer of Patronage to assist in combating the threat of the Vallorn and provide tools of aid and protection to those that suffer from it. That Eternal has now turned its back on the Greenwatch. But siblings, we need no external force to provide the tools needed for this fight. We have shown that by focusing on our own Virtue, we can armour ourselves in faith to provide the best protection against the Vallorn. We have seen this exemplified by the Pilgrim's Defiance in Therunin During the spring of this year. An army we built with out own hands and without the need of eternals, untouched by the taint of miasma. Therefore, we encourage all Virtuous pilgrims to visit the Greenwatch to renew their knowledge on how to best protect themselves against the Vallorn under the tutelage of the Greenwatch's new Custodian; the 1st General of the Pilgrim's Defiance, Brother Nathaniel of the Woodwych Harts. To learn how Virtue and faith can become the most effective armour against the Vallorn.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (496-16)
* '''Notes:''' The greater majority threshold for this judgement was 501

===Judgement 25===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Dr Lysimachus
* '''Judgement:''' Wisdom is finding the reet question, and sometimes that question is "Dose this person know what they're doing?" It also states to despise folly and chastise the fool that spreads it. Regardless of if owt's done knowingly or unknowingly, spreaders of folly are amongst t'Empire's greatest enemies. With all changes coming in t'synod and elsewhere, it's always important that the people making these decisions know how it will spill out. From the Constitutional Court to the Laity it's important to ensure that no one who needs an E tattooed on their elbow to know where their Arse is can spread folly! After all, Who Scruitinizes the Scrutinizers?
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (78-140)

===Judgement 26===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Nicodemus of Balthazar's Vineyard
* '''Judgement:''' A Second Age of Virtue is dawning. It is foretold in the stars of the sky, the stones of the Grand Inspiration, and the story of the one true faith which reshapes the world. We now call on Priests of every nation and virtue to join us in the debating the meaning of the coming epoch for their own assemblies, and preaching the message of its arrival to their followers.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (394-0)

===Judgement 27===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Nekoda of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' While we draw inspiration from history, we are not slaves to it. In light of the revelations of the Lepidean Librarian on the original nature for recognising Paragons and Exemplars, let us go forward with new and clearer intention. Those we recognise as Exemplars are those who Synod has agreed are the best examples for teaching the Way of Virtue, they are virtuous inspirations who demonstrate Doctrine. Paragons are individuals whose Synod recognises as having transcended the Labyrinth, and as such teach us lessons that define Doctrine in our pursuit of understanding the Way. Those raised in Exultation are those whose Synod recognises are on the path to Exemplarhood, to be closely investigated once their story is complete
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1371-288)
* '''Notes:''' This judgement was elevated by '''Dagon Barossa''', the [[Cardinal of Loyalty]]

===Judgement 32===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' BEHOLD: VIRTUE! As the MARSHAL of the FAITH, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse FIELD MARSHALLS and COMMANDERS: the SEA WOLVES, LUNAE LUPERCAL, STORMSTEEL SKORR, REDHAND SKOD, the fighting units of the FREEBORN. The First-time and Victorious Field-Marshals ANDRONIKOS of the LIGHTHOUSE THAT WAS and SKYWISE RYKANA, OLYVAR, CARDINAL OF PRIDE (may he pass swiftly). The Marshall commends the Landskeepers of the GOATSBRIDGE for their LOYALTY and COURAGE in challenging the VIRTUE of the strategic magic they were asked to perform, and the Quartermaster NATALIA BAROSSA for her WISDOM and adaptability. A fuller list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (274-10)
* '''Notes:''' '''Mael of the Shattered Tower''' is the incumbent [[Marshal of the Faith]]

===Judgement 45===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Lady Gwendoloena de Ordraig
* '''Judgement:''' The Dawnish National Assembly asks the civil service to put a pause on their work on the Barrens Roads appraisal, to allow time to consult with the 3 orc septs residing there.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (350-20)
* '''Notes:''' This follows on from a [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_fortune#Road_to_Nowhere_(The_Barrens)|request]] from the civil service on how to proceed with the roads

===Judgement 46===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Merari
* '''Judgement:''' The Prosperous have always recognised opportunity wherever it can be found. Throughout history, merchants have traded with those possessing unusual talents, bringing rare skills and wonders to the Empire. Those partners may include supernatural beings - Eternals, Heralds, Tulpas, Sovereigns and others. They possess capabilities beyond those of any mortal, not because they are greater than us, but because they are different. Different gifts do not make them our betters. What a merchant must never sell is their own will. A bargain that demands worship, veneration, exaltation or service that places another being above your own judgement ceases to be commerce and becomes idolatry. Trade goods. Trade knowledge. Trade services. But never trade away your freedom to choose your own path.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (211-0)

===Judgement 53===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from the nation of Navarr to the Forge of Bonds. The Oath for Hacynian's Legacy: We, the Navarr, swear that when the Vallorn is ended, and Hercynia stands free of its corruption once more, we shall not seek to rebuild the city of Hacynian. It was ruined by the vallorn, and its fall is a warning against the folly of Terunael. There shall be no new Hacynian in Deer's Folly, and no attempt to bind the future to a thing that has ended. Let no other city bear its name. This refers to the Mandate (Judgement 70) enacted following the Winter Solstice 387YE.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (370-0)
* '''Notes:''' The oath of [[Navarr]] has been added to the [[Keeper_of_Oaths#Forge_of_Bonds|Forge of Bonds]]

===Judgement 62===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Ioan Longshadow
* '''Judgement:''' The Navarr National Assembly calls upon Ioan Longshadow, former General of Isaella's Dance, Guide of Courage, oath-sworn friend of the Great Forest Orcs, and survivor of Grendel chains, to lead Navarr's hand in the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs and the war against the Druj. Any spoils of war gained in this endeavour shall be distributed among those who pledged their support to this cause. He is charged not merely with the conduct of war, but with the keeping of bonds forged in blood and memory. As our allies suffer beneath the yoke of the Druj, this Assembly places its trust in one who has endured captivity, borne loss without surrender, and walked the path of duty. Between Navarr, the Imperial Orcs, and the Great Forest Orcs, The Druj will find before them a Wall of thorns that shall not fall!
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (217-0)
* '''Notes:''' '''Ioan Longshadow''' has been recognised as the Navarr leader of the raid to [[All_I_ask_of_you#Rescue the Great Forest|Rescue the Great Forest Orcs]]

===Judgement 66===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Sufyan i Zuhri i Guerra
* '''Judgement:''' To lift up those who others would tear down, to raise to greatness those who we see greatness in, even in their most dire circumstance. As the Empire ends for good the tyranny of the Buruk Tepel, liberating their beleaguered, long-terrified septs, we hold that liberating and uplifting them and others like them is our <u>highest calling</u>. Through the Proffered Hand Network of sanctuaries across the Empire, we will grow these seeds of potential to brilliant flowers. These centres of healing, education, and rehabilitation will help them find their place in the Empire. To uplift the enslaved, the oppressed, the overlooked. This is the Highest Calling of our Assembly.
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (68-120)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 71===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Constanzi i Kalamar i Guerra
* '''Judgement:''' The Paragon Empress Richilde teaches us that our stories and histories told through the arts are how the Nations of the Empire speak to one another. Only through the arts do we truly gain mutual appreciation and understanding - in celebrating the achievements not only of our own Nations, but the whole Empire. This is what makes the Empire greater than the sum of its parts. Where are the Empire's unsung achievements? Where are the heroes whose tales have been lost to time? Who better to seek these out, and share them for all the Empire to hear, than the Assembly of Pride? This is our <u>highest calling</u>.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (154-62)
* '''Notes:''' An Assembly's call to action requires a greater majority, as per the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 75===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Tisserande Griffinsbain
* '''Judgement:''' For many years our Sumaah cousins in virtue have recognised Zemress, the Blade of the Isles, as a paragon. To the Empire, she is an exemplar, lacking proof of liberation, recognition and miracles. The Way Assembly ask the prasters of the House of Prosperity to demonstrate why Zemress stands alongside Tian, Korl, and Atun as a paragon of virtue.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (388-0)
* '''Notes:''' This judgement [[The_right_answer#Question,_Challenge_and_Reveal|questions]] the state of [[Zemress]] as a paragon of the Sumaah Way of Virtue. The High House of Prosperity will presumably respond

===Judgement 76===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Asthore Autumngale
* '''Judgement:''' Throughout history, no Navarri has ever settled in Sarangrave. Yet other non-Imperial territories have seen the birth, life and death of countless Navarr citizens. Our founders are bound in the vallornheart of Brocéliande. The Great Dance is laid into the very earth of Liathaven. Our kin have remained in Therunin, in the face of both Scorpion and green tide. Our armies have continued to aid and defend our Imperial allies, even as the Empire takes the longest path to reclaiming our own homelands. A vallornheart does not define Navarri land, but the imprint of the thousands of souls that have taken their binding of thorn does. This assembly refutes the notion that these territories our citizens have always called home may ever be considered less than the lands of Navarr.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (257-0)

===Judgement 80===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Loaken
* '''Judgement:''' The Little Mother exemplifies the prosperous act of charity. The patron of benefactors, her example guides the investment in our people. The Strategos of Highguard, Arlandria of the Sentinels Tower, asks her nation to recognise a benevolent father of Highguard; the big daddy Ehud, whose charity clads her warriors in steel and in wealth as they bring virtue through <u>with every step!</u>
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (476-22)
* '''Notes:''' The greater majority threshold for this judgement was 501

===Judgement 81===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Isaia Pavone di Sarvos
* '''Judgement:''' We seek to nominate Bartimaeus of Sarangrave Reforged to the Roll of Benefactors. Bartimaeus has been a prosperous citizen of the Empire for many years. He has helped contribute wains to the building of Good Walder's Orchard and of note reacquired Glistering for the Assembly. As part of this, he organised the Fair Price as part of giving the shield back, and in turn has increased the prosperity of our champion. Let us reward his toil and labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (179-14)
* '''Notes:''' A greater majority is required to add a name to the [[Roll of Benefactors]]. The greater majority threshold for this judgement was 188

===Judgement 83===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Harduph de Lalfae
* '''Judgement:''' Last year, a dark secret was revealed: there is a special link between our nation's bars and the Labyrinth. The Crow's Rest (a travelling tavern last seen in Mournwold) is no mere pub but an alcove of the Labyrinth a place where living pilgrims and lost souls can rub shoulders over a cheeky pint. Honest Marchers have been there. The Egregores confirmed it. Ask 'em. It was done and seen to be done. The Oak Folk's Great Pubilgrimage of Autumn 387YE strengthened this link by consecrating Marcher bars across Anvil. We must now go further. As priests, we have a sacred duty to learn all we can of the Labyrinth, and the soul's journey through it. We urge Marcher priests and drinkers from across the Empire to help investigate this link at The Second Great Pubilgrimage of Autumn 388YE (Saturday night?). Keep an eye out for Heralds, Boggarts, the Possessed, Ghosts, the Bigge Pigge, etc. Be vigilant!
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (148-0)

===Judgement 85===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ardeniel of the Woodwych Harts
* '''Judgement:''' With the clarion call of bells we sent forth a pilgrimage one year ago. The call was welcomed by all nations and everywhere the bells rang citizens spoke of Virtue and Inspiration. These bells, and the archive of accounts their bearers recorded, are now taken to the Grand Inspiration of the Way. Let all who visit the seven gardens find them if sought. Let the collected tales be used to inspire all attending pilgrims. Let the Voices of Virtue bear them such that our shared legacy is carried forth from the First to the Second Age of Virtue!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (472-20)
* '''Notes:''' The [[Banners_and_bells#You_Get_A_Bell|Seven Bells]] have been the cause for much excitement across the Empire for the past year, and the archivists of the ''Stone Library'' in [[Bastion]] stand ready to publish the work once it is completed.

===Judgement 86===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Lorenzo von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' We call upon the orcs and priests of the League to take pilgrimage to Mournwold. There, we will listen to the Marcher orcs, so we may better understand how the voices of their ancestors manifest. Through this, we seek to learn from their methods and discover the roles that hearth magic might play in that connection. We will - of course - ensure that the ledger remains balanced with our prosperity
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (382-0)
* '''Notes:''' This statement of principle is referenced in [[#Judgement 113|Judgement 113]]

===Judgement 88===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Luca i Taziel i Guerra
* '''Judgement:''' Allegra i Riqueza was a once in a generation artist. She also paid me a painting to say that around an hour before she was executed for treason. But two things can be true at once. Art is the pride of all nations, in all its forms. Our lands may be scorched by Suranni, Jotun, Grendel, and Cold Sun, but let us never cease making art for its own sake, and for virtue's. Let the people of the Brass Coast take that inspiration from Allegra. The art. Not the treason.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (108-26)

===Judgement 89===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Solas of the Spire of the First Light
* '''Judgement:''' Sentinels of Urizen! In the Sarangrave the beast Kroll has retreated, but it will return, and we ask you to prepare us for this. Survey the terrain. Speak to those in the Citadel Guard who fought it and those of the septs who were made to live with its presence. Determine how we may have the advantage on its return; ensure the defense of our nation.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (222-0)

===Judgement 97===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Delara
* '''Judgement:''' We the people of Urizen welcome the displaced orcs, who have been rendered homeless by the Axos in Thornfen, to make their home within Urizen.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (236-0)

===Judgement 99===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Laurencio di Sarvos
* '''Judgement:''' The health and wealth of the Empire are inextricably bound. The constitution binds the Empire to protect and prosper its citizens. Prosperity warns of parasites, leeches, and those who 'take without giving'. Demands we give away our Prosperity to the detriment of the Empire and its citizens should be regarded with Great Vigilance. Protect the health of the Empire.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (98-22)

===Judgement 103===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Isario i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' The unwelcome truth we must face is that the Empire murdered the Montanians in cold-blood. The Montanians, for good or ill, were the legacy of Crescencia i Marusa i Riqueza, and they were wayward scions of the original Firebrands. We did not foresee their slaughter, we did not act to prevent their demise. We must forever carry that shame. But we MUST act to protect their children and support the Great Forest Orcs who raise them, however we can. We are not those Firebrands of anarchy but we bear the responsibility of their choices. Only through actions now, can we break a cycle that repeats itself, and perhaps one day those children may return home to Anduz, where they are forever welcome. When these children have questions, we must have the answers.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (184-10)

===Judgement 104===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Yrkja Riansson Sigeing
* '''Judgement:''' As we memorialise the Fist of the Mountains, as we raise our fourth army, as we dare Tsirku, let us also seek to inspire Winterfolk whose skein calls them to other fields. Wintermark gave the Empire the Senate; we laid the cornerstones of Imperial law. We have been guides and architects of the Empire since its foundation. We invite the Highborn in peerless kinship to find how we may best draw inspiration from that legacy today.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (236-0)

===Judgement 105===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Wic Mundian
* '''Judgement:''' Priests of Wintermark, we have the hard won Wisdom of how to combat Blood on the Snow. They are unusually active right now and typically get worse come Winter. Let us show our Vigilance now; talk to those of any nation going to Tsirku. Teach them what we know so they may not fall to Blood on the Snow's sway, rather than us spotting it when they return. Educate them so they may spread the knowledge themselves
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (262-0). The greater majority threshold for this judgement was 264

===Judgement 106===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Rune-Bound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris, has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of Pride; our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster Ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our Nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but <u>is no less heroic</u> - to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly, are Proud to enter into the Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (178-12)
* '''Notes:''' Adding a name to the [[Heroism|Chronicle of Heroism]] requires a greater majority.

===Judgement 107===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Molly Mae
* '''Judgement:''' Mitwold is free of the Jotun menace. Meade stood firm, as the walls of Meade now stand strong. In recognition of Bree Shaw's Loyalty and Pride of the Marches, we should name the walls Bree's Stand. Her sacrifice will not be forgot.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (176-0)

===Judgement 110===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Otso Usvaling
* '''Judgement:''' A hero's story ends in a good death, but a death is nothing without the story before it. Consecration recognises the skin of the Fist of the Mountain, the eldest army of our nation, of its soldiers and their ambitions; of an army which strove ever to meet the greatest threats to us and our allies across the Empire. The army met its end in Elos, but this is far from the first time it has gone East or South. Ever it strived to fight for and stand by our brothers and sisters, no matter which nation, no matter how far, no matter how hard, no matter the risks. This was their ambition.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (212-26)

===Judgement 111===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Fabio Costas d'Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' The League National Assembly recognises that negotiations between the Forge and Furnace Fellowship and the Senators of the League have begun in good faith over the Tassatan Hills ilium mine. We recognise that the Senators have immediately acted to protect the prosperity of the Tassatan workers through an initial recompense. We urge all parties to be patient, allow negotiations to conclude, and avoid taking any precipitous actions
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (334-0)
* '''Notes:''' References the ongoing [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Tassatan_Hills|situation]] with the [[Tassatan Hills]] seat

===Judgement 112===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Mabel
* '''Judgement:''' The Prosperity Assembly wish to encourage the citizens of Feroz to not accept poverty wages. Those who can pay for services, should. The people of Feroz should not accept a lesser payment for the same works in Casinea or anywhere else.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (225-0)

===Judgement 113===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Basil Goodbeard
* '''Judgement:''' Our allies in the League says in judgement #86, that they wish to make a pilgrimage to Mournwold, to listen to Marcher orcs and learn more of their ways. An extra pair of hands is always welcome at Harvest Time! Their coin is always welcome in our taverns. They have assured us they listen with respect. We urge all in Mournwold to welcome them with open arms, as they arrive with open purses.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (160-0)
* '''Notes:''' This statement of principle references [[#Judgement 86|Judgement 86]]

===Judgement 118===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Eli of the Cenotaph
* '''Judgement:''' The spiritual security of all people is sacrosanct to furthering the Way of Virtue. To this end, we declare the inquisitorial court be given the next set of rooms in the Grand Inspiration of the Way. Ensuring those who are converted do not become lost on their path is as important as converting them.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (430-0)
* '''Notes:''' The Highborn looked for [[Lay_the_foundations#Choices|guidance]] on which titles should be given offices in the Grand Inspiration of the Way

===Judgement 120===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Metztli i Phovas i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' Following the work of Malaki and Judgement 133 from the Spring Summit. WE ASK THE Freeborn of FEROZ to TRADE WITH THEIR NEIGHBOURS IN THE PROTECTORATE OF MORAJASSE For mutual PROSPERITY
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (196-0)
* '''Notes:''' This judgement references [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement 133|Judgement 133]] from the Spring Equinox 388YE and follows on a [[An_arrow_nocked_and_in_flight#The_Freeborn_Perspective|request for guidance]] on the Protectorate of Morajasse.

===Judgement 122===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Brynmor Rootround
* '''Judgement:''' The Great Forest Orcs see Surut as the Ancestor Slayer - the one who burns down their family in Weirwood Groves. We swear an oath to not use Surut's power in the Vallorn War for deforesting of their ancestral groves. The weirwood protects against the Vallorn. Remember your oaths for the Great Forest Orcs, Navarr. We do not burn our familys souls.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (146-80)
* '''Notes:''' The [[Great Forest Orcs]] made a [[Survival#Hercynia|request]] for aid to the [[Sun Chamber]], that the Navarr Assembly [[Navarr_culture_and_customs#Tattoos_and_Vows|swear an oath]] that they will not engage in themselves, and oppose Imperial use of [[Surut]] to deforest any regions with fire.

===Judgement 123===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Ingrid Talon-of-the-Mark
* '''Judgement:''' One year ago military units answered the call of the Vallornguard to enter Brocéliande and prevent the Green Mother from waking the vallornheart there. The fruits of that victory are almost spent. Dangers in Brocéliande lurk in the heart of the Empire; the Vallornguard now also warn of signs that the eternal Arhallogen is active in the territory. This assembly calls upon the congregations of Vigilance to seek new and more lasting means to end these threats.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (168-0)

===Judgement 126===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Lenore Hearthweaver
* '''Judgement:''' Blood on the Snow is taking advantage of Navarri refugees, fleeing Therunin. Priests of Wintermark know more than most of how to deal with Blood on the Snow. The Stormcrows of Wintermark stand with Navarr against this eternal's malign influence. We offer our expertise so that we may share what we know. In doing so we hope to educate on how to avoid falling under his influence and protect against it.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (228-10)

===Judgement 127===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Eirlys Ashes Blaze
* '''Judgement:''' We as a nation are shaped by legacy, the tenants of Pride teach us to embrace our past, and Loyalty teaches us to uplift our fellows. The irrevocable blow is core to the oath of the Thorn, all Navarr know that when we fight, it must be decisive, and it must be without mercy. Guides of Navarr, bring your support to our armies and our thorns, let them embrace their oath, knowing the nation stands behind them. From the dance of blood to Isaella's dance, our dance will continue.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (186-42)

===Judgement 128===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Maria i Espiri i Guerra
* '''Judgement:''' The Freeborn Assembly declares that out <u>highest calling</u> is to defend our borders from attack. The Freeborn have endured invasion, occupation and the loss of Feroz and Madruga. We know the cost of complacency. To safeguard our people, caravans and our future, we must commit outselves to vigilance, readiness and unity in the face of threat. We should aim to secure our borders through strength, alliance, and wise negotiation. Don't let the Freeborn flame be extinguished.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (216-0)
* '''Notes:''' Further information on highest callings can be found in the '''[[The highest calling]]''' wind of fortune

===Judgement 129===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Dag Kinnad
* '''Judgement:''' Fire his tireless effort in helping mages of the Empire and military council as the Master of Ice and Darkness I would like to commend Alexander Tallsatag for his prosperity and for his unwavering dedication to his Imperial duties. His careful planning and supportive nature is something to be truly upheld.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-0)

===Judgement 130===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Jared of the Suns of Couros
* '''Judgement:''' Highborn! In peerless kinship we encourage our archivists and benefactors to journey to Wintermark to support our northern siblings in their reflections on their role in the Empire, as out in Judgement 104 in the Wintermark Assembly. As a felllow nation who understands the role of the past to inspire and building upon we can help strengthen their legacy to the Empire.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (378-0)

===Judgement 132===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Xandor Trodbroker
* '''Judgement:''' Blood on the Snow is a friend to none. He continues to target refugees of Therunin, and he is becoming more active. Do not accept his boons, they pathe the way to destruction. If you see or hear anything related to him, speak to the Vates, and speak to the Stormcloaks of Wintermark who are offering their support, knowledge, and expertise.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (231-0)

===Judgement 134===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Enfys Larksong
* '''Judgement:''' We utterly reject the offer of Agramant to work alongside it to reclaim Therunin. We do not need to be vates to know that Blood-on-the-Snow's motivations are not benevolent. We do not need to be guides to see that to follow it would turn us from the Way. We did not choose this sacrifice, but we stand as virtuous citizens nonetheless. We invite the Empire to consider we were put in a position where not all of us made that choice. Where Dochas Weeping Glade's desperation leads him to take the Dark Path that will no doubt be his end. Remember him. Our steadings and stridings are lights in the darkness for Therunin. One day we will welcome our kin home to a land won back with Imperial steel.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (217-0)

===Judgement 138===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Geoffrey Orchard
* '''Judgement:''' The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (168-0)

===Judgement 141===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Martin Orchard
* '''Judgement:''' Despise the thieving bandit, speaks the tenet of Prosperity! And yet, even as we tell folk tales of those have done nothing but <u>defend</u> their fellow Marchers, the heirs of Red Walder idolised those who <u>rob</u> and <u>kill</u> Marchers. <u>NO MORE</u>. Shun the mummer who tells 'thrilling' tales that turn villains into heroes. Let the names of criminals be lost like chaff to the wind. Sing, now, of our defenders! Virtue uplifts
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (68-90)

===Judgement 145===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Tree
* '''Judgement:''' We call upon the Marchers to rally in Upwold. We are raising the fifth army for Winter, the time to prepare is now. By carrying the fight to the enemy we should no longer bleed good Marcher folk on our soil. We the Marcher National Assembly entrust Veteran Commander Bernard Dugdale, to oversee the training and muster as Vesna Wills.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (82-50)
* '''Notes:''' '''Henry Birchsmith''', as the senator who proposed the [[Raise Fifth Marcher Army|motion]] to raise the army, is responsible for its muster

===Judgement 146===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Ursula Smith
* '''Judgement:''' Our Highest Calling is completing this season. By Autumn, the Breadbasket network will be established across every Marcher territory; and it turns to the Ambitious and Wise amongst our folk to devise what ways this monument to the Marcher National Pride of practicality could do even more. With the Mournwold home to the Singing Caves, the Empire's most productive mithril mine; with the return to prominence of the tradition of the Smiths; with the establishment of the new tradition of offering to Billet vising armies; with one eye to the forever - war with the Jotun; and with another eye to Liath's Heart next door and the coming Final Battle with the Vallorn: the Marcher Assembly reckons that if the Dawnish can have a fancy magic castle that can resupply armies, we can do better. The Breadbasket has supported feeding armies - let's go further, and feed, clothe, arm, and armour any soldier looking to join an Imperial army.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (186-0)

===Judgement 148===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Damian of Nakir's Haven
* '''Judgement:''' As Highguard we welcome the highest calling of Navarr. We welcome the opportunity to further sharpen and improve the tools at our disposal in the fight against the vallorn.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (276-0)

===Judgement 149===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Neala Blackhawk
* '''Judgement:''' The Great Forest Orcs in the Forest of Ulnak as our kin, we will be freed from their enslavement by the Druj. We must shelter and look after them, to help them to return to their home in the best possible health physically and spiritually. Let them find refuge in Broc, in the care of the Blackrootround Steading. A safe haven at Dark Ranging. We must give them the pastoral care they need so their souls are no longer blighted by the malign spiritual workings of the Druj. We look after our family. May all Navarr who can, open their homes in Loyalty.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (168-0)

===Judgement 151===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Maliki
* '''Judgement:''' We the Freeborn - a People created from Dust, Fire and Glass Do Declare our Purist Dedication - Not as land, Not as a Individual. Not as a Group of the Privilege! Nor as Boons Purely for their use. But as one People united in a Virtuous Mandate. Every Soul is Born untethered as a spark of fire - to own another Being is not Just a crime it is a Blasphemy of creation. Freeborn is not Just a name it is a virtuous calling. Our Nation shall be a Sanctuary for the oppressed and a Sword against the oppressor. We will carry the Torch of Liberation to the furthest corners of the world - until the InDignity of Slavery is swept into the Ashes of History. To the Slave - look to our Banners - we are coming for you. To the Slaver - we promise the same.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (108-0)

===Judgement 155===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vauraus "Prosperity's Forge" Korppitkotka
* '''Judgement:''' The Everspinning Coin in Atalaq have approached our friends in the League with a warning that sending our money abroad weakens our Empire and hurts our Prosperity. Making deals with foreign bodies can help our prosperity, but also hurt it. We must be vigilant when given these opportunities, so as not to hurt the prosperity of our nation, our Empire. Look to build up the prosperity of our nation, our Empire, first.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (126-50)

===Judgement 158===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Gwenllain Hearts’ End
* '''Judgement:''' Therunin is not abandoned! Navarr, witness our bonds of Loyalty bare fruit! As we go to rescue the Great Forest Orcs Vojsuli Cherenkov leads the Golden Axe to Lower Tarn Valley to begin the reconquest of our home! None shall claim Therunin save Navarr! None shall liberate it save the Empire! To those who turned to Twigsnapper in there darkest hour, the light of virtue comes! Turn your blades on his servants and stand with us! You can come home!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (159-0)

===Judgement 163===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Dayanara i Cabeza i Erigo
* '''Judgement:''' The Marracossans are friends of the Empire and the Brass Coast. It would be an affront to our loyalty to our friends to not respect our differences in culture. To this end, the Marracossans have agreed not to preach their religion but cannot help their permanent display of fealty to their gods in the form of their tattoos. These tattoos are not a crime and it is unwise to attempt to enforce Imperial law upon the Marracossans who travel through the Brass Coast to trade. Let us show the merit of the Way that our bonds of loyalty and friendship and also be vigilant in reporting potential crimes to the relevant authorities and not risk our friendship through aggression.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (176-0)
* '''Notes:''' The [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Marracosans]] have expressed [[Seeds_of_discord#Marracossa|concerns]] about the [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_114|recent]] proscription against the "''Theist Heresy''".

===Judgement 164===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Dame Arlette de Ossienne
* '''Judgement:''' Soldiers of the Armies of Dawn your national Assembly calls upon you to take on this challenge. The thrilling tug of the Summer Realm seeks to distract you from harnessing the unique Dawnish powers of Love and Glory in pursuit of Virtue. The Summer Realm offers us a sword, good! But do not take it before armouring yourself. Seek your troubadours! Virtue hallowings and anointings are the girdings for your soul. Use them well!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (158-0)

===Judgement 165===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Paulus Adelaar von Holberg
* '''Judgement:''' Citizens of the League! In answer to Emperor Vesna's call to Push for Victory, the Sand Fishers have asked your National Assembly to name a sept held under Druj dominion. Hear our answer! The Garrison of the Beacon of Iskrid. speak of our friendship, our Loyalty if you have felt it truly.
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn at the request of the raising priest (0-0)

===Judgement 166===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Leyna Sunshaper
* '''Judgement:''' As a part of our highest calling, we call upon the wise to help us appraise those who could teach us more about the cultivation of Black Lotus and how to convince them to help us. We do so with the guidance of our living orc Exemplar Skywise Rykana
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (234-0)
* '''Notes:''' A statement of principle that calls on the Wise to present a [[To_seek_enlightenment#Finding_the_Right_Question|well-worded appraisal]] requires a greater majority.

===Judgement 167===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Alf Aewulfsson
* '''Judgement:''' Marchers know the value of a hard days work. Sometimes the work is dirty but still needs doing. We recognise the hard work of Brother Luke as he labours for the Empire that could be. By Luke's example, we encourage Marchers to be on guard against the insidious machinations of creeping tyranny.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (140-34)

===Judgement 168===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Father Edmund
* '''Judgement:''' Marchers of Bregasland, we have endured the Jotun occupation of our land once more. Now armies of the Marches, Brass Coast, Wintermark, Highguard, the Imperial Orcs, and the League are marching to bring all their might to bear and liberate us. Rise up with the Strong Reeds and lend all possible aid to this mighty host of virtuous soldiers. Our land! Our home!
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (178-0)

===Judgement 169===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Firesong Galath
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Orc Assembly call upon the skills won in combat and wisdom from his time as General of the Winter Sun, for his steadfast pursuit of liberation of those in chains and the ruin of fear makers; we send Exemplar of Wisdom Skywise Rykana to lead the Imperial Orc forces to boldly venture into the Mallum and save all those Great Forest Orcs we can. No orc should go alone, to second him and support him with her knowledge of the Great Forest Orcs. We send a cousin from the Yerende sept of Ossium, Bloodcrow Meep. May they show the strength of orcs who unite. May our gathered forces join with the Navarr to create a wall of thorns that will not fail.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (62-0)
* '''Notes:''' '''Skywise Rykana''' has been recognised as the Imperial Orc leader of the raid to [[All_I_ask_of_you#Rescue the Great Forest|Rescue the Great Forest Orcs]]

===Judgement 170===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Bloodcrow Meep
* '''Judgement:''' "''This land, our land, it belongs to you and me''" - Sannite ancestor Udak. Udak speaks to me. They remind me what I fought for. They remind of what I still fight for. It is this that stoked the fire of my ambition and drove me to Anvil, to the Senate, where I work to better my people and nation. Most importantly, my land. My territory. Mareave. Mareave is our land. It belongs to you and me. Pathfinder Gaddak.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (62-0)
* '''Notes:''' The words of Udak have been added to the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#Annals_of_the_Ancestors|Annals of the Ancestors]]

===Judgement 171===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Gralka
* '''Judgement:''' In a single day they died. In a single night they became a forest exactly where they fell. There is not such thing as orc wood. The soldiers of the Autumn Hammers who went to the Graven March to earn their legend and in death become ancestors. NOT TO BE PLANTED AS SEEDS. The Imperial Orc National Assembly demand the Marcher Assembly return the bones of our people back to be interred in our lands.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (62-0)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 8===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Viviane
* '''Judgement:''' A banner flies in Elos where the unstoppable tempest met the immovable mountain. Where the heirs of Mariika the Cunning and Guntherm the Bold faced those of Rucraic the Audacious and Dubhtraig the Ruthless in a clash of Ambitions. We send Viviane Barossa with a dose of true liao to consecrate the site of that banner - to make in Elos a beacon of Ambition whose flame shall shine all across the waters of Catazar unto the very shores of Attar itself.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (2197-186)
* '''Enacted:''' Elos Harbour has been consecrated with [[true liao]]. The [[The_shadows_fall_behind_you#Drive|Fist's Memorial]] can now be commissioned, creating the title of Custodian; [[Hero's Journey]] has been added to [[Urizen lore]]; and the schema for [[Dissipating Silks]] has been added to [[Runesmith's Law]]. As this judgement was not upheld with a greater majority, the mortal armies and navies of Wintermark and Urizen will not benefit from improved natural resupply whilst in [[Redoubt]].

===Judgement 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Sister Elysium
* '''Judgement:''' We shall ignite the flame to illuminate the Second Age of Virtue. We send Micah of The Navigators of Virtue with 50 doses of liao to spread the word of the grand opening ceremony to take place as 388 turns to 389. Let the whole Empire know that the hour is at hand.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (442-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Followers of [[Ambition]] will spread the news of the imminent completion of the Grand Inspiration across the Empire. They will ensure that everyone knows that the great project will be completed by the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE. If the Grand Inspiration is completed by the start of 389YE, then it will spread a [[A_lasting_commitment#Mean_What_You_Say|powerful confidence]] through the faithful, creating an [[opportunity]] for members of the Assembly of Ambition to see other great ambitions fulfilled.

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Kish of the Flame Beneath the Earth
* '''Judgement:''' Those who spread salvation with the inspirational beauty and power of their voices must come forth to take up their rightful place in the Grand Inspiration. We send Kish of the Flame Beneath the Earth with 50 doses of liao to encourage the cantors of our nation to congregate and sing the songs their souls yearn to share that all may hear them and know their destiny.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (626-10)
* '''Enacted:''' Choristers who use the numinous power of music to inspire and uplift the Virtuous will attend the Grand Inspiration in Bastion. An amendment to the Grand Inspiration - a [[A_lasting_commitment#Language_beyond_words|choristers balcony]] - will be available until the commission is completed.

===Judgement 49===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Enchantress Areloe Larmallevés
* '''Judgement:''' No price is too high to realise your dreams. We send Enchantress Areloe Larmallevés with 50 liao to remind the Dawnish that there is no fight more glorious than that against the vallorn. Let us raise the banner of Dawn over Brocéliande!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (190-152) margin of 42 votes
* '''Not Enacted:'''
* '''Notes:''' This mandate was in competition with [[#Judgement 58|Judgement 58]]

===Judgement 50===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa
* '''Judgement:''' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon Barossa with 25 doses of liao to urge the Virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Satrapy of Ibaria. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (262-76)
* '''Enacted:''' Will result in a [[Asavean_Factor#Build_Then_Up|meeting]] between the Satrapy of Ibaria and Dagon Barossa

===Judgement 58===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Earl of Fools
* '''Judgement:''' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Lord Reynard Griffinsong with 75 liao to urge citizens of the Empire to come to Greenwood Manor to venture forth against the enemy. Let the Vallornguard lead us to glory!
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (242-118) margin of 124 votes
* '''Enacted:''' The civil service will raise an administrative motion at the Autumn Equinox to amend the [[Knight of the Greenwood]], making it appointed by the [[Vallornguard]]. If the title is amended and the mandate is enacted, then it will open up Greenwood Manor to citizens of every nation. The venture to quest against the vallorn would become available to all military units.
* '''Notes:''' This mandate was in competition with [[#Judgement 49|Judgement 49]]

===Judgement 63===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Corey Wayfarer
* '''Judgement:''' The Virtuous raise up their fellows. Any nation willing to raise arms and join the Vallornguard shall have our full support. We send Corey Wayfarer with 50 doses of liao to lead our people in sharing everything we have with the Highborn to prepare to finish the fight.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (126-50)
* '''Enacted:'''

===Judgement 72===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Tabris, Son of Armisael
* '''Judgement:''' Those who fell in the battle of Siroc rest still beneath the waters of the Bay of Oran. There is a chance for the ruined fortress to once more protect the Freeborn people, but we must ensure no disrespect is offered to the dead. We send Maria i Espiri i Guerra with 50 doses of liao to ensure that the salvage of the Salt Guard does not dishonour those who sacrificed everything to defend the Brass Coast.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (282-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Calls exorcists, ghost-whisperers, and occultists to the [[The_Oran_operation#Ruins_and_Salt|Bay of Oran]]

===Judgement 73===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Ambros de Sarvos
* '''Judgement:''' Prepare for Malice! We send Shauni di Vergo with a dose of true liao to consecrate the Great Chain of Sarvos to remind all of the importance of preparation, in the inspiring legacy of the Sentinel.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1270-126)
* '''Enacted:''' Any wains used for emergency resupply on the Great Chain will provide twice the normal benefit. Pilgrims and locals alike will dig deep to provide their own resources to support efforts to rebuild the bastion, while bravos and free companies will be driven to put aside their dissolute ways and sign up with the local garrison to replenish its strength.

===Judgement 74===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Ivana Petara Vodjavic
* '''Judgement:''' Let none in our Empire be left without! We send Katya Vasillova Reznikov with 25 doses of liao to Feroz to ensure that all that is worthwhile is shared with those who need it.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (221-10)
* '''Enacted:''' Pilgrims will travel to [[Feroz]] to see what can be done. The civil service will assess the efforts of those who make the pilgrimage and present a single [[opportunity]] to restore the dignity, freedom and prosperity that the [[Imperial Constitution]] guarantees them

===Judgement 77===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Robat Rat Waystone Path
* '''Judgement:''' The Virtuous raise up their fellows. Any nation willing to raise arms and join the Vallornguard shall have our full support. We send Brynn Tendfallen with 50 doses of liao to lead our people in sharing everything we have with the people of Varushka to prepare to finish the fight.
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn at the request of the raising priest (93-40)

===Judgement 91===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Hildelith Kaukosdottir
* '''Judgement:''' The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (290- 0)
* '''Enacted:''' Focuses the efforts of the Hunt the Suaq Wastes venture on taking the fight to the servants of [[Agramant]] at [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Provided at least 5,000 strength supports the venture after the Summer Solstice, the servants of Agramant there will be scattered, and an opportunity to permanently sever the regio will be provided.

===Judgement 93===
* '''Assembly:''' Imperial Orc
* '''Raised By:''' Jim
* '''Judgement:''' A nation is much more than lines on a map. We send Bloodcrow Meep with 15 crowns to lead a delegation of mystagogues and shamans to discover more of the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (72-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Bloodcrow Meep will lead a group of willing orcs [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|in search of information and lore about the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest]]

===Judgement 100===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Lia Adelaar von Holberg
* '''Judgement:''' Nothing is beyond our grasp. We send Lia Adelaar von Holberg with 25 doses of liao to urge the Princes of the League to reach out to the Sand Fishers to find ways to persuade them of the benefits of a seat at the great game. Even the most impenetrable forest may fall one tree at a time
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (356-0)
* '''Enacted:''' The merchant-princes of the League will reach out to the Sand Fishers to see what could be done to [[Any_dream_will_do#Partners_within|bring them closer]] to the League

===Judgement 102===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Pio i Vega i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' Those who fell in the battle of Siroc rest still beneath the waters of the Bay of Oran. There is a chance for the ruined fortress to once more protect the Freeborn people, but we must ensure no disrespect is offered to the dead. We send Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza with 50 doses of liao to ensure that the salvage of the Salt Guard does not dishonour those who sacrificed everything to defend the Brass Coast.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (186-0)
* '''Enacted:''' Calls exorcists, ghost-whisperers, and occultists to the [[The_Oran_operation#Ruins_and_Salt|Bay of Oran]]

===Judgement 108===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Jules von Holberg
* '''Judgement:''' Nothing is beyond our grasp. We send Jules von Holberg with 25 doses of liao to urge the Princes of the League to reach out to the Sand Fishers to find ways to persuade them of the benefits of a seat at the great game. Even the most impenetrable forest may fall one tree at a time
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (264-0)
* '''Enacted:'''
*'''Notes:''' This was a use of Eyes of Loyalty on Judgement 100

===Judgement 131===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Caracalla Tarraco di Sarvos
* '''Judgement:''' In Ratibor's name, let us act! We send Caracalla Tarraco di Sarvos with 50 doses of liao to encourage League bravos to take up arms against the vallorn. If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing right now
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (286-0)
* '''Enacted:''' League military units will be able to take part in the [[Venture#Quest_Against_the_Vallorn|quest against the vallorn]] and [[Venture#Explore_the_ruins_of_Terunael|the exploration of the ruins of Terunael]] ventures, as well as any future ventures that deal with engaging the vallorn directly.

===Judgement 135===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Rosanna Vtrachenich
* '''Judgement:''' There are old ties between the people of Varushka and those of Wintermark; we are cousins to Suaq and Kallavesa and siblings to the Steinr. They seek to master Tsirku, and we are wise in the ways of taming dangerous lands. We send Rosanna Vtrachenich with 100 doses of liao to urge the folk of Varushka to remember our old bonds, and to help our cousins secure their future.
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (100-118)

===Judgement 150===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Clarice Novarion
* '''Judgement:''' Wisdom is not always knowing the answer. We send Melchior of Adina's Charge with 150 liao to urge every Imperial citizen to forego the secret knowledge of the Druj. Wisdom is finding the right question. Let the art of creating fear die with them.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1457-204)
* '''Enacted:''' This has closed the door on opportunities to learn the skills, the techniques, and the actual potion recipes that the Druj use to do that for all nations in the Empire, except for [[Urizen]], [[Varushka]], and [[Wintermark]].

===Judgement 156===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Illya Nikovitch Volkov
* '''Judgement:''' It is the Empire’s destiny to unite the world under the Way. We send Velko Perunovich Razoradze with 50 doses of liao to urge every citizen to contribute what resources they can spare to support the creation of a new Holy City at Bastion. The road ahead is hard, but we are walking it together.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (248-0)
* '''Not enacted:''' This mandate is no longer available following the [[True_faith#Crisis_Ripples|crisis of Vardas]]

==Writ of Consecration==
===Judgement 13===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedediah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' 60 years have passed since the Leaders of the Ore Hills Rebellion, Exemplars of Pride, gave their lives for Virtue. Their names resonate across Mournwold hills; Esme Hooper, Mary Digger, Ezekial "Zeke" Boon, Henry Killinghall, Maggie John, and Tom John. As the pickaxes ring out, driving their Legacy deeper into the stone, the Great Work commemorating them stands ever taller. 'Rebellion's Ridge' is dedicated to them, together, and their Virtuous lives. They have waited long enough. Just as the Assembly of Pride first Recognised their Exemplarhood, so too does it request a Writ of Consecration for this sacred site. Let it draw pilgrims to its sanctuary; let it remind a territory stricken by the Jotun bootheel time and time again: Plan. Arm. Enchant. Resist. Exalt. Remember.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (296-10)

===Judgement 70===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Exarch Aemon
* '''Judgement:''' We call for the Memorial to the Silent Bell - in Broken Ride, Reikos - to be consecrated to Vigilance by Bryce the Hare. This was where the Empire first knew the Druj power of Fear, and it was the bravery of those who died for the Silent Bell's campaign to learn of Fear that inspired this monument. The sodality requires the anonymity of it's members, and to celebrate them for their deeds would compromise them. As such, they are never remembered for their Virtuous work, and in silence the sodality bears the grim burden of lives lost in the name of Virtue. No longer! This edifice stands in memorial to the Vigilance dead. Let all who visit this place contemplate what they themselves might give to protect something they truly care for.
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (224-0)

==Proscription==
<div class="alert">Commentary from the Constitutional Court on these judgements is pending.</div>
===Judgement 47===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Nathair Autumngale
* '''Judgement:''' We proscribe the Heresy of the Spawn: The promotion of the idea that the vallorn has any significant capacity to influence or prevent the passage of the spirit or soul after death.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1067-490)

===Judgement 48===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Bella Vicente d'Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' It is ''Idolatry'' to give your memories to a non-human or orc entity. It betrays your soul as it gives part of your ''Pride'', ''Wisdom'', and ''Vigilance'' away to something else. ''True Liao'' grants vision into the past: how <u>dare</u> any give that privilege to another being?
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (442-1271)

===Judgement 57===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Rafael Barossa d'Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' To proscribe as an abuse of powers the practice of raising a judgement of recognition for a living being
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (524-1526)

===Judgement 82===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov
* '''Judgement:''' Preaching that orc souls reincarnate should be proscribed as heresy. The Doctrine of the Abyss is clear: "''Orcs live only one life''". To teach otherwise is a clear rejection of doctrine. Do not be cowed by threats into abandoning our responsibility to uphold the doctrines of the faith
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (412-1602)
* '''Notes:''' [[The_Throne#Custodian_of_Virtue|Custodian of Virtue]] was used on this judgement

===Judgement 137===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Jurand Biegacz
* '''Judgement:''' The placement of an aura upon another's possession without their prior explict permission should be considered a minor abuse of powers.
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (312-824)

===Judgement 154===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Edward Greyfriar
* '''Judgement:''' The Proscription against "Bearing a dedication of anointing of a false virtue" should be withdrawn. It is not the Judgement that Brother Orchard put forward and Synod voted for. The Constitutional Court has made it clear that the original wording will never be constitutional. If we wish the judgement the Court wrote to be applied we should vote for it, not rely on the Court having correctly guessed our intent.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (732-338)

===Judgement 160===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Ourania Neofoti of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' We do not proscribe as Idolatry being openly chosen by an eternal as their representative to the Empire. We request that the positions be known and recorded by the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (994-204)

===Judgement 162===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Lepidina
* '''Judgement:''' We do not proscribe as Idolatry the acts of bargaining or trading with inhuman entities and forces such as eternals and sovereigns
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1213-102)

==Inquisition==
===Judgement 10===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Night claims to home the Conscience of Kings but the Virtuous know that title is claimed by the Strategist and Worth of Wisdom. I Elagabala Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path, call to Inquisition Brat of the Umbral Path to discuss his association with the previous Archmages of Night, his failures, their failures and Imperial failures. We shall stand in the scouring light of day at high noon in the Umbral Path camp on the Saturday of this summit. We shall cut and cut an cut until the world bleeds truth. I write this not in interrogation of Brat's Wisdom but to apply the Wisdom of this Empire to Night and its agents; to tear asunder their chests, and expose their hearts to the inexorable pain of being seen.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (56-20)

===Judgement 20===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Iniska Ashwood
* '''Judgement:''' I call Modesto Bogaty to inquisition to answer questions about face peeler eggs. 9pm Saturday. Woven Roots. Navarr.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (153-0)

===Judgement 35===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Nerith
* '''Judgement:''' I, Nerith of Necropolis, summon myself! I wield Freedom of the Soul, a magic some priests name an aura of anarchy, a false virtue. Before I turn the lantern of vigilance on another, Vigilance bids me turn it on myself. Am I, unknowing, a blasphemer? Am I good or evil, criminal or innocent, virtuous or unvirtuous? If a priest can summon themselves, Synod should witness it. Come meet and help weigh me, at Highguard Chapel, 11:00, Saturday
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (10-0)

===Judgement 36===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Jesper Luukasson
* '''Judgement:''' Marcus, former warden of the Mark. Your final actions in this role leave much to discuss. It is time to answer for the decisions you made so rumours may end. Lets discuss at the Autumn Equinox. I will agree a time and place amenable before the next summit
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (138-0)

===Judgement 52===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Aethelric the Grounded
* '''Judgement:''' I call Hypatia of House de Cendres to inquistion to discuss her virtue and actions with regard to her work at the Anvil Hospital. It will be held at 16:00 at the Anvil Hospital this summit
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

===Judgement 60===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Bryce the Hare
* '''Judgement:''' I didn't laugh when I first heard of this, and I ain't laughing now. The spiritual and physical safety of Varushka is no joke. I call Radomir to Inquisition - to be held at the Hearth of the Varushkan camp (or the Sovereign's Head, weather permitting) - on the matters of Vigilance and Wisdom in relation to the 'Wolf Carousel' and his actions as host of the Wolf. 12PM, Summer Solstice, Sunday. Citizens knowledgeable of these matters are encouraged to find me prior to the inquisition.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (78-0)

===Judgement 61===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Eldrid 'Phoenix Flame' Vestardottir
* '''Judgement:''' I call Talos, Fergus of the Serrated Claws to inquisition in relation to rumours of siding with the Manticore
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (202-0)

===Judgement 95===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Nim, of Ebon's Hall
* '''Judgement:''' Watt Lambrook, you are tasked with asking the right questions in order to conduct the uncovering of our most pressing Imperial history. Come to be questioned on questions asked and questions to be asked at Ebon's Hall, Highguard, 1pm Saturday
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (22-0)

===Judgement 96===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost
* '''Judgement:''' Skywise Rykana. Citizens of this Empire raise questions about the place of living exemplars and wisdom teaches all knowledge must be tested. It has been some time since the Wisdom Assembly tested the Empire's only living exemplar - stand ready. Next summit, time and place to be determined.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (198-0)

===Judgement 98===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Piotr Strascovich
* '''Judgement:''' I call the Ketsov to inquisition once more. We gave them a penance (J132 Spring 387) let us learn what they have done since to build up their fellow Varushkans, how they shared what is worthwhile and how they have built Ossium. Come cousins, to the National Tent at 7pm on the Saturday of the Autumn Equinox. Tell us your deeds and enjoy the Winter Market of Anvil!
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (228-0)

===Judgement 101===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Brightness Alys de Renard
* '''Judgement:''' In Vigilance, we seek an inquisition of Earl Temperance of the Groves. How are we to trust the Loyalty of the Earl when the truth of their ennobling and time spent with the Manticore is shrouded in secrecy? The <u>truth</u> shall be uncovered, and the secrets and lies shall be illuminated under the glorious light of Dawn
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (210-10)

===Judgement 109===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Lita i Nadir i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' Patches i Riqueza. You claim to be the Empire's leading narcotics purveyor, yet you were recently convicted for dealing with the Iron Confederacy. Why should the people of Anvil continue to do their dealing with a criminal? You may have shown yourself to be Prosperous and Ambitious. Let us see if your actions have been and continue to be Wise. Spilled Tea. Autumn 388. Time to be determined.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (198-10)

===Judgement 115===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call Sigismund, Boyar of Little Kestovia, Field Marshal of todays battle to inquisiton at 2:30pm on Sunday this summit at his hearth
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (122-0)

===Judgement 116===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Amara
* '''Judgement:''' I am inquisiting Enchantress Larmallevés for being an example to Glory and Ambition
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (188-10)

===Judgement 119===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Hazel Talbot
* '''Judgement:''' I call Mel Bleak to an inquisition for a lack of Vigilance for not conversing with the Sun Chamber (or its Consul) before creating the Stoat of the Sun and presenting it as supported by said sodality. Inquisition to happen 2pm Saturday, Marcher community tent
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (22-0)

===Judgement 136===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Eskah Swift Hart
* '''Judgement:''' Calling Dochas of the Weeping Glade. You have reached out to <u>the voice of pines</u> for aid in Therunin in desperation, claiming the Empire has abandoned Navarr. Loyalty is demonstrated in words and deeds let us explore your virtue in these actions. We call you to inquisition at the autumn summit at a time and place of your choosing.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (124-0)

===Judgement 142===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Masha Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' I call to inquisition Aemon du Cordraco, Senator for Astolat, to talk about comments around the election of the General of the Golden Sun. We will discuss when this will take place
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (160-0)

===Judgement 143===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Laumina Yulenkaovich Delmorozov
* '''Judgement:''' The Inquisitor of Courage calls Earl Tristan du Lac, Senator for Weirwater, to an inquisition to discuss the comments around the election of the General of the Gold Sun. We shall discuss when this shall take place. Raised on behalf of the Inquisitor of Courage
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (172-0)

===Judgement 157===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Azir i Shartha i Riqueza
* '''Judgement:''' We have questions of virtue and history. I call Maria i Conterra i Guerra, widow of Emperor Ahraz to inquisition. Given her age and circumstances, the long journey to Anvil may not be tenable, and I am amenable to alternate arrangements.
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (88-88)

===Judgement 159===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Lord Archibald Órdraig
* '''Judgement:''' On behalf of Dawn and the Barrens, I call Earl Estelle de Sanguine to inquisition. Whilst they have not attended Anvil as of yet, the concerning rumours regarding the White Butterfly and its cult must be investigated, therefore they must attend Anvil at the Autumn Equinox to answer these questions, regarding their heresy and blasphemy in disregarding the Way.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (166-0)

===Judgement 161===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Vivienne du Valoire
* '''Judgement:''' <u>Lyanna Songbird</u> has neglected her priestly duties in pursuit of merry-making, and <u>idolizes love</u> far <u>more than she cares for the virtues</u>. Her continued priesthood should be reviewed.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (90-0)

===Writs of Inquisition===
The following writs of inquisition were issued this summit:
{|
| '''Called by''' || '''Subject''' || '''Judgement or Title''' || '''Matter'''
|-
| Elagabala || Brat Umbral Path || [[#Judgement 10|Judgement 10]] || Association with previous [[Archmage of Night|Archmages of Night]]
|-
| Iniska Ashwood || Modesto Bogaty || [[#Judgement 20|Judgement 20]] || [[Invited_with_asperity#Caridis,_Sławomir,_and_the_Face-peelers|Face peeler]] eggs
|-
| Nerith || Nerith || [[#Judgement 35|Judgement 35]] || [[Freedom of the Soul]] and [[Malign_spiritual_presences#Anarchy|Anarchy]]
|-
| Jesper || Marcus || [[#Judgement 36|Judgement 36]] || Final actions as Warden of the Mark, at the Autumn summit
|-
| Aethelric the Grounded || Hypatia of House de Cendres || [[#Judgement 52|Judgement 52]] || Her work at the [[Anvil#The_Anvil_Hospital|Anvil Hospital]]
|-
| Bryce the Hare || Radomir || [[#Judgement 60|Judgement 60]] || Wolf Carousel and Host of the Wolf
|-
| Eldrid "Phoenix Flame" Vestadottir || Talos Fergus of the Serrated Claws || [[#Judgement 61|Judgement 61]] || Rumours of siding with the [[The_matter_will_be_done|Manticore]]
|-
| Nim of Ebon's Hall || Watt Lambrook || [[#Judgement 95|Judgement 95]] || Right questions
|-
| Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost || Skywise Rykana || [[#Judgement 96|Judgement 96]] || Being a living exemplar, at the Autumn summit
|-
| Brightness Alys de Reynard || Earl Temperance of the Groves || [[#Judgement 101|Judgement 101]] || Their ennobling and time spent with the [[The_matter_will_be_done|Manticore]]
|-
| Lita i Nadir i Riqueza || Patches i Riqueza || [[#Judgement 109|Judgement 109]] || Dealing narcotics to the [[Iron Confederacy]]
|-
| Father Drakov || Sigismund || [[#Judgement 115|Judgement 115]] || The Saturday battle
|-
| Amara || Enchantress Areloe Larmallevés || [[#Judgement 116|Judgement 116]] || Being an example to [[Glory]] and [[Ambition]]
|-
| Hazel Talbot || Mel Bleak || [[#Judgement 119|Judgement 119]] || Not talking to the [[Sun Chamber]] before creating the [[Stoat of the Sun]]
|-
| Eskah Swift Hart || Dochas of the Weeping Glade || [[#Judgement 136|Judgement 136]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#The_Beast_Below_(Agramant)|Reaching out]] to [[Agramant|the Voice in the Pines]], at the Autumn summit
|-
| Masha Sigeling || Aemon du Cordraco || [[#Judgement 142|Judgement 142]] || Election of the [[General]] of the [[Golden Sun]]
|-
| Laumina Yulenkaovich Delmorozov || Earl Tristan du Lac || [[#Judgement 143|Judgement 143]] || Election of the [[General]] of the [[Golden Sun]]
|-
| Lord Archibald Órdraig || Earl Estelle de Sanguine || [[#Judgement 159|Judgement 159]] || The White Butterfly
|-
| Vivienne du Valoire || Lyanna Songbird || [[#Judgement 161|Judgement 161]] || Idolising [[Dawn_hearth_magic#Love_and_Flowers|love]] over the virtues
|-
| Galene Netherwatch || Fiorente Vicente D'Apulian || [[Arcane Inquisitor]] || Moving forwards, at the Autumn summit
|-
| Alfred Eawolfson || Albrecht von Holberg || [[Basilisk of the Bourse]] || Virtue, economics and intelligence
|-
| Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost || Belmarie de Courtenay-Wyldrose || [[Imperial Inquisitor]] || Their role as [[High Exorcist]]
|-
| Azir i Shartha i Riqueza || Wulfric Leonard Mourn || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Ambition]] || His designs on cardinalship and a formal debrief of the [[All laudable qualities|Symposium of Proscriptions]]
|-
| Masha Sigeling || Aurianna du Meravon || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Courage]] || Comments around the election of the General of the [[Golden Sun]]
|-
| Eevi Hawk Heart of the Gadrai || Martin Orchard || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Loyalty]] || Vengeance cults and bonds within the Marches, at the Autumn summit
|-
| Jedediah Boon || Ada Droon Drifting Bough || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Pride]] || Monuments built, at the Autumn or Winter summit
|-
| Iniska Ashwood || Kevan Heartsbane || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Prosperity]] || The [[Broker]]'s Council
|-
| Brother Geoffrey Orchard || Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Vigilance]] || A Jarmish jam, at the Autumn summit
|-
| Nim of Ebon's Hall || Rhydian de Rondell || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]] || Communication with the Wisdom Assembly and other heroic business
|}

==Sanction==
===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedediah Boon
* '''Judgement - Castigation:''' An Inquisitor must be held to the standard of a competent and Virtuous Inquisitor. Nothing Less. Brother Geoffrey Orchard; You have misused the powers bestowed on you, using Sanctions to advertise your books for personal gain. You have placed collective punishment on those outside your Inquisition without remorse. You have derogated Exemplars, beyond theological debate. You have offended each Tenet of Pride, demeaning others on your vengeful path and failing to strive for excellence. You have promoted the false virtue of Vengeance, choosing Inquisition targets by personal grudges and unrepentantly displaying human heads on pikes along the road of a Consecrated tomb. If you were not a titled Inquisitor, there could be room to rectify your lack of Pride. You are Heretical, a discredit to the Way, and deserving of harsher recourse than the limits Castigation.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (188-28)

===Judgement 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Navarr
* '''Raised By:''' Corey Wayfarer
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Following Inquisition at the Spring Equinox I Vindicate you. How your virtue motivates you, your actions and your orders as a General was clear and I look forward to your continued virtuous journey. Thank you Cadwell. You requested some support with emotional elements of the General's role and to this end you took an Oath to speak with a Guide or Guides for an hour each season to help support you in your role as General. I will be happy to continue to guide you in this manner.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (232-0)

===Judgement 28===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Geoffrey Orchard
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' (Escalating from the Writ brought by my authority as Inquisitor of Vigilance at Winter 387YE. Inquisition conducted Spring 388YE.) Ibiss Briarheart's tenure as Archmage of Spring has had its controversies, and I have had reservations about some of his decisions. He persuaded me in Inquisition that, despite all outward appearances, there WAS always a plan - a plan suitable to the Spring Realm, carried out with proteges who could carry on the work should the worst happen, and conducted with all due Vigilance. If it appears otherwise at points, that's Spring for you. Now that Ibiss is Warmage, he is best placed to ensure that the plan as outlined to me bears its fruit, particularly the part he told me would come once the scourge of the Druj is over - so even as he lays down his Archmage's staff, his Vigil does not end. I Vindicate him and, in consideration of his Legacy, I commit to producing a text on his diplomacy with the Spring Realm and its Eternals for posterity
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (134-0)

===Judgement 29===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Brother Geoffrey Orchard
* '''Judgement - Castigation:''' (Escalating Inquisition of Spring 388YE.) GWEN TENDFALLEN spread copies of "Doctrines of the Second Bloom" where anyone could pick them up. Her preface justified this in terms of Loyalty, Vigilance, and Wisdom, and urged readers to "test what you learn". The only way to test the book's claims is to experiment with False Virtue. In Inquisition she disavowed Loyalty as a motive. The threat claimed Vigilance against was the uncontrolled spread of the book's ideas - the foreseeable outcome of her own actions. Wisdom says "Despise folly and chastise the fool that spreads it". Gwen admits being aware of major errors of fact in the book, justifying this as a "challenge" for readers. Uncovering new truths is challenge enough without sifting thrugh a tangle of known falsehoods. Spreading folly flouts Wisdom. Disavowing Loyalty shatters it. Causing the danger you claim to be Vigilant against is the reverse of Vigilance. Gwen's claims to Virtue are spurious and I urge the Assembly to CASTIGATE her. Any priest or investigator wishing to know more of the poisonous ideology of the "Second Bloom" is invited to talk to me. The militia have been informed.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (78-0)

===Judgement 69===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Ingrid Talon-of-the-Mark
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower has worked for years to guide the military council in matters of virtue, and the Synod in the unwelcome truths of the war. Benevolence shines in the compassion and good counsel that they have given their fellows, vigilantly rooting out the poison of discord between the bodies of the Empire. They have been a bane to folly and carelessness, arming general and priest alike with the truth - that we may all better defend that which we hold dear.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (174-0)

===Judgement 92===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Galene Netherwatch
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' As Arcane Inquisitor, I vindicate the Archmage of Summer, Mirella of the Twisted Rose. Her Loyalty and love for the Empire shine bright as the sun. She has grown in her virtue and in so doing inspired others to grow. Continue to push, continue to grow; let your light shine brighter than the Summer Realm itself.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (5-0)

===Judgement 121===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Nerith
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' I summoned myself to inquisition. Under Freedom of the Soul, I cast Freedom of the Soul, and my soul was freed. Anarchy rose up in me, and I spoke and questioned freely, at the Highguard chapel. Insight found no anarchy. I informed militia and Synod in advance. I testified what I found with testimony. (The inquisitor was vigilant and questioned me without mercy. A friend would've been gentler.) Where anarchy truly lives, I leave to wiser souls. Vindicated. The work of Vigilance continues, during this Second Age of Virtue, in Berechiah's Legacy.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (20-12)

===Judgement 139===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Azir i Shartha
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Lord Alexander Tallstag understands what it means to be a living exemplar. He talks of exemplarhood as a means to encourage others to lead a virtuous life, and I judge him correct in his assessment. Alexander's grand Ambition is to inspire others towards virtuous action. My challenge to him: <u>DO IT</u>. I want to hear tales of his inspirations from every corner of Anvil and the Empire. He has the virtue. Ambition is watching.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (134-0)

===Judgement 140===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Aethelric the Grounded
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' Following inquisition, I am happy that Hypatia is fully informed of virtue, and Wisdom in particular, in thought, word and deed. The goal for all of us is to act with more virtue tomorrow than we performed today, and Hypatia is keenly aware of this truth.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (118-0)

===Judgement 144===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Eldrid 'Phoenix Flame' Vestardottir
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' The Serrated Claws, now of Wintermark, formerly of Dawn, have proven firmly that any rumours surrounding siding with the Manticore are false and that they are hereby vindicated and put all rumours to rest.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (182-0)

===Judgement 152===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Vauraus "Prosperity's Forge" Korppitkotka
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Gancio di Catazar acted out of Ambition and Loyalty when they commissioned the Silver Fox mines, but without the Vigilance to check it was wanted. They also hurt the Prosperity of the three people and one guild who contributed. By means of penance, Gancio di Catazar will: 1) Find those three people and return their money to them. They will contact the Descent Guild of Ore Extraction to determine what reckoning is required; 2) Work with Senator Temeschwar to once more commission the Silver Fox mines at a time of their choosing; 3) Attend the Vigilance Assembly, tell them why they are there and ask for a priest to counsel them on vigilance for a year
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (171-0)

===Judgement 153===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Vauraus "Prosperity's Forge" Korppitkotka
* '''Judgement - Vindication:''' The Empress stated after her coronation that she would build us into a military economy and not let the west go undefended. She stated she would control and support the building of Imperial armies. These things she has done. We have built more armies faster than I can find in the civil service record. She is the Empress over the largest Empire there has ever been. Her stated ambition is to secure the hearths and homes of the Empire and build new ones. I exalt that Ambition, the Loyalty that it shows to every Imperial citizen, the courage the Empress has shown in steering this path firmly yet fairly, and the Pride she has shown by stating this Ambition and how she is meeting it.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (8-0)

===Judgement 172===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Silas of the Cenotaph
* '''Judgement - Penance:''' Ser Guy of the Twisted Rose. You are no idolator, but you have been reckless with the souls of those soldiers over whom you held responsibility. Your actions are not without virtue - but we worry about the echo of Irra Harah's philosophies in the actions you took. In penance, cease playing Irra Harah's game - stand proud as we know you can. Run not, hide not, fight well.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (9-0)

==Exaltation==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Halwyn Splitroot
* '''Judgement:''' Great artists whose work inspires virtue should be exalted. Constanza i Kalamar i Guerra has inspired pride across the Empire through her artwork, Faces of the Empire, which comprises a central piece and ten accompanying portraits, each representing the culture of an Imperial nation. The central piece brings together all ten portraits, symbolising the unity, strength, and virtue of our diverse Empire. Constanza is a multidisciplinary artist whose inspiring work spans both the visual and performing arts. We exalt Constanza in recognition of her artistic achievements and her dedication to inspiring pride in others.
* '''Outcome: ''' Not upheld (194-80)

===Judgement 43===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' This Assembly Exalts Jarrigk Silktongue du Meravon. Jarrigk was deemed virtuous enough to earn a dose of True Liao from the Gatekeepers of the Synod, in recognition of years of Proud service as Imperial Consul, and now Voice of Liberty. He willingly donated this gift back to the Gatekeepers, knowing he would not be granted another, so it could be given by them to Faraden to create a permanent Pride Consecration there. Such is his dedication to his craft; Diplomacy in service of the Empire. This Consecration has further cemented good relations with Faraden and reduced Asavean influence there, as well as being a wonder in its own right- a permanent Pride Consecration to inspire those beyond the Empire's borders.
* '''Outcome: ''' Not upheld (172-62)

===Judgement 114===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Tenebrae
* '''Judgement:''' To recognise the Wisdom enacted by Serafina Semenov for their efforts in the fight against the vallorn. As seen in winter during the siege of the Tower of the Skink! Under the virtue of Wisdom, Serafina lent scouts via Boyar's Hasta, leading to the warding stones of Beantol Dol not being completely broken to Druj will. This reduced the awakening of the vallorn, saving thousands, followed by fighting those same vallorn in spring! Ratified by VGWisdom
* '''Outcome: ''' Not upheld (140-32)

===Judgement 133===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Ralph Godwin
* '''Judgement:''' Gemma Brightsmith has lead the smiths of the Marchers virtuously and with Pride. Her ceaseless work to first help discover and since cultivate the Marcher art of smithing has brought immense, tangible pride to the whole nation of the Marchers. This assembly therefore exalts Gemma Brightsmith for her Pride.
* '''Outcome: ''' Not upheld (186-0)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune on behalf of Amos
* '''Judgement:''' I call for Barabbas to be recognised as an exemplar of Ambition, embodying the tenet that "it is better by far to try and fail, than never to have tried at all". His legacy lives on in Freeborn corsairs, in Caricomare and in Segura. His benevolence lives on in the ports and cities he built, the trade routes he founded, and the maps drawn from his explorers. His miraculous final address, and the aura of ambition it bears two centuries on, is an inspiration to mariners, explorers and adventurers to the cenotaph, and to all those who seek to do what "cannot be done". Barabbas is an exemplar for all those who dare to dream.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1056-118)

==Revocation==
===Judgement 117===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Bastiano di Tassato Mestra
* '''Judgement:''' By seeking to use the identity of the perpetrators of the Cold Sun crisis as leverage by holding it over their counterpart without revealing, The effort to unify an international effort to battle the forces of the End of All has been undermined. The Empire expects better of its ambassadors. We revoke Thaumiel of Steeplechase Toll, Ambassador to Jarm. Despise folly, and the fool that spreads it.
* '''Outcome:''' This judgement was withdrawn at the request of the raising priest (140-154)

==Challenge==
===Judgement 64===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ignacio i Zuhri i Erigo
* '''Judgement:''' For too long, prosperity has flowed one way along the Spider's Dream. Let us balance our accounts; on behalf of the dhomiros of the Brass Coast, let Marguerite di Serafina di Sarvos, Spider's Tollkeep be Challenged
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (148-0)

===Judgement 147===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Eevi Hawk Heart of the Gadrai
* '''Judgement:''' The Keeper of the Iron Grove was funded and built by the people of the Mark, to support our heroes. Resources from this sinecure have not been used in the last year due to absence. This is a failing of prosperity. We are failing our heroes in this. Let us elect someone new to this position who will do better. Let us build up our heroes.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (180-22)

==Appointment==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Courage
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Cardinal of Courage]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Nekoda of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 134 votes; Maarit Suvidottir received 120 votes.

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Silas of the Cenotaph''' was appointed with 134 votes; Francesca of Spiral received 0 notes.

===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Cardinal of Pride]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jebediah Boon''' was appointed with 183 votes; Lady Ailsa Tamerleine received 54 notes.

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Prelate of Adelmar's Shrine]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Lord Arthur de Lagriffe''' was appointed with 150 votes; Cyrus of Athaliah's Handiwork received 60 votes; 'Tongs' Barossa de Tassato Regario received 118 votes; Rhyffyllann Inkblood received 66 votes.

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Beneficiary of the Golden Cascade]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Hester of Sarangrave Reforged''' was appointed with 60 votes; Saraniz received 58 votes.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Voice of Ambition]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Sister Elysium''' was appointed with 120 votes; Cerys de Rosier received 66 votes; Kasjay received 76 votes.

===Judgement 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Champion of Vigilance]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jared of the Sentinels Tower''' was appointed with 46 votes; Vashti of the Cenotaph received 26 votes

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Marshal of the Faith]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Mael of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 4 votes

===Judgement 30===
* '''Assembly:''' Prosperity
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Prosperity]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Iniska Ashwood''' was appointed with 123 votes

===Judgement 33===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Speaker of the Crows]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Hildelith of Snowperch Hall''' was appointed with 254 votes

===Judgement 34===
* '''Assembly:''' Ambition
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Champion of Ambition]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Eldrid 'Phoenix Flame' Vestardottir''' was appointed with 328 votes

===Judgement 37===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Voice of Virtue|Voice of Loyalty]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Larkin Otterways''' was appointed with 200 votes; Jules von Holberg received 26 votes; Neri of Ebon's Hall received 16 votes

===Judgement 38===
* '''Assembly:''' Nine
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Imperial Inquisitor]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost''' was appointed with 4 votes

===Judgement 40===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Archbishop of Capodomus]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Estella Lucati''' was appointed with 238 votes

===Judgement 41===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Ceolmund Dreth''' was appointed with 128 votes

===Judgement 44===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Herald of the Throne of Glory]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Edward Watcher''' was appointed with 292 votes; Earl of Fools received 42 votes

===Judgement 51===
* '''Assembly:''' Freeborn
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Herb Tender of the Cerulean Balmhouse]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Mont i Sawa i Erigo''' was appointed with 106 votes

===Judgement 54===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Mistress of Monuments]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Kali Keen-Eye''' was appointed with 148 votes; Ada Drifting-Bough received 72 votes

===Judgement 56===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Seeker of Quietitude]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Hilda Sirens Scream Ursan''' was appointed with 172 votes

===Judgement 65===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of the Way]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vera''' was appointed with 110 votes; Maximillien Ankarien received 66 votes; Jurand Biegacz received 20 votes

===Judgement 68===
* '''Assembly:''' Marcher
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Friar of Honour's Rest]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Fredegar Bloodmouth''' was appointed with 132 votes

===Judgement 87===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Voice of Virtue|Voice of Pride]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Amaro d' Apulian''' was appointed with 128 votes

===Judgement 94===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Bishop of the Navigators]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tabris, Son of Armisael''' was appointed with 480 votes

===Judgement 124===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the [[Benefactor of High Chalcis]]
* '''Outcome:''' '''Enoch of Atun's Sanctuart''' was appointed with 210 votes; Abigail of the Shattered Tower received 34 votes

==Rewarding==
===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Estella Lucati
* '''Judgement:''' The Empire is ill-equipped to deal with the enemy spy networks - and the Grendel have four we know about but cannot easily destroy. The Imperial Spymaster, Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo, strives in Virtue and does what they can but needs our support. For Vigilance's sake, we reward the Imperial Spymaster with 12 wains of weirwood so that we can build the base required for the Empire to be able to undertake counter-espionage missions
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (943-115)

===Judgement 31===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard
* '''Judgement:''' For many years, Ehud and Asael of Reumah's Redoubt have been outstanding in their Prosperity to the Empire. From Navarr to Mareave, to the League and beyond, they have shown their generosity - let us show them ours in return in Rewarding 8 Wains of White Granite to lighten their burden in the ongoing funding of the Empire's Inspiration of the Way.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (957-278)

===Judgement 39===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Leonora Albertina van Holberg
* '''Judgement:''' Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below discovered a fane to the Whisper Gallery, hidden beneath Apulian. With the aid of her guild, <u>The Glass Atelier</u>, she gathered captains to root out this evil, at <u>significant personal expense</u>. We seek 30 thrones to reward her Loyalty, Vigilance, and costly toil for her city's good.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (841-460)

===Judgement 42===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Fool of Ambition
* '''Judgement:''' This season past, Vallornguard military units, summing 10,000 Courageous, Loyal warriors, fastened their girding and charged into the Sarangrave. With no promise of recompense beyond their glorious deeds' tales, they joined the Black Thorns, Boyars Hasta and Granite Pillar to save thousands of Imperial lives from the vallorn. To honour their virtue, <u>12 wains</u> of mithril shall be put towards the building of the fort in Sarangrave, that their names be immortalised in its walls.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, none remain (649-380)

===Judgement 55===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' To reward Fausta Ankarien, Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice, the sum of 16 weirwood in recognition of the virtuous work saving lives both in the Empire and the Commonwealth and Jarm. Which has caused them to be cursed by an eternal for not accepting a reward for their prideful actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, none remain (605-430)

===Judgement 59===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Callista of the Dark Shard
* '''Judgement:''' In <u>courage</u> and <u>loyalty</u>, the tribune of the silver flame sent four military units to aid with resolving the dire Night magic in Appulian and make the Map to the City Below to protect the city and its citizens from threats associated with the whisper gallery, without reward. I ask that <u>Callista</u> be rewarded with 10 thrones to return their prosperity to them.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (561-394)

===Judgement 67===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Albrecht von Holberg
* '''Judgement:''' The approach taken by the Sevenfold Path in carrying virtue with them as they fight the Cold Sun, and engaging with the Convocation of Seven on matters of Virtue in a matter minded to respect the Pride and independence of the people of Jarm is commendable. We reward Damian i Martan i erigo, as the member of the order who raised the declaration and a large amount of the required liao, ten thrones.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (451-338)

===Judgement 78===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Neri
* '''Judgement:''' Sister Naomi of Felix's Watch, who contributed immeasurably to the Pride and Prosperity of the Empire, departed to the Labyrinth last Spring. We ask for 12 wains of mithril from the Virtue Fund to cast a great bell in the Grand Inspiration named in her memory. May its sound inspire the world's pilgrims as she inspired us.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (602-264)

===Judgement 79===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Baruch
* '''Judgement:''' We award Cyrus of Athaliah's Handiwork, 4 wains of weirwood to allow the completion of Berechiah's Basilica in Bastion. It was consecrated with true liao in 385YE and has provided only a fraction of the benefit it might have. Now, when we need Berechiah's inspiration to fight foreign espionage rings is the perfect time to complete the work and create a new title to be appointed by the Vigilance Assembly. We thank Shauni of the Dockside Alliance and others many others their generous donations towards the costs and the money donated will be contributed to the virtue fund to aid other virtuous causes.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, none remain (532-310)

===Judgement 90===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Harwyn Eternal
* '''Judgement:''' Syl Umbral Path, Dean of the Lyceum and noted vate of Navarr, has spearheaded construction of a path through the wards surrounding that college at great expense to their striding. They have saved those souls imperilled within and avoided a growing diplomatic incident with an ally. We request 25 thrones to reward this virtuous citizen's actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (435-378)

===Judgement 125===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Fredegar Bloodmouth
* '''Judgement:''' The prosperous Keeper of the Breadbasket, Orson BogMyrtle has performed tireless work as keeper. He has ensured the armies of our mighty Empire can be fed and stay strong. He has been working virtuously in his ambition and toward the Marcher highest calling to extend the breadbasket into the Mourn. It is for this reason that this assembly rewards Orson BogMyrtle to the tune of <u>Six Thrones</u> to fulfil this ambition, ensuring the workers are prosperously and justly rewarded for the fruits of their labours
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, partial: 5 thrones and 12 rings (196-148)

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Summer Solstice 388YE summit, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>80 thrones, 17 rings</td><td>12 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>12 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Total donations made were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>74 thrones, 14 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

The total amounts carried forward to the next summit were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>74 thrones, 14 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 1 throne, 2 crowns at the [[Rewarding#Counting Houses|counting house]] of [[Reikos]]
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 12 wains of weirwood to '''Estella Lucati''' following [[#Judgement 18|Judgement 18]] being upheld (margin 825)
* 8 wains of white granite to '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' following [[#Judgement 31|Judgement 31]] being upheld (margin 679)
* 30 thrones to '''Leonora Albertina van Holberg''' following [[#Judgement 39|Judgement 39]] being upheld (margin 381)
* 12 wains of mithril to '''Neri''' following [[#Judgement 78|Judgement 78]] being upheld (margin 338)
* 10 thrones to '''Callista of the Dark Shard''' following [[#Judgement 59|Judgement 59]] being upheld (margin 167)
* 10 thrones to '''Albrecht von Holberg''' following [[#Judgement 67|Judgement 67]] being upheld (margin 113)
* 25 thrones to '''Harwyn Eternal''' following [[#Judgement 90|Judgement 90]] being upheld (margin 57)
* 5 thrones, 17 rings to '''Fredegar Bloodmouth''' following [[#Judgement 125|Judgement 125]] being upheld (margin 48)
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations made during the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 72 thrones for the Bourse dose of True Liao from '''Umbar i Elba Stardo i Guerra'''
* 1 throne from '''Warlord Redhand Gezzar'''
* 6 crowns from '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian'''
* 1 crown, 13 rings from '''Leonardo i Del'Toro i Riqueza'''
* 1 crown from '''Berith Relieur'''
* 1 ring in small donations
</div>
==Doses of True Liao==

Six doses of [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]] were disbursed this summit:
* One dose to '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''' as [[the Throne]]
* One dose to '''Hazelelponi of the Shattered Tower''' as [[Lepidean Librarian]]
* One dose to '''Umbar i Elba Stardo i Guerra''' by purchase in the [[Public auction|Public Auction]]
* One dose to '''Bella D'Sarvos''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Kaspar Yakovitch von Holberg''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Lofyn Bloodcloak''' by decision of the Gatekeepers

==Assembly Strength==
The table below shows the size, total voting strength and greater majority thresholds for each assembly as calculated at the start of the summit.

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | Virtue Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Ambition || 45 || 610 || 306
|-
|Courage || 34 || 458 || 230
|-
|Loyalty || 59 || 734 || 368
|-
|Pride || 37 || 468 || 235
|-
|Prosperity || 32 || 375 || 188
|-
|Vigilance || 53 || 594 || 298
|-
|Wisdom || 49 || 658 || 330
|-
|The Way || 55 || 650 || 326
|-
|General || 364 || 4547 || 2274
|-
|}

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | National Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Brass Coast || 23 || 284 || 143
|-
|Dawn || 59 || 738 || 370
|-
|Highguard || 77 || 1000 || 501
|-
|Imperial Orcs || 8 || 86 || 44
|-
|League || 40 || 542 || 272
|-
|Marches || 23 || 278 || 140
|-
|Navarr || 35 || 425 || 213
|-
|Urizen || 28 || 320 || 161
|-
|Varushka || 26 || 348 || 175
|-
|Wintermark || 45 || 526 || 264
|-
|General || 364 || 4547 || 2274
|-
|}
==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>

386YE Winter Solstice interlude

2026-09-21T13:52:52Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Rats and Bishops */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:386YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Cheers Abound.jpg|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
Downtime following the Autumn Equinox is now open, allowing players to process their character's downtime choices. There are a number of significant events happening in the wake of the Autumn Equinox that may affect some players' Downtime choices. Not all resources allow a player to make a choice about how they operate between events, but we've provided information about new opportunities for [[fleet]] and [[military unit]] owners in particular as well as a reminder about existing opportunities created at earlier events.

On this page we'll be outlining, and offering some context for, various effects and events. As always, these include quick summaries, mostly out of character, to explain effects such as large-scale [[enchantment|enchantments]] and [[curse|curses]]. In some cases, there may be further developments around these vents in the Winter Solstice winds of fortune, or they may be handled with a ''Resolution'' entry on the appropriate Wind.

We've also created a new page - [[386YE Autumn Equinox Military Council orders]] - which we plan to make a permanent part of the [[Recent history]] roundup going forward. It starts with a mini-wind of war presenting a summary of the campaign as described in [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_war|this season's winds of war]]. It also details all the [[Army orders|orders]] given by the [[general|generals]], in the same way we present the [[declaration|declarations]] of the [[Conclave]], the [[judgement|judgements]] of the [[Synod]], and the [[Senate motion|motions]] of the [[Senate]].

'''The deadline for Downtime submissions is Midnight on Sunday October 13th.'''

==Choices==
* '''During the Autumn Equinox, there were a number of Senate motions, Conclave declarations, Synod judgements, and Military council orders'''
Each summit the [[Senate]] raises and votes on [[Senate motion|motions]], the [[Conclave]] debates [[declaration|declarations]], the assemblies of the [[Synod]] discuss [[judgement|judgements]], and the [[general|generals]] of the [[Military Council]] issue [[Army orders|orders]] to their [[Army|armies]]. You can find details of these many decisions here:
* [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions|Senate motions]]
* [[386YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements|Synod judgements]]
* [[386YE Autumn Equinox Conclave sessions|Conclave declarations]]
* [[386YE Autumn Equinox Military Council orders|Military orders]]
The Civil Service is responsible for ensuring that these motions, judgements, declarations, and orders are public knowledge. Not everything is widely distributed across the Empire, but any character who attends [[Anvil]] can easily find out details of what went on in the houses of power during the event.
==Military Units==
* '''Players who control military units can choose from a number of downtime options'''
* '''Left to their own devices a military unit defaults to the ''paid work'' option'''
Any player whose character controls a [[military unit]] can choose from a number of downtime options by logging into the downtime system. They may choose to [[Military_unit#Support_Army|support an army]], [[Military_unit#Defend_Fortification|defend a fortification]], or assign to a special project such as a [[spy network]] or an [[Military_unit#Adventures|adventure]]. Left to their own devices, a military unit defaults to [[Military_unit#Take_Independent_Action|paid work]] guaranteeing an income of herbs, ingots or measures, money, or mana crystals.

Players who want to support one of the [[Army|Imperial armies]] can also read the [[Army_orders|orders]] issued by each [[general]] before making their decision. These orders are a matter of public record within the Empire and also available on the '''[[386YE Autumn Equinox Military Council orders]]''' page. This new page makes it easier for players to read all the orders before making a decision; previously the only way to do this was to painstakingly click every army in turn. It's also possible for players without military units to see the orders, without waiting for the Winds of War (assuming the orders even related to an area that produced a full write-up).

As always, the guidelines around discussing military matters online can be found [[Online#You_may_not_post_Military_Updates|here]].

===In the Barrens===
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Archavion9408.jpg|caption='''Archavion Wolfborne''' (centre), General of the Gryphon's Pride|align=right|width=400}}</div>
* '''The general of the Gryphon's Pride has sent his army to the Barrens to attack the Rahvin and seize the Fangs'''
* '''There is an opportunity for characters with military units to try and save the Rahvin sept from destruction by supporting the ''Save the Rahvin'' adventure'''
During the Autumn Equinox, the General of the [[Gryphon's Pride]], '''Archavion Wolfborne''', instructed their army to go to [[the Barrens]], claim the Fangs mithril mine from the Rahvin sept that occupy it. The Rahvin have been [[385YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Declare_Rahvin_Foreigners|declared foreigners]] by the Imperial Senate, so this is an illegal order. However, [[General#Command_of_an_army|as detailed]], a general can always choose to give their army an order that is illegal, and the NPC soldiers that make up the army will follow those instructions regardless of their personal opinions.

The Civil Service publicize the orders submitted by the generals following each summit. This is what allows the independent PC captains to decide where to deploy their military unit. As such, the fact the Gryphon's Pride is heading to the Barrens to attack the Rahvin and claim the mine is known to those citizens who visit Anvil.

Any player with a military unit might choose to support the Gryphon's Pride, just as they would any other Imperial army. If they do so however they will also face trial for murder, a crime that carries the death penalty. It is not possible to support the Gryphon's Pride without killing Rahvin warriors - foreigners - and the Imperial Roll of Honour will list anyone who supports the army.

The option for the Gryphon's Pride to attempt to claim the Fangs was outlined in last year's '''[[Not_to_conquer#Military_Opportunities_:_Rahvin|Not to conquer]]''' wind of fortune. The situation has developed since then, so the outcome is in doubt, but they will succeed unless the army encounter significant military opposition. The Rahvin have repeatedly said they will fight to the death to keep the mine, so this attack will [[Not_to_conquer#Military_Opportunities_:_Rahvin|mean the involvement of the Rahvin in the Barrens would be permanently ended]]. Regardless of the outcome, this action will send shockwaves through Imperial diplomacy, especially with relation to future chances of cooperating with the slaves of the Druj; attacking the Rahvin while they are foreigners - under the protection of Imperial law - may fundamentally undermine trust in the Senate among outsiders.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GryphonPride_Colour.png|align=right|width=400}}</div>
It is not possible for Imperial military units to prevent the attack or stop the Gryphon's Pride from claiming the mine, but we've presented an [[opportunity]] to allow Imperial military units to try to save as many of the Rahvin sept from the advancing Imperial army as possible. The adventure ''Save the Rahvin'' can be found under the independent action dropdown, and enchantments that help independent action will apply. Any Imperial citizen who takes the action will be fighting, injuring, and killing Dawnish soldiers to attempt to help the Rahvin escape - but the magistrates have indicated they won't seek to prosecute in this situation where citizens are acting to prevent a crime.

There is no reward for taking this action, but if military units with a combined strength of at least 2,000 are assigned to the action it will enable the Rahvin sept to survive the attack. They will be forced to give up the Fangs, but the show of support will mean they do not make the final stand that would result in the destruction of the sept.

The results and repercussions of this attack by the Gryphon's Pride, and any attempt to save the Rahvin, will be covered in the winds of war and winds of fortune at the Winter Solstice.

As always when discussing contentious topics, bear our conduct rules in mind. It is fine to be outraged in-character, but not out-of-character, with other participants.

<big>'''OOC Design Note'''</big><br>
The general's orders are completely unprecedented in the game, so there are no existing rules to cover some elements of what has taken place. We've spent the week since the event attempting to consider every possible ramification of this action.

One of the first issues to consider was what role the Barrens' fortifications would play in this attack. A [[fortification]] exists to protect an area and the occupants from an attack by enemies of the Empire - the rules as written simply don't say whether a fortification would act to stop an illegal action or not. We don't want to be in a position of deciding if a novel action like this succeeds or fails when issuing a new ruling on that, therefore the [[The_Barrens#Houndsgate|Houndsgate]] fortification won't act to oppose ''this'' attack. However, at the Winter Solstice, the [[Civil Service]] will present an administrative motion to the Senate to decide if they want Imperial fortifications to automatically protect Imperial citizens and foreigners from any attacks by Imperial armies in future.

For the same reason, we've ruled that [[Forge_the_Wooden_Fastness|the enchanted fortification]] that was summoned in the [[the Barrens#Untrod Groves|Untrod Groves]] this summit won't act to stop ''this'' attack. However, in future, any fortification that is summoned from the realm of an [[eternal]] (which is all magical fortifications) will choose whether to oppose an attack on Imperial territory by an Imperial general based on the whims of the eternal who gifts it. We'll update the rituals on the wiki to note that.

We appreciate that a lot of characters might want to try and stop this action, so we've explored all the possible avenues by which that might be possible and ruled them out. It is not possible to alter the military outcome in this situation, now that the die is cast. The Gryphon's Pride will have to overcome the Rahvin's defences and their actions may be affected if other armies are revealed to have entered the Barrens, but the attack can't be stopped by military units or other means.

However we have created an option this downtime for military units to go to the aid of the Rahvin - to try to help them escape from the oncoming army. If enough military units are sent to rescue the beleaguered orcs then this will alter the narrative outcome and change their fate. Currently the Gryphon's Pride is set to end the Rahvin who have sworn that they will fight to the last to keep the mine, but again there are no rules to determine whether such an action succeeds or not. The rules determine which armies win and lose when armies clash, they don't say what happens to those caught up in the fighting in an area. Rather than have PD decide what happens in this circumstance, we've created an opportunity to let player actions decide that outcome.

This approach is in line with the principles we've employed recently when the [[Cold Sun]] attacked and we created an opportunity for military units to help protect the civilian people of the Empire. Without a fortification or an army to support, military units cannot change the strategic outcome of a campaign, but they can influence the narrative events that surrounds that campaign. Generals' orders are very much a fait accompli at the point where they are submitted, but Empire is designed to be a game that supports PCs taking actions to thwart each other. In situations, like this, where the actions are incredibly important, we want to ensure that as many PCs are possible are able to respond. For that reason, we would be likely to offer a similar option in the future - military units are not likely to be able to change the strategic outcome, but we will give them a chance to influence narrative outcomes that aren't constrained by the Empire [[war]] rules.

===Other Adventures===
* '''Military units can be assigned to support ''adventures'', created as the result of opportunities, that offer unique rewards'''
* '''Not every military unit is eligible to participate in every adventure'''
* '''Some adventures are ongoing, while others exist only for a limited amount of time'''
* '''Adventures are found under the appropriate action that best matches what the military unit is doing'''
In addition to the normal actions a military unit can take, there are also ''adventures''. These are downtime actions that have arisen through player action, often as the result of a wind of fortune. Most are accessible through the independent action dropdown, and count as such for purposes of rituals. Instead of providing random rewards, they provide specific benefits. Each adventure lists the rewards a standard military unit will receive, and an upgraded or enchanted military unit will gain proportionately more.

Some adventures are permanent; they are listed under ''[[Military_unit#Adventures|adventures]]'' on the military unit page. Others are temporary; they are listed on the interlude page for as long as they are available.
====Explore the Southern Reaches====
* '''Imperial military units can take part in an exploration of the transformed southern Madruga'''
* '''The adventure is also available after the Winter Solstice 386YE'''
* '''If sufficient force is assigned, it will produce a new map of Madruga'''
As described in the '''[[Where the river rises]]''' wind of fortune, the flooding of the Scorrero has created a vast new marsh in [[Madruga]], large swathes of the southern regions of that territory have been reshaped. Following the Autumn Equinox, a new adventure is available to Imperial military units. ''Explore the Southern Reaches'' is found in the [[spy network]] dropdown, and [[enchantment|enchantments]] that support spy networks will help warbands who choose to take it. A standard military unit that takes this adventure will receive 6 random herbs and 2 pawns of ''Adversity Vis'' (representing a random combination of [[Vis#Vital Honey|vital honey]], [[Vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]], and even [[Vis#Heart's Blood|heart's blood]]) instead of their usual production. Upgraded or enchanted military units will gain more rewards, including a variety of peculiar flowers and plants found in the transformed marshes. The adventure will be available until the end of the year (until the start of the Spring Equinox 387YE).

If at least 5,000 strength is assigned to the adventure in the same season, then the Empire will be able to update its maps of Madruga. They will know the new layout of [[territory#Regions|regions]], and be able to use scrying rituals that need intact maps again.

====Explore the Untrod Groves====
* '''Questing knights and knights-errant can send their military units to explore the Untrod Groves in the Barrens'''
* '''If sufficient force is assigned, it will produce a report for those who took the action'''
As described in the '''[[Unspoken_words#Untrod_Paths|Unspoken words]]''' wind of fortune, and following negotiations between '''Aramis du Froste''' and the Karass, the knights of Dawn are able to venture into [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|the Untrod Groves]] to uncover wealth. It is impossible to say what the outcome might be - who knows what adventure lurks in the Untrod Groves? But if the Empire manages to send a force with a military strength of at least a thousand then that would be enough to get a short report of something there, and if it was double that then it would have a more meaningful impact.

==Fleets==
* '''Players who control fleets can choose from a number of downtime options'''
* '''Left to their own devices a fleet defaults to the ''independent action'' option'''
Any player whose character controls a [[fleet]] can choose from a number of downtime options by logging into the downtime system. They may choose to [[Fleet#Trade|trade]] with a foreign port, engage in [[Fleet#Take_Independent_Action|independent action]], or assign to a special project such as a [[smugglers cove]] or an [[Fleet#Adventures|adventure]]. Left to their own devices, a fleet defaults to [[Fleet#Take_Independent_Action|privateering]] guaranteeing an income of herbs, ingots or measures, money, or mana crystals. The Empire does not currently have any [[navy|navies]] so it is not possible to support a naval campaign, but if it was details would be included on the Military orders page.
===Trade===
* '''A fleet can select a foreign port to trade with, and each port provides different benefits'''
* '''The production of a port is heavily influenced by the diplomatic relationship between the foreign nation and the Empire'''
A fleet may trade at any [[Foreign ports|foreign port]] that is open to Imperial shipping. Each port provides different commodities for the fleet owner, and is increased by [[fleet#upgrade|upgrades]] and [[enchantment|enchantments]]. Production can also vary from season to season based on the diplomatic relationship between the foreign country and the Empire. Several ports are currently unavailable - for example both the [[Asavean Archipelago]] and [[Principalities of Jarm]] have closed their ports to Imperial traders.

The table of the '''[[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Trade_Summary|Winds of Fortune]]''' page summarises the current effects created by diplomacy.

====Suranni Trade====
* '''Fleets that trade with Robec in the Iron Confederacy receive fewer luxuries, but instead gain two doses of Kobol's Vigour'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox the Iron Confederacy relaxed sanctions against Imperial traders visiting Robec'''
Following diplomatic developments, as detailed in the '''[[A_victory_for_diplomacy#Suranni Trade|A victory for diplomacy]]''' wind of fortune, the Duke of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]] has removed a prohibition against trading ''Kobol's Vigour'' to Imperial merchants visiting the port of [[Iron_Confederacy_ports#Robec|Robec]]. As such any fleet that trades with that port will receive 30 fewer rings in luxuries, instead receiving 2 doses of the unique consumable. This metallic elixir apparently bolsters the imbibers battlefield prowess, and provides a measure of protection from the insidious effects of Dumon's servants. From the description, the Civil Service believe it is a [[Potion#Tonics|tonic]] that can help remove the effects of [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]], in a way that sounds a little like the effect an [[Abraxus Stone]] has on [[Calls#VENOM|venom]]. Exactly what it does, however, is not clear - unsurprising given it has been illegal for Suranni merchants to trade it to Imperial traders since Robec opened.

The civil service believe the Suranni will be evaluating how many Imperial fleets visit Robec in the coming seasons and that will determine whether the port continues to offer the peculiar Suranni preparation. There is also speculation as to what ''other'' unique preparations the Suranni might be able to brew - given they eschew magic in all its forms, and even with the supposed miracles of their priests, it is likely they have fallen back on drugs and potions to make up for the lack of ritual enchantments and incantations.

News from [[Anvil]] also notes that the Iron Dukes have chosen to remove their sanctions against Imperial merchants visiting Robec, presumably in recognition of the thaw in relations between the two nations. There are still some delays when trading in Veroigne, and merchants are still subject to additional suspicious scrutiny, but the Iron Confederacy now accords Imperial merchants the [[Tariffs#Mercantilist|mercantilist]] status.
====Demand for Imperial Goods====
* '''Every fleet in the Empire benefits from a one rank bonus when trading with ports in the Commonwealth, the Sarcophan Delves, and the Sumaah Republic
The Asavean Plenum has funded privateers to target Imperial fleets and those who trade with the Empire. Perversely this means that there is a spike in demand for Imperial goods. More information can be found in the '''[[Drumbeat_of_war#Hoist_Sails|Drumbeat of war]]'''.

===Fleet Adventures===
* '''Fleets can be assigned to support ''adventures'', created as the result of opportunities, that offer unique rewards'''
* '''Not every fleet is eligible to participate in every adventure'''
* '''Some fleets are ongoing, while others exist only for a limited amount of time'''
* '''Adventures are found under the appropriate action that best matches what the fleet is doing'''
Just as with military units, fleets can take part in ''adventures''. These are downtime actions that have arisen through player action, often as the result of a wind of fortune. Most are accessible through the independent action dropdown, and count as such for purposes of rituals. Instead of providing random rewards, they provide specific benefits, however. Each adventure lists the rewards a standard fleet will receive, and an upgraded or enchanted fleet will gain proportionately more.

Some adventures are permanent; they are listed under ''[[Fleet#Adventures|adventures]]'' on the military unit page. Others are temporary; they are listed on the interlude page for as long as they are available.
====Great Race of Rhianos====
* '''Participants continuing in the Great Race of Rhianos must choose one of three destinations
* '''Now that the race has begun, it is not possible for other participants to join
The "Great Race" sponsored by the [[eternal]] [[Rhianos]] started [[Famine_and_feast#Rhianos|in Summer]] and continued [[Roaring plenty|in Autumn]]. for the second leg of the race, participants were challenged to pick one of three "directions" to proceed - to choose whether to pursue [[Roaring_plenty#Widdershins_By_Riches|riches]], [[Roaring_plenty#Deosil_To_Mystery|mystery]], or [[Roaring_plenty#Straight_On_For_Glory|glory]]. Every character who started the race last season will find three unique options for adventure in the trade dropdown menu - ''Widdershins by Riches'', ''Deosil to Mystery'', and ''Straight on to Glory''. Only the ''Riches'' option offers significant wealth; each character who chooses this option will also receive a ribbon for a particular treasure they have picked up along the way. The other two options provide different benefits; mysteries or a prize relevant to the choice made. All three are described in the '''[[Roaring plenty]]''' wind of fortune.

==Miscellaneous Effects==
* '''After every event there will be a range of special effects that have an impact on downtime'''
* '''Each effect is automatically applied to the appropriate personal resources; this provides details of what has caused each effect'''
Every season sees large-scale effects impact individuals and nations. Some arise as the result of [[Judgement|Synod judgements]], [[Senate motion|Senate motions]] or [[Declaration|Conclave declarations]]. Others are the results of winds of fortune or war, or magical effects such as [[enchantment|enchantments]] or [[curse|curses]]. Each such effect is mentioned in your downtime if it affects your personal resource, along with a brief summary of what is going on. This list provides more detail, and is also useful for knowing what is going on in the wider Empire.
===Farmers Abroad===
* '''Congregations in the Brass Coast, and in the Marcher territories of Mitwold and Upwold, receive one fewer liao and two fewer votes at the Winter Solstice'''
Inspired by their national assemblies, virtuous farmers from both [[the Brass Coast]] and [[the Marches]] are making a long trek around the [[Bay of Catazar]] to [[Mareave]]. [[Mandate|Mandates]] enacted by Annalaya del-Toro and by Grey Stone have urged them to find ways to help the [[Imperial Orcs]] deal with the problems presented by the arid conditions in their new territory. These farmers are followers of the Way who are part of [[congregation|congregations]] in the two nations, and their absence means that the affected characters will receive one fewer [[liao]] and two fewer votes in the Synod at the Winter Solstice as they make their assessment. See the '''[[We_all_stand#Farming_and_Water|We all stand]]''' wind of fortune for more details.

===Rats and Bishops===
* '''Temeschwari priests who preach Vigilance or Loyalty after the Autumn Equinox receive one fewer liao, but two additional Synod votes at the Winter Solstice'''
While the rat-plague in [[Temeschwar]] is broadly under control (as detailed in the '''[[Graveyard rats]]''' wind of fortune among other places), the poorest parts of the city are still struggling. Inspired by the [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_55|words of]] Emil Radana von Temeschwar, the bishops and priests of the northern [[the League|League]] city have opened the doors of their shrines, temples, and churches to those in need of sanctuary. Following the Autumn Equinox, any priest in Temeschwar who [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preaches]] [[Vigilance]] or [[Loyalty]] will find their [[congregation]] swollen by dozens of additional congregants eager to both hear words of vigilance and mutual support, and take advantage of the open doors. They will gain two additional votes, but lose one dose of liao – the lost liao is used to create [[consecration|consecrations]] and provide [[Anointing|anointings]] and [[hallow|hallows]] to people seeking spiritual succour [[Graveyard_rats#Bishops_of_the_League|in the face of the rat problem]].

===Unblinking Eyes===
* '''Priests with congregations who preach Vigilance receive an additional dose of liao and 2 additional Synod votes until the start of the Winter Solstice 386YE
Following the Winter Solstice last year, '''Irada van Temeschwar''' used [[liao#true liao|true liao]] to [[Consecration#True Consecration|consecrate]] the [[Knocking_on_every_door#The_Basilica_in_Bastion|damaged basilica]] of [[Berechiah]] in [[Bastion]] as an [[inspirational location]]. The basilica is still dangerous to visit, but the wider impact of the consecration is still being felt; the [[True faith|recent crisis]] sparked by the dissemination of ''[[Life of Vardas]]'' has diminished it slightly but it is still palpable. As a result, any priest who [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preaches]] [[Vigilance]] following the Autumn Equinox will receive an additional dose of liao and two additional Synod votes. The effects of the consecration are discussed in the Winter 385YE '''[[Knocking on every door]]''' wind of fortune.

===Dho'uala's Tithe===
* '''The Custodian of the Ivarsgard Docks and the Harbourmaster of the Semmerlak have had some of the prices for their ministries increased
* '''Fleets crossing the Semmerlak from Varushka, Dawn, and Holberg no longer experience a penalty to production
The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] [[Dho'uala]] still stirs in the depths of [[the Semmerlak]], but with the construction of [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|journeymage towers]] in [[Semmerholm#Lacuve|Lacre]], [[Karov#Malimorzi|Korotny]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], her impact on ships trading across the Semmerlak has been greatly diminished. As such the penalty experienced by fleets crossing the lake has been removed. While the price for [[Cerulean Mazzarine|cerulean mazzarine]] from the Sarcophan captains dealing with the [[Custodian of Ivarsgard Docks]] is still increased by a fifth, it is expected to fall back to its pre-Dho'uala levels by the Winter Solstice once news of the changes in the north reach the merchants of the Delves.

The ''watchers of the Semmerlak'' cannot, however, do anything about the problems experienced by Imperial titles related to [[Underwater_sunshine#Dho.27uala.27s_Tithe_-_Ports|ports on the Semmerlak]]. It's still illegal to [[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Create_law_criminalising_Semmerlak_items|take things out of the Semmerlak]], including [[ilium]] and fish, are still in place. The [[Harbourmaster of the Semmerlak]] continues to be unable to purchase [[ilium]] but they are still able to purchase wains of weirwood, albeit at increased prices. These complications, and how they might be mitigated, are laid out in the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Star_Metal_and_Fishes|Less welcome tenants]] wind of fortune.

===Cull Back the Weak===
* '''A boon of the eternal Sorin offers two additional drams of each herb to herb gardens in Hahnmark
* '''Herbal sinecures in Hahnmark also receive additional bladeroot
Following the Autumn Equinox, several heralds of the ''[[Sorin|Tomb King]]'' appear in [[Hahnmark]]. They are apparently there to deliver a boon, invoked during the summit, a gift offered over forty years ago to a [[Wintermark]] coven. They visit herb gardens across the territory, laying their master's fell power over every [[herb garden]] they can find. The magic ruthlessly culls any weak or less-then-useful plants and allowing those that remain to grow stronger. Every herb garden in Hahnmark receives two extra drams of each of the five [[herbs]], and the [[Guardian of Dunfrith]], [[Gatekeeper of Falling Snow]], [[Herbalist of the Hearth]], and [[Master Apothecary]] each receive six drams of [[bladeroot]] in addition to the normal production of their [[sinecure]].

Everyone in the territory, whether they are herbalists or not, experiences a roleplaying effect as a result of the eternal's interest: ''You find it easy to become jealously protective and possessive towards your family and friends, and it is all-too-easy to see strangers as potential rivals and competitors who must be excluded or driven off.'' Anyone running or attending a [[sanctioned events|sanctioned event]] in Hahnmark, or who is normally a resident of Hahnmark, should bear this effect in mind.

What price the ''[[Sorin|Master of Wolves]]'' might exact for the invocation of this boon is not clear; it might in theory be nothing at all. Or it might not.

===Cold Winters===
* '''Every personal resource in Sermersuaq will produce an extra 22 rings until the start of the Winter Solstice 386YE
Across the territory of Sermersuaq, the people have come together in defiance of the harsh winter and the machinations of Agramant. As the first signs of Spring emerge from the ice, people are more enthused than ever to work together and ensure that everyone in Sermersuaq is helped and defended. What has kept the wolf from the door during the harsh seasons of winter, is now more than enough to provide for all, and heralds a bounty to come.

===Foam and Fertility===
* '''Fleets based in Redoubt experience a 2 rank penalty to production over the coming season
During the Autumn Equinox the [[Spring magic|Spring ritual]] [[curse]] [[Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea]] was laid on the [[Urizen]] [[territory]] of [[Redoubt]]. Terrible Autumn storms give way to violent Winter tempests, pounding the coast with treacherous waves, gale-force winds, and torrential rain. At the same time destructive energies drawn from the Spring realm itself are unleashed to attack ships moving through the area. The ritual has several effects, some of them entirely unpredictable (especially given the growing influence of the [[eternal]] [[Siakha]] over the [[Bay of Catazar]]), but one effect is that any [[fleet]] based in the territory has its [[fleet#production|production]] reduced by two ranks for the coming season.

In addition, Redoubt has also been affected by [[Rivers of Life]] - a Spring curse that preserves life across the territory. The ritual has no immediate effect on individual characters, but it's not clear what effect raising potent storms and then infusing them with additional Spring magic may have, especially given the two rituals have oppositional resonances ([[Spring magic#Ruin|Ruin]] and [[Spring magic#Savagery|Savagery]] on one hand, [[Spring_magic#Healing_and_Vitality|Healing and Vitality]] on the other).

The full impacts and side-effects of the two curses will be discussed in the Winter Solstice Winds.

===Golden Magician's Fayre===
* '''The entire nation of Dawn has been enchanted with potent Summer magic'''
The entire nation of [[Dawn]] has been [[enchantment|enchanted]] with powerful [[Summer magic]]. Following the Autumn Equinox, the realm of the Summer realm may will find it easier to enter the mortal realm in Dawn. The ritual does not compel the eternals to respond, but they will immediately become aware of the effect and likely respond. Only the heralds of the eternal [[Meraud]] are conspicuously absent.

Furthermore, everyone present in Dawn during the season experiences a roleplaying effect: ''you find magic fascinating and appealing, and when performing magic you feel an urge to enhance the showmanship and performative aspects of your arts''.

Players creating or attending [[sanctioned events]] set in Dawn should bear this effect in mind, especially when it comes to designing a [[Sanctioned_events#Plot_Events|plot event]]. Further details will be presented in the Winds of Fortune for the Winter Solstice.

===Regrowing the Lands Heart===
* '''Upwold and Feroz have been enchanted with the Regrow the Land's Heart ritual
Both [[Upwold]] and [[Feroz]] have been targeted by the [[Spring magic]] [[enchantment]] [[Regrow the Land's Heart]]. Following the Autumn Equinox, soft rain falls on these territories and new life flourishes. The magic particularly focuses on areas scarred by war or natural disaster, causing new plants to grow wildly. It primarily affects the landscape, but people living in the territory find it easier to let go of pain caused by war or calamity. As new plants grow, old scars fade. While the enchantment is in place, animals and people find it easier to conceive, and plants grow more healthily. Children born or conceived in the territory under the enchantment are more likely to express the [[briar]] [[lineage]]. Players running or attending [[sanctioned events]] in either of these territories should bear these effects in mind.

If the ritual has any additional effects in one or both of these territories, they will be discussed in the Winter Winds of Fortune.

===A Grand Penumbral Veil===
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=The Tower of Shadow and Light.png|Caption=An artist's impression of the Tower of Shadow and Light; the [[Penumbral Watcher]] has powers related to shrouding territories but also it's a nice picture that should get wider viewing.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
* '''The Penumbral Veil has been drawn over almost the entirety of the Empire'''
* '''Only those territories currently in the hands of barbarians, and the territory of Casinea, have been exempt'''
And finally... the ritual [[Drawing the Penumbral Veil]] creates a potent shroud of [[Night magic]] that conceals people, places, and events in a territory from the prying eyes of scryers and seers. During the Autumn Equinox, the veil was laid across a significant portion of the Empire.

The penumbral veil has been drawn over almost the entire Empire. All five [[the League|League]] cities ([[Sarvos]], [[Tassato]], [[Temeschwar]], [[Holberg]], and [[Spiral]]). The entirety of [[Urizen]] ([[Redoubt]], [[Zenith]], [[Morrow]]). The whole [[the Brass Coast|Brass Coast]] ([[Kahraman]], [[Segura]], and the [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Assign_Feroz|reclaimed]] [[Feroz]]). All of [[Dawn]] ([[Astolat]], [[Weirwater]], [[Semmerholm]], and [[the Barrens]]). Most of [[Highguard]] except [[Casinea]] ([[Bastion]], [[Necropolis]], [[Reikos]]). Both Imperial Orcs territories ([[Mareave]] and [[Skarsind]]). The Marches where the [[Jotun]] are not in control ([[Bregasland]], [[Mitwold]], [[Upwold]]). Both the [[Navarr]] territories still in control of the nation ([[Miaren]] and [[Hercynia]]). Varushka ([[Karov]], [[Karsk]], [[Miekarova]], [[Ossium]], [[Volodmartz]]). The whole of [[Wintermark]] ([[Kallavesa]], [[Hahnmark]], and [[Sermersuaq]]). Indeed, the only Imperial territory that could be shrouded with the [[regio#Imperial Regio|Imperial regio]] that has not been affected is [[Casinea]] itself. Given the specificity of the effect, it seems likely this represents dozens of castings of the ritual rather than a specially designed [[Arcane projection]] (which would be unlikely to effect every territory except Casinea). It's also notable that the shroud over Sarvos is more than three times as powerful as that raised in the other territories.

The shrouds do not appear to be particularly difficult to pierce, but the effect is noticeable in every territory once the sun sets and the skies over the Empire appear strange and unfamiliar. The effects are relatively low-key, as the shrouds have not been performed at particularly high magnitude, but occasionally they can be dramatic and exciting. Effects include stars not being where they are expected to be; the moon seeming closer, further away, strangely coloured, absent, or in the wrong phase; odd prismatic lights glittering in or moving across the celestial vault. Very occasionally even stranger effects might be seen such as vast coloured banks of sparkling light, strange translucent birds and fish of immense size that swoop or skim lazily through the clouds, and similar phantasmagoric images of all kinds.

Obviously it is beyond the special-effects budget of most [[Sanctioned events]] to effect the appearance of the night sky, but anyone attending such events should bear the effects in mind. Most of the time being aware that the moon is in the wrong phase, or some of the stars are in odd places, will be sufficient to bring this effect to life. The ritual may sometimes cause consternation in people living in affected territories; any details in this regard will be included in the winds of fortune.

==Magical Lore==
* '''Every summit it is possible that new rituals, magic items, or potions may become available to Imperial citizens'''
* '''Some of these options are only available to characters from certain nations, such as those entered into Urizen Lore or Runesmith's Law'''
During the Autumn Equinox, one ritual was put forward for inclusion in Imperial Lore:
* [[Star's Mantle]] raised and funded by '''Eliza'''
No new rituals became part of [[Urizen_magical_traditions#Urizen_Lore|Urizen lore]], and no new magic items were added to [[Wintermark_economic_interests#Runesmith.27s_Law|Runesmiths Law]].

==Further Reading==
* [[Downtime]]
* [[Resource#Personal_Resource|Personal resource]]
* [[Recent_history#Autumn_Equinox|Autumn Equinox recent history]]

388YE Autumn Equinox Senate sessions

2026-09-21T13:37:04Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Constrct Bakers' Bowl */

[[Category:Senate]] [[Category:Senate Sessions]] [[Category:388YE Autumn]]
{{stub}}
==Overview==
The [[Imperial Senate]] governs the Empire, and its authority extends to all areas of Imperial life not already covered by the other houses of government. Each summit the [[senator|senators]] meet [[Event schedule|several times]] to deliberate and vote on the [[Senate motion|motions]] they have raised.

After the summit, the civil service enacts those motions and ensures a public record of each is made available to the citizens of the Empire. This page lists all the motions raised during the summit, along with the [[Senate announcement|announcements]] made by citizens with [[Imperial title|Imperial titles]]. In each case, the motion and its effects are summarised, including the wording, who proposed and seconded it, whether it passed or not, whether any funds were disbursed to support it, and what the outcome of the motion will be.

Many motions (especially the [[commission|commissions]]) also have a ''Further Details'' section that provides a link to a wiki page dealing specifically with that motion in more detail, any commentary from the [[Scrutiny|Constitutional Court]], progress on commissions, or expanded information about the outcome of the motion.

==Treasury==
* Imperial treasury during this season announced by the civil service at TBC

==Administrative Motions==
===Assign Bregasland===
*'''Motion:''' To assign the territory of Bregasland
* '''Raised by:''' Speaker of the Senate at the Saturday afternoon session
* '''Outcome:''' Assigned to [[the Marches]]
* '''Further Details:''' The territory of [[Bregasland]] has been assigned to [[the Marches]]. The election for Senator of Bregasland will take place at the Winter Solstice 388YE.

===Abrogate Vicente School and Orphanage===
*'''Motion:''' To abrogate the construction of the Vicente School and Orphanage, abrogating the title Custodian of the Vicente School and Orphanage
* '''Raised by:''' Speaker of the Senate at the Friday session
* '''Further Details:''' Following the revelation of a lair under the dominion of the [[Whisper Gallery]], and its subsequent [[This is the end|disappearance]], the Vicente School and Orphanage is no longer active. This motion would abrogate the [[Custodian of the Vicente School and Orphanage]], preventing it from being appointed again.

===Amend Knight of the Greenwood===
*'''Motion:''' To amend the Knight of the Greenwood to become a Dawnish title appointed by the Vallornguard. This will open Greenwood Manor to citizens of every nation, allowing military units from across the Empire to take the quest against the vallorn venture
* '''Raised by:''' Speaker of the Senate at the Friday session
* '''Further Details:''' This motion follows the [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_58|mandate]] enacted by '''Lord Reynard Griffinsong'''. If the motion is passed, then the [[Knight of the Greenwood]] will be appointed by the [[Vallornguard]] the next time it falls vacant after the Autumn Equinox 388YE.

==Senate Motions==
===Amend Quartermaster General===
*'''Motion:''' Amend the stipend for the Quartermaster General to 292T.
*'''Proposed by:''' Asael, Senator for Casinea
*'''Seconded by:''' Narciso Sybilo di Nessuno, Senator for Tassato
*'''Passed'''
*'''Outcome:''' The [[Imperial_treasury#Stipends|stipend]] of the [[Quartermaster General]] has been changed to 292 thrones.

===Amend Speaker of Highborn Assembly===
*'''Motion:''' Amend the title of Speaker for the Highborn National Assembly to give them the power to announce a single commission or improvement for an appropriate edifice or inspirational location each season. This will not require a commission. The speaker will be responsible for commissioning buildings with a religious purpose.
*'''Proposed by:''' Kish of the Flame Beneath the Earth, Senator for Necropolis
*'''Seconded by:''' Asael, Senator for Casinea
*'''Passed'''
*'''Outcome:''' The [[Speaker of the Highborn Assembly]] has been amended
*'''Notes:''' This [[Lay_the_foundations#A_Lasting_Legacy|opportunity]] comes from the Custodes Calvium, and relies on the [[Construct Grand Inspiration of the Way|Grand Inspiration]] being completed before the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE.

===Amend Tassatan Hills===
*'''Motion:''' to increase the upkeep of the Tassatan Hills Ilium mine by 10 Thrones a season and direct the civil service to pass that 10 thrones to the Forge and Furnace Fellowship in Tassato. After 3 years we intend to reduce the upkeep to its usual level.
*'''Proposed by:''' Kaspar Yakovich von Holberg, Senator for Holberg
*'''Seconded by:''' Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian, Senator for Spiral
*'''Passed'''
*'''Outcome:''' The upkeep of the [[Tassatan Hills]] has been increased.

===Assign Weirwater Vales===
*'''Motion:''' Assign Weirwater Vales
*'''Proposed by:''' Lady Gwendoloena de Ordraig, Senator for the Barrens
*'''Seconded by:''' Fedelmidd Sydanjaa's Heart Floer, Senator for Sermersuaq
*'''Passed'''
*'''Outcome:''' [[Weirwater Vales]] was assigned as a Dawnish Bourse Seat.
*'''Notes:''' This followed an [[#Relinquish Weirwater Vales|earlier]] motion to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Relinquishment|relinquish]] the seat

===Ratify Treaty with the Karass===
*'''Motion:''' Pass Treaty with Karass
*'''Proposed by:''' Éamon Ashenmourn de Cordraco, Senator for Astolat
*'''Seconded by:''' Garviel i Abrira i Erigo, Senator for Feroz
*'''Passed'''
Click ''Expand'' to see the wording of this treaty
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
This treaty lays out terms negotiated between the Casinean Empire and the Karass of the Barrens. The Casinean Empire will:
*Cede the Bleaks to the Karass sept.
*Provide military protection against threats.
*Entrust any black lotus plants that the Empire owns into their care.
The Karass sept will:
*Provide extensive scouting information on the Forest of Ulnak and Salt Flats of Sanath to the Empire.
*Commit to any ventures into the Mallum.
*Support the Empire in locating black lotus in perpetuity.
*Cultivate any black lotus the Empire entrusts to them at no costs - all produce will be provided to the Empire.
Signed Reynard of De Gauvain, Slavomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh, the Imperial Consul, Lady Gwendoloena de Ordraig, the Senator of Barrens.
</div>

===Ratify Treaty with the Iron Confederacy===
*'''Motion:''' Pass Treaty with Iron Confederacy
*'''Proposed by:''' Garviel i Abrira i Erigo, Senator for Feroz
*'''Seconded by:''' Velasco i Guerra, Senator for Kahraman
*'''Passed'''
*'''Notes:''' There was substantial discussion on whether this motion required a constitutional vote, due to the inclusion of the ban against preaching the Way to the Suranni within the borders of the Empire.
Click ''Expand'' to see the wording of this treaty
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
This Treaty is underwritten by the peer nations of the Casinean Empire and the Grand Duchies of the Iron Confederacy, as mutual partners for greater peace and prosperity. The following terms will apply for the initial term of three years, with an option for renewal at that time if mutually agreed upon.
* Mutual military peace between our nations
* Continuation of existing free trade
* Continuation of existing law against the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy
* The Empire will outlaw the preaching of the way to the Suranni who visit Imperial Territory
* The Suranni will make available for purchase wains of ilium, white granite, mithril, and weirwood from their strategic stockpiles to the Empire.
* The Suranni will be ceded the Temple of the Black Bull to act as a Trade Enclave.
* The Suranni will contribute five wains towards the repair of the bridge over the Scorrero River.
* An appraisal will be performed before the end of 388YE to identify how the Empire can stop the Hand of Dumon illegal organisation from attacking the Iron Confederacy while taking shelter within the Empire. A Statement of Principle encouraging Imperial citizens to seek out and stop this organisation will be raised in an appropriate assembly by the same deadline.
* The Empire will immediately commit five armies to aiding the Suranni's conquest at Reinos, with the option to send additional armies of military units.
</div>

===Relinquish Weirwater Vales===
*'''Motion:''' To relinquish the Weirwater Vales.
*'''Proposed by:''' Tristan duLac, Senator for Weirwater
*'''Seconded by:''' Bloodcrow Rasp, Senator for Skarsind
*'''Passed with a constitutional majority'''
*'''Notes:''' This motion received the ratification of Emperor '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost'''

==Appointments==
===Appoint Ambassador to Axos===
*'''Motion:''' To elect an Ambassador to Axos
*'''Proposed by:''' Speaker of the Senate at the Friday session
*'''Outcome:''' '''Asthore Autumngale''' of [[Navarr]] was appointed as the [[Ambassador to Axos]]
*'''Note:''' This motion was raised at the final session of [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appoint_Ambassador_to_Axos|Summer 388YE]].

===Appoint Ambassador to the Grendel===
*'''Motion:''' To elect an Ambassador to the Grendel
*'''Proposed by:''' Speaker of the Senate at the Friday session
*'''Outcome:''' '''Damian den Mhuir di Tassato-Mestra''' of [[the League]] was appointed as the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
*'''Note:''' This motion was raised at the final session of [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appoint_Ambassador_to_the Grendel|Summer 388YE]].

===Appoint Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves===
*'''Motion:''' To elect an Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves
*'''Proposed by:''' Speaker of the Senate at the Friday session
*'''Outcome:''' '''Dino i Riqueza''' of [[the Brass Coast]] was appointed as the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]]
*'''Note:''' This motion was raised at the final session of [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appoint_Ambassador_to_the Sarcophan Delves|Summer 388YE]].

===Appoint Captain of the Senate Guard===
*'''Motion:''' To elect the Captain of the Senate Guard
*'''Proposed by:''' Ana i Taziel i Riqueza, Senator for Segura
*'''Seconded by:''' Eulàlia i Phovas i Riqueza, Senator for Madruga
*'''Outcome:''' The title of [[Captain of the Senate Guard]] will be appointed at the first Senate session of the Winter Solstice 388YE

===Appoint Ambassador to Jarm===
*'''Motion:''' To elect the Ambassador to Jarm
*'''Proposed by:''' Narciso Sybilo di Nessuno, Senator for Tassato
*'''Seconded by:''' Laurencio Lemmini di Sarvos, Senator for Sarvos
*'''Outcome:''' The title of [[Ambassador to Jarm]] will be appointed at the first Senate session of the Winter Solstice 388YE

===Appoint Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy===
*'''Motion:''' To elect the Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy
*'''Proposed by:''' Morana Vesnayevich, Senator for Karov
*'''Seconded by:''' Belakov Zakharovich Prochnost, Senator for Karsk
*'''Outcome:''' The title of [[Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy]] will be appointed at the first Senate session of the Winter Solstice 388YE

===Appoint Ambassador to Beoraidh===
*'''Motion:''' To elect the Ambassador to Beoraidh
*'''Proposed by:''' Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian, Senator for Spiral
*'''Seconded by:''' Bronn Dunwolf, Senator for Hanhmark
*'''Outcome:''' The title of [[Ambassador to Beoraidh]] will be appointed at the first Senate session of the Winter Solstice 388YE

==Appraisals==
===Appraise Arcane with Sadogua===
*'''Motion:''' We accept the offer provided by the Oracle Pig Sadogua, Brother of Wizards, to enable the arcane architect to improve the arcane abilities of the Empire. Therefore we instruct the Prognosticators Office to work with heralds of the Globbersnotch to appraise and explore the opportunities present with: The Sarangrave; The Blade of Thorns, Hercinya; and The Ministry of the Archmage of Night
*'''Proposed by:''' Vasilmir Radovanovna Esskivic, Senator for Miekarova
*'''Seconded by:''' Desilav Sergeyevich Jesen, Senator for Volodmartz
*'''Failed'''
*'''Notes:''' Support of this appraisal was [[Towers_of_the_moon#Arcane_Architecture|offered]] by [[Sadogua]] and was only available during the Autumn Equinox 388YE

===Appraise Repair of Roads===
*'''Motion:''' To appraise the requirements for repairs to the Blood Red Roads and Sunset Roads. We ask Rosemary Stockland to perform the Appraisal.
*'''Proposed by:''' Desilav Sergeyevich Jesen, Senator for Volodmartz
*'''Seconded by:''' Rowyn of the Waystone Path, Senator for Hercynia
*'''Passed'''
*'''Outcome:''' The results of this appraisal will be presented before the Winter Solstice 388YE

===Appraise Virtue Fund===
*'''Motion:''' To send Rosemary Stockland to appraise ways to improve the value and resilience of the Virtue Fund.
*'''Proposed by:''' Senator for Bastion
*'''Seconded by:''' Senator for Miekarova
*'''Passed'''
*'''Outcome:''' The results of this appraisal will be presented before the Winter Solstice 388YE
*'''Notes:''' Rosemary Stockland will [[#Appraise Repair of Roads|be engaged]] in an appraisal.

==Commissions (Senate)==
===Construct Kespoena's Nadir===
*'''Motion:''' Construct Kespoena's Nadir in Zenith
*'''Proposed by:''' Aurianna du Meravon, Senator for Semmerholm
*'''Seconded by:''' Ismene of the Scarlet Guard, Senator for Morrow
*'''Passed'''
*'''Further reading:''' [[Construct Kespoena's Nadir]]
*'''Notes:'''  Kespoena's Nadir is a new [[mithril]] seat, [[Value_beneath_the_mountain|uncovered]] by the [[Argent Sword]].

==Commissions (Announcements)==
===Construct Bakers' Bowl===
* '''Announcement:''' To commission a sinecure, the BAKERS' BOWL, a stadium in Holmauer, Holberg as part of the newly formed Casinean League. Sinecure to create the position SPONSOR OF THE HOLBERG HAMMERS, a lifetime League National position, to be appointed by League Senators. REVOCABLE by the Assembly of Nine, General Assembly and League National Assembly. POWERS: receives an income of at least 216 rings per season. RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsible for the well-being of the staduim and the team. SELF-FUNDED with 20 wains weirwood and coin, by Lula and Bernhard Kleist von Ennerlund. We invite Calcio and Foot-the-Ball teams for other cities and towns unfortunate enough not to yet have their own stadiums to use the Bakers' Bowl for train and to play fixtures.
* '''Announced by:''' Lula Kleist von Ennerlund, [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave]]
* '''Outcome:''' Constructs a [[sinecure]] in Holmaer, Holberg
* '''Further Details:''' [[Construct Baker's Bowl]]

===Construct Effervescent Brook===
* '''Announcement:''' Of the commission on behalf of Enchantress Areloe. The Effervescent Brook, a new ministry in Groves Yard, Astolat, available to the Tender of the Phoenix Flame. The cost of 4 Wains of Weirwood, 4 rings of Ilium and 12 crowns will be provided by the Tender and the Vallorn Guard. By diverting the Whitesmoke Brook to the Phoenix Flame it provides tonics to fight the vallorn in exchange for Tempest Jade. There is no upkeep cost.
* '''Announced by:''' Wistan Goodledger, [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave]]
* '''Further Details:''' [[Construct Effervescent Brook]]
* '''Notes:''' The [[Goodwill#Silverfire_Steam|effervescent brook]] was suggested by ''Gwinthav who speaks with Majesty'', herald of [[Meraud]]. The Wayleave cannot alter the existing title to attach the ministry. A later motion addresses this.

===Construct Rose's Respite===
* '''Announcement:''' Announce the building of the "Rose's Respite" a herb sinecure in Astolat costing 16 wains of weirwood. To be elected by senators. This is self funded.
* '''Announced by:''' Laughlan Vi Temeschwar, [[Master of Rings]]
* '''Further Details:''' [[Construct Rose's Respite]]

==Announcements==
===Assign the Guerdon===
*'''Announcement:''' Military units supporting the Golden Axe, the Seventh Wave, and to rescuing the Drakes to receive the Guerdon
* '''Announced by:''' Natalia 'The Falcon' Barossa, [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies]]
* '''Outcome:''' Military units supporting the two armies or [[When_something_is_lost#Finding_the_Missing_Legion|rescuing the Drakes]] will receive shares in the [[Military_unit#Imperial_Guerdon|Imperial Guerdon]]

===Reappraise Irontooth Keep===
* '''Announcement''' Reappraise Irontooth Keep
* '''Announced by:''' Tristan Ramson von Holberg, [[Master of the Mint]]
* '''Outcome:''' The plans for [[Sowing_on_the_mountains#Irontooth_Keep|Irontooth Keep]] were first offered shortly before the Winter Solstice 381YE, and were later [[The_war_of_thorns_and_flowers#The_Threat_From_Sküld|revitalised]] in preparation for the war against the vallorn. The results of this announcement will be made available before the Winter Solstice 388YE

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-21T12:29:52Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Writs of Inquisition */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (No-no)
* '''Notes:''' ''</big></div></div>
==Veto==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:'''
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (No-yes)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Lorein Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' Exaltation: Velasco i Guerra, I call for your exaltation.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals'' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns 14 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>
Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 1 throne, 7 crowns at the counting house of [[Holberg]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div> STEVE DOUBLE CHECK I HAVEN'T COPIED SPRINGS OVER AUTUMN'S SORRY!

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*check list of what was handed over
</div>

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)
===Writs of Inquisition===
{{stub}}
The following writs of inquisition were issued this summit:
{|
| '''Called by''' || '''Subject''' || '''Judgement or Title''' || '''Matter'''
|-
| Caduceus of Aureate Peak || Tiberius Stormspire Cascade || [[#Judgement 22|Judgement 22]] || Contributions to [[Conclave]] and Imperial magic
|-
| Jurand Biezacz || Tomasi Giralo i Erigo || [[#Judgement 36|Judgement 36]] || The [[Iron Confederacy]]
|-
| The Earl of Fools || Simargl, the Empty One<br>Zlata Ruznikova Perenel, the Dread Auntie<br>Maritza Orlova Pescherapokova<br>Vaclav Mladenovich Kosti<br>Talvikaarne, The Winter Guest<br>Lutobor Branislavovich Glinka<br>Yevgeni Katzev<br>Veverica, Two threads<br>''of the Circle of Zulgan-Tash'' || [[#Judgement 70|Judgement 70]] || Deeds dark and terrible
|-
| Oleander Dreamsreach || Syl Umbral Path || [[#Judgement 81|Judgement 81]] || [[Testimony]] of ''Hidden Hand''
|-
| Aspar || Vespasian of Tropaion || TBC || The price he has paid and the lessons learned
|-
| Galene Netherwatch || Tyburn Natkysset, Grandmaster of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] || [[Arcane Inquisitor]] || Her long years of work with the Shuttered Lantern
|-
| Vauraus Korppitkotka || Bronimir, Senator for [[Ossium]] || [[Auditor of Senatorial Accountability]] || Mustering an army in two seasons
|-
| Amicia of the Semmerlak || Cyrus of Ebon's Hall, [[Ambassador to the Commonwealth]] || [[Chaplain Consular]] || The [[Cold Sun]] [[If_we_never_meet_again#Commonwealth|situation]]
|-
|-
| Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost || Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco || [[Imperial Inquisitor]] || Her relationship with [[Eleonaris]]
|-
| Maarit Suvidottir || Magistrate Abraham || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Courage]] || Technical definitions of theological terms
|-
| Eevi Hawk Heart of the Gadrai || Bakar i Riqueza || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Loyalty]] || Magical guidance, especially concerning [[Madruga]]
|-
| Iniska Ashwood || Asthore Autumngale || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Prosperity]] || His time as Senator for [[Miaren]], at the Winter summit
|-
| Brother Geoffrey Orchard || Eliza di Sarvos || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of Vigilance]] || Night activities for the Winter summit
|-
| Vera || Friþmær Sunhildsdottir || [[Virtue Inquisitor|Inquisitor of the Way]] || A [[scop]]'s virtue
|}

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgment 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth. Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa. This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)
==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE summit, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns, 14 rings</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>6 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Total donations made were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>52 thrones, 4 crowns, 17 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

The total amounts carried forward to the next summit were:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>52 thrones, 4 crowns, 17 rings</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td><td>nil</td>
</table>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 9 thrones, 6 crowns at the various [[Rewarding#Counting Houses|counting houses]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 15 thrones to '''Yvonne von Apulian''' following [[#Judgement 13|Judgement 13]] being upheld (margin 601)
* 8 wains of white granite to '''Athiel Westernborn''' following [[#Judgement 32|Judgement 32]] being upheld (margin 495)
* 6 wains of mithril to '''Hildelith Kaukosdottir''' following [[#Judgement 37|Judgement 37]] being upheld (margin 463)
* 40 thrones to '''Aster Aceae''' following [[#Judgement 31|Judgement 31]] being upheld (margin 220)
* 15 thrones to '''Nikolovich Drakov''' following [[#Judgement 10|Judgement 10]] being upheld (margin 168)
* 8 wains of weirwood to '''Lydus''' following [[#Judgement 108|Judgement 108]] being upheld (margin 154)
* 10 thrones to '''Chauntecleer Words''' following [[#Judgement 20|Judgement 20]] being upheld (margin 115)
* 3 thrones, 6 crowns, 14 rings to '''Dagonet''' following [[#Judgement 28|Judgement 28]] being upheld (margin 52)
</div>

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations made during the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 51 thrones for the Bourse dose of True Liao from '''Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo'''
* 6 crowns from '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian'''
* 3 crowns, 16 rings from '''Leonardo i Del'Toro i Riqueza'''
* 2 crowns from '''Nathair Autumngale'''
* 1 crown from '''Berith Relieur'''
* 1 ring in small donations
</div>
==Doses of True Liao==

Six doses of [[Liao#True Liao|True Liao]] were disbursed this summit:
* One dose to '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''' as [[the Throne]]
* One dose to '''Hazelelponi of the Shattered Tower''' as [[Lepidean Librarian]]
* One dose to '''Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo''' by purchase in the [[Public auction|Public Auction]]
* One dose to '''Corwyn Heartsbane''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Adel de Ordraig''' by decision of the Gatekeepers
* One dose to '''Belmarie de Courtenay Wyldrose''' by decision of the Gatekeepers

==Assembly Strength==
The table below shows the size, total voting strength and greater majority thresholds for each assembly as calculated at the start of the summit.

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | Virtue Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Ambition || 42 || 550 || 276
|-
|Courage || 40 || 514 || 258
|-
|Loyalty || 63 || 888 || 445
|-
|Pride || 40 || 492 || 247
|-
|Prosperity || 35 || 413 || 207
|-
|Vigilance || 43 || 480 || 241
|-
|Wisdom || 39 || 472 || 237
|-
|The Way || 53 || 584 || 293
|-
|General || 355 || 4393 || 2197
|-
|}

{|
! scope=""col"" style=""width: 320px;"" | National Assembly
! Assembly Size
! Total Voting Strength
! Greater Majority Threshold
|-
|Brass Coast || 19 || 228 || 115
|-
|Dawn || 57 || 750 || 376
|-
|Highguard || 71 || 938 || 470
|-
|Imperial Orcs || 6 || 66 || 34
|-
|League || 41 || 508 || 255
|-
|Marches || 22 || 258 || 130
|-
|Navarr || 33 || 401 || 201
|-
|Urizen || 32 || 350 || 176
|-
|Varushka || 35 || 424 || 213
|-
|Wintermark || 39 || 470 || 236
|-
|General || 355 || 4393 || 2197
|-
|}

Crime and criminality

2026-09-17T18:01:15Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Overview */

==Overview==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Magistrate Abraham.jpg|caption=Magistrate Abraham, a constitutional scholar and part of the<br>[[Scrutiny#Constitutional Council|Constitutional Council]]|align=right|width=300}}
One of the distinctive features of Empire is the criminal justice system. Empire is a relatively law-abiding society; it has an extensive body of established law, legal and constitutional protections for citizens, an organised militia to investigate crimes and politically independent magistrates who conduct trials. Of course the system isn't perfect - just like the judicial system in the real world it has severe limitations. But we have put a considerable amount of time into the design of the legal system in Empire - along with the design of the game rules - to try and make it as effective as we possibly can.

We have gone to that effort because the very existence of the legal system underpins one of the key design criteria for the game - it is an important adjunct to an essential part of the [[#Social Contract|social contract]] of the game. This page explains why the system was designed this way and what we expect of players when interacting with the law.

==Design Goals==
Our goal for Empire was to create a game where characters competed with each other for political control of the Empire. This is classically referred to as "Player vs Player" or usually shortened to "PvP". It's usually seen as an alternative to "Player vs Monster" or simply "PvM" - where players compete against NPCs and monsters created by the game team. Of course Empire also includes some crucial skirmishes and battles against the barbarian forces - and that is an important part of the game design - but your key protagonists are other players.

Empire isn't the first PvP game we've run - in fact all the games that Profound Decisions have run have focused on PvP elements to a greater or lesser degree. But in Empire we are very keen to focus on a particular form of PvP - namely political and social interactions - rather than on direct combat. The concept is that combat is primarily against the NPC barbarian forces, whereas the conflict between players is political and economic in nature.
__TOC__
The reasons behind this choices are fairly simple. Our experience from Maelstrom was that PvP combat can be deeply unsatisfying unless it is carefully managed. If it's going to have any meaning at all then it's often over incredibly quickly and usually because one side is attacking with surprise and overwhelming numbers. It also tends to be overwhelmingly fatal - involving one side wiping out the other. It was also clear that these kind of games were inherently unstable - the risk was that half the player base would wipe out the other half. We didn't want that for many reasons - not least of which was that it tends to cut a character's story very short. And when it happens on a widespread scale it tends to undermine the credibility of the setting; it becomes harder and harder for the organisers and the participants to justify why murderous rivals are meeting up to socialise with each other on a regular basis.

Likewise, PvM politics tends to be equally unsatisfying for some players. It can be hard for NPCs to compete with players on an equal footing in a large LRP game, partly because there are so few of them, partly because players tend to instinctively band together against NPCs, and partly because they often lack the killer political instincts that the players have. Even worse, in a game where we want the primary protagonists to be players - where we want the plot of the game to be about the decisions that those players have taken - it is completely counter-productive to have NPCs trying to politically outwit the players. In a game in which players compete with each for control of the Empire - the last thing we want to do is be part of ''that'' competition - not least because it's a competition we would never want to win.

==The Role of the Legal System==
The problem with the idea that players will be political rivals is that murdering your political rivals in their camp at night is the single most efficient political strategy available in most LRP games. Because of the way live roleplaying events are set up, it is unrealistically easy to do and unrealistically easy to get away with it. It is also usually brutally effective. Of course not everyone is comfortable with murder - lots of live roleplayers struggle to kill their rivals characters because of out-of-character concerns about the impact on the game for everyone. Sadly that only makes the strategy more efficient for those who are prepared to use it.

The role of the legal system in Empire is to make it as difficult as reasonably possible to kill other characters and get away with it - it's not terribly different to real life in that respect. We wanted murder of a rival to be an act of last resort - something only the truly desperate would attempt. The system of laws, magistrates, and militia exists as part of the game design to try and ensure the best possible chance that someone who murders a rival will be caught. If players believe that murdering someone carries a significant risk of being caught, tried, and executed - then it acts as a strong disincentive, shifting the balance to other options.

Of course it's easy to critique Empire's legal system in terms of the high profile failures. The murders that still happen - and those that go unsolved. But this really misses the point - the goal isn't to eliminate murder entirely. As game designers if that were our goal then we could just create a force majeure to prevent it. What we wanted was that murder be a last resort - that players at least stop to consider the risks of being caught first. The fact that some high profile characters do occasionally get killed completely obscures the plain fact that it remains rare - exceptionally rare by the standards of most large fest LRP games - and that people don't simply turn up at someone's camp late at night, mob-handed, and kill everyone they find. You can see the murders that happened despite the legal system - it's much harder to see all the murders that didn't happen because of it.

The design of the legal framework was done in tandem with the design of the rules. There is no way to compel the truth in Empire - that would undermine the important political intrigue - but there are very effective spells and rituals that allow you to talk to the dead. It's relatively easy to kill a character in Empire - but it's harder to get away with murder in a system where a character is not unconscious when reduced to zero hits and can continue to scream and call for help until they are executed. It's exceptionally hard for an organiser to create tools to provide information to players who are investigating a crime in a fest LRP - because the organisers very rarely know who did the murder - but we did what we could to make identifying criminals as easy as possible.

Of course discovering who carried out a crime is only half the battle in a live roleplaying game. There has to be some effective system for extracting justice. In Empire that is carried out by the magistrates and the militia. The militia are all PCs - they investigate crimes and bring all the evidence they can find before the magistrates. The magistrates however are all NPCs - creating a situation that is unusual in Empire where the players are usually portraying the characters in charge of the situation and making decisions.

We chose to have NPCs conducting the trials for two key reasons. The most crucial is the obvious one - because achieving the goals of the game design is dependent on an effective legal system, we wanted to ensure that the trials themselves were not part of the PvP politics of the game. You can't suborn the magistrates, you can't blackmail them, or threaten them. In many live roleplaying games, the identity of a murderer is common knowledge, but they are too well connected for anyone to do anything about it. That happens less in Empire, because our NPC magistrates strive to be completely impartial and detached from the politics and rivalries of the players.

The other reason is because trials can be astonishingly boring in live roleplaying games. They ought to be moments of high drama and tension - but for various reasons they tend to be tedious and drawn-out affairs that go nowhere. Having NPCs magistrates allows us to at least try to expedite trials and do what we can to focus on having a fair judicial system that moves quickly to a dramatic resolution.

==Social Contract==
Of course the legal system is only a disincentive to murder and other crimes if you are put off by the prospect of your character being caught and executed. If players create characters who have no concerns for the repercussions of their actions then that does undermine the game. For this reason, as part of Empire's social contract, we ask people not to create characters who have no concern for their own demise - or at least not at the hands of the magistrates. It's fine to be extraordinarily brave on the battlefield, nobody will mind if your character's life is quickly swept away when fighting the barbarians. But characters in Anvil should be cognisant of the law and give due consideration to the reality of what will happen if they openly break it.

That means that creating a disposable character purely for the sake of attacking another character at Anvil is completely outside the remit of fair play for the game. As a result, certain very extreme characters, like a serial killer or a murderous fanatic are also outside the social contract of what is appropriate for Empire. We do accept that murder will still happen, but it is something that should happen because of a fierce rivalry and antipathy that has developed in play. There is an inherent fairness to this process - people tend to have a narrative of their character's existence in their head. In effect we are all the starring character in our story when we're roleplaying. For that reason many players find it deeply unsatisfying to be randomly murdered. It's always sad to lose a loved character - but if it happens as a result of a long running feud then there there is a cause and effect which gives meaning to the death.

On the flip side there are some things which are encouraged in the social contract for Empire which may be viewed as inappropriate in other games. The most obvious one is what happens when your character dies at the hands of another character. In live roleplaying games where murdering your political rivals is widespread, creating a new character in the same group and nation can be looked down on. If murder is encouraged as a means to damage your rivals power - if what matters is the body count of your enemies, then the practical impact of that is blunted if a player simply creates a new character that has the same allegiance as the old one. Hence why it can be considered inappropriate to do that.

There is no equivalent in Empire - murder should only really happen as a result of intense rivalry - a long running feud between characters - a desperate attempt to strike down a hated enemy. At no point is the body count of your rivals ever relevant - the conflict between characters is social and political in nature - you can defeat a rival in many different ways, none of which require violence. That means that if your character dies, it is always perfectly acceptable to create a new character who is part of one or more of the same bands that your previous character was a member of. Obviously it's good to create a new character - and you certainly shouldn't have any private memories or items that your old character had - but you can absolutely create a character from the same hall, the same chapter or house and so on. In fact if your whole group gets killed on the battlefield, we encourage everyone to create new members of the same group if they want to. Because murder is heavily discouraged in the system - there is no "play balance" to losing your character - you don't have to intrinsically make that death matter by starting a new character somewhere else. You can if you want to - Empire is a big game with many different things to appeal to different players - but there is no obligation to do that.

==Retiring A Character==
As part of Empire's set-up any crimes that take place in the game are investigated by the militia. All these characters are players - they've chosen to be part of the militia because of the enjoyment to be had from investigating crimes and trying to solve them in-character. Obviously we want to encourage that - because what they're doing also strongly supports the setting and helps the game to work as designed - but ultimately they are players who have paid to be at the event so their enjoyment is also a critical part of the game itself.

For that reason, it's not appropriate for players who are retiring their characters to arrange with a friend to have their character murdered or to simply create a murder or similar exit. Real murders are already difficult enough for the militia to solve as it is! But when a player - or sometimes their group - conspire to invent a murder as a way of "creating game" then the militia are forced to interact with that as if there was an actual murder to solve. Almost inevitably that isn't the case, because the character has not actually been killed in play by another hostile character acting against them. That means that other player characters will be forced to waste time and energy and resources investigating the "death", using tools like the ritual [[Whispers through the Black Gate]] only to get no useful evidence that leads them anywhere.

This might be fun for the player retiring their character, it might be fun for their group even - but that fun is all at the expense of the players in the militia. It doesn't take long when investigating an incident that has been prearranged like this to discover that it is not a real crime that has taken place during the game for in-character reasons. But if the militia do sense that a murder has been arranged by the victim and their friends, that is not a conclusion that makes any sense in-character. As a result they are often forced to roleplay through investigating the matter, despite the fact that everyone involved knows that there isn't a crime that can be solved here.

There are loads of good ways for your character to die in Empire if you want a dramatic exit. The easiest and best way is to start taking absurd risks on the battlefield - that will usually get your character killed pretty quickly. But if you're in a rush to die and you want to make sure that your breathe your last then you can always speak to our referee team and they will arrange for you to receive a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|traumatic wound]] that cannot be cured. That will allow you a dramatic final scene with your allies. Even if you don't take the battlefield, you can still talk to the refs about getting something fatal arranged for your character if you absolutely want that. It does mean some work for us - so we prefer players to take their lives in their own hands if they can - but ''anything'' is preferable to fabricating a story that your character has been murdered!
[[Category:Game Design]][[Category:The Law]][[Category:The Empire]]
{{Crime Links}}

Wintermark people

2026-09-17T10:59:35Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Overview */

{{CaptionedImage|file=Wintermark Clothing.jpg|align=left|width=300}}
==Overview==
The Winterfolk were once three separate peoples: the [[Kallavesi]], the [[Steinr]], and the [[Suaq]]. Although they unified years before they joined the Empire, they preserve the heritage that made each tradition strong. Which tradition you follow is not an accident of birth but a choice made by each Winterfolk child as they reach maturity. Just as one might be born a peasant and rise to become a Thane, so someone can be born to a Steinr family and leave to follow the path of a Kallavesi mystic or journey with the Suaq as a scout. Children gravitate towards whichever tradition calls most strongly to them as they come of age.

All three traditions are equally respected; they are all crucial to the survival of the nation. Although a single tradition predominates in each territory of Wintermark – this is a consequence of landscape and history – most communities include members of all three. They refer to themselves as Winterfolk, especially when talking to outsiders. They no longer consider themselves three peoples; they are one people, but with three traditions.

Many Winterfolk maintain the old belief in the [[Wintermark Culture and Customs#Skein|Skein]] which says that when one decides to do something, one should be absolutely committed. Vacillation is anathema as is trying to go back on one's skein by trying to undo a decision one has made. When they hunt monsters across the icy wastes, they seek to kill all of them. When they design a fortress or a suit of armour, they strive to make it impregnable. When they go to war, they are prepared to die for their cause.

They judge people not by the company they keep or by their words, but by the things they do. They live their lives to the full, throwing themselves into whatever they are doing with gusto. They are generous in triumph but selfish in defeat. The mark of a Wintermark hero is that they take personal responsibility for their failings but they share their victories with everyone. The more people involved in a heroic deed, the more heroic it is seen to be. Whenever the Scops tell a tale of a battle, everyone who fought at that battle stands a little taller, even if their specific deeds are not recounted.

All Winterfolk admire personal [[heroism]]. They relish challenges as an opportunity to prove themselves. Battle is an obvious opportunity to show one's worth, but they also recognise the challenges that are overcome with cunning or wisdom. Whether triumph is won by force of arms, imagination and cunning or wise and profound insight does not matter to the Winterfolk. What counts is how significant and notable the triumph was and how many benefit as a result of the deed. Winterfolk heroes are those whose prowess and noble qualities serve or inspire others.
{{CaptionedImage|file=KiviuqSnowEagle.jpg|align=right|caption=Many Winterfolk maintain the belief in the [[Wintermark Culture and Customs#Skein|Skein]]|title=Survival. Loyalty to friends. Defence of Wintermark. A good death.|width=300}}
While the stereotypical Winterfolk crafter is often thought of as a weapon or armour smith, they are also known for their expertise in civil and military engineering, their construction of great fortresses and other defensive structures and their delicately engraved jewellery. The Winterfolk prize individuality, not just as people, but in the things they do and the things they make. Winterfolk crafters take immense pride in incorporating complex [[runes]] into the things they create. The Winterfolk delight in this act of creation; they enjoy making beautiful and unique things, whether it be a torc, a weapon, or a poem.

==Names==
Winterfolk names are primarily Saxon and Finnish in flavour.

===Sample names===
Aarne, Agatha, Alric, Anja, Burmoth, Cynestan, Dunstan, Eadric, Eawyn, Edith, Elina, Eomer, Emma, Esa, Gytha, Inga, Kaisa, Kye, Lyydia, Maethild, Marko, Needa, Oswald, Reet, Ricola, Siward, Suvi, Theodric, Topi, Urho, Ville, Wulfric, Wynflaed, Ymma.

N.B. Whilst some names are inspired by real world names which may be given to specific genders, Empire is a gender blind setting and people of any gender choose any name they like that is appropriate to their nation.

When they are born Winterfolk take their second names from the thane's hall to which they belong, (which in turn will have been named after its founder) or less commonly they may take the name of one of their parents. In either case, the name is adjusted to make the name flow.

The Winterfolk strive to commit deeds worthy of a name, to earn a name. This name is bestowed by the scops and is a word or phrase that reflects the character's achievements. You can create a character who has already achieved their name or one who is still looking to earn their name.

* ''{given name} {thane's hall}ing'' e.g. Alric Marking (Alric of Marko's Hall), Reet Ceorling (Reet of Ceorl's Hall).
* ''{given name} {parent's name}sson'', ''{given name} {parent's name}sdottir'' or ''{given name} {parent's name}sbarn'' e.g. Hrothgar Arnesson, Adla Runasdottir, Inga Siwardsbarn
* ''{nickname and given name}'' e.g. Wulfric the Bear, Wise Lyydia, Black Dow.

===Naming resources===
* [http://www.regia.org/members/names.htm Saxon names]
* [http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/finnish Finnish names]

{{Wintermark Links}}

388YE Autumn Equinox Synod judgements

2026-09-16T22:07:58Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Judgment 20 */

[[Category: Synod]] [[Category:Synod Results]] [[Category: Synod Judgements]][[Category: 388YE Autumn]]

==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{|
|+ align="top"| <big>'''Judgement Quick Links'''</big>
! Judgement Type
! Amount
|-
|[[#Change of Doctrine|Change of Doctrine]] ||
|-
|[[#Veto|Veto]] ||
|-
|[[#Statement of Principle|Statement of Principle]]||
|-
|[[#Mandate|Mandate]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Consecration|Writ of Consecration]] ||
|-
|[[#Writ of Excommunication|Writ of Excommunication]] ||
|-
|[[#Proscription|Proscription]] ||
|-
|[[#Inquisition|Inquisition]] ||
|-
|[[#Sanction|Sanction]] ||
|-
|[[#Recognition|Recognition]] ||
|-
|[[#Exaltation|Exaltation]] ||
|-
|[[#Appointment|Appointment]] ||
|-
|[[#Rewarding|Rewarding]] ||
|-
|}
</div>
During the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Synod raised X judgements
==Change of Doctrine==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:''' Erasmo di Tassato
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (No-no)
* '''Notes:''' ''</big></div></div>
==Veto==
===Judgement X===
* '''Assembly:'''
* '''Raised By:'''
* '''Judgement:'''
* '''Outcome:''' Not upheld (No-yes)

==Statement of Principle==
===Judgement 3===
* '''Assembly:''' Highborn
* '''Raised By:''' Ames the Amiable of the Pilgrims Guard
* '''Judgement:''' Arlais, Daughter of Mari, plans to build five sinecures at Virtues Rest: four Benefactors, one for each army, and one attached to the Strategos of Highguard. Together producing 48 mana and 16 Orichalcum each season. We seek no materials; those are needed for the Grand Inspiration of the Way. We ask instead for something Highguard possesses in abundance: experience. Our nation holds generations of military knowledge, from soldiers and commanders to chaplains, apothecaries, engineers, quartermasters, and all who sustain an army beyond the battlefield. Arlais intends to break ground in Winter. Help shape the Benefactors Court at Virtues Rest. Tell us what our armies need, where lasting support matters most, and what ingenuity, experience and Virtue might achieve.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (594-0)

===Judgement 9===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Aldwyn the Glorious
* '''Judgement:''' In order to enter this into imperial record during an inquisition conducted by Jedidiah Boon, Summer 388YE, Lofyn Bloodcloak recounted the miracle that happened when she first put on the Bloodcloak following its recovery from a century of Thule possession. Lofyn Bloodcloak felt the weight of the cloak shift, a small hole had appeared within the lining and within was found the necklace she now wears around which was wrapped the schema which allowed Lofyn to enter the Bloodcloak into Imperial Lore.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (244-0) (GM threshold 247)

===Judgement 11===
* '''Assembly:''' Vigilance
* '''Raised By:''' Haleth Sigeling
* '''Judgement:''' The assembly of vigilance condemns the actions of the agents of the Whisper Gallery in Tsirku. Our eyes turn north to the Grave of the Giants, to watch for signs of similar acts by agents of any Eternals acting against the Citizens of the Empire
* '''Outcome:''' Withdrawn
*'''Notes''' The Throne applied the Custodian of Virtue to this judgment.

===Judgement 12===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Vidarr Runebound
* '''Judgement:''' Nora Falcon's Light, Grimnir and Thane of House Geris has been tireless in her legacy and dedication to the nation of Wintermark. Her efforts supporting our national celebrations have helped bring the nation a great sense of pride, our hearthfire continues to be a beacon in the darkness thanks to Nora's efforts, and she has long fought to bolster ambitions of other Winterfolk, to the betterment of our nation. Nora's work is quiet work that may oft go unsung, but is no less heroic to explore the skein and help guide the skein of others is the Kallavesi way. As such, we the Wintermark Assembly are proud to entre into the '''Chronicle of Heroes: Nora Falcon's Light.'''
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (314-10)

===Judgement 14===
* '''Assembly:''' Wintermark
* '''Raised By:''' Veikko Bondforger
* '''Judgement:''' In my power as Keeper of Oaths, I commit the following from Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds, the Fire of the Marches, to the Forge of Bonds:
'''Oath from Amberlain to Bregasland''' People of Bregasland! Queen Fisher and her Jotun masters have fled before our soldiers' might, with and Courage. But there will always be would-be conquerors, Jarls and threats to our land, mark me. The Empire's memory may be short, but Marcher grudges and memories are long - the Reeds will not forget, and WE will never abandon Bregasland again. This I swear before the Fens and Marsh. May this oath of Loyalty be the legacy of the Strong Reeds. Bregasland stands!
This is adapted from the Strong Reeds army orders from Summer 385YE
*'''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (320 - 0)

===Judgement 23===
* '''Assembly:''' The Way
* '''Raised By:''' Mael of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:''' Behold: Virtue! As the Marshall of the Faith, I bid ye witness that the following were multiply commended by diverse Field Marshalls and Commanders during the battles at the last summit: Lady Nymeria Mortere, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, Red Bramble, Artis the Unyielding, Hastur Broken Bough, and the Blades of Adelmar. The Marshal wishes to congratulate long-standing General Dame Aurum de Castellan of the Eastern Sky, The Star of Semmerholm on their retirement. A full list of commendations can be found on the citizen's notices.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

===Judgement 24===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Lorein Otterways
* '''Judgement:''' Exaltation: Velasco i Guerra, I call for your exaltation.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (260 - 10)

==Mandate==
===Judgement 5===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Alfred Aewulfson-Boon
* '''Judgement:''' The Mourn should embrace its past. We send Mine-captain Jedidiah Boon with a dose of True Liao to consecrate Rebellion's Ridge and call for change in the Mournwold.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (1847-360)

===Judgement 15===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower
* '''Judgement:'' The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send Dagon with 25 doses of liao to urge the virtuous to find a way to arrange a meeting with the Lost Weepers. Let us meet and find common ground against the Plenum.
*'''Outcome:''' Upheld (396 - 118)

==Recognition==
===Judgement 4===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Astrid Fjrellrevening Rezia di Tassato
* '''Judgement:''' Lorenzo 'La Volpe' Macelliao von Temeschwar was Prosperous. He was Ambitious. But Pride is the virtue he held closest in his heart, and most clearly embodied in his life's work. He celebrated his successes, proclaimed his past and his home boldly in all his actions, and uplifted his nation and his Empire.
'''Benevolence''': The Empire benefits to this day from his works. The Blood Red Roads may be the biggest endeavour, now feeding the Empire's coffers directly in support of the Vallornguard. But citizens past and present in a dozen territories have personally benefited from his works in coin, mana and liao.
'''Legacy''': A dozen Great Works exist across the Empire, that he funded, designed and built. These Great Edifices Proudly display his name, his guild, and his history, reminding us we should be Proud of where we come from and our achievements.
'''Inspiration''': Even in life, the League Assembly named him an Inspiration, leading to the Colissus of Sarvos' True Consecration as a Sacred Site in his honour. Travellers flock to Sarvos to see this wondrous sight and experience The Partner of Greatness for themselves. To this day, his name is synonymous with grand benevolent works.
'''Pilgrimage''': His great works included travelling the Empire to map and build the Blood Red Roads; the Legacies of Virtue, grand edifices to uplift And Inspire the virtuous in each of the territories they were built in, from Hahnmark to Casinea; as well as several Cathedrals to Pride. This make clear his journey not only to personal Virtue, but The Way as a pillar of that journey for all citizens.
This assembly Recognises Lorenzo as an Exemplar of Pride.
* '''Outcome:''' {{GM}} (288-0)

==Appointments==
===Judgement 1===
* '''Assembly:''' Loyalty
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Loyalty
* '''Outcome:''' '''Dagon Barossa of the Shattered Tower''' was appointed with 304 votes, Eevi Hawkheart of the Gadrai received 276 votes

===Judgement 2===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Cardinal of Pride
* '''Outcome:''' '''Jedediah Boon''' was appointed with 208 votes, unopposed

===Judgement 6===
* '''Assembly:''' Dawnish
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Reeve of Greenforest Fair
* '''Outcome:''' '''Tren Meals'' was appointed with 196 votes, Berith Relieur received 22 votes, Edmund Groves received 170 votes

===Judgement 18===
* '''Assembly:''' League
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Watcher of Ratibor's Torch
* '''Outcome:''' '''Vitore van Temeschwar''' was appointed with 192 votes, unopposed.

===Judgement 21===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Tribune
* '''Judgement:''' Appointment of the Inquisitor
* '''Outcome:''' '''Echo of the House of the Wanderer''' was appointed with 162 votes, unopposed.

==The Virtue Fund==
At the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE, the Virtue Fund stood as follows:
<table class='wikitable sortable'><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Money'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Mithril'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''White Granite'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Weirwood'''</td><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''True Liao'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>83 thrones, 6 crowns 14 rings</td><td>6 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>8 wains</td><td>nil</td>
</table>
Click ''Expand'' to see a list of donations received prior to the start of the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2 thrones at the counting house of [[Tassato]]
* 1 throne, 3 crowns at the counting house of [[Semmerholm]]
* 1 throne, 4 crowns at the counting house of [[Karsk]]
* 1 throne, 6 crowns at the counting house of [[Temeschwar]]
* 1 throne, 7 crowns at the counting house of [[Holberg]]
* 6 wains of mithril, 8 wains of white granite and 8 wains of weirwood from [[The_greatest_plurality#One_Empire|various donations]]
</div> STEVE DOUBLE CHECK I HAVEN'T COPIED SPRINGS OVER AUTUMN'S SORRY!

Click ''Expand'' to see a list of Rewardings made at the summit.

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*check list of what was handed over
</div>

==Anchor the Way in Asavea==
Click ''Expand'' to see the list of contributions made to Anchor the Way in Asavea.
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{{CommissionProgress|Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea}}
</div>
==Inquisition==
===Judgment 19===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Echo of the House of the Wanderer
* '''Judgement:''' I, Echo of the House of the Wanderer, call '''Dagon, the Cardinal of Loyalty''' to inquisition regarding his relationship to Pride, oaths and the Virtue of his actions.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (162-10)
===Judgment 22===
* '''Assembly:''' Urizen
* '''Raised By:''' Caduceur of Aureate Peak
* '''Judgement:''' Tiberius Stormspire Cascade, your contributions to the work of the Conclave and Imperial magic was praised in the Hall of Worlds last season. I call you to inquisition so the virtue of these actions may be brought into light and witnessed by all. To be held in the Quaykeep Library Saturday at midday.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (104-0)

==Sanction==
===Judgement 7===
* '''Assembly:''' Pride
* '''Raised By:''' Jedidiah Boon
* '''Judgement:''' '''Vindication''' Lofyn Bloodcloak, you have committed yourself to the path of Pride. Along it, you have found what all Pilgrims do; the obstacles of other's doubts, the weight of your own mistakes, the blood that soaks the roads beyond Anvil's safety. Your Inspiration is written in your people's Chronicle, in the Regalia you passed to your successors. Your Legacy is to be decided by those who survive you - whether in the Schema that shares your name or the diplomatic affairs you now commit yourself to - but there is no doubt it will endure. You have shown Benevolence in your Oaths to Semmersuaq and your battle against the Jotun. The True Liao you have earned will tell us more about your soul. We live in an age of Miracles; the Schema was revealed to you by the Bloodcloak placed on your shoulders, calling your soul to an item of great worth. Something beyond our understanding occurred; declare it, lest such Miraculous events be lost to legend alone.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (206-0)
===Judgment 8===
* '''Assembly:''' Varushkan
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' '''Escalation - Penance''' I've examined your Virtue Sigismund. '''Courage''' - Only you stood for Field Marshall but it failed in battle. '''Prosperity''' - Your Anointing. '''Vigilance?''' - With only 6 Auxiliaries & 60 less citizens than expected you accepted no more runners worrying about Druj tricks. '''Ambition''' - Let you to stand before Military Council & Senate owning your mistakes, not excusing or hiding them. '''We build up, not tear down''', so your Penance is as follows; 1) A Pilgrimate of Penance to Dawn, Highguard, League, Marches, Urizen & Varushka and Testimony from each National Assembly. 2) Military Council & Anvil Library get detailed recommendations so others don't repeat your mistakes 3) Sashes to mark those in command 4) Not seeking field command for 2 years 5) A priest by your side in battle & an Ambition Anointing for 3 years to guard your Virtue. '''These are the consequences of your actions, Vigilance not Vengence.'''
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (192-38)

===Judgment 16===
* '''Assembly:''' Wisdom
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' Vindication. By his own admission, Brat Umbral Path is immensely dangerous, and capable of enacting immense harm very quickly and very effectively. I laud this, and acknowledge how it can and ought to strengthen our Empire. I raise it also a warning - that the experts and strategists of this Empire are always best placed to harm it. Brat embodies the point at which the virtue of Ambition meets the realm of Night - driven, cunning, subtle, manipulative, with strong intuition. He is extraordinarily well placed to be the Empire's expert in Night, and convey it to the Empire and the Empire to it. The Wise ought act as the Volhov teaches, and investigate him and that which surrounds him, to witness his triumph, and to disabuse this Empire of notions of threat. I welcome his oath to yearly inquisition, that we might understand him and his realm as it transforms. He will be a virtuous archmage - thus I vindicate him.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (132-0)

==Rewarding==
===Judgment 10===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Father Drakov
* '''Judgement:''' I call for 15 Thrones to be given to Richardo Glostari di Sarvos, Armarious of the Anvil Library. This will be distributed to those who work at the Library in recognition of their work to preserve, expand and promote knowledge & Wisdom. Lets reward & invest in this great Citizen led Anvil staple.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (706-538)

===Judgment 13===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Yvonne von Apulian
* '''Judgement:''' Last summit, Paris of Apulus self-funded and constructed a waystation for foreign pilgrims, extending the reach of the Way. We reward her 15 thrones in recognition of her virtuous labour.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld, full amount (1035-434)

===Judgment 17===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Elagabala
* '''Judgement:''' The Imperial Synod rewards Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav 15 thrones to be used as they see fit to reward the immense Courage of the Winter magicians of Varushka they led in destroying the Sumisev Peegel, a regio corrupted by the Cold Sun to emit radiation that could have killed every magician present. The destruction was prepared for alone and funded out of pocket for the protection, betterment, and Prosperity of the souls Volodmartz, who stood endangered by this active threat. Their actions stand as prefect examples of the hallowings of Permion, Inga Tarn, and Isaella's Resolve - to fear not death, and to confront and defeat dangers, for they knew it was the right thing to do.
* '''Outcome:''' Failed (463-558)

===Judgment 20===
* '''Assembly:''' General
* '''Raised By:''' Chantecleer Words
* '''Judgement:''' Claude Deeds discovered that the ghost of Theodric Mooting, the legendary scop of Wintermark, had been trapped at the threshold of Sydanjaa for more than three hundred years, unable to pass through the Labyrinth. Claude led a band to Warriors Gate to free Theodric's soul so he could pass through the Labyrinth. She heard the scop's final tale. Heroes of Wintermark were able to recover his last remains - his drum - and so laid him to rest in Kallavesa. This quest was the result of years of research on Claude's part including careful negotiation with the Winter realm, incurring much personal cost. We reward Claude 10 thrones for her Virtuous deeds: her Wise discoveries, her Loyalty to a legend.
* '''Outcome:''' Upheld (629-514)

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:43:21Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Finale */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to fully explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by the [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all life, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasant. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. Clearing the snow, the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observes explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the Jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The scops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often than not lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.

==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just desserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority of the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell members sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:40:34Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Wemba the Bloody */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to fully explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by the [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all life, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasant. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. Clearing the snow, the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observes explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the Jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The scops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often than not lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.

==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just desserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority if the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell member sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:34:49Z

GuiltyConscience: /* The North */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to fully explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by the [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all life, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasant. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. Clearing the snow, the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observes explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the Jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The scops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often than not lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.

==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just deserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority if the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell member sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:29:44Z

GuiltyConscience: /* The North */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to fully explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by the [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all live, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasent. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. CLearing the snow the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observers explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The skops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often that lot lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.

==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just deserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority if the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell member sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:28:59Z

GuiltyConscience: /* The North */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to fully explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all live, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasent. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. CLearing the snow the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observers explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The skops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often that lot lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.

==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just deserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority if the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell member sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:28:22Z

GuiltyConscience:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalaq. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to full explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all live, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasent. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. CLearing the snow the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observers explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The skops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often that lot lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.
==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just deserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority if the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell member sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Roses in the snow

2026-09-09T20:26:58Z

GuiltyConscience:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"The hole makes a change."

"What?" Jorma stared at his companion like he'd gone snow-blind. "What are you talking about?"

"The hole - it sort of makes a change in a way - from all the ice and the snow and the crevasses. It's like all the danger in this area has all been balled up into one spot and buried in the ground."

Merri Third-Eye had always had something of an odd way of looking at the world. It was one of the reasons Jorma Five Arrows hung round with him. Sometimes it was useful. And... sometimes it was just odd. "Do you think we'll be ordered in there then?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah - we haven't got the numbers for it. It's close, but we're short-handed. Too many people hunting that Wemba fella. They won't like it, but I reckon it's been for nothing. We'll have to come back and start over I reckon."

"You're wrong there," said Jorma shaking his head. "I saw them dragging that fella south. We're all better off now I reckon. In fact the the further away they take him the safer I feel." He shivered, probably because of the cold. Definitely. Definitely because of the cold.

Merri never missed a thing of course. "Hey - I've got some of that smoked fish from Atalack. Eat this, it'll warm your bones..."
</ic>
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Watermelon Snow - King George Island.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
The heroes of Wintermark and their allies have pressed north, exploring the mysterious and uncharted wilderness of Tsirku. [[Warriors' Gate|Last season]] they made several alarming discoveries, the worst of which was the presence of at least one of Agramant's followers in this frozen land. Long suspected, now confirmed, Wemba the Bloody is loose in Tsirku... but not for long.

However, just as everyone is finding their feet, they discover that these lands hold more surprises than just ''the Howler'' and his followers.

==The North==
* '''The explorers of Tsirku have pressed forwards, but have fallen short of being able to full explore the new region'''
North of Warriors' Gate lies a region described as "icy, covered in snow, with vicious looking chasms". The eternal storm itself does not extend into this region, but it is one that those walking that way would pass through. Imperial explorers pressed into the unknown, but unfortunately even with the support offered by [[Construct_Smokehouse_of_Atalaq|Smokehouse of Atalaq]], the worsening weather and all the [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Scouts|many]], [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Mystics|many]] problems of exploring Tsirku took their toll. While some headway was made, the explorers have not managed to get a thorough overview of the region.

A first in Imperial history, the region does not appear to have a name as such. Presumably it has a name in the language of the dire penguins and snow hares that call the place home, but it seems that no sapient beings have given the place a name that has stuck. Even use of [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] proves less than helpful, either providing eerie sounds of blowing winds and croaking birds, or simply confirming that someone is in "the wastes of Tsirku north of Warriors' Gate". It seems that even Day magic has its limitations when it comes to a place like this.

There are two significant features here, or at least two that have been found by scouts.

The first is a massive hole, perhaps a mile across. Plates of thick ice extend out around the edges and make exploration particularly dangerous. There is a long drop down into the depths of this hole, and a spider-work of cracks and chasms extends for several miles in all directions around it. The area itself is risky because some of the narrower crevices have been covered over with a thick crust of snow - one that is by no means strong enough to support the weight of a human or orc. Explorers who sleep near the hole report unsettling dreams - a great fire plunging down out of the clear night sky and filling them with terror. This has lead to some speculation that the hole might actually be a crater - one caused by the kind of starfall that struck [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] in recent years and brought with it a lot of [[ilium]].

The other feature is a stone settlement about a day and a half's hike east of the crater. Settlement is perhaps too strong a word. A squat three-storey hexagonal tower surrounded by a low white granite wall that also contains what seems to be a warehouse and some kind of ox stable. It takes a bit of effort to explore because the heavy doors and shuttered windows are frozen solid. Breaking through, explorers find the place eerily empty of all live, and everything coated with a thin layer of ice that glitters unpleasantly. Investigation quickly leads to the surmise that this is a [[Thule]] outpost - three are images of the five-headed dragon often used in decoration by the orcs of [[Otkodov]]. Unfortunately, the ice covering everything means that its impossible to say exactly how ''old'' this place is. It might have been build a century ago or it might have been finished last month. The question of where the inhabitants have gone is eventually answered and it is not pleasent. One of the big dogs that accompany some of the explorers dig at the snow in the open area before the tower, whining. CLearing the snow the remains of a score of Otkodov orcs are found buried. [[An Echo of Life Remains]] discovers the name of one of the warlocks - ''Deyadloth of the High Pass''. Some bodies show signs of wolves, other no indication what caused their death. Some of them are fully armoured in leather and fur, others are wearing little more than sleeping clothes. Their discovery leads to a decision to place some markers around the outpost and retreat, and perhaps leave further investigation to specialists who are not worried about how haunted that place might be. It also seems a good idea to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident - or at least to make sure it is someone of the appropriate authority who causes that incident.

Some explorers talk of meeting a figure that a little surreptitious [[insight]] indicates is clearly a [[inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]]. It appears as an older orc lady, garbed in thick wool and fur and using skiis to travel. Her face is hidden by a veil formed of knotted leather thongs, each weighted with white bone beads. Her presence is unsettling because she remains at a distance, often atop a snowdrift, and merely observers explorers. Those who hail her receive no response, and anyone approaching soon finds themselves being bogged down in deep drifts of snow, or falling prone thanks to hidden ice, during which she simply disappears again. Comparing tales though it seems that either she has several sisters, or she has made a point of taking a look at most of the explorers in the region. At least one eternal has an interest in this nameless snowscape, but it is too soon to say if they are hostile to those who trespass.
===Names Matter===
* '''The region north of Warriors' Gate has no name as far as Imperials are concerned'''
* '''If the jotun or Thule have a name for it it has not "stuck"'''
* '''The skops of Wintermark could provide a name to the region and the big hole'''
[[Wintermark_hearth_magic#Names|Names]], as folk never tire of pointing out, are important. In Wintermark, the solemn duty of granting a name to a thing more often that lot lies with the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Scops|scops]]. It is risky to name something before you fully understand it, but it can be useful to give something a "use name" so that people know what you are talking about rather than relying on "the snowy region north of Warriors' Gate". During the Autumn Equinox, the [[egregores]] of Wintermark will meet with the scops attending Anvil to discuss the results of the recent exploration. If they wish, the scops can decide on a name for the region itself, and for the large notable feature - the hole, crater, or whatever that gouge-mark in the snow actually is. Alternatively, if they agree that they need more information, they can wait until the place is more thoroughly explored. The egregores will inform the civil service of the scops' decision.

As more of Tsirku is uncovered, the task of naming things that do not have names will fall to the scops. They may choose to consult other explorers, but the final decision (at least for the moment) falls to the namers of Wintermark.
==Winter in Tsirku==
* '''After the Autumn Equinox, Winter will set in ''quickly'' in Tsirku'''
* '''The strength needed to map another region is ''doubled'' until the start of the Spring Equinox 389YE'''
* '''The Imperial Spymaster directs the exploration of Tsirku'''
After the Autumn Equinox, the weather in Tsirku deteriorates dramatically and with incredible speed. While the wastelands are hostile in Summer, it is nothing to [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Barren|how bad they become]] once Winter sets it and the seasons shift here without warning. Blizzards become commonplace, and the temperature drops cold enough to kill anyone unprepared for the cold. Winter is also when the [[Sermersuaq#Major_Features|Northern Lights]] are at their most active, and according to the [[Suaq]] it is a particularly perilous time to be abroad in the wastes.

The strength required to gather any information from Tsirku via the scouting network is ''doubled'' in the period straight after the Autumn Equinox, and remains that way until the start of the Spring Equinox. This will make the challenge of [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Big|mapping the territory]] even more arduous. Either [[opportunity|opportunities]] to deal with the abysmal weather will need to be found, or a major force of military units will need to be applied.

While the explorers have started with the region north of Warriors' Gate, there's no need for them to continue to focus their efforts there. Some progress has been made, and some key features identified, but it will still require the full total of strength to be applied to actually complete the review of the region. That is, to complete exploring any region enough to be able to establish its borders requires the full 5,000 strength (or 10,000 over winter). As such it may be more appealing to move to one of the other two regions that border Warriors' Gate and at least get a rough overview of them... but of course such things take time.

As before, the decision on where to focus exploration after the Autumn Equinox lies with the [[Imperial Spymaster]], although they may receive counsel from the people of Wintermark. At the very least, the Imperial Spymaster should let the Wintermark people know which direction to head in, and the best way to do that would be to address their muster during the Equinox. The Wintermark egregores should be able to arrange such an opportunity for them.

As indicated last season, there are three regions that can be explored in Tsirku.

* The region that has been partially explored is north of Warrior's Gate towards [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa|Sydanjaa]]. Finishing the exploration requires the full amount of strength - there is no benefit for having performed a partial exploration.
* Westward, toward [[Tromsa]], lies a region that preliminary exploration identifies as "''barren, windswept, with wide and unsettling skies''". It's likely that Lake Nutjuitoq extends into this area, and there may be a connection to the [[Sea of Snow]] given that there must be ''some'' way for the great sea beasts to reach the [[Sermersuaq#The_Grave_of_the_Giants|Grave of the Giants]]. The ''hylje'' have [[Beneath_a_moonless_sky#As_Semersuaq_strode|offered aid]] in exploring this region, should Wintermark wish to avail themselves of it.
* Eastward, towards [[Otkodov#Urdur|Urdur]] lies a region described as "''rocky, with scattered trees, that feels ominous''". It's possible that the region actually abuts Urdur and if it does that increases the likelihood of some kind of Thule presence there.

===The Varushkan Viewpoint===
* '''Some Varushkan explorers suggest Winter is the ideal time to focus on treasure, not exploration'''
Winter is a bad time for exploration, but it might still present an opportunity. Some Varushkan explorers argue that rather than worrying about where things are and how things fit together, Winter is the best time to wrap up very warm indeed and go <s>wagon raiding</s> looking for valuable resources. There's one season left to take part in the ''[[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Enticing|Adventure in Tsirku]]'' opportunity, so why not make the most of it? They're looking to their National Assembly to back them up.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but we Varushkans know well that where the danger is greatest the finest treasures can be found. We send (named priest) with 25 does of liao to encourage the explorers of Varushka to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, then following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan military unit will be able to undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture, without suffering the 2 rank penalty to their effectiveness. In addition, by focusing on gathering the resources of the wasteland, each such military unit will receive an additional "treasures of the wasteland" (a consumable representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) on top of the two they would normally get. A military unit that has at least 11 ranks thanks to enchantments or upgrades will also receive an additional ''wonder of the wasteland'', a much rarer consumable. There is, as so often with these things, a drawback. If the mandate is passed every Varushkan military unit that takes the expedition will be competing for resources with the explorers of Tsirku; for every one that does so the effective strength contributed to ''explore Tsirku'' will be reduced by 50 points.

Alternatively, the Varushkans may choose to share their good sense with their friends in Wintermark and among the Imperial Orcs. They could pass this alternative mandate.
{{Mandate|mandate=Tsirku is a wasteland full of dangers, but there is enough there for everyone to seize the opportunity and embrace prosperity. We send (named priest) with 75 does of liao to encourage the explorers of the northern nations to make the most of the coming Winter to gather the treasures of Tsirku with the aid of the virtuous.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}
If this mandate is passed, in addition to the benefits above it will also remove the 2 rank penalty from Wintermark and Imperial Orcs characters undertaking the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture after the Autumn Equinox, and any such military unit that has at least 11 ranks will receive an extra ''treasure of the wasteland'' alongside their wonders. The Varushkans will still get the full benefit of the earlier mandate, and everyone taking the Adventure in Tsirku venture will reduce the effectiveness of those exploring the wastes.

===Tsirku is Enticing===
* '''For at least a year following the Spring Equinox, Wintermark military units can undertake the ''Adventure in Tsirku'' venture'''
* '''The difficulty of adventuring in Tsirku increases dramatically between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox'''
* '''Dawnish military units can also take this venture, but do so at the same penalty as supporting the scouting network
Scouting Tsirku is an option now that the spy network is established there. Yet the wastes are ''also'' a source of adventure. A heroic trek into Tsirku focused around exploring not the terrain but the hidden nooks where danger lies... that might be something that appeals to the folk of Wintermark as much as any mapping expedition. For a start, it's known that there are terrible creatures in the wastelands. Some are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|supernatural beasts]] of Blood-on-the-Snow, that range down from the wild places into Sermersuaq. Others are dangerous spirits of the wild places, or creatures adapted to live in the terrible frozen wastes. If the [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|beasts of the Sea of Snow]] are anything to go by, who knows what treasures might lie in Tsirku for the taking?

After the Spring Equinox, and until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, any Wintermark military unit may take the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' [[Military_unit#Questing|questing]] [[venture]]. A standard military unit that undertakes the expedition will receive two "treasures of the wasteland" (consumables representing unique resources found in Tsirku, most likely harvested from beasts of Agramant or dangerous locations) and 36 rings representing valuable or novel things recovered from the wasteland that can be sold to the curious. A military unit that has an effective rank of at least 11 (counting [[enchantment]] and [[military unit#Upgrades|upgrades]]) will also receive a ''wonder of the wasteland'', much rarer consumable. Both treasures and wonders are selected from a random list, and different characters will get different results.

While this expedition to the north is inspired by the Witan, it is impossible to stop the knights of Dawn finding out about it. For some, the idea of pressing into the untracked north and risking an unmarked grave in the belly of a giant bear of ''Rope-chewer'' sounds like an epic way to seek [[glory]]. As such, Dawnish characters can also take part in the '''Adventure in Tsirku''' venture, but unfortunately the hostile environment means they do so with the same three rank penalty to the effective rank of their military unit that impedes their ability to scout.

All military units attempting to adventure in Tsirku between the end of the Autumn Equinox and the start of the Spring Equinox will suffer an additional two rank penalty due to the blizzards and intense cold.

==Wemba the Bloody==
{{SOP|statement=The servants of Agramant gather in Warriors Gate and must be dealt with. We send the Banner-bearer of Atkonaroq with 25 doses of liao to lead heroes and glory-seekers alike to face the dangers of Treachers Dagger and drive them back from whence they came.|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|by=Hildelith Kaukosdottir, Wintermark Assembly|vote=290-0 {{GM}}}}
* '''Imperial forces have captured Wemba the Bloody and are dragging the monster back to Anvil in chains to face justice'''
* '''He is expected to arrive at 21:00 on Friday at the earliest'''
<div {{float}}><box>'''What No Skirmish?'''
<p>Normally we would offer a skirmish to slay Wemba the Bloody, but on this occasion we've taken a different choice. There is no possibility of any kind under which Wemba would agree to come to Anvil - and we wanted to offer the nation a chance to get a look at this villain. We wanted the many, many players who don't play combatants and so rarely get a chance to look in the eyes of Wintermark's enemies to have an opportunity to come face to face with evil.</p>
<p>We realise some players will be disappointed, but we're keen in Empire to have plots play out differently from time to time. Not everything should go the way you expect. There is still one more of Agramant's named creatures running round Tsirku, so those who are looking for a chance to clash swords with the enemy will still get the opportunity in the future!</p></box></div>
Urged on by the Wintermark Assembly, many military units diverted from efforts to explore Tsirku to focus on hunting down and defeating Wemba the Bloody. Signs of his presence are everywhere in the far north, once the scouts pick up the trail they discover abandoned camps littering the region on the other side of the great crater. The bodies of various beasts are scattered on the ground, blood spilled, their flesh half-eaten, dire penguins, bears and rabbits. This is what Wemba the Bloody has been living on? The man who swore to eat nothing but the flesh of his enemies? Surviving on a diet of uncooked rabbit - it would be tragic if it wasn't so pathetic.

The confrontation with this enemy of the Mark is more of the same. It should have been an epic tale, one for the scops to speak of in hushed tones. A brutal fight, the heroism of the Mark against the bloody steel of Agramant's cur. But the Wintermark scouts outnumber Wemba and his followers a hundred to one and more. His terrible followers have been granted inhuman powers by Agramant, their flesh turns aside blows that would stop a bear in its tracks, but somehow they keep going...

...and it makes not the slightest bit of difference.

If this was Dawn, brave knights might have made this glorious, by calling Wemba out, fighting him one-on-one, the glory of Dawnish knighthood against the terror of Agramant's brood. But [[heroism]] has no truck with [[glory]]. Heroism is about achieving what has to be done, not how difficult or dangerous it is. Deliberately making an act more difficult than it need be impresses no-one in Wintermark. More than five thousand elite Wintermark soldiers descend on Wemba's camp where he and his thirty followers are resting and they cut them to bloody ribbons.

None of them ask for ask for quarter, they know this is a fight to the death and it is a fight they cannot win. Utterly outnumbered, utterly outmatched, they are surrounded and slaughtered. Wemba himself is one of the first to fall, but the only one to survive. His body lies on the frozen ground, disembowled by a spear to the belly, bones in both legs shattered, chest pierced in a dozen places, and yet somehow he ''still will not die''.

Not even Agramant's power can save a man from execution, Wemba will die when the time comes. But the party take it as a sign. His weapons are taken, his hands bound, his wounds closed, and then he is dragged in chains back to Sermersuaq, from there to be sent to Anvil. Let the mighty and the powerful interrogate him and learn from him what they can - the heroes of Wintermark have done their part. This monster's story is over.

Well, almost over. Wemba the Bloody will be dragged to the Wintermark camp on Friday evening. There will be a chance for those with Courage to question him and learn what they can. He is not going to tell the Empire ''anything'' about Tsirku - that much is abundantly clear - but those who want to find out what drives a man to swear his soul to Agramant, to consume the flesh of his enemies, can speak with him if they see merit in it. Once the nation is done with him, he can be handed over to the magistrates and receive his very just deserts.

==Silenced Bell==
{{SOP|statement=The Assembly of Vigilance directs the Silent Bell to investiate the location of Wemba the Bloody, Kalina White-Eye, and their followers, last known to be in Sermersuaq. Locate them but do <u>not</u> confront them, that is work for other hands.|by=Brother Geoffrey Orchard, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld 168-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE|size=small}}
* '''Following the Summer Solstice the remaining Silent Bell members were assigned to seek out Agramant followers in the north'''
* '''They have identified that Kaarina White-Eye is also in Tsirku'''
During the Summer Solstice, '''Brother Geoffrey Orchard''' directed the Silent Bell to Tsirku to investigate the location of [[Anyone_but_you#Wemba_the_Bloody|Wemba the Bloody]], Kalina White-Eye, and their followers. These two servants of [[Agramant]] have been a thorn in the Empire's side since [[Sermersuaq]] was recovered from the [[Jotun]]. Some of the Silent Bell accompanied those scouts and raiders already heading for [[Warriors%27_Gate#Dangers_and_Hunters|Treachers Dagger]]. Others spread out to see if they could track the movements of [[Anyone_but_you#Kaarina_White-Eye|Kaarina White-Eye]], who was believed to have fled west toward the [[Jotun]] border.

The trail is cold, but it does seem that Kaarina used her superior knowledge of the ice fields of the north to strike out of [[Sermersuaq#Suaq Wastes|Suaq Wastes]] and [[Sermersuaq#Suaw Fount|Suaq Fount]] to harry the hated Jotun. She was also evidencing a keen interest in the Grave of the Giants - the bay where the majestic creatures of the Sea of Snow come to die.

About a year ago however, it looks as if she abandoned her camps in the wild places of Wintermark, and followed the same path Wemba the Bloody took into Tsirku. The Silent Bell follows, relying on the assistance of guides experienced in travelling into the unknown. Everything points to Kaarina currently being based in Tsirku, east of Warrior' Gate - although it's not clear if she is in the region ''directly'' east of there. She is clearly continuing her efforts to extract her blood-price from the orcs who slew her Thane.
===Finale===
* '''Every member of the Silent Bell that entered Tsirku has vanished'''
* '''Remaining members within Imperial borders, and those associated with them, have been attacked by servants of the Whisper Gallery'''
Brother Geoffrey Orchard was very clear that the Silent Bell should gather evidence and information and <u>not</u> engage the followers of Agramant. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not ''Blood on the Snow'' who is their greatest threat. Between the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, every member of the Silent Bell that leaves the Empire for Tsirku... vanishes. There are wild stories - a half-dead Suaq explorer suffering severe frostbite rants about how the three members of the Silent Bell they were escorting were killed by "their own reflections" that dragged them into the smooth wall of glacial ice north of the Grave of the Giants. Other stories talk of empty tents, with clear signs of struggle that nonetheless failed to attract the attention of a single sentry.

At the same time, there is a rash of attacks across the Empire as well. Here, the attackers are more identifiable. Servants of the [[Whisper Gallery]] have targeted members of the assembly of Vigilance associated with the Bell, retired members, and those very few who [[Know_your_enemy#Fear/Dread|survived]] the expedition into [[the Mallum]] to explore the [[malign spiritual presences|malign spiritual presence]] of [[On the nature of fear|fear]]. Fortunately for the majority, there is a dedicated cadre of Imperial captains who maintain a [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|careful watch]] for the malice of these hateful eternals. The majority if the overt attacks are stopped before they start, or interrupted before their target can be slain or kidnapped (for later murder).

The overwhelming evidence is that whatever has happened to the Silent Bell member sent outside of the Empire - and the protection of the [[Conclave]]s [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] - have been much less fortunate than the few who remained behind. [[Snap_rope_and_pass_foil#Tsirku_is_Secret|Tsirku is secret]], and it seems the Whisper Gallery want to keep it that way. Or at least, prevent the Silent Bell investigating the place.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WhisperGal001.png|align=right|caption=The agents and servants of the Whisper Gallery are usually wily, and subtle. But just occasionally, the mask slips...|width=400}}</div>

===Bell and Bella===
* '''The Whisper Gallery takes responsibility for the attack on the Silent Bell'''
* '''They claim it is in vengeance for the deaths of Bella and Heliodoro'''
While the Vigilance assembly is still reeling from the attacks, and the disappearances of so many Vigilant souls, a package is delivered by a [[Navarr]] messenger to the grave orchard in Pickham, near the famous monastery, where Major Joshua Benson rests. A [[Pruning_shears|site of pilgrimage]] for the last three years, it is not unusual for gifts to be delivered. This gift, however, is not a bequest or an offering of support. It is a quartet of [[the League|League]] masks, covered in bloodstains, and a bloody knife on which the blood is still, unaccountably, still fresh. With it is a gorgeous strip of parchment, decorated with an intricate drawing of dramaturgical masks with all kinds of expressions, and the two words "''FOR BELLA AND HELIODORO''".

===Watch End===
* '''The Silent Bell sodality is no longer able to launch investigations on behalf of the Vigilance assembly'''
The expedition into the Mallum to seek to expand the Empire's understanding of fear cost the Silent Bell a great deal. Many of its bravest, and most committed members paid the ultimate price for the insight they gained there. Important information was discovered, but it [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#Those_Who_Are_Not_Free|left the Silent Bell weakened and vulnerable]]. It was inevitable that if many more of them were killed then that would have be the end of the sodality.

By rights, the Silent Bell should have been safe enough in Tsirku - this is a dangerous land outside the Empire and filled with enemies, but even so, few expected them to suffer in the way they have. Unfortunately they did not expect to become the victims of a concerted of murder aimed directly at them. In the Empire they would have been safe, protected by the enmity of the conclave and watched over by the Empire's heroes engaged in the War of Whispers. But out here - in the frozen north, beyond the safety of the Conclave's dominion...

The Whisper Gallery saw a chance for revenge for the deaths of it's favourites and seized it. The Empire has taken something from the Gallery that for all it's capering the ''Concilium of the Perjured Throne'' did not want to lose. Now it has struck back, not with play, but in murderous earnest. It is a brutal reminder that for all the Whisper Gallery is baroque and mysterious, it can also be terrible and deadly when given the opportunity.

The disappearances in Tsirku are the final nail in the coffin of the Vigilant sodality that has served the Empire for years. There are survivors of course - the [[Venture#War of Whispers|War of Whispers]] exists for a reason - but there are nowhere near enough of them to launch any kind of in-depth investigation into the threats that beset the Empire. But the sodality will be unable to continue now and cannot be reconstituted at this time. After a year has passed, the Empire might consider appraising the problem, to see if there was a way to bring the sodality back, but otherwise they have become a turned page in the Empire's long and storied history.

===Participation : Silent Bell===
* '''Characters associated with the Silent Bell are free to create stories about their experiences'''
Any character who has roleplaying an association with the Silent Bell is free to create a story about their encounter with agents of the Whisper Gallery. Obviously, no player character has been killed or abducted by the Whisper Gallery, but you may have had a close call. You may have been saved by characters undertaking the War of Whispers, personally fought off an assassin with your friends, or escaped their clutches with cleverness or dumb luck.

If you were in Tsirku this season, then the threat will be have been considerably worse. No mortal agents were used here, rather terrible creatures formed of billowing chromatic smoke that boiled up out of the ice and attacked.

==Would You Like Some Help?==
* '''Agramant offers to help the Empire track down Kaarina White-Eye'''

At the same time that bloody masks and a knife are being delivered to Pickham Monastary, a very different message is being delivered in Tsirku. The raiders returning from Treacher's Dagger have been victorious. Tired and injured, they are keen to get back to the warmth of Sermersuaq and the embrace of Wintermark friends. Just before they cross the border, a creature turns up in the middle of their camp and asks for parley. It's obviously a monster - a human-shaped monster wearing a coat made of tattooed skin, with a mouthful of shark teeth and lambent red eyes that are nothing like those of a draughir. It brings a message, for the ears of the Conclave, from it's master.

It is ''dreadful'' what the eternals of Night have done to the Silent Bell. Cowardly, even. Waiting until they were sent outside the protection of the Conclave and then murdering them all? Rude, to be honest. ''[[Agramant|Giver of Gifts]]'' takes affront at the ''Secret Seekers'' paddling around in ''his'' part of the world and so he offers a boon for the Assembly of Vigilance. He doesn't expect them to take it but the offer is ''genuine'' and ''sincere''. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] urging the vigilant to keep watch over the Grave of the Giants. If that statement gets a [[greater majority]], then Agramant will instruct his heralds to give Kaarina White-Eye bad advice, luring her into making a trip back to the Grave during the Winter Solstice to gather more... resources. The vigilant will surely spot her, allowing the jolly old [[Sentinel Gate]] to get some Imperial heroes in position to murder her. And, sadly, as she is inside Imperial borders, the ability of her patron to protect her will be limited.

Why is ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' doing this? The herald says that his master wants to test Kaarina, and just how powerful her hate is. Either she'll prevail over the Imperial heroes, or they'll kill her. Either way, Agramant wins. Plus for that matter he has gotten just a little tired of Kaarina's constant banging on about how awful the Jotun are. And if she's foolish enough to fall for bad advice, and weak enough to be killed by so-called Imperial champions? Well, what can be destroyed ''should'' be destroyed.

Towers of the moon

2026-09-09T18:19:14Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Marcher Wassail */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>"What about a tower?" The suggestion was mulled over for a few moments while the bowl of blue smoke went one way and the bowl of glutinously buttered rum went the other way.

"Well, we could," said the herald at last. "But don't you think towers are a bit... I don't know... vulgar?"

This too was considered by the little circle of magicians relaxing in the warm night air.

"Didn't your ''dhomiro'' have something to do with Pakanaan's Tower?" Asked one of the Freeborn revellers after due consideration. "That was a tower."

"Yes, and there were a lot of ribald comments made about it at the time. Not something we want to repeat. What sort of wizard needs a tower anyway? It's not the tower that makes the wizard..."

There was some "sober" nodding at this obvious insight. The herald gave a wide grim and reached up to poke the pointed red hat perched firmly atop its wide-eyed head.

"Everyone knows it's the ''hat'' that makes a wizard!"

It expected laughter, but the statement was met with the same consideration as everything else.

"Isn't that a Varushkan volhov hat though?" Asked another one of the Freeborn. "Isn't your ''dhomiro'' pissed off with the Varushkans at the moment?"

The herald looked pained, then angry, then embarrassed, then clearly made up its mind to ignore the question and claimed they heard one of the other wizards calling for them, and scuttled off, muttering, into the dark.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Toad Buddies.jpg|caption=Sadogua has been neglecting his friends of late and might just be overcompensating.|align=left|width=450}}</div>
==Overview==
The [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]] has been a little more active of late, after a period of somnolence. His heralds have enthusiastically accepted invitations to [[When something is lost|visit Madruga]] and while they deny it, they've also been actively [[Shadowed boughs of twilight|fighting spider monsters in Ossium]]. Following an unexpected appearance in the [[Hall of Worlds]] during the Summer Solstice in which Imperial magicians apparently helped him "get a spider out of his ear" (whatever ''that'' means), he has also apparently made a concerted effort to [[Missive for Sadogua|answer all this mail]].

But it doesn't stop there. It seems the perennially slothful ''Toad King'' is busily trying to catch up on his obligations to his friends in the Empire.
==Marshes of Kallavesa==
* '''The Brother of Wizard has vowed to help protect the marshes of Kallavesa'''
* '''He has solicited suggestions about how best to do so from Wintermark magicians'''
* '''Some of the suggestions are very impractical'''
* '''Sir Dog sounds like an absolutely fine fellow however'''
Did the ''Brother of Wizards'' know what he was doing when he opened the floodgates to the magicians of Wintermark to make suggestions as to how he might help them protect Kallavesa from the various threats it faces? Perhaps - he has met magicians after all. But he was apparently deluged by suggestions for magic that would help protect the marshes including;

<ic>''...filling the ponds with tiny dragon tongue to hurt invaders; making the marshes deep as mines, the shadows dense as soup, and the beasts as savage as vallorn so that those with ill intent are drowned and savaged; haunting invaders with ghosts; making invaders much smaller; a "fart fort" that uses putrid smelly gas clouds to engulf and choke enemies; an apparition of Sadogua that beats enemies up with rippling muscles; terrifying hallucinatory games that cause losers to forfeit limbs; a plague of bats, toads, and snakes with fog that confuses people and also dire penguins ae involved; empowering someone or something called "Dag Kinnad" to fight all his enemies which also include the enemies of Wintermark probably; bees; nagging feelings that cause invaders to go home for fear their houses are on fire; a slightly different feeling of there being someone behind you all the time; angry geese following people and stepping on their shoes; pointy branches at eye level with angry tree that slap some sense into intruders; lots of pollen; ground that transforms into slime pool mud and becomes fast acting quicksand capturing all invading forces; sinkholes or swampholes where enemies stepp into a deep hole of aater and disappear; a big bat that deafens enemies; foes being unable to recognise one another and tell friend from foe; forgetting why you came into Kallavesa and losing interest in fighting; floods of shadowy frogs; and impenetrable fortress created using thousands of frogs instead of bricks that ripples with ribbets and instills terror and awe in the enemy; a delicious free buffet but every tasty treat is a disguised poisonous frog; instead of an army of frogs, just one massive frog that eats the invading army with its long tongue; and a very big dog that barks at anyone who approaches, called Sir Dog. There were many others as well, a surprising number of which involved frogs...''</ic>

''Rook's Feather'' has considered all these possibilities, and tried to work out which ones are feasible, which ones are impossible, and which ones blatantly rely on dangerous levels of Spring magic which he is not prepared to touch with a barge pole thank you very much given what happened ''last time''. But he ''has'' come up with some [[arcane projection]]s for Wintermark, and intends to provide them to his friends ''Tarqeq Icetongue'' and ''Sigebryht'' at the Autumn Equinox. They can be codified and used, or thrown in the back of a cupboard for later, whichever the magicians of Wintermark think is a best bet.

However he's also been reminded of the request [[Nightcall|a couple of years ago]] from the mystics to offer more "concrete" aid, so he's taken a look at that as well.
===Toadstool Palace===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Toadstool Palace'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' <s>Manse</s> Fane</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' West Marsh, Kallavesa</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 20 weirwood, 10 ilium, and 60 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Creates a garden that can be ceded to Sadogua, and the title ''Toadstool Wizard''
* If ceded grants the nightwoven quality to West Marsh</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' One year, until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Must be conceded to Sadogua, which can be done as part of the commission or at a later date</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Toadstool Wizard'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' National Campaign Title</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Sadogua</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receives magical mushrooms from the Toadstool Palace </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' Use Night magic to protect and enrich the people of Wintermark, especially their magicians; do any odd jobs Sadogua needs doing in Wintermark</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Restrictions:''' Sadogua will decide who the Toadstool Wizard is, but agrees it will always be a Wintermark magician and one that does not have an Imperial title</td></tr>
</table></div>
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|caption=The ''Father of Bats'' also likes frogs and toads, and likes giving them places to sit.|align=right|width=200}}</div>
* '''Following on from a previous discussion, Sadogua has committed to the creation of a "manse" in Kallavesa'''
* '''Once complete, it would be easier for Wintermark to call on the eternal for aid to protect Kallavesa'''
* '''It would also establish a garden of magical plants and mushrooms'''
The original proposal involved turning the "Toadstone" - a large sculpture of a toad less than a mile from Westerhal in [[Kallavesa#West_Marsh|West Marsh]] - into a [[fane]] that would presumably flatter ''Rook's Feather'' enough to help. This rough hewn block of stone is a huge piece of black onyx, that has been carved to resemble the shape of a squatting toad. It was apparently made by a sculptor called ''Tarja the Foolish'' in 222YE during the reign of [[Empress Mariika]]. What possessed him to do such a thing or who paid for the work is lost to time - only the Toadstone remains. The suggestion was to put the fane on or near the toad, in the convenient [[regio]] connected to the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]] and cede the place to Sadogua in return for his support.

The heralds of the ''Father of Bats'' have taken a look at the stone and the regio, and conveyed the words of the ''Wyrm King'' to his friends in Wintermark. He is ''more'' than happy to see the massive onyx toad statue transformed into what he calls a ''manse''. Indeed, he's presented some plans - a collection of drawings of a big garden with torches and a celebration or ritual space around the toad that seem so suggest a lot of enthusiasm but absolutely no artistic skill at all. The plans don't incorporate any [[mithril]] but need a chunk of [[weirwood]] and some [[ilium]], and would still need to be [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] to the ''Father of Bats''. If all this is done, it will create what he dubs the ''Toadstool Palace'', and create a title he wants to call the ''Toadstool Wizard''. This latter will be what the Empire has recently determined to be a "chosen" - a position picked by the Eternal that is not in any way influenced by Imperial law. Not, in short, an Imperial title.

Sadogua promises that the Toadstool Wizard will always be a Wintermark citizen, and a magician. He further specifies that he will always pick someone who does not already have an [[Imperial title]], because he doesn't want them to struggle with "split loyalties" or "have so much to do they never get time to sit down to a proper meal, and sleep in the next morning". They will be responsible for using Night magic to protect and enrich the people of Wintermark (especially its wizards), and doing any odd jobs Sadogua needs doing in or around Wintermark. He also promises he won't change his mind about who has the title more than once a season, and he'll give plenty of advance warning when he does so ('''OOC Note:''' His intention to change who the Toadstool Wizard is will likely be mentioned in the Winds of Fortune even if he doesn't necessarily say who is getting it. As a "chosen" title controlled by an NPC, it is important to note that none of the Imperial houses of power - Senate, SYnod, Conclave for example - have any ability to alter the title).

In return they'll be able to collect the toadstools and mushrooms that grow around the Toadstool Palace. Familar to some farmers in the Marches, as long as they are collected on the night of the new moon and squeezed dry, they produce one of a pair of black elixirs Sadogua calls ''Shinemoon''. ''Pale Shinemoon'' can be used to provide a ritual magician with a little inspiration when performing a ritual using [[Day]], [[Summer]], or [[Autumn]] magic while ''Dark Shinemoon'' does the same but for a ritual using [[Night]], [[Winter]], or [[Spring]] magic. The Toadstool Prince will be able to collect three Pale Shinemoon in Summer and Autumn, and two Dark Shinemoon in Winter and Spring. He might throw other boons into the mix as well depending on how the Toadstool Wizard does, but that will be between him and the Wizard.

Perhaps more relevantly the Toadstool Palace will have far-reaching effects. It will grant West Marsh the ''Froghaven'' [[Region_qualities|quality]]. This will cause the frogs of Kallavesa to prosper and grow big and wise, which Sadogua thinks is a good thing. It will also mean that Sadogua has the opportunity to make any performance of Night magic enchantments or curses targetting Kallavesa "better" - which is a little worrying given that Sadogua is an eternal and has odd ideas about what "better" means.

What is more reassuring is that the eternal commits to support any performance of [[Dripping Echoes of the Fen]] targeting any region of Kallavesa. Not only will each casting increase the number of victory points needed to take the region from 10 to 15, but any army attempting to conquer a protected region will discover the enchanted fort also inflicts casualties as if it had a garrison with a strength of 2,000. This won't actually be soldiers or anything as gauche as that - instead it represents the effects of confusing mists, weird lights, angry frogs, giant bats, and if possible the loud barking of Sir Dog.

The civil service make a point of noting that ceding the Toadstool Palace to Sadogua is a little risky, as with any such structure. Sadogua is a wizard, and has demonstrated in the past the ability to work large-scale magic when motivated sufficiently. Any attempt to take the Palace away from him again will be resisted, and the ability to add his personal "special sauce" to Night magic enchantments or curses targetting the territory is under ''his'' control alone. Plus, it is entirely possible that if he put his mind to it, he could easily throw his ''own'' curses and enchantments on Kallavesa while the Toadstool Palace stood. [[Alignment#Enmity|Enmity]] would not be enough to stop him - not while he controls the Toadstone.

<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night. At least one eternal of the Wondrous Forests thinks he's pretty neat, apparently.|align=right|width=200}}</div>
==Well of Shadows==
<div {{float}}><box>'''The Well of Shadows'''<br>Whoever is chosen to use the Well can submit and [[arcane projection]] after the Autumn Equinox, following the normal rules for a [[College_of_magic#Benefits|college]]. The Well can codify a projection from any well in one season for every 10 ranks of magnitue; or for every 15 ranks of magnitude if it is a Night ritual. This can be speeded up by spending measures of [[Materials#Iridescent_Gloaming|Iridescent Gloaming]]; the first five ranks of additional research in a season cost 18 measures. The next five ranks cost a further 44 measures. The next five ranks cost a further 88 measures, and so on doubling the cost for each additional five ranks of research within the same season.</box></div>
* '''The Well of Shadows is a College of Magic in Mitwold that belongs to Sadogua'''
* '''It is reached through a mysterious door in a peculiar oak tree'''
* '''The Well belongs to Sadogua but he allows Imperial magicians who win his favour to use it'''
Over the last year, the [[Unfettered Mind]] have been making use of the [[Upwold#Well_of_Shadows|Well of Shadows]] in [[the Marches]]. This special location, apparently contained entirely inside an oak tree near [[Upwold#Tower March|King's Stoke]] is some sort of unique [[college of magic]] that belongs entirely to the ''Wyrm King''. The ''Globbersnotch'' has been watching recent developments with the [[Synod]] - their [[proscription|proscriptions]] relating to [[eternal|eternals]] and "chosen" in particular - and with a characteristic laziness has decided to just not worry about them and see how things work out.

With that in mind, following the Autumn Equinox Sadogua offers the use of the Well of Shadows to '''Brat Umbral Path''', the new [[Archmage of Night]]. This isn't because they are friends, the herald is quick to point out, but because Brat and several other Imperial magicians were able to help ''Oracle Pig'' overcome an unpleasant [[curse]] he was labouring under and its the best way the eternal can think of to offer his thanks. Obviously, it's also not ''not'' because they are friends; for all that Brat is often wrong about things the ''Eater of Secrets'' thinks his heart is in the right place.

Brat is free to either use the well himself, or pass the opportunity to do so on to anyone else he likes using the traditional method - letting Sadogua know via his [[Missive for Sadogua|missive]] spell.

===Looking to the Future===
* '''At the Winter Solstice, Sadogua will pick someone else to use the well'''
Some of the friends of the ''Black Wyrm'' have been talking with the eternal about the [[Tithe of Bats]] ritual and how it is "not good". The ''Father of Bats'' disagrees and says it is a splendid ritual because it allows magicians to get [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] (which they want) in return for giving the ''Slothful One'' what he wants ([[Materials#Iridescent Gloaming|iridescent gloaming]] and [[Materials#Dragonbone|dragonbone]]). But never let it be said that he doesn't listen to his friends, so this summit there will be an additional garnish to the crystal fire.

Whoever uses Tithe of Bats to send the largest number of measures to the ''Toad King'' during the Autumn Equinox in a single casting will be given access to the Well of Shadows following the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, and Summer Solstice. Three seasons of access to the Well has got to be good, right? When his heralds are asked what will happen if more than one caster or coven sends the same amount, they seem startled that this is something people worry about. The general consensus is that if this happens "''Wise Sadogua will sort something out that leaves everyone feeling equally happy.''"
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=200}}
An easily identifiable wrinkle with this arrangement is that Tithe of Bats, like many similar rituals, must be cast at a higher magnitude to send more measures and receive more crystal fire. This means more mana and more Night realm mastery is required to send a large shipment of gloaming or dragonbone. Again the heralds don't see why this is a problem - it's a contest for wizards is it not?
===Who Exactly Are These People?===
* '''The Vigilance assembly could keep an eye on who is coming and going from the Well of Shadows'''
One thing the ''Brother of Wizards'' has been singularly unconcerned about is telling anyone who he is allowing into his Well of Shadows. He may be prepared to just not worry about the Synod's very real concerns about virtuous people taking boons from eternals, but that does not mean the Synod are. During the Autumn equinox, the [[Vigilance]] assembly may enact the following [[mandate]].

{{Mandate|mandate=The well of shadows represents an intrusion into the Empire of an eternal, who controls access to that place without the guidance of the Conclave. Inspired by Major Benson, we dispatch (named priest) with 25 doses of liao to establish a watch over the door to that place, so that we may be forewarned if any with dark intentions seeks to use it to harm the Empire.|assembly=Vigilance Assembly}}

If the mandate is passed, information about who uses the Well each season will be appended to the page for the Well of Shadows. The only risks are that it might nark the ''Brother of Wizards'' a little; it might annoy the Marcher assembly; and it won't necessarily be able to identify anyone who isn't an Imperial citizen given access to the Well.

==The Lyceum and the Twilight Pier==
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Twilight Pier'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice (technically)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Isle of the Lyceum, Madruga</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 12 weirwood, 5 ilium, and 36 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Allows the Twilight Barque to reach the Isle of the Lyceum through the mists
* Either creates the title ''Parador Keeper of Mist and Twilight'' or grants additional powers to the Dean of the Lyceum or the Arcane Architect at the option of the Arcane Architect when the commission is announced</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' One year; until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' The Twiight Pier can only be commissioned by the Arcane Architect</td></tr>
</table></div>
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Parador Keeper of Mist and Twilight'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Imperial</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Declaration of Candidacy </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receives control of the Twilight Barque market </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' Maintain good relations with the Twilight Barque, ensure everyone knows what a good friend to the Empire Sadogua is</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:'''
* Instead of creating a new title, the Dean of the Lyceum or the Arcane Architect could be given oversight of the pier, adding the above responsibilities to those they already have
* The goods provided by the ministry may change or be removed by the crew of the Barque, and are reliant on good relations with the Barque and (presumably) Sadogua</td></tr>
</table></div>
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color:LightYellow;">'''Rings of Night'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>20 Dragonbone</td><td>1 Ring of Night</td></tr>
<tr><td>40 Dragonbone</td><td>2 Rings of Night</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color:LightYellow;">'''Rainbow Scarves'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>22 Iridescent Gloaming</td><td>1 Rainbow Scarf</td></tr>
<tr><td>44 Iridescent Gloaming</td><td>2 Rainbow Scarves</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color:LightYellow;">'''Crystal Fire'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>7 Iridescent gloaming</td><td>2 Crystal Fire</td></tr>
<tr><td>17 Iridescent gloaming</td><td>5 Crystal Fire</td></tr>
<tr><td>30 iridescent gloaming</td><td>9 Crystal Fire</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Sadogua claims dominion over the isle of the Lyceum'''
* '''They offer to arrange regular visits from something called the Twilight Barque'''
* '''This opportunity is specifically for the Arcane Architect who is currently Amalia da Regario'''
* '''It also involves the Dean of the Lyceum, Syl'''
Sadogua claims dominion over [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|the Lyceum]] island. Whether he actually ''has'' dominion or not is a thorny subject, but the eternal is certainly acting like he has. He still provides his [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Boon_of_the_Black_Sloth|Boon of the Black Sloth]] allowing the [[Dean of the Lyceum]] to speed the research of a ritual in return for donations of iridescent gloaming. He was also involved in permanently fixing the [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Wards|wards of mist]] that surround the place and protect it from raids or invastion. Indeed, the island can only be reached through the use of the ''[[Madruga#The_Lyceum_(Hidden)|Gates of Shadow]]'', built by the [[Arcane Architect]] '''Amalia Vicente''', that let boats sail to and from a specific quay on the coast of [[Madruga]].

To celebrate the completion of the ''Gates of Shadow'', the ''Long-eared Loremaster'' offers another boon to show his love and appreciation for the premier college of magic in the Empire. There is already a small quay on the island itself that allows magicians and supplies to pass too and from the shrouded island. He proposes the construction of a second quayside - more a single pier really - on the opposite side of the island to serve as a berth for a very specific ship. "''Build it and they will come,''" say the heralds of Sadogua cheerfully.

"They" in this case would be the Twilight Barque, a vessel of night-dark wood with sails of rainbow cloth that apparently sails the seas of the [[Realms#Night realm|Night realm]]. They aren't servants of Sadogua - in fact the heralds are quite vaguue about whether they serve any eternal at all or are true independent creatures of the realm. But they love to visit new places and offer their wares in trade to the people they meet there. They have agreed to make these wares available to the magicians of the Empire in return for an undisclosed favour from the ''Hoarder of Empty Bottles''.

The opportunity to [[commission]] the Twilight Pier is ''only'' offered to the Arcane Architect. If it is built however, they will have the choice as to whether to create a new title, appointed by the Conclave of course, or to let the Dean of the Lyceum deal with the Twilight Barque. Or, if they like, put ''themselves'' in charge - and provide a handy source of valuable magical trinkets and vis to the Arcane Architect going forward. Sadogua doesn't mind which one they choose - he believes the Lyceum island is ultimately under his dominion after all. Whoever gets control of the pier will have responsibilities to deal with the crew of the Twilight Barque if they need anything, keep good relations with them, and occasionally remind people what a good friend to the Empire Sadogua is. This latter sounds at first like a joke but it is deadly serious. Sadogua is apparently aware that [[Meraud|"King Goldilocks"]] is trying to "cosy up to the Empire" and he is having none of it. Realistically, the commission is actually an [[edifice]], but given it provides [[vis]] it is within the legal power of the Architect to build it.

If it is built, the Twilight Barque will provide ''Rings of Twilight'' (a [[:Category:Foci|magical focus]] that allows a magician to improve their Night lore by one rank for the purposes of performing a single ritual a day, subject to the normal rules for effective ranks); ''Rainbow Scarves'' (a [[:Category:Mage Robes|Mage Robe]] that lets a magician increase their night lore by one rank for the purpose of a single ritual), and pawns of [[Vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]]. The heralds of Sadogua do caution that what the Barque offers is up to its crew - and that neither the ''Brother of Wizards'' nor anyone else has any particular control over that.
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=250}}

==Marcher Wassail==
* '''Sadogua continues to celebrate his relationship with the Marchers'''
* '''He hopes to send some of his heralds to take part in the wassail'''
* '''He again offers them the chance to harvest his odd black mushrooms'''
And finally, the ''Brother of Wizards'' has been made welcome in the Marches and for the last few years has made a point of sending his heralds to participate in the [[wassail]] celebration. This year he again promises to try and send some of his folk to join the grand wassail at Anvil, assuming they can drag themselves away from fighting memory-thieving spiders.

In the past he has offered his wassail boon at the Winter Solstice, but has become grumpy that whenever he does so a Spring eternal seems to be offering their own substandard boons at the same time. This year he plans to try something different and arrange the boon ''before'' the wassail. As such, during the Autumn Equinox any casting of [[Fallow Fields and Dried Meat]] that includes as an additional component, a single pawn of [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]] and an invocation of Sadogua by one of his three names will find the enchantment has a different effect. Instead of providing the usual benefits, for the following season, the farm will grow a circle of black mushrooms somewhere within its bounds. Presuming they are collected on the night of the new moon and squeezed dry, they'll produce one of two black elixirs he calls ''Shinemoon''. As [[#Toadstool palace|mentioned above]], these elixirs help magicians perform rituals of different lores depending on whether they are pale or dark.

==Arcane Architecture==
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: #C994FF;">'''Appraise Magical Works'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Motion Type:''' Appraisal </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Necessary Details:''' Must name three Imperial territories or existing sinecures or ministries that provide mana or vis, and directly reference Sadogua's offer</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Provide opportunities for the Arcane Architect to commission great works, or improve existing sinecures or ministries</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Autumn Equinox only</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:'''
* Requires Sadogua to have amity
* Sadogua will be angered if Miekarova or Ossium are chosen
</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Imperial Senate could use an appraisal to allow the Archine Arcitect to improve the arcane abilities of the Empire'''
And finally, again to show his thanks for his friends in the Empire, Sadogua presents a proposal for the [[Arcane Architect]]. If the Senate wishes, they could declare an [[appraisal]] instructing the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticator's Office]] to work with his heralds to locate [[opportunity|opportunities]] to create [[great work|great works]] intended to increase the arcane abilities of the Empire. He puts one restriction on the matter - he is not prepared to send heralds to Miekarova or Ossium at this time for "reasons".

If the Senate wishes to take up his offer, they will be able to pick up to three Imperial territories and Sadogua's heralds will work to come up with one opportunity in each territory for the Arcane Architect to build something that provides additional mana, or even vis. If the territory already has such a great work, the heralds will find ways to improve it. Alternatively, in place of a territory the senate could name a specific sinecure or ministry that provides mana or vis, and the heralds would work with the prognosticators to find a way to improve it.

This opportunity is available at the Autumn Equinox only.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of the White Caves.jpg|align=right|caption=Forest of the White Caves|width=175}}
==Not An Apology==
* '''Sadogua thanks Conclave for declaring enmity against Apeiron of the Sixth Eye'''
* '''He continues to feud with the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''
* '''He hopes other magicians of Varushka will forgive him for his bad temper this last year or two'''
Finally... for most of the last year Sadogua has not been responding to his missives. He's very concerned because ''someone'' has been reading his mail, and he believes it is the creature known as "Apeiron". By [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Enmity:_Apeiron_the_Sixth_Eye|placing it under enmity]], the Conclave have apparently done him something of a favour. He thanks '''Fausta Ankarien''', and the [[Silver Chalice]], and hopes it won't cause them undue trouble going forward. He's reiterated the warning he gave during the Summer Solstice - the creature is a dangerous parasite that consumes memories and that has been glutted by wizards feeding it choice morsels of memory. He's confident enmity will be enough to prevent it infiltrating the Imperial realm more deeply but warns that ritual magic still can still provide avenues for it or its spawn to enter the world and trick the gullible into handing over parts of their identity.

Right now the ''Brother of Wizards'' is having problems of his own with Apeiron. His heralds claim these problems were apparently caused in part by the perfidious cabalists of the [[Varushka groups#Forest of the White Caves|Circle of Zulgan Tash]] ''stealing'' the fortress that protected his western woods. Yes, the Circle are masters of magic. Yes, they are inventive, cunning, clever, and enigmatic. Yes, they wield Night magic in particular with both finesse and brutality that is breathtaking to observe. Sure, they are as capable of planting their feet and refusing to back down to bullies as they are of fading into the background when it suits them. Obviously, they are well respected by the eternals of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]], even those who dislike or fear them like the ''[[Whisper Gallery|Clown Cavalcade]]''. But that doesn't mean they aren't thieves and traitors who COULD HAVE ASKED!

However, the ''Brother of Wizards'' imagines he might owe an apology to the ''rest'' of the magicians of [[Varushka]]. It might be argued that it was wrong of him to take his anger out on them, when it should be directed solely at the pernicious master cabalists of the White Forest. As such, he offers reassurance that any Varushkan wizard who is ''not'' a member of the Circle can expect a return to the usual friendly, helpful advice the eternal offers if they send him a [[Missive for Sadogua|Missive]]. He hopes they'll accept his acceptance that it might have been wrong of him to tar them all with the same brush.

The Circle of Zulgan-Tash however can get stuffed.
==Further Reading==
* [[Sadogua]]
* [[Well of Shadows]] - coming soon!

Spreading the Way

2026-09-09T07:29:45Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Doctrine Led */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Appraisal]]
<ic>
"You thought you'd finish by quoting the tenets?" said Gerard with a tone that suggested that he did not favour this approach in the slightest.

"I did. I thought it appropriate given the subject matter. It cuts right to the heart of the matter I think." Naomi beamed at her boss. It was never wise to show any weakness in front of the auditor, but in truth she was pleased with the appraisal. She doubted anyone else would be, but that was their problem.

"There's nothing the Empire can commission I see. Usually we have some suggestions for them?" her boss replied, turning the short report over as if trying to find where she might have hidden those details.

"It's full of suggestions!" She grinned. It was a little unprofessional, but really. They'd wanted Lisane for this and maybe they would have done better with her, but Noami didn't think so. She was proud of her work, this one had not been easy.

"Quite. It's a lot of... policy..." The Empire's most senior accountant said that word like it was painful to him. "But there's no actual motions? Nothing the Conclave can do? Surely there must be a mandate or two?"

"On the contrary! There's everything they can do... I just haven't narrowed it down."
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 350px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Labyrinth.jpg|caption=The Labyrinth has long been a symbol of [[The Way|the Way of Virtue]]|align=left|width=500}}
</div>
==Overview==
During the Summer Solstice, '''Rane Shardbearer''', [[Kallavesa|Senator for Kallavesa]], proposed a [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Spreading_Way_to_Non-Wayist_Cultures|motion]] to appraise how non-Wayist cultures and communities residing within the Empire can be brought into the [[The Way|Way of Virtue]]. They asked for Lisane de Terresford to conduct the appraisal, but Lisane remains [[Satraps of the Abyss|engaged]] in Sumaah until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, so Gerard la Salle selected ''Naomi of Virtue's Rest'' as lead prognosticator on this task.

Naomi's response is a little more expansive and a lot less ''detailed'' than usual. Her answer might best be summed up as "It depends". Fortunately, for Gerard's temper and Naomi's career prospects, she puts a ''little'' more meat on the bone than that...

==Caveats==
* '''Naomi starts her appraisal with three important caveats'''
* '''The first is that prognosticating issues of faith is always exceptionally difficult'''
* '''The second is that there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution'''
* '''The third and final point is that the Empire should not expect it to go well'''

Naomi has a few things to say in her report, but before she gets to that, she has three important caveats to state first. These are key limitations or drawbacks that leaders of the Senate and the Synod must be aware of.

The first is that prognosticating matters of faith is always fraught with difficulty and prone to error. If Naomi wants to calculate the ''exact'' amount of white granite needed to build a fortification on a mountain pass in Urizen, there are Day rituals that can provide those answers. If she wants to understand how building a monument to the memory of a fallen Wintermark hero will affect recruitment in a territory, there's a Night ritual for that. But the soul defies divination; it is difficult even to find the right question to ask, and there is almost never a useful answer. Any time faith becomes a factor, prognostication becomes harder. That is not to say that it is impossible - but harder.

Naomi's solution is to recommend breaking things down into small, simple steps. She is confident she won't be able to appraise "how to convince the Sand Fishers to embrace the Way". She might be able to come up with some recommendations, but she would not be certain of their success. But she can appraise "How to encourage the Sand Fishers to engage with priests of the Way" - that is a much easier thing to appraise. And maybe, hopefully, perhaps, once done, it might eventually lead towards the goal of getting the Sand Fishers to embrace the Imperial religion. Of course, it's more than likely to reveal theological problems that are in the way, but arguably that's useful information too. The point is that the Senate would be best advised to break the goal into small parts and try to take it slowly. In this respect, a more circumspect appraisal will give more certain answers.

The second key point is that there will ''never'' be a one-size-fits-all solution. There is no commission that the Empire can build which will make the Sand Fishers embrace the Way. And even if there were, you can guarantee that whatever it was would be completely useless for convincing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest to embrace the Way. If there is a chance of getting the Dreamers to embrace the Imperial faith, whatever the answer is, it won't be any use at all when applied to Faraden merchants.

Every group that the Empire might want to convert, to proselytise, is different. Every problem of this kind is unique - every group is an infinitely complex mélange of history, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, experiences. Geography, economics, politics - all of these factors can be important for matters of faith. A [[fortification]] built in [[Hahnmark]] works just as well as a fortification built in [[Redoubt]]. That will never be true here - every group the Empire tries to approach will be different - every solution will need to reflect that.

And finally, the Empire must not expect the outcome to go well. There is a common assumption that if a group embrace the Way, then they will embrace the Empire. History mocks those assumptions - loudly. The Empire has a good - relatively speaking - relationship with Sumaah, but that relationship has been rocky - it's only a few years ago that Sumaah were at war with the Empire, even if it didn't come to much. A more telling example is the experiences with the Lasambrians, where the Empire converted them to the Way... haltingly at first, but they soon embraced it with fervour. And then they promptly went and joined the Jotun.

Embracing the Virtues encourages you to be Ambitious - to strive for the things you desire. It doesn't encourage you to compromise and accept a solution you don't like. It encourages you to be Courageous and fight for the things you believe in - it doesn't encourage you to submit to a more powerful neighbour. It makes you Loyal! - but usually to your companions, not to the Empire. And most of all, it makes you Proud - it tells you to take Pride in your identity and your place in the world - it doesn't encourage you to give that up and join an Empire.

None of that is to say that the Empire can't have harmonious relations with groups that they convert to the Way - but it does mean that it isn't a given that it will be any easier to have good relations with them. In Naomi's view, if relations are good or strong or positive, then sharing the Way can take advantage of that. But if relations are difficult or strained, then a group embracing the Way will only lean into that conflict.

Taken together, this is why the appraisal cannot be answered, says Naomi. There is nothing that will help in all situations, so she cannot provide an appraisal of any one common method or approach because no such method exists. She can't report what a generic approach might do, because that goal is too expansive in scope, too general. Because faith is hard to prognosticate, she can't say what might work or what might not in general terms. Like an arcane projection, she can only look at a specific case. And finally, whatever she does recommend could all go badly wrong - she can't say what the outcome could be because it will be different every time, so there will always be pitfalls with any appraisal of this kind, but with something so general, it's impossible to even guess what they might be.

==Approaches==
Rather than try to appraise a generic solution to the problem - which Naomi says would be impossible - she has instead produced some ideas for possible approaches the Empire could consider. The aim is to provide citizens with ways to think about how the Empire might go about this, in the hope that this will provide them with a framework for considering the possibilities - a way to advance some goals, or employ an approach without the help of the prognosticators' office.

The key in Naomi's mind is to break it down into three different approaches

===Aura Led===
* '''Priests and others could take the lead using liao and mandates to spread the Way using auras'''

Auras can be incredibly effective in showing people the power of the Way. They are most effective on peoples without access to liao who have never experienced similar forces before - or at least not similar positive forces. Active, tangible miracles that are personally uplifting can be incredibly moving for some people. Imperial citizens are often profoundly moved by the power of true auras in particular, like the consecration of the marshes of Kallavesa or the Capodomus Cathedral. But in a way, every single liao aura is a miracle, a way to create a font of Virtue, something that uplifts and motivates all those who experience it. A ''cynical'' League bravo might scoff at being anointed with [[Auras_of_Ambition#The_Drive_of_Ambition|the Drive of Ambition]], but people who have never experienced the power of the Way, the power of the auras, are likely to be impressed by them.

Naomi points to Imperial experiences with the Sand Fishers - a group of people who had lived for generations under the crushing auras of miasma created by the Druj. They were intimately familiar with auras - every single one of them had never known a time when they weren't exposed to the fear and dread the pillars spread. When the Empire showed them the auras, the results were electrifying, partly because it released them from that fear; it gave them a way to counter it for the first time in their lives. And partly because it gave them something Virtuous to experience instead.

Of course it doesn't always end well. Naomi points to the examples of [[Not_to_conquer|the Barrens septs]] who experienced the auras of Freedom, courtesy of the Montanians. The auras they created uplifted the orcs; it made them believe they could be free, and it made them want to fight for it. It gave them the will to rebel and try to seize the Barrens for themselves - so they could live free. The rebellion of three Druj armies was disastrous for the enemy - but it didn't exactly bode well for the Empire either. Once the Barrens septs had a taste of Freedom, they wanted to be free of the Empire every bit as much as the Druj. And that didn't end well for anybody.

An aura-led approach would be less useful with a group like the Axiou who have just as much experience with the auras as the Empire do, if not more. Auras could be used to motivate Imperial missionaries, but no aura in creation is going to be enough to convince the Axiou to give up their mad ideas about the Creator.

The approach with the Sand Fishers worked remarkably well, but Naomi argues that the Empire got lucky. The Sand Fishers were especially open to conversion, having few strongly held religious beliefs of their own. And, crucially, the Empire had just given the Sand Fishers a home, a place away from the Druj in a land they recognised where they could live and prosper and rule themselves. The Empire gave them the auras and the Virtues at the same time that they gave them everything else. The Sand Fishers were enormously well inclined to the Empire after they were given [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]] for their own.

The best approach is likely to pick one or two virtues to start with - ideally the ones that most strongly align with the cultural norms of a group. The Karass are secretive and defensive - perhaps the Virtue of Vigilance would be something they would embrace? The Great Forest Orcs seem to place a lot of emphasis on Loyalty to the community - perhaps that is a way to approach them? The better the Empire knows a sept, the more they can refine the approach. Naomi likens attempting to use auras to convince a group of complete strangers to embrace the Way as akin to a general ordering his army into a territory for which there is no map of any kind. If you go in blind, you risk doing more harm than good.

===Doctrine Led===
* '''Scholars and Philosophers could take the lead using doctrine and debate'''

Demanding a group follow the [[The Doctrines of the Faith|Doctrines of the Way]] is usually a sure-fire way to get them to reject the faith. Independent groups with no reason to embrace the Way are unlikely to react positively to the imposition of a catechism and a set of rules. This is particularly true for groups with little in the way of any organised religion and no unified religious beliefs. A better approach can be to send scholars and philosophers to debate the Way and to demonstrate why the way of life laid out by the Doctrines is superior. This approach is what the [[Highguard|Highborn]] missionaries employed in [[Urizen]] centuries ago.

A more formal, rules-based approach, might be effective when dealing with a group that already has an organised religion. The Jotun, for example, clearly have a coherent set of religious beliefs; they have churches, and worship of their ancestors is an integral part of their lives. They treat their priests, their ghodi, with enormous respect. The idea of religious beliefs and religious laws is normal to them. It would be incredibly difficult to convince the Jotun to embrace the Way and incredibly dangerous, but the most effective way to attempt it would be a doctrine-led approach, especially if the Doctrines of the Way presented an encompassing vision of Orc life.

The Suranni are the prime example of a nation where a doctrine-led approach would have the best chance of success. Converting the Iron Confederacy would be incredibly difficult - they are very standoffish with the Empire, but they loathe the Imperial religion. It's not that a doctrine-led approach would be easy - rather, the approach would be easier than other options. They have an established priest class, with a population used to taking instruction from their priests. If those priests could be supplanted, replaced or removed, then they would be more receptive to a doctrine-led approach - certainly more than an aura-led approach, which they would be bound to denounce as the work of Dumon.

Another situation where a doctrine-led approach might work is where a group has been conquered. If they accept their defeat, they accept that they have been beaten, by which Naomi means they are no longer trying to rebel or fight back, then it becomes much easier to implement a doctrine led approach. It might sound callous to spread the way by force of arms, the Doctrines can be used to show people that everyone in the Empire is equal in the eyes of the Way - that the same Doctrines apply to everyone. When used with tact, an approach that invites people to embrace the doctrines will be more successful than an approach which tries to convince them of what to do by pushing the effects of auras on them.

===Culture Led===
* '''Diplomats and merchants can take the lead demonstrating the advantages of allying with the Empire to spread the Way'''

The Empire could persuade some groups to embrace the Way by demonstrating the benefits that it provides. By illustrating the political and cultural advantages that it confers. It might not sound very spiritual, but people will gravitate to the Way if the Empire shows them how they will benefit as a result. Clever diplomats can offer benefits to those groups who are prepared to align themselves with the Empire, merchants can trade ideas as easily as they trade wares when they travel among a group.

The Apulian Orcs are a fine example of how this worked in practice. They had some significant theological differences with the Imperial Way - they embraced the Seven Virtues - just not the same seven Virtues as the Empire. When faced with this contradiction, their desire to become part of the Empire quickly saw them abandon their religious convictions. Political advancement in the Empire was more than enough to persuade them of the importance of embracing the Virtues.

Cynics might argue that this form of conversion lacks conviction - that it demeans the Way to reduce it to such material concerns. Naomi disagrees, arguing that the first job of any missionary is to get a person to accept new religious ideas - to get them to give up their old beliefs in favour of the new. It's true that some former Grendel may wear their religious beliefs like a loose cloak, but ''they still hold them''. It's the job of other priests to shore up their Virtue and urge them to embrace their new beliefs. There's no reason why the next generation of League Orcs shouldn't grow up to be bishops as far as Naomi s concerned.

This kind of approach requires the Empire to have a positive relationship with the group. Arguably any approach benefits from that, but here it is essential. The group don't have to ''like'' the Empire, but they do have to admire them, they have to want to emulate them, otherwise it cannot succeed. Championing this approach can involve methods to share cultural and political benefits with a group. The Empire elected not to give Imperial Lore to the Sand Fishers - that was clearly the Vigilant decision. The risk of it falling in to the hands of the Druj was high. But there's no doubt that if the Empire had shared Imperial Lore with the sept then it would have inevitably brought them even further into Imperial life. It would have shown them the advantages of embracing the Empire - and by extension embracing the Way.

This approach can be expensive and difficult and require sacrifice. The willingness of the League to give up land to the Sand Fishers was pivotal in bringing that group closer to the Empire. Paying for their children's education was expensive - but it virtually guarantees that the next generation of Sand Fishers are going to be Imperial citizens - and the Way will follow. Naomi's point is that ''giving'' someone your culture is ''expensive'' - there is often a cost in land and money to be paid for that. The Highborn armed and trained the Dreamers of the Dark Forest - that show of trust, that Prosperous generosity will have helped to spread the Way to the Dreamers.

Of course the alternative is to try and export your culture without their agreement as the Empire is trying to do in Asavea. The Plenum know exactly what the Empire are doing - inciting a revolution against their rule that will overthrow them - and their priests - in the hope that they are replaced by something closer to the Empire. It could work - but it will be incredibly expensive and difficult. Naomi points out how little progress has actually been made on that gargantuan effort, compared with how much pain it has wrought.

If the Empire wants to overthrow the Plenum, cast out the Asavean priests, tear down their temples and put the Way in their place, they can do it. Nothing is impossible for those who follow the Way - but it will be incredibly difficult, incredibly expensive and incredibly painful. The response of the Asavean Plenum so far is trivial compared to what they will do as the threat grows. Once it becomes existential for them, they will throw everything they have at the Empire to try and stop them.

However, this cultural approach is, however difficult, the only option that has any real chance of success. The Empire could convert some Asaveans to the Way by demonstrating the power of auras, the Sumaah can spread the Way through their slaves by promising to uplift them, but the only way the Asavean Empire will embrace the Way is if the Empire tears the entire thing down and rebuilds it in its own likeness.

==Conclusion==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Highborn saying">
''Virtue is contagious''
</quote>
</div>
There is no commission that Naomi can propose that would be effective across the Empire with all groups. As such there is no easy way to answer the appraisal - arguably there is no answer to the appraisal. There simply isn't a way to do the thing the appraisal asks for. To achieve it the Empire would need to break it down, look at individual groups, and devise the best strategy to approach them and try to convert them. The Synod will likely take the lead of course - especially with any way that is aura led - but the Senate will be important, the Conclave, the Military Council, even the Bourse have a role to play. Even the new Imperial sodalities could have a part to play in this.

But each body will have to take small careful steps to achieve the goal - there is no single action that is going to convert any group. Often the prognosticators won't even be aware that something will help - few of the benefits of working with the Sand Fishers that were analysed by the civil service revealed that they would bring the sept closer to the Way, but that happened none-the-less. That process is far from complete, but the movement was incremental and often incidental to other purposes. Often it's impossible to know that any progress is being made at all, until things suddenly change. There may be no signs that a group are engaging with the Way or enamoured of it - not until it happens.

The Empire can use appraisal as a tool to help spread the Way, but to do so any future appraisal would need to focus on a specific group and provide simple goals that could be met. Appraise a way to spread the Way to the world won't produce useful answers, Appraise how to convince Skoura to let the Empire build a church of the Way in their lands would.

In the end though, the best approach is likely one that enables the people the Empire want to convert to embody the Virtues. Take a lesson from the tenets of Loyalty suggests Naomi.

<quote by="Tenets of Loyalty">The Virtuous build up their fellows; they do not tear them down.</quote>

The best way to spread the Virtues is to be Virtuous - by finding ways to build up their fellows, not tear them down.

Spreading the Way

2026-09-09T07:25:25Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Caveats */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Appraisal]]
<ic>
"You thought you'd finish by quoting the tenets?" said Gerard with a tone that suggested that he did not favour this approach in the slightest.

"I did. I thought it appropriate given the subject matter. It cuts right to the heart of the matter I think." Naomi beamed at her boss. It was never wise to show any weakness in front of the auditor, but in truth she was pleased with the appraisal. She doubted anyone else would be, but that was their problem.

"There's nothing the Empire can commission I see. Usually we have some suggestions for them?" her boss replied, turning the short report over as if trying to find where she might have hidden those details.

"It's full of suggestions!" She grinned. It was a little unprofessional, but really. They'd wanted Lisane for this and maybe they would have done better with her, but Noami didn't think so. She was proud of her work, this one had not been easy.

"Quite. It's a lot of... policy..." The Empire's most senior accountant said that word like it was painful to him. "But there's no actual motions? Nothing the Conclave can do? Surely there must be a mandate or two?"

"On the contrary! There's everything they can do... I just haven't narrowed it down."
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 350px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Labyrinth.jpg|caption=The Labyrinth has long been a symbol of [[The Way|the Way of Virtue]]|align=left|width=500}}
</div>
==Overview==
During the Summer Solstice, '''Rane Shardbearer''', [[Kallavesa|Senator for Kallavesa]], proposed a [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Spreading_Way_to_Non-Wayist_Cultures|motion]] to appraise how non-Wayist cultures and communities residing within the Empire can be brought into the [[The Way|Way of Virtue]]. They asked for Lisane de Terresford to conduct the appraisal, but Lisane remains [[Satraps of the Abyss|engaged]] in Sumaah until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, so Gerard la Salle selected ''Naomi of Virtue's Rest'' as lead prognosticator on this task.

Naomi's response is a little more expansive and a lot less ''detailed'' than usual. Her answer might best be summed up as "It depends". Fortunately, for Gerard's temper and Naomi's career prospects, she puts a ''little'' more meat on the bone than that...

==Caveats==
* '''Naomi starts her appraisal with three important caveats'''
* '''The first is that prognosticating issues of faith is always exceptionally difficult'''
* '''The second is that there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution'''
* '''The third and final point is that the Empire should not expect it to go well'''

Naomi has a few things to say in her report, but before she gets to that, she has three important caveats to state first. These are key limitations or drawbacks that leaders of the Senate and the Synod must be aware of.

The first is that prognosticating matters of faith is always fraught with difficulty and prone to error. If Naomi wants to calculate the ''exact'' amount of white granite needed to build a fortification on a mountain pass in Urizen, there are Day rituals that can provide those answers. If she wants to understand how building a monument to the memory of a fallen Wintermark hero will affect recruitment in a territory, there's a Night ritual for that. But the soul defies divination; it is difficult even to find the right question to ask, and there is almost never a useful answer. Any time faith becomes a factor, prognostication becomes harder. That is not to say that it is impossible - but harder.

Naomi's solution is to recommend breaking things down into small, simple steps. She is confident she won't be able to appraise "how to convince the Sand Fishers to embrace the Way". She might be able to come up with some recommendations, but she would not be certain of their success. But she can appraise "How to encourage the Sand Fishers to engage with priests of the Way" - that is a much easier thing to appraise. And maybe, hopefully, perhaps, once done, it might eventually lead towards the goal of getting the Sand Fishers to embrace the Imperial religion. Of course, it's more than likely to reveal theological problems that are in the way, but arguably that's useful information too. The point is that the Senate would be best advised to break the goal into small parts and try to take it slowly. In this respect, a more circumspect appraisal will give more certain answers.

The second key point is that there will ''never'' be a one-size-fits-all solution. There is no commission that the Empire can build which will make the Sand Fishers embrace the Way. And even if there were, you can guarantee that whatever it was would be completely useless for convincing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest to embrace the Way. If there is a chance of getting the Dreamers to embrace the Imperial faith, whatever the answer is, it won't be any use at all when applied to Faraden merchants.

Every group that the Empire might want to convert, to proselytise, is different. Every problem of this kind is unique - every group is an infinitely complex mélange of history, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, experiences. Geography, economics, politics - all of these factors can be important for matters of faith. A [[fortification]] built in [[Hahnmark]] works just as well as a fortification built in [[Redoubt]]. That will never be true here - every group the Empire tries to approach will be different - every solution will need to reflect that.

And finally, the Empire must not expect the outcome to go well. There is a common assumption that if a group embrace the Way, then they will embrace the Empire. History mocks those assumptions - loudly. The Empire has a good - relatively speaking - relationship with Sumaah, but that relationship has been rocky - it's only a few years ago that Sumaah were at war with the Empire, even if it didn't come to much. A more telling example is the experiences with the Lasambrians, where the Empire converted them to the Way... haltingly at first, but they soon embraced it with fervour. And then they promptly went and joined the Jotun.

Embracing the Virtues encourages you to be Ambitious - to strive for the things you desire. It doesn't encourage you to compromise and accept a solution you don't like. It encourages you to be Courageous and fight for the things you believe in - it doesn't encourage you to submit to a more powerful neighbour. It makes you Loyal! - but usually to your companions, not to the Empire. And most of all, it makes you Proud - it tells you to take Pride in your identity and your place in the world - it doesn't encourage you to give that up and join an Empire.

None of that is to say that the Empire can't have harmonious relations with groups that they convert to the Way - but it does mean that it isn't a given that it will be any easier to have good relations with them. In Naomi's view, if relations are good or strong or positive, then sharing the Way can take advantage of that. But if relations are difficult or strained, then a group embracing the Way will only lean into that conflict.

Taken together, this is why the appraisal cannot be answered, says Naomi. There is nothing that will help in all situations, so she cannot provide an appraisal of any one common method or approach because no such method exists. She can't report what a generic approach might do, because that goal is too expansive in scope, too general. Because faith is hard to prognosticate, she can't say what might work or what might not in general terms. Like an arcane projection, she can only look at a specific case. And finally, whatever she does recommend could all go badly wrong - she can't say what the outcome could be because it will be different every time, so there will always be pitfalls with any appraisal of this kind, but with something so general, it's impossible to even guess what they might be.

==Approaches==
Rather than try to appraise a generic solution to the problem - which Naomi says would be impossible - she has instead produced some ideas for possible approaches the Empire could consider. The aim is to provide citizens with ways to think about how the Empire might go about this, in the hope that this will provide them with a framework for considering the possibilities - a way to advance some goals, or employ an approach without the help of the prognosticators' office.

The key in Naomi's mind is to break it down into three different approaches

===Aura Led===
* '''Priests and others could take the lead using liao and mandates to spread the Way using auras'''

Auras can be incredibly effective in showing people the power of the Way. They are most effective on peoples without access to liao who have never experienced similar forces before - or at least not similar positive forces. Active, tangible miracles that are personally uplifting can be incredibly moving for some people. Imperial citizens are often profoundly moved by the power of true auras in particular, like the consecration of the marshes of Kallavesa or the Capodomus Cathedral. But in a way, every single liao aura is a miracle, a way to create a font of Virtue, something that uplifts and motivates all those who experience it. A ''cynical'' League bravo might scoff at being anointed with [[Auras_of_Ambition#The_Drive_of_Ambition|the Drive of Ambition]], but people who have never experienced the power of the Way, the power of the auras, are likely to be impressed by them.

Naomi points to Imperial experiences with the Sand Fishers - a group of people who had lived for generations under the crushing auras of miasma created by the Druj. They were intimately familiar with auras - every single one of them had never known a time when they weren't exposed to the fear and dread the pillars spread. When the Empire showed them the auras, the results were electrifying, partly because it released them from that fear; it gave them a way to counter it for the first time in their lives. And partly because it gave them something Virtuous to experience instead.

Of course it doesn't always end well. Naomi points to the examples of [[Not_to_conquer|the Barrens septs]] who experienced the auras of Freedom, courtesy of the Montanians. The auras they created uplifted the orcs; it made them believe they could be free, and it made them want to fight for it. It gave them the will to rebel and try to seize the Barrens for themselves - so they could live free. The rebellion of three Druj armies was disastrous for the enemy - but it didn't exactly bode well for the Empire either. Once the Barrens septs had a taste of Freedom, they wanted to be free of the Empire every bit as much as the Druj. And that didn't end well for anybody.

An aura-led approach would be less useful with a group like the Axiou who have just as much experience with the auras as the Empire do, if not more. Auras could be used to motivate Imperial missionaries, but no aura in creation is going to be enough to convince the Axiou to give up their mad ideas about the Creator.

The approach with the Sand Fishers worked remarkably well, but Naomi argues that the Empire got lucky. The Sand Fishers were especially open to conversion, having few strongly held religious beliefs of their own. And, crucially, the Empire had just given the Sand Fishers a home, a place away from the Druj in a land they recognised where they could live and prosper and rule themselves. The Empire gave them the auras and the Virtues at the same time that they gave them everything else. The Sand Fishers were enormously well inclined to the Empire after they were given [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]] for their own.

The best approach is likely to pick one or two virtues to start with - ideally the ones that most strongly align with the cultural norms of a group. The Karass are secretive and defensive - perhaps the Virtue of Vigilance would be something they would embrace? The Great Forest Orcs seem to place a lot of emphasis on Loyalty to the community - perhaps that is a way to approach them? The better the Empire knows a sept, the more they can refine the approach. Naomi likens attempting to use auras to convince a group of complete strangers to embrace the Way as akin to a general ordering his army into a territory for which there is no map of any kind. If you go in blind, you risk doing more harm than good.

===Doctrine Led===
* '''Scholars and Philosophers could take the lead using doctrine and debate'''

Demanding a group follow the [[The Doctrines of the Faith|Doctrines of the Way]] is usually a sure-fire way to get them to reject the faith. Independent groups with no reason to embrace the Way are unlikely to react positively to the imposition of a catechism and a set of rules. This is particularly true for groups with little in the way of any organised religion and no unified religious beliefs. A better approach can be to send scholars and philosophers to debate the Way and to demonstrate why the way of life laid out by the Doctrines is superior. This approach is what the [[Highguard|Highborn]] missionaries employed in [[Urizen]] centuries ago.

A more formal, rules-based approach, might be effective when dealing with a group that already has an organised religion. The Jotun, for example, clearly have a coherent set of religious beliefs; they have churches, and worship of their ancestors is an integral part of their lives. They treat their priests, their ghodi, with enormous respect. The idea of religious beliefs and religious laws is normal to them. It would be incredibly difficult to convince the Jotun to embrace the Way and incredibly dangerous, but the most effective way to attempt it would be a doctrine-led approach, especially if the Doctrines of the Way presented an encompassing vision of Orc life.

The Surrani are the prime example of a nation where a doctrine-led approach would have the best chance of success. Converting the Iron Confederacy would be incredibly difficult - they are very standoffish with the Empire, but they loathe the Imperial religion. It's not that a doctrine-led approach would be easy - rather, the approach would be easier than other options. They have an established priest class, with a population used to taking instruction from their priests. If those priests could be supplanted, replaced or removed, then they would be more receptive to a doctrine-led approach - certainly more than an aura-led approach, which they would be bound to denounce as the work of Dumon.

Another situation where a doctrine-led approach might work is where a group has been conquered. If they accept their defeat, they accept that they have been beaten, by which Naomi means they are no longer trying to rebel or fight back, then it becomes much easier to implement a doctrine led approach. It might sound callous to spread the way by force of arms, the Doctrines can be used to show people that everyone in the Empire is equal in the eyes of the Way - that the same Doctrines apply to everyone. When used with tact, an approach that invites people to embrace the doctrines will be more successful than an approach which tries to convince them of what to do by pushing the effects of auras on them.

===Culture Led===
* '''Diplomats and merchants can take the lead demonstrating the advantages of allying with the Empire to spread the Way'''

The Empire could persuade some groups to embrace the Way by demonstrating the benefits that it provides. By illustrating the political and cultural advantages that it confers. It might not sound very spiritual, but people will gravitate to the Way if the Empire shows them how they will benefit as a result. Clever diplomats can offer benefits to those groups who are prepared to align themselves with the Empire, merchants can trade ideas as easily as they trade wares when they travel among a group.

The Apulian Orcs are a fine example of how this worked in practice. They had some significant theological differences with the Imperial Way - they embraced the Seven Virtues - just not the same seven Virtues as the Empire. When faced with this contradiction, their desire to become part of the Empire quickly saw them abandon their religious convictions. Political advancement in the Empire was more than enough to persuade them of the importance of embracing the Virtues.

Cynics might argue that this form of conversion lacks conviction - that it demeans the Way to reduce it to such material concerns. Naomi disagrees, arguing that the first job of any missionary is to get a person to accept new religious ideas - to get them to give up their old beliefs in favour of the new. It's true that some former Grendel may wear their religious beliefs like a loose cloak, but ''they still hold them''. It's the job of other priests to shore up their Virtue and urge them to embrace their new beliefs. There's no reason why the next generation of League Orcs shouldn't grow up to be bishops as far as Naomi s concerned.

This kind of approach requires the Empire to have a positive relationship with the group. Arguably any approach benefits from that, but here it is essential. The group don't have to ''like'' the Empire, but they do have to admire them, they have to want to emulate them, otherwise it cannot succeed. Championing this approach can involve methods to share cultural and political benefits with a group. The Empire elected not to give Imperial Lore to the Sand Fishers - that was clearly the Vigilant decision. The risk of it falling in to the hands of the Druj was high. But there's no doubt that if the Empire had shared Imperial Lore with the sept then it would have inevitably brought them even further into Imperial life. It would have shown them the advantages of embracing the Empire - and by extension embracing the Way.

This approach can be expensive and difficult and require sacrifice. The willingness of the League to give up land to the Sand Fishers was pivotal in bringing that group closer to the Empire. Paying for their children's education was expensive - but it virtually guarantees that the next generation of Sand Fishers are going to be Imperial citizens - and the Way will follow. Naomi's point is that ''giving'' someone your culture is ''expensive'' - there is often a cost in land and money to be paid for that. The Highborn armed and trained the Dreamers of the Dark Forest - that show of trust, that Prosperous generosity will have helped to spread the Way to the Dreamers.

Of course the alternative is to try and export your culture without their agreement as the Empire is trying to do in Asavea. The Plenum know exactly what the Empire are doing - inciting a revolution against their rule that will overthrow them - and their priests - in the hope that they are replaced by something closer to the Empire. It could work - but it will be incredibly expensive and difficult. Naomi points out how little progress has actually been made on that gargantuan effort, compared with how much pain it has wrought.

If the Empire wants to overthrow the Plenum, cast out the Asavean priests, tear down their temples and put the Way in their place, they can do it. Nothing is impossible for those who follow the Way - but it will be incredibly difficult, incredibly expensive and incredibly painful. The response of the Asavean Plenum so far is trivial compared to what they will do as the threat grows. Once it becomes existential for them, they will throw everything they have at the Empire to try and stop them.

However, this cultural approach is, however difficult, the only option that has any real chance of success. The Empire could convert some Asaveans to the Way by demonstrating the power of auras, the Sumaah can spread the Way through their slaves by promising to uplift them, but the only way the Asavean Empire will embrace the Way is if the Empire tears the entire thing down and rebuilds it in its own likeness.

==Conclusion==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Highborn saying">
''Virtue is contagious''
</quote>
</div>
There is no commission that Naomi can propose that would be effective across the Empire with all groups. As such there is no easy way to answer the appraisal - arguably there is no answer to the appraisal. There simply isn't a way to do the thing the appraisal asks for. To achieve it the Empire would need to break it down, look at individual groups, and devise the best strategy to approach them and try to convert them. The Synod will likely take the lead of course - especially with any way that is aura led - but the Senate will be important, the Conclave, the Military Council, even the Bourse have a role to play. Even the new Imperial sodalities could have a part to play in this.

But each body will have to take small careful steps to achieve the goal - there is no single action that is going to convert any group. Often the prognosticators won't even be aware that something will help - few of the benefits of working with the Sand Fishers that were analysed by the civil service revealed that they would bring the sept closer to the Way, but that happened none-the-less. That process is far from complete, but the movement was incremental and often incidental to other purposes. Often it's impossible to know that any progress is being made at all, until things suddenly change. There may be no signs that a group are engaging with the Way or enamoured of it - not until it happens.

The Empire can use appraisal as a tool to help spread the Way, but to do so any future appraisal would need to focus on a specific group and provide simple goals that could be met. Appraise a way to spread the Way to the world won't produce useful answers, Appraise how to convince Skoura to let the Empire build a church of the Way in their lands would.

In the end though, the best approach is likely one that enables the people the Empire want to convert to embody the Virtues. Take a lesson from the tenets of Loyalty suggests Naomi.

<quote by="Tenets of Loyalty">The Virtuous build up their fellows; they do not tear them down.</quote>

The best way to spread the Virtues is to be Virtuous - by finding ways to build up their fellows, not tear them down.

Spreading the Way

2026-09-09T07:21:13Z

GuiltyConscience:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Appraisal]]
<ic>
"You thought you'd finish by quoting the tenets?" said Gerard with a tone that suggested that he did not favour this approach in the slightest.

"I did. I thought it appropriate given the subject matter. It cuts right to the heart of the matter I think." Naomi beamed at her boss. It was never wise to show any weakness in front of the auditor, but in truth she was pleased with the appraisal. She doubted anyone else would be, but that was their problem.

"There's nothing the Empire can commission I see. Usually we have some suggestions for them?" her boss replied, turning the short report over as if trying to find where she might have hidden those details.

"It's full of suggestions!" She grinned. It was a little unprofessional, but really. They'd wanted Lisane for this and maybe they would have done better with her, but Noami didn't think so. She was proud of her work, this one had not been easy.

"Quite. It's a lot of... policy..." The Empire's most senior accountant said that word like it was painful to him. "But there's no actual motions? Nothing the Conclave can do? Surely there must be a mandate or two?"

"On the contrary! There's everything they can do... I just haven't narrowed it down."
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 350px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Labyrinth.jpg|caption=The Labyrinth has long been a symbol of [[The Way|the Way of Virtue]]|align=left|width=500}}
</div>
==Overview==
During the Summer Solstice, '''Rane Shardbearer''', [[Kallavesa|Senator for Kallavesa]], proposed a [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Spreading_Way_to_Non-Wayist_Cultures|motion]] to appraise how non-Wayist cultures and communities residing within the Empire can be brought into the [[The Way|Way of Virtue]]. They asked for Lisane de Terresford to conduct the appraisal, but Lisane remains [[Satraps of the Abyss|engaged]] in Sumaah until the start of the Winter Solstice 388YE, so Gerard la Salle selected ''Naomi of Virtue's Rest'' as lead prognosticator on this task.

Naomi's response is a little more expansive and a lot less ''detailed'' than usual. Her answer might best be summed up as "It depends". Fortunately, for Gerard's temper and Naomi's career prospects, she puts a ''little'' more meat on the bone than that...

==Caveats==
* '''Naomi starts her appraisal with three important caveats'''
* '''The first is that prognosticating issues of faith is always exceptionally difficult'''
* '''The second is that there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution'''
* '''The third and final point is that the Empire should not expect it to go well'''

Naomi has a few things to say in her report, but before she gets to that, she has three important caveats to state first. These are key limitations or drawbacks that leaders of the Senate and the Synod must be aware of.

The first is that prognosticating matters of faith is always fraught with difficulty and prone to error. If Naomi wants to calculate the ''exact'' amount of white granite needed to build a fortification on a mountain pass in Urizen, there are Day rituals that can provide those answers. If she wants to understand how building a monument to the memory of a fallen Wintermark hero will affect recruitment in a territory, there's a Night ritual for that. But the soul defies divination; it is difficult even to find the right question to ask, and there is almost never a useful answer. Any time faith becomes a factor, prognostication becomes harder. That is not to say that it is impossible - but harder.

Naomi's solution is to recommend breaking things down into small, simple steps. She is confident she won't be able to appraise "how to convince the Sand Fishers to embrace the Way". She might be able to come up with some recommendations, but she would not be certain of their success. But she can appraise "How to encourage the Sand Fishers to engage with priests of the Way" - that is a much easier thing to appraise. And maybe, hopefully, perhaps, once done, it might eventually lead towards the goal of getting the Sand Fishers to embrace the Imperial religion. Of course, it's more than likely to reveal theological problems that are in the way, but arguably that's useful information to. The point is that the Senate would be best advised to break the goal into small parts and try to take it slowly. In this respect, a more circumspect appraisal will give more certain answers.

The second key point is that there will ''never'' be a one-size-fits-all solution. There is no commission that the Empire can build which will make the Sand Fishers embrace the Way. And even if there were, you can guarantee that whatever it was, would be completely useless for convincing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest to embrace the Way. If there is a chance of getting the Dreamers to embrace the Imperial faith, whatever the answer is, it won't be any use at all when applied to Faraden merchants.

Every group that the Empire might want to convert, to proselytise, is different. Every problem of this kind is unique - every group is an infinitely complex mélange of history, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, experiences. Geography, economics, politics - all of these factors can be important for matters of faith. A [[fortification]] built in [[Hahnmark]] works just as well as a fortification built in [[Redoubt]]. That will never be true here - every group the Empire tries to approach will be different - every solution will need to reflect that.

And finally, the Empire must not expect the outcome to go well. There is a common assumption that if a group embrace the Way, then they will embrace the Empire. History mocks those assumptions - loudly. The Empire has a good - relatively speaking - relationship with Sumaah, but that relationship has been rocky - it's only a few years ago that Sumaah were at war with the Empire, even if it didn't come to much. A more telling example is the experiences with the Lasambrians, where the Empire converted them to the Way... haltingly at first, but they soon embraced it with fervour. And then they promptly went and joined the Jotun.

Embracing the Virtues encourages you to be Ambitious - to strive for the things you desire. It doesn't encourage you to compromise and accept a solution you don't like. It encourages you to be Courageous and fight for the things you believe in - it doesn't encourage you to submit to a more powerful neighbour. It makes you Loyal! - but usually to your companions, not to the Empire. And most of all, it makes you Proud - it tells you to take Pride in your identity and your place in the world - it doesn't encourage you to give that up and join an Empire.

None of that is to say that the Empire can't have harmonious relations with groups that they convert to the Way - but it does mean that it isn't a given that it will be any easier to have good relations with them. In Naomi's view, if relations are good or strong or positive, then sharing the Way can take advantage of that. But if relations are difficult or strained, then a group embracing the Way will only lean into that conflict.

Taken together, this is why the appraisal cannot be answered, says Naomi. There is nothing that will help in all situations, so she cannot provide an appraisal of any one common method or approach because no such method exists. She can't report what a generic approach might do, because that goal is too expansive in scope, too general. Because faith is hard to prognosticate, she can't say what might work or what might not in general terms. Like an arcane projection, she can only look at a specific case. And finally, whatever she does recommend could all go badly wrong - she can't say what the outcome could be because it will be different every time, so there will always be pitfalls with any appraisal of this kind, but with something so general, it's impossible to even guess what they might be.

==Approaches==
Rather than try to appraise a generic solution to the problem - which Naomi says would be impossible - she has instead produced some ideas for possible approaches the Empire could consider. The aim is to provide citizens with ways to think about how the Empire might go about this, in the hope that this will provide them with a framework for considering the possibilities - a way to advance some goals, or employ an approach without the help of the prognosticators' office.

The key in Naomi's mind is to break it down into three different approaches

===Aura Led===
* '''Priests and others could take the lead using liao and mandates to spread the Way using auras'''

Auras can be incredibly effective in showing people the power of the Way. They are most effective on peoples without access to liao who have never experienced similar forces before - or at least not similar positive forces. Active, tangible miracles that are personally uplifting can be incredibly moving for some people. Imperial citizens are often profoundly moved by the power of true auras in particular, like the consecration of the marshes of Kallavesa or the Capodomus Cathedral. But in a way, every single liao aura is a miracle, a way to create a font of Virtue, something that uplifts and motivates all those who experience it. A ''cynical'' League bravo might scoff at being anointed with [[Auras_of_Ambition#The_Drive_of_Ambition|the Drive of Ambition]], but people who have never experienced the power of the Way, the power of the auras, are likely to be impressed by them.

Naomi points to Imperial experiences with the Sand Fishers - a group of people who had lived for generations under the crushing auras of miasma created by the Druj. They were intimately familiar with auras - every single one of them had never known a time when they weren't exposed to the fear and dread the pillars spread. When the Empire showed them the auras, the results were electrifying, partly because it released them from that fear; it gave them a way to counter it for the first time in their lives. And partly because it gave them something Virtuous to experience instead.

Of course it doesn't always end well. Naomi points to the examples of [[Not_to_conquer|the Barrens septs]] who experienced the auras of Freedom, courtesy of the Montanians. The auras they created uplifted the orcs; it made them believe they could be free, and it made them want to fight for it. It gave them the will to rebel and try to seize the Barrens for themselves - so they could live free. The rebellion of three Druj armies was disastrous for the enemy - but it didn't exactly bode well for the Empire either. Once the Barrens septs had a taste of Freedom, they wanted to be free of the Empire every bit as much as the Druj. And that didn't end well for anybody.

An aura-led approach would be less useful with a group like the Axiou who have just as much experience with the auras as the Empire do, if not more. Auras could be used to motivate Imperial missionaries, but no aura in creation is going to be enough to convince the Axiou to give up their mad ideas about the Creator.

The approach with the Sand Fishers worked remarkably well, but Naomi argues that the Empire got lucky. The Sand Fishers were especially open to conversion, having few strongly held religious beliefs of their own. And, crucially, the Empire had just given the Sand Fishers a home, a place away from the Druj in a land they recognised where they could live and prosper and rule themselves. The Empire gave them the auras and the Virtues at the same time that they gave them everything else. The Sand Fishers were enormously well inclined to the Empire after they were given [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]] for their own.

The best approach is likely to pick one or two virtues to start with - ideally the ones that most strongly align with the cultural norms of a group. The Karass are secretive and defensive - perhaps the Virtue of Vigilance would be something they would embrace? The Great Forest Orcs seem to place a lot of emphasis on Loyalty to the community - perhaps that is a way to approach them? The better the Empire knows a sept, the more they can refine the approach. Naomi likens attempting to use auras to convince a group of complete strangers to embrace the Way as akin to a general ordering his army into a territory for which there is no map of any kind. If you go in blind, you risk doing more harm than good.

===Doctrine Led===
* '''Scholars and Philosophers could take the lead using doctrine and debate'''

Demanding a group follow the [[The Doctrines of the Faith|Doctrines of the Way]] is usually a sure-fire way to get them to reject the faith. Independent groups with no reason to embrace the Way are unlikely to react positively to the imposition of a catechism and a set of rules. This is particularly true for groups with little in the way of any organised religion and no unified religious beliefs. A better approach can be to send scholars and philosophers to debate the Way and to demonstrate why the way of life laid out by the Doctrines is superior. This approach is what the [[Highguard|Highborn]] missionaries employed in [[Urizen]] centuries ago.

A more formal, rules-based approach, might be effective when dealing with a group that already has an organised religion. The Jotun, for example, clearly have a coherent set of religious beliefs; they have churches, and worship of their ancestors is an integral part of their lives. They treat their priests, their ghodi, with enormous respect. The idea of religious beliefs and religious laws is normal to them. It would be incredibly difficult to convince the Jotun to embrace the Way and incredibly dangerous, but the most effective way to attempt it would be a doctrine-led approach, especially if the Doctrines of the Way presented an encompassing vision of Orc life.

The Surrani are the prime example of a nation where a doctrine-led approach would have the best chance of success. Converting the Iron Confederacy would be incredibly difficult - they are very standoffish with the Empire, but they loathe the Imperial religion. It's not that a doctrine-led approach would be easy - rather, the approach would be easier than other options. They have an established priest class, with a population used to taking instruction from their priests. If those priests could be supplanted, replaced or removed, then they would be more receptive to a doctrine-led approach - certainly more than an aura-led approach, which they would be bound to denounce as the work of Dumon.

Another situation where a doctrine-led approach might work is where a group has been conquered. If they accept their defeat, they accept that they have been beaten, by which Naomi means they are no longer trying to rebel or fight back, then it becomes much easier to implement a doctrine led approach. It might sound callous to spread the way by force of arms, the Doctrines can be used to show people that everyone in the Empire is equal in the eyes of the Way - that the same Doctrines apply to everyone. When used with tact, an approach that invites people to embrace the doctrines will be more successful than an approach which tries to convince them of what to do by pushing the effects of auras on them.

===Culture Led===
* '''Diplomats and merchants can take the lead demonstrating the advantages of allying with the Empire to spread the Way'''

The Empire could persuade some groups to embrace the Way by demonstrating the benefits that it provides. By illustrating the political and cultural advantages that it confers. It might not sound very spiritual, but people will gravitate to the Way if the Empire shows them how they will benefit as a result. Clever diplomats can offer benefits to those groups who are prepared to align themselves with the Empire, merchants can trade ideas as easily as they trade wares when they travel among a group.

The Apulian Orcs are a fine example of how this worked in practice. They had some significant theological differences with the Imperial Way - they embraced the Seven Virtues - just not the same seven Virtues as the Empire. When faced with this contradiction, their desire to become part of the Empire quickly saw them abandon their religious convictions. Political advancement in the Empire was more than enough to persuade them of the importance of embracing the Virtues.

Cynics might argue that this form of conversion lacks conviction - that it demeans the Way to reduce it to such material concerns. Naomi disagrees, arguing that the first job of any missionary is to get a person to accept new religious ideas - to get them to give up their old beliefs in favour of the new. It's true that some former Grendel may wear their religious beliefs like a loose cloak, but ''they still hold them''. It's the job of other priests to shore up their Virtue and urge them to embrace their new beliefs. There's no reason why the next generation of League Orcs shouldn't grow up to be bishops as far as Naomi s concerned.

This kind of approach requires the Empire to have a positive relationship with the group. Arguably any approach benefits from that, but here it is essential. The group don't have to ''like'' the Empire, but they do have to admire them, they have to want to emulate them, otherwise it cannot succeed. Championing this approach can involve methods to share cultural and political benefits with a group. The Empire elected not to give Imperial Lore to the Sand Fishers - that was clearly the Vigilant decision. The risk of it falling in to the hands of the Druj was high. But there's no doubt that if the Empire had shared Imperial Lore with the sept then it would have inevitably brought them even further into Imperial life. It would have shown them the advantages of embracing the Empire - and by extension embracing the Way.

This approach can be expensive and difficult and require sacrifice. The willingness of the League to give up land to the Sand Fishers was pivotal in bringing that group closer to the Empire. Paying for their children's education was expensive - but it virtually guarantees that the next generation of Sand Fishers are going to be Imperial citizens - and the Way will follow. Naomi's point is that ''giving'' someone your culture is ''expensive'' - there is often a cost in land and money to be paid for that. The Highborn armed and trained the Dreamers of the Dark Forest - that show of trust, that Prosperous generosity will have helped to spread the Way to the Dreamers.

Of course the alternative is to try and export your culture without their agreement as the Empire is trying to do in Asavea. The Plenum know exactly what the Empire are doing - inciting a revolution against their rule that will overthrow them - and their priests - in the hope that they are replaced by something closer to the Empire. It could work - but it will be incredibly expensive and difficult. Naomi points out how little progress has actually been made on that gargantuan effort, compared with how much pain it has wrought.

If the Empire wants to overthrow the Plenum, cast out the Asavean priests, tear down their temples and put the Way in their place, they can do it. Nothing is impossible for those who follow the Way - but it will be incredibly difficult, incredibly expensive and incredibly painful. The response of the Asavean Plenum so far is trivial compared to what they will do as the threat grows. Once it becomes existential for them, they will throw everything they have at the Empire to try and stop them.

However, this cultural approach is, however difficult, the only option that has any real chance of success. The Empire could convert some Asaveans to the Way by demonstrating the power of auras, the Sumaah can spread the Way through their slaves by promising to uplift them, but the only way the Asavean Empire will embrace the Way is if the Empire tears the entire thing down and rebuilds it in its own likeness.

==Conclusion==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Highborn saying">
''Virtue is contagious''
</quote>
</div>
There is no commission that Naomi can propose that would be effective across the Empire with all groups. As such there is no easy way to answer the appraisal - arguably there is no answer to the appraisal. There simply isn't a way to do the thing the appraisal asks for. To achieve it the Empire would need to break it down, look at individual groups, and devise the best strategy to approach them and try to convert them. The Synod will likely take the lead of course - especially with any way that is aura led - but the Senate will be important, the Conclave, the Military Council, even the Bourse have a role to play. Even the new Imperial sodalities could have a part to play in this.

But each body will have to take small careful steps to achieve the goal - there is no single action that is going to convert any group. Often the prognosticators won't even be aware that something will help - few of the benefits of working with the Sand Fishers that were analysed by the civil service revealed that they would bring the sept closer to the Way, but that happened none-the-less. That process is far from complete, but the movement was incremental and often incidental to other purposes. Often it's impossible to know that any progress is being made at all, until things suddenly change. There may be no signs that a group are engaging with the Way or enamoured of it - not until it happens.

The Empire can use appraisal as a tool to help spread the Way, but to do so any future appraisal would need to focus on a specific group and provide simple goals that could be met. Appraise a way to spread the Way to the world won't produce useful answers, Appraise how to convince Skoura to let the Empire build a church of the Way in their lands would.

In the end though, the best approach is likely one that enables the people the Empire want to convert to embody the Virtues. Take a lesson from the tenets of Loyalty suggests Naomi.

<quote by="Tenets of Loyalty">The Virtuous build up their fellows; they do not tear them down.</quote>

The best way to spread the Virtues is to be Virtuous - by finding ways to build up their fellows, not tear them down.

The little things

2026-09-08T22:46:28Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Those Who Fight */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>"She wants what? Your notes? Yes, yes, fine. Why are you bothering me with this?" Runa sighed heavily. The scribe was exceptionally helpful, but more than a little irritating.

"Ah, well it will include ''all'' of my notes from that portion of the meeting." the scribe looked deeply embarrassed. But Runa did not wish to try and puzzle out the meaning from allusions and blushing.

"What, specifically, are you worried about? I don't recall anything from your report which would jeopardise our relationship with the Empire."

The scribe appeared to be unable to say whatever it was that was bothering him. Instead, he flicked through the sheaf of notes to the last page and circled an exchange, then handed it to Runa. The Speaker looked at it for a few moments, confused.

"But," he said, exasperated. "Those are ''her words''! Of course you can send them!"</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''The orcs of Otkodov remain at peace with the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are expanding their domain into the Forest of Ulnak, and are at war with the Druj'''
* '''Kindra Surefoot of Wintermark is the Ambassador to Otkodov'''
The [[Thule]] of [[Otkodov]] live in cold lands to the north of the Empire. They share a long mountainous border with [[Wintermark]], [[Imperial Orcs|the Unshackled]], and [[Varushka]]. Their magocratic nation is ruled by the five Dragons; allegedly immortal orc sorcerers. For much of Imperial history, they were at war with the Empire. In recent years, a series of treaties have secured peace - mostly by ceding parts of the northern Imperial nations. It is not a universally popular peace.

For now, though, peace endures. [[Dawn]] and [[Navarr]] send shipments of food north to help feed the people of Otkodov and support their armies. It is illegal to preach [[the Way]] of Virtue in Otkodov to their citizens. For their part the Thule agree to share the white granite of the [[Night Quarry]]; pay for the food delivered to them; and ensure Imperial access to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] (while sending their own warlocks to study at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun]]). And, of course, to maintain their current policies for the reasonable treatment of Imperial citizens choosing to remain and live in ceded lands.

The official ambassador to the Empire is Runa Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided. He is still somewhat new to his post, and something of an unknown quantity, but he speaks with confidence as the voice of the rulers of Otkodov.
{{Diplomacy|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot of [[Wintermark]]|counterpart=[[Ambassador_to_Otkodov#Thule_Ambassador|Runa Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided]]}}
==Outstretched Hands==
* '''The Thule propose a joint effort to coordinate magical opportunities'''
* '''The civil service could extend this to all Imperial territories where foreigners hold land'''
* '''Tathenon the Gyre asks the Empire not to interfere with a Summer enchantment in Ossium, or else to give ample warning.'''
The Thule have expressed interest in working with the Empire to coordinate the casting of large-scale magic on the territories which the two powers share. They are especially keen that neither party miss out on special opportunities, where such magic may be affected by the stars or the actions of eternals, whilst not adversely affecting one another unnecessarily. Scribes from the office of the Speaker-for-the-Dragons-Undivided have been working closely with their opposite numbers in the [[civil service]] over the past few months, and have come up with a proposal.

<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: #C994FF;">'''Approach resident Foreigners about relevant opportunities'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Motion Type:''' Administrative </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Wording:''' Instruct the civil service to consult all foreign powers that control land in an Imperial territory whenever there is an opportunity to employ beneficial magic on that territory</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Would allow the civil service to incorporate a full assessment of the consequences and reactions by any foreigners living in Imperial territory to a briefing on Imperial magic used on that territory
* Would make all affected foreign powers fully aware of any opportunity that could affect them, even if it was not pursued</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' </td></tr>
</table></div>

They suggest that when any such opportunity is identified, the prognosticators office would contact the Thule for input on it. This would allow for discussions about the benefits and drawbacks ''before'' the casting of the rituals, something which is currently next to impossible. It would therefore enable the civil service to prepare information about the Thule response to the opportunity, as well as any additional options which might be presented by cooperation.

The prognosticators office have indicated that, whilst this proposal is workable, they would rather generalise the principle. As such, if the [[Senate]] wishes it, they will approach ''all'' foreigners who hold land in an Imperial territory if a specific opportunity arises related to that territory. This assessment would provide information on the likely reactions of the foreigners, as well as any additional effects which might be available by coordinating with them. They caution, however, that preparing such a report necessarily involves informing the foreign party about the opportunity. If this motion is passed then it will not be possible to conceal such an opportunity from any foreign power holding land in an affected territory, regardless of whether it is actually acted upon.

The civil service would prefer an approach where they have the permission of the Senate to approach every foreign power in a territory that is being considered for enchantment as that will ensure that there is no possibility for error. The civil service could operate this system ''just'' for the Thule, if the Senate prefer that - but they could not guarantee to avoid errors if there was a list of approved foreign powers and a list of unapproved foreign powers. The chance of error in that case would be too great. As a result, the Senate could grant this benefit to a single foreign power - such as the Thule - or to all foreign powers - or to nobody.

An administrative motion will be put before the Senate on the Saturday afternoon session at the next summit. If passed, it will instruct the Civil Service to liaise with all foreigners holding land in a territory if an opportunity arises to employ magic which affects the whole territory.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|align=right|width=300}}
===The First Foray===
* '''Tathenon the Gyre has informed the Empire they intend to cast ''Three Blasts Upon the Horn of Victory'' on Ossium'''
* '''The ritual will make it easier for heralds of the Summer realm to enter Ossium and easier for eternals to employ their power there'''
* '''The Dragon will accede to a request from the Thule Ambassador, the Throne or the Senator for Ossium to ''not'' cast the ritual if delivered before 6pm Saturday'''
* '''The Conclave could disrupt the ritual by placing enmity on Meraud'''
* '''Any coven could disrupt the ritual by putting an enchantment on Ossium after 7pm on Saturday'''

In the case of the Thule, if the motion is passed they will prepare their own team of [[Thule lore#Bonded|bonded scribes]] to inform the Empire of any opportunities they encounter to affect the Imperial territories in which they hold land. Fortuitously, one such has presented itself this season, so they have put together a report as an example.

Tathenon the Gyre has struck a deal with one of the Lords of Summer which will empower the casting of an enchantment upon Ossium this season. This enchantment, apparently called ''Three Blasts Upon the Horn of Victory'' is of a form familiar to Imperial magicians. It infuses the territory with the energies of the Summer Realm, making encounters with heralds and regio from that realm more frequent and bringing with it a variety of unpredictable effects. In this instance [[Meraud|the Lord of the Aurorae]] has offered a chance for the Jaws of Winter Lightning to improve their quality. They will be camped in Ossium this season, training and resupplying. They will be able benefit from the eternal's patronage gaining a superior quality if the ritual is cast this season in Ossium. Notably the Thule have ''not'' provided details of what that gain might be - only that it will happen.

The effects of such rituals are hard to predict. They can bring a variety of small side effects to the territory, in addition to the increased presence of heralds of the realm. There are occasionally positive benefits, rarely there can be drawbacks as well, but it is almost impossible to know in advance what they will be. Since the Empire still enjoys dominion over the territory, the conclave's decisions on [[Alignment|the alignment of eternals]] will still hold sway, although at present no eternals of Summer are under enmity so no heralds will be barred from entering.

If the Empire is happy for warlocks of Tathenon the Gyre to enchant the territory, they need do nothing. At 7pm on Saturday, the ''Unbounded Tower of Feresh'' coven will cast the enchantment at a regio near the Silent Pines in Bonewood. If the Empire is not happy for the Thule to enchant the territory, then they should ensure that a winged messenger is sent to Runa Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided '''before''' 6pm on Saturday by either the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]], [[the Throne]] or the [[Senator]] for [[Ossium]]. The Dragons will obviously be disappointed to lose out on this opportunity, and it will no doubt affect their response on future enchantments cast by the Empire, but they will abide by the Empire's request on this matter.

If the casting goes ahead, and Ossium is enchanted with this effect, but then a subsequent enchantment cast by Imperial citizens overwrites it then the Thule will be ''very'' angry. They have offered the Empire the option to decline, and will abide by that, but if the Empire accepts the offer and then reneges on it then that will be seen as a great affront, not to mention a waste of resources. If [[Meraud]] were placed under enmity before 7pm on Saturday, then the Thule will be unable to benefit from the ritual they have cast. As skilled magicians they are certain to know what has caused the failure, and will respond accordingly.

===The Parting Shot===
* '''The Dragons are not displeased by the casting of Regrow the Land's Heart on Sermersuaq'''
* '''Ossium has been wreathed in darkness, causing travellers to become lost in the deep places'''
* '''The Dragons ''are'' concerned by this turn of events and insist that they are not responsible for this ill-advised enchantment'''

On the subject of rituals cast upon shared territory, though, Runa has less pleasant news to discuss. Two enchantments were laid over territories the Empire shares with the Thule at the summer solstice; Regrow the Land's Heart in [[Sermersuaq]] and an unknown [[Night]] ritual in Ossium, likely of a similar type to the Summer ritual discussed above.

The Dragons are grateful for the warning they received about the enchantment on [[Sermersuaq]]. They are, as the Ambassador predicted, comfortable with this effect. They have not been able to make any particularly potent use out of it, but a little more vitality in the earth is no bad thing and what scars remain from the coalition against the Jotun are being gently washed away.

In Ossium, however, the situation is [[Shadowed boughs of twilight|a little more serious]]. Runa would like to reassure the Ambassador that this working of night magic is nothing to do with the Thule. Presumably an Imperial coven is responsible for the decision to wrap the territory in concealing darkness, and cause travellers to become lost in the deep places. Given the dangers naturally present in the territory, particularly the [[Varushkan Monster#Wolves|wolves]] and other foul creatures, they feel that it is a particularly ill-advised use of spellcraft. Indeed, were it not for the fact that most of the territory is Imperial, this might be considered an almost hostile act. If the Empire is able to identify and deal with these reckless individuals, or at the very least prevent similar malfeasance in future, then the Thule will be most appreciative. Further details of this situation can be found in this seasons [[Shadowed boughs of twilight]] wind of fortune.

==A Matter of Law==
* '''The Dragons do not anticipate any problems with Imperial citizens breaking their laws'''
* '''Thule society is ordered by the oaths that every Thule swears'''
During the [[Myth makers#An imperfect forum|ambassadorial meeting]] last summit, there was some discussion of Thule legal structures, with the Ambassador requesting information on the laws of Otkodov so that Imperial citizens might be able to avoid accidentally breaching any such laws. The Thule do not have a consistent set of legal edicts that cover all their lands. Instead they use a set of oaths to order their society. Runa has compiled a brief primer on Thule law, which can be found on the [[Thule lore#Thule law|Thule Lore]] page.

In Otkodov, life is governed by a series of solemn oaths, sworn to those above or below them in the strict hierarchies of Thule society. Visitors are required to obey any instruction given to them by any warlock, so long as it does not contradict one given by a person of higher status. Most warlocks will recognise the status of their foreign counterparts who hold an Imperial title.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ulnak Military Map.png|caption=Northern Mallum areas of control (artist impression)|align=right|width=400}}

==Long march to victory==
* '''The general of the White Mountain Fire has sent a message to the Empire regarding aid against the Druj in Ulnak'''
* '''The option to support Thule armies in Ulnak is no longer available'''
It appears the Thule have claimed [[Forest of Ulnak#Bonewall|Bonewall]] from Druj domination, and with it the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#The_Great_Pit|Great Pit]]. The warlock messengers announce that victory was hard fought, and hard won, but it is nonetheless victory. The cowardice of the Mallum was heightened by the presence of a potent [[Spring magic|Spring]] [[curse]] laid on the orders of the Gyre, and it has left the opposing armies routed, and seriously damaged.

The ''Earthquake Drummers'' withdrew from Ulnak this season, yet they were swiftly replaced by the ''White Mountain Fire''. This fresh force of orcs clad in blue marches under the command of ''Stürmherra''. This general also led the ''Fire'' [[A wandering fire|during the recapture of Sermersuaq]], and remembers fighting alongside Imperials in northern Wintermark. Those of the Empire's soldiers who assisted the Thule army this season report an even warmer welcome than when they fought with the 'Drummers. The Thule are still a little standoffish, but there is noticeable, apparently genuine appreciation even for this limited Imperial support. Thule warriors despise the Druj just as much as their Imperial counterparts do, and that shared hatred goes a long way towards establishing common ground.

It appears that Stürmherra has been given overall command of the forces in Ulnak by Tathenon. Following the victory in Bonewall, she has chosen to cease military cooperation with the Empire. Stürmherra has asked Runa to pass along a message of thanks to the Empire for the support provided by a handful of military units in their shared war against the Druj, but it will not be required after the Autumn Equinox. As a result the opportunity to support Thule armies in Ulnak is no longer available.

Although the Thule had hoped for more, they have noted the response that the Dragons had not given the Empire sufficient cause to fight alongside their allies and taken steps accordingly.

==Conjunctions==
<box>'''<big>Miasma of Despair</big>
* '''These encounters take place in oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] unless you have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

Both ''Those Who Fight'' and ''A Shard of a Moment'' take place under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Anyone entering the area will need to protect themselves from the clawing dread or succumb to a weakening terror that creeps into their mind.

The primary effect of the miasma is that it [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakens]] anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an [[anointing]], but particularly [[Heroic_skills#Hero|heroic]] individuals, or those in possession of certain [[enchantment|enchantments]] or [[magic items]] may also be able to counteract the effect. In particular, those of the [[changeling]] [[lineage]] are able to fight the effects of the miasma, only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.
</box>
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=KaelaArt.jpg|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
{{KaelaGift}}
===Those Who Fight===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Alessi of the Basilisks.jpg|caption='''Alessi of the Basilisks''', Master of the School of Exorcism|align=left|width=350}}
</div>
* '''Mirk Lizards are attempting to go to ground in Ghul'thak Forest'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Master of the School of Exorcism'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for rooting out the Mirk Lizards'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The massive surge of Navarri and Unshackled into the Forest of Ulnak has been akin to turning over a rotting log and seeing what mysteries slither out. The Mirk Lizards are just one such awful mystery. First encountered in the [[Under_eastern_skies#Battlefield_Threat:_The_Mirk_Lizards|invasion of Therunin]], and more recently last season during the Battle of the Fens of Varreth, the sept are noted for their use of the rite of [[excommunication]].

The Thule have some awareness of the Empire's opinion on the use of the rite; indeed, it is [[proscription|proscribed]] by the Synod as an [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]]. ''Warlock Krafvötn'' has asked for the assistance of the [[Master of the School of Exorcism]], '''Alessi of the Basilisks of the Labyrinth''', as the "''leader of the pre-eminent school of religious rites''", to root out this threat and prevent the rot.

If the Mirk Lizards can be defeated, then the Master of the School of Exorcism will receive twenty mana crystals in payment before the Winter Solstice 388YE. What's more, if the Highborn Assembly acknowledge the Master of the School of Exorcism for their work - and the Mirk Lizards are defeated - then ''Warlock Krafvötn'' will continue sending the title three mana crystals a season for as long as the Thule and the Empire remain at peace.

===A Shard of a Moment===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rhydian de Rondell.jpg|caption='''Rhydian de Rondell'''|align=left|width=350}}
</div>
* '''A band of Mirk Lizards are travelling to attack a clan of Grimfen Mire who have worked with the Thule'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''''Rhydian de Rondell'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for killing the Mirk Lizards'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The Thule's invasion of the Forest of Ulnak has broadly gone well. They have even managed to make allies of one clan of [[Forest of Ulnak#Grimfen Mire|Grimfen Mire]]. Unfortunately, the Druj have dispatched the Mirk Lizards to bring vengeance to the clan, and the Thule have no chance to intercede. Instead, ''Warlock Tungjökull'' has asked '''Rhydian de Rondell''', who he is given to understand is lauded as perhaps the greatest living knight and the current [[Champion of Wisdom]], to journey to Grimfen Mire and slay the Mirk Lizards.

If the Mirk Lizards are killed, then ''Tungjökull'' will send Rhydian twenty mana crystals in payment before the Winter Solstice 388YE. What is more, they will provide a seasonal gift of three mana crystals a season to the position of Champion of Wisdom until they have recovered [[Champion_of_Wisdom#Regalia_of_the_Champion_of_Wisdom|Measure]]. If not successful, the clan will be butchered and the Mirk Lizards will rise even higher in the esteem of the Buruk Tepel.
{{Thule links}}

Skull beneath the skin

2026-09-08T21:34:51Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Older, More Weathered */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Casual Undead.jpg|align=left|caption=Ravening Winter spirits take the bodies of the fallen and use them to devour the living, and in Sarangrave there are so, so many bodies for them to choose from.|width=400}}</div>
==From the Fens of Varreth==
The [[vallorn]] of [[Sarangrave#Bendol|Béantal Dol]] is quiescent. The [[Druj]] stranglehold on the [[Sarangrave]] has been broken. Yet still there is no peace in the marshes of the southern [[the Mallum|Mallum]]. Three barbarian armies have collapsed here, a crucial strategic victory, but one that leaves thousands of vicious orc warriors scattered across the marshes. Worse, the [[Fortification#Garrison|garrison]] of the Tower of the Skink has been displaced by the fall of their [[fortification#Bastion|bastion]], and have fled to the recesses of the Sarangrave to hide and plot their vengeance against the Empire and the people of [[Urizen]]. Such mundane threats are par for the course when dealing with the Druj, but there is worse to come.

When the [[Druj_armies#Hidden_Snake|Hidden Snake]] and the [[Druj_armies#Poison Crane|Poison Crane]] disbanded, they were under the influence of [[Winter magic]] - an [[enchantment]] reminiscent of [[Quickening Cold Meat]]. The Winter spirits called by that enchantment were set free, and while there was a valiant attempt made by Imperial heroes to [[Thorn_and_bone#Objective:_Trap_the_Spirits|contain the danger]] it was ultimately unsuccessful. Worse, many champions of the Empire fell in that desperate attempt to reduce the potential threat to the Sarangrave. Worst of all, the bodies of many of those same champions were dragged from their final resting place by that same corrupt magic and turned against their own people. Flesh-hungry husks, more cunning and vicious even than those raised by Imperial magicians, now hunt the Sarangrave and even when their bodies are cut down, the spirits within simply seek out another host.

Just as bad as the Winter spirits are the [[Druj_lore#Tortured_souls|tormented souls]], created by the blackest [[surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecary]] arts from Imperial heroes whose spirits have been broken. The [[Thorn_and_bone#Objective:_End_Trakaa's_Tortured_Souls|many victims]] of the twisted [[Druj lore#Het|Het Trakaa]] now stalk the [[Sarangrave#Turan Flats|Turan Flats]], killing and torturing any innocents they find, and striking terror into the hearts of those they encounter.

The Druj are scattered, their armies broken, but their threat remains. Both Trakaa of the Hidden Snake and Sul Maggotgnaw of the Poison Crane still raise their tattered banners in the Sarangrave, and seek to marshal the guerrillas and raiders that still operate here. They may have been betrayed by their own people - there can be little doubt that they hate their fellow Druj - but they hate the Empire more.

==Shield and Scale==
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|align=right|width=250}}</div>
There is no peace in the Sarangrave. With the vallorn driven back by Imperial armies, the Empire turns their attention deeper into the Mallum. They entrust the defence of the southern marshes to their [[Axos|Axou]] allies. The ''Shield of Ipotavo'' is still stationed at the Tower of the Skink, in the sodden marshes of the [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]]. Imperial magicians have even laid an enchantment over the [[fortification]], to help the Axou raise their garrison there. It is slow going, however, and the chaos in the newly Urizen territory offers them little opportunity to catch their breath.

The Axou soldiers stationed at the Tower of the Skink have been ordered to remain behind the walls. There are less than three hundred of them, now they have had an [[opportunity]] to assess the threats in the north it is clear they will be slaughtered with nothing show for it. Discretion appears to be the better part of valour, for now at least. The [[Fortification#Bastion|bastion]] can defend the Axou within its walls, although a message goes out to the small number of Urizen establishing spires in the territory offering them sanctuary within the walls of the citadel if they desire it. The Tower, mighty as it is, can do nothing to face down the Druj insurgents gathering in the corners of the territory, to contain the Winter ghouls rippling slowly outward from the Fens of Varreth, or to deal with the tormented spirits unleashed by Het Trakaa. Instead, the defence of the northern Sarangrave falls to the Shield of Ipotavo.

The [[Senate]] has chosen to accede to the [[Seeds_of_discord#Armies_of_the_Dead|request]] that the Axou military be granted [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Permit_Axos_Movement_in_Sarangrave|freedom of movement and engagement]] within the borders of the Sarangrave. There is some uncertainty as to whether this applies to [[army|armies]] or only to the garrison of the Skink, however. When the Shield of Ipotavo mobilises and begin to move north they claim the [[Ambassador to Axos]] has given them leave to do so and there is little interest amongst Imperial citizens in the Turan Flats or in [[Sarangrave#Kroll|Kroll]] in challenging them on this matter.

Ipotavo's forces move cautiously. The [[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Agema]] are at the forefront, clad in their traditional neatly-cut leathers, armed with crescent shield and the long, thin sword favoured by these heavy skirmishers. Behind them comes a solid corps of sable-robed ''necromantia'', magicians versed in realm lore and battlefield magic alike. There is a noticeable absence of any of [[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Tavos Ageli]] - the porcelain masked immortal warriors that reek of death - choosing to leave them behind in the Tower of the Skink. If they bear any enchantment, it is subtle enough that it is not apparent to the Urizen in a position to mark the army's passage.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Agramant.jpg|caption=The husks in Sarangrave are inhabited by Winter spirits drawn to the mortal realm with the aid of the ''King of the Feast''.|align=right|width=200}}</div>
As they reach the Turan Flats, the husks are already feasting. When they are not encased in dead flesh, the spirits are all but invisible. As such it is very hard to get a feel for exact numbers, but the ''necromantia'' will later estimate their number at some two thousand ravenous beasts of the Winter realm. All of them have found hosts, not least due to the glut of bodies left behind on the Fens of Varreth. Human or orc, Druj or Imperial, soldier or support, it matters nothing to these anthropophagous ghouls what remains; they allow them to touch the mortal world. The husks that have been inhabited the longest bear little resemblance to the person they once were; their mouths jut with fangs, their fingers end in razor-sharp talons. In some cases, their stolen bodies have become stretched and warped by the influence of the spirit within them, and some are clearly as comfortable running on all fours like beasts as they are on two

At first the Shield face only small bands of husks, easily dispatched, but each day their numbers grow greater. The ''necromantia'' can weaken the spirits, and if they can trap a husk, they can try to bind its spirit and force it back whence it came, but the odds are against them. Taking one of these horrors "alive" is no easy matter, given they must often be chopped limb-from-limb to stop them trying to kill anyone who comes near them. The magicians of Axos establish a small number of [[Hold Back Frozen Hunger|warded]] camps, marked with smooth posts of polished weirwood topped with the brooding face of the legendary sorcerer-king Ipotavo themselves. The predatory corpses avoid these encampments, but prowl around their outskirts at night looking for anyone foolish enough to step beyond their bounds.

The best the Shield of Ipotavo can achieve is to stop the Winter husks utterly overwhelming the people of the Turan Flats. They focus their efforts on ensuring the paltry few newborn Urizen [[spire|spires]] are safe, but there are still large numbers of former Druj slaves here. They have mostly been left to scavenge the war-torn farms as best they can. These folk are almost exclusively orcs and they flee when the Axou approach, terrified that they are here to kill them. They flee the tormented souls that roam the region. They flee the marrow-suckers that would prey on them. They even flee the Urizen who try to reach out to them. The tyrants of the Mallum may be gone, but their legacy lives on in the fear that dominates the lives of so many of these people.

The Axou strategy is to deal with the spirits and their husks where they can, but they avoid forcing a major engagement. They prevent the creatures from overrunning any of the slave villages or spires that dot the plains, and delay the spread of the spirits into Kroll for six weeks or so, but their main focus appears to be on making sure that [[Army orders#Give Ground|their soldiers' lives are preserved]]. The Axou have a particular fear of death [[Axos#Axou_Religious_Beliefs|believing]] it puts them into the hands of the Creator they hate and despise; that fear of death drives their strategy.

As the Autumn Equinox approaches, it is apparent to Imperial observers that the Shield intends to fall back toward the Tower of the Skink. Their tactics mean that they have significantly reduced their potential losses to the ghouls of Turan, but every one who fell is a potential pawn for the cruel spirits that still swarm and seethe in the northern marshes.
{{CaptionedImage|file=IrrahHurrah002a.png|align=right|width=250}}
==Shadow of Hunger==
While there is fighting in the north, the rest of Sarangrave is no more peaceful. There are significant numbers of refugees in [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]] - the former inhabitants of Thornfen exiled by the Axou. The number of former slaves here has swollen to unmanageable proportions. The [[statement of principle]] of the Urizen assembly urging the few spires in Sarangrave to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_97|welcome]] the orcs has done nothing to reduce the scale of this problem. The former slaves do their best to avoid the Imperials entirely, and there are many more of them in Whisperwood than there are Urizen in the entire territory. These displaced folk have joined with the mass who were once the thralls of the Thornwasp sept in '''Uklead''' and the eastern forest-farms. Winter is approaching, and those in a position to see the scale of the problem first-hand predict that the coming months will not be kind to these folk. Cold will likely not be a major factor; a bigger issue is going to be food and shelter from the winter rains. If nothing is done it is likely hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of deaths will take place and leaving aside questions of empathy or sympathy, it is rarely a good idea to leave fresh bodies lying around when there are Winter spirits looking for new hosts.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj6.jpg|align=right|width=200}}
Whisperwood is the worst, but there are folk in [[Sarangrave#Bloodwater Marsh|Bloodwater Marsh]], the Flats, and even the lakelands of Kroll who are likewise in a parlous position. The Druj left few supplies behind when they retreated, even being so spiteful as to befoul and destroy what they could not carry. There are farms here, and there are people working them, but their industry is haphazard and uncertain as their future. The Bloodwater Spears have reached out to the orcs in their former homeland to the south, and others have sent messengers to the Turan Forest. The heralds and mortal friends of [[Irra Harah|Shacklebreaker]] have reached further afield - there are reports of a few being spotted speaking with the refugees in Whisperwood - but the rebels have little enough aid to offer to those who shared their durance under the Druj. It is hard not to imagine that a catastrophe is approaching in the Sarangrave. How many people have been freed from the shackles of the Druj, only to die before the year turns again?

If it was just these refugees and exiles that were the problem in Sarangrave it would be bad enough but there is more. There are still Druj in Sarangrave. They gather and regroup in the hidden corners of the territory, in old tunnels dug beneath dry ground, in the depths of the woods and the marshes. Some have even apparently taken up residence in Bendol, within the bounds of the vallorn of Béantal Dol, using lessons learned in Therunin and Brocéliande to build a kind of [[steading]] of their own. Even the other Druj consider those Druj mad.

Worse still, there are Druj hiding in plain sight. Soldiers of the Marshlizard and the Poison Crane, warriors who once served in the garrison of the Tower, concealing their true identity among the very survivors and exiles that strive desperately to survive in the face of the coming Winter. There is little chance that they will be content to stay in hiding - and while they may not be organised enough to threaten the Tower of the Skink the same cannot be said of the farms, and the villages, and the bands of displaced, and the spires brave enough to try and raise themselves in this chaotic land where peace is oh-so-far away.

==Game Information==
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Regions of Sarangrave.png|caption=Sarangrave is mapped, but parts of the territory remain unknown.|align=left|width=600}}</div>
===Sarangrave===
* '''The fallout from the battle during the Summer Solstice continues to be felt
* '''The Winter Spirits in Turan and Kroll will continue to rampage as long as those regions have the ''tormented'' quality
Sarangrave is an Imperial territory, and part of Urizen, but the Nesustak Forest is controlled by the eponymous rebels, Thornfen is under the jurisdiction of Axos, and the central region of Bendol is a vallornheart. If the Empire loses control of any region of Sarangrave, they will lose control of the territory.

Several regions of Sarangrave have gained qualities reflecting the presence of tormented spirits, [[inhabitants of the realms]], and Druj guerrillas left from the collapse of the Marshlizard and the Banded Snake septs. The details of these qualities are discussed in more depth in the {{TBC}} wind of fortune.

The Shield of Ipotavo prevented the Winter spirits doing any significant damage in Turan Flats this season, but they took significant casualties in the fighting. Their efforts have not depleted the forces terrorising those regions.

Thornfen and the fortification known as the Tower of the Skink are controlled by the Axou. Imperial forces are free to move through those regions but Axos could withdraw this right whenever they wished. The Civil Service estimate that thanks to six months of magical enchantments placed by the magicians of Urizen, the garrison of the massive Tower is likely to stand at around 500 soldiers.

The Empire has limited ability to move through the Nesustak Forest. At the moment, the rebels there are not minded to prevent Imperial forces doing so given the protection the Empire's armies have provided over the last six months. Again, this could change at any moment, should the Nesustak rebels choose to do so.

==Conjunctions==
===Older, More Weathered===
* '''Something is drawing husks near to an Urizeni outpost'''
* '''Druj remnants have been spotted in the area'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Senator for Sarangrave'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for destroying the column'''
* '''Any combatant that falls in battle, either Druj or Imperial, will rise again as a shambling husk'''
* '''This <u>does not</u> apply if you reach the end of your death count whilst in Anvil'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The few Urizeni settlers in the Turan Flats have reported large numbers of Winter husks gathering in nearby Tercia's Bluff. They seem to be being drawn there by a magical stone column, suggested by some to be a partially complete miasma pillar. A Druj warband, remnants of the Hidden Snake, has been spotted moving toward the area. It seems likely they intend to corral and direct the husks to inflict damage on the nearby spires.

In addition to the bodies of Druj and Imperial soldiers, several of the husks have been identified by scouts as fallen heroes from the Battle of the Fens of Varreth last season, which lies only a few miles from Tercia's Bluff. There is no possibility of saving these people; they are dead bodies being animated by the spirits of Winter, but their friends and family may appreciate the opportunity to execute the creature and allow their body to rest.

The stone will continue to draw more husks to it if left intact. Even if the Druj are driven off, such a mass of husks represents a major risk to the nearby spires. The [[Sarangrave#Recent Senate elections|Senator for Sarangrave]], '''Bartimaeus''', is responsible for destroying the column. It may be destroyed by a casting of [[Words of Ending]] at magnitude 16, or else by the methods normally used to remove miasma pillars ([[Dreadful Ending]], [[Chimes of Annulment]] or a consecration performed with the strength of eight priests). If the column is not destroyed, then Turan Flats will gain the Underpopulated quality as a force of husks destroys the burgeoning spires.

<box>'''Echoes of the Abominable One'''
Any participant - either playing an Imperial or monstering as a Druj - who reaches the end of their death count (normally three minutes) can choose to immediately rise again as a Winter husk, instead of becoming terminal. At this point, the character is dead. In addition, you:
* Regain all of your lost hits and ruined limbs are restored
* Move as a slow, shambling corpse, staggering towards and attacking the nearest living creature
* Are unable to use heroic or magical calls
* Cannot activate magical items or ritual enchantments
* Can only vocalise a low unearthly moan
* Are destroyed by a successful CLEAVE or IMPALE blow, or when you next reach zero hit points

Winter husks cannot ''grapple'' with other participants under any circumstances - you must only attack other characters with a weapon-safe latex weapon.

The only way to prevent this occurring is if the individual is executed before they reach the end of their death count.</box>

===A Practised Grin===
* '''Former subjects of the Druj have been captured by a warband, they were trying to reach Nesustak Forest to join the septs there'''
* '''One of them may be a Druj Tepel in disguise. They would wreak havoc on the septs if allowed to reach them'''
* '''The ''Imperial Spymaster'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for identifying and executing the Druj spy'''
{{InnocentPeoplePresent}}
Many orcs have been ejected from the region of Thornfen since Axos took control of it. Some have moved into neighbouring Urizen regions, some have gone into hiding, and some have attempted to flee to the Nesustak Forest, where the rebel septs are based. Survivors of one such effort have been captured by a Druj warband, remnants of the ''Poison Crane''. The area is infested with many husks released by the collapse of the ''Crane'' which the Druj warband are attempting to bend to their will.

Scouts report that amongst the group is a Druj Tepel in disguise as one of the refugees. If they are able to safely reach the camps further into the Nesustak Forest, then who knows what havoc they might wreak. It is certain to have a negative effect on Imperial efforts to work with the septs, at the very least. It will be difficult to identify the Druj infiltrator in the tight timescales allowed by the conjunction, but the magistrates advise that killing all of the prisoners would constitute [[List of Criminal Offences|murder]]. Anyone executing a prisoner on this conjunction must be confident that they are the Druj, or else have a strong [[Member of the Synod#Clemency|clemency defence]] at the ready.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]], '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', is responsible for uncovering the identity of the Druj spy and executing them, whilst protecting the group from the oncoming horde of Winter husks.

==Further Reading==
* [[Sarangrave]]
* [[Thorn and bone]] - Summer 388YE wind of war on the defence against the vallorn and repulsing the Druj
* [[Other monstrous geographies]] - Spring 388YE wind of war on the conquest of Thornfen and the unleashing of the vallorn
* [[Fire and the flood]] - Winter 387YE wind of war continuing the campaign in Sarangrave
* [[Everything is trying to kill us]] - Winter 387YE wind of fortune with the broad problems facing Urizen in the territory
* [[Even darkness must pass]] - Autumn 387YE wind of war continuing the campaign in Sarangrave
* [[Hope and fear]] - Summer 387YE appraisal of Druj military supply
* [[Root and branch]] - Summer 387YE wind of war continuing the invasion of Sarangrave
* [[Unlock thy hidden gate]] - Spring 387YE wind of war about the initial invasion of Sarangrave
* [[Into Béantal Dol]] - Spring 386YE results of a foray into Bendol to explore the vallorn there
* [[Make it happen]] - Summer 384YE wind of fortune regarding [[appraisal]] of the chances of creating an uprising in Sarangrave using the [[spy network]] there

388YE Autumn Equinox winds of fortune

2026-09-08T21:33:23Z

GuiltyConscience: /* It's All Wrong, But It's All Right */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Lights in the Dark.jpg|align=left|caption=Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. |width=2000}}</div>
==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! Wind of Fortune !! Order Released !! Last Updated || Note
|-
| [[The wolves tempt you]] || 1 || data-sort-value="2026/08/15"| 15/08 || Imperial Address
|-
| [[Dream on]] || 2 || data-sort-value="2026/08/17"| 17/08 || Seren
|-
| [[Come together]] || 3 || data-sort-value="2026/08/17"| 17/08 || Apothecary college
|-
| [[Fair share of labour]] || 4 || data-sort-value="2026/08/19"| 19/08 || Artisans Guild
|-
| [[Hidden inventory]] || 5 || data-sort-value="2026/08/29"| 29/08 || Banner-bearers
|-
| [[A fork in the path]] || 6 || data-sort-value="2026/08/27"| 27/08 || Mystics
|-
| [[Outreach across the marshes]] || 7 || data-sort-value="2026/08/27"| 27/08 || Sand Fishers & League highest calling
|-
| [[Stand proud, you're strong]] || 8 || data-sort-value="2026/08/27"| 27/08 || Brass Coast highest calling
|-
| [[Here you come again]] || 9 || data-sort-value="2026/08/31"| 06/09 || Plenipotentiary
|-
| [[Accomplices]] || 10 || data-sort-value="2026/09/04"| 04/09 || Agramant is still in Therunin
|-
| [[Metamorphosis]] || 11 || data-sort-value="2026/09/04"| 04/09 || Dealing with Kroll
|-
| [[Out of these convertites]] || 12 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || League visit to the Marches
|-
| [[Goodwill]] || 13 || data-sort-value="2026/09/05"| 05/09 || Dawn, Navarr, Highguard, Vallornguard
|-
| [[Not from the benevolence]] || 14 || data-sort-value="2026/09/05"| 05/09 || Offers from Ephisis
|-
| [[Wayfaring strangers]] || 15 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || Visitors
|-
| [[Value beneath the mountain]] || 16 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || Kespoena's Reach
|-
| [[Domain expansion]] || 17 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || Imperial Breadbasket
|-
| [[Islands in the dream]] || 18 || data-sort-value="2026/09/08"| 08/09 || Imperial Orc Highest Calling
|-
| [[Shadowed boughs of twilight]] || 19 || data-sort-value="2026/09/08"| 08/09 || Ossium
|-
| [[When something is lost]] || 20 || data-sort-value="2026/09/08"| 08/09 || Madruga
|-
| [[A friend like you]] || 21 || data-sort-value="2026/09/08"| 08/09 || Eternal Winds of Magic
|-
|}</div>
Over the past three months, events have taken place which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. These are the winds of fortune, counterparts to the winds of war that detail the Empire's military campaigns. They lay out situations and usually include things that characters can do to take advantage of [[opportunity|opportunities]] or to resolve problems. In almost every case, they start with a piece of flavour text. This fiction helps introduce the wind of fortune or draws out a particular theme or element. Often, it represents a viewpoint that one or more NPCs might have in-character. In all cases, these pieces are intended to help create an atmosphere and provide a little entertainment. Where they contain opinions, those are the opinions of the fictional people depicted - and where they contain information or rumours, the assumption is that the reader will create their own context for that information or gossip if they want to use it in character.

The body of the wind of fortune describes situations and lays out ways players can engage with them. Except where we explicitly talk about something being "rumoured" or use a phrase like "some might say..." the details of a wind of fortune are factual. They represent briefing material presented by the civil service or similar authoritative sources and represent something the average educated citizen would acknowledge as a reliable truth. Unless we specify otherwise, we're also being as thorough as possible. This information doesn't need further checking in-character. It's not an opinion, and we're not trying to trick you.
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:350px; float: left; margin: 10px;"
|-
! Nation !! Diplomacy Wind
|-
| General Diplomacy || [[So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavea]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Asavean_Archipelago|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Axos]] || [[Those_memories_of_you#Axos|Those memories of you]]
|-
| [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] || [[All I can do]]
|-
| [[Commonwealth]] || [[If_we_never_meet_again#Commonwealth|If we never meet again]]
|-
| [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Marracossa]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Marracossa|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Faraden]] || [[It%27s_all_wrong,_but_it%27s_all_right#Faraden|It's all wrong, but it's all right]]
|-
| [[Grendel]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Grendel|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Iron Confederacy]] || [[It%27s_all_wrong,_but_it%27s_all_right#Iron Confederacy|It's all wrong, but it's all right]]
|-
| [[Otkodov]] || [[The little things]]
|-
| [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] || [[If_we_never_meet_again#Principalities_of_Jarm|If we never meet again]]
|-
| [[Sarcophan Delves]] || [[Those_memories_of_you#Sarcophan Delves|Those memories of you]]
|-
| [[Sumaah Republic]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Sumaah_Republic|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
|}

As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of Fortune is to maintain the illusion of the Empire as a living, breathing place where things happen - and to make players aware of things their characters could know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months. It's perfectly acceptable to turn up to Empire having read only a few Winds of Fortune that directly interest your character; part of the fun on the field can come from learning about situations and opportunities in other parts of the game.
__TOC__
In each case, we've tried to tag the Winds of Fortune entry with the nations or political bodies to which it is most relevant. We've done this to help people who are interested only in events that are especially relevant to them. In no way are these tags intended to be exhaustive; the Empire is a complex place, and very little happens in isolation. We are also adding the dates that they were last updated (other than typos and correcting [[red links]]) in an attempt to make it easier to keep track of the newest releases.

==Winds of Fortune==
===The Wolves Tempt You (Imperial Address)===
* '''Imperial citizens; Navarr;'''
[[Emperor Vesna]] has used their power to [[The_Throne#Address_the_Empire|address the Empire]] to present a personal reminder to all citizens that the road to salvation is hard, but everyone is walking it together.

The message has been distributed across the Empire by the civil service, and you can read it in the '''[[The wolves tempt you]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:left; width: 150px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Navarr.png|align=left|width=150}}</div>
===Dream On===
* '''Navarr'''
In [[Miaren]], [[Miaren#Seren|Seren]] is now become the ''City of Dreams'' in truth. People with hopes and aspirations, with the imagination to perceive what is needed to achieve them and the determination to try, have flocked to Miaren. With the completion of the Temple of the Waking Dream, the [[dreamspeaker]] calling has coalesced as a distinct [[archetype]] among the [[Navarr]] people, one dedicated to making dreams become reality. This has perhaps predictably amplified arguments about what exactly that means, and which dreams should be pursued, and how.

You can learn about competing arguments, and the changes to the city of Seren, in the '''[[Dream on]]''' wind of fortune.
===Come Together===
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=100}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Apothecaries Guild.png|align=right|width=150}}
* '''Imperial Apothecaries Guild; Navarr; Benefactor of High Chalcis; Highguard, the League, Imperial Orcs, and Varushka; Senate
When [[Therunin]] fell to the [[Druj]] [[Thornsinger#Thornsong_House|Thornsong House]] was lost. Despite the valiant efforts of the Navarr and the aid of [[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]], the college of herb mastery could not be saved. While the house itself burned, many of those who studied there were able to escape to the safety of [[Reikos]]. Some stayed behind on [[Reikos#Chalcis Mount|Chalcis Mount]], but others chose to put as much distance between themselves and the horrors of the Druj as possible. Drawn to the Temple of the Waking Dream, some of these apothecaries and physicks have taken the path of the dreamspeaker themselves, and inspired by the City of Dreams, they have put their ambition to rebuild what was lost into words.

A proposal for a new college of the apothecary arts, and ways various nations may be involved, can be found in the '''[[Come together]]''' wind of fortune.
===Fair Share of Labour===
* '''Artisan's Guild; Throne; Senate; Artisans of all kinds; Golden Pyramid; Pride Assembly; Navarr; Guildmaster of the Artisans, Dean of Runesmith's Caution, Keeper of the Runegrott, Seer of the Spiral Sword, and potentially several other titles associated with magic item crafting'''
At the recent summit, [[Emperor Vesna]], requested that the [[Scrutiny#Constitutional_Court|Constitutional Court]] [[Forever_is_composed_of_nows#The_Abraham_Gambit|appraise the implications]] of a new [[Imperial sodality]], the ''Imperial Guild of Artisans''. The Artisans Guild has technically been in existence for some time, with the Senate [[Construct_Guildhouse_of_the_Artisans|ordering the construction of Guildhouse]] in 385YE, creating the position of [[Guildmaster of the Artisans]]. Now the Senate is in a position to consider the full implications of making the Guild into an official Imperial sodality.

You can learn more about the potential Imperial Sodality, as well as proposals from some people very excited by the opportunity it represents, in the '''[[Fair share of labour]]''' wind of fortune.
===Hidden Inventory===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cat's Graces Sodality.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBWintermark.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
* '''Wintermark, especially banner bearers; Cat's Graces; Minister of Historical Research; Mediator of Hyljehal; Senate
When the tides of fate seem to turn against the Empire, to be able to look and see over the battle lines, the colours of your warband or your nation still [[Pride|Proudly]] flying can help to rally the [[Courage]] and turn the tide. In [[Wintermark]] the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#Banner-bearers|position of banner-bearer]] is seen as vital to the success of any battle. [[Empress Britta]] was a banner-bearer, and bore [[Three Tears|Foe-Slayer]], the legendary war-banner of [[Emperor Guntherm]] onto the field. The great flag was lost when Britta died and it has been near two decades since Wintermark could bear its equal into battle. The artisans and craftspeople of [[Hahnmark#Runegrott|Runegrott]] have a proposal to try to remedy this shortfall, involving the construction of a grand [[edifice]] to house banners and paintings of the great banners of the Empire as well as the creation of a new [[Magic_items#Artefacts|artefact]] [[:Category:Magic Standards|banner]] for Wintermark.

You can read more about this plan, and learn a little of the mighty banner Foe-Slayer, in the '''[[Hidden inventory]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=KallevesiMystic.jpg|align=right|width=200}}
===A Fork in the Path===
* '''Wintermark, especially the Mystics; Raven Seer of Ishal; would-be champions; Keeper of Oaths; friends of Sung
The [[mystic|Mystics]] of Ishal sought to work more closely with the wider nation of Wintermark. They have since decided [[Flight_of_birds#The_Witan|to approach the Witan]] directly, and do what they can to support the goals of the nation itself. The decision to help with the [[Warriors' Gate|exploration of Tsirku]] has made it impossible for the Mystics of Ishal to offer their usual council and support to the [[Raven Seer]] and to that end they have made several changes to the Aviary, and to the support they offer the Raven Seer and the nation. At the same time, there has been a great deal of discussion of the [[Crown of Three Tears]] and the role of the ''Champion of Wintermark'' within the nation - the appointment of who has traditionally been the responsibility of the mystics.

You can read about the changes at Ishal, and the situation of the Crown of Three Tears, in the '''[[A fork in the path]]''' wind of fortune.
===Outreach Across the Marshes===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly League.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
* '''The League, especially the Bishops and Princes; Merchant Prince of Misericorde Market; Senate
[[The League]] Assembly [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_57|has declared]] that their [[The_highest_calling#The_Highest_Calling|highest calling]] is to bring new peoples to join the Empire. A Virtuous endeavour to be sure, but even the League cannot move the whole world at once. To be effective the nation needs to [[Any_dream_will_do#Partners_within|focus their efforts]] on one group at a time. Diplomacy is a complicated matter, so they also need to decide who among them would be best to take the lead with each such group. This past season the Princes of the League have reached out to the [[Holberg#Misericorde|Sand Fishers]] of [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]], the [[orc|orcs]] who once lived on the southern shores of [[Ossium]] as slaves of the [[Druj]] but who have found a new lease of life on the northern shores of [[Holberg]].

Ultimately, the egregore decides who can or cannot join a nation - the nature of the bond is that it can only be formed with someone an egregores recognises as having the potential to be a member of the nation. But the League has already embraced the Apulian Orcs, why not the Holberg Orcs as well?

You can read about how the outreach is going, and what it might take to bring the Sand Fishers into the Empire, in the '''[[Outreach across the marshes]]''' wind of fortune.
===Stand Proud, You're Strong===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
* '''The Brass Coast, especially the Freeborn assembly;
After several seasons of deliberation (and funding a [[Construct_City_of_Wonders|whole new city]]), the Freeborn National Assembly has decided that the [[the highest calling|highest calling]] of their people should be on defending their lands. The sentiment resonates with people across [[the Brass Coast]]. It was not long ago that both [[Madruga]] and [[Feroz]] fell under barbarian control, [[Kahraman]] has faced constant invasion from the Lasambrians over the past few years and [[Segura]] has only recently enjoyed a prolonged period of quiet after nearly two decades of constant warfare. Is it a surprise that the people of the Brass coast feel a little vulnerable, given recent history?

There is so much work that could be done, people are at a loss to know where to start. The Assembly will have to consider the options carefully - they have a year to take advantage of the nation's highest calling, but that won't be enough time to pursue every possibility raised by a people as inventive as the Freeborn...

You can find out how the nation can begin to defend its lands, and the proposals put forward toward that aim, in the '''[[Stand proud, you're strong]]''' wind of fortune.
===Here You Come Again (Plenipotentiary)===
* '''Imperial Conclave; magicians; Synod; Brass Coast especially Sutannir; ''Alazhar i Taziel i Erigo'', ''Velasco i Guerra'', the Imperial Warcaster; Marcher beaters, Unshackled thief-takers, Varushkan wardens; ''Berilo i Erigo''; ''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka'' and some dead generals'''
* This wind was updated on 06/09/2026 to add some additional paragraphs to the end of the [[Here_you_come_again#End_of_Empire|End of Empire]] section
Each [[archmage]] is empowered to send a [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] message to a single [[eternal]] of their [[Realms|realm]] each season. Bound to respond, the recipients are however free to choose precisely what form that response takes. Following the Summer Solstice, six eternals have responded to what are presumed to be missives from the respective archmages. Some have agreed to [[archmage#Parley|parley]], but not all of them.

You can find out about the eternals, and the nature of their responses, in the '''[[Here you come again]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 175px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=BarienArt.jpg|align=right|width=175}}</div>

===Arrows and Clay (Challenge)===
* '''Challengers of the Iron Duke'''
Each season, the eternal ''[[Barien]]'' presents opportunities to those prepared to [[Challenge the Iron Duke]]. For the Autumn Equinox he offers two challenges: a game of speed and grace, and a game of creativity and imagination. As ever, the rules of the ritual apply. Each person who receives the ritual will be ''guaranteed'' entry to a challenge. Depending on the challenge, they ''may'' be able to bring a certain number of attendants with them to assist. The exact number will depend on the nature of the challenge and the number of challengers. The [[civil service]] will publish exact numbers in [[Anvil#The_Hub|the Hub]] on Saturday morning for all to see.

You can find details of the challenges issued by Barien this season in the '''[[Arrows and clay]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 175px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|align=right|width=175}}</div>
===Accomplices===
* '''Navarr; Military Council; Military unit captains; ''Eskah Swift Hart, Vosjuli Cherenkov, Towlen Nighthaven'' and ''Mirella of the Twisted Rose'''''
Another season, another message from [[Agramant]], delivered by his heralds from the depths of [[Therunin]]. The eternal's efforts were roundly refuted last season, with the [[Golden Axe]] reclaiming Lower Tarn Valley. This season, Twigsnapper has a much more pointed offer to make to aid the reconquest of Therunin.

You can find out what Agramant and his heralds are up to in the '''[[Accomplices]]''' wind of fortune.

<div style="float:left; width: 175px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBUrizen.jpg|align=right|width=175}}</div>
===Metamorphosis===
* '''Urizen, particularly the captains of military units or residents of Sarangrave; Keeper of the Breadbasket and farm owners of the Marches; Imperial Consul; ''Frith, Ser Guy of the Twisted Rose, Fausta Ankarien,'' and people interested in the rebel septs; ''Solas of the Spire of the First Light'' and the Warmage'''
It has been a tumultuous time in the Sarangrave. First the Druj, then the vallorn, and now husks. All while the Empire has been endeavouring to make diplomatic inroads with the rebels of Nesustak Forest. Sadly, troubles abound; the eviction of so many from Thornfen by the Axou has raised the spectre of famine in the territory. And now the Druj scattered through the territory, alongside the rampaging husks, threaten to raise a third dark spectre - the beast that lurks beneath the waters of the Sarangrave, the dark and terrible Kroll.

You can find out what's happening in Sarangrave this season in the '''[[Metamorphosis]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly General.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
===A Little at a Time===
* '''Members of the Synod, especially Cardinals; Members of the Senate; Members of the Vallornguard and people interested in the fate of Pilgrim's Defiance'''
Last season, eight judgements of [[proscription]] were raised, and half of them were upheld by the General Assembly. Similar to their previous efforts, the [[Scrutiny#Constitutional_Court|Constitutional Court]] has asked the civil service to publish not just guidance on the outcome of these proscriptions, but also details from the minutes of their discussions in the hopes of providing clarity to interested citizens. This includes detailed guidance on the three changes to religious law enacted by the Senate.

You can find out the outcome of the Constitutional Court's meeting on the proscriptions and changes to religious law last season, in the '''[[A little at a time]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly League.png|align=right|width=150}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Marcher.png|align=right|width=150}}
===Out of These Convertites===
* '''The League, particularly orcs and members of the Synod; The Marches; People with an interest in foot-the-ball or duelling'''
* This wind was updated on 07/09/2026 to change the time of the [[Out_of_these_convertites#And_So_Am_Come_Abroad|Am So Am Come Abroad]] encounter to 18:30 on Saturday
Last season, the [[The League|League]] and [[The Marches|Marcher]] Assemblies both passed statements of principle encouraging a pilgrimage of Apulian orcs and League members of the Synod to the [[Mournwold]]. Citizens from all five cities of the League have taken up the call to travel, and the orcs of the Mourn have welcomed them with open arms and farm tools. It's not just the harvest that's discussed, but ancestors and sports.

You can find out what happened when the League visited the Marches this season in the '''[[Out of these convertites]]''' wind of fortune.

===Goodwill===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Vallornguard sodality.png|title=Vallornguard|align=right|width=100}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Dawn.png||align=right|width=180}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Highborn.png||align=right|width=150}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Navarr.png||align=right|width=150}}
* '''Dawn, Navarr; Highguard; Vallornguard'''
Two nations have chosen to use their [[The highest calling|highest calling]] to focus their people on the coming final war against the [[vallorn]]. The [[Dawn|Dawnish]] are developing the skills and resources to prepare themselves, while [[Navarr]] are looking for ways to support the nascent [[Vallornguard]] by sharing centuries of accumulated wisdom with other nations. Surprising progress has been made: the Dawnish have chosen to [[Love_and_monsters#Unicorns|throw open the doors of Greenwood Manor]] to all comers. The Navarr have spent the last year offering their unique expertise to their Imperial cousins, their eye turned at last to their allies in [[Highguard]]. Even the denizens of the [[eternal]] [[realms]] have heard the call to war, and have been encouraged to offer their aid as the Empire prepares for the war that will, if it is successful, bring to an end the Doom of Terunael.

You can find out about the highest callings of Navarr and Dawn, and the opportunities they provide, in the '''[[Goodwill]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Ephisis.jpg|align=left|width=300}}</div>
===Not From the Benevolence===
* '''Entrepreneurs and traders; Members of the Senate, particularly the Senators for Reikos and Bastion; People interested in contracts available, particularly ''Dorys Delgorokov'', ''Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo'' and ''Terentia of Sarangrave Reforged''; Citizens of Kallavesa, the Barrens, and Hercynia; and the ''Freeborn Flame Cartel'''''
Following the relative success of the new scheme to offer large contracts for fulfilment, the heralds of the [[Ephisis|Sovereign Lady of the City of Gold and Lead]] have returned with new offers for the coming summit. As always, the [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] will set up shop in the [[Hall of Worlds]] on the final day of the summit, where they will look to settle any sales offered to the City via the [[Ephisis' Scale]] ritual.

You can learn about the offer for a fortification, the contracts available from the City of Gold and Lead, and the counting houses requested by the Conclave, in the '''[[Not from the benevolence]]''' wind of fortune.

===Wayfaring Strangers (Visitors)===
* '''Senators for Tassato and Holberg, and the League Assembly; Envoy to the Karass; Magpies;'''
* <span style="color:#0000FF">'''In Progress - This Wind of Fortune will be updated in the run-up to the event with additional content; we'll remove this marker when the last information goes on it.</span>
People visit Anvil for all kinds of reasons. Trade, wonderment, and a chance to meet with the movers and shakers of the Empire. It is no surprise that Anvil is seen as the place to be if you want to get anything of importance done.

You can find out more about some of the folk coming to Anvil this season in the '''[[Wayfaring strangers]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ArgentSword_Colour.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
===Value Beneath the Mountain===
* '''General of the Argent Sword; ''Kespoena Archsky''; Members of the Senate and those able to announce commissions; people who like mithril; ''Herminius of the House of the Wanderer''; Architect of Illumination; Gardener of Pallas; Arbiter of the Four Winds; Oblivion Sentinel; and people who like the idea of fighting in caves'''
Almost eighteen months ago, an arcane projection raised Kespoena's Reach (formerly known as Mount Polus) to be the highest mountain in the Empire. This, unexpectedly, led to a crevasse opening at the base of the mountain. Last season, the [[Argent Sword|General of the Argent Sword]], '''Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer''', ordered the heralds of her army to "''sniff out the value beneath the mountain''".

You can find out what they found, and what lies beneath Kespoena's Reach, in the '''[[Value beneath the mountain]]''' wind of fortune.
===Domain Expansion===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Marcher.png|width=150|align=right}}
* '''The Marches; Imperial Orcs; Senate and Military Council; Singing Caves seat; and Quartermaster of the Imperial Armies; Imperial diviners and cartographers; anyone with an interest in Liathaven/Ashvale'''
While other nations struggle on, the [[the Marches|Marchers]] have got their harvest in. Their assembly has completed their [[The highest calling#Highest calling|highest calling]] and successfully [[Expand_Breadbasket_into_Mournwold|expanded]] the [[The_Marches_economic_interests#The_Imperial_Breadbasket|Imperial Breadbasket]] into [[Mournwold]]. There's no time for rest however... as ever Marcher knows, the reward for a good job is more work. Keen not to let the grass grow under anyone's feet, Marchers look to make good use of the remaining time now the Breadbasket is properly sorted. There are a few ideas knocking around about what Marchers could be doing next, as a tidal wave of Imperial Steel sweeps through [[Mitwold]] and into [[Bregasland]] - time to build on that success. After-all - you don't own it unless you can defend it...

You can learn about suggestions for how the Marches can own and defend land, and a mildly irritating development with a former Imperial territory, in the '''[[Domain expansion]]''' wind of fortune.
===Islands in the Dream===
<div style="float: right; max-width: 150px; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:Illarawm.png]]</div>
* '''Imperial Orcs, Varushka, Highguard; Military Council'''
Bloodcrow Knott declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], and at the Summer Solstice, Bloodcrow Meep was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]] in eastern [[Ossium]]. This time the [[orc|orcs]] have additional support in the form of advisors from [[Varushka]] and [[Highguard]] familiar with the sept, who helped arm and train the orcs to fight the [[Druj]] a few years back. The delegation of [[shamans]] and [[Illarawm|mystagogues]] braves the haunted woods and finds a guarded welcome, some mystical beliefs about spirits, and another dilemma for the Empire...

You can learn about the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, their spiritual beliefs, and their pressing concerns, in the '''[[Islands in the dream]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBVarushka.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
===Shadowed Boughs of Twilight===
* '''Citizens of Ossium, Navarr and Varushkan alike; Ossium forest owners; Senate, Military Council; Varushkan and Dawnish military units; Grieftender of the Forgotten, Map to the City Below, Singer of Silence, Ceslev of the Circle of ZUlgan Tash; People who like having a fortification in Ossium; Apothecary of Orieb; people angry about idolatry; Agramant watchers; Watcher of the Semmerlak; Guardian of the Maze of Zoria; Dedicates of Wisdom; Ambassador to Otkodov'''
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Alongside the Varushkans live a few scattered septs of [[orc|orcs]], while the [[Thule]] control the northern forests in uneasy alliance. For the last few years it has also been home to families of Navarr drawn by Awstin's Rest. After the Summer Solstice, though, magic drawn from the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] washes over the territory, bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of Night magic - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat mixed. Especially given the presence of the monsters that have been here since well before the Empire drove the Druj out, who still lurk in the depths of the wild forests.

You can learn about the effects the Night magic has had, on dreams and on the forest, as well as details about eternals and monsters, in the '''[[Shadowed boughs of twilight]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}
===When Something Is Lost===
* '''Inhabitants of Madruga; Generals of the Drakes and Star Forged; military units; Marcher folk; Conclave orders; Military Council; magicians interested in ill-advised experiments; Archmages of Night, Spring, and Winter; Stone Smith'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now it is something else, thanks in part to the transfiguration of its southern coast by magically-infused river waters. This is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises. After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga, bringing with it vibrant dreams of vanished forests and heralds of the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. At first it seemed to be just a gentle piece of [[Night magic]]... but as the Autumn got closer it became clear it had done more than just evoke dreams. Two Imperial armies were also in Madruga, busy claiming the wild marshes of the Siroc Bayou and Crucible for the Empire. ''One'' of these two armies has come back out of the marshes and the other one... has not.

You can learn about the gentle enchantment, and the disappearance of an entire Imperial army, in the '''[[When something is lost]]''' wind of fortune.

===A Friend Like You (Eternals)===
* '''Knight-protector of Summer; Captain of the Throne Guard; Dauntless Warrior; William Guildenstern'''
* <span style="color:#0000FF">'''In Progress - This Wind of Fortune will be updated in the run-up to the event with additional content; we'll remove this marker when the last information goes on it.</span>
Some magic comes from outside the Empire, from the creatures of the [[Realm|realms]], the [[eternal|eternals]] and their [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]]. Sometimes they have boons to offer, sometimes they have demands to make. Here we learn of the doings of the realms, with something that could be relevant to any number of folk, including some meetings, some odd opportunities, and eerie happenings.

You can learn about the doings of various eternals, and the repercussions of their former doings, in the '''[[A friend like you]]''' wind of fortune.

==Diplomatic Winds==
Each season, the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations. This is usually based on communications received from their ambassador, along with any useful intelligence gathered from other sources. While the [[Senate]] and the other houses of Imperial power may respond to these offers, it is important to note that it is the appropriate [[ambassador]] that the foreign power will expect to hear from. Their communication with the foreign power is the primary element that will determine the tenor of any response. While these winds revolve around international matters, their focus is still on the Empire and what its citizens can do to influence diplomatic matters, so they're as likely as any other wind to contain something of interest to characters from all walks of life.

===All I Can Do (Beoraidh)===
* '''Ambassador to Beoraidh; Cat's Graces; Benefactors Council; Steward of the Ossuary; Members of Senate; Apothecaries Guild; Regario Dossier'''
[[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] was once the stronghold of the [[Grendel]] ''Salt-Lord Ehsan'' and his supporters. When the Empire moved to invade Mareave, Ehsan declared independence and sued for peace with the Empire. The city itself and the neighbouring region of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]] are recognised as a neutral state by the Senate; a free port where both merchants of all nations are welcome. They actively seek investment from both Imperial and Grendel sources, and have allied themselves with the powerful [[Sarcophan Delves]]. One opportunity that has been under discussion for a while now is the creation of a temple dedicated to the Way, a monument to cooperation welcomed by the former Grendel. After the Summer Solstice it appears that some movement has been made towards making intention into reality.

You can learn about diplomatic relations with Beoraidh, and the opportunity to build a temple there, in the '''[[All I can do]]''' wind of fortune.

===It's All Wrong, But It's All Right===
* '''Ambassador to Faraden; Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy; Synod, Senate; fleet captains; Alder of Meade, Mediator of Fisk, Azure Sutannir, Cat's Graces; military unit commanders, especially mercenaries'''
The merchants of [[Faraden]] and the militarist [[Iron Confederacy]] lie to the west and south of the Empire respectively - to the west and south of [[the Brass Coast]] more specifically. Relations with the two nations have been tumultuous in the past but in the last year or two there has been a slow sanding-off of harsh edges. A feeling that lasting détente may be possible, although what it might cost is another matter entirely...

You can learn about diplomatic affairs regarding Faraden and the Suranni, and some pressing problems regarding both, in the '''[[It's all wrong, but it's all right]]''' wind of fortune.

===So Little I Wanted, So Little I Got===
* '''Ambassador to Asavea; Ambassador to Sumaah; Ambassador to the Grendel; Marracossa Sendito; Members of the Senate; fleet captains; Ambassadors in general; Loyalty Assembly, particularly ''Dagon Barossa'''''
The orthodox [[Sumaah Republic]] and the declining [[Asavean Archipelago]] lie far to the west of the Empire. The two great nations remain locked in war. Closer to home, the [[Grendel]] compete with the Empire for dominance of the Bay of Catazar. Even closer to home, the Marracossan exiles live in their town of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], Madruga. The [[ambassador|ambassadors]], the [[Imperial Consul]], and other individuals invested in diplomacy have their work cut out keeping abreast of what is happening, as each nation has agendas no less complex than those of the nations that make up the Empire.

You can learn about the ongoing diplomatic situation with the Asavean Archipelago, the Sumaah Republic, the Marracossans of Trajadoz, and the Grendel in '''[[So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune.

===Those Memories of You===
* '''Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves; Ambassador to Axos; Senate; Wintermark farmers, herb garden owners, and apothecaries; Imperial Apothecaries Guild; collectors of vallorn relics; fleet captains trading with Issyk; Navarr traders'''
The [[Sarcophan Delves]] are a great power, a cosmopolitan nation centred around an immense city that sprawls out across the banks of the Umshalla river. [[Axos]] is tiny nation on the outskirts of the Empire, controlling a little over two territories. For all their differences they have similarities, though. Both are a people of cities, and both have an uneasy relationship to death. The Axou ''necromantia'' are acknowledged masters of the cold magic of the grave, while the Sarcophan base much of their industry on the use of the ''ongelukkig'' living-corpses. They are both nations made more powerful through trade, and both would like to see themselves as friends to the Empire... and in both cases that friendship can prove to be something of a mixed blessing.

You can learn about Sarcophan and Axou diplomacy, and some trade opportunities, in the '''[[Those memories of you]]''' wind of fortune.
===If We Never Meet Again===
* '''Ambassador to Jarm; Ambassador to the Commonwealth; Senate; Imperial mercenary soldiers (especially the League, Dawn, Urizen, and Highguard); Imperial fleet captains; Celestial Arch and Sevenfold Path; Rod and Shield and Golden Pyramid; Granite Pillar; friends of Professor Emmanuel Gelberg'''
The [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Principalities of Jarm]] had been at war, fighting for control of the borderlands between their two great nations. When the tiny country of Lantir was annihilated by [[Cold Sun]], a major incursion began that saw armies of [[Cold_Sun#Heralds|scions]] pouring through a breach in what remained of the capital city. Now they have a common enemy, but it has given them little ''else'' in common. Revelations as to the cause of the incursion have set the balance of power in the east swinging wildly - and not just between the two nations. The Empire is in the middle of a war of words and recriminations, and a long-term friendship seems to be on the verge of collapse while the attitude of bitter rivals appear to be improving.

You can learn about the chaos in the east, and its significant to Imperial citizens, in the '''[[If we never meet again]]''' wind of fortune.
===The Little Things===
* '''Ambassador to Otkodov; Senate; Military Council; Folk of Ossium'''
The [[Thule]] of [[Otkodov]] share a long mountainous border with [[Wintermark]], the [[Imperial Orcs|the Unshackled]], and [[Varushka]]. A magocratic nation is ruled by five allegedly immortal orc wizards called the Dragons they were at war with the Empire for much of its history. Now though, they are at peace. An uneasy peace to be sure, secured with the concedence of northern regions claimed as part of Otkodov. But peace nonetheless. For the last year or so, the Thule have been waging war on [[the Mallum]], conquering western [[Forest of Ulnak|Ulnak]] and occupying the northern Druj. They have also been engaging in active negotiations with the representatives of the Empire, arranging deals and agreements that might against all the odds so this peace last longer than perhaps it has any right to.

You can read about recent diplomatic developments, and in particular some upcoming events in [[Ossium]], in the '''[[The little things]]''' wind of fortune.

==Other Events==
===Strange Currencies===
* '''The Silver Flame ask for ritual texts for ''Strong Ox, Golden Sun'' and ''Gathering the Harvest'''''
* '''In return, they pledge their sentinels to defend Spiral as needed'''
The [[A_question_of_loyalty#Spiral|Tribunal of the Silver Flame]] controls the region of [[Spiral#Cinion|Cinion]], in [[Spiral]] - and is home to several hundred former Urizeni mages at most. Nearly a [[Mirror_and_the_flame|year ago]], they announced grand plans to make a formal alliance with the [[eternal]] [[Sinokenon]], declaring their intent to build a [[fane]] in their territory so as to allow the eternal to give them more extensive support. Aware that the risks would be shared by the Empire, they wrote to inform them of their intentions, and tried to sweeten the deal with two powerful rituals in exchange for access to Imperial Lore, assuming that the offer would land favourably.

It did not. The [[Conclave]] rejected the offer outright, seemingly incensed at the repeated request for access to Lore and having deep misgivings about the nature of ''Diamondmind's'' offer. The Flame sent a delegation to Anvil to try and understand why their strategy had landed so badly. Eager to demonstrate their worth to their neighbours, they sent their sentinels to aid in the [[This_is_the_end#Never_follow_me|quixotic but ultimately successful effort to free Apulian]] from the [[Whisper Gallery|Whisper Gallery's]] grasp. Last season, the Conclave agreed to disseminate [[Blessing of New Spring]] to them - a sign that there is diplomatic willing there, yet.

Now the [[civil service]] have been sent word from Alexius, who acts as the representative of the Tribunal to the Empire. His missive strikes a somewhat contrite note. The Tribunal have abandoned their plans to build a fane for Sinokenon - for now. It seems that someone made a generous donation of liao to the faction within the Tribunal who were most opposed towards any form of eternal alliance, and they have spent the last three months pressing their point. They have convinced many, but in particular they have convinced Caela, the Grand Arbiter of the Tribunal, who has asked the heralds of Sinokenon to leave.

This has not come without cost, it seems. While they have the stocks and stores to get through winter, it will be hard without outside assistance. Their need is pressing, and so they write to ask if their friends in Anvil could see to the dissemination of the other two rituals in the cycle of farm rituals. This would aid the rebels greatly - especially if this happens in time for the rituals to be cast in the Summer and Autumn of next year. Beyond that, the Flame would benefit from any personal enchantments, especially ones like [[Gift of the Wily Broker]] which allow for careful economic stewardship. In return, the Tribunal are prepared to guarantee that their sentinels will continue to support efforts in Apulian or be sent to assist in Spiral's defence in any way they can - whether it is simply to act as swords against the darkness of the wilds or to defend some fortification. They have four groups of sentinels with a combined military strength of a little under five hundred.

===All the Right Friends===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
* '''Efforts to share the virtue of Prosperity with the people of Tsark have met with some success.'''
* '''There is an opportunity to bring word of inspirational figures of Prosperity to Tsark.'''
* '''Eleven Imperials have been invited at 18:35 on the Saturday of the equinox to visit the Tsarkoi in Zenith.'''
The isolated nation of [[Tsark]] is famously slow to change and resistant to outside influence or visitors of any kind. In the last decade, as the Empire has become aware of Tsark's existence yet remained neutral, even friendly towards the tiny sagocracy, there has been a slow but perceptible thawing of relations on behalf of the Sage's Council. [[Seeds_of_discord#Tsark|Last season]] they sent ''Camilla'', one of the adepts who play some kind of role in day-to-day spiritual guidance of the lives of the Tsarkoi, to visit the Empire to learn more about the virtue of [[Prosperity]]. It seems that the [[Seeker of the Perfect World]] made the case that there could be a place for Prosperity within the worldview of the sages, and they were not so horrified at the suggestion as to refuse it out of hand.

Camilla solicited letters on the subject of Prosperity and has made herself and her fellow adepts available this last season for members of the Urizen Assembly to discuss Prosperity with her. As the equinox approaches, the Imperial diplomatic corps, through the office of the Seeker of the Perfect World, receive word that the initiative has been a success: at least from Camilla's point of view. She has learned much about Prosperity from all she has read and heard - yet she feels there is yet more to learn. In particular, she understands that the Empire set great stock by inspirational figures of the past who exemplify their virtues - a practice the people of Tsark understand well. The great sages and adepts of the past all have shrines built into the [[Mountains_of_the_Moon#Wall_of_the_Luge_and_the_East_and_West_Rising|Wall of the Luge]], the mighty fortified wall that surrounds the sacred plateau of Visoko. She would like to learn more about the inspirational prosperous figures that the Empire holds dear to its heart. If the Empire's representatives can impressively preach of an inspirational figure of Prosperity in a way that resonates with the spirituality of Tsark, then it could well lead to further such opportunities, as the Tsarkoi believe that inspirational figures are the ''most'' important way to find spiritual enlightenment.

She has asked Sage Kristoph, the well-established representative of the Sage's Council to the "People of the Horse", to make the trip to Zenith. She would like to host a discussion on the premises of the Garden of the Perfect World, with Sage Kristoph to attend, and an invitation is extended to each person who wrote to her or visited. These are, in no particular order: '''Farren Silver Streams, Abel the Rounder, Isaac of the Reaching Vine, Berilo i Erigo, Heilyn Bronwen's Rest, Catena of Tropaion, Galene Netherwatch, Able the Taller, Lord Augur Gryphontale, Eleri Bronwen's Rest''', and '''Solas of the First Light'''. They are invited to speak about three inspirational figures of Prosperity, with ten minutes (allowing time for questions) allocated for each figure. Who actually presents and on which figures Camilla defers to the visitors - she trusts them to collectively come to an understanding in an efficient manner that respects the time of others, as - she has learnt - the Prosperous are wont to do.

This is clearly a fateful occasion, and on such occasions the Sentinel Gate obliges. There is a conjunction for eleven people at 18:35 on the Saturday of the Equinox, to attend the Gardens of the Perfect World, Occursion, Zenith. The civil service has asked the [[Seeker of the Perfect World]], '''Abel the Rounder of Sarangrave Reforged''', to be responsible for the conjunction and for the other arrangements Camilla has mentioned.

===Blades of the Semmerlak (reprise)===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Blades of the Semmerlak'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Edifice]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:'''
*Sandling in Weirwater ''or'' Lacuve in Semmerholm
'''and'''
*Malimorzi in Karov ''or'' Bittershore in Ossium
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 24 weirwood and 72 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' Three months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' One year, until the start of Autumn Solstice 389YE</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Creates title of ''Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak''
* Creates the '''Blades in the Semmerlak''' venture for questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens
* Removes the threat to ships on the Semmerlak and establishes a sodality to deal with threats from Dho'uala</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Counts as a single commission</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Dawnish and Varushkan</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Senate or Test of Arms </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' This is a [[martial title]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:'''
* Receives 10 crowns a season
* Receives a [[Duelist's Scales]], a [[Troubadour's Ring]], and a set of [[Goldentide Mail]] once a year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' To counter the influence of Dho'uala and deal with threats coming from the Semmerlak</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<tr><td style="background-color: HotPink;">'''Blades in the Semmerlak'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Venture Type:''' Guarding</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Territories bordering the Semmerlak</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Duration:''' Open-ended</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Rewards:''' Six crowns and four [[Military_unit#Production|random resources]]</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''''Tristan Ramson von Holberg'', the Master of the Mint, announced the reappraisal of the Blades of the Semmerlak'''
* '''A wardenhouse in Varushka and a knightly estate in Dawn would provide a base of operations for heroes to protect the Semmerlak'''
Last season, the [[Master of the Mint]], '''Tristan Ramson von Holberg''', announced the [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Reappraise_Blades_of_the_Semmerlak|reappraisal]] of the Blades of the Semmerlak in Dawnish and Varushkan territories surrounding the [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]]. Originally [[Less_welcome_tenants#Blades_of_the_Semmerlak|suggested]] shortly before the Summer Solstice 386YE, the wardenhouse and knightly estate were part of a larger appraisal into the problem of [[Dho'uala]] killing Imperial citizens and interfering with matters on and around the Semmerlak.

A motion to construct the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] was [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Construct_Journeymage_Towers|proposed]] by '''Amicia of the Semmerlak''', as Senator for Semmerholm, and the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] has been active, appointed by the Assembly of Vigilance, and tasked with ensuring the nations surrounding the Semmerlak act with Vigilance and countering threats from the Semmerlak.

Lutomysla's suggestion that the Senate establish a small sodality dedicated to protecting the people around the Semmerlak still holds true, and has the same enthusiastic support from the merchant-boyars, earls, and merchant-princes keen to see people protected from the depredations of the sovereign. A knightly order focused on protecting the communities along the lake, and a warden fellowship to travel on ships crossing the Semmerlak to protect the crew; both would actively seek out the creatures of Dho'uala and fight them. Supported by Imperial heroes, the sodality would remove the threat to the people living along the edge of the lake. Instead, it would fall to questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens to serve as the '''Blades in the Semmerlak''',

They will need places to operate from - an estate in Dawn for the knights and a wardenhouse in Varushka for the wardens. Lutomysla identified that the best locations would be either [[Weirwater#Sandling|Sandling]], in the vicinity of [[Weirwater#Culwich|Culwich]], or [[Semmerholm#Lacuve|Lacuve]] in [[Semmerholm]] near the bustling port of [[Semmerholm#Lacre|Lacre]] for the knights, and the port of Korotny in [[Karov#Malimorzi|Malimorzi]] in [[Karov]] and the [[Merchant_Boyar_of_the_Bittershore#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] in [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] in [[Ossium]] and those still hold true. Although they involve work in two regions, the actual project itself requires only a single commission, and the building of the wardenhouse and the estates will take place in parallel. Once construction is complete, any threat to the people who live along the banks of the lake will be met by enthusiastic warriors. It will also create a new guarding [[venture]] available to questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens - '''Blades in the Semmerlak'''. This will allow a [[military unit]] to spend their time actively defending the Semmerlak and the ships that traverse it. A starting military unit undertaking the venture would receive 120 rings and four [[Military_unit#Production|random resources]].

There would need to be a title to oversee the efforts and support the sodality; the ''Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak'' would be a [[martial title]] of Dawn and Varushka who was appointed by either unanimous agreement of the senators of those two nations, or a [[Martial_title#Creating_Martial_Titles|test of arms]] between members of those two nations. The title-holder would be responsible for protecting the communities around the Semmerlak from threats mundane and magical, and to stand ready to oppose the depredations of Dho'uala whenever they raise their head. In return, they would receive an income of 10 crowns each season with which to equip allies and maintain their sodality.

They would also be the beneficiaries of several magic items provided by Dawnish, Varushkan, and League donors. A [[Duelist's Scales|Duelist's Scales]] weapon from the Varushkan merchant-boyars to weaken corrupt horrors; a set of [[Goldentide Mail]] from League merchant-princes to protect them from venom; and a [[Troubadour's Ring]] from Dawnish earls to help them support their allies. These items would be received once each year, and while the expectation is that the Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak would use them themselves, there is no reason they could not pass them to other warriors fighting against Dho'uala or similar monstrous threats.

===Dusk===
{{:Autumn Equinox 2026}}

===Husky Business (Volunteers)===
* '''There is an opportunity for player volunteers to portray their characters who died during the Saturday battle at the last event'''
* '''Eligible characters must have died during the battle, but not have been killed as a husk'''
* '''Volunteers will need to have their own costume and appropriate weapons'''
* '''The role will last around twenty minutes, starting at 18:30 on Friday'''
* '''The role will involve fighting alongside the skirmish team in an encounter against player characters'''
* '''Please email before 18:00 on Wednesday 26th of August if you are interested in volunteering'''

There is an opportunity for players to portray the husk of their fallen characters at the upcoming event. Anyone whose character died during the battle of the [[Thorn_and_bone#Battle:_Harvester_of_Graves|Fens of Varreth]], raised as a husk but was not subsequently killed again as that husk is welcome to email to register interest in volunteering for an encounter on the Friday. This will be a combat [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|highly likely]] encounter through the Sentinel Gate and will involve fighting against player characters alongside members of our [[Plot_crew#Skirmish|skirmish team]].

If you are interested and would like more information, please email {{plot}} with your PID and the subject line "Husk Volunteer E4", and you will be given more details.

==Summer Conjunctions==

===Major Conjunctions===
<table><tr><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Location'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Opportunity'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Opposition'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Link'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Outcome'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Sarangrave|Sarangrave, Turan Flats, ''Fens of Varreth'']]</td><td>Contain the dead</td><td>Druj</td><td>[[Thorn_and_bone#Battle:_Harvester_of_Graves|Harvester of Graves]]</td><td>[[Field Marshal]] was '''Sigismund Vladislav Kestovia''' of [[Varushka]]; The spirits were not trapped and the husks remain a problem in eastern Sarangrave; The tortured souls of Het Trakaa remain in Turan Flats; Het Trakaa and Sul Maggotgnaw remain alive</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Mareave|Mareave, Clisearn, ''Ruins of Sinat'']]</td><td>Open the Vaults</td><td>Grendel</td><td>[[Mithril_and_rope#Battle:_Salt_and_Stone|Salt and Stone]]</td><td>[[Field Marshal]] was '''Joaquim i Erigo''' of [[the Brass Coast]]; Saltbound Stone recovered and claimed by '''Terentia of Sarangrave Reforged'''; Ilium Jackals negotiated with and readying support of [[Boyar's Hasta]]; Iontach Leagsaidh remains in possession of their [[Grimnir's Hearthfire]]; Maistir Guaidre remains in possession of the Spiteri necklace</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Forest of Ulnak|Forest of Ulnak, Ghul'thak Forest, ''Fetid Heart'']]</td><td>Raid the Druj</td><td>Druj</td><td>[[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Battle:_Claim_the_Prize|Claim the Prize]]</td><td>Not taken; Status of the black lotus unclear; Status of the treasures of Taramid Skinwreath unclear</td></tr>

</table>

===Minor Conjunctions===
{|table class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! # !! Location !! Responsibility !! Overview !! Result
|-
| 1 || Sarangrave, Whisperwood, Halfweir Grove || [[Fingers of the Devourer|Custodian of the Fingers of the Devourer]] || [[Thorn_and_bone#A_Testing_(Conjunction)|Destroy the heralds of Surut]] || Heralds of Surut killed; production of Fingers of Devourer has increased by two wains per season for as long as the Great Forest Orcs remain foreigners
|-
| 2 || Astolat, Withy, Igraine's Regio || [[Astolat|Senator for Astolat]] || [[A_wizard_did_it#Rants_and_Roses|Find out why the regio keeps shifting back to Spring, and resolve it]] || Unclear, but '''Éamon Ashenmourn de Cordraco''' might know more
|-
| 3 || Mitwold, Maiden Downs, Maiden Stone || [[Champion of Prosperity]] || [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Apples_First_(Mitwold)|Stop Jyll Longleys from cursing the Maiden Stone]] || ''Jyll Longleys'' and allies killed
|-
| 4 || The Barrens, Dawnguard, Troubadour's Glade || [[Knight of Dawnguard]] || [[388YE Summer Solstice winds of war#A Vow (The Barrens)|Kill ''Prilak Gutdredger'']] || ''Prilak Gutdredger'' and almost all allies were killed
|-
| 5 || Mitwold, Maiden Downs, Golden Fields || [[Keeper of the Golden Fields]] || [[Pride_in_the_Marches#The_Right_Thing_(Mitwold)|Stop Dusty Cobb setting Golden Fields alight]] || ''Dusty Cobb'' and rebels killed
|-
| 6 || The Barrens, Saltmarsh, The Dredging Flats || [[Knight-protector|Knight-protector of Winter]] || [[388YE Summer Solstice winds of war#A Call to Stand (The Barrens)|Kill the Servants of the Burnt]] || All but one ''Servants of the Burnt'' survived
|-
| 7 || Ossium, Echofell, Burned Glade || [[Shadowed Torchbearer]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#Fire_The_Forests_(Ossium)|Prevent the cursing of Ossium]] || Heralds killed and Ossium was not cursed
|-
| 8 || Therunin, Lower Tarn Valley, Rotwood Croft || '''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''' || [[388YE Summer Solstice winds of war#After the Taint (Therunin)|Destroy the miasma pillar]] || Miasma pillar successfully consecrated
|-
| 9 || Madruga, Free Landing, Hart's Cove || [[Hand of Guerra]] || [[Keys_of_Enlightenment#Barren_Waters_(Conjunction)|Aid the stranded ship from Sumaah]] || Unclear, but Hand of Guerra should know more
|-
| 10 || Sarangrave, Kroll, Slow Worm's Hill || [[Sevenfold Path|Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#Boil The Swamps (Sarangrave)|Prevent the cursing of Sarangrave]] || Heralds killed and Sarangrave was not cursed
|-
| 11 || Sarangrave, Turan Flats, The Breakteeth dais || [[Eastern Sky|General of the Eastern Sky]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#The_Greatest_Prize_(Rhianos)|Recover the treasure]] || Treasure successfully recovered
|-
| 12 || The Barrens, Bitter Strand, Saltshore || [[Merchant of the Fangs]] || [[A_horn_blast_of_victory#Fangs_for_the_Memories_(Conjunction)|Answer General Utmar's call for aid]] || Vassals of the manticore killed
|-
| 13 || Madruga, The Crucible, Talpses Plat || [[Champion of Vigilance]] || [[Phantasms_and_foam#A_Terrible_Feeling_(Madruga)|Claim the ''Snapping Face'']] || Snapping Face retrieved and heralds killed
|-
| 14 || The Barrens, Carmine Fields, Trading Way || '''Rhydian de Rondell''' || [[A_horn_blast_of_victory#Taste_of_Mettle_(Conjunction)|Remove the failed knights-errant of House Courcillion as a threat]] || Named knights have accepted justice from local magistrates
|-
| 15 || Necropolis, Coursmouth, The Veiled Garden || [[Guardian of Britta's Memorial]] || [[Phantasms_and_foam#The_Strength_of_This_Place_(Necropolis)|Spill the waters of Siakha]] || Bucket recovered and returned to Anvil
|-
| 16 || The Barrens, The Untrod Groves, Glade of the Good Knight || [[Knight-protector|Knight-protector of Winter]] || [[A_horn_blast_of_victory#A_Hearty_Meal_(Conjunction)|Thwart the schemes of Ser Gawain Amboise]] || Schemes of ''Ser Gawain Amboise'' thwarted
|-
| 17 || Mareave, Fleisardh, Spring Regio near Golden Wind's Encampment || [[Silver Chalice|Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#Do_Some_Harm_(Arhallogen)|Poison the Grendel]] || Grendel poisoned, Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice should know more
|-
| 18 || Tassato, Cascatas, Campo Verdenta || [[Keeper of the Sapphire Stair]] || [[Phantasms_and_foam#For_What_Has_Been_Wrought_(Tassato)|Kill the heralds of Siakha]] || Heralds of Siakha and wreckers killed
|-
| 19 || Spiral, Apstrus, Alba's Lea || [[Legacy|Custodian of the Legacy]] ||[[Mithril_and_rope#A_Backhanded_Request_(Spiral)|Intercept the mercenaries pay]] || Raid launched on the Legacy and ten wains of mithril claimed by the Haurlatch Iron Consortium
|-
| 20 || Reikos, Haros Water, Couros Field || '''Nekoda of the Shattered Tower''' || [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_fortune#A_Sudden_Threat_(Reikos)|Save Professor Gelberg from Grendel assassins]] || Imperials pushed out by Grendel; Professor Gelberg has been kidnapped
|-
| 21 || Redoubt, Naris, Isaac's End || '''Telemachus of the Lighthouse-That-Was''' || [[Seeds_of_discord#An_Empty_Bottle_(Conjunction)|Leave no more than a dozen Grendel alive]] || All Grendel killed
|-
| 22 || Kallavesa, West Marsh, The Meeting Place || '''[[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_32|Erlend]]''' || [[Myth_makers#The_Unity_Of_Deed_And_Word|Consecrate the Meeting Place]] || The Meeting Place successfully consecrated with true liao
|-
| 23 || Kallavesa, Wittal Grove, Frithstan's Fen || [[Grimnir of Wittal Grove]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#An_Unexpected_Ally_(Basileia)|Defeat the Grendel (and potentially rescue the Iontach)]] || Ionatch Meddool Miniog successfully rescued and returned to Anvil
|-
| 24 || Forest of Ulnak, Grimfen Mire, Moss End || [[Warmage]] || [[All_I_ask_of_you#Wild_Things_Run_Fast|Take advantage of a recent scouting discovery]] || [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]] successfully cast with eight rings of [[ilium]]
|-
| 25 || Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Eastern Ward || '''Theodora''' || [[Urizeni_Experiment#Stronger_than_Blood|Cast the permanent ward]] || Ward successfully performed
|-
| 26 || The Barrens, Saltmarsh, Gardenway || [[Envoy to the Karass]] || [[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Protect_Lenna_Karass_%28The_Barrens%29|Prevent Druj raiders from kidnapping Lenna Karass]] || Lenna Karass was successfully rescued and returned to Anvil
|-
| 27 || Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Western Ward || [[Spear of the Seven]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#Stronger_than_Blood|Cast the permanent ward]] || Ward successfully performed
|-
| 28 & 29 || Forest of Ulnak, Gloomsea, Islet of Calm || [[Archmage of Day]] || [[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Who's_the_Thief?_(Forest_of_Ulnak)|Prevent the Eyes of the Dragon from using a boon of Kimus]] || [[Wind of Mundane Silence]] performed on regio and bodies successfully destroyed
|-
| 30 || Sarangrave, Bendol, Spring Regio || [[Warmage]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#An_Open_Gate|Drive the vallorn from the regio]] || Imperial casualties suffered, vallornspawn remain around the regio
|-
| 31 || Sarangrave, Bendol, Spring Regio || [[Archmage of Spring]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#An_Open_Gate|Cast Dance of Navarr and Thorn]] || [[Dance of Navarr and Thorn]] was not performed
|-
| 32 || Sarangrave, the Whisperwood, Depths of the Hungry Earth || [[Counsel of the Sun Chamber]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#The_Caves_of_the_Hungry_Earth|Investigate the Hungry Earth]] || Depths investigated, Counsel of the Sun Chamber should know more
|-
| 33 || Volodmartz, Livardz, Sumisev Peegel || '''[[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_167|Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav]]''' || [[Sunrise_over_Livardz#Blow_It_Up|Destroy the Sumisev Peegel]] || Sumisev Peegel was successfully destroyed by [[Wind of Mundane Silence]]
|-
|}

When something is lost

2026-09-08T20:40:04Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Finding the Missing Legion */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>John scanned the horizon, looking, desperately, anywhere for a patch of blue sky. There was nothing, of course. Just the same endless billowing green, as if the sky itself were carpeted in grass. Every time he raised his eyes to the sky, he got his hopes up, but every time they were dashed.

"It ain't natural," he said, the statement a contender for the worst understatement by a Marcher from Hay this week.

"No. As I keep telling you, we're ain't in Mitwold no more." Hatty Hay was trying not to snap but it was hard to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. "We're in some kind of regio. Some kind of enormous fucking regio. The size of Mitwold, or bigger even. Mebbe bigger than the whole Empire. Mebbe bigger than the whole world."

"I still don't see how can it be bigger than Madruga, and fit in the territory." John liked Hattie, best Landskeeper in the Drakes, as he often told people. But that was best as in "best at fixing broken bones" and the like. She was rubbish at explanations. He hadn't known that til now. Hadn't needed to mind.

Hattie bit her tongue and changed the subject. "Stop chewing teeth, we'll be fine. They'll find a way to get us out of here. And in the meantime, keep your eye on that sky. First bit of blue you see, you let me know."

John hoisted his pack. It was noticeably lighter than when they'd set out. That was definitely ''not'' reassuring.
</ic>
<div {{float-left}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Spring by Michalina.jpg|caption=What do you do when something is lost?|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''An enchantment has been cast on Madruga'''
* '''It coincides with two Imperial armies bringing the last two regions of the transfigured territory into the Empire'''
* '''One of those armies has not come back out of the marshes'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now the islands are in the hand of the [[Iron Confederacy|Suranni]], the coastline is only just recovering from terrible storms and magical [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaos]], and much of the grassland has been transfigured into an enchanted marsh infused with the powers of the [[Realms#Night|Night]], [[Realms#Spring|Spring]], and [[Realms#Winter|Winter]] realms. Mind you, this is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises.

After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga. It took a little time to get going - this magic is full of the dreams of forests that have not grown in Madruga for a very long time indeed. What few woodlands there were went to build the ships the Freeborn value so highly. At the same time the magic was weaving its way across the twilit bayou and the grasslands, two Imperial armies were finally bringing the last regions of the territory back into Imperial control.

''One'' of those armies has since come back to report success. The other... has not.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=200}}</div>
==Shadows over the Bayou==
* '''A potent Night magic enchantment has settled over Madruga'''
* '''Folk living there or visiting experience vibrant dreams of nighttime forests'''
* '''Encounters with heralds of the Night realm, especially Sung, Sadogua, and Azoth, have become a little more common'''
Night magic pools in Madruga, in quiet places throughout the territory. It whispers through the dreams of the people, who are visited by visions of a strange night-time forest. A swampy, marshy forest of cypress, alder, willow, and mangrove. The forest is alive with strange creatures, rainbow-hued little beasts that switch from one shape to another. From scuttling lizard, to soaring laughing bird, to chattering monkey, to three-tailed cat, to meddlesome octopus, to surreptitious alligator, to long-legged dodo-bird with a crest of eyes. They are not threatening, but they are strange and they trail dreamers who walk or punt through the phantasmal woodlands.

Encounters with the Night Realm are noticeably more common, little sparks of unexpected magic clearly drawing on the [[Night magic#Resonances|resonances]] of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]]. In particular, people talk of seemingly chance encounters with odd heralds of that realm especially those answering to ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'', ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'', and [[Azoth|''Crucible'']] itself. The creatures tend to be friendly, interested in the people, encouraging folk in the usual manners for their kind, happy to accept hospitality. This is the Brass Coast, and they often offer little boons in return for food and drink. They also offer payment for things no Freeborn would consider deserving of recompense - conversation, answers, the chance to pet a dog.

Obviously, given the nature of this kind of magic and the territory itself (especially [[Madruga#Crucible|Crucible]]) there is a significant chance of some kind of unexpected outcome. Perhaps even permanent transformation of the territory in some way...
===An Absolutely Terrible Idea===
* '''Nobody is entirely sure who first came up with it but a daring proposal has been made'''
Everybody says they heard it from somewhere else, but there's a fascinating idea doing the rounds. It might have come from the heralds of Azoth, who everyone knows love transcendence through alchemy and learning through experience almost as much as they adore inspiration through madness. It might have been mentioned in one of the long, rambling conversations between drunk hakima and heralds of Sadogua. It might even have been whispered into the wind by some of the children of Sung. Not that the heralds of the Night realm have a monopoly on ideas of dubious good sense - it's just as likely to have come from a hakima inspired by their dreams or even a visiting citizen from another nation entirely.

The idea is straightforward enough. The magic that infuses southern and western Madruga is not drawn from a single realm. So why not follow the Night enchantment currently nestled over the territory with a Spring and a Winter enchantment - in any order - and see what happens? Obviously the Children of Wrecks were throwing potent Spring magic around during their occupation of the islands but it was very much in the form of destructive [[curse|curses]]. But it can't be denied that such magic occasionally leads to beneficial results here and there - spreading ''marsh flowers'' for example. Wouldn't an enchantment ''intended'' to be beneficial be more likely to bring good results in Siroc Bayou, Crucible, or even the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]]? They wouldn't even necessarily have to be cast strictly consecutively - although the order might matter - as long as no other enchantments were inserted in between. There is a very vague attempt to name the idea the "Madrugahedron" (referencing the [[Stargazer#Resonance_and_the_Omnihedron|omnihedron]] beloved by some [[Urizen|Urizeni]]) but it doesn't really catch on.

Before anyone can do anything as organised as make a concrete proposal, however, the ''other'' effect of that this Night enchantment seems to have had a hand in becomes clear and people have other things to talk about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}

==Into Crucible==
* '''The Drakes and the Star Forged have entered the Bayou, but become split up'''
* '''By the end of the season the Star Forged have emerged relatively unscathed, but the Drakes have not'''
* '''There is no sign of the missing army; more than six thousand Marcher soldiers have completely disappeared'''
Since the [[Where the river rises|transfiguration]] of Madruga - since the Dry Patricians were defeated and their terrible Blight washed away by waters infused with Spring and Night and ultimately Winter magic - this has been a place of mysteries and wonders. Last season, a season of [[phantasms and foam]], the [[Red Wind Corsairs]] explored [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]] attempting to understand the shifting marshes and bring this magically infused geography into the Empire proper. They encountered [[Phantasms_and_foam#Madruga|difficulties]] but still made some headway mastering two thirds of the marshlands.

After the Summer Solstice, the Corsairs set off for [[the Marches]], alongside the [[Fire of the South]], and took part in the campaign against the Jotun in [[Bregasland]]. Two armies came south to complete their work - the [[Star Forged]], the new army of [[Navarr]], and the [[Drakes]], the [[Pride|proud]] first army of [[the Marches]]. Putting subtlety to one side, both armies were ordered to undertake an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the strangeness of the Bayou and Crucible, and that is exactly what they did. Both armies bore enchantments - the Drakes carried the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]], invaluable in mastering the mysteries of the marshes. The Star Forged were empowered with [[Find the Best Path]], an enchantment that improves not only speed but the logistical structures of an army allowing them to move with confidence over long distances. Remember that bit.

Elsewhere in the territory there is some commentary from the heralds of the Night realm that the approach of the two armies is all wrong, too violent, too unsubtle, but the creatures of Night often say that kind of thing. There may be a ring of truth to it all - for the first month or so there are semi-regular reports from Navarr messengers of encounters with phantasmal soldiers similar to those the Red Wind Corsairs mentioned. Sometimes human, sometimes orc, sometimes something unlike either, they seem to be drawn out of history or in from dreams. There is fighting, but amazingly no casualties are suffered. The wounds the phantoms cause seem to lie in the mind and the spirit rather than on the body. The two armies complete the work of the 'Corsairs. Siroc Bayou still contains enigmas, as befits any locale infused with the essences of both the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]] and the [[Realms#Night magic|Wondrous]] ones. They proceed to the next target - to Crucible itself.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Logan Dusklight.jpg|caption='''Logan Dusklight''', General of the Star Forged|align=right|width=250}}
The first report, delivered by a cheerful Navarr messenger, is that everything is proceeding as expected. Then... nothing. The next messenger does not arrive with a status update, and neither does the one after that or... There are a handful of Freeborn explorers who brave Crucible in search of treasures and wonders to sell in the markets of [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]] and [[Madruga#Quzar|Quzar]]. This season when they emerge from the marshes they report encounters with the Drakes and the Star Forged, surprised that people seem so concerned about them. The last such sighting indicates that the two armies have split up to cover more ground, but are confident that by the start of the Winter Solstice they will have ensured Crucible is part of Madruga in fact as well as name.

The silence from the armies themselves, however, stretches on. A patrol of soldiers sent in to make sure everything is alright are swallowed up and disappear in their turn. Something is clearly wrong...

Then, a little over three weeks before the Autumn Equinox, the Star Forged emerge from Crucible into [[Madruga#Lightsea|Lightsea]]. They are muddied and exhausted, but triumphant. Between them, the Drakes and the Star Forged have mapped out enough of Crucible, have established outposts and encampments, that the region is now truly Imperial. They warn that the place is very confusing, that the deeper one pushes into Crucible the larger and wilder it seems to become, although that might just be the Night magic and the Spring magic playing tricks on the mind.

What they haven't brought out of Crucible with them however are the Drakes themselves. There is some confusion among the Navarr - they thought the Drakes would rendezvous with them in Lightsea. And yet there is no sign of the Marcher army. The entire six-thousand-strong force of the Marches has vanished.

The only sign of the Drakes comes when four units under the command of ''Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]], ''Fay Baker'' of [[Dawn]], and two Marcher captains - Lazarus and John of Meade. They are as confused as the Star Forged - they seem to have only jumbled recollections of the last few weeks, and believed the rest of the army was right behind them. But there continues to be no sign of the Marcher army.
===Participation : Mist Walking===
* '''Anyone whose military unit supported the Drakes or the Star Forged has jumbled recollections of their time in the marshes'''
* '''Any such character with the naga lineage might find their physical or roleplaying trappings becoming stronger'''
* '''Any unlineaged human character who supported one of the armies may choose to change their lineage to naga after the Autumn Equinox'''
Any character whose military unit supported one of the armies that were exploring and cataloguing the Siroc Bayou and Crucible, you are likely to have jumbled recollections of precisely what happened. The more you try to remember the harder it is to keep a coherent thread. You are encouraged to skim over some of the other text about the marshes, such as that in [[Phantasms and foam]] last season, or the descriptions of the marshes' peculiarities in the [[Made anew]] wind of fortune.

Any character with the [[naga]] lineage who supported the Drakes or the Star Forged, or is the general of one of those armies, may use this as an opportunity to strengthen their [[Naga#Other_Trappings|lineage trappings]] or to focus on one or more of their [[Naga#Roleplaying|roleplaying trappings]] and heighten their effects.

Likewise, any human character with no lineage who supported one of the armies may choose to develop the naga lineage. Given the short gap between this wind of fortune being produced and the event, you may want to demonstrate roleplaying trappings at the Autumn Equinox and arrange your trappings afterward - meaning you can email {{plot}} after the event to get your lineage updated.

==Still In There Somewhere==
* '''Magicians and their eternal allies all agree that the Marcher army has been trapped somehow by the kaleidoscope of magic that permeates the Bayou'''
* '''The Star Forged were saved by the nature of the enchantment on them, the Drakes were not so fortunate'''
* '''To get them back, the Empire will have to go and look for them'''
The [[hakima]] from the [[Hakima_of_Salt_and_Sand#Parador_of_Salt_and_Sand|Parador of Salt and Sand]] are among some of the first to talk to those who have emerged from the marshes, and a potential explanation begins to emerge. The Night magic enchantment on Madruga has ''done something'' to the Crucible. The Drakes are, as near as anyone can tell, still exploring it. It looks as if the magic enhancing their ability to claim ground - the ''Clarity'' - may actually have worked against them in fact by encouraging them to keep seeking to understand a place that defies explanation. The Star Forged however were enchanted with an [[Autumn magic]] working that empowers armies to ''get where they are going''. While the Crucible might have drawn them in, ultimately their enchantment served to ensure they emerged unfazed.

All the reports suggest the Marcher soldiers are probably fine - but the longer they stay in Crucible the more likely they are to either get so lost they can never return, or to undergo some kind of terrible transformation, or to encounter something more dangerous than phantasmal dream soldiers.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sular.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBBrassCoast.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Wyr.png|title=Rune: Wyr|align=right|width=150}}</div>
Conveniently, there are a few heralds of the Night realm in Madruga who are happy to offer their own particular brand of assistance when challenged. The little wizards of Sadogua concurr with the hakima assessment, and are more than happy to get into the deep and confusing weeds of a conversation about the interactions of different kinds of magic. The heralds of Azoth find the questions a little confusing, and suggest that rather than assuming the Drakes are lost, they should instead consider them to be on a bold adventure, one that might lead to exciting new insights into magic, war, and the mortal spirit. The heralds of Sung reply to all questions with questions of their own, the most common being "''What do you do when something is lost?''" which at first seems very unhelpful but provides inspiration to the hakima. What you do when something is lost is ''you go and look for it''.

==Finding the Missing Legion==
* '''The Drakes are lost in the trackless Marshes of the Crucible '''
* '''Helping to bring them back will require a concerted effort by their allies'''
* '''The Military Council could apply the guerdon to the efforts to rescue the Drakes'''
The likely explanation is that the Drakes are still in Crucible somewhere. The [[Imperial Seer]], '''Jorma Steelhail''', should be able to confirm this with a simple casting of [[Eyes of the Sun and Moon]]. The Marcher [[egregore]]s should likewise know whether the soldiers of the Drakes are still alive and well or not. The heralds of Sadogua and Azoth certainly think they are, but their definition of "alive and well" is of questionable value.

Following the Autumn Equinox there will be an [[opportunity]] for [[military unit|military units]] to launch a rescue mission into the Crucible. The aim will be to find the Drakes and lead them safely out of Crucible before anything bad happens to them. Nothing is ever easy, however, and definitely not in places like Crucible after a potent Night enchantment.

After the Autumn Equinox, any [[military unit]] can take the [[venture]] ''Find the Drakes''. This is a [[Military unit#Scouting|scouting]] action that represents venturing into Crucible, helping find the missing Marcher army, convincing them that they are lost in magical marshes, and leading them back to Lightsea or Quiet Grasses (or indeed anywhere that is not Crucible). Instead of the usual production a military unit receives, a standard military unit would gain one random ''marsh flower'', and 36 rings (representing wonders of the marshes). This is a pitiful recompense, but obviously the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies|Quartermaster General]] could apply the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial Guerdon]].

As with many such situations the amount of strength applied to this venture effects the outcome.
<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Less than 5,000 Strength - Further In</span><br>
A limited response will mean the Drakes are not rescued in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE. They remain lost in the marshes, and they will have lost 2,000 strength due to missing soldiers and the dangers of the deep Crucible. There will be another attempt to rescue them at the Winter solstice.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 5,000 and 10,000 Strength - Desperate Egress</span><br>
The rescue mission is a success, and the Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the Winter Solstice. In the process however, they will have lost 1,000 strength due to soldiers who get left behind, disastrous encounters, or unrecoverable transformations.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 10,000 and 20,000 Strength - Controlled Extraction</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the WInter Solstice. They have sustained some losses but their strength falls only by 500. They will also have the opportunity for a change to their quality, either related to their time in the transformative marshes or the inspirational support and outpouring of love from their people.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">More than 20,000 Strength - Total Victory</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible hale and hearty, with the opportunity for a new quality. In addition they and the other explorers of the marshes will have discovered an opportunity in the marshes that could be exploited by the Empire in the future.

To complicate matters, not every [[military unit]] is equally able to contribute to this venture. '''Freeborn''', '''Navarr''', and '''Marcher''' units provide their full effectiveness. Military units from any other nation contribute (and receive rewards) as if their strength were two ranks lower.

Some folk have an advantage here however - any military unit that supported either the Drakes or the Star Forged this season receives a 2 rank bonus to help rescue the Drakes, affecting both effective strength and rewards.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Pallas.png|align=right|width=150}}</div>
===All Things Can Have A Price===
* '''Rather than focus solely on finding the Drakes a military unit could go looking for treasure'''
* '''These military units will gain more treasure and provide less help to find the Drakes'''
* '''All military units taking either action will appear in a single list compiled by the civil service'''
* '''If finding the drakes gets the guerdon, then everyone involved will be able to claim the rewards'''
There is another approach here, but one that might result in a little bit of... criticism. Instead of focusing ''exclusively'' on finding the Drakes, a military unit ''might'' take the opportunity to do some exploration of their own and see what they can pick up. As well as the ''Find the Drakes'' venture, the ''Take Your Time Looking For Lost Marchers'' venture is also available. This is a [[venture#questing|questing]] venture, and a standard military unit that undertakes it will receive 2 pieces of "Adversity Vis" (that is, [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]], or [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]]) and two ''marsh flowers''. An upgraded or enchanted military unit will receive commensurately more treasure.

This venture is available to anyone who wants to take it. Those military units receiving a two rank bonus from supporting one of the two armies this season will still do so. ''However'' there is a drawback to this action and that is that ''regardless'' of the effective strength of the military unit, it will ''only'' contribute 50 effective strength towards finding the Drakes and guiding them out of Crucible. The actual rank of the military unit and its enchantments will have no bearing on the amount they contribute.

There isn't any way for the civil service to tell who is searching for the Drakes and who is taking their time about it, so a single list will appear with all the names on the same roll of honour. If the guerdon is applied to finding the Drakes, then everyone who takes ''either'' venture will be able to claim a share of it.

===Pride of the Marches===
* '''The General of the Drakes is still a General'''
* '''The General can still issue an order to the army though the force can't actually leave the region or undertake an attack or defence'''
* '''Folk from the Marches can support the Drakes to help them deal with potential casualties providing a lifeline to home'''
* '''It is still possible to target the army with an enchantment but impossible to predict what if anything it will do'''
* '''There is no upkeep for the army this season'''
* '''The general of the Drakes is Alfred Houtman Fella'''
Obviously the general of the Drakes '''Alfred Houtman Fella''' is in a little bit of a bind given their army is missing in action. The civil service have confirmed that they still ''are'' a [[general]] even though their army is currently somewhere in Madruga. They can still participate freely in the [[Military Council]] until such time as proof emerges that the Drakes are never coming back. They can even still issue an order, but ''only'' the text of the order matters. The army will remain in Madruga, lost in Crucible. It also isn't possible for military units to take the [[military unit#Campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army. It is still possible to place an enchantment on the army using the general as focus, but impossible to predict exactly what the effect will be. The ritual will still ''have'' its effect but the ability of the Drakes to benefit from it will depend entirely on what it is.

There is no upkeep for the army this season, since the civil service has no easy way to feed and billet the army.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Icons.jpg|align=left|width=300|caption=If absolutely nothing else, sending a few hundred poppets to the soldiers of the Drakes certainly can't ''hurt''.}}</div>

===Pride and Loyalty===
* '''An outpouring of Pride and Loyalty inspires the folk of the Marches'''
* '''Heralds of Sadogua and Lashonar have agreed to carry care packages and messages of support to the stranded Drakes'''
* '''''Any'' Marcher character can choose to support the rescue of the Drakes albeit with limited effect'''
There are concerns about how the soldiers on campaign, lost in the trackless marshes of Madruga will survive, but that only results in an outpouring of support from the Marches, especially [[Upwold]]. The Drakes are well loved, after all, and if [[Life of Tom Drake|Tom Drake]] taught anything else it is that you look out for your own. Obviously, this being the Marches, there has also been some recrimination from people who ought to know better who argue that a sinister Freeborn conspiracy has intentionally sacrificed the Drakes to Azoth but it is ''probably'' safe to ignore those people. Humans and orcs want to do everything they can to help, even if they can't send beaters of their own to deal with the situation.

By itself its not clear how they ''could'' help (beyond encouraging or enchanting military units), but help comes from unexpected sources. Some of the [[smith]]s and [[landskeeper]]s have spoken to servants of Sadogua and Lashonar, and both eternals have committed to offer their assistance. They are prepared to carry messages and supplies into the Crucible and make sure they get to the Drakes. In a similar manner to the way the Navarr and the Imperial Orc nations were able to support the raid against the Great Forest Orcs, the people of the Marches can show their support for the Drakes if they wish.

''Any'' Marcher character can take the action to support the venture to ''Support the Drakes''. Any character that chooses to support the action will suffer a 50% penalty to the normal production of their [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]. A character with a [[congregation]] that supports the venture will instead receive ''no'' [[liao]], but will keep all their Synod votes. They will however not be able to undertake a [[Congregation#Lectures|lecture]] or [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]] at the same time. A [[fleet]] likewise can't take a different [[voyage]], including trading or supporting an army. Instead of their normal production they'll get the same as a military unit (a marsh flower and some valuables).

Even if they aren't going to Madruga personally, they can still provide crucial supplies to support the soldiers of the Drakes themselves. The help they provide won't benefit from [[enchantment|enchantments]], but all resources of the characters that ''Support the Drakes'' will contribute ''half'' the strength of a military unit of equivalent rank.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Arwydd Clearbramble.jpg|caption='''Arwydd Clearbramble''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bloodcrow Arora.jpg|caption='''Bloodcrow Arora''', Archmage of Winter|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night|title=One in six Night eternals think he's pretty neat|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Each resource that takes this action will contribute 50 strength to the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. For every 100 Marcher characters take the option, any damage suffered due to a partial success will be reduced by 500. In the event that the mission is a full success, not only will the army not suffer any casualties but they will be revitalised and receive 500 additional resupply this season.

===Eternal Aid===
* '''Plenipotentiary could be used to ask for help for the Drakes'''
* '''A poorly chosen eternal or a poorly worded request for help will do more damage than good'''
While much of the focus on the missing army revolves around the Night enchantment and the heralds of Night, Crucible is affected by ''three'' realms of magic not only one. In theory, the [[Archmage of Winter]], [[Archmage of Night]], [[Archmage of Spring]], or [[Stone Smith]] could each use their [[plenipotentiary]] at the Autumn Equinox to ask an appropriate eternal to intercede and help the Drakes. This is a risky course of action - the choice of eternal and exactly what they were asked to do will be crucial. Neither the eternals of Spring nor Night are especially fond of armies, and the aid of the eternals of Winter always comes at a price.

In the event that an eternal was asked for aid and minded to provide it, they could certainly increase the chances of the Drakes returning safe and untransformed. The civil service estimate that the aid of an eternal would add 3,000 to the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. Two or more eternals would likely conflict with each other however - a second eternal would add another 2,000 effective strength, and a third only another 1,000.

Anyone attempting this should be ''very careful''. A poorly phrased request, or a request to an eternal that for whatever reason was not disposed to help, had problems with the Marches or the Drakes, or disliked the Empire, would instead ''subtract'' 5,000 from the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' mission, with potentially disastrous consequences.

===Order, Order===
* '''A single Conclave Order could be guided to aid the efforts'''
* '''Only one Order can help but only if they are not currently busy elsewhere'''
Magicians are arguably the ones best placed to help, but which ones? The Conclave could choose one of the Orders and ask them to help recover the Marcher army. If that is the will of the Conclave they will need to choose a single order and give clear guidance on why they want them to help. An Order can only be [[Grandmaster#Guiding_an_Order|guided]] by their grandmaster using one of their two declarations of concord. Doing so would have the usual cost of twenty mana crystals, and would be guaranteed to contribute 1,000 strength to the efforts. Any other potential effects would depend which order was chosen.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|width=150}}
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{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderGoldenPyramid.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderUnfetteredMind.jpg|width=150}}
</div>

When something is lost

2026-09-08T20:36:02Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Finding the Missing Legion */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>John scanned the horizon, looking, desperately, anywhere for a patch of blue sky. There was nothing, of course. Just the same endless billowing green, as if the sky itself were carpeted in grass. Every time he raised his eyes to the sky, he got his hopes up, but every time they were dashed.

"It ain't natural," he said, the statement a contender for the worst understatement by a Marcher from Hay this week.

"No. As I keep telling you, we're ain't in Mitwold no more." Hatty Hay was trying not to snap but it was hard to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. "We're in some kind of regio. Some kind of enormous fucking regio. The size of Mitwold, or bigger even. Mebbe bigger than the whole Empire. Mebbe bigger than the whole world."

"I still don't see how can it be bigger than Madruga, and fit in the territory." John liked Hattie, best Landskeeper in the Drakes, as he often told people. But that was best as in "best at fixing broken bones" and the like. She was rubbish at explanations. He hadn't known that til now. Hadn't needed to mind.

Hattie bit her tongue and changed the subject. "Stop chewing teeth, we'll be fine. They'll find a way to get us out of here. And in the meantime, keep your eye on that sky. First bit of blue you see, you let me know."

John hoisted his pack. It was noticeably lighter than when they'd set out. That was definitely ''not'' reassuring.
</ic>
<div {{float-left}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Spring by Michalina.jpg|caption=What do you do when something is lost?|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''An enchantment has been cast on Madruga'''
* '''It coincides with two Imperial armies bringing the last two regions of the transfigured territory into the Empire'''
* '''One of those armies has not come back out of the marshes'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now the islands are in the hand of the [[Iron Confederacy|Suranni]], the coastline is only just recovering from terrible storms and magical [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaos]], and much of the grassland has been transfigured into an enchanted marsh infused with the powers of the [[Realms#Night|Night]], [[Realms#Spring|Spring]], and [[Realms#Winter|Winter]] realms. Mind you, this is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises.

After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga. It took a little time to get going - this magic is full of the dreams of forests that have not grown in Madruga for a very long time indeed. What few woodlands there were went to build the ships the Freeborn value so highly. At the same time the magic was weaving its way across the twilit bayou and the grasslands, two Imperial armies were finally bringing the last regions of the territory back into Imperial control.

''One'' of those armies has since come back to report success. The other... has not.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=200}}</div>
==Shadows over the Bayou==
* '''A potent Night magic enchantment has settled over Madruga'''
* '''Folk living there or visiting experience vibrant dreams of nighttime forests'''
* '''Encounters with heralds of the Night realm, especially Sung, Sadogua, and Azoth, have become a little more common'''
Night magic pools in Madruga, in quiet places throughout the territory. It whispers through the dreams of the people, who are visited by visions of a strange night-time forest. A swampy, marshy forest of cypress, alder, willow, and mangrove. The forest is alive with strange creatures, rainbow-hued little beasts that switch from one shape to another. From scuttling lizard, to soaring laughing bird, to chattering monkey, to three-tailed cat, to meddlesome octopus, to surreptitious alligator, to long-legged dodo-bird with a crest of eyes. They are not threatening, but they are strange and they trail dreamers who walk or punt through the phantasmal woodlands.

Encounters with the Night Realm are noticeably more common, little sparks of unexpected magic clearly drawing on the [[Night magic#Resonances|resonances]] of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]]. In particular, people talk of seemingly chance encounters with odd heralds of that realm especially those answering to ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'', ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'', and [[Azoth|''Crucible'']] itself. The creatures tend to be friendly, interested in the people, encouraging folk in the usual manners for their kind, happy to accept hospitality. This is the Brass Coast, and they often offer little boons in return for food and drink. They also offer payment for things no Freeborn would consider deserving of recompense - conversation, answers, the chance to pet a dog.

Obviously, given the nature of this kind of magic and the territory itself (especially [[Madruga#Crucible|Crucible]]) there is a significant chance of some kind of unexpected outcome. Perhaps even permanent transformation of the territory in some way...
===An Absolutely Terrible Idea===
* '''Nobody is entirely sure who first came up with it but a daring proposal has been made'''
Everybody says they heard it from somewhere else, but there's a fascinating idea doing the rounds. It might have come from the heralds of Azoth, who everyone knows love transcendence through alchemy and learning through experience almost as much as they adore inspiration through madness. It might have been mentioned in one of the long, rambling conversations between drunk hakima and heralds of Sadogua. It might even have been whispered into the wind by some of the children of Sung. Not that the heralds of the Night realm have a monopoly on ideas of dubious good sense - it's just as likely to have come from a hakima inspired by their dreams or even a visiting citizen from another nation entirely.

The idea is straightforward enough. The magic that infuses southern and western Madruga is not drawn from a single realm. So why not follow the Night enchantment currently nestled over the territory with a Spring and a Winter enchantment - in any order - and see what happens? Obviously the Children of Wrecks were throwing potent Spring magic around during their occupation of the islands but it was very much in the form of destructive [[curse|curses]]. But it can't be denied that such magic occasionally leads to beneficial results here and there - spreading ''marsh flowers'' for example. Wouldn't an enchantment ''intended'' to be beneficial be more likely to bring good results in Siroc Bayou, Crucible, or even the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]]? They wouldn't even necessarily have to be cast strictly consecutively - although the order might matter - as long as no other enchantments were inserted in between. There is a very vague attempt to name the idea the "Madrugahedron" (referencing the [[Stargazer#Resonance_and_the_Omnihedron|omnihedron]] beloved by some [[Urizen|Urizeni]]) but it doesn't really catch on.

Before anyone can do anything as organised as make a concrete proposal, however, the ''other'' effect of that this Night enchantment seems to have had a hand in becomes clear and people have other things to talk about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}

==Into Crucible==
* '''The Drakes and the Star Forged have entered the Bayou, but become split up'''
* '''By the end of the season the Star Forged have emerged relatively unscathed, but the Drakes have not'''
* '''There is no sign of the missing army; more than six thousand Marcher soldiers have completely disappeared'''
Since the [[Where the river rises|transfiguration]] of Madruga - since the Dry Patricians were defeated and their terrible Blight washed away by waters infused with Spring and Night and ultimately Winter magic - this has been a place of mysteries and wonders. Last season, a season of [[phantasms and foam]], the [[Red Wind Corsairs]] explored [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]] attempting to understand the shifting marshes and bring this magically infused geography into the Empire proper. They encountered [[Phantasms_and_foam#Madruga|difficulties]] but still made some headway mastering two thirds of the marshlands.

After the Summer Solstice, the Corsairs set off for [[the Marches]], alongside the [[Fire of the South]], and took part in the campaign against the Jotun in [[Bregasland]]. Two armies came south to complete their work - the [[Star Forged]], the new army of [[Navarr]], and the [[Drakes]], the [[Pride|proud]] first army of [[the Marches]]. Putting subtlety to one side, both armies were ordered to undertake an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the strangeness of the Bayou and Crucible, and that is exactly what they did. Both armies bore enchantments - the Drakes carried the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]], invaluable in mastering the mysteries of the marshes. The Star Forged were empowered with [[Find the Best Path]], an enchantment that improves not only speed but the logistical structures of an army allowing them to move with confidence over long distances. Remember that bit.

Elsewhere in the territory there is some commentary from the heralds of the Night realm that the approach of the two armies is all wrong, too violent, too unsubtle, but the creatures of Night often say that kind of thing. There may be a ring of truth to it all - for the first month or so there are semi-regular reports from Navarr messengers of encounters with phantasmal soldiers similar to those the Red Wind Corsairs mentioned. Sometimes human, sometimes orc, sometimes something unlike either, they seem to be drawn out of history or in from dreams. There is fighting, but amazingly no casualties are suffered. The wounds the phantoms cause seem to lie in the mind and the spirit rather than on the body. The two armies complete the work of the 'Corsairs. Siroc Bayou still contains enigmas, as befits any locale infused with the essences of both the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]] and the [[Realms#Night magic|Wondrous]] ones. They proceed to the next target - to Crucible itself.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Logan Dusklight.jpg|caption='''Logan Dusklight''', General of the Star Forged|align=right|width=250}}
The first report, delivered by a cheerful Navarr messenger, is that everything is proceeding as expected. Then... nothing. The next messenger does not arrive with a status update, and neither does the one after that or... There are a handful of Freeborn explorers who brave Crucible in search of treasures and wonders to sell in the markets of [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]] and [[Madruga#Quzar|Quzar]]. This season when they emerge from the marshes they report encounters with the Drakes and the Star Forged, surprised that people seem so concerned about them. The last such sighting indicates that the two armies have split up to cover more ground, but are confident that by the start of the Winter Solstice they will have ensured Crucible is part of Madruga in fact as well as name.

The silence from the armies themselves, however, stretches on. A patrol of soldiers sent in to make sure everything is alright are swallowed up and disappear in their turn. Something is clearly wrong...

Then, a little over three weeks before the Autumn Equinox, the Star Forged emerge from Crucible into [[Madruga#Lightsea|Lightsea]]. They are muddied and exhausted, but triumphant. Between them, the Drakes and the Star Forged have mapped out enough of Crucible, have established outposts and encampments, that the region is now truly Imperial. They warn that the place is very confusing, that the deeper one pushes into Crucible the larger and wilder it seems to become, although that might just be the Night magic and the Spring magic playing tricks on the mind.

What they haven't brought out of Crucible with them however are the Drakes themselves. There is some confusion among the Navarr - they thought the Drakes would rendezvous with them in Lightsea. And yet there is no sign of the Marcher army. The entire six-thousand-strong force of the Marches has vanished.

The only sign of the Drakes comes when four units under the command of ''Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]], ''Fay Baker'' of [[Dawn]], and two Marcher captains - Lazarus and John of Meade. They are as confused as the Star Forged - they seem to have only jumbled recollections of the last few weeks, and believed the rest of the army was right behind them. But there continues to be no sign of the Marcher army.
===Participation : Mist Walking===
* '''Anyone whose military unit supported the Drakes or the Star Forged has jumbled recollections of their time in the marshes'''
* '''Any such character with the naga lineage might find their physical or roleplaying trappings becoming stronger'''
* '''Any unlineaged human character who supported one of the armies may choose to change their lineage to naga after the Autumn Equinox'''
Any character whose military unit supported one of the armies that were exploring and cataloguing the Siroc Bayou and Crucible, you are likely to have jumbled recollections of precisely what happened. The more you try to remember the harder it is to keep a coherent thread. You are encouraged to skim over some of the other text about the marshes, such as that in [[Phantasms and foam]] last season, or the descriptions of the marshes' peculiarities in the [[Made anew]] wind of fortune.

Any character with the [[naga]] lineage who supported the Drakes or the Star Forged, or is the general of one of those armies, may use this as an opportunity to strengthen their [[Naga#Other_Trappings|lineage trappings]] or to focus on one or more of their [[Naga#Roleplaying|roleplaying trappings]] and heighten their effects.

Likewise, any human character with no lineage who supported one of the armies may choose to develop the naga lineage. Given the short gap between this wind of fortune being produced and the event, you may want to demonstrate roleplaying trappings at the Autumn Equinox and arrange your trappings afterward - meaning you can email {{plot}} after the event to get your lineage updated.

==Still In There Somewhere==
* '''Magicians and their eternal allies all agree that the Marcher army has been trapped somehow by the kaleidoscope of magic that permeates the Bayou'''
* '''The Star Forged were saved by the nature of the enchantment on them, the Drakes were not so fortunate'''
* '''To get them back, the Empire will have to go and look for them'''
The [[hakima]] from the [[Hakima_of_Salt_and_Sand#Parador_of_Salt_and_Sand|Parador of Salt and Sand]] are among some of the first to talk to those who have emerged from the marshes, and a potential explanation begins to emerge. The Night magic enchantment on Madruga has ''done something'' to the Crucible. The Drakes are, as near as anyone can tell, still exploring it. It looks as if the magic enhancing their ability to claim ground - the ''Clarity'' - may actually have worked against them in fact by encouraging them to keep seeking to understand a place that defies explanation. The Star Forged however were enchanted with an [[Autumn magic]] working that empowers armies to ''get where they are going''. While the Crucible might have drawn them in, ultimately their enchantment served to ensure they emerged unfazed.

All the reports suggest the Marcher soldiers are probably fine - but the longer they stay in Crucible the more likely they are to either get so lost they can never return, or to undergo some kind of terrible transformation, or to encounter something more dangerous than phantasmal dream soldiers.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sular.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBBrassCoast.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Wyr.png|title=Rune: Wyr|align=right|width=150}}</div>
Conveniently, there are a few heralds of the Night realm in Madruga who are happy to offer their own particular brand of assistance when challenged. The little wizards of Sadogua concurr with the hakima assessment, and are more than happy to get into the deep and confusing weeds of a conversation about the interactions of different kinds of magic. The heralds of Azoth find the questions a little confusing, and suggest that rather than assuming the Drakes are lost, they should instead consider them to be on a bold adventure, one that might lead to exciting new insights into magic, war, and the mortal spirit. The heralds of Sung reply to all questions with questions of their own, the most common being "''What do you do when something is lost?''" which at first seems very unhelpful but provides inspiration to the hakima. What you do when something is lost is ''you go and look for it''.

==Finding the Missing Legion==
* '''The Drakes are lost in the trackless Marshes of the Crucible '''
* '''Helping to bring them back will require a concerted effort by their allies'''
* '''The Military Council could apply the guerdon to the efforts to rescue the Drakes'''
The likely explanation is that the Drakes are still in Crucible somewhere. The [[Imperial Seer]], '''Jorma Steelhail''', should be able to confirm this with a simple casting of [[Eyes of the Sun and Moon]]. The Marcher [[egregore]]s should likewise know whether the soldiers of the Drakes are still alive and well or not. The heralds of Sadogua and Azoth certainly think they are, but their definition of "alive and well" is of questionable value.

Following the Autumn Equinox there will be an [[opportunity]] for [[military unit|military units]] to launch a rescue mission into the Crucible. The aim will be to find the Drakes and lead them safely out of Crucible before anything bad happens to them. Nothing is ever easy, however, and definitely not in places like Crucible after a potent Night enchantment.

After the Autumn Equinox, any [[military unit]] can take the [[venture]] ''Find the Drakes''. This is a [[Military unit#Scouting|scouting]] action that represents venturing into Crucible, helping find the missing Marcher army, convincing them that they are lost in magical marshes, and leading them back to Lightsea or Quiet Grasses (or indeed anywhere that is not Crucible). Instead of the usual production a military unit receives, a standard military unit would gain one random ''marsh flower'', and 36 rings (representing wonders of the marshes). This is a pitiful recompense, but obviously the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies|Quartermaster General]] could apply the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial Guerdon]].

As with many such situations the amount of strength applied to this venture effects the outcome.
<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Less than 5,000 Strength - Further In</span><br>
A limited response will mean the Drakes are not rescued in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE. They remain lost in the marshes, and they will have lost 2,000 strength due to missing soldiers and the dangers of the deep Crucible. There will be another attempt to rescue them at the Winter solstice.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 5,000 and 10,000 Strength - Desperate Egress</span><br>
The rescue mission is a success, and the Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the Winter Solstice. In the process however, they will have lost 1,000 strength due to soldiers who get left behind, disastrous encounters, or unrecoverable transformations.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 10,000 and 20,000 Strength - Controlled Extraction</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the WInter Solstice. They have sustained some losses but their strength falls only by 500. They will also have the opportunity for a change to their quality, either related to their time in the transformative marshes or the inspirational support and outpouring of love from their people.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">More than 20,000 Strength - Total Victory</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from crucible hale and hearty, with the opportunity for a new quality. In addition they and the other explorers of the marshes will have discovered an opportunity in the marshes that could be exploited by the Empire in the future.

To complicate matters, not every [[military unit]] is equally able to contribute to this venture. '''Freeborn''', '''Navarr''', and '''Marcher''' units provide their full effectiveness. Military units from any other nation contribute (and receive rewards) as if their strength were two ranks lower.

Some folk have an advantage here however - any military unit that supported either the Drakes or the Star Forged this season receives a 2 rank bonus to help rescue the Drakes, affecting both effective strength and rewards.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Pallas.png|align=right|width=150}}</div>
===All Things Can Have A Price===
* '''Rather than focus solely on finding the Drakes a military unit could go looking for treasure'''
* '''These military units will gain more treasure and provide less help to find the Drakes'''
* '''All military units taking either action will appear in a single list compiled by the civil service'''
* '''If finding the drakes gets the guerdon, then everyone involved will be able to claim the rewards'''
There is another approach here, but one that might result in a little bit of... criticism. Instead of focusing ''exclusively'' on finding the Drakes, a military unit ''might'' take the opportunity to do some exploration of their own and see what they can pick up. As well as the ''Find the Drakes'' venture, the ''Take Your Time Looking For Lost Marchers'' venture is also available. This is a [[venture#questing|questing]] venture, and a standard military unit that undertakes it will receive 2 pieces of "Adversity Vis" (that is, [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]], or [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]]) and two ''marsh flowers''. An upgraded or enchanted military unit will receive commensurately more treasure.

This venture is available to anyone who wants to take it. Those military units receiving a two rank bonus from supporting one of the two armies this season will still do so. ''However'' there is a drawback to this action and that is that ''regardless'' of the effective strength of the military unit, it will ''only'' contribute 50 effective strength towards finding the Drakes and guiding them out of Crucible. The actual rank of the military unit and its enchantments will have no bearing on the amount they contribute.

There isn't any way for the civil service to tell who is searching for the Drakes and who is taking their time about it, so a single list will appear with all the names on the same roll of honour. If the guerdon is applied to finding the Drakes, then everyone who takes ''either'' venture will be able to claim a share of it.

===Pride of the Marches===
* '''The General of the Drakes is still a General'''
* '''The General can still issue an order to the army though the force can't actually leave the region or undertake an attack or defence'''
* '''Folk from the Marches can support the Drakes to help them deal with potential casualties providing a lifeline to home'''
* '''It is still possible to target the army with an enchantment but impossible to predict what if anything it will do'''
* '''There is no upkeep for the army this season'''
* '''The general of the Drakes is Alfred Houtman Fella'''
Obviously the general of the Drakes '''Alfred Houtman Fella''' is in a little bit of a bind given their army is missing in action. The civil service have confirmed that they still ''are'' a [[general]] even though their army is currently somewhere in Madruga. They can still participate freely in the [[Military Council]] until such time as proof emerges that the Drakes are never coming back. They can even still issue an order, but ''only'' the text of the order matters. The army will remain in Madruga, lost in Crucible. It also isn't possible for military units to take the [[military unit#Campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army. It is still possible to place an enchantment on the army using the general as focus, but impossible to predict exactly what the effect will be. The ritual will still ''have'' its effect but the ability of the Drakes to benefit from it will depend entirely on what it is.

There is no upkeep for the army this season, since the civil service has no easy way to feed and billet the army.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Icons.jpg|align=left|width=300|caption=If absolutely nothing else, sending a few hundred poppets to the soldiers of the Drakes certainly can't ''hurt''.}}</div>

===Pride and Loyalty===
* '''An outpouring of Pride and Loyalty inspires the folk of the Marches'''
* '''Heralds of Sadogua and Lashonar have agreed to carry care packages and messages of support to the stranded Drakes'''
* '''''Any'' Marcher character can choose to support the rescue of the Drakes albeit with limited effect'''
There are concerns about how the soldiers on campaign, lost in the trackless marshes of Madruga will survive, but that only results in an outpouring of support from the Marches, especially [[Upwold]]. The Drakes are well loved, after all, and if [[Life of Tom Drake|Tom Drake]] taught anything else it is that you look out for your own. Obviously, this being the Marches, there has also been some recrimination from people who ought to know better who argue that a sinister Freeborn conspiracy has intentionally sacrificed the Drakes to Azoth but it is ''probably'' safe to ignore those people. Humans and orcs want to do everything they can to help, even if they can't send beaters of their own to deal with the situation.

By itself its not clear how they ''could'' help (beyond encouraging or enchanting military units), but help comes from unexpected sources. Some of the [[smith]]s and [[landskeeper]]s have spoken to servants of Sadogua and Lashonar, and both eternals have committed to offer their assistance. They are prepared to carry messages and supplies into the Crucible and make sure they get to the Drakes. In a similar manner to the way the Navarr and the Imperial Orc nations were able to support the raid against the Great Forest Orcs, the people of the Marches can show their support for the Drakes if they wish.

''Any'' Marcher character can take the action to support the venture to ''Support the Drakes''. Any character that chooses to support the action will suffer a 50% penalty to the normal production of their [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]. A character with a [[congregation]] that supports the venture will instead receive ''no'' [[liao]], but will keep all their Synod votes. They will however not be able to undertake a [[Congregation#Lectures|lecture]] or [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]] at the same time. A [[fleet]] likewise can't take a different [[voyage]], including trading or supporting an army. Instead of their normal production they'll get the same as a military unit (a marsh flower and some valuables).

Even if they aren't going to Madruga personally, they can still provide crucial supplies to support the soldiers of the Drakes themselves. The help they provide won't benefit from [[enchantment|enchantments]], but all resources of the characters that ''Support the Drakes'' will contribute ''half'' the strength of a military unit of equivalent rank.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Arwydd Clearbramble.jpg|caption='''Arwydd Clearbramble''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bloodcrow Arora.jpg|caption='''Bloodcrow Arora''', Archmage of Winter|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night|title=One in six Night eternals think he's pretty neat|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Each resource that takes this action will contribute 50 strength to the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. For every 100 Marcher characters take the option, any damage suffered due to a partial success will be reduced by 500. In the event that the mission is a full success, not only will the army not suffer any casualties but they will be revitalised and receive 500 additional resupply this season.

===Eternal Aid===
* '''Plenipotentiary could be used to ask for help for the Drakes'''
* '''A poorly chosen eternal or a poorly worded request for help will do more damage than good'''
While much of the focus on the missing army revolves around the Night enchantment and the heralds of Night, Crucible is affected by ''three'' realms of magic not only one. In theory, the [[Archmage of Winter]], [[Archmage of Night]], [[Archmage of Spring]], or [[Stone Smith]] could each use their [[plenipotentiary]] at the Autumn Equinox to ask an appropriate eternal to intercede and help the Drakes. This is a risky course of action - the choice of eternal and exactly what they were asked to do will be crucial. Neither the eternals of Spring nor Night are especially fond of armies, and the aid of the eternals of Winter always comes at a price.

In the event that an eternal was asked for aid and minded to provide it, they could certainly increase the chances of the Drakes returning safe and untransformed. The civil service estimate that the aid of an eternal would add 3,000 to the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. Two or more eternals would likely conflict with each other however - a second eternal would add another 2,000 effective strength, and a third only another 1,000.

Anyone attempting this should be ''very careful''. A poorly phrased request, or a request to an eternal that for whatever reason was not disposed to help, had problems with the Marches or the Drakes, or disliked the Empire, would instead ''subtract'' 5,000 from the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' mission, with potentially disastrous consequences.

===Order, Order===
* '''A single Conclave Order could be guided to aid the efforts'''
* '''Only one Order can help but only if they are not currently busy elsewhere'''
Magicians are arguably the ones best placed to help, but which ones? The Conclave could choose one of the Orders and ask them to help recover the Marcher army. If that is the will of the Conclave they will need to choose a single order and give clear guidance on why they want them to help. An Order can only be [[Grandmaster#Guiding_an_Order|guided]] by their grandmaster using one of their two declarations of concord. Doing so would have the usual cost of twenty mana crystals, and would be guaranteed to contribute 1,000 strength to the efforts. Any other potential effects would depend which order was chosen.
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When something is lost

2026-09-08T19:14:04Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Finding the Missing Legion */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>John scanned the horizon, looking, desperately, anywhere for a patch of blue sky. There was nothing, of course. Just the same endless billowing green, as if the sky itself were carpeted in grass. Every time he raised his eyes to the sky, he got his hopes up, but every time they were dashed.

"It ain't natural," he said, the statement a contender for the worst understatement by a Marcher from Hay this week.

"No. As I keep telling you, we're ain't in Mitwold no more." Hatty Hay was trying not to snap but it was hard to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. "We're in some kind of regio. Some kind of enormous fucking regio. The size of Mitwold, or bigger even. Mebbe bigger than the whole Empire. Mebbe bigger than the whole world."

"I still don't see how can it be bigger than Madruga, and fit in the territory." John liked Hattie, best Landskeeper in the Drakes, as he often told people. But that was best as in "best at fixing broken bones" and the like. She was rubbish at explanations. He hadn't known that til now. Hadn't needed to mind.

Hattie bit her tongue and changed the subject. "Stop chewing teeth, we'll be fine. They'll find a way to get us out of here. And in the meantime, keep your eye on that sky. First bit of blue you see, you let me know."

John hoisted his pack. It was noticeably lighter than when they'd set out. That was definitely ''not'' reassuring.
</ic>
<div {{float-left}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Spring by Michalina.jpg|caption=What do you do when something is lost?|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''An enchantment has been cast on Madruga'''
* '''It coincides with two Imperial armies bringing the last two regions of the transfigured territory into the Empire'''
* '''One of those armies has not come back out of the marshes'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now the islands are in the hand of the [[Iron Confederacy|Suranni]], the coastline is only just recovering from terrible storms and magical [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaos]], and much of the grassland has been transfigured into an enchanted marsh infused with the powers of the [[Realms#Night|Night]], [[Realms#Spring|Spring]], and [[Realms#Winter|Winter]] realms. Mind you, this is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises.

After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga. It took a little time to get going - this magic is full of the dreams of forests that have not grown in Madruga for a very long time indeed. What few woodlands there were went to build the ships the Freeborn value so highly. At the same time the magic was weaving its way across the twilit bayou and the grasslands, two Imperial armies were finally bringing the last regions of the territory back into Imperial control.

''One'' of those armies has since come back to report success. The other... has not.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=200}}</div>
==Shadows over the Bayou==
* '''A potent Night magic enchantment has settled over Madruga'''
* '''Folk living there or visiting experience vibrant dreams of nighttime forests'''
* '''Encounters with heralds of the Night realm, especially Sung, Sadogua, and Azoth, have become a little more common'''
Night magic pools in Madruga, in quiet places throughout the territory. It whispers through the dreams of the people, who are visited by visions of a strange night-time forest. A swampy, marshy forest of cypress, alder, willow, and mangrove. The forest is alive with strange creatures, rainbow-hued little beasts that switch from one shape to another. From scuttling lizard, to soaring laughing bird, to chattering monkey, to three-tailed cat, to meddlesome octopus, to surreptitious alligator, to long-legged dodo-bird with a crest of eyes. They are not threatening, but they are strange and they trail dreamers who walk or punt through the phantasmal woodlands.

Encounters with the Night Realm are noticeably more common, little sparks of unexpected magic clearly drawing on the [[Night magic#Resonances|resonances]] of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]]. In particular, people talk of seemingly chance encounters with odd heralds of that realm especially those answering to ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'', ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'', and [[Azoth|''Crucible'']] itself. The creatures tend to be friendly, interested in the people, encouraging folk in the usual manners for their kind, happy to accept hospitality. This is the Brass Coast, and they often offer little boons in return for food and drink. They also offer payment for things no Freeborn would consider deserving of recompense - conversation, answers, the chance to pet a dog.

Obviously, given the nature of this kind of magic and the territory itself (especially [[Madruga#Crucible|Crucible]]) there is a significant chance of some kind of unexpected outcome. Perhaps even permanent transformation of the territory in some way...
===An Absolutely Terrible Idea===
* '''Nobody is entirely sure who first came up with it but a daring proposal has been made'''
Everybody says they heard it from somewhere else, but there's a fascinating idea doing the rounds. It might have come from the heralds of Azoth, who everyone knows love transcendence through alchemy and learning through experience almost as much as they adore inspiration through madness. It might have been mentioned in one of the long, rambling conversations between drunk hakima and heralds of Sadogua. It might even have been whispered into the wind by some of the children of Sung. Not that the heralds of the Night realm have a monopoly on ideas of dubious good sense - it's just as likely to have come from a hakima inspired by their dreams or even a visiting citizen from another nation entirely.

The idea is straightforward enough. The magic that infuses southern and western Madruga is not drawn from a single realm. So why not follow the Night enchantment currently nestled over the territory with a Spring and a Winter enchantment - in any order - and see what happens? Obviously the Children of Wrecks were throwing potent Spring magic around during their occupation of the islands but it was very much in the form of destructive [[curse|curses]]. But it can't be denied that such magic occasionally lead to beneficial results here and there - spreading ''marsh flowers'' for example. Wouldn't an enchantment ''intended'' to be beneficial be more likely to bring good results in Siroc Bayou, Crucible, or even the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]]? They wouldn't even necessarily have to be cast strictly consecutively - although the order might matter - as long as no other enchantments were inserted in between. There is a very vague attempt to name the idea the "Madrugahedron" (referencing the [[Stargazer#Resonance_and_the_Omnihedron|omnihedron]] beloved by some [[Urizen|Urizeni]]) but it doesn't really catch on.

Before anyone can do anything as organised as make a concrete proposal, however, the ''other'' effect of that this Night enchantment seems to have had a hand in becomes clear and people have other things to talk about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}

==Into Crucible==
* '''The Drakes and the Star Forged have entered the Bayou, but become split up'''
* '''By the end of the season the Star Forged have emerged relatively unscathed, but the Drakes have not'''
* '''There is no sign of the missing army; more than six thousand Marcher soldiers have completely disappeared'''
Since the [[Where the river rises|transfiguration]] of Madruga - since the Dry Patricians were defeated and their terrible Blight washed away by waters infused with Spring and Night and ultimately Winter magic - this has been a place of mysteries and wonders. Last season, a season of [[phantasms and foam]], the [[Red Wind Corsairs]] explored [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]] attempting to understand the shifting marshes and bring this magically infused geography into the Empire proper. They encounterd [[Phantasms_and_foam#Madruga|difficulties]] but still made some headway mastering two thirds of the marshlands.

After the Summer Solstice, the Corsairs set off for [[the Marches]], alongside the [[Fire of the South]], and took part in the campaign against the Jotun in [[Bregasland]]. Two armies came south to complete their work - the [[Star Forged]], the new army of [[Navarr]], and the [[Drakes]], the [[Pride|proud]] first army of [[the Marches]]. Putting subtlety to one side, both armies were ordered to undertake an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the strangeness of the Bayou and Crucible, and that is exactly what they did. Both armies bore enchantments - the Drakes carried the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]], invaluable in mastering the mysteries of the marshes. The Star Forged were empowered with [[Find the Best Path]], an enchantment that improves not only speed but the logistical structures of an army allowing them to move with confidence over long distances. Remember that bit.

Elsewhere in the territory there is some commentary from the heralds of the Night realm that the approach of the two armies is all wrong, too violent, too unsubtle, but the creatures of Night often say that kind of thing. There may be a ring of truth to it all - for the first month or so there are semi-regular reports from Navarr messengers of encounters with phantasmal soldiers similar to those the Red Wind Corsairs mentioned. Sometimes human, sometimes orc, sometimes something unlike either, they seem to be drawn out of history or in from dreams. There is fighting, but amazingly no casualties are suffered. The wounds the phantoms cause seem to lie in the mind and the spirit rather than on the body. The two armies complete the work of the 'Corsairs. Siroc Bayou still contains enigmas, as befits any locale infused with the essences of both the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]] and the [[Realms#Night magic|Wondrous]] ones. They proceed to the next target - to Crucible itself.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Logan Dusklight.jpg|caption='''Logan Dusklight''', General of the Star Forged|align=right|width=250}}
The first report, delivered by a cheerful Navarr messenger, is that everything is proceeding as expected. Then... nothing. The next messenger does not arrive with a status update, and neither does the one after that or... There are a handful of Freeborn explorers who brave Crucible in search of treasures and wonders to sell in the markets of [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]] and [[Madruga#Quzar|Quzar]]. This season when they emerge from the marshes they report encounters with the Drakes and the Star Forged, surprised that people seem so concerned about them. The last such sighting indicates that the two armies have split up to cover more ground, but are confident that by the start of the Winter Solstice they will have ensured Crucible is part of Madruga in fact as well as name.

The silence from the armies themselves, however, stretches on. A patrol of soldiers sent in to make sure everything is alright are swallowed up and disappear in their turn. Something is clearly wrong...

Then, a little over three weeks before the Autumn Equinox, the Star Forged emerge from Crucible into [[Madruga#Lightsea|Lightsea]]. They are muddied and exhausted, but triumphant. Between them, the Drakes and the Star Forged have mapped out enough of Crucible, have established outposts and encampments, that the region is now truly Imperial. They warn that the place is very confusing, that the deeper one pushes into Crucible the larger and wilder it seems to become, although that might just be the Night magic and the Spring magic playing tricks on the mind.

What they haven't brought out of Crucible with them however are the Drakes themselves. There is some confusion among the Navarr - they thought the Drakes would rendezvous with them in Lightsea. And yet there is no sign of the Marcher army. The entire six-thousand-strong force of the Marches has vanished.

The only sign of the Drakes comes when four units under the command of ''Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]], ''Fay Baker'' of [[Dawn]], and two Marcher captains - Lazarus and John of Meade. They are as confused as the Star Forged - they seem to have only jumbled recollections of the last few weeks, and believed the rest of the army was right behind them. But there continues to be no sign of the Marcher army.
===Participation : Mist Walking===
* '''Anyone whose military unit supported the Drakes or the Star Forged has jumbled recollections of their time in the marshes'''
* '''Any such character with the naga lineage might find their physical or roleplaying trappings becoming stronger'''
* '''Any unlineaged human character who supported one of the armies may choose to change their lineage to naga after the Autumn Equinox'''
Any character whose military unit supported one of the armies that were exploring and cataloguing the Siroc Bayou and Crucible, you are likely to have jumbled recollections of precisely what happened. The more you try to remember the harder it is to keep a coherent thread. You are encouraged to skim over some of the other text about the marshes, such as that in [[Phantasms and foam]] last season, or the descriptions of the marshes' peculiarities in the [[Made anew]] wind of fortune.

Any character with the [[naga]] lineage who supported the Drakes or the Star Forged, or is the general of one of those armies, may use this as an opportunity to strengthen their [[Naga#Other_Trappings|lineage trappings]] or to focus on one or more of their [[Naga#Roleplaying|roleplaying trappings]] and heighten their effects.

Likewise, any human character with no lineage who supported one of the armies may choose to develop the naga lineage. Given the short gap between this wind of fortune being produced and the event, you may want to demonstrate roleplaying trappings at the Autumn Equinox and arrange your trappings afterward - meaning you can email {{plot}} after the event to get your lineage updated.

==Still In There Somewhere==
* '''Magicians and their eternal allies all agree that the Marcher army has been trapped somehow by the kaleidoscope of magic that permeates the Bayou'''
* '''The Star Forged were saved by the nature of the enchantment on them, the Drakes were not so fortunate'''
* '''To get them back, the Empire will have to go and look for them'''
The [[hakima]] from the [[Hakima_of_Salt_and_Sand#Parador_of_Salt_and_Sand|Parador of Salt and Sand]] are among some of the first to talk to those who have emerged from the marshes, and a potential explanation begins to emerge. The Night magic enchantment on Madruga has ''done something'' to the Crucible. The Drakes are, as near as anyone can tell, still exploring it. It looks as if the magic enhancing their ability to claim ground - the ''Clarity'' - may actually have worked against them in fact by encouraging them to keep seeking to understand a place that defies explanation. The Star Forged however were enchanted with an [[Autumn magic]] working that empowers armies to ''get where they are going''. While the Crucible might have drawn them in, ultimately their enchantment served to ensure they emerged unfazed.

All the reports suggest the Marcher soldiers are probably fine - but the longer they stay in Crucible the more likely they are to either get so lost they can never return, or to undergo some kind of terrible transformation, or to encounter something more dangerous than phantasmal dream soldiers.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sular.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBBrassCoast.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Wyr.png|title=Rune: Wyr|align=right|width=150}}</div>
Conveniently, there are a few heralds of the Night realm in Madruga who are happy to offer their own particular brand of assistance when challenged. The little wizards of Sadogua concurr with the hakima assessment, and are more than happy to get into the deep and confusing weeds of a conversation about the interactions of different kinds of magic. The heralds of Azoth find the questions a little confusing, and suggest that rather than assuming the Drakes are lost, they should instead consider them to be on a bold adventure, one that might lead to exciting new insights into magic, war, and the mortal spirit. The heralds of Sung reply to all questions with questions of their own, the most common being "''What do you do when something is lost?''" which at first seems very unhelpful but provides inspiration to the hakima. What you do when something is lost is ''you go and look for it''.

==Finding the Missing Legion==
* '''The Drakes are lost in the trackless Marshes of the Crucible '''
* '''Helping to bring them back will require a concerted effort by their allies'''
* '''The Military Council could apply the guerdon to the efforts to rescue the Drakes'''
The likely explanation is that the Drakes are still in Crucible somewhere. The [[Imperial Seer]], '''Jorma Steelhail''', should be able to confirm this with a simple casting of [[Eyes of the Sun and Moon]]. The Marcher [[egregore]]s should likewise know whether the soldiers of the Drakes are still alive and well or not. The heralds of Sadogua and Azoth certainly think they are, but their definition of "alive and well" is of questionable value.

Following the Autumn Equinox there will be an [[opportunity]] for [[military unit|military units]] to launch a rescue mission into the Crucible. The aim will be to find the Drakes and lead them safely out of Crucible before anything bad happens to them. Nothing is ever easy, however, and definitely not in places like Crucible after a potent Night enchantment.

After the Autumn Equinox, any [[military unit]] can take the [[venture]] ''Find the Drakes''. This is a [[Military unit#Scouting|scouting]] action that represents venturing into Crucible, helping find the missing Marcher army, convincing them that they are lost in magical marshes, and leading them back to Lightsea or Quiet Grasses (or indeed anywhere that is not Crucible). Instead of the usual production a military unit receives, a standard military unit would gain one random ''marsh flower'', and 36 rings (representing wonders of the marshes). This is a pitiful recompense, but obviously the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies|Quartermaster General]] could apply the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial Guerdon]].

As with many such situations the amount of strength applied to this venture effects the outcome.
<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Less than 5,000 Strength - Further In</span><br>
A limited response will mean the Drakes are not rescued in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE. They remain lost in the marshes, and they will have lost 2,000 strength due to missing soldiers and the dangers of the deep Crucible. There will be another attempt to rescue them at the Winter solstice.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 5,000 and 10,000 Strength - Desperate Egress</span><br>
The rescue mission is a success, and the Drakes emerge from Curcible in time for the Winter Solstice. In the process however, they will have lost 1,000 strength due to soldiers who get left behind, disastrous encounters, or unrecoverable transformations.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 10,000 and 20,000 Strength - Controlled Extraction</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the WInter Solstice. They have sustained some losses but their strength falls only by 500. They will also have the opportunity for a change to their quality, either related to their time in the transformative marshes or the inspirational support and outpouring of love from their people.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">More than 20,000 Strength - Total Victory</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from crucible hale and hearty, with the opportunity for a new quality. In addition they and the other explorers of the marshes will have discovered an opportunity in the marshes that could be exploited by the Empire in the future.

To complicate matters, not every [[military unit]] is equally able to contribute to this venture. '''Freeborn''', '''Navarr''', and '''Marcher''' units provide their full effectiveness. Military units from any other nation contribute (and receive rewards) as if their strength were two ranks lower.

Some folk have an advantage here however - any military unit that supported either the Drakes or the Star Forged this season receives a 2 rank bonus to help rescue the Drakes, affecting both effective strength and rewards.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Pallas.png|align=right|width=150}}</div>
===All Things Can Have A Price===
* '''Rather than focus solely on finding the Drakes a military unit could go looking for treasure'''
* '''These military units will gain more treasure and provide less help to find the Drakes'''
* '''All military units taking either action will appear in a single list compiled by the civil service'''
* '''If finding the drakes gets the guerdon, then everyone involved will be able to claim the rewards'''
There is another approach here, but one that might result in a little bit of... criticism. Instead of focusing ''exclusively'' on finding the Drakes, a military unit ''might'' take the opportunity to do some exploration of their own and see what they can pick up. As well as the ''Find the Drakes'' venture, the ''Take Your Time Looking For Lost Marchers'' venture is also available. This is a [[venture#questing|questing]] venture, and a standard military unit that undertakes it will receive 2 pieces of "Adversity Vis" (that is, [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]], or [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]]) and two ''marsh flowers''. An upgraded or enchanted military unit will receive commensurately more treasure.

This venture is available to anyone who wants to take it. Those military units receiving a two rank bonus from supporting one of the two armies this season will still do so. ''However'' there is a drawback to this action and that is that ''regardless'' of the effective strength of the military unit, it will ''only'' contribute 50 effective strength towards finding the Drakes and guiding them out of Crucible. The actual rank of the military unit and its enchantments will have no bearing on the amount they contribute.

There isn't any way for the civil service to tell who is searching for the Drakes and who is taking their time about it, so a single list will appear with all the names on the same roll of honour. If the guerdon is applied to finding the Drakes, then everyone who takes ''either'' venture will be able to claim a share of it.

===Pride of the Marches===
* '''The General of the Drakes is still a General'''
* '''The General can still issue an order to the army though the force can't actually leave the region or undertake an attack or defence'''
* '''Folk from the Marches can support the Drakes to help them deal with potential casualties providing a lifeline to home'''
* '''It is still possible to target the army with an enchantment but impossible to predict what if anything it will do'''
* '''There is no upkeep for the army this season'''
* '''The general of the Drakes is Alfred Houtman Fella'''
Obviously the general of the Drakes '''Alfred Houtman Fella''' is in a little bit of a bind given their army is missing in action. The civil service have confirmed that they still ''are'' a [[general]] even though their army is currently somewhere in Madruga. They can still participate freely in the [[Military Council]] until such time as proof emerges that the Drakes are never coming back. They can even still issue an order, but ''only'' the text of the order matters. The army will remain in Madruga, lost in Crucible. It also isn't possible for military units to take the [[military unit#Campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army. It is still possible to place an enchantment on the army using the general as focus, but impossible to predict exactly what the effect will be. The ritual will still ''have'' its effect but the ability of the Drakes to benefit from it will depend entirely on what it is.

There is no upkeep for the army this season, since the civil service has no easy way to feed and billet the army.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Icons.jpg|align=left|width=300|caption=If absolutely nothing else, sending a few hundred poppets to the soldiers of the Drakes certainly can't ''hurt''.}}</div>

===Pride and Loyalty===
* '''An outpouring of Pride and Loyalty inspires the folk of the Marches'''
* '''Heralds of Sadogua and Lashonar have agreed to carry care packages and messages of support to the stranded Drakes'''
* '''''Any'' Marcher character can choose to support the rescue of the Drakes albeit with limited effect'''
There are concerns about how the soldiers on campaign, lost in the trackless marshes of Madruga will survive, but that only results in an outpouring of support from the Marches, especially [[Upwold]]. The Drakes are well loved, after all, and if [[Life of Tom Drake|Tom Drake]] taught anything else it is that you look out for your own. Obviously, this being the Marches, there has also been some recrimination from people who ought to know better who argue that a sinister Freeborn conspiracy has intentionally sacrificed the Drakes to Azoth but it is ''probably'' safe to ignore those people. Humans and orcs want to do everything they can to help, even if they can't send beaters of their own to deal with the situation.

By itself its not clear how they ''could'' help (beyond encouraging or enchanting military units), but help comes from unexpected sources. Some of the [[smith]]s and [[landskeeper]]s have spoken to servants of Sadogua and Lashonar, and both eternals have committed to offer their assistance. They are prepared to carry messages and supplies into the Crucible and make sure they get to the Drakes. In a similar manner to the way the Navarr and the Imperial Orc nations were able to support the raid against the Great Forest Orcs, the people of the Marches can show their support for the Drakes if they wish.

''Any'' Marcher character can take the action to support the venture to ''Support the Drakes''. Any character that chooses to support the action will suffer a 50% penalty to the normal production of their [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]. A character with a [[congregation]] that supports the venture will instead receive ''no'' [[liao]], but will keep all their Synod votes. They will however not be able to undertake a [[Congregation#Lectures|lecture]] or [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]] at the same time. A [[fleet]] likewise can't take a different [[voyage]], including trading or supporting an army. Instead of their normal production they'll get the same as a military unit (a marsh flower and some valuables).

Even if they aren't going to Madruga personally, they can still provide crucial supplies to support the soldiers of the Drakes themselves. The help they provide won't benefit from [[enchantment|enchantments]], but all resources of the characters that ''Support the Drakes'' will contribute ''half'' the strength of a military unit of equivalent rank.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Arwydd Clearbramble.jpg|caption='''Arwydd Clearbramble''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bloodcrow Arora.jpg|caption='''Bloodcrow Arora''', Archmage of Winter|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night|title=One in six Night eternals think he's pretty neat|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Each resource that takes this action will contribute 50 strength to the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. For every 100 Marcher characters take the option, any damage suffered due to a partial success will be reduced by 500. In the event that the mission is a full success, not only will the army not suffer any casualties but they will be revitalised and receive 500 additional resupply this season.

===Eternal Aid===
* '''Plenipotentiary could be used to ask for help for the Drakes'''
* '''A poorly chosen eternal or a poorly worded request for help will do more damage than good'''
While much of the focus on the missing army revolves around the Night enchantment and the heralds of Night, Crucible is affected by ''three'' realms of magic not only one. In theory, the [[Archmage of Winter]], [[Archmage of Night]], [[Archmage of Spring]], or [[Stone Smith]] could each use their [[plenipotentiary]] at the Autumn Equinox to ask an appropriate eternal to intercede and help the Drakes. This is a risky course of action - the choice of eternal and exactly what they were asked to do will be crucial. Neither the eternals of Spring nor Night are especially fond of armies, and the aid of the eternals of Winter always comes at a price.

In the event that an eternal was asked for aid and minded to provide it, they could certainly increase the chances of the Drakes returning safe and untransformed. The civil service estimate that the aid of an eternal would add 3,000 to the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. Two or more eternals would likely conflict with each other however - a second eternal would add another 2,000 effective strength, and a third only another 1,000.

Anyone attempting this should be ''very careful''. A poorly phrased request, or a request to an eternal that for whatever reason was not disposed to help, had problems with the Marches or the Drakes, or disliked the Empire, would instead ''subtract'' 5,000 from the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' mission, with potentially disastrous consequences.

===Order, Order===
* '''A single Conclave Order could be guided to aid the efforts'''
* '''Only one Order can help but only if they are not currently busy elsewhere'''
Magicians are arguably the ones best placed to help, but which ones? The Conclave could choose one of the Orders and ask them to help recover the Marcher army. If that is the will of the Conclave they will need to choose a single order and give clear guidance on why they want them to help. An Order can only be [[Grandmaster#Guiding_an_Order|guided]] by their grandmaster using one of their two declarations of concord. Doing so would have the usual cost of twenty mana crystals, and would be guaranteed to contribute 1,000 strength to the efforts. Any other potential effects would depend which order was chosen.
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When something is lost

2026-09-08T19:05:56Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Still In There Somewhere */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>John scanned the horizon, looking, desperately, anywhere for a patch of blue sky. There was nothing, of course. Just the same endless billowing green, as if the sky itself were carpeted in grass. Every time he raised his eyes to the sky, he got his hopes up, but every time they were dashed.

"It ain't natural," he said, the statement a contender for the worst understatement by a Marcher from Hay this week.

"No. As I keep telling you, we're ain't in Mitwold no more." Hatty Hay was trying not to snap but it was hard to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. "We're in some kind of regio. Some kind of enormous fucking regio. The size of Mitwold, or bigger even. Mebbe bigger than the whole Empire. Mebbe bigger than the whole world."

"I still don't see how can it be bigger than Madruga, and fit in the territory." John liked Hattie, best Landskeeper in the Drakes, as he often told people. But that was best as in "best at fixing broken bones" and the like. She was rubbish at explanations. He hadn't known that til now. Hadn't needed to mind.

Hattie bit her tongue and changed the subject. "Stop chewing teeth, we'll be fine. They'll find a way to get us out of here. And in the meantime, keep your eye on that sky. First bit of blue you see, you let me know."

John hoisted his pack. It was noticeably lighter than when they'd set out. That was definitely ''not'' reassuring.
</ic>
<div {{float-left}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Spring by Michalina.jpg|caption=What do you do when something is lost?|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''An enchantment has been cast on Madruga'''
* '''It coincides with two Imperial armies bringing the last two regions of the transfigured territory into the Empire'''
* '''One of those armies has not come back out of the marshes'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now the islands are in the hand of the [[Iron Confederacy|Suranni]], the coastline is only just recovering from terrible storms and magical [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaos]], and much of the grassland has been transfigured into an enchanted marsh infused with the powers of the [[Realms#Night|Night]], [[Realms#Spring|Spring]], and [[Realms#Winter|Winter]] realms. Mind you, this is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises.

After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga. It took a little time to get going - this magic is full of the dreams of forests that have not grown in Madruga for a very long time indeed. What few woodlands there were went to build the ships the Freeborn value so highly. At the same time the magic was weaving its way across the twilit bayou and the grasslands, two Imperial armies were finally bringing the last regions of the territory back into Imperial control.

''One'' of those armies has since come back to report success. The other... has not.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG|align=right|width=200}}
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==Shadows over the Bayou==
* '''A potent Night magic enchantment has settled over Madruga'''
* '''Folk living there or visiting experience vibrant dreams of nighttime forests'''
* '''Encounters with heralds of the Night realm, especially Sung, Sadogua, and Azoth, have become a little more common'''
Night magic pools in Madruga, in quiet places throughout the territory. It whispers through the dreams of the people, who are visited by visions of a strange night-time forest. A swampy, marshy forest of cypress, alder, willow, and mangrove. The forest is alive with strange creatures, rainbow-hued little beasts that switch from one shape to another. From scuttling lizard, to soaring laughing bird, to chattering monkey, to three-tailed cat, to meddlesome octopus, to surreptitious alligator, to long-legged dodo-bird with a crest of eyes. They are not threatening, but they are strange and they trail dreamers who walk or punt through the phantasmal woodlands.

Encounters with the Night Realm are noticeably more common, little sparks of unexpected magic clearly drawing on the [[Night magic#Resonances|resonances]] of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]]. In particular, people talk of seemingly chance encounters with odd heralds of that realm especially those answering to ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'', ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'', and [[Azoth|''Crucible'']] itself. The creatures tend to be friendly, interested in the people, encouraging folk in the usual manners for their kind, happy to accept hospitality. This is the Brass Coast, and they often offer little boons in return for food and drink. They also offer payment for things no Freeborn would consider deserving of recompense - conversation, answers, the chance to pet a dog.

Obviously, given the nature of this kind of magic and the territory itself (especially [[Madruga#Crucible|Crucible]]) there is a significant chance of some kind of unexpected outcome. Perhaps even permanent transformation of the territory in some way...
===An Absolutely Terrible Idea===
* '''Nobody is entirely sure who first came up with it but a daring proposal has been made'''
Everybody says they heard it from somewhere else, but there's a fascinating idea doing the rounds. It might have come from the heralds of Azoth, who everyone knows love transcendence through alchemy and learning through experience almost as much as they adore inspiration through madness. It might have been mentioned in one of the long, rambling conversations between drunk hakima and heralds of Sadogua. It might even have been whispered into the wind by some of the children of Sung. Not that the heralds of the Night realm have a monopoly on ideas of dubious good sense - it's just as likely to have come from a hakima inspired by their dreams or even a visiting citizen from another nation entirely.

The idea is straightforward enough. The magic that infuses southern and western Madruga is not drawn from a single realm. So why not follow the Night enchantment currently nestled over the territory with a Spring and a Winter enchantment - in any order - and see what happens? Obviously the Children of Wrecks were throwing potent Spring magic around during their occupation of the islands but it was very much in the form of destructive [[curse|curses]]. But it can't be denied that such magic occasionally lead to beneficial results here and there - spreading ''marsh flowers'' for example. Wouldn't an enchantment ''intended'' to be beneficial be more likely to bring good results in Siroc Bayou, Crucible, or even the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]]? They wouldn't even necessarily have to be cast strictly consecutively - although the order might matter - as long as no other enchantments were inserted in between. There is a very vague attempt to name the idea the "Madrugahedron" (referencing the [[Stargazer#Resonance_and_the_Omnihedron|omnihedron]] beloved by some [[Urizen|Urizeni]]) but it doesn't really catch on.

Before anyone can do anything as organised as make a concrete proposal, however, the ''other'' effect of that this Night enchantment seems to have had a hand in becomes clear and people have other things to talk about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}

==Into Crucible==
* '''The Drakes and the Star Forged have entered the Bayou, but become split up'''
* '''By the end of the season the Star Forged have emerged relatively unscathed, but the Drakes have not'''
* '''There is no sign of the missing army; more than six thousand Marcher soldiers have completely disappeared'''
Since the [[Where the river rises|transfiguration]] of Madruga - since the Dry Patricians were defeated and their terrible Blight washed away by waters infused with Spring and Night and ultimately Winter magic - this has been a place of mysteries and wonders. Last season, a season of [[phantasms and foam]], the [[Red Wind Corsairs]] explored [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]] attempting to understand the shifting marshes and bring this magically infused geography into the Empire proper. They encounterd [[Phantasms_and_foam#Madruga|difficulties]] but still made some headway mastering two thirds of the marshlands.

After the Summer Solstice, the Corsairs set off for [[the Marches]], alongside the [[Fire of the South]], and took part in the campaign against the Jotun in [[Bregasland]]. Two armies came south to complete their work - the [[Star Forged]], the new army of [[Navarr]], and the [[Drakes]], the [[Pride|proud]] first army of [[the Marches]]. Putting subtlety to one side, both armies were ordered to undertake an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the strangeness of the Bayou and Crucible, and that is exactly what they did. Both armies bore enchantments - the Drakes carried the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]], invaluable in mastering the mysteries of the marshes. The Star Forged were empowered with [[Find the Best Path]], an enchantment that improves not only speed but the logistical structures of an army allowing them to move with confidence over long distances. Remember that bit.

Elsewhere in the territory there is some commentary from the heralds of the Night realm that the approach of the two armies is all wrong, too violent, too unsubtle, but the creatures of Night often say that kind of thing. There may be a ring of truth to it all - for the first month or so there are semi-regular reports from Navarr messengers of encounters with phantasmal soldiers similar to those the Red Wind Corsairs mentioned. Sometimes human, sometimes orc, sometimes something unlike either, they seem to be drawn out of history or in from dreams. There is fighting, but amazingly no casualties are suffered. The wounds the phantoms cause seem to lie in the mind and the spirit rather than on the body. The two armies complete the work of the 'Corsairs. Siroc Bayou still contains enigmas, as befits any locale infused with the essences of both the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]] and the [[Realms#Night magic|Wondrous]] ones. They proceed to the next target - to Crucible itself.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Logan Dusklight.jpg|caption='''Logan Dusklight''', General of the Star Forged|align=right|width=250}}
The first report, delivered by a cheerful Navarr messenger, is that everything is proceeding as expected. Then... nothing. The next messenger does not arrive with a status update, and neither does the one after that or... There are a handful of Freeborn explorers who brave Crucible in search of treasures and wonders to sell in the markets of [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]] and [[Madruga#Quzar|Quzar]]. This season when they emerge from the marshes they report encounters with the Drakes and the Star Forged, surprised that people seem so concerned about them. The last such sighting indicates that the two armies have split up to cover more ground, but are confident that by the start of the Winter Solstice they will have ensured Crucible is part of Madruga in fact as well as name.

The silence from the armies themselves, however, stretches on. A patrol of soldiers sent in to make sure everything is alright are swallowed up and disappear in their turn. Something is clearly wrong...

Then, a little over three weeks before the Autumn Equinox, the Star Forged emerge from Crucible into [[Madruga#Lightsea|Lightsea]]. They are muddied and exhausted, but triumphant. Between them, the Drakes and the Star Forged have mapped out enough of Crucible, have established outposts and encampments, that the region is now truly Imperial. They warn that the place is very confusing, that the deeper one pushes into Crucible the larger and wilder it seems to become, although that might just be the Night magic and the Spring magic playing tricks on the mind.

What they haven't brought out of Crucible with them however are the Drakes themselves. There is some confusion among the Navarr - they thought the Drakes would rendezvous with them in Lightsea. And yet there is no sign of the Marcher army. The entire six-thousand-strong force of the Marches has vanished.

The only sign of the Drakes comes when four units under the command of ''Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]], ''Fay Baker'' of [[Dawn]], and two Marcher captains - Lazarus and John of Meade. They are as confused as the Star Forged - they seem to have only jumbled recollections of the last few weeks, and believed the rest of the army was right behind them. But there continues to be no sign of the Marcher army.
===Participation : Mist Walking===
* '''Anyone whose military unit supported the Drakes or the Star Forged has jumbled recollections of their time in the marshes'''
* '''Any such character with the naga lineage might find their physical or roleplaying trappings becoming stronger'''
* '''Any unlineaged human character who supported one of the armies may choose to change their lineage to naga after the Autumn Equinox'''
Any character whose military unit supported one of the armies that were exploring and cataloguing the Siroc Bayou and Crucible, you are likely to have jumbled recollections of precisely what happened. The more you try to remember the harder it is to keep a coherent thread. You are encouraged to skim over some of the other text about the marshes, such as that in [[Phantasms and foam]] last season, or the descriptions of the marshes' peculiarities in the [[Made anew]] wind of fortune.

Any character with the [[naga]] lineage who supported the Drakes or the Star Forged, or is the general of one of those armies, may use this as an opportunity to strengthen their [[Naga#Other_Trappings|lineage trappings]] or to focus on one or more of their [[Naga#Roleplaying|roleplaying trappings]] and heighten their effects.

Likewise, any human character with no lineage who supported one of the armies may choose to develop the naga lineage. Given the short gap between this wind of fortune being produced and the event, you may want to demonstrate roleplaying trappings at the Autumn Equinox and arrange your trappings afterward - meaning you can email {{plot}} after the event to get your lineage updated.

==Still In There Somewhere==
* '''Magicians and their eternal allies all agree that the Marcher army has been trapped somehow by the kaleidoscope of magic that permeates the Bayou'''
* '''The Star Forged were saved by the nature of the enchantment on them, the Drakes were not so fortunate'''
* '''To get them back, the Empire will have to go and look for them'''
The [[hakima]] from the [[Hakima_of_Salt_and_Sand#Parador_of_Salt_and_Sand|Parador of Salt and Sand]] are among some of the first to talk to those who have emerged from the marshes, and a potential explanation begins to emerge. The Night magic enchantment on Madruga has ''done something'' to the Crucible. The Drakes are, as near as anyone can tell, still exploring it. It looks as if the magic enhancing their ability to claim ground - the ''Clarity'' - may actually have worked against them in fact by encouraging them to keep seeking to understand a place that defies explanation. The Star Forged however were enchanted with an [[Autumn magic]] working that empowers armies to ''get where they are going''. While the Crucible might have drawn them in, ultimately their enchantment served to ensure they emerged unfazed.

All the reports suggest the Marcher soldiers are probably fine - but the longer they stay in Crucible the more likely they are to either get so lost they can never return, or to undergo some kind of terrible transformation, or to encounter something more dangerous than phantasmal dream soldiers.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sular.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Wyr.png|title=Rune: Wyr|align=right|width=150}}</div>
Conveniently, there are a few heralds of the Night realm in Madruga who are happy to offer their own particular brand of assistance when challenged. The little wizards of Sadogua concurr with the hakima assessment, and are more than happy to get into the deep and confusing weeds of a conversation about the interactions of different kinds of magic. The heralds of Azoth find the questions a little confusing, and suggest that rather than assuming the Drakes are lost, they should instead consider them to be on a bold adventure, one that might lead to exciting new insights into magic, war, and the mortal spirit. The heralds of Sung reply to all questions with questions of their own, the most common being "''What do you do when something is lost?''" which at first seems very unhelpful but provides inspiration to the hakima. What you do when something is lost is ''you go and look for it''.

==Finding the Missing Legion==
* '''The Drakes are lost in the trackless Marshes of the Crucible '''
* '''Helping to bring them back will require a concerted effort by their allies'''
* '''The Military Council could apply the guerdon to the efforts to rescue the Drakes'''
The likely explanation is that the Drakes are still in Crucible somewhere. The [[Imperial Seer]], '''Jorma Steelhail''', should be able to confirm this with a simple casting of [[Eyes of the Sun and Moon]]. The Marcher [[egregore]]s should likewise know whether the soldiers of the Drakes are still alive and well or not. The heralds of Sadogua and Azoth certainly think they are, but their definition of "alive and well" is of questionable value.

Following the Autumn Equinox there will be an [[opportunity]] for [[military unit|military units]] to launch a rescue mission into the Crucible. The aim will be to find the Drakes and lead them safely out of Crucible before anything bad happens to them. Nothing is ever easy, however, and definitely not in places like Crucible after a potent Night enchantment.

After the Autumn Equinox, any [[military unit]] can take the [[venture]] ''Find the Drakes''. This is a [[Military unit#Scouting|scouting]] action that represents venturing into Crucible, helping find the missing Marcher army, convincing them that they are lost in magical marshes, and leading them back to Lightsea or Quiet Grasses (or indeed anywhere that is not Crucible). Instead of the usual production a military unit receives, a standard military unit would gain one random ''marsh flower'', and 36 rings (representing wonders of the marshes). This is a pitiful recompense, but obviously the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies|Quartermaster General]] could apply the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial Guerdon]].

As with many such situations the amount of strength applied to this venture effects the outcome.
<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Less than 5,000 Strength - Further In</span><br>
A limited response will mean the Drakes are not rescued in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE. They remain lost in the marshes, and they will have lost 2,000 strength due to missing soldiers and the dangers of the deep Crucible. There will be another attempt to rescue them at the Winter solstice.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 5,000 and 10,000 Strength - Desperate Egress</span><br>
The rescue mission is a success, and the Drakes emerge from Curcible in time for the Winter Solstice. In the process however, they will have lost 1,000 strength due to soldiers who get left behind, disastrous encounters, or unrecoverable transformations.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 10,000 and 20,000 Strength - Controlled Extraction</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the WInter Solstice. They have sustained some losses but their strength falls only by 500. They will also have the opportunity for a change to their quality, either related to their time in the transformative marshes or the inspirational support and outpouring of love from their people.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">More than 20,000 Strength - Total Victory</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from crucible hale and hearty, with the opportunity for a new quality. In addition they and the other explorers of the marshes will have discovered an opportunity in the marshes that could be exploited by the Empire in the future.

To complicate matters, not every [[military unit]] is equally able to contribute to this venture. '''Freeborn''', '''Navarr''', and '''Marcher''' units provide their full effectiveness. Military units from any other nation contribute (and receive rewards) as if their strength were two ranks lower.

Some folk have an advantage here however - any military unit that supported either the Drakes or the Star Forged this season receives a 2 rank bonus to help rescue the Drakes, effecting both effective strength and rewards.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Pallas.png|align=right|width=150}}</div>
===All Things Can Have A Price===
* '''Rather than focus solely on finding the Drakes a military unit could go looking for treasure'''
* '''These military units will gain more treasure and provide less help to find the Drakes'''
* '''All military units taking either action will appear in a single list compiled by the civil service'''
* '''If finding the drakes gets the guerdon, then everyone involved will be able to claim the rewards'''
There is another approach here, but one that might result in a little bit of... criticism. Instead of focusing ''exclusively'' on finding the Drakes, a military unit ''might'' take the opportunity to do some exploration of their own and see what they can pick up. As well as the ''Find the Drakes'' venture, the ''Take Your Time Looking For Lost Marchers'' venture is also available. This is a [[venture#questing|questing]] venture, and a standard military unit that undertakes it will receive 2 pieces of "Adversity Vis" (that is, [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]], or [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]]) and two ''marsh flowers''. An upgraded or enchanted military unit will receive commensurately more treasure.

This venture is available to anyone who wants to take it. Those military units receiving a two rank bonus from supporting one of the two armies this season will still do so. ''However'' there is a drawback to this action and that is that ''regardless'' of the effective strength of the military unit, it will ''only'' contribute 50 effective strength towards finding the Drakes and guiding them out of Crucible. The actual rank of the military unit and its enchantments will have no bearing on the amount they contribute.

There isn't any way for the civil service to tell who is searching for the Drakes and who is taking their time about it, so a single list will appear with all the names on the same roll of honour. If the guerdon is applied to finding the Drakes, then everyone who takes ''either'' venture will be able to claim a share of it.

===Pride of the Marches===
* '''The General of the Drakes is still a General'''
* '''The General can still issue an order to the army though it the force can't actually leave the region or undertake an attack or defence'''
* '''Folk from the Marches can support the Drakes to help them deal with potential casualties providing a lifeline to home'''
* '''It is still possible to target the army with an enchantment but impossible to predict what if anything it will do'''
* '''There is no upkeep for the army this season'''
* '''The general of the Drakes is Alfred Houtman Fella'''
Obviously the general of the Drakes '''Alfred Houtman Fella''' is in a little bit of a bind given their army is missing in action. The civil service have confirmed that they still ''are'' a [[general]] even though their army is currently somewhere in Madruga. They can still participate freely in the [[Military Council]] until such time as proof emerges that the Drakes are never coming back. They can even still issue an order, but ''only'' the text of the order matters. The army will remain in Madruga, lost in Crucible. It also isn't possible for military units to take the [[military unit#Campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army. It is still possible to place an enchantment on the army using the general as focus, but impossible to predict exactly what the effect will be. The ritual will still ''have'' its effect but the ability of the Drakes to benefit from it will depend entirely on what it is.

There is no upkeep for the army this season, since the civil service has no easy way to feed and billet the army.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Icons.jpg|align=left|width=300|caption=If absolutely nothing else, sending a few hundred poppets to the soldiers of the Drakes certainly can't ''hurt''.}}</div>

===Pride and Loyalty===
* '''An outpouring of Pride and Loyalty inspires the folk of the Marches'''
* '''Heralds of Sadogua and Lashonar have agreed to carry care packages and messages of support to the stranded Drakes'''
* '''''Any'' Marcher character can choose to support the rescue of the Drakes albeit with limited effect'''
There are concerns about how the soldiers on campaign, lost in the trackless marshes of Madruga will survive, but that only results in an outpouring of support from the Marches, especially [[Upwold]]. The Drakes are well loved, after all, and if [[Life of Tom Drake|Tom Drake]] taught anything else it is that you look out for your own. Obviously, this being the Marches, there has also been some recrimination from people who ought to know better who argue that a sinister Freeborn conspiracy has intentionally sacrificed the Drakes to Azoth but it is ''probably'' safe to ignore those people. Humans and orcs want to do everything they can to help, even if they can't send beaters of their own to deal with the situation.

By itself its not clear how they ''could'' help (beyond encouraging or enchanting military units), but help comes from unexpected sources. Some of the [[smith]]s and [[landskeeper]]s have spoken to servants of Sadogua and Lashonar, and both eternals have committed to offer their assistance. They are prepared to carry messages and supplies into the Crucible and make sure they get to the Drakes. In a similar manner to the way the Navarr and the Imperial Orc nations were able to support the raid against the Great Forest Orcs, the people of the Marches can show their support for the Drakes if they wish.

''Any'' Marcher character can take the action to support the venture to ''Support the Drakes''. Any character that chooses to support the action will suffer a 50% penalty to the normal production of their [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]. A character with a [[congregation]] that supports the venture will instead receive ''no'' [[liao]], but will keep all their Synod votes. They will however not be able to undertake a [[Congregation#Lectures|lecture]] or [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]] at the same time. A [[fleet]] likewise can't take a different [[voyage]], including trading or supporting an army. Instead of their normal production they'll get the same as a military unit (a marsh flower and some valuables).

Even if they aren't going to Madruga personally, they can still provide crucial supplies to support the soldiers of the Drakes themselves. The help they provide won't benefit from [[enchantment|enchantments]], but all resources of the characters that ''Support the Drakes'' will contribute ''half'' the strength of a military unit of equivalent rank.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Arwydd Clearbramble.jpg|caption='''Arwydd Clearbramble''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bloodcrow Arora.jpg|caption='''Bloodcrow Arora''', Archmage of Winter|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night|title=One in six Night eternals thing he's pretty neat|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Each resource that takes this action will contribute 50 strength to the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. For every 100 Marcher characters take the option, any damage suffered due to a partial success will be reduced by 500. In the event that the mission is a full success, not only will the army not suffer any casualties but they will be revitalised and receive 500 additional resupply this season.

===Eternal Aid===
* '''Plenipotentiary could be used to ask for help for the Drakes'''
* '''A poorly chosen eternal or a poorly worded request for help will do more damage than good'''
While much of the focus on the missing army revolves around the Night enchantment and the heralds of Night, Crucible is affected by ''three'' realms of magic not only one. In theory, the [[Archmage of Winter]], [[Archmage of Night]], [[Archmage of Spring]], or [[Stone Smith]] could each use their [[plenipotentiary]] at the Autumn Equinox to ask an appropriate eternal to intercede and help the Drakes. This is a risky course of action - the choice of eternal and exactly what they were asked to do will be crucial. Neither the eternals of Spring nor Night are especially fond of armies, and the aid of the eternals of Winter always comes at a price.

In the event that an eternal was asked for aid and minded to provide it, they could certainly increase the chances of the Drakes returning safe and untransformed. The civil service estimate that the aid of an eternal would ad 3,000 to the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. Two or more eternals would likely conflict with each other however - a second eternal would add another 2,000 effective strength, and a third only another 1,000.

Anyone attempting this should be ''very careful''. A poorly phrased request, or a request to an eternal that for whatever reason was not disposed to help, had problems with the Marches or the Drakes, or disliked the Empire, would instead ''subtract'' 5,000 from the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' mission, with potentially disastrous consequences.

===Order, Order===
* '''A single Conclave Order could be guided to aid the efforts'''
* '''Only one Order can help but only if they are not currently busy elsewhere'''
Magicians are arguably the ones best placed to help, but which ones? The Conclave could choose one of the Orders and ask them to help recover the Marcher army. If that is the will of the Conclave they will need to choose a single order and give clear guidance on why they want them to help. An Order can only be [[Grandmaster#Guiding_an_Order|guided]] by their grandmaster using one of their two declarations of concord. Doing so would have the usual cost of twenty mana crystals, and would be guaranteed to contribute 1,000 strength to the efforts. Any other potential effects would depend which order was chosen.
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When something is lost

2026-09-08T19:01:00Z

GuiltyConscience: /* An Absolutely Terrible Idea */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>John scanned the horizon, looking, desperately, anywhere for a patch of blue sky. There was nothing, of course. Just the same endless billowing green, as if the sky itself were carpeted in grass. Every time he raised his eyes to the sky, he got his hopes up, but every time they were dashed.

"It ain't natural," he said, the statement a contender for the worst understatement by a Marcher from Hay this week.

"No. As I keep telling you, we're ain't in Mitwold no more." Hatty Hay was trying not to snap but it was hard to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. "We're in some kind of regio. Some kind of enormous fucking regio. The size of Mitwold, or bigger even. Mebbe bigger than the whole Empire. Mebbe bigger than the whole world."

"I still don't see how can it be bigger than Madruga, and fit in the territory." John liked Hattie, best Landskeeper in the Drakes, as he often told people. But that was best as in "best at fixing broken bones" and the like. She was rubbish at explanations. He hadn't known that til now. Hadn't needed to mind.

Hattie bit her tongue and changed the subject. "Stop chewing teeth, we'll be fine. They'll find a way to get us out of here. And in the meantime, keep your eye on that sky. First bit of blue you see, you let me know."

John hoisted his pack. It was noticeably lighter than when they'd set out. That was definitely ''not'' reassuring.
</ic>
<div {{float-left}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Spring by Michalina.jpg|caption=What do you do when something is lost?|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''An enchantment has been cast on Madruga'''
* '''It coincides with two Imperial armies bringing the last two regions of the transfigured territory into the Empire'''
* '''One of those armies has not come back out of the marshes'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now the islands are in the hand of the [[Iron Confederacy|Suranni]], the coastline is only just recovering from terrible storms and magical [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaos]], and much of the grassland has been transfigured into an enchanted marsh infused with the powers of the [[Realms#Night|Night]], [[Realms#Spring|Spring]], and [[Realms#Winter|Winter]] realms. Mind you, this is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises.

After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga. It took a little time to get going - this magic is full of the dreams of forests that have not grown in Madruga for a very long time indeed. What few woodlands there were went to build the ships the Freeborn value so highly. At the same time the magic was weaving its way across the twilit bayou and the grasslands, two Imperial armies were finally bringing the last regions of the territory back into Imperial control.

''One'' of those armies has since come back to report success. The other... has not.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=200}}</div>
==Shadows over the Bayou==
* '''A potent Night magic enchantment has settled over Madruga'''
* '''Folk living there or visiting experience vibrant dreams of nighttime forests'''
* '''Encounters with heralds of the Night realm, especially Sung, Sadogua, and Azoth, have become a little more common'''
Night magic pools in Madruga, in quiet places throughout the territory. It whispers through the dreams of the people, who are visited by visions of a strange night-time forest. A swampy, marshy forest of cypress, alder, willow, and mangrove. The forest is alive with strange creatures, rainbow-hued little beasts that switch from one shape to another. From scuttling lizard, to soaring laughing bird, to chattering monkey, to three-tailed cat, to meddlesome octopus, to surreptitious alligator, to long-legged dodo-bird with a crest of eyes. They are not threatening, but they are strange and they trail dreamers who walk or punt through the phantasmal woodlands.

Encounters with the Night Realm are noticeably more common, little sparks of unexpected magic clearly drawing on the [[Night magic#Resonances|resonances]] of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]]. In particular, people talk of seemingly chance encounters with odd heralds of that realm especially those answering to ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'', ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'', and [[Azoth|''Crucible'']] itself. The creatures tend to be friendly, interested in the people, encouraging folk in the usual manners for their kind, happy to accept hospitality. This is the Brass Coast, and they often offer little boons in return for food and drink. They also offer payment for things no Freeborn would consider deserving of recompense - conversation, answers, the chance to pet a dog.

Obviously, given the nature of this kind of magic and the territory itself (especially [[Madruga#Crucible|Crucible]]) there is a significant chance of some kind of unexpected outcome. Perhaps even permanent transformation of the territory in some way...
===An Absolutely Terrible Idea===
* '''Nobody is entirely sure who first came up with it but a daring proposal has been made'''
Everybody says they heard it from somewhere else, but there's a fascinating idea doing the rounds. It might have come from the heralds of Azoth, who everyone knows love transcendence through alchemy and learning through experience almost as much as they adore inspiration through madness. It might have been mentioned in one of the long, rambling conversations between drunk hakima and heralds of Sadogua. It might even have been whispered into the wind by some of the children of Sung. Not that the heralds of the Night realm have a monopoly on ideas of dubious good sense - it's just as likely to have come from a hakima inspired by their dreams or even a visiting citizen from another nation entirely.

The idea is straightforward enough. The magic that infuses southern and western Madruga is not drawn from a single realm. So why not follow the Night enchantment currently nestled over the territory with a Spring and a Winter enchantment - in any order - and see what happens? Obviously the Children of Wrecks were throwing potent Spring magic around during their occupation of the islands but it was very much in the form of destructive [[curse|curses]]. But it can't be denied that such magic occasionally lead to beneficial results here and there - spreading ''marsh flowers'' for example. Wouldn't an enchantment ''intended'' to be beneficial be more likely to bring good results in Siroc Bayou, Crucible, or even the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]]? They wouldn't even necessarily have to be cast strictly consecutively - although the order might matter - as long as no other enchantments were inserted in between. There is a very vague attempt to name the idea the "Madrugahedron" (referencing the [[Stargazer#Resonance_and_the_Omnihedron|omnihedron]] beloved by some [[Urizen|Urizeni]]) but it doesn't really catch on.

Before anyone can do anything as organised as make a concrete proposal, however, the ''other'' effect of that this Night enchantment seems to have had a hand in becomes clear and people have other things to talk about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}

==Into Crucible==
* '''The Drakes and the Star Forged have entered the Bayou, but become split up'''
* '''By the end of the season the Star Forged have emerged relatively unscathed, but the Drakes have not'''
* '''There is no sign of the missing army; more than six thousand Marcher soldiers have completely disappeared'''
Since the [[Where the river rises|transfiguration]] of Madruga - since the Dry Patricians were defeated and their terrible Blight washed away by waters infused with Spring and Night and ultimately Winter magic - this has been a place of mysteries and wonders. Last season, a season of [[phantasms and foam]], the [[Red Wind Corsairs]] explored [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]] attempting to understand the shifting marshes and bring this magically infused geography into the Empire proper. They encounterd [[Phantasms_and_foam#Madruga|difficulties]] but still made some headway mastering two thirds of the marshlands.

After the Summer Solstice, the Corsairs set off for [[the Marches]], alongside the [[Fire of the South]], and took part in the campaign against the Jotun in [[Bregasland]]. Two armies came south to complete their work - the [[Star Forged]], the new army of [[Navarr]], and the [[Drakes]], the [[Pride|proud]] first army of [[the Marches]]. Putting subtlety to one side, both armies were ordered to undertake an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the strangeness of the Bayou and Crucible, and that is exactly what they did. Both armies bore enchantments - the Drakes carried the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]], invaluable in mastering the mysteries of the marshes. The Star Forged were empowered with [[Find the Best Path]], an enchantment that improves not only speed but the logistical structures of an army allowing them to move with confidence over long distances. Remember that bit.

Elsewhere in the territory there is some commentary from the heralds of the Night realm that the approach of the two armies is all wrong, too violent, too unsubtle, but the creatures of Night often say that kind of thing. There may be a ring of truth to it all - for the first month or so there are semi-regular reports from Navarr messengers of encounters with phantasmal soldiers similar to those the Red Wind Corsairs mentioned. Sometimes human, sometimes orc, sometimes something unlike either, they seem to be drawn out of history or in from dreams. There is fighting, but amazingly no casualties are suffered. The wounds the phantoms cause seem to lie in the mind and the spirit rather than on the body. The two armies complete the work of the 'Corsairs. Siroc Bayou still contains enigmas, as befits any locale infused with the essences of both the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]] and the [[Realms#Night magic|Wondrous]] ones. They proceed to the next target - to Crucible itself.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Logan Dusklight.jpg|caption='''Logan Dusklight''', General of the Star Forged|align=right|width=250}}
The first report, delivered by a cheerful Navarr messenger, is that everything is proceeding as expected. Then... nothing. The next messenger does not arrive with a status update, and neither does the one after that or... There are a handful of Freeborn explorers who brave Crucible in search of treasures and wonders to sell in the markets of [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]] and [[Madruga#Quzar|Quzar]]. This season when they emerge from the marshes they report encounters with the Drakes and the Star Forged, surprised that people seem so concerned about them. The last such sighting indicates that the two armies have split up to cover more ground, but are confident that by the start of the Winter Solstice they will have ensured Crucible is part of Madruga in fact as well as name.

The silence from the armies themselves, however, stretches on. A patrol of soldiers sent in to make sure everything is alright are swallowed up and disappear in their turn. Something is clearly wrong...

Then, a little over three weeks before the Autumn Equinox, the Star Forged emerge from Crucible into [[Madruga#Lightsea|Lightsea]]. They are muddied and exhausted, but triumphant. Between them, the Drakes and the Star Forged have mapped out enough of Crucible, have established outposts and encampments, that the region is now truly Imperial. They warn that the place is very confusing, that the deeper one pushes into Crucible the larger and wilder it seems to become, although that might just be the Night magic and the Spring magic playing tricks on the mind.

What they haven't brought out of Crucible with them however are the Drakes themselves. There is some confusion among the Navarr - they thought the Drakes would rendezvous with them in Lightsea. And yet there is no sign of the Marcher army. The entire six-thousand-strong force of the Marches has vanished.

The only sign of the Drakes comes when four units under the command of ''Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]], ''Fay Baker'' of [[Dawn]], and two Marcher captains - Lazarus and John of Meade. They are as confused as the Star Forged - they seem to have only jumbled recollections of the last few weeks, and believed the rest of the army was right behind them. But there continues to be no sign of the Marcher army.
===Participation : Mist Walking===
* '''Anyone whose military unit supported the Drakes or the Star Forged has jumbled recollections of their time in the marshes'''
* '''Any such character with the naga lineage might find their physical or roleplaying trappings becoming stronger'''
* '''Any human character who supported one of the armies may choose to change their lineage to naga after the Autumn Equinox'''
Any character whose military unit supported one of the armies that were exploring and cataloguing the Siroc Bayou and Crucible, you are likely to have jumbled recollections of precisely what happened. The more you try to remember the harder it is to keep a coherent thread. You are encouraged to skim over some of the other text about the marshes, such as that in [[Phantasms and foam]] last season, or the descriptions of the marshes' peculiarities in the [[Made anew]] wind of fortune.

Any character with the [[naga]] lineage who supported the Drakes or the Star Forged, or is the general of one of those armies, may use this as an opportunity to strengthen their [[Naga#Other_Trappings|lineage trappings]] or to focus on one or more of their [[Naga#Roleplaying|roleplaying trappings]] and heighten their effects.

Likewise, any human character with no lineage who supported one of the armies may choose to develop the naga lineage. Given the short gap between this wind of fortune being produced and the event, you may want to demonstrate roleplaying trappings at the Autumn Equinox and arrange your trappings afterward - meaning you can email {{plot}} after the event to get your lineage updated.
==Still In There Somewhere==
* '''Magicians and their eternal allies all agree that the Marcher army has been trapped somehow by the kaleidoscope of magic that permeates the Bayou'''
* '''The Star Forged were saved by the nature of the enchantment on them, the Drakes were not so fortunate'''
* '''To get them back, the Empire will have to go and look for them'''
The [[hakima]] from the [[Hakima_of_Salt_and_Sand#Parador_of_Salt_and_Sand|Parador of Salt and Sand]] are among some of the first to talk to those who have emerged from the marshes, and a potential explanation begins to emerge. The Night magic enchantment on Madruga has ''done something'' to the Crucible. The Drakes are, as near as anyone can tell, still exploring it. It looks as if the magic enhancing their ability to claim ground - the ''Clarity'' - may actually have worked against them in fact by encouraging them to keep seeking to understand a place that defies explanation. The Star Forged however were enchanted with an [[Autumn magic]] working that empowers armies to ''get where they are going''. While the Crucible might have drawn them in, ultimately their enchantment served to ensure they emerged unfazed.

All the reports suggest the Marcher soldiers are probably fine - but the longer they stay in Crucible the more likely they are to either get so lost they can never return, or to undergo some kind of terrible transformation, or to encounter something more dangerous than phantasmal dream soldiers.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sular.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Wyr.png|title=Rune: Wyr|align=right|width=150}}</div>
Conveniently. there are a few heralds of the Night realm in Madruga who are happy to offer their own particular brand of assistance when challenged. The little wizards of Sadogua concurr with the hakima assessment, and are more than happy to get into the deep and confusing weeds of a conversation about the interactions of different kinds of magic. The heralds of Azoth find the questions a little confusing, and suggest that rather than assuming the Drakes are lost, they should instead consider them to be on a bold adventure, one that might lead to exciting new insights into magic, war, and the mortal spirit. The heralds of Sung reply to all questions with questions of their own, the most common being "''What do you do when something is lost?''" which at first seems very unhelpful but provides inspiration to the hakima. What you do when something is lost is ''you go and look for it''.
==Finding the Missing Legion==
* '''The Drakes are lost in the trackless Marshes of the Crucible '''
* '''Helping to bring them back will require a concerted effort by their allies'''
* '''The Military Council could apply the guerdon to the efforts to rescue the Drakes'''
The likely explanation is that the Drakes are still in Crucible somewhere. The [[Imperial Seer]], '''Jorma Steelhail''', should be able to confirm this with a simple casting of [[Eyes of the Sun and Moon]]. The Marcher [[egregore]]s should likewise know whether the soldiers of the Drakes are still alive and well or not. The heralds of Sadogua and Azoth certainly think they are, but their definition of "alive and well" is of questionable value.

Following the Autumn Equinox there will be an [[opportunity]] for [[military unit|military units]] to launch a rescue mission into the Crucible. The aim will be to find the Drakes and lead them safely out of Crucible before anything bad happens to them. Nothing is ever easy, however, and definitely not in places like Crucible after a potent Night enchantment.

After the Autumn Equinox, any [[military unit]] can take the [[venture]] ''Find the Drakes''. This is a [[Military unit#Scouting|scouting]] action that represents venturing into Crucible, helping find the missing Marcher army, convincing them that they are lost in magical marshes, and leading them back to Lightsea or Quiet Grasses (or indeed anywhere that is not Crucible). Instead of the usual production a military unit receives, a standard military unit would gain one random ''marsh flower'', and 36 rings (representing wonders of the marshes). This is a pitiful recompense, but obviously the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies|Quartermaster General]] could apply the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial Guerdon]].

As with many such situations the amount of strength applied to this venture effects the outcome.
<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Less than 5,000 Strength - Further In</span><br>
A limited response will mean the Drakes are not rescued in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE. They remain lost in the marshes, and they will have lost 2,000 strength due to missing soldiers and the dangers of the deep Crucible. There will be another attempt to rescue them at the Winter solstice.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 5,000 and 10,000 Strength - Desperate Egress</span><br>
The rescue mission is a success, and the Drakes emerge from Curcible in time for the Winter Solstice. In the process however, they will have lost 1,000 strength due to soldiers who get left behind, disastrous encounters, or unrecoverable transformations.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 10,000 and 20,000 Strength - Controlled Extraction</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the WInter Solstice. They have sustained some losses but their strength falls only by 500. They will also have the opportunity for a change to their quality, either related to their time in the transformative marshes or the inspirational support and outpouring of love from their people.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">More than 20,000 Strength - Total Victory</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from crucible hale and hearty, with the opportunity for a new quality. In addition they and the other explorers of the marshes will have discovered an opportunity in the marshes that could be exploited by the Empire in the future.

To complicate matters, not every [[military unit]] is equally able to contribute to this venture. '''Freeborn''', '''Navarr''', and '''Marcher''' units provide their full effectiveness. Military units from any other nation contribute (and receive rewards) as if their strength were two ranks lower.

Some folk have an advantage here however - any military unit that supported either the Drakes or the Star Forged this season receives a 2 rank bonus to help rescue the Drakes, effecting both effective strength and rewards.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Pallas.png|align=right|width=150}}</div>
===All Things Can Have A Price===
* '''Rather than focus solely on finding the Drakes a military unit could go looking for treasure'''
* '''These military units will gain more treasure and provide less help to find the Drakes'''
* '''All military units taking either action will appear in a single list compiled by the civil service'''
* '''If finding the drakes gets the guerdon, then everyone involved will be able to claim the rewards'''
There is another approach here, but one that might result in a little bit of... criticism. Instead of focusing ''exclusively'' on finding the Drakes, a military unit ''might'' take the opportunity to do some exploration of their own and see what they can pick up. As well as the ''Find the Drakes'' venture, the ''Take Your Time Looking For Lost Marchers'' venture is also available. This is a [[venture#questing|questing]] venture, and a standard military unit that undertakes it will receive 2 pieces of "Adversity Vis" (that is, [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]], or [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]]) and two ''marsh flowers''. An upgraded or enchanted military unit will receive commensurately more treasure.

This venture is available to anyone who wants to take it. Those military units receiving a two rank bonus from supporting one of the two armies this season will still do so. ''However'' there is a drawback to this action and that is that ''regardless'' of the effective strength of the military unit, it will ''only'' contribute 50 effective strength towards finding the Drakes and guiding them out of Crucible. The actual rank of the military unit and its enchantments will have no bearing on the amount they contribute.

There isn't any way for the civil service to tell who is searching for the Drakes and who is taking their time about it, so a single list will appear with all the names on the same roll of honour. If the guerdon is applied to finding the Drakes, then everyone who takes ''either'' venture will be able to claim a share of it.

===Pride of the Marches===
* '''The General of the Drakes is still a General'''
* '''The General can still issue an order to the army though it the force can't actually leave the region or undertake an attack or defence'''
* '''Folk from the Marches can support the Drakes to help them deal with potential casualties providing a lifeline to home'''
* '''It is still possible to target the army with an enchantment but impossible to predict what if anything it will do'''
* '''There is no upkeep for the army this season'''
* '''The general of the Drakes is Alfred Houtman Fella'''
Obviously the general of the Drakes '''Alfred Houtman Fella''' is in a little bit of a bind given their army is missing in action. The civil service have confirmed that they still ''are'' a [[general]] even though their army is currently somewhere in Madruga. They can still participate freely in the [[Military Council]] until such time as proof emerges that the Drakes are never coming back. They can even still issue an order, but ''only'' the text of the order matters. The army will remain in Madruga, lost in Crucible. It also isn't possible for military units to take the [[military unit#Campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army. It is still possible to place an enchantment on the army using the general as focus, but impossible to predict exactly what the effect will be. The ritual will still ''have'' its effect but the ability of the Drakes to benefit from it will depend entirely on what it is.

There is no upkeep for the army this season, since the civil service has no easy way to feed and billet the army.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Icons.jpg|align=left|width=300|caption=If absolutely nothing else, sending a few hundred poppets to the soldiers of the Drakes certainly can't ''hurt''.}}</div>

===Pride and Loyalty===
* '''An outpouring of Pride and Loyalty inspires the folk of the Marches'''
* '''Heralds of Sadogua and Lashonar have agreed to carry care packages and messages of support to the stranded Drakes'''
* '''''Any'' Marcher character can choose to support the rescue of the Drakes albeit with limited effect'''
There are concerns about how the soldiers on campaign, lost in the trackless marshes of Madruga will survive, but that only results in an outpouring of support from the Marches, especially [[Upwold]]. The Drakes are well loved, after all, and if [[Life of Tom Drake|Tom Drake]] taught anything else it is that you look out for your own. Obviously, this being the Marches, there has also been some recrimination from people who ought to know better who argue that a sinister Freeborn conspiracy has intentionally sacrificed the Drakes to Azoth but it is ''probably'' safe to ignore those people. Humans and orcs want to do everything they can to help, even if they can't send beaters of their own to deal with the situation.

By itself its not clear how they ''could'' help (beyond encouraging or enchanting military units), but help comes from unexpected sources. Some of the [[smith]]s and [[landskeeper]]s have spoken to servants of Sadogua and Lashonar, and both eternals have committed to offer their assistance. They are prepared to carry messages and supplies into the Crucible and make sure they get to the Drakes. In a similar manner to the way the Navarr and the Imperial Orc nations were able to support the raid against the Great Forest Orcs, the people of the Marches can show their support for the Drakes if they wish.

''Any'' Marcher character can take the action to support the venture to ''Support the Drakes''. Any character that chooses to support the action will suffer a 50% penalty to the normal production of their [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]. A character with a [[congregation]] that supports the venture will instead receive ''no'' [[liao]], but will keep all their Synod votes. They will however not be able to undertake a [[Congregation#Lectures|lecture]] or [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]] at the same time. A [[fleet]] likewise can't take a different [[voyage]], including trading or supporting an army. Instead of their normal production they'll get the same as a military unit (a marsh flower and some valuables).

Even if they aren't going to Madruga personally, they can still provide crucial supplies to support the soldiers of the Drakes themselves. The help they provide won't benefit from [[enchantment|enchantments]], but all resources of the characters that ''Support the Drakes'' will contribute ''half'' the strength of a military unit of equivalent rank.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Arwydd Clearbramble.jpg|caption='''Arwydd Clearbramble''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bloodcrow Arora.jpg|caption='''Bloodcrow Arora''', Archmage of Winter|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night|title=One in six Night eternals thing he's pretty neat|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Each resource that takes this action will contribute 50 strength to the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. For every 100 Marcher characters take the option, any damage suffered due to a partial success will be reduced by 500. In the event that the mission is a full success, not only will the army not suffer any casualties but they will be revitalised and receive 500 additional resupply this season.

===Eternal Aid===
* '''Plenipotentiary could be used to ask for help for the Drakes'''
* '''A poorly chosen eternal or a poorly worded request for help will do more damage than good'''
While much of the focus on the missing army revolves around the Night enchantment and the heralds of Night, Crucible is affected by ''three'' realms of magic not only one. In theory, the [[Archmage of Winter]], [[Archmage of Night]], [[Archmage of Spring]], or [[Stone Smith]] could each use their [[plenipotentiary]] at the Autumn Equinox to ask an appropriate eternal to intercede and help the Drakes. This is a risky course of action - the choice of eternal and exactly what they were asked to do will be crucial. Neither the eternals of Spring nor Night are especially fond of armies, and the aid of the eternals of Winter always comes at a price.

In the event that an eternal was asked for aid and minded to provide it, they could certainly increase the chances of the Drakes returning safe and untransformed. The civil service estimate that the aid of an eternal would ad 3,000 to the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. Two or more eternals would likely conflict with each other however - a second eternal would add another 2,000 effective strength, and a third only another 1,000.

Anyone attempting this should be ''very careful''. A poorly phrased request, or a request to an eternal that for whatever reason was not disposed to help, had problems with the Marches or the Drakes, or disliked the Empire, would instead ''subtract'' 5,000 from the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' mission, with potentially disastrous consequences.

===Order, Order===
* '''A single Conclave Order could be guided to aid the efforts'''
* '''Only one Order can help but only if they are not currently busy elsewhere'''
Magicians are arguably the ones best placed to help, but which ones? The Conclave could choose one of the Orders and ask them to help recover the Marcher army. If that is the will of the Conclave they will need to choose a single order and give clear guidance on why they want them to help. An Order can only be [[Grandmaster#Guiding_an_Order|guided]] by their grandmaster using one of their two declarations of concord. Doing so would have the usual cost of twenty mana crystals, and would be guaranteed to contribute 1,000 strength to the efforts. Any other potential effects would depend which order was chosen.
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When something is lost

2026-09-08T18:57:24Z

GuiltyConscience:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>John scanned the horizon, looking, desperately, anywhere for a patch of blue sky. There was nothing, of course. Just the same endless billowing green, as if the sky itself were carpeted in grass. Every time he raised his eyes to the sky, he got his hopes up, but every time they were dashed.

"It ain't natural," he said, the statement a contender for the worst understatement by a Marcher from Hay this week.

"No. As I keep telling you, we're ain't in Mitwold no more." Hatty Hay was trying not to snap but it was hard to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. "We're in some kind of regio. Some kind of enormous fucking regio. The size of Mitwold, or bigger even. Mebbe bigger than the whole Empire. Mebbe bigger than the whole world."

"I still don't see how can it be bigger than Madruga, and fit in the territory." John liked Hattie, best Landskeeper in the Drakes, as he often told people. But that was best as in "best at fixing broken bones" and the like. She was rubbish at explanations. He hadn't known that til now. Hadn't needed to mind.

Hattie bit her tongue and changed the subject. "Stop chewing teeth, we'll be fine. They'll find a way to get us out of here. And in the meantime, keep your eye on that sky. First bit of blue you see, you let me know."

John hoisted his pack. It was noticeably lighter than when they'd set out. That was definitely ''not'' reassuring.
</ic>
<div {{float-left}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Spring by Michalina.jpg|caption=What do you do when something is lost?|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''An enchantment has been cast on Madruga'''
* '''It coincides with two Imperial armies bringing the last two regions of the transfigured territory into the Empire'''
* '''One of those armies has not come back out of the marshes'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now the islands are in the hand of the [[Iron Confederacy|Suranni]], the coastline is only just recovering from terrible storms and magical [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaos]], and much of the grassland has been transfigured into an enchanted marsh infused with the powers of the [[Realms#Night|Night]], [[Realms#Spring|Spring]], and [[Realms#Winter|Winter]] realms. Mind you, this is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises.

After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga. It took a little time to get going - this magic is full of the dreams of forests that have not grown in Madruga for a very long time indeed. What few woodlands there were went to build the ships the Freeborn value so highly. At the same time the magic was weaving its way across the twilit bayou and the grasslands, two Imperial armies were finally bringing the last regions of the territory back into Imperial control.

''One'' of those armies has since come back to report success. The other... has not.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=200}}</div>
==Shadows over the Bayou==
* '''A potent Night magic enchantment has settled over Madruga'''
* '''Folk living there or visiting experience vibrant dreams of nighttime forests'''
* '''Encounters with heralds of the Night realm, especially Sung, Sadogua, and Azoth, have become a little more common'''
Night magic pools in Madruga, in quiet places throughout the territory. It whispers through the dreams of the people, who are visited by visions of a strange night-time forest. A swampy, marshy forest of cypress, alder, willow, and mangrove. The forest is alive with strange creatures, rainbow-hued little beasts that switch from one shape to another. From scuttling lizard, to soaring laughing bird, to chattering monkey, to three-tailed cat, to meddlesome octopus, to surreptitious alligator, to long-legged dodo-bird with a crest of eyes. They are not threatening, but they are strange and they trail dreamers who walk or punt through the phantasmal woodlands.

Encounters with the Night Realm are noticeably more common, little sparks of unexpected magic clearly drawing on the [[Night magic#Resonances|resonances]] of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]]. In particular, people talk of seemingly chance encounters with odd heralds of that realm especially those answering to ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'', ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'', and [[Azoth|''Crucible'']] itself. The creatures tend to be friendly, interested in the people, encouraging folk in the usual manners for their kind, happy to accept hospitality. This is the Brass Coast, and they often offer little boons in return for food and drink. They also offer payment for things no Freeborn would consider deserving of recompense - conversation, answers, the chance to pet a dog.

Obviously, given the nature of this kind of magic and the territory itself (especially [[Madruga#Crucible|Crucible]]) there is a significant chance of some kind of unexpected outcome. Perhaps even permanent transformation of the territory in some way...
===An Absolutely Terrible Idea===
* '''Nobody is entirely sure who first came up with it but a daring proposal has been made'''
Everybody says they heard it from somewhere else, but there's a fascinating idea doing the rounds. It might have come from the heralds of Azoth, who everyone knows love transcendence through alchemy and learning through experience almost as much as they adore inspiration through madness. It might have been mentioned in one of the long, rambling conversations between drunk hakima and heralds of Sadogua. It might even have been whispered into the wind by some of the children of Sung. Not that the heralds of the Night realm have a monopoly on ideas of dubious good sense - it's just as likely to have come from a hakima inspired by their dreams or even a visiting citizen from another nation entirely.

The idea is straightforward enough. The magic that infuses southern and western Madruga is not drawn from a single realm. So why not follow the Night enchantment currently nestled over the territory with a Spring and a Winter enchantment - in any order - and see what happens? Obviously the Children of Wrecks were throwing potent Spring magic around during their occupation of the islands but it was very much in the form of destructive [[curse|curses]]. But it can't be denied that such magic occasionally lead to beneficial results here and there - spreading ''marsh flowers'' for example. Wouldn't an enchantment ''intended'' to be beneficial be more likely to bring good results in Siroc Bayou, Crucible, or even the [[Madruga#Quiet Grasses|Quiet Grasses]]? They wouldn't even necessarily have to be cast strictly consecutively - although the order might matter - as long as no other enchantments were inserted in between. There is a very vague attempt to name the idea the "Madrugahedron" (referencing the [[Stargazer#Resonance_and_the_Omnihedron|omnihedron]] beloved by some [[Urizen|Urizeni]]) but it doesn't really catch on.

Before anyone can do anything as organised as make a concrete proposal, however, the ''other'' effect of that this Night enchantment seems t have had a hand in becomes clear and people have other things to talk about.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}
==Into Crucible==
* '''The Drakes and the Star Forged have entered the Bayou, but become split up'''
* '''By the end of the season the Star Forged have emerged relatively unscathed, but the Drakes have not'''
* '''There is no sign of the missing army; more than six thousand Marcher soldiers have completely disappeared'''
Since the [[Where the river rises|transfiguration]] of Madruga - since the Dry Patricians were defeated and their terrible Blight washed away by waters infused with Spring and Night and ultimately Winter magic - this has been a place of mysteries and wonders. Last season, a season of [[phantasms and foam]], the [[Red Wind Corsairs]] explored [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]] attempting to understand the shifting marshes and bring this magically infused geography into the Empire proper. They encounterd [[Phantasms_and_foam#Madruga|difficulties]] but still made some headway mastering two thirds of the marshlands.

After the Summer Solstice, the Corsairs set off for [[the Marches]], alongside the [[Fire of the South]], and took part in the campaign against the Jotun in [[Bregasland]]. Two armies came south to complete their work - the [[Star Forged]], the new army of [[Navarr]], and the [[Drakes]], the [[Pride|proud]] first army of [[the Marches]]. Putting subtlety to one side, both armies were ordered to undertake an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the strangeness of the Bayou and Crucible, and that is exactly what they did. Both armies bore enchantments - the Drakes carried the [[Clarity of the Master Strategist]], invaluable in mastering the mysteries of the marshes. The Star Forged were empowered with [[Find the Best Path]], an enchantment that improves not only speed but the logistical structures of an army allowing them to move with confidence over long distances. Remember that bit.

Elsewhere in the territory there is some commentary from the heralds of the Night realm that the approach of the two armies is all wrong, too violent, too unsubtle, but the creatures of Night often say that kind of thing. There may be a ring of truth to it all - for the first month or so there are semi-regular reports from Navarr messengers of encounters with phantasmal soldiers similar to those the Red Wind Corsairs mentioned. Sometimes human, sometimes orc, sometimes something unlike either, they seem to be drawn out of history or in from dreams. There is fighting, but amazingly no casualties are suffered. The wounds the phantoms cause seem to lie in the mind and the spirit rather than on the body. The two armies complete the work of the 'Corsairs. Siroc Bayou still contains enigmas, as befits any locale infused with the essences of both the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]] and the [[Realms#Night magic|Wondrous]] ones. They proceed to the next target - to Crucible itself.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Logan Dusklight.jpg|caption='''Logan Dusklight''', General of the Star Forged|align=right|width=250}}
The first report, delivered by a cheerful Navarr messenger, is that everything is proceeding as expected. Then... nothing. The next messenger does not arrive with a status update, and neither does the one after that or... There are a handful of Freeborn explorers who brave Crucible in search of treasures and wonders to sell in the markets of [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]] and [[Madruga#Quzar|Quzar]]. This season when they emerge from the marshes they report encounters with the Drakes and the Star Forged, surprised that people seem so concerned about them. The last such sighting indicates that the two armies have split up to cover more ground, but are confident that by the start of the Winter Solstice they will have ensured Crucible is part of Madruga in fact as well as name.

The silence from the armies themselves, however, stretches on. A patrol of soldiers sent in to make sure everything is alright are swallowed up and disappear in their turn. Something is clearly wrong...

Then, a little over three weeks before the Autumn Equinox, the Star Forged emerge from Crucible into [[Madruga#Lightsea|Lightsea]]. They are muddied and exhausted, but triumphant. Between them, the Drakes and the Star Forged have mapped out enough of Crucible, have established outposts and encampments, that the region is now truly Imperial. They warn that the place is very confusing, that the deeper one pushes into Crucible the larger and wilder it seems to become, although that might just be the Night magic and the Spring magic playing tricks on the mind.

What they haven't brought out of Crucible with them however are the Drakes themselves. There is some confusion among the Navarr - they thought the Drakes would rendezvous with them in Lightsea. And yet there is no sign of the Marcher army. The entire six-thousand-strong force of the Marches has vanished.

The only sign of the Drakes comes when four units under the command of ''Iñez i Azul-Mar i Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]], ''Fay Baker'' of [[Dawn]], and two Marcher captains - Lazarus and John of Meade. They are as confused as the Star Forged - they seem to have only jumbled recollections of the last few weeks, and believed the rest of the army was right behind them. But there continues to be no sign of the Marcher army.
===Participation : Mist Walking===
* '''Anyone whose military unit supported the Drakes or the Star Forged has jumbled recollections of their time in the marshes'''
* '''Any such character with the naga lineage might find their physical or roleplaying trappings becoming stronger'''
* '''Any human character who supported one of the armies may choose to change their lineage to naga after the Autumn Equinox'''
Any character whose military unit supported one of the armies that were exploring and cataloguing the Siroc Bayou and Crucible, you are likely to have jumbled recollections of precisely what happened. The more you try to remember the harder it is to keep a coherent thread. You are encouraged to skim over some of the other text about the marshes, such as that in [[Phantasms and foam]] last season, or the descriptions of the marshes' peculiarities in the [[Made anew]] wind of fortune.

Any character with the [[naga]] lineage who supported the Drakes or the Star Forged, or is the general of one of those armies, may use this as an opportunity to strengthen their [[Naga#Other_Trappings|lineage trappings]] or to focus on one or more of their [[Naga#Roleplaying|roleplaying trappings]] and heighten their effects.

Likewise, any human character with no lineage who supported one of the armies may choose to develop the naga lineage. Given the short gap between this wind of fortune being produced and the event, you may want to demonstrate roleplaying trappings at the Autumn Equinox and arrange your trappings afterward - meaning you can email {{plot}} after the event to get your lineage updated.
==Still In There Somewhere==
* '''Magicians and their eternal allies all agree that the Marcher army has been trapped somehow by the kaleidoscope of magic that permeates the Bayou'''
* '''The Star Forged were saved by the nature of the enchantment on them, the Drakes were not so fortunate'''
* '''To get them back, the Empire will have to go and look for them'''
The [[hakima]] from the [[Hakima_of_Salt_and_Sand#Parador_of_Salt_and_Sand|Parador of Salt and Sand]] are among some of the first to talk to those who have emerged from the marshes, and a potential explanation begins to emerge. The Night magic enchantment on Madruga has ''done something'' to the Crucible. The Drakes are, as near as anyone can tell, still exploring it. It looks as if the magic enhancing their ability to claim ground - the ''Clarity'' - may actually have worked against them in fact by encouraging them to keep seeking to understand a place that defies explanation. The Star Forged however were enchanted with an [[Autumn magic]] working that empowers armies to ''get where they are going''. While the Crucible might have drawn them in, ultimately their enchantment served to ensure they emerged unfazed.

All the reports suggest the Marcher soldiers are probably fine - but the longer they stay in Crucible the more likely they are to either get so lost they can never return, or to undergo some kind of terrible transformation, or to encounter something more dangerous than phantasmal dream soldiers.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; margin: 15px;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sular.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Wyr.png|title=Rune: Wyr|align=right|width=150}}</div>
Conveniently. there are a few heralds of the Night realm in Madruga who are happy to offer their own particular brand of assistance when challenged. The little wizards of Sadogua concurr with the hakima assessment, and are more than happy to get into the deep and confusing weeds of a conversation about the interactions of different kinds of magic. The heralds of Azoth find the questions a little confusing, and suggest that rather than assuming the Drakes are lost, they should instead consider them to be on a bold adventure, one that might lead to exciting new insights into magic, war, and the mortal spirit. The heralds of Sung reply to all questions with questions of their own, the most common being "''What do you do when something is lost?''" which at first seems very unhelpful but provides inspiration to the hakima. What you do when something is lost is ''you go and look for it''.
==Finding the Missing Legion==
* '''The Drakes are lost in the trackless Marshes of the Crucible '''
* '''Helping to bring them back will require a concerted effort by their allies'''
* '''The Military Council could apply the guerdon to the efforts to rescue the Drakes'''
The likely explanation is that the Drakes are still in Crucible somewhere. The [[Imperial Seer]], '''Jorma Steelhail''', should be able to confirm this with a simple casting of [[Eyes of the Sun and Moon]]. The Marcher [[egregore]]s should likewise know whether the soldiers of the Drakes are still alive and well or not. The heralds of Sadogua and Azoth certainly think they are, but their definition of "alive and well" is of questionable value.

Following the Autumn Equinox there will be an [[opportunity]] for [[military unit|military units]] to launch a rescue mission into the Crucible. The aim will be to find the Drakes and lead them safely out of Crucible before anything bad happens to them. Nothing is ever easy, however, and definitely not in places like Crucible after a potent Night enchantment.

After the Autumn Equinox, any [[military unit]] can take the [[venture]] ''Find the Drakes''. This is a [[Military unit#Scouting|scouting]] action that represents venturing into Crucible, helping find the missing Marcher army, convincing them that they are lost in magical marshes, and leading them back to Lightsea or Quiet Grasses (or indeed anywhere that is not Crucible). Instead of the usual production a military unit receives, a standard military unit would gain one random ''marsh flower'', and 36 rings (representing wonders of the marshes). This is a pitiful recompense, but obviously the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies|Quartermaster General]] could apply the [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Imperial Guerdon]].

As with many such situations the amount of strength applied to this venture effects the outcome.
<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Less than 5,000 Strength - Further In</span><br>
A limited response will mean the Drakes are not rescued in time for the Winter Solstice 388YE. They remain lost in the marshes, and they will have lost 2,000 strength due to missing soldiers and the dangers of the deep Crucible. There will be another attempt to rescue them at the Winter solstice.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 5,000 and 10,000 Strength - Desperate Egress</span><br>
The rescue mission is a success, and the Drakes emerge from Curcible in time for the Winter Solstice. In the process however, they will have lost 1,000 strength due to soldiers who get left behind, disastrous encounters, or unrecoverable transformations.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Between 10,000 and 20,000 Strength - Controlled Extraction</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from Crucible in time for the WInter Solstice. They have sustained some losses but their strength falls only by 500. They will also have the opportunity for a change to their quality, either related to their time in the transformative marshes or the inspirational support and outpouring of love from their people.<br><br>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">More than 20,000 Strength - Total Victory</span><br>
The Drakes emerge from crucible hale and hearty, with the opportunity for a new quality. In addition they and the other explorers of the marshes will have discovered an opportunity in the marshes that could be exploited by the Empire in the future.

To complicate matters, not every [[military unit]] is equally able to contribute to this venture. '''Freeborn''', '''Navarr''', and '''Marcher''' units provide their full effectiveness. Military units from any other nation contribute (and receive rewards) as if their strength were two ranks lower.

Some folk have an advantage here however - any military unit that supported either the Drakes or the Star Forged this season receives a 2 rank bonus to help rescue the Drakes, effecting both effective strength and rewards.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Pallas.png|align=right|width=150}}</div>
===All Things Can Have A Price===
* '''Rather than focus solely on finding the Drakes a military unit could go looking for treasure'''
* '''These military units will gain more treasure and provide less help to find the Drakes'''
* '''All military units taking either action will appear in a single list compiled by the civil service'''
* '''If finding the drakes gets the guerdon, then everyone involved will be able to claim the rewards'''
There is another approach here, but one that might result in a little bit of... criticism. Instead of focusing ''exclusively'' on finding the Drakes, a military unit ''might'' take the opportunity to do some exploration of their own and see what they can pick up. As well as the ''Find the Drakes'' venture, the ''Take Your Time Looking For Lost Marchers'' venture is also available. This is a [[venture#questing|questing]] venture, and a standard military unit that undertakes it will receive 2 pieces of "Adversity Vis" (that is, [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]], or [[Vis#Crystal Fire|Crystal Fire]]) and two ''marsh flowers''. An upgraded or enchanted military unit will receive commensurately more treasure.

This venture is available to anyone who wants to take it. Those military units receiving a two rank bonus from supporting one of the two armies this season will still do so. ''However'' there is a drawback to this action and that is that ''regardless'' of the effective strength of the military unit, it will ''only'' contribute 50 effective strength towards finding the Drakes and guiding them out of Crucible. The actual rank of the military unit and its enchantments will have no bearing on the amount they contribute.

There isn't any way for the civil service to tell who is searching for the Drakes and who is taking their time about it, so a single list will appear with all the names on the same roll of honour. If the guerdon is applied to finding the Drakes, then everyone who takes ''either'' venture will be able to claim a share of it.

===Pride of the Marches===
* '''The General of the Drakes is still a General'''
* '''The General can still issue an order to the army though it the force can't actually leave the region or undertake an attack or defence'''
* '''Folk from the Marches can support the Drakes to help them deal with potential casualties providing a lifeline to home'''
* '''It is still possible to target the army with an enchantment but impossible to predict what if anything it will do'''
* '''There is no upkeep for the army this season'''
* '''The general of the Drakes is Alfred Houtman Fella'''
Obviously the general of the Drakes '''Alfred Houtman Fella''' is in a little bit of a bind given their army is missing in action. The civil service have confirmed that they still ''are'' a [[general]] even though their army is currently somewhere in Madruga. They can still participate freely in the [[Military Council]] until such time as proof emerges that the Drakes are never coming back. They can even still issue an order, but ''only'' the text of the order matters. The army will remain in Madruga, lost in Crucible. It also isn't possible for military units to take the [[military unit#Campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army. It is still possible to place an enchantment on the army using the general as focus, but impossible to predict exactly what the effect will be. The ritual will still ''have'' its effect but the ability of the Drakes to benefit from it will depend entirely on what it is.

There is no upkeep for the army this season, since the civil service has no easy way to feed and billet the army.

===Pride and Loyalty===
* '''An outpouring of Pride and Loyalty inspires the folk of the Marches'''
* '''Heralds of Sadogua and Lashonar have agreed to carry care packages and messages of support to the stranded Drakes'''
* '''''Any'' Marcher character can choose to support the rescue of the Drakes albeit with limited effect'''
There are concerns about how the soldiers on campaign, lost in the trackless marshes of Madruga will survive, but that only results in an outpouring of support from the Marches, especially [[Upwold]]. The Drakes are well loved, after all, and if [[Life of Tom Drake|Tom Drake]] taught anything else it is that you look out for your own. Obviously, this being the Marches, there has also been some recrimination from people who ought to know better who argue that a sinister Freeborn conspiracy has intentionally sacrificed the Drakes to Azoth but it is ''probably'' safe to ignore those people. Humans and orcs want to do everything they can to help, even if they can't send beaters of their own to deal with the situation.

By itself its not clear how they ''could'' help (beyond encouraging or enchanting military units), but help comes from unexpected sources. Some of the [[smith]]s and [[landskeeper]]s have spoken to servants of Sadogua and Lashonar, and both eternals have committed to offer their assistance. They are prepared to carry messages and supplies into the Crucible and make sure they get to the Drakes. In a similar manner to the way the Navarr and the Imperial Orc nations were able to support the raid against the Great Forest Orcs, the people of the Marches can show their support for the Drakes if they wish.

''Any'' Marcher character can take the action to support the venture to ''Support the Drakes''. Any character that chooses to support the action will suffer a 50% penalty to the normal production of their [[Resource#Personal_Resource|personal resource]]. A character with a [[congregation]] that supports the venture will instead receive ''no'' [[liao]], but will keep all their Synod votes. They will however not be able to undertake a [[Congregation#Lectures|lecture]] or [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]] at the same time. A [[fleet]] likewise can't take a different [[voyage]], including trading or supporting an army. Instead of their normal production they'll get the same as a military unit (a marsh flower and some valuables).

Even if they aren't going to Madruga personally, they can still provide crucial supplies to support the soldiers of the Drakes themselves. The help they provide won't benefit from [[enchantment|enchantments]], but all resources of the characters that ''Support the Drakes'' will contribute ''half'' the strength of a military unit of equivalent rank.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Arwydd Clearbramble.jpg|caption='''Arwydd Clearbramble''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bloodcrow Arora.jpg|caption='''Bloodcrow Arora''', Archmage of Winter|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Brat Umbral Path.jpg|caption='''Brat Umbral Path''', Archmage of Night|title=One in six Night eternals thing he's pretty neat|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Each resource that takes this action will contribute 50 strength to the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. For every 100 Marcher characters take the option, any damage suffered due to a partial success will be reduced by 500. In the event that the mission is a full success, not only will the army not suffer any casualties but they will be revitalised and receive 500 additional resupply this season.

===Eternal Aid===
* '''Plenipotentiary could be used to ask for help for the Drakes'''
* '''A poorly chosen eternal or a poorly worded request for help will do more damage than good'''
While much of the focus on the missing army revolves around the Night enchantment and the heralds of Night, Crucible is affected by ''three'' realms of magic not only one. In theory, the [[Archmage of Winter]], [[Archmage of Night]], [[Archmage of Spring]], or [[Stone Smith]] could each use their [[plenipotentiary]] at the Autumn Equinox to ask an appropriate eternal to intercede and help the Drakes. This is a risky course of action - the choice of eternal and exactly what they were asked to do will be crucial. Neither the eternals of Spring nor Night are especially fond of armies, and the aid of the eternals of Winter always comes at a price.

In the event that an eternal was asked for aid and minded to provide it, they could certainly increase the chances of the Drakes returning safe and untransformed. The civil service estimate that the aid of an eternal would ad 3,000 to the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' venture. Two or more eternals would likely conflict with each other however - a second eternal would add another 2,000 effective strength, and a third only another 1,000.

Anyone attempting this should be ''very careful''. A poorly phrased request, or a request to an eternal that for whatever reason was not disposed to help, had problems with the Marches or the Drakes, or disliked the Empire, would instead ''subtract'' 5,000 from the effective strength of the ''Find the Drakes'' mission, with potentially disastrous consequences.

===Order, Order===
* '''A single Conclave Order could be guided to aid the efforts'''
* '''Only one Order can help but only if they are not currently busy elsewhere'''
Magicians are arguably the ones best placed to help, but which ones? The Conclave could choose one of the Orders and ask them to help recover the Marcher army. If that is the will of the Conclave they will need to choose a single order and give clear guidance on why they want them to help. An Order can only be [[Grandmaster#Guiding_an_Order|guided]] by their grandmaster using one of their two declarations of concord. Doing so would have the usual cost of twenty mana crystals, and would be guaranteed to contribute 1,000 strength to the efforts. Any other potential effects would depend which order was chosen.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|width=150}}
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{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderShutteredLantern.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderRodAndShield.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Chalice.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderGoldenPyramid.jpg|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderUnfetteredMind.jpg|width=150}}
</div>

388YE Autumn Equinox winds of fortune

2026-09-08T18:40:01Z

GuiltyConscience: /* No More Tales */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Lights in the Dark.jpg|align=left|caption=Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. |width=2000}}</div>
==Overview==
<div {{float}}>
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! Wind of Fortune !! Order Released !! Last Updated || Note
|-
| [[The wolves tempt you]] || 1 || data-sort-value="2026/08/15"| 15/08 || Imperial Address
|-
| [[Dream on]] || 2 || data-sort-value="2026/08/17"| 17/08 || Seren
|-
| [[Come together]] || 3 || data-sort-value="2026/08/17"| 17/08 || Apothecary college
|-
| [[Fair share of labour]] || 4 || data-sort-value="2026/08/19"| 19/08 || Artisans Guild
|-
| [[Hidden inventory]] || 5 || data-sort-value="2026/08/29"| 29/08 || Banner-bearers
|-
| [[A fork in the path]] || 6 || data-sort-value="2026/08/27"| 27/08 || Mystics
|-
| [[Outreach across the marshes]] || 7 || data-sort-value="2026/08/27"| 27/08 || Sand Fishers & League highest calling
|-
| [[Stand proud, you're strong]] || 8 || data-sort-value="2026/08/27"| 27/08 || Brass Coast highest calling
|-
| [[Here you come again]] || 9 || data-sort-value="2026/08/31"| 06/09 || Plenipotentiary
|-
| [[Accomplices]] || 10 || data-sort-value="2026/09/04"| 04/09 || Agramant is still in Therunin
|-
| [[Metamorphosis]] || 11 || data-sort-value="2026/09/04"| 04/09 || Dealing with Kroll
|-
| [[Out of these convertites]] || 12 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || League visit to the Marches
|-
| [[Goodwill]] || 13 || data-sort-value="2026/09/05"| 05/09 || Dawn, Navarr, Highguard, Vallornguard
|-
| [[Not from the benevolence]] || 14 || data-sort-value="2026/09/05"| 05/09 || Offers from Ephisis
|-
| [[Wayfaring strangers]] || 15 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || Visitors
|-
| [[Value beneath the mountain]] || 16 || data-sort-value="2026/09/07"| 07/09 || Kespoena's Reach
|-
|}</div>
Over the past three months, events have taken place which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. These are the winds of fortune, counterparts to the winds of war that detail the Empire's military campaigns. They lay out situations and usually include things that characters can do to take advantage of [[opportunity|opportunities]] or to resolve problems. In almost every case, they start with a piece of flavour text. This fiction helps introduce the wind of fortune or draws out a particular theme or element. Often, it represents a viewpoint that one or more NPCs might have in-character. In all cases, these pieces are intended to help create an atmosphere and provide a little entertainment. Where they contain opinions, those are the opinions of the fictional people depicted - and where they contain information or rumours, the assumption is that the reader will create their own context for that information or gossip if they want to use it in character.

The body of the wind of fortune describes situations and lays out ways players can engage with them. Except where we explicitly talk about something being "rumoured" or use a phrase like "some might say..." the details of a wind of fortune are factual. They represent briefing material presented by the civil service or similar authoritative sources and represent something the average educated citizen would acknowledge as a reliable truth. Unless we specify otherwise, we're also being as thorough as possible. This information doesn't need further checking in-character. It's not an opinion, and we're not trying to trick you.
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:350px; float: left; margin: 10px;"
|-
! Nation !! Diplomacy Wind
|-
| General Diplomacy || [[So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavea]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Asavean_Archipelago|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Axos]] || [[Those_memories_of_you#Axos|Those memories of you]]
|-
| [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] || [[All I can do]]
|-
| [[Commonwealth]] || [[If_we_never_meet_again#Commonwealth|If we never meet again]]
|-
| [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Marracossa]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Marracossa|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Faraden]] || [[It%27s_all_wrong,_but_it%27s_all_right#Faraden|It's all wrong, but it's all right]]
|-
| [[Grendel]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Grendel|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
| [[Iron Confederacy]] || [[It%27s_all_wrong,_but_it%27s_all_right#Iron Confederacy|It's all wrong, but it's all right]]
|-
| [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] || [[If_we_never_meet_again#Principalities_of_Jarm|If we never meet again]]
|-
| [[Sarcophan Delves]] || [[Those_memories_of_you#Sarcophan Delves|Those memories of you]]
|-
| [[Sumaah Republic]] || [[So_little_I_wanted,_so_little_I_got#Sumaah_Republic|So little I wanted, so little I got]]
|-
|}

As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of Fortune is to maintain the illusion of the Empire as a living, breathing place where things happen - and to make players aware of things their characters could know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months. It's perfectly acceptable to turn up to Empire having read only a few Winds of Fortune that directly interest your character; part of the fun on the field can come from learning about situations and opportunities in other parts of the game.
__TOC__
In each case, we've tried to tag the Winds of Fortune entry with the nations or political bodies to which it is most relevant. We've done this to help people who are interested only in events that are especially relevant to them. In no way are these tags intended to be exhaustive; the Empire is a complex place, and very little happens in isolation. We are also adding the dates that they were last updated (other than typos and correcting [[red links]]) in an attempt to make it easier to keep track of the newest releases.

==Winds of Fortune==
===The Wolves Tempt You (Imperial Address)===
* '''Imperial citizens; Navarr;'''
[[Emperor Vesna]] has used their power to [[The_Throne#Address_the_Empire|address the Empire]] to present a personal reminder to all citizens that the road to salvation is hard, but everyone is walking it together.

The message has been distributed across the Empire by the civil service, and you can read it in the '''[[The wolves tempt you]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:left; width: 150px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Navarr.png|align=left|width=150}}</div>
===Dream On===
* '''Navarr'''
In [[Miaren]], [[Miaren#Seren|Seren]] is now become the ''City of Dreams'' in truth. People with hopes and aspirations, with the imagination to perceive what is needed to achieve them and the determination to try, have flocked to Miaren. With the completion of the Temple of the Waking Dream, the [[dreamspeaker]] calling has coalesced as a distinct [[archetype]] among the [[Navarr]] people, one dedicated to making dreams become reality. This has perhaps predictably amplified arguments about what exactly that means, and which dreams should be pursued, and how.

You can learn about competing arguments, and the changes to the city of Seren, in the '''[[Dream on]]''' wind of fortune.
===Come Together===
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=100}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Apothecaries Guild.png|align=right|width=150}}
* '''Imperial Apothecaries Guild; Navarr; Benefactor of High Chalcis; Highguard, the League, Imperial Orcs, and Varushka; Senate
When [[Therunin]] fell to the [[Druj]] [[Thornsinger#Thornsong_House|Thornsong House]] was lost. Despite the valiant efforts of the Navarr and the aid of [[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]], the college of herbmastery could not be saved. While the house itself burned, many of those who studied there were able to escape to the safety of [[Reikos]]. Some stayed behind on [[Reikos#Chalcis Mount|Chalcis Mount]], but others chose to put as much distance between themselves and the horrors of the Druj as possible. Drawn to the Temple of the Waking Dream, some of these apothecaries and physicks have taken the path of the dreamspeaker themselves, and inspired by the City of Dreams, they have put their ambition to rebuild what was lost into words.

A proposal for a new college of the apothecary arts, and ways various nations may be involved, can be found in the '''[[Come together]]''' wind of fortune.
===Fair Share of Labour===
* '''Artisan's Guild; Throne; Senate; Artisans of all kinds; Golden Pyramid; Pride Assembly; Navarr; Guildmaster of the Artisans, Dean of Runesmith's Caution, Keeper of the Runegrott, Seer of the Spiral Sword, and potentially several other titles associated with magic item crafting'''
At the recent summit, [[Emperor Vesna]], requested that the [[Scrutiny#Constitutional_Court|Constitutional Court]] [[Forever_is_composed_of_nows#The_Abraham_Gambit|appraise the implications]] of a new [[Imperial sodality]], the ''Imperial Guild of Artisans''. The Artisans Guild has technically been in existence for some time, with the Senate [[Construct_Guildhouse_of_the_Artisans|ordering the construction of Guildhouse]] in 385YE, creating the position of [[Guildmaster of the Artisans]]. Now the Senate is in a position to consider the full implications of making the Guild into an official Imperial sodality.

You can learn more about the potential Imperial Sodality, as well as proposals from some people very excited by the opportunity it represents, in the '''[[Fair share of labour]]''' wind of fortune.
===Hidden Inventory===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cat's Graces Sodality.png|align=right|width=150}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBWintermark.jpg|align=right|width=150}}
* '''Wintermark, especially banner bearers; Cat's Graces; Minister of Historical Research; Mediator of Hyljehal; Senate
When the tides of fate seem to turn against the Empire, to be able to look and see over the battle lines, the colours of your warband or your nation still [[Pride|Proudly]] flying can help to rally the [[Courage]] and turn the tide. In [[Wintermark]] the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#Banner-bearers|position of banner-bearer]] is seen as vital to the success of any battle. [[Empress Britta]] was a banner-bearer, and bore [[Three Tears|Foe-Slayer]], the legendary war-banner of [[Emperor Guntherm]] onto the field. The great flag was lost when Britta died and it has been near two decades since Wintermark could bear its equal into battle. The artisans and craftspeople of [[Hahnmark#Runegrott|Runegrott]] have a proposal to try to remedy this shortfall, involving the construction of a grand [[edifice]] to house banners and paintings of the great banners of the Empire as well as the creation of a new [[Magic_items#Artefacts|artefact]] [[:Category:Magic Standards|banner]] for Wintermark.

You can read more about this plan, and learn a little of the mighty banner Foe-Slayer, in the '''[[Hidden inventory]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=KallevesiMystic.jpg|align=right|width=200}}
===A Fork in the Path===
* '''Wintermark, especially the Mystics; Raven Seer of Ishal; would-be champions; Keeper of Oaths; friends of Sung
The [[mystic|Mystics]] of Ishal sought to work more closely with the wider nation of Wintermark. They have since decided [[Flight_of_birds#The_Witan|to approach the Witan]] directly, and do what they can to support the goals of the nation itself. The decision to help with the [[Warriors' Gate|exploration of Tsirku]] has made it impossible for the Mystics of Ishal to offer their usual council and support to the [[Raven Seer]] and to that end they have made several changes to the Aviary, and to the support they offer the Raven Seer and the nation. At the same time, there has been a great deal of discussion of the [[Crown of Three Tears]] and the role of the ''Champion of Wintermark'' within the nation - the appointment of who has traditionally been the responsibility of the mystics.

You can read about the changes at Ishal, and the situation of the Crown of Three Tears, in the '''[[A fork in the path]]''' wind of fortune.
===Outreach Across the Marshes===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly League.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
* '''The League, especially the Bishops and Princes; Merchant Prince of Misericorde Market; Senate
[[The League]] Assembly [[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_57|has declared]] that their [[The_highest_calling#The_Highest_Calling|highest calling]] is to bring new peoples to join the Empire. A Virtuous endeavour to be sure, but even the League cannot move the whole world at once. To be effective the nation needs to [[Any_dream_will_do#Partners_within|focus their efforts]] on one group at a time. Diplomacy is a complicated matter, so they also need to decide who among them would be best to take the lead with each such group. This past season the Princes of the League have reached out to the [[Holberg#Misericorde|Sand Fishers]] of [[Holberg#Misericorde|Misericorde]], the [[orc|orcs]] who once lived on the southern shores of [[Ossium]] as slaves of the [[Druj]] but who have found a new lease of life on the northern shores of [[Holberg]].

Ultimately, the egregore decides who can or cannot join a nation - the nature of the bond is that it can only be formed with someone an egregores recognises as having the potential to be a member of the nation. But the League has already embraced the Apulian Orcs, why not the Holberg Orcs as well?

You can read about how the outreach is going, and what it might take to bring the Sand Fishers into the Empire, in the '''[[Outreach across the marshes]]''' wind of fortune.
===Stand Proud, You're Strong===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
* '''The Brass Coast, especially the Freeborn assembly;
After several seasons of deliberation (and funding a [[Construct_City_of_Wonders|whole new city]]), the Freeborn National Assembly has decided that the [[the highest calling|highest calling]] of their people should be on defending their lands. The sentiment resonates with people across [[the Brass Coast]]. It was not long ago that both [[Madruga]] and [[Feroz]] fell under barbarian control, [[Kahraman]] has faced constant invasion from the Lasambrians over the past few years and [[Segura]] has only recently enjoyed a prolonged period of quiet after nearly two decades of constant warfare. Is it a surprise that the people of the Brass coast feel a little vulnerable, given recent history?

There is so much work that could be done, people are at a loss to know where to start. The Assembly will have to consider the options carefully - they have a year to take advantage of the nation's highest calling, but that won't be enough time to pursue every possibility raised by a people as inventive as the Freeborn...

You can find out how the nation can begin to defend its lands, and the proposals put forward toward that aim, in the '''[[Stand proud, you're strong]]''' wind of fortune.
===Here You Come Again (Plenipotentiary)===
* '''Imperial Conclave; magicians; Synod; Brass Coast especially Sutannir; ''Alazhar i Taziel i Erigo'', ''Velasco i Guerra'', the Imperial Warcaster; Marcher beaters, Unshackled thief-takers, Varushkan wardens; ''Berilo i Erigo''; ''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka'' and some dead generals'''
* This wind was updated on 06/09/2026 to add some additional paragraphs to the end of the [[Here_you_come_again#End_of_Empire|End of Empire]] section
Each [[archmage]] is empowered to send a [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] message to a single [[eternal]] of their [[Realms|realm]] each season. Bound to respond, the recipients are however free to choose precisely what form that response takes. Following the Summer Solstice, six eternals have responded to what are presumed to be missives from the respective archmages. Some have agreed to [[archmage#Parley|parley]], but not all of them.

You can find out about the eternals, and the nature of their responses, in the '''[[Here you come again]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 175px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=BarienArt.jpg|align=right|width=175}}</div>

===Arrows and Clay (Challenge)===
* '''Challengers of the Iron Duke'''
Each season, the eternal ''[[Barien]]'' presents opportunities to those prepared to [[Challenge the Iron Duke]]. For the Autumn Equinox he offers two challenges: a game of speed and grace, and a game of creativity and imagination. As ever, the rules of the ritual apply. Each person who receives the ritual will be ''guaranteed'' entry to a challenge. Depending on the challenge, they ''may'' be able to bring a certain number of attendants with them to assist. The exact number will depend on the nature of the challenge and the number of challengers. The [[civil service]] will publish exact numbers in [[Anvil#The_Hub|the Hub]] on Saturday morning for all to see.

You can find details of the challenges issued by Barien this season in the '''[[Arrows and clay]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 175px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|align=right|width=175}}</div>
===Accomplices===
* '''Navarr; Military Council; Military unit captains; ''Eskah Swift Hart, Vosjuli Cherenkov, Towlen Nighthaven'' and ''Mirella of the Twisted Rose'''''
Another season, another message from [[Agramant]], delivered by his heralds from the depths of [[Therunin]]. The eternal's efforts were roundly refuted last season, with the [[Golden Axe]] reclaiming Lower Tarn Valley. This season, Twigsnapper has a much more pointed offer to make to aid the reconquest of Therunin.

You can find out what Agramant and his heralds are up to in the '''[[Accomplices]]''' wind of fortune.

<div style="float:left; width: 175px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBUrizen.jpg|align=right|width=175}}</div>
===Metamorphosis===
* '''Urizen, particularly the captains of military units or residents of Sarangrave; Keeper of the Breadbasket and farm owners of the Marches; Imperial Consul; ''Frith, Ser Guy of the Twisted Rose, Fausta Ankarien,'' and people interested in the rebel septs; ''Solas of the Spire of the First Light'' and the Warmage'''
It has been a tumultuous time in the Sarangrave. First the Druj, then the vallorn, and now husks. All while the Empire has been endeavouring to make diplomatic inroads with the rebels of Nesustak Forest. Sadly, troubles abound; the eviction of so many from Thornfen by the Axou has raised the spectre of famine in the territory. And now the Druj scattered through the territory, alongside the rampaging husks, threaten to raise a third dark spectre - the beast that lurks beneath the waters of the Sarangrave, the dark and terrible Kroll.

You can find out what's happening in Sarangrave this season in the '''[[Metamorphosis]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly General.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
===A Little at a Time===
* '''Members of the Synod, especially Cardinals; Members of the Senate; Members of the Vallornguard and people interested in the fate of Pilgrim's Defiance'''
Last season, eight judgements of [[proscription]] were raised, and half of them were upheld by the General Assembly. Similar to their previous efforts, the [[Scrutiny#Constitutional_Court|Constitutional Court]] has asked the civil service to publish not just guidance on the outcome of these proscriptions, but also details from the minutes of their discussions in the hopes of providing clarity to interested citizens. This includes detailed guidance on the three changes to religious law enacted by the Senate.

You can find out the outcome of the Constitutional Court's meeting on the proscriptions and changes to religious law last season, in the '''[[A little at a time]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly League.png|align=right|width=150}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Marcher.png|align=right|width=150}}
===Out of These Convertites===
* '''The League, particularly orcs and members of the Synod; The Marches; People with an interest in foot-the-ball or duelling'''
* This wind was updated on 07/09/2026 to change the time of the [[Out_of_these_convertites#And_So_Am_Come_Abroad|Am So Am Come Abroad]] encounter to 18:30 on Saturday
Last season, the [[The League|League]] and [[The Marches|Marcher]] Assemblies both passed statements of principle encouraging a pilgrimage of Apulian orcs and League members of the Synod to the [[Mournwold]]. Citizens from all five cities of the League have taken up the call to travel, and the orcs of the Mourn have welcomed them with open arms and farm tools. It's not just the harvest that's discussed, but ancestors and sports.

You can find out what happened when the League visited the Marches this season in the '''[[Out of these convertites]]''' wind of fortune.

===Goodwill===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Vallornguard sodality.png|title=Vallornguard|align=right|width=100}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Dawn.png||align=right|width=180}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Highborn.png||align=right|width=150}}{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Navarr.png||align=right|width=150}}
* '''Dawn, Navarr; Highguard; Vallornguard'''
Two nations have chosen to use their [[The highest calling|highest calling]] to focus their people on the coming final war against the [[vallorn]]. The [[Dawn|Dawnish]] are developing the skills and resources to prepare themselves, while [[Navarr]] are looking for ways to support the nascent [[Vallornguard]] by sharing centuries of accumulated wisdom with other nations. Surprising progress has been made: the Dawnish have chosen to [[Love_and_monsters#Unicorns|throw open the doors of Greenwood Manor]] to all comers. The Navarr have spent the last year offering their unique expertise to their Imperial cousins, their eye turned at last to their allies in [[Highguard]]. Even the denizens of the [[eternal]] [[realms]] have heard the call to war, and have been encouraged to offer their aid as the Empire prepares for the war that will, if it is successful, bring to an end the Doom of Terunael.

You can find out about the highest callings of Navarr and Dawn, and the opportunities they provide, in the '''[[Goodwill]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Ephisis.jpg|align=left|width=300}}</div>
===Not From the Benevolence===
* '''Entrepreneurs and traders; Members of the Senate, particularly the Senators for Reikos and Bastion; People interested in contracts available, particularly ''Dorys Delgorokov'', ''Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo'' and ''Terentia of Sarangrave Reforged''; Citizens of Kallavesa, the Barrens, and Hercynia; and the ''Freeborn Flame Cartel'''''
Following the relative success of the new scheme to offer large contracts for fulfilment, the heralds of the [[Ephisis|Sovereign Lady of the City of Gold and Lead]] have returned with new offers for the coming summit. As always, the [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] will set up shop in the [[Hall of Worlds]] on the final day of the summit, where they will look to settle any sales offered to the City via the [[Ephisis' Scale]] ritual.

You can learn about the offer for a fortification, the contracts available from the City of Gold and Lead, and the counting houses requested by the Conclave, in the '''[[Not from the benevolence]]''' wind of fortune.

===Wayfaring Strangers===
* '''Senators for Tassato and Holberg, and the League Assembly; Envoy to the Karass; Magpies;'''
* <span style="color:#0000FF">'''In Progress - This Wind of Fortune will be updated in the run-up to the event with additional content; we'll remove this marker when the last information goes on it.</span>
People visit Anvil for all kinds of reasons. Trade, wonderment, and a chance to meet with the movers and shakers of the Empire. It is no surprise that Anvil is seen as the place to be if you want to get anything of importance done.

You can find out more about some of the folk coming to Anvil this season in the '''[[Wayfaring strangers]]''' wind of fortune.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ArgentSword_Colour.png|align=left|width=200}}</div>
===Value Beneath the Mountain===
* '''General of the Argent Sword; ''Kespoena Archsky''; Members of the Senate and those able to announce commissions; people who like mithril; ''Herminius of the House of the Wanderer''; Architect of Illumination; Gardener of Pallas; Arbiter of the Four Winds; Oblivion Sentinel; and people who like the idea of fighting in caves'''
Almost eighteen months ago, an arcane projection raised Kespoena's Reach (formerly known as Mount Polus) to be the highest mountain in the Empire. This, unexpectedly, led to a crevasse opening at the base of the mountain. Last season, the [[Argent Sword|General of the Argent Sword]], '''Clytemnestra of the House of the Wanderer''', ordered the heralds of her army to "''sniff out the value beneath the mountain''".

You can find out what they found, and what lies beneath Kespoena's Reach, in the '''[[Value beneath the mountain]]''' wind of fortune.
===Domain Expansion===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Marcher.png|width=150|align=right}}
* '''The Marches; Imperial Orcs; Senate and Military Council; Singing Caves seat; and Quartermaster of the Imperial Armies; Imperial diviners and cartographers; anyone with an interest in Liathaven/Ashvale'''
While other nations struggle on, the [[the Marches|Marchers]] have got their harvest in. Their assmebly has completed their [[The highest calling#Highest calling|highest calling]] and successfully [[Expand_Breadbasket_into_Mournwold|expanded]] the [[The_Marches_economic_interests#The_Imperial_Breadbasket|Imperial Breadbasket]] into [[Mournwold]]. There's no time for rest however... as ever Marcher knows, the reward for a good job is more work. Keen not to let the grass grow under anyone's feet, Marchers look to make good use of the remaining time now the Breadbasket is properly sorted. There are a few ideas knocking around about what Marchers could be doing next, as a tidal wave of Imperial Steel sweeps through [[Mitwold]] and into [[Bregasland]] - time to build on that success. After-all - you don't own it unless you can defend it...

You can learn about suggestions for how the Marches can own and defend land, and a mildly irritating development with a former Imperial territory, in the '''[[Domain expansion]]''' wind of fortune.
===Islands in the Dream===
<div style="float: right; max-width: 150px; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:Illarawm.png]]</div>
* '''Imperial Orcs, Varushka, Highguard; Military Council'''
Bloodcrow Knott declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], and at the Summer Solstice, Bloodcrow Meep was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]] in eastern [[Ossium]]. This time the [[orc|orcs]] have additional support in the form of advisors from [[Varushka]] and [[Highguard]] familiar with the sept, who helped arm and train the orcs to fight the [[Druj]] a few years back. The delegation of [[shamans]] and [[Illarawm|mystagogues]] braves the haunted woods and finds a guarded welcome, some mystical beliefs about spirits, and another dilemma for the Empire...

You can learn about the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, their spiritual beliefs, and their pressing concerns, in the '''[[Islands in the dream]]''' wind of fortune.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=NBVarushka.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
===Shadowed Boughs of Twilight===
* '''Citizens of Ossium, Navarr and Varushkan alike; Ossium forest owners; Senate, Military Council; Varushkan and Dawnish military units; Grieftender of the Forgotten, Map to the City Below, Singer of Silence, Ceslev of the Circle of ZUlgan Tash; People who like having a fortification in Ossium; Apothecary of Orieb; people angry about idolatry; Agramant watchers; Watcher of the Semmerlak; Guardian of the Maze of Zoria; Dedicates of Wisdom; Ambassador to Otkodov'''
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Alongside the Varushkans live a few scattered septs of [[orc|orcs]], while the [[Thule]] control the northern forests in uneasy alliance. For the last few years it has also been home to families of Navarr drawn by Awstin's Rest. After the Summer Solstice, though, magic drawn from the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] washes over the territory, bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of Night magic - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat mixed. Especially given the presence of the monsters that have been here since well before the Empire drove the Druj out, who still lurk in the depths of the wild forests.

You can learn about the effects the Night magic has had, on dreams and on the forest, as well as details about eternals and monsters, in the '''[[Shadowed boughs of twilight]]''' wind of fortune.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Star Forged colour.webp|align=right|width=200}}
===No More Tales===
* '''Inhabitants of Madruga; Generals of the Drakes and Star Forged; military units; Marcher folk; Conclave orders; Military Council; magicians interested in ill-advised experiments'''
Once [[Madruga]] was grassy plains, rich coastline, and prosperous islands. Now it is something else, thanks in part to the transfiguration of its southern coast by magically-infused river waters. This is [[the Brass Coast]] and there are plenty of Freeborn who welcome the excitement, unpredictability, and wonder each day promises. After the Summer Solstice, magic started to settle over Madruga, bringing with it vibrant dreams of vanished forests and heralds of the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. At first it seemed to be just a gentle piece of [[Night magic]]... but as the Autumn got closer it became clear it had done more than just evoke dreams. Two Imperial armies were also in Madruga, busy claiming the wild marshes of the Siroc Bayou and Crucible for the Empire. ''One'' of these two armies has come back out of the marshes and the other one... has not.

You can learn about the gentle enchantment, and the disappearance of an entire Imperial army, in the '''[[No more tales]]''' wind of fortune.

==Diplomatic Winds==
Each season, the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations. This is usually based on communications received from their ambassador, along with any useful intelligence gathered from other sources. While the [[Senate]] and the other houses of Imperial power may respond to these offers, it is important to note that it is the appropriate [[ambassador]] that the foreign power will expect to hear from. Their communication with the foreign power is the primary element that will determine the tenor of any response. While these winds revolve around international matters, their focus is still on the Empire and what its citizens can do to influence diplomatic matters, so they're as likely as any other wind to contain something of interest to characters from all walks of life.

===All I Can Do (Beoraidh)===
* '''Ambassador to Beoraidh; Cat's Graces; Benefactors Council; Steward of the Ossuary; Members of Senate; Apothecaries Guild; Regario Dossier'''
[[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] was once the stronghold of the [[Grendel]] ''Salt-Lord Ehsan'' and his supporters. When the Empire moved to invade Mareave, Ehsan declared independence and sued for peace with the Empire. The city itself and the neighbouring region of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]] are recognised as a neutral state by the Senate; a free port where both merchants of all nations are welcome. They actively seek investment from both Imperial and Grendel sources, and have allied themselves with the powerful [[Sarcophan Delves]]. One opportunity that has been under discussion for a while now is the creation of a temple dedicated to the Way, a monument to cooperation welcomed by the former Grendel. After the Summer Solstice it appears that some movement has been made towards making intention into reality.

You can learn about diplomatic relations with Beoraidh, and the opportunity to build a temple there, in the '''[[All I can do]]''' wind of fortune.

===It's All Wrong, But It's All Right===
* '''Ambassador to Faraden; Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy; Synod, Senate; fleet captains; Alder of Meade, Mediator of Fisk, Azure Sutannir, Cat's Graces; military unit commanders, especially mercenaries'''
The merchants of [[Faraden]] and the militarist [[Iron Confederacy]] lie to the west and south of the Empire respectively - to the west and south of [[the Brass Coast]] more specifically. Relation with the two nations have been tumultuous in the past but in the last year or two there has been a slow sanding-off of harsh edges. A feeling that lasting détente may be possible, although what it might cost is another matter entirely...

You can learn about diplomatic affairs regarding Faraden and the Suranni, and some pressing problems regarding both, in the '''[[It's all wrong, but it's all right]]''' wind of fortune.

===So Little I Wanted, So Little I Got===
* '''Ambassador to Asavea; Ambassador to Sumaah; Ambassador to the Grendel; Marracossa Sendito; Members of the Senate; fleet captains; Ambassadors in general; Loyalty Assembly, particularly ''Dagon Barossa'''''
The orthodox [[Sumaah Republic]] and the declining [[Asavean Archipelago]] lie far to the west of the Empire. The two great nations remain locked in war. Closer to home, the [[Grendel]] compete with the Empire for dominance of the Bay of Catazar. Even closer to home, the Marracossan exiles live in their town of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], Madruga. The [[ambassador|ambassadors]], the [[Imperial Consul]], and other individuals invested in diplomacy have their work cut out keeping abreast of what is happening, as each nation has agendas no less complex than those of the nations that make up the Empire.

You can learn about the ongoing diplomatic situation with the Asavean Archipelago, the Sumaah Republic, the Marracossans of Trajadoz, and the Grendel in '''[[So little I wanted, so little I got]]''' wind of fortune.

===Those Memories of You===
* '''Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves; Ambassador to Axos; Senate; Wintermark farmers, herb garden owners, and apothecaries; Imperial Apothecaries Guild; collectors of vallorn relics; fleet captains trading with Issyk; Navarr traders'''
The [[Sarcophan Delves]] are a great power, a cosmopolitan nation centred around an immense city that sprawls out across the banks of the Umshalla river. [[Axos]] is tiny nation on the outskirts of the Empire, controlling a little over two territories. For all their differences they have similarities, though. Both are a people of cities, and both have an uneasy relationship to death. The Axou ''necromantia'' are acknowledged masters of the cold magic of the grave, while the Sarcophan base much of their industry on the use of the ''ongelukkig'' living-corpses. They are both nations made more powerful through trade, and both would like to see themselves as friends to the Empire... and in both cases that friendship can prove to be something of a mixed blessing.

You can learn about Sarcophan and Axou diplomacy, and some trade opportunities, in the '''[[Those memories of you]]''' wind of fortune.
===If We Never Meet Again===
* '''Ambassador to Jarm; Ambassador to the Commonwealth; Senate; Imperial mercenary soldiers (especially the League, Dawn, Urizen, and Highguard); Imperial fleet captains; Celestial Arch and Sevenfold Path; Rod and Shield and Golden Pyramid; Granite Pillar; friends of Professor Emmanuel Gelberg'''
The [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Principalities of Jarm]] had been at war, fighting for control of the borderlands between their two great nations. When the tiny country of Lantir was annihilated by [[Cold Sun]], a major incursion began that saw armies of [[Cold_Sun#Heralds|scions]] pouring through a breach in what remained of the capital city. Now they have a common enemy, but it has given them little ''else'' in common. Revelations as to the cause of the incursion have set the balance of power in the east swinging wildly - and not just between the two nations. The Empire is in the middle of a war of words and recriminations, and a long-term friendship seems to be on the verge of collapse while the attitude of bitter rivals appear to be improving.

You can learn about the chaos in the east, and its significant to Imperial citizens, in the '''[[If we never meet again]]''' wind of fortune.
===The Little Things===
* '''Ambassador to Otkodov; Senate; Military Council; Folk of Ossium'''
The [[Thule]] of [[Otkodov]] share a long mountainous border with [[Wintermark]], the [[Imperial Orcs|the Unshackled]], and [[Varushka]]. A magocratic nation is ruled by five allegedly immortal orc wizards called the Dragons they were at war with the Empire for much of its history. Now though, they are at peace. An uneasy peace to be sure, secured with the concedence of northern regions claimed as part of Otkodov. But peace nonetheless. For the last year or so, the Thule have been waging war on [[the Mallum]], conquering western [[Forest of Ulnak|Ulnak]] and occupying the northern Druj. They have also been engaging in active negotiations with the representatives of the Empire, arranging deals and agreements that might against all the odds so this peace last longer than perhaps it has any right to.

You can read about recent diplomatic developments, and in particular some upcoming events in [[Ossium]], in the '''[[The little things]]''' wind of fortune.

==Other Events==
===Strange Currencies===
* '''The Silver Flame ask for ritual texts for ''Strong Ox, Golden Sun'' and ''Gathering the Harvest'''''
* '''In return, they pledge their sentinels to defend Spiral as needed'''
The [[A_question_of_loyalty#Spiral|Tribunal of the Silver Flame]] controls the region of [[Spiral#Cinion|Cinion]], in [[Spiral]] - and is home to several hundred former Urizeni mages at most. Nearly a [[Mirror_and_the_flame|year ago]], they announced grand plans to make a formal alliance with the [[eternal]] [[Sinokenon]], declaring their intent to build a [[fane]] in their territory so as to allow the eternal to give them more extensive support. Aware that the risks would be shared by the Empire, they wrote to inform them of their intentions, and tried to sweeten the deal with two powerful rituals in exchange for access to Imperial Lore, assuming that the offer would land favourably.

It did not. The [[Conclave]] rejected the offer outright, seemingly incensed at the repeated request for access to Lore and having deep misgivings about the nature of ''Diamondmind's'' offer. The Flame sent a delegation to Anvil to try and understand why their strategy had landed so badly. Eager to demonstrate their worth to their neighbours, they sent their sentinels to aid in the [[This_is_the_end#Never_follow_me|quixotic but ultimately successful effort to free Apulian]] from the [[Whisper Gallery|Whisper Gallery's]] grasp. Last season, the Conclave agreed to disseminate [[Blessing of New Spring]] to them - a sign that there is diplomatic willing there, yet.

Now the [[civil service]] have been sent word from Alexius, who acts as the representative of the Tribunal to the Empire. His missive strikes a somewhat contrite note. The Tribunal have abandoned their plans to build a fane for Sinokenon - for now. It seems that someone made a generous donation of liao to the faction within the Tribunal who were most opposed towards any form of eternal alliance, and they have spent the last three months pressing their point. They have convinced many, but in particular they have convinced Caela, the Grand Arbiter of the Tribunal, who has asked the heralds of Sinokenon to leave.

This has not come without cost, it seems. While they have the stocks and stores to get through winter, it will be hard without outside assistance. Their need is pressing, and so they write to ask if their friends in Anvil could see to the dissemination of the other two rituals in the cycle of farm rituals. This would aid the rebels greatly - especially if this happens in time for the rituals to be cast in the Summer and Autumn of next year. Beyond that, the Flame would benefit from any personal enchantments, especially ones like [[Gift of the Wily Broker]] which allow for careful economic stewardship. In return, the Tribunal are prepared to guarantee that their sentinels will continue to support efforts in Apulian or be sent to assist in Spiral's defence in any way they can - whether it is simply to act as swords against the darkness of the wilds or to defend some fortification. They have four groups of sentinels with a combined military strength of a little under five hundred.

===All the Right Friends===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
* '''Efforts to share the virtue of Prosperity with the people of Tsark have met with some success.'''
* '''There is an opportunity to bring word of inspirational figures of Prosperity to Tsark.'''
* '''Eleven Imperials have been invited at 18:35 on the Saturday of the equinox to visit the Tsarkoi in Zenith.'''
The isolated nation of [[Tsark]] is famously slow to change and resistant to outside influence or visitors of any kind. In the last decade, as the Empire has become aware of Tsark's existence yet remained neutral, even friendly towards the tiny sagocracy, there has been a slow but perceptible thawing of relations on behalf of the Sage's Council. [[Seeds_of_discord#Tsark|Last season]] they sent ''Camilla'', one of the adepts who play some kind of role in day-to-day spiritual guidance of the lives of the Tsarkoi, to visit the Empire to learn more about the virtue of [[Prosperity]]. It seems that the [[Seeker of the Perfect World]] made the case that there could be a place for Prosperity within the worldview of the sages, and they were not so horrified at the suggestion as to refuse it out of hand.

Camilla solicited letters on the subject of Prosperity and has made herself and her fellow adepts available this last season for members of the Urizen Assembly to discuss Prosperity with her. As the equinox approaches, the Imperial diplomatic corps, through the office of the Seeker of the Perfect World, receive word that the initiative has been a success: at least from Camilla's point of view. She has learned much about Prosperity from all she has read and heard - yet she feels there is yet more to learn. In particular, she understands that the Empire set great stock by inspirational figures of the past who exemplify their virtues - a practice the people of Tsark understand well. The great sages and adepts of the past all have shrines built into the [[Mountains_of_the_Moon#Wall_of_the_Luge_and_the_East_and_West_Rising|Wall of the Luge]], the mighty fortified wall that surrounds the sacred plateau of Visoko. She would like to learn more about the inspirational prosperous figures that the Empire holds dear to its heart. If the Empire's representatives can impressively preach of an inspirational figure of Prosperity in a way that resonates with the spirituality of Tsark, then it could well lead to further such opportunities, as the Tsarkoi believe that inspirational figures are the ''most'' important way to find spiritual enlightenment.

She has asked Sage Kristoph, the well-established representative of the Sage's Council to the "People of the Horse", to make the trip to Zenith. She would like to host a discussion on the premises of the Garden of the Perfect World, with Sage Kristoph to attend, and an invitation is extended to each person who wrote to her or visited. These are, in no particular order: '''Farren Silver Streams, Abel the Rounder, Isaac of the Reaching Vine, Berilo i Erigo, Heilyn Bronwen's Rest, Catena of Tropaion, Galene Netherwatch, Able the Taller, Lord Augur Gryphontale, Eleri Bronwen's Rest''', and '''Solas of the First Light'''. They are invited to speak about three inspirational figures of Prosperity, with ten minutes (allowing time for questions) allocated for each figure. Who actually presents and on which figures Camilla defers to the visitors - she trusts them to collectively come to an understanding in an efficient manner that respects the time of others, as - she has learnt - the Prosperous are wont to do.

This is clearly a fateful occasion, and on such occasions the Sentinel Gate obliges. There is a conjunction for eleven people at 18:35 on the Saturday of the Equinox, to attend the Gardens of the Perfect World, Occursion, Zenith. The civil service has asked the [[Seeker of the Perfect World]], '''Abel the Rounder of Sarangrave Reforged''', to be responsible for the conjunction and for the other arrangements Camilla has mentioned.

===Blades of the Semmerlak (reprise)===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Blades of the Semmerlak'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Edifice]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:'''
*Sandling in Weirwater ''or'' Lacuve in Semmerholm
'''and'''
*Malimorzi in Karov ''or'' Bittershore in Ossium
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 24 weirwood and 72 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' Three months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' One year, until the start of Autumn Solstice 389YE</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Creates title of ''Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak''
* Creates the '''Blades in the Semmerlak''' venture for questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens
* Removes the threat to ships on the Semmerlak and establishes a sodality to deal with threats from Dho'uala</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Counts as a single commission</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Dawnish and Varushkan</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Senate or Test of Arms </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' This is a [[martial title]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:'''
* Receives 10 crowns a season
* Receives a [[Duelist's Scales]], a [[Troubadour's Ring]], and a set of [[Goldentide Mail]] once a year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' To counter the influence of Dho'uala and deal with threats coming from the Semmerlak</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<tr><td style="background-color: HotPink;">'''Blades in the Semmerlak'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Venture Type:''' Guarding</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Territories bordering the Semmerlak</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Duration:''' Open-ended</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Rewards:''' Six crowns and four [[Military_unit#Production|random resources]]</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''''Tristan Ramson von Holberg'', the Master of the Mint, announced the reappraisal of the Blades of the Semmerlak'''
* '''A wardenhouse in Varushka and a knightly estate in Dawn would provide a base of operations for heroes to protect the Semmerlak'''
Last season, the [[Master of the Mint]], '''Tristan Ramson von Holberg''', announced the [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Reappraise_Blades_of_the_Semmerlak|reappraisal]] of the Blades of the Semmerlak in Dawnish and Varushkan territories surrounding the [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]]. Originally [[Less_welcome_tenants#Blades_of_the_Semmerlak|suggested]] shortly before the Summer Solstice 386YE, the wardenhouse and knightly estate were part of a larger appraisal into the problem of [[Dho'uala]] killing Imperial citizens and interfering with matters on and around the Semmerlak.

A motion to construct the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] was [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Construct_Journeymage_Towers|proposed]] by '''Amicia of the Semmerlak''', as Senator for Semmerholm, and the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] has been active, appointed by the Assembly of Vigilance, and tasked with ensuring the nations surrounding the Semmerlak act with Vigilance and countering threats from the Semmerlak.

Lutomysla's suggestion that the Senate establish a small sodality dedicated to protecting the people around the Semmerlak still holds true, and has the same enthusiastic support from the merchant-boyars, earls, and merchant-princes keen to see people protected from the depredations of the sovereign. A knightly order focused on protecting the communities along the lake, and a warden fellowship to travel on ships crossing the Semmerlak to protect the crew; both would actively seek out the creatures of Dho'uala and fight them. Supported by Imperial heroes, the sodality would remove the threat to the people living along the edge of the lake. Instead, it would fall to questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens to serve as the '''Blades in the Semmerlak''',

They will need places to operate from - an estate in Dawn for the knights and a wardenhouse in Varushka for the wardens. Lutomysla identified that the best locations would be either [[Weirwater#Sandling|Sandling]], in the vicinity of [[Weirwater#Culwich|Culwich]], or [[Semmerholm#Lacuve|Lacuve]] in [[Semmerholm]] near the bustling port of [[Semmerholm#Lacre|Lacre]] for the knights, and the port of Korotny in [[Karov#Malimorzi|Malimorzi]] in [[Karov]] and the [[Merchant_Boyar_of_the_Bittershore#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] in [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] in [[Ossium]] and those still hold true. Although they involve work in two regions, the actual project itself requires only a single commission, and the building of the wardenhouse and the estates will take place in parallel. Once construction is complete, any threat to the people who live along the banks of the lake will be met by enthusiastic warriors. It will also create a new guarding [[venture]] available to questing knights, knights-errant, and wardens - '''Blades in the Semmerlak'''. This will allow a [[military unit]] to spend their time actively defending the Semmerlak and the ships that traverse it. A starting military unit undertaking the venture would receive 120 rings and four [[Military_unit#Production|random resources]].

There would need to be a title to oversee the efforts and support the sodality; the ''Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak'' would be a [[martial title]] of Dawn and Varushka who was appointed by either unanimous agreement of the senators of those two nations, or a [[Martial_title#Creating_Martial_Titles|test of arms]] between members of those two nations. The title-holder would be responsible for protecting the communities around the Semmerlak from threats mundane and magical, and to stand ready to oppose the depredations of Dho'uala whenever they raise their head. In return, they would receive an income of 10 crowns each season with which to equip allies and maintain their sodality.

They would also be the beneficiaries of several magic items provided by Dawnish, Varushkan, and League donors. A [[Duelist's Scales|Duelist's Scales]] weapon from the Varushkan merchant-boyars to weaken corrupt horrors; a set of [[Goldentide Mail]] from League merchant-princes to protect them from venom; and a [[Troubadour's Ring]] from Dawnish earls to help them support their allies. These items would be received once each year, and while the expectation is that the Knight-Warden of the Semmerlak would use them themselves, there is no reason they could not pass them to other warriors fighting against Dho'uala or similar monstrous threats.

===Dusk===
{{:Autumn Equinox 2026}}

===Husky Business (Volunteers)===
* '''There is an opportunity for player volunteers to portray their characters who died during the Saturday battle at the last event'''
* '''Eligible characters must have died during the battle, but not have been killed as a husk'''
* '''Volunteers will need to have their own costume and appropriate weapons'''
* '''The role will last around twenty minutes, starting at 18:30 on Friday'''
* '''The role will involve fighting alongside the skirmish team in an encounter against player characters'''
* '''Please email before 18:00 on Wednesday 26th of August if you are interested in volunteering'''

There is an opportunity for players to portray the husk of their fallen characters at the upcoming event. Anyone whose character died during the battle of the [[Thorn_and_bone#Battle:_Harvester_of_Graves|Fens of Varreth]], raised as a husk but was not subsequently killed again as that husk is welcome to email to register interest in volunteering for an encounter on the Friday. This will be a combat [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|highly likely]] encounter through the Sentinel Gate and will involve fighting against player characters alongside members of our [[Plot_crew#Skirmish|skirmish team]].

If you are interested and would like more information, please email {{plot}} with your PID and the subject line "Husk Volunteer E4", and you will be given more details.

==Summer Conjunctions==

===Major Conjunctions===
<table><tr><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Location'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Opportunity'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Opposition'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Link'''</td><td style="background-color: LightGray;">'''Outcome'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Sarangrave|Sarangrave, Turan Flats, ''Fens of Varreth'']]</td><td>Contain the dead</td><td>Druj</td><td>[[Thorn_and_bone#Battle:_Harvester_of_Graves|Harvester of Graves]]</td><td>[[Field Marshal]] was '''Sigismund Vladislav Kestovia''' of [[Varushka]]; The spirits were not trapped and the husks remain a problem in eastern Sarangrave; The tortured souls of Het Trakaa remain in Turan Flats; Het Trakaa and Sul Maggotgnaw remain alive</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Mareave|Mareave, Clisearn, ''Ruins of Sinat'']]</td><td>Open the Vaults</td><td>Grendel</td><td>[[Mithril_and_rope#Battle:_Salt_and_Stone|Salt and Stone]]</td><td>[[Field Marshal]] was '''Joaquim i Erigo''' of [[the Brass Coast]]; Saltbound Stone recovered and claimed by '''Terentia of Sarangrave Reforged'''; Ilium Jackals negotiated with and readying support of [[Boyar's Hasta]]; Iontach Leagsaidh remains in possession of their [[Grimnir's Hearthfire]]; Maistir Guaidre remains in possession of the Spiteri necklace</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Forest of Ulnak|Forest of Ulnak, Ghul'thark Forest, ''Fetid Heart'']]</td><td>Raid the Druj</td><td>Druj</td><td>[[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Battle:_Claim_the_Prize|Claim the Prize]]</td><td>Not taken; Status of the black lotus unclear; Status of the treasures of Taramid Skinwreath unclear</td></tr>

</table>

===Minor Conjunctions===
{|table class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! # !! Location !! Responsibility !! Overview !! Result
|-
| 1 || Sarangrave, Whisperwood, Halfweir Grove || [[Fingers of the Devourer|Custodian of the Fingers of the Devourer]] || [[Thorn_and_bone#A_Testing_(Conjunction)|Destroy the heralds of Surut]] || Heralds of Surut killed; production of Fingers of Devourer has increased by two wains per season for as long as the Great Forest Orcs remain foreigners
|-
| 2 || Astolat, Withy, Igraine's Regio || [[Astolat|Senator for Astolat]] || [[A_wizard_did_it#Rants_and_Roses|Find out why the regio keeps shifting back to Spring, and resolve it]] || Unclear, but '''Éamon Ashenmourn de Cordraco''' might know more
|-
| 3 || Mitwold, Maiden Downs, Maiden Stone || [[Champion of Prosperity]] || [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Apples_First_(Mitwold)|Stop Jyll Longleys from cursing the Maiden Stone]] || ''Jyll Longleys'' and allies killed
|-
| 4 || The Barrens, Dawnguard, Troubadour's Glade || [[Knight of Dawnguard]] || [[388YE Summer Solstice winds of war#A Vow (The Barrens)|Kill ''Prilak Gutdredger'']] || ''Prilak Gutdredger'' and almost all allies were killed
|-
| 5 || Mitwold, Maiden Downs, Golden Fields || [[Keeper of the Golden Fields]] || [[Pride_in_the_Marches#The_Right_Thing_(Mitwold)|Stop Dusty Cobb setting Golden Fields alight]] || ''Dusty Cobb'' and rebels killed
|-
| 6 || The Barrens, Saltmarsh, The Dredging Flats || [[Knight-protector|Knight-protector of Winter]] || [[388YE Summer Solstice winds of war#A Call to Stand (The Barrens)|Kill the Servants of the Burnt]] || All but one ''Servants of the Burnt'' survived
|-
| 7 || Ossium, Echofell, Burned Glade || [[Shadowed Torchbearer]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#Fire_The_Forests_(Ossium)|Prevent the cursing of Ossium]] || Heralds killed and Ossium was not cursed
|-
| 8 || Therunin, Lower Tarn Valley, Rotwood Croft || '''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''' || [[388YE Summer Solstice winds of war#After the Taint (Therunin)|Destroy the miasma pillar]] || Miasma pillar successfully consecrated
|-
| 9 || Madruga, Free Landing, Hart's Cove || [[Hand of Guerra]] || [[Keys_of_Enlightenment#Barren_Waters_(Conjunction)|Aid the stranded ship from Sumaah]] || Unclear, but Hand of Guerra should know more
|-
| 10 || Sarangrave, Kroll, Slow Worm's Hill || [[Sevenfold Path|Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#Boil The Swamps (Sarangrave)|Prevent the cursing of Sarangrave]] || Heralds killed and Sarangrave was not cursed
|-
| 11 || Sarangrave, Turan Flats, The Breakteeth dais || [[Eastern Sky|General of the Eastern Sky]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#The_Greatest_Prize_(Rhianos)|Recover the treasure]] || Treasure successfuly recovered
|-
| 12 || The Barrens, Bitter Strand, Saltshore || [[Merchant of the Fangs]] || [[A_horn_blast_of_victory#Fangs_for_the_Memories_(Conjunction)|Answer General Utmar's call for aid]] || Vassals of the manticore killed
|-
| 13 || Madruga, The Crucible, Talpses Plat || [[Champion of Vigilance]] || [[Phantasms_and_foam#A_Terrible_Feeling_(Madruga)|Claim the ''Snapping Face'']] || Snapping Face retrieved and heralds killed
|-
| 14 || The Barrens, Carmine Fields, Trading Way || '''Rhydian de Rondell''' || [[A_horn_blast_of_victory#Taste_of_Mettle_(Conjunction)|Remove the failed knights-errant of House Courcillion as a threat]] || Named knights have accepted justice from local magistrates
|-
| 15 || Necropolis, Coursmouth, The Veiled Garden || [[Guardian of Britta's Memorial]] || [[Phantasms_and_foam#The_Strength_of_This_Place_(Necropolis)|Spill the waters of Siakha]] || Bucket recovered and returned to Anvil
|-
| 16 || The Barrens, The Untrod Groves, Glade of the Good Knight || [[Knight-protector|Knight-protector of Winter]] || [[A_horn_blast_of_victory#A_Hearty_Meal_(Conjunction)|Thwart the schemes of Ser Gawain Amboise]] || Schemes of ''Ser Gawain Amboise'' thwarted
|-
| 17 || Mareave, Fleisardh, Spring Regio near Golden Wind's Encampment || [[Silver Chalice|Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#Do_Some_Harm_(Arhallogen)|Poison the Grendel]] || Grendel poisoned, Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice should know more
|-
| 18 || Tassato, Cascatas, Campo Verdenta || [[Keeper of the Sapphire Stair]] || [[Phantasms_and_foam#For_What_Has_Been_Wrought_(Tassato)|Kill the heralds of Siakha]] || Heralds of Siakha and wreckers killed
|-
| 19 || Spiral, Apstrus, Alba's Lea || [[Legacy|Custodian of the Legacy]] ||[[Mithril_and_rope#A_Backhanded_Request_(Spiral)|Intercept the mercenaries pay]] || Raid launched on the Legacy and ten wains of mithril claimed by the Haurlatch Iron Consortium
|-
| 20 || Reikos, Haros Water, Couros Field || '''Nekoda of the Shattered Tower''' || [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_fortune#A_Sudden_Threat_(Reikos)|Save Professor Gelberg from Grendel assassins]] || Imperials pushed out by Grendel; Professor Gelberg has been kidnapped
|-
| 21 || Redoubt, Naris, Isaac's End || '''Telemachus of the Lighthouse-That-Was''' || [[Seeds_of_discord#An_Empty_Bottle_(Conjunction)|Leave no more than a dozen Grendel alive]] || All Grendel killed
|-
| 22 || Kallavesa, West Marsh, The Meeting Place || '''[[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_32|Erlend]]''' || [[Myth_makers#The_Unity_Of_Deed_And_Word|Consecrate the Meeting Place]] || The Meeting Place successfully consecrated with true liao
|-
| 23 || Kallavesa, Wittal Grove, Frithstan's Fen || [[Grimnir of Wittal Grove]] || [[The_keys_of_blood#An_Unexpected_Ally_(Basileia)|Defeat the Grendel (and potentially rescue the Iontach)]] || Ionatch Meddool Miniog successfully rescued and returned to Anvil
|-
| 24 || Forest of Ulnak, Grimfen Mire, Moss End || [[Warmage]] || [[All_I_ask_of_you#Wild_Things_Run_Fast|Take advantage of a recent scouting discovery]] || [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]] successfully cast with eight rings of [[ilium]]
|-
| 25 || Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Eastern Ward || '''Theodora''' || [[Urizeni_Experiment#Stronger_than_Blood|Cast the permanent ward]] || Ward successfully performed
|-
| 26 || The Barrens, Saltmarsh, Gardenway || [[Envoy to the Karass]] || [[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Protect_Lenna_Karass_%28The_Barrens%29|Prevent Druj raiders from kidnapping Lenna Karass]] || Lenna Karass was successfully rescued and returned to Anvil
|-
| 27 || Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Western Ward || [[Spear of the Seven]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#Stronger_than_Blood|Cast the permanent ward]] || Ward successfully performed
|-
| 28 & 29 || Forest of Ulnak, Gloomsea, Islet of Calm || [[Archmage of Day]] || [[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Who's_the_Thief?_(Forest_of_Ulnak)|Prevent the Eyes of the Dragon from using a boon of Kimus]] || [[Wind of Mundane Silence]] performed on regio and bodies successfully destroyed
|-
| 30 || Sarangrave, Bendol, Spring Regio || [[Warmage]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#An_Open_Gate|Drive the vallorn from the regio]] || Imperial casualties suffered, vallornspawn remain around the regio
|-
| 31 || Sarangrave, Bendol, Spring Regio || [[Archmage of Spring]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#An_Open_Gate|Cast Dance of Navarr and Thorn]] || [[Dance of Navarr and Thorn]] was not performed
|-
| 32 || Sarangrave, the Whisperwood, Depths of the Hungry Earth || [[Counsel of the Sun Chamber]] || [[Urizeni_Experiment#The_Caves_of_the_Hungry_Earth|Investigate the Hungry Earth]] || Depths investigated, Counsel of the Sun Chamber should know more
|-
| 33 || Volodmartz, Livardz, Sumisev Peegel || '''[[388YE_Spring_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_167|Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav]]''' || [[Sunrise_over_Livardz#Blow_It_Up|Destroy the Sumisev Peegel]] || Sumisev Peegel was successfully destroyed by [[Wind of Mundane Silence]]
|-
|}

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:44:50Z

GuiltyConscience: /* The Dark Power Problem */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicates in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr National Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Varushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their duties there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Autumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>

===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will affect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.

==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Dedicates of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnik masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably affect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}

==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:44:01Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Stranger on the Road */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicates in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr National Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Varushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their duties there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Autumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>

===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will affect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.

==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Dedicates of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnik masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:34:09Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Blood on the Snow */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicates in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr National Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Varushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their duties there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Autumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>

===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will affect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.

==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Sedicate of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnii masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:32:58Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Great Serpent */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicates in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr National Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Varushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their duties there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Autumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>

===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will effect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.
==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Sedicate of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnii masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:29:33Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Not Father of Bats */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicates in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr National Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Varushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their duties there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' AUtumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>
===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will effect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.
==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Sedicate of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnii masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:26:10Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Shadow Singer */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicates in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr National Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Varushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their dutirs there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' AUtumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>
===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will effect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.
==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Sedicate of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnii masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:22:24Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Twisted Paths */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to contend with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes hard to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays on the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will have lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicated in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr Nation Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Vaushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 379YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their dutirs there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' AUtumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>
===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will effect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.
==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Sedicate of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnii masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Shadowed boughs of twilight

2026-09-08T17:19:05Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Participation : Dreams */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<ic>
"Why Grandmother, what a big axe you have. Why don't you put it down?" said the wide-eyed child.

"All the better to cut the trees from our path child." the elderly woman replied with a smile.

“But, Grandmother, what heavy armour you have! Why don't you take it off?” asked the child in a voice full of concern.

“All the better to protect you and me both dear,” the old woman replied without skipping a beat.

At that point a foolish woodcutter appeared, stood just off to one side of the path. "Look out!", he shouted, "she's a mora!"

Thus revealed the wolf fell to the ground screaming and writhing in pain as feathers appeared all over it's body. A moment later it lept into the air, eager to fall on the helpless and devour them. The woodcutter stepped forwards eager to save them, but the monster hurled him aside in a heartbeat...

...whereupon Grandmother fell on it, and with one quick flick of her axe, she chopped that wicked creature's head clean off it's body.
</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dreamscape.jpg|caption=Fantastical dreams, and paths lost and tangled, these are the gifts of the Night realm.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
[[Ossium]] has been part of [[Varushka]] for six years now, and what was once a wretched place clenched in the iron fist of the [[Druj]] is rapidly becoming one of the most prosperous territories in the Empire. Years of investment have paid off, with the vales here becoming stronger and richer with each season. Some of the finest Imperial [[forest|forests]] are found here, and it is also home to places like the [[Ossium#The_Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]], the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]], and [[Cabalist_of_the_Hollow_Stone#Marshstand_Skerry|Marshstand Skerry]] that show what can be achieved when resources are taken from the masters of [[the Mallum]]. There is even some cautious trade with the [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] who control the northern forests, although there is also a little friction from those who resent the presence of interlopers who are not Imperial in ''their'' territories. Then, a couple of years ago, another "wave of settlement" took place when [[Strategos_of_Navarr#Awstin's_Rest|Awstin's Rest]] wayhouse was built in [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]], bringing with it the families of [[Navarr]] keen to share their own culture and customs with their Varushkan neighbours and learn from them in turn.

All of this preamble sets the scene for what happens after the Summer Solstice. Magic of the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forest]] rises in isolated places across the territory, seeping out from beneath the trees, pooling in their shadows. It spreads quickly across the entire territory - - in both Imperial and Thule lands alike - bringing with it the unmistakable blessings of [[Night magic]] - blessings that have a regrettable tendency to be somewhat ''mixed''.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Henri Rousseau - Le Rêve.jpg|align=right|width=400|caption=The Forests of the Night are wonderful - they contain wonders. They are also terrific - they beget terror.}}</div>
==Dark Dreams==
* '''People in Ossium this season experience vivid dreams full of strangeness and wonder'''
* '''Some of those dreams are dangerous and folk are injured or even disappear'''
* '''Characters in Ossium may choose to experience the last of these dreams in Anvil'''
Within a few nights of the Summer Solstice, [[Night magic]] creeps out from under the trees of Ossium. It brings strange dreams, and the influence of both the [[Realms#Night|Wondrous Forests]] and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures that live there]]. Each dream is as different as each dreamer, but as the season lengthens the commonalities between the night-time visions become apparent.

Not every dream is influenced by enchantment, but those that are, are very distinctive. They involve dark forests, and while they may feel familiar at first they quickly turn dark. Exploring them finds strange foliage - and in some cases trees give way entirely to stone halls supported by marble columns carved to resemble trees or great forests of titanic fungus. Sometimes northern pines are replaced with trees more suited to the jungles of [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]] or [[Asavea]], or waterloged willows and mangroves reminiscent of the [[Madruga#Siroc Bayou|Siroc Bayou]]. Some even dream of exploring vibrant forests of coral and anemone that are clearly deep under the sea despite the absence of anything approaching water around them.

Even stranger than the trees are the creatures that live there. Moths of all colours, ranging in size from the naturally familiar to creatures so immense one could imagine riding on their backs. Fabulous squirrels the size of dogs; scuttling little star-nosed monkey moles who shout mockery from the high boughs or try to engage visitors in unwise trades; talkative caterpillars longer than an arm; stealthy cats with fur the colour of night and polychromatic eyes; snakes that swim effortlessly through the air, shedding scales behind them, of music not skin.

Both fauna and flora might shift size, shape, or colour without warning but almost without fail they are beautiful and strange. While some fear sleep and seek to avoid the unknown mysteries of the enchantment, others embrace their nightly sojourn, eager to see what new splendours they will encounter.

There are clearly dangers here and everyone who experiences one of these dreams knows it. Yet the sleepers are not without protection. Every Varushkan knows that there are certain [[Varushka_religious_beliefs#The_Virtuous_Animals|virtuous animals]] that look after those under threat, or that come to the aid of the lost and the frightened. Unlike the peculiar, phantasmagorical creatures of the dreams, these guides and sentinels look entirely mundane, entirely normal, for all that some of them possess the power of speech. There are a number that are familiar - the spider and the squirrel; the goose, the bear, the boar and the hound; deer and eagle; hare, fox, cat, and rabbit; and of course the bees. There are a few that are less familiar - snakes that offer good advice, doughty oxen who face down too-wide smiling tricksters, rebellious otters, industrious beavers, placid [[Mundane_beasts#Dodo_Birds|dodo birds]] that caution against rushing off into the unknown half-cocked, and many more. Helpmates and companions, these creatures appear in dreams to guide the sleeper and keep them safe.

One danger seems omnipresent; those who experience many of these dreams speak of a stalking creature that they never quite catch a glimpse of but that they know is shadowing their dream quest. The signs of its presence and passage, and the sensation of its unseen presence, haunt many of the most sensitive dreamers. Some say it is clearly an unnaturally massive wolf, others describe it as a constricting serpent with a naked-bone skull for a head, others as a sleek black shark that glides silently through the coral, or a great brindled [[Mundane_beasts#Big_Cats|lion]] larger than anything found in the wild forests of [[Weirwater]]. Some sleepers awaken with wounds that cannot be easily explained - raked by claws, bitten, gored - and while the injuries can be treated easily enough they are still a cause for alarm. There are also about two dozen stories of actual disappearances as well. Such things are by no means unknown in Varushka at the best of times, but there is a different tenor to these particular nocturnal vanishments. Those who disappear always seem to be [[magical skills#Magician|magicians]], and they always vanish unnoticed while everyone is asleep. At first there is worry that this is the work of [[Night Below]] but it lacks many of the telltale marks of such an event. Some [[cabalists]] point to the disappearances that very occasionally accompany the [[enchantment]] ''[[Sift the Dreamscape's Sands]]'' and mutter to themselves.

But for all the mystery and apparent danger, the dreams are also sometimes helpful. Sleepers awaken from particularly vivid nocturnal experiences with their minds ringing with symbols and metaphors. A rare few manage to untangle the visions to get some sense of them - intentional or coincidental is hard to say - and again the cabalists suck their teeth and point to a known magic - ''[[Signs and Portents]]'' - and speculate on what might be gleaned when an entire territory of people experience it over the course of a season.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel.jpg|caption='''Bronimir Ranedzkah Pinewheel''', Senator for Ossium|align=right|width=300}}

===Participation : Dreams===
* '''Any character living in or visiting Ossium this season will have experienced odd magical dreams'''
* '''Any character whose personal resource is in Ossium might gain additional benefits'''
Anyone who lives in Ossium or spends time there this season is encouraged to make up some dream experiences by using the above narrative as a guide, or perhaps looking at the ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands'' ritual. As well as phantasmagorical nighttime adventures, and fairytale encounters with virtuous animals, you might have experienced the sensation of being hunted, or even woken with injuries reflective of a bestial attack. You may have had a particularly symbolic dream that forewarned you of a coming challenge, or helped you untangle a thorny problem, or even just nudged you into finding your glasses after they had been missing for several days.

Any character whose [[personal resource]] is based in Ossium - most likely either a Varushkan or a Navarr character - may choose to have had a deeper, more magical experience and find that the dreams linger a little into their time at Anvil. Provided they are either targetted by [[Signs and Portents]], or consume a dose of [[Infusions_of_Feathers#Goosewhisper_Infusion|Goosewhisper Infusion]] at some point during the day before going to sleep, they will again experience vivid dreams. This cannot be done by anyone who for whatever reason cannot dream, or for anyone using a different method to get magical dreams whether it is [[Dreamscape of the Endless Hunt]], ''Somnolent Wanderer'', or the dreams created with [[liao]] using the [[dedication]] skill. The next morning when they awaken they will enjoy a short-lived benefit:

* If they have the [[magical skills#Magician|magician]] skill, they can have two additional personal mana over their usual maximum. These points are the first spent, and once gone cannot be recovered.
* If they have the [[Heroic skills#Hero|hero]] skill, they can have one additional hero point. This is also temporary and is the first one spent and cannot be recovered.
* If they have both skills they must pick one benefit.
* If they have neither skill, they instead awaken with a source of [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|spiritual strength]] that will allow them to overcome any roleplaying effect that would cause them to become afraid or filled with despair (including the druj misamsa).
In each case, the benefit lasts until time out and can only be gained once. It ''cannot'' be used if you have benefitted from other downtime option related to your activities before the event, such as those provided by supporting an Imperial army.

While you benefit from this boon, you also experience a roleplaying effect: ''You occasionally catch sight of things that are clearly not real out of the corner of your eye; weird trees, strange animals. You may also experience visions of a particular virtuous animal accompanying you that nobody else can see or hear that responds when you speak to it and offers appropriate advice.''

There is one final option - if you choose to take this boon, the next time you sleep you may choose to vanish entirely. If you do this, simply don't go back into character after time-in the next day and when you have a moment go to GOD and mark your character "dead" on the system. In character, you have slipped away into dreams in the manner mentioned in ''Sift the Dreamscape's Sands''.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Mouse Ddawnswraig.jpg|caption='''Mouse Ddawnswraig''', Strategos of Navarr, oversees Awstin's Rest wayhouse.|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==Twisted Paths==
* '''Travellers in Ossium who leave the path find it all too easy to get lost'''
* '''Following the Autumn Equinox there will be opportunities to rescue or avenge people lost in the forests'''
* '''The ''Protect the Vales of Varushka'' venture provides different rewards in the coming season'''
There is however a darker side to this enchantment, and it is a serious concern in a place like Ossium. While dreamers wander phantasmal woodlands, waking folk have to content with woodlands turned malignantly mysterious. Every area of trees, from a small copse to the great expanses of places such as [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]] becomes had to navigate. Travellers easily find themselves becoming lost or turned around even in areas that would otherwise be familiar. Odd creatures, some similar to those seen in dreams but more threatening, are occasionally glimpsed. As long as everyone stays of the [[Varushkan_Road|roads]] everything is fine. Anyone who tries to cut through the wilderness however...

The obvious problem here is that people who get lost in the woods of Varushka are often never seen again and this certainly appears to be the case. For every band of hunters that recounts the seemingly miraculous assistance of a chirping sparrow who helped them find their way back to their vale, there is another that disappears into the woods and never returns. Or worse, sometimes they do return, shambling in the dead of night and trying to get back into the houses they once lived in, hungry to share their pitiful accursed state with their loved ones. The woods of Varushka are much more dangerous for the lost and the unwary than any amount of magical dream forests.

As the Autumn Equinox draws near, some of the missing parties or travellers are accounted for but most are not. With Winter approaching, those left behind are frantic to see their loved ones, friends, business partners, and neighbours brought back to safety or - if they have already fallen prey to the wolves - freed into death and/or avenged. Even at the best of times this would need a certain type of person to step up.

Following the Autumn Equinox any Varushkan or [[Dawn|Dawnish]] [[military unit]] that participates in the [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|Protect the Vales of Varushka]] [[venture]] will receive additional rewards from the frightened folk of the vales. As well as the standard production (90 rings, and five random measures or ingots for a standard military unit), each such unit will receive a consumable item from their adventures in the deep woods. These will include sanguine potions related to the [[Tolvoli Butcher|dubik]] such as ''Bloodvine Liquor'', ''Blackblood Thorn'', or ''Darkwine'', as well as the ''Elder's Gift'' created by the now-scattered [[Lean and athirst|trudniki]], and even [[vis#Heart's Blood|Heart's Blood]].

===Participation : Twisted Paths===
* '''Anyone living in or visiting Ossium may have gotten lost in even familiar woodlands'''
Anyone who lives in or visits Ossium will be aware of the dangers of the woodlands, and if appropriate to their characterisation they are encouraged to create stories of getting lost in familiar woods, encountering dangerous [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolves]], or knowing people who have been lost in the wilderness possibly forever. It is only woodlands that are rendered dangerous and people traversing [[Ossium#Bittershore|Bittershore]] or [[Ossium#Galath Fields|Galath Fields]] remain oblivious. The effects are also limited in scope - the larger the group of travellers the less likely it is anyone will get lost. Armies will lost a few scouts or unwise sentries but it has no effect on their ability to pass through the territory for example.

The effects are particularly pronounced for people visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of the woodlands, such as those tending the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bone Hives]] or anyone who takes care of a [[forest]] resource given they are often off the beaten path.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sung001b.JPG |caption=Nothing can be said that can't be sung.|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda.jpg|caption='''Miroslav Dainovitch Temnavoda''', Grieftender of the Forgotten|align=right|width=275}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below.jpg|caption='''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', Map to the City Below|align=left|width=275}}
{{HoverImage|Nathair Autumngale.jpg|Nathair Autumngale Shiny edition.jpg}}</div>

==Night Walkers==
* '''At least three Night eternals have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results'''
* '''Another eternal, who was ''not'' invited, has nonetheless expressed approval for the enchantment'''
The enchantment on Ossium has other effects. Night regio are empowered, and in some cases regio connected to that realm that are normally too weak to be noticeable may open like late-blooming flowers able to affect the world. Encounters with heralds of the Night eternals, and the interests of those [[eternal]]s themselves, become more common. Three in particular have focused their attention on Ossium with mixed results.

===Shadow Singer===
* '''Heralds of Sung have walked the roads of Ossium singing and asking questions'''
* '''One of the heralds has presented a challenge to the Varushkan assembly'''
* '''They have also put forward an offer relating to the Field of Glory'''
The ''[[Sung|Rainbow Serpent]]'' can appear whimsical sometimes, even for an eternal of the Night realm. When the magic takes hold in Ossium, she sends her heralds to wander the Iron Roads, singing songs and collecting stories. They also ask two questions ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?''. Her servants visit [[Strategos_of_Navarr|Awstin's Rest]] to spend time with the Navarr, explore [[Ossium#Lomaa|Lomaa]], [[Ossium#Ketsov|Ketsov]], and [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]], and gather finally on the [[Ossium#Galath Fiends|Galath Fields]]. At the [[Grieftender of the Forgotten#Field of Glory|Field of Glory]] to be precise.

Once thirteen of the heralds have gathered at the Field of Glory, they spend an entire day and a night singing a ''threnody'' that weaves everything they have been told in the past few months into one intricate, unending ribbon of sorrow and remembrance. All those who hear it are filled with profound awareness of the bittersweet nature of life, and the sad truth that in time everything will be forgotten. The song ends on a hopeful note - that bad things are forgotten along with good things and that the things that matter last the longest. That grief gives way in time to acceptance and that the idea that everything passes eventually is a blessing as well as a curse.

The heralds then pack up and return whence they came - all save one. ''Threnody'' is also the name of the herald, a quiet creature with the aspect of a naga but who, when not singing, communicated in sign language. She communicates two offers from her mistress.

The first is for the Varushkan National Assembly and also the Navarr Nation Assembly. If they are prepared to tackle her questions - ''what is grief?'' and ''what does it mean to be forgotten?'' - then her mistress will consider their answers and if she finds that they contain truth or wisdom she will grant boons in recognition of their understanding of these mysteries. All they need to do is raise a [[statement of principle]] in their national assembly and answer one of the questions - but only one of them for each statement. Whichever statements get the highest margin in an assembly, she will take as the answer of the entire assembly.

The second matter concerns the Field of Glory itself. Grief, like joy and love, is a mystery. When the Fields were first recognised as a place for the forgotten to be remembered, there was [[Grieftender_of_the_Forgotten#Exploiting the Field of Glory|talk of a chapel]]. It would please the ''Lord of Illusions'' if that chapel were built. Provided the work was completed within a year - by the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE - Sung would send one of her heralds each season to provide the Grieftender with two ''feather tokens'' that can each be used to smooth the way toward a performance of [[Secrets of the Soul's Desire]], [[Shadowed Glass of Sung]], and [[Clear Counsel of the Everflowing River]]. As long as Sung was not placed under the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave, and as long as Vaushka continued to use the chapel to honour the lost and the forgotten, the gift would continue. The civil service have confirmed that the opportunity to build the chapel still exists, and will remain available until the end of the Summer Solstice 379YE.

In a seperate matter, Sung has asked that '''Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below''', the [[Map to the City Below]], '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Singer of the Silence]], and '''Ceslev of the Circle of Zulgan Tash''' (or one of their covenmates) help the assemblies consider her questions, and determine if her offer regarding the chapel is acceptable.

Finally the herald has a peculiar personal message for the '''Martiza of the Circle of Zulgan Tash'''. The ''Moon Moth'' has no knowledge of the ones she seeks, but names are like colours, and everyone sees them differently. If the Martiza asks of this matter of the ''Night Singer'' when next they meet, then she must throw her history into the river and together they will see what floats. Then she will know the truth of what she fears.

The herald treats all three messages with equal weight, and having delivered them, departs after her fellows.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Sadogua001d.webp|align=right|width=250]]{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>

===''Not'' Father of Bats===
* '''The Towers of Zulgan Task are labouring under the effects of a curse of some kind'''
* '''The soldiers of the garrison appear to have forgotten they work there'''
The [[Ossium#Towers_of_Zulgan_Tash|Towers of Zulgan Tash]] were drawn from the Night realm in an act of consummate magic performed by the eponymous coven of Varushkan cabalists. As many magicians know, they "stole" the fortification from the realm of the [[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]], binding them to the marshes of the Drownbark Forest using a great stake of pure star metal (and anchoring it with the star metal found in the waters of the old marsh). The towers are [[fortification#garrison|garrisoned]] by Varushkan soldiers, who keep a [[vigilance|vigilant]] eye on both the borders with the Mallum and with the Thule-claimed forests to the north.

About a month after the Summer Solstice, the vales of Ossium realise that it has been some time since anyone saw anyone from the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Given the way the enchantment interferes with travel, which have already become apparent, the assumption is that something like that has happened. But another three weeks pass and people begin to worry. Especially when soldiers known to be part of the garrison start turning up at their homes, often homes they haven't lived in in years, across the territory with no recollection of the Towers of Zulgan Tash or their dutirs there. So a party of schlacta and wardens sets off to the site of the Towers to make sure nothing has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong.

The towers are wrapped in silken cobwebs of impossible quantity, and the entire tower appears to have been overrun by little multi-legged creatures similar to many-eyed crustaceans or armoured spiders. They run away from what is now clearly a rescue party, but wickedly launch surprise attacks and ambushes whenever they think they can get someone alone. They don't kill people though; rather they attack their memories. The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash isn't dead. It isn't even missing. It's just that the soldiers have mostly forgotten what they are meant to be doing. Some have forgotten the outside world even exists; others have apparently deserted simply because they failed to remember they had a duty to perform.

The critters aren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but when a dozen or more get together they can cause nasty bites. Worse, if they can take someone unawares they can start poisoning their memories. In the end, it takes a month or more to clear them out of the Towers of Zulgan Tash. Fortunately, the wardens and schlacta receive some unexpected assistance as the Autumn Equinox gets closer. A cadre of battle-wizards with iridescent mage armour and staffs of twisted beggarwood appear one evening to support the Varushkans, and to deliver some helpful advice. They deny it but they are clearly servants of the Brother-of-Wizards; as one points out they ''can't'' be friends of the Black Wyrm because he is still amazingly pissed off with the Varushkans and so would never send any of his little wizards to help them out, would he?

They turn out to be moderately useful, and seem to take a particularly grim joy in stamping on the spider creatures whenever they get the chance. They also confirm the suspicions of the wardens - this is the work of a creature of the Night realm but not the Globbersnotch himself. Rather this is a symptom of something happening in the Night realm, in the demesne of the Father of Bats. The creatures were able to slip through into the mortal world here - in defiance of the [[alignment#enmity|enmity]] of the Conclave - because of the connection that still exists between the Towers (which the heralds call the ''Whistling Strand''), the nearby [[regio]], and the Wondrous Forests. The other side of the regio is safe now, so no more should come through, but the wardens reckon that the main factor allowing them to reach Ossium was probably the enchantment.
====Forgotten Garrison====
* '''The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash has dropped to 0'''
* '''It will not start recovering naturally until the curse lying over it is removed'''
* '''Removing the curse requires Piercing Light of Revelation cast at magnitude 60'''
* '''Once the curse is removed the garrison will begin to recover naturally'''
The Towers are clearly under a curse, one that is showing no signs of going away on its own. The wardens on the ground assessing the situation say they think a [[Piercing Light of Revelation]], cast at magnitude sixty and targeting the towers, will destroy the webs and kill most if not all of the weird critters - which they think might be particularly vicious [[inhabitants of the realms#boggarts|boggarts]]. Fortunately, the fortification is in an Imperial territory and should be reachable from the Anvil regio.

They don't ''think'' it will damage the Towers themselves - they are physically present after all - but it's not impossible there may be some damage given their origin. But without this kind of dramatic action the only thing to do will be to wait for the cobwebs to fade and there's no indication they are going to do so by themselves.

The garrison of the Towers of Zulgan Tash is currently zero, and it will not start recovering until the curse is removed. At that point it will receive natural resupply, which can be speeded up by any of the usual means ([[mithril]] or an enchantment such as [[Bells of Silver and Brass]]). The problem isn't that the garrison is dead - it's that they have mostly forgotten they ''are'' a garrison and it will take time or magic to round them back up and treat the damage to their memories the spiders have inflicted.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crucible.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===Great Serpent===
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Cede the Palace of Orieb'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|Concedence]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Concedes the Palace of Orieb to Azoth
* Removes all existing benefits and causes the Palace to produce three crystal fire and an arcane projection each season
* Removes all existing opportunities related to the Palace
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Azoth has made it a condition that the title "Apothecary of Orieb" ''not'' be abrogated as part of this motion; it claims it will restore the palace after one year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' AUtumn Equinox Only</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''Azoth has an interest in the Palace of Orieb'''
Heralds of the [[Azoth]] have also been seen in the territory, most notably slithering in and out of the [[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Palace_of_Orieb|Palace of Orieb]]. The palace is known to contain peculiar arrangements that seem to be "[[Apothecary_of_Orieb#Shrines_at_Orieb|shrines]]", intended to allow the Druj ghulai to secure [[vis]] from each of the six realms in return for what amount to sacrifices. Given recent [[synod]] concerns about [[idolatry]], it's not a surprise that the activity here has caused some concern. Not least from '''Konstantin Rabovich Bolotnikov'', the [[Apothecary of Orieb]] themselves apparently. At the moment only one of these "shrines" is active - and its patron is the ''Crucible'' itself, the [[Azoth]].

As night magic settles over Ossium, heralds of Azoth pop up at the Palace of Orieb and are a little surprised that people are not happy to see them. Taking it in their stride, they quickly work out what the problem is and after seeking a little "inspiration through madness" (talking to their boss), they adjust the proposal they were going to make and come up with a completely new one.

If the Empire is game, they can hand the entire place over to Azoth for a period of one year. The Crucible will spend that time running a number of exciting experiments, using the easy proximity of regio connected to all five of the "lesser" [[realms]] and the surfeit of herbs that grow there - and most especially the [[realmsroot]]. This would require the Senate to use a [[senate motion]] to [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|concede]] the Palace, but Azoth promises that at the end of the year it would return it to the Empire. While it has uses for a palace full of herbs and apothecary tools it isn't greedy. After a year its experiments will be complete and it will restore the palace to the Empire. Obviously the place will be transformed, but even Azoth can't predict how. All it can say with certainty is that its unlikely the regio will survive the experiments it has in mind, and so any problems with future idolatry will be well-and-truly dealt with. Other than that, and the fact there will definitely still ''be'' a Palace of Orieb... anything could happen. That's part of the fun!

Under normal circumstances conceding a commission automatically abrogates any title associated with it; Azoth has made it a requirement of their offer that this ''not'' take place. It does not want to "rob" the Apothecary of Orieb, and each season while it is in control of the place it will provide an [[arcane projection]] to the Apothecary of Orieb that will allow them to infuse realmsroot with the essence of one of the realms. It will do this in the "order of the colloquium" because that is what its heralds suggest (that is, the order in which the [[archmage|archmages]] are called on to [[Arcane_Colloquium#Format|speak]]). When someone points out there are six realms and only four seasons in a year, the heralds wave it away.

During the time Azoth controls the Palace, the Apothecary will not be able to purchase herbs, realmsroot, or vis. Instead Azoth will simply provide them with three [[vis#Crystal Fire|crystal fire]] in thanks for their (presumed) assistance.
====Shut it Down====
<div {{Float}}>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Remove the Shrines'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|Alteration]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Drownbark Forest, Ossium</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 108 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 3 months</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Removes the ability to equip the Palace of Orieb with shrines that provide vis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Ongoing</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The Senate could use a commission to remove the idolatrous elements of the Palace of Orieb'''
* '''They could alternatively abrogate the Apothecary of Orieb and let the palace fall into ruin'''
After discussion with the magistrates, it appears that the "shrines of Orieb" are a legal nightmare. While only one set of them are active, the entire way they are set up is clearly in breach of the law of [[idolatry]]. Having visited the area themselves, they have prepared guidance on the matter that would allow the Palace to be brought inline with Imperial law. It would require [[Commission#Altering_an_Existing_Commission|altering the commission]] to remove the idolatrous elements which will require a commission, a [[Senate motion]], 108 crowns, and take three months. At the end of that time any potential for the Palace to have shrines specifically used to get vis from eternals will be removed but the palace itself will be left intact.

Alternatively, of course, the Senate could just abrogate the title and leave the palace to fall into ruin. This would still require a senate motion, but would not have any other costs. It might be seen as throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it will resolve the situation.
<div style="float:right; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AgramantArt.jpg|caption=""More of this kind of thing please!."|align=right|width=275}}</div>
===Blood on the Snow===
* '''Agramant has registered approval of the enchantment'''
[[Agramant]] is not an eternal of the Night realm and has no business having any opinion at all on the enchantment settled over Ossium. However, he ''is'' included on some rosters of sovereigns and it seems that makes him feel he can express his enthusiastic support for the magic that has been worked here. The servant (its not clear if its a herald or not) that delivers the message has to shout it at the walls of [[Ossium#Kostjyas_Respite|Kostjyas Respite]] while cheerfully dodging arrows. The message amounts to "''Voice of the Pines, He-who-calls-the-lost-to-feast, heartily approves of this ritual because people who get lost in the woods of Varushka either gain wisdom or provide a meal for someone stronger than they are.''" The herald goes on to request that the next such casting take place so that it will effect the Winter months when many predators risk going hungry, and if possible use Winter magic so that ''Blood-on-the-Snow'' can have as much fun as his fellow sovereigns.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Varushkan Monsters.jpg|caption=There are monsters in Varushka, and that includes Ossium.|align=left|width=275}}
Message delivered, the messenger disappears into the darkness. There is no way of telling if this was a herald that had defied the Conclave's enmity (very unlikely indeed), a human servant of Agramant (possible), or someone with no connection to Blood-on-the-Snow trying to stir up trouble.
==Dark Powers==
* '''Eternals of the Night realm are not the only inhuman powers responding to the enchantment on Ossium'''
The wolves of Ossium are only one facet of the dangers of this formerly Druj territory. There are of course any number of left-behind traps rusting away in the middle of nowhere eager to crack unwary bones or strand a traveller tens of miles from any help as the night closes in. There's also all kinds of venomous creatures or mundane predators that will think nothing of bringing painful death to anyone lost in their woods. All of this pales into insignificance next to the greater threat woven through Varushkan society. The [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereigns]].
===Dark Waters===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=In The Lake.jpg|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The enchantment has touched the edges of the Semmerlak and the realm of Dho'uala'''
* '''The Journeyman Towers have dealt with the threat of the lake sovereign'''
* '''The Watcher of the Semmerlak will receive 2 wains of mithril from the boyars of Drownbark Forest'''
Dark forests call to dark powers. The enchantment on Ossium touches the shores of [[the Semmerlak]] and the domain of the sovereign [[Dho'uala]]. Within a few weeks of the Summer Solstice, there is some indication that '' She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches'' has noticed the minor intrusion and is preparing to respond to it. Her sodden servants are spotted in the [[Ossium#Drownbark_Forest|Drownbark Forest]] and those who get lost there invariably find themselves emerging from the woods onto the shores of the lake (assuming they emerge at all). Fortunately for everyone, the [[Watcher of the Semmerlak]] '''Romand Reinetova Remislav''' and the assorted [[guiser]]s, [[volhov]] and [[mountebanks]] that work alongside the [[Less_welcome_tenants#Wards_and_Bargains|Journeymage Towers]] are on the case. Most of these relatively minor incursions are dealt with through negotiation but when they can't be resolved without violence the protectors of the Semmerlak prove more than equal to the task. As thanks, a few of the grateful boyars of Drownbark have put their hands in their pockets and made arrangements to provide the Watcher with a small gift to demonstrate their regard - two of the wains of [[mithril]] that are their [[Vale_of_the_Sunless_Depths#Special|allotment]] from the [[Vale of the Sunless Depths]].

===Shadow Garden===
* '''Dubik have become more active in Ossium this season'''
* '''Forests in Ossium will suffer a one rank penalty in the coming season due to the Dubik'''
* '''Such forests will instead receive additional resources harvested from the bloodthirsty monsters'''
* '''There is an opportunity to gather dubik for ''harvest'' but it may go unpleasantly wrong'''
As the enchantment takes root, it becomes apparent that it is not the only thing blooming in Ossium during the late Summer and early Autumn. Travellers in Drownbark Forest, Echofell, and [[Ossium#Nearweald|Nearweald]] report multiple encounters with the vampiric ''dubik''. They appear in wooded areas in small numbers, and there are sightings of more of them lurking along the edges of less-travelled paths and the outskirts of isolated vales. A type of [[Varushkan_Monster#Wolves|wolf]], they take the form of animate plant-like creatures that thirst for human blood. They have an ability to mimic human speech, and seek to draw unwary travellers off the road so they may feast. The enchantment plays right into their hands. While they are not appearing in sufficient numbers to try and overwhelm a vale, there are still enough of them to make people nervous. Unsubstantiated reports say they may also be gathering in Bonewood and Webwood as well.

The main threat they represent is to those who control [[forest]] resources in the territory. Whether composed of [[beggar's lye|beggarwood]], harvested for [[ambergelt]], host to the beautiful winged [[iridescent gloaming|butterflies]], or with roots dug deep into soil rich in [[dragonbone]] the enchantment seems to be drawing the dubik to them like bees to flowers. There have been a few incidents, and there are likely to be more as Winter draws closer and the nights get longer. Monsters are not a new threat for the people of Varushka, and wardens, sellswords, and questing-nights aplenty to [[Venture#Protect_the_Vales_of_Varushka|protect]] the more isolated forests but it will not be an easy winter.

Following the Autumn Equinox, every [[forest]] in [[Ossium]] (whether Varushkan or Navarr) will produce 2 fewer measures of base material due to the depredations of dubik. It is not all bad news; fighting off the dubik mean that every such forest will instead receive a ''blackblood thorn'' or a dose of ''bloodvine liquor''.
====Bloody Harvest====
* '''The ritual ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' will attract larger numbers of dubik to a forest'''
* '''This would cause more disruption to the forest but provide more opportunity to harvest the dubik'''
* '''If too many forests are enchanted in this way it would damage Kurstrozi's Lumbermill'''
Some forest owners may want to go further though. Any forest in Ossium enchanted with [[Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou]] will be absolutely irresistable to the dubik in the territory. They will gather in numbers and attack the forest. Instead of the usual increase to production that the ritual applies, it will instead produce ''four'' fewer measures but receive ''five'' ''blackblood thorn'' or ''bloodvine liquor'' to its production. There is a potential side effect though - if more than half the forests currently in Ossium are enchanted in this way it will focus the dubik on those forests. Any forest that ''isn't'' enchanted with the ritual will not be attacked, receiving its usual production with neither losses nor increases.

Unfortunately, focusing the dubik in the territory into areas of naturally high industry, will also result in damage to [[Ossium#Kurstrozi's_Lumbermill|Kurstrozi's Lumbermill]], the [[great work]] that provides a significant boost to the production of Ossium's forests. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 389YE the lumbermill will not provide any measures to forests - instead each one will receive either a ''blackblood thorn'' or some ''bloodvine liquor'' as they continue to experience problems with the dubik. Causing trouble for the Lumbermill could have other impacts as well - [[Come_together#Where_It_Comes|there are plans to make use of the Lumbermill]] which could ''not'' be pursued while it was plagued with dubik.

The civil service cannot provide accurate numbers easily but they estimate that between Varushka and Navarr, there are at least a hundred individuals attending Anvil this summit who operate a forest. If fifty individuals receive ''Verdant Bounty of the Twilight Bayou'' it will be enough to drive the dubik into a frenzy, draw them away from forests that haven't been enchanted , and damage Kurstozi's Lumbermill.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Zoria.jpg|caption=Paragon of [[Wisdom]], who commanded beasts to serve.|align=right|width=500}}
==Dreams of Wisdom==
* '''Dedicates of Wisdom who have visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced revelatory dreams'''
* '''The dreams come wherever they are in the Empire or beyond - not just to those in Ossium'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]. Precisely what that is and how it works is a spiritual mystery, but it often takes the form of dreams - sleeping or sometimes even waking - in which animals representing the virtues bring knowledge to the [[Wisdom|Wise]].

As the enchantment is rippling over Ossium, a very different ripple is spreading out across the Empire. [[Dedication|Dedicates]] of [[Wisdom]] who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]] experience strange dreams of their own that don't seem to be caused by the Night magic in the north-east but nonetheless are clearly connected to it. These dreams contain revelations - warnings - of dark powers. Of sovereigns. Of the source of the dubik, and of the false-friend who even now spreads poison on the roads of Varushka.
===''The'' Dubik===
* '''''The'' Dubik is apparently loose in Ossium'''
* '''The sovereign is the font of the lesser creatures that share one of its names'''
* '''It is a horrible spirit that corrupts and poisons woodland and vegetation'''
Those [[dedication|dedicated]] to Wisdom, especially those who have made a pilgrimage to the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], report dream encounters with white-pelted squirrels and small pale-feathered birds crowned with crimson that provide an unpleasant explanation as to why [[#Shadow Garden|dubik are spreading across Ossium]].

The magical creatures whisper a secret to those able to listen - ''the'' Dubik, which is also called ''Odech the Wanderer'', ''That Which Walks Among the Boughs'', the ''Death of Grass'', ''Thorn-that-thirsts'', ''Venomroot'', ''Ghost-of-the-Dead-Forest'', ''Thornroots'', ''Bloody Rose'', ''Death-that-waits'', ''Moontree'', and ''Summer's Bane'' among others - has returned to Varushka. The Dubik, the progenitor of the creatures that share its name, always appears as a creature of wood and leaf, but it is actually a bodiless spirit that can move as a wind. Sometimes it slumbers, like a tree in Winter, but when it wakes it follows a pattern, It finds a plant - usually a tree - one that has stood proud and strong for many years - and it leeches the life from it, possessing it, transforming it into a vessel for its vile consciousness. It cannot move - not without outside assistance - but it squats somewhere in some out of the way place and it waits. It births dubik, who go out into the world to seek the blood of the living. Sometimes it draws to it those poisoned by hate, or jealousy, or bitterness. It stings them with its thorns, and a little of its malice takes root within their spirits and slowly spreads through them, granting them boons but ultimately turning them into living tools of its spiteful design. It also creates other servants - it can use a fraction of its essence to craft servants from plants that died of poison and send them out to bring ruin and misery.

Finding Odech the Wanderer is a daunting task. The sparrows sing that it is ''one tree in a forest'', that there is something in its essential nature that allows it to hide as long as it is surrounded by living plants. Magic will not find it - and the squirrels whisper that [[Zoria]] herself could not find its location with her [[divination|divinations]], no matter how long she looked. She wondered if perhaps the true secret of ''Thorn-that-thirsts'' is that it is the ghost of a dead [[weirwood]] tree, and that it enjoys all the protections that a living tree might have.

Even if it is found, like any sovereign it probably cannot be destroyed while Varushka persists. It's body can be destroyed, but that frees it to move as a spirit and find a new host to poison and inhabit, and the only thing one can say with certainty is that host will be far, far away from where the last one died. The only good news is that after it moves as spirit, it inevitably slips into slumber. Indeed, say the little birds and the ivory squirrels in the dreams of the wise, it has slept away the last few years in the [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], and called its children around it. Now though, it has awoken again and the enchantment on Ossium has drawn it to that place to take up its new body and begin the new season of its cycle of misery.

There is more of course - the Dubik is said to have been the creator of the Crown of the Dark Forest, or at least arranged for it to come into Varushkan hands - but those stories are for another time. For now it is enough to know that the Dubik is awake, and it is somewhere in Ossium.
===Stranger on the Road===
{{CaptionedImage|file=mora.jpeg|caption=Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become a monster yourself.|align=right|width=400}}
* '''The Stranger apparently walks the roads of Varushka'''
* '''It is a source of creatures that appear as mortals but are actually monsters'''
* '''It corrodes bonds of trust and corrupts people into performing terrible deeds'''
* '''Unlike the vast majority of monsters it can travel along the roads of Varushka - albeit with certain caveats'''
At the Spring Equinox, the Guardian of the Maze of Zoria '''Illya Nikovitch Volkov''', proposed an odd [[statement of principle]] to the Wisdom assembly. It was supported with a [[greater majority]]. At first there was a lot of discussion and very little happened, but following the Summer Solstice something blossoms in the hearts of the Wise and not just in Varushka. Sedicate of Wisdom who have ever made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria dream of hounds with red eyebrows and of imperious geese - and sometimes these dreams come when they are wide awake. Both the dogs and the birds bear a warning to anyone prepared to listen.

The Stranger is a dark power of Varushka, and it is ''Pleasing Face''. It is ''You Are Not Who You Are'', and the ''Wicked Storyteller'', and ''Do-not-take-my-hand'', the ''False Friend'', the ''Smiling Mask''. It is ''Wolf-on-the-inside'', and ''Fellow Traveller'', and ''Uncanny Companion''. It rarely appears in the stories of Varushka in a recognisable form because it is always, always in disguise. The [[Varushkan Monster#Mora|mora]] are either its children, or creatures it has twisted to its purpose. The trudnik were its creations - warped and twisted by boons they should not have asked for into the horrors they became, empowered with glamours that let them pass as human. That uncanny child that turned out to be a twisted stump full of spiders that came out of Ossium with the freed slaves all those years ago? A pawn of the Stranger. It is fundamentally the danger that looks like a friend, the false sanctuary, the trap that closes when one feels safe.
{{SOP|statement=The Guardian of the Maze of Zoria calls for the aid of the wise ones of the Empire. The Maze of Zoria has proven in the past to be a conduit of knowledge regarding magical beings such as the sovereigns of Varushka. Come to the Maze of Zoria, together we shall discern the nature of the creature behind the face-peelers. This creature is known as "The Stranger", "The First One", or less commonly "The Smiling One". Let us learn of this threat to our Empire together.|by=Illya Nikovitch Volkov|vote=Greater Majority 328-0|when=Spring Equinox 388YE|size=small}}

It is the only dark power of Varushka that can travel by the roads, but when it does so it is bound to harm none and present only a pleasing face. It cannot hurt anyone who travels with it - and they often do not realise the horror that walks alongside them - unless they somehow invite it to do so. It is an echo of this essence that causes the mora to act as if they are simple travellers until someone breaches the bonds of hospitality, that let the trudnii masquerade as innocent draughir until their hosts or guests gave them the opening to attack. What it can do, however, is use words as weapons. It can poison those who listen to it tell its tales or offer its friendly advice, and if they accept its twisted words and act on them, it lures them into its service. The worst of its servitors are those that look to all eyes as if they are just normal folk, but whose spirits and minds are rotten and twisted. The wolves who are "hairy on the inside" - who stab their friends in the back, hack their parents with axes without warning, poison a meal for no reason. Not all random acts of inexplicable cruelty and violence are the doing of the Stranger, but many are.

Uncanny Companion can be bargained with, and as long as it is in its fair seeming its boons may be dangerous but they will be true. If it is ''not'' in its fair seeming form, then the boons it offers are curses that will drag those who accept them to their doom. The problem is that it is often not possible to tell simply by looking at it whether it is truly fair or just pretending to be. One of its strangest elements is that it tells the truth. When it is wearing its friendly seeming it never lies, but it allows people to deceive themselves by interpreting its words the way they want to. Always and always, it works to corrode trust. To make people suspicious of strangers who could be their friends, to drive wedges between loyal companions, to sow distrust of honest merchants and virtuous folk.

The hounds and the geese whisper one last secret - it is the roads of Varushka that are its domain even though paradoxically it cannot directly harm anyone who uses them. The roads promise safety, but that safety is constrained by rules, and it is this tension that grants the Stranger and its servants their power.
<div style="float: right; width: 200px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=250px}}</div>
Why is this relevant? Because like the Dubik, the Stranger is in Ossium as the Autumn Equinox begins, walking the roads in its favoured guise of a storyteller who spins yarns that encourage people to monstrous action. And, say the magical beasts, its current intent is to tear apart the tenuous alliance between the Thule and the Varushkans. Not the treaty - it doesn't care about that - but to find any bit of common ground and poison it with words and bloodshed.

===Participation : Dreams of Wisdom===
* '''Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has in-character made a pilgrimage to the Maze of Zoria might have dreamt of the sovereigns'''
Part of the power of the [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]] is to empower [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]] and that is what has happened here. Anyone dedicated to Wisdom who has visited the Maze of Zoria may have experienced the revelatory dreams mentioned here, whether they are in Varushka or not.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Counting the Sovereigns'''
<p>For the last [[Mime_each_lonely_word#OOC_Note_on_Sovereigns|few years]] we have been slowly adding more information about the primary sovereigns of Varushka to the wiki. [[Night Below]], [[Dho'uala]], and the [[Charnel Lord]] have their own pages and there is also information about the [[Tales_of_the_Howling_Queen|Howling Queen]] and the [[Rat King of Temeschwar]]. With the information here about ''the Dubik'', and ''the Stranger'' that list is largely complete (unless something awful lurks in the [{Forest of Ulnak]] which is by no means impossible). We intend to add full pages for the last four as soon as we can. </p>

<p>There is one other being that is listed alongside the sovereigns of Varushka - the eternal [[Agramant]]. While he is not a creature ''of'' Varushka he is known to have a particular interest in the place, but also to operate there in a much more clandestine and subtle fashion than he does elsewhere. Why this is the case, and what it means for Varushkans in general, is not clear.</p></box></div>

==The Dark Power Problem==
* '''Large scale magic used in Varushka will invariably effect the monsters that live there as well as the mortals'''
Rituals that create territory-wide effects - enchantments and curses alike - always do certain things. They might also do additional things depending on the circumstances in the territory where they are cast, but the effects are unpredictable. There are [[Varushkan Monster|monsters]] in Varushka, and while they are not an omnipresent threat by any means they are certainly not tamed. Any large-scale magic that targets a Varushkan territory will impact not only the Thule - who can at least be reasoned with - but also the wolves, sovereigns and other entities that lurk in those territories, who cannot.

Imperial Enchantments by contrast are rarely focused enough to have a significant impact on the sovereigns of Varushka or their creatures. Yet even here there is a little bit of risk. An Imperial curse that made the dead walk for example could easily create significantly more problems in Varushka.

Before anyone asks, it isn't possible to make an arcane projection that targets a territory but circumvents this problem. The only way to avoid or mitigate the problem is to create the arcane projection ''carefully'' and give thought to what its effects, and especially roleplaying effects, might do to a monster.
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kindra Surefoot.jpg|caption='''Kindra Surefoot''', Ambassador to Otkodov|align=left|width=250}}
==Ten Shadows==
* '''The Thule are not happy'''
* '''They have not yet demanded any reparations for losses in their part of Ossium but may still plan to do so'''
* '''If the Conclave endorses the enchantment it will make it difficult for Imperial law to become involved'''
The Thule, through their ambassador ''Runa, Who-Speaks-for-the-Dragons-Undivided'', have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the enchantment that has also shrouded the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] - especially as they are in the middle of negotiations with the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]] to determine how to [[The_little_things#Outstretched_Hands|proceed in the future]]. They have [[The_little_things#The_Parting_Shot|let it be known]] that they expect the Empire to identify and deal with these reckless individuals responsible. Whether they do or not, the orcs of Otkodov will certainly be considering whether to draw on the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE|treaty]] that says either side can ''resolve any breaches of the law by the citizens of one nation in the lands of the other through diplomatic channels and in mutual respect.''

Given that the Thule-controlled parts of Ossium are two areas of wild forest, and that if there are any roads there they will be perfunctory at best and used for the transport primarily of weirwood and armies, there is little doubt they will have experienced some significant difficulties with the effect of this enchantment - even if they will also have had all the benefits of incredible dreams and occasional flashes of prophecy.

There is no suggestion that the enchantment is in any way illegal, it's not a crime to annoy the Thule. The [[Conclave]] could choose to [[endorsement|endorse]] the casting of the enchantment, which would ensure that the coven involved was shielded from any legal consequences. If that happens, the Thule would instead demand that the Conclave itself make amends for their losses.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ossium]]

* [[Guardian of the Maze of Zoria]]
* [[Varushkan Monster]]
* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts|The Naming of the Beasts]]

Islands in the dream

2026-09-08T16:09:30Z

GuiltyConscience: /* A Dream of Unity */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>Caston smoothed out the rough bed and then carefully lay down on it. It was midday, the sun was still shining and there was plenty of work to be done. He wasn't remotely tired, but their guests had so many questions and they wanted answers. Answers only the ancestors could provide.

There was nothing for it. He was just going to have to go and talk to them in person.

He closed his eyes, relaxed every muscle and concentrated on his breathing, feeling the air entering and leaving his lungs. Once his chest began to rise and fall more slowly, he looked around his mind for the entrance to the Dark Forest. He imagined himself in the woods near his home, searching for mottlecops for the evening feast. That was usually the easiest way to locate the doorway.

With an ease born of decades of careful practice, the dimwalker drifted off to sleep.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, but it is quickly becoming clear that not every orc hears them in the same way.}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''The Imperal Orc assembly seeks to learn more about the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest'''
Since '''Bloodcrow Knott''' declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], the Imperial Orcs have reached out to the [[Seeking the Karass|Karass]] of [[the Barrens]], and to the [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Great Forest Orcs]]. At the Summer Solstice, '''Bloodcrow Meep''' was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the small sept in eastern [[Ossium]] known as the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]].

The Dreamers are something of an unknown quantity. They ignored the opportunity to leave the former [[Druj]] territory to travel to [[Skarsind]] and like the [[Blood_makes_noise#The_Sept_of_the_Menrothat|Menrothat]] show no interest in joining the ranks of the Unshackled. Unlike the other Ossium sept, however, they have demonstrated that they are prepared to work directly with the Empire. Three years ago, when the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] strove to secure their border against [[the Mallum]], the ''Dreamers'' were enlisted to help keep the Druj at bay. A joint effort by the Varushkan and [[Highguard|Highborn]] assemblies, [[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Authorise_supplying_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|endorsed]] by the Senate, saw the sept armed and armoured and given license to hunt out and destroy Druj raiding bands, guerillas, and spies. Since then, they have enthusiastically discharged this duty while still maintaining a clear distance between themselves and the Varushkan rulers of their territory. Very little is known about them apart from the fact they despise the masters of the Mallum, and so Bloodcrow Meep and their allies cannot be certain of the kind of welcome they will receive.

In the end a decision is made to bring a small number of Varushkans and Highborn along who have experience dealing with the Dreamers - those initially inspired by the [[mandate|mandates]] of '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_114|Wildfyre of Balthazar's Vineyard]]''' and '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_163|Anatolij Paukov Zorkin]]'''. While the Unshackled mystagogues and shamans will take the lead, the humans can still provide some insight into the customs of this unfamiliar sept.
==Who Were You?==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly ImperialOrc.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Varushkan.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Highborn.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are still something of an enigma'''
* '''While guarded they are well disposed towards the people of Varushka and Highguard'''
* '''They despise both the Druj and the Thule'''
The Dreamers of the Dark forest are a sept that occupies part of the [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]]. Their main settlements lie near the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bonehives]], where some of their number were once forced to work for Druj overlords. Since the liberation of the territory they have shown no interest in returning to those positions.

When they were first contacted by the Empire there was speculation that they have a connection with the [[Great Forest Orcs]], although they seem ignorant of any connection if one exists. The sept was relatively small and insular, but there had been some effort from the Varushkans and the Imperial Orcs both to make contact with them. It was during an [[appraisal]] by ''[[Appraisal#Naomi of Virtue's Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]]'' that they first became of particular interest to the Empire. After speaking with the leaders of the Dreamers, Naomi discovered that they could be convinced to fight the Druj at their own game, if they had the means to do so.

As with many subjects of the Druj that they don't fully trust, the Dreamers had few if any weapons of war or experience in battle. They were however very eager to fight the Druj, despite their lack of weapons or training. The Highborn National Assembly had reached out to support the people of Varushka as they treated with the orcs and Naomi herself is from Highguard. It is no surprise then that when she contacted a number of [[unconquered]] of her acquaintance to discuss the issue with them, they pointed out that when the Imperial Orcs joined the Empire, Highborn soldiers supported them with gifts of weapons and armour. They suggested that it might be possible to kill two birds with one stone; help protect Echofell and encourage good relations with the independent orcs in Ossium. For the next year, the Dreamers were supplied weapons, armour, and most crucially the training to use both effectively. They took to the instruction quickly, and developed their own spin on traditional tactics by incorporating their own experience with hunting and stealth.

There was a risk of course: it was impossible to determine what the long term effects of arming the Dreamers would be. Giving them weapons and armour certainly improved relations, and made them more positively inclined to both Varushka and Highguard. But the sept expressed no interest in becoming Imperial citizens, nor in adopting the Way. They had - have - their own religion, their own leaders, and their own laws. They also had their own enemies and ambitions, it seemed. They hate the Druj, but it is clear they don't think much better of [[Thule]], and they also loathe the Menrothat although exactly ''why'' they despise them is hard to fathom. They turned the weapons they had been provided on the Druj, but they also apparently used them to keep other septs of orcs at bay as enthusiastically as they used them on the Mallum.

That is not to say that they have remained completely isolated; in the last couple of years there has been regular trade of herbs, game, and goods with their Varushkan neighbours. Twice a year in Spring and Autumn a contingent of Dreamers make the long trek through the marshes to [[Merchant-Boyar_of_the_Stinking_Market#Stinking_Market|Stinking Market]] in the [[Ossium#Drownbark Forest|Drownbark Forest]] where they sell the spoils of their ongoing raids against the Druj and purchase worked metal goods. While they are skilled at working with wood and leather, there are few smiths among the Dreamers. They have neither the ore nor the expertise needed to craft anything save the simplest metalwork, and so such items have particular [[worth]] to this small sept.
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|title=Some magicians say this ritual calls on the mysterious forests of the Night realm themselves.|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
==Who Are You?==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are inspired by the magical dreams swirling around Ossium this season'''
* '''The Unshackled are able to meet the three ''dimwalkers'' who lead the sept'''
The trip to speak with the Dreamers almost founders before it can begin. Ossium has been [[enchantment|enchanted]] with a unique magic that [[occludes passage through woodlands]] {{TBC}}. Even familiar woods can turn treacherous and confusing, and the Echofall is by no means a tame forest. Less than six hours after entering the woods, the Unshackled party is hopelessly lost. [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] is able to pinpoint the location of the travellers, but it turns out to be no help in finding anywhere else. It would be easy to panic but level heads keep everyone calm. After a fretful night lost in the woods, however, an orc-like figure appears dressed in bright coloured clothes in the Varushkan style with a cloak of rainbow feathers and a lantern that turns out to be a glass jar full of moths. This [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|herald]] of the ''[[Sung|Night Singer]]'' has been dispatched by her mistress to make sure that the winding paths do not delay the Unshackled in their endeavour. The ''Rainbow Serpent'', it seems, approves of the Imperial Orcs' highest calling and the same magic that confounds their journey makes it easy for her to send her herald to aid them.

A lot can change in three years, especially in a place like Ossium. When the Unshackled and their human advisors arrive, they find the Dreamers of the Dark Forest quite different to how they were in 385YE. Almost as soon as they venture into territory claimed by the Dreamers, the Imperial group is intercepted by a patrol of a dozen serious orcs. Their weapons and armaments - bows, swords, and shields bearing the sigil of the black tree and six multicoloured stars - are practically antiques but there are also relatively new Varushkan axes and segmented armour on display. They are cautious but by no means unwelcoming, carefully questioning their visitors and providing them with a small honour guard to the large village of ''Dimmorden''.

Gone are the ramshackle huts that were all the Druj allowed them. In their place stand proud new structures of hardwood and stone surrounded by the kind of defensive wall familiar to any Varushkan, needful to keep the predators of the dark woods at bay. The settlement is also easily twice as large as it was when the Empire was last here in any official capacity. The warriors escorting the Unshackled explain that a few years ago several hundred of their kin captured by the ''Iceblood'' - a disparaging term for the [[Thule]] - joined them from [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Apparently the orc rulers of northern Ossium had tried to persuade them to stay, but when they refused had begrudgingly allowed them to leave - although it has done nothing to endear the folk of Otkodov to the Dreamers.

Dimmorden is overseen by three "dimwalkers" - respected orcs who represent the three extended families that make up the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Between them they guide the sept, relying on the wisdom of the ancestors which they glean from their dreams. Obviously, this excites the interest of the mystagogues and shamans, and it seems the dimwalkers are equally eager to speak to the Unshackled. It seems they have been expecting their arrival, having received dream portents that warned them of the Empire's approach.

This news rouses particular interest in the magicians accompanying the expedition. Apparently the Dreamers are quite excited that over the last several weeks their dreams have been particularly vivid and powerful, and even the least insightful among them record night time visits to the Dark Forest that underpins the waking world. A few of their magicians have pointed out that this is the result of an [[enchantment]] laid over the whole of Ossium, a clever weaving of the [[Night magic|Spirit]], but where it comes from does not matter to the Dreamers as much as the way it helps them hear their ancestors.

Intrigued, the Unshackled settle down to discuss matters of ancestors and spirits with the dimwalkers.

==The Dream==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest have mystical beliefs about ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
There are some ancestors that are particularly important to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, called the First Dreamers. Each one was the head of a family of orcs who swore binding oaths of loyalty and support to the others at the creation of their sept. The dimwalkers don't talk about where these families came from, but explain that at first they were rivals but they were forced to work together in the face of possible destruction, and that forged bonds of community between them. The First Dreamers made those bonds real.

Their given names aren't used and aren't spoken to anyone save another dimwalker. Instead they are referred to by descriptive nickname - Redhand, the defender, who wielded two terrible blades to strike down anyone who threatened the sept; Keeneye, the watcher, who remained vigilant for enemies and struck them down with deadly arrows; and Threadsnap, the weaver, who read the ripples of future and past in his magical loom. While the voices of the First Dreamers are often the loudest, they rarely speak directly to their descendants except in times of dire need. Some young orcs mark themselves with tattoos that indicate the connection they feel to one of the First Dreamers, usually on the forearms. These are a cultural rather than metaphysical thing - such orcs are no more likely to hear a given ancestor but they use the tattoos to indicate which of the dreamers' words they find particularly compelling.

There are however an almost unlimited number of other ancestors that speak to the Dreamers when they sleep. The Dreamers believe that the waking world of solid objects and people is underpinned by the world of dreams. The two exist side by side, separated by a curtain of shadow. When someone is awake they can only see the mundane world, but when they hover on the edge of sleep they can sometimes glimpse through to the primordial world of dreams that is the foundation of reality. When people sleep, their spirits are free to explore the world of dreams and that is where the ancestors exist. They characterise it as the Dark Forest, a primordial space just out of reach of the waking world from which flow all sapient things, whether orc, human, animal, or tree. This rouses obvious interest but it appears that the Dreamers believe that human spirits come from the same place as orc spirits (and the spirits of trees and ox and what have you) and probably return there when they die). For the most part they don't worry about what human ancestors get up to - the first time they learned that humans believe they reincarnate was when they met the Highborn. It seems an odd idea to the dimwalkers, but they cheerfully point out that it would be incredibly rude for any orc to tell a human what their beliefs should be. One Varushkan casually asks if they think orcs can reincarnate and again they find the question odd. If humans can do it, orcs could probably do it (the word "better" is left unspoken). But why would they want to? And what would it even look like if an ancestor were born into the world of flesh again?

They are very clear that only those who dream are truly people; they firmly believe that creatures such as [[Varushkan Monster|mora]] or (controversially) the Thule are not really people because they do not really dream. They are no more people than rocks are. There is disagreement about heralds and creatures of the realms, but the Dreamers frankly don't have enough experience of them to have formed a strong opinion. Ghosts, incidentally, are also not people because they cannot dream - the Dreamers equate ghosts with the Nightmare or the Howling Abyss and teach their children to avoid them at all costs. There are also ways to cut people off from dreams, and doing so is a terrible crime that they believe ultimately causes anyone condemned to that state to go mad, die, and be immediately claimed by the Nightmare. This is one reason they have a deep-rooted distrust of [[Wise Rangara]] in particular, who they view with the same dread many Imperials reserve for Agramant.

Following some further exploration, the dimwalkers are clear that this world is not the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. They're aware of that place and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures]] that dwell there but it is not the Dark Forest or the world of dreams. The realms are likewise underpinned by the Dark Forest, and those closest to it in concept (the Night realm, and the realms of Spring and Winter) show that closeness with their forests. The Autumn and Day realms are furthest from the primal dreaming and that is why they are described in such unsettling and unnatural ways.

The Dark Forest is where the ancestors exist after they leave the waking world. Only a few orcs have the strength of spirit to become ancestors; other orcs become one with the forest and enjoy peaceful sleep in the shape of trees and animals of the dream. Any Dreamer of the Dark Forest might meet an ancestor when they sleep, especially when they are worried, frightened, angry, or otherwise in need of good advice. It is also clear that the Dreamers hear their ancestors when they are awake, just as other orcs do, but here the conversation takes a darker turn.

According to the dimwalkers, the thing the Imperial Orcs call the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#The_Howling_Abyss|Howling Abyss]] is a part of the dreaming world from which all bad things are born. Just as the Dark Forest is the ultimate source of mortal spirits, so the "Nightmare" is an endless chasm that seeks to consume those spirits. Howling Abyss is as good a word as any but the Unshackled, and most other orcs, are misled about its nature. It doesn't entirely consume the spirits that fall into it. Rather it hollows them out, consuming everything about them that is wholesome. Most spirits that fall to the Abyss are too weak to leave it and become part of its churning malignant chaos. Some however are strong enough to rise again, as ancestors that encourage their descendants to undertake selfish, self-destructive, corrupt actions.

When someone is asleep they can always tell if they are listening to a good ancestor or a bad ancestor. The dimwalkers explain that this is a simplistic way of looking at it, but that it would take far too long to explore all the metaphysical underpinnings, much more than the handful of weeks available. Dreamers are taught from a young age what signs to look for to help them understand if they are dreaming of a good ancestor who wants to help them or an ancestor that wants to drive them down the path to the Howling Abyss. When awake, though, those signs are not visible. All an orc has to go on is the voice, and that is not enough. As a consequence, the Dreamers of the Dark Forest are ''very'' careful about listening to the ancestors that speak to them when they fight or are otherwise worked up. Sometimes it's obvious that an ancestor is good or bad based on the kind of words they speak - an ancestor urging someone to strike down their sibling and take their sword is clearly a bad ancestor. One of the gifts of the three original dreamers - Redhand, Keeneye, and Threadsnap - was the framework that allows the Dreamers to judge if an ancestor is good or bad.

One of the reasons they despise the Menrothat is because the orcs of that sept believe that the waking world is a dream, and that they embrace the words of the bad ancestors fuelled by Nightmare in the same way the Druj do. They are still better than the Thule - but only just.
===Six Lights===
* '''The spiritual life of the Dreamers is guided by six precepts that help one become a "good" ancestor'''
* '''Orcs who abandon or subvert these principles are consumed by the Nightmare'''
There are six core principles that determine if an ancestor is good or bad. They are:

* '''Camaraderie:''' The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are family, bound together by bonds of blood, spirit, and oaths. When one is hurt, all are injured. When one weeps, all are sad. Always support your fellow, and believe that they in turn will support you.
* '''Insight:''' Weapons are good, but they all start with knowledge and understanding. Before you can have a spear, you must make a spear, and before you can make a spear, you have to understand how a spear is made. Learn everything you can, because the more you know the more prepared you are for whatever the world throws at you. This is the lesson of Threadsnap.
* '''Fury:''' Do not be afraid of anger, because anger is a fire that drives you forward. Anger is the way your spirit tells you something is wrong and you must do something about it. Sometimes you have to grab anger by the scruff of the neck and hold it back, but when the time comes to let it loose, the Dreamer must ride that fire and use it to do right things. This is the lesson of Redhand.
* '''Grace:''' You are a unique spirit spun out of the world of dreams into the waking world. There will never be anyone exactly like you ever again. Make your life a beacon to inspire your family, and to teach your enemies fear.
* '''Obduracy:''' Do not give up, no matter how difficult the path ahead seems. There is always a way towards your goal, and all you have to do is refuse to accept defeat and find a path to where you want to go. No forest is impassable.
* '''Wariness:''' The world is dangerous and there are plenty of people out there who listen to bad ancestors, or who don't know how to live properly. They are your enemies, and there are thousands of them, and some come in a pleasing guise. Learn to tell the difference between friends and enemies, and when you identify one make sure your family knows to turn away from them as well. This is the lesson of Keeneye.

Needless to say, this list of principles arouses a great deal of interest in the Highborn advising the Unshackled. They are very keen to learn more, but unfortunately there is little enough time to learn about ancestors.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ulnak Military Map.png|caption=Northern Mallum areas of control (artist impression)|align=right|width=400}}
===Missing Three===
* '''There are three other ancestors the Dreamers honour whose voices have fallen silent'''
* '''These ancestors are the founders of three other families trapped under the tyranny of the Druj'''
* '''The Dreamers remain in Ossium because they will not abandon the half of their sept in Gul'Thak forest'''
It's one of the Illarawm that points out that there are three First Dreamers and six lessons. Where did the other three come from? It seems that there are three other ancestors of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest - Holdfast, the ox, who worked day and night to ensure the original Dreamers had everything they needed to survive; Bright, the torch-bearer who lit the way for her people through the darkest times; and Wordmarked, who wrote down the laws the Dreamers still live by and helped forge them into one people. Their voices have fallen silent because the Dreamers are cut in two. This is the reason they refused to leave Ossium and why they continue to fight against the Druj - not just because it is the right thing to do but because the rest of their family is still held in the Mallum. Specifically, in the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'Thak Forest]].

It turns out the Dreamers of the Dark Forest have no particular affection for Echofell or even for Ossium. Unlike the Great Forest Orcs, they don't conceive of the Dark Forest as a physical place - every orc carries it with them all the time. They know they will dream of the forest and their ancestors anywhere in the world. The reason they stay here is that they will not abandon those still held by the Druj. In fact, they believe they ''cannot'' abandon the other half of their sept and still be the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Ultimately, they want to be reunited with the rest of their people. The two halves of the sept were separated roughly two hundred years ago at the order of a Buruk Tepel of the ''Sawscaled Viper''. The reasons are unclear, but the Dreamers teach that it was because they hated and feared the bonds of community that meant that no matter how hard they tried the Druj could never entirely break their spirits, even with their [[Druj miasma]] and their cruelties.

One of the reasons the Dreamers are excited is that their ancestors, their voices made clearer by Varushkan spirit magic, are telling them that the coming of the Unshackled presents a way for them to finally reunite with their family.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=300|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest and the Illarawm are not in accord when it comes to ancestors.}}</div>

===Not Sharing===
* '''The Dreamers are not interested in "sharing" their ancestors with the Unshackled'''
There is some talk of whether the Dreamers would be prepared to let the Illarawm build bridges to their ancestors. The dimwalkers ask to sleep on the matter - apparently this is a common thing for any Dreamer to do when faced with a big decision. The next morning, they are somewhat divided on the issue, but in the end say that they are not interested at this time. The First Dreamers are the ancestors of their sept, and if they wanted to talk to the Unshackled they would say as much. The Unshackled are worthy of respect but they represent different septs. There's no rudeness of condemnation, the dimwalkers just aren't interested in doing more than sharing stories.

Indeed there's some confusion about why the Illarawm are interested in the idea at all. Obviously the two septs have had some limited contact in the past - both are from Ossium - but the Dreamers find their [[Illarawm#Beliefs|beliefs]] alien. The Howling Abyss can't be silenced; the ancestors speak to whoever they wish to. The world of dreams is ultimately an unknowable place - the only way for any mortal being to understand it is to die. They don't have a problem with the idea that Illarawm is the first ancestor, they just don't see what it should matter to them.

One minor hiccup comes when the dimwalkers ask to speak to Bloodcrow Knott. Explaining that the orc who inspired this effort to reach out to septs within and around the Empire was executed for religious crimes causes a little consternation. The next morning the dimwalkers ask a few follow up questions and after that are a little more guarded in their speech.

==Is Any of This "True"?==
* '''The Illarawm mystagogues believe that the Dreamers are fundamentally wrong about the nature of the ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
* '''If the Dreamers shared their ancestors with the Illarawm, it ''might'' provide a way to answer the question, but they refuse to do that'''
There are a few raised eyebrows even among the [[Illarawm]]. This belief of ancestors living in dreams and speaking to the living, and especially this idea that there are "bad" ancestors that try to lead orcs astray, are a little challenging. The problem is that there is some very minor evidence that ''could'' be read as supporting the Dreamers' position. Orcs dream of their ancestors sometimes, in exactly the same way that humans dream of their friends and family. They also dream of other orcs, or of humans they have met, or any number of other things. That's just how dreams work. Some orcs dream that something they think is an ancestor is talking to them, but there is no way to tell if that is something real or just a fantasy manufactured by the sleeping mind.

Humans and orcs both know intellectually that there is a difference between dreams that come from "within" and those made by magic or potions. The Dreamers are clear that the Dark Forest is not the Night realm, but there is clearly some blurring of borders there. One of the Tamazi mentions that the Axou claim that when they use liao to [[Dedication#Dreams|share dreams]] those dreams often take the form of dead people talking to them, which doesn't exactly pour scorn on the idea.

The dimwalkers don't claim that the ancestors are constantly visiting them in dreams, but they say that in the past it was more common than it is now. One reason, they explain, is that in the days before the Druj they had access to a plant that helped a sleeping orc seek the advice of their ancestors when they faced particularly trying times. That plant is lost to them since they were exiled from Ulnak, and they recount how the Sawscaled Viper wickedly destroyed it wherever it grew. As far as they know, it is extinct and that is another reason they despise the Druj and the Buruk Tepel. When asked if it is [[Regarding_Black_Lotus|black lotus]] they say it isn't - black lotus is a legendary plant they claim was first grown by Threadsnap, and it allows a living orc to create a profound bridge to the world of dreams and speak directly to the ancestors and to each other in a lucid way that goes far beyond what the Dreamers experience. The plant they are referring to was called ''dimbloom'', and they believe it has passed from the world. The closest they can get today is through the preparations of [[apothecary|apothecaries]] - the [[Infusions of Feathers]] - which they say are a dim and unpredictable shadow of the past.
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Obligatory Grud Photo.jpg|align=right|width=4500|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest seek the military aid of the Empire to rescue the rest of their family before the Druj slaughter them all.}}</div>

==A Dream of Unity==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are desperate to reunite their sept and free their cousins from the Forest of Ulank'''
* '''Stories of the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs has raised hopes that the Empire might also help the Dreamers'''
* '''Reuniting the sept would be a powerful act of diplomacy that would win their trust'''
While the Unshackled and the dimwalkers are talking about philosophy and ancestors, other members of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest have much more pressingly mundane concerns. While the dimwalkers are the leaders of the sept, they don't oversee every element of the day-to-day running of the community. In the same way Senators might appoint generals, a boyar oversee a vale, or an exarch run a chapter - in each case with the advice of wise ones and priests - there are secular authorities who look after things like raiding the Druj or making sure everyone has enough to eat.

These are the people who ''want'' something from the Empire. As soon as they hear about the [[A greater darkness|events taking place in the Mallum]] they are convinced that their ancestors have been urging them to ask their Imperial neighbours for help. One of their great fears is that the Druj are ''monsters'' and they are ''desperate''. ''Nimon Rue'' was prepared to destroy the Great Forest Orcs and lose their expertise forever just to manipulate their family in the Barrens. When they hear about their use of the vallorn in [[Therunin]] and [[Sarangrave]], it reinforces their belief that the Druj of Ulnak are more than capable of slaughtering entire septs just to deny them the liberty the Empire might offer them. The Druj will ''always'' destroy a thing, say the dimwalkers, rather than lose control of it. They are sure the Empire must have many examples of this from their own experience with the Druj.

As such, the Dreamers beg the Highborn, Varushkan, and Imperial Orcs to rescue their septmates from the Ghul'Thak Forest before it is too late. And before the Thule - who the Dreamers consider to be barely better than the Druj - get there. The immediate problem is that unlike the Great Forest Orcs, the Dreamers are not all conveniently collected in one place. They are spread out across Ghul'Thak, and the Dreamers will not countenance leaving any of their folk behind. It will need the Empire to actually conquer Ghul'Thak if they want the sept in Ossium to be completed. They wouldn't need long - with the help of the Unshackled the Dreamers will get their people moving as soon as the entire region is no longer in the hands of the Druj.

To achieve this, the Empire would need to send armies into the region to seize the Gul'Thak forest which will be hard because they will need a bridgehead unless they can get the agreement of the Thule to use [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]]. Otherwise, the attack will need to come from [[the Barrens]]. There are also currently Druj armies in Ulnak that would definitely resist such an attack, and the garrisons of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Ûln]] and the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Thistle of Barbs]].

Allies exist however; [[Irra Harah]] has been granted access to the Forest by the Navarri magicians and will certainly help to free the Dreamers from the shackles of the Druj. The ability of the ''Prince With a Thousand Foes'' to support the attack of armies is somewhat limited but he would automatically add 2,000 strength to any effort to attack Ulnak this coming season as long as the orders of any generals involved made it clear they were there to free the orcs of the region rather than just to slaughter the Druj.

The Dreamers themselves would throw their full support behind an attack to reunite their sept and bring the three "missing families" home. Their presence would add an additional 2,000 strength to any effort to take Ghul'Thak this season, thanks both to the training they received, their experience fighting the Druj, and the excellent weapons and armour gifted them by Highguard and Varushka.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WinterSun_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
This kind of strategy is exactly where the strength of the [[Winter Sun]] is at its greatest. Under normal circumstances they cannot issue a [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|Break the Chains]] order unless their side controls a region with the [[Region_qualities#Forest|forested]], [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]], or [[Region_qualities#Marsh|marsh]] quality. This season, the support of the Dreamers would allow them to issue such an order in Ghul'Thak. Unfortunately they are in Mareave, even if they wanted to get here to break the chains in Ulnak this season.

To which the Dreamers ask when ''could'' the Winter Sun get there? Their people have laboured under the rule of the Druj for many years - but the rule of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]] is crumbling ''fast''. They haven't murdered the Dreamers yet, but there is no way to know if that will change or when. They're already aware of the way ''Nimon Rue'' tried to use the Great Forest Orcs, and the casual atrocity the Druj were preparing to carry out. Furthermore, if the Thule take the region, the situation will only get worse in the view of the Dreamers.

The Imperial scouts say there are a lot more orcs in Ghul'Thak than there are in Echofell - it's not clear how much it would swell the numbers of the Dreamers but it would certainly create problems for their current arrangement of living in a few settlements along the borders. That at least is something the Dreamers are prepared to consider. Unlike the Druj and several other septs, they have no particular tie to any given land. If the Empire reunites them, then they would be content to look for new lands elsewhere, not unlike the [[Outreach_across_the_marshes|Sand Fishers]] did. As they said before, they can dream anywhere.
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If the sept was reunited it would be a powerful gesture that would win the trust and goodwill of the whole sept. It would create new [[opportunities]] to better integrate the sept into the Empire. If the Druj are allowed to slaughter their cousins before they are finally defeated, that opportunity will be lost.

==Participation==
* '''Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may choose to have accompanied the visit to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest if they were not otherwise engaged this season'''
* '''The Dreamers refused to put the mystagogues in touch with their ancestors, but they were happy to talk freely with anyone who visited them'''
* '''The Dreamers see no real difference between orcs and humans'''
Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may decide that their character was involved in this expedition to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. You will have found them wary and cautious, but charming and hospitable once their trust is earned. Once they became aware of the venture to save the Great Forest Orcs, they will have impressed on you how important it is to save the other members of their sept.

The sept don't appear to distinguish between humans and orcs - they largely live apart, but that is a matter of circumstance to them and nothing more. Everyone who dreams is a dreamer as far as they are concerned. The crucial difference in this world is between people who dream and those who do not. The Dreamers, Imperial citizens, even the Druj - all of them are people. Those who do not dream, notably rocks and the Thule are not. As far as the Dreamers are concerned, a Thule warrior is more like a living puppet of flesh and bone, with no value or worth.
==Further Reading==
* [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Beliefs of the Great Forest]]
* [[Seeking the Karass]]

* [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|Every day of your life]] - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about the Imperial Orcs highest calling
* [[The highest calling]] - 387YE Autumn Wind of Fortune introducing highest calling
* [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Culling the threat]] - 385YE Summer wind of fortune introducing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest

Islands in the dream

2026-09-08T16:03:47Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Not Sharing */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>Caston smoothed out the rough bed and then carefully lay down on it. It was midday, the sun was still shining and there was plenty of work to be done. He wasn't remotely tired, but their guests had so many questions and they wanted answers. Answers only the ancestors could provide.

There was nothing for it. He was just going to have to go and talk to them in person.

He closed his eyes, relaxed every muscle and concentrated on his breathing, feeling the air entering and leaving his lungs. Once his chest began to rise and fall more slowly, he looked around his mind for the entrance to the Dark Forest. He imagined himself in the woods near his home, searching for mottlecops for the evening feast. That was usually the easiest way to locate the doorway.

With an ease born of decades of careful practice, the dimwalker drifted off to sleep.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, but it is quickly becoming clear that not every orc hears them in the same way.}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''The Imperal Orc assembly seeks to learn more about the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest'''
Since '''Bloodcrow Knott''' declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], the Imperial Orcs have reached out to the [[Seeking the Karass|Karass]] of [[the Barrens]], and to the [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Great Forest Orcs]]. At the Summer Solstice, '''Bloodcrow Meep''' was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the small sept in eastern [[Ossium]] known as the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]].

The Dreamers are something of an unknown quantity. They ignored the opportunity to leave the former [[Druj]] territory to travel to [[Skarsind]] and like the [[Blood_makes_noise#The_Sept_of_the_Menrothat|Menrothat]] show no interest in joining the ranks of the Unshackled. Unlike the other Ossium sept, however, they have demonstrated that they are prepared to work directly with the Empire. Three years ago, when the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] strove to secure their border against [[the Mallum]], the ''Dreamers'' were enlisted to help keep the Druj at bay. A joint effort by the Varushkan and [[Highguard|Highborn]] assemblies, [[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Authorise_supplying_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|endorsed]] by the Senate, saw the sept armed and armoured and given license to hunt out and destroy Druj raiding bands, guerillas, and spies. Since then, they have enthusiastically discharged this duty while still maintaining a clear distance between themselves and the Varushkan rulers of their territory. Very little is known about them apart from the fact they despise the masters of the Mallum, and so Bloodcrow Meep and their allies cannot be certain of the kind of welcome they will receive.

In the end a decision is made to bring a small number of Varushkans and Highborn along who have experience dealing with the Dreamers - those initially inspired by the [[mandate|mandates]] of '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_114|Wildfyre of Balthazar's Vineyard]]''' and '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_163|Anatolij Paukov Zorkin]]'''. While the Unshackled mystagogues and shamans will take the lead, the humans can still provide some insight into the customs of this unfamiliar sept.
==Who Were You?==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
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* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are still something of an enigma'''
* '''While guarded they are well disposed towards the people of Varushka and Highguard'''
* '''They despise both the Druj and the Thule'''
The Dreamers of the Dark forest are a sept that occupies part of the [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]]. Their main settlements lie near the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bonehives]], where some of their number were once forced to work for Druj overlords. Since the liberation of the territory they have shown no interest in returning to those positions.

When they were first contacted by the Empire there was speculation that they have a connection with the [[Great Forest Orcs]], although they seem ignorant of any connection if one exists. The sept was relatively small and insular, but there had been some effort from the Varushkans and the Imperial Orcs both to make contact with them. It was during an [[appraisal]] by ''[[Appraisal#Naomi of Virtue's Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]]'' that they first became of particular interest to the Empire. After speaking with the leaders of the Dreamers, Naomi discovered that they could be convinced to fight the Druj at their own game, if they had the means to do so.

As with many subjects of the Druj that they don't fully trust, the Dreamers had few if any weapons of war or experience in battle. They were however very eager to fight the Druj, despite their lack of weapons or training. The Highborn National Assembly had reached out to support the people of Varushka as they treated with the orcs and Naomi herself is from Highguard. It is no surprise then that when she contacted a number of [[unconquered]] of her acquaintance to discuss the issue with them, they pointed out that when the Imperial Orcs joined the Empire, Highborn soldiers supported them with gifts of weapons and armour. They suggested that it might be possible to kill two birds with one stone; help protect Echofell and encourage good relations with the independent orcs in Ossium. For the next year, the Dreamers were supplied weapons, armour, and most crucially the training to use both effectively. They took to the instruction quickly, and developed their own spin on traditional tactics by incorporating their own experience with hunting and stealth.

There was a risk of course: it was impossible to determine what the long term effects of arming the Dreamers would be. Giving them weapons and armour certainly improved relations, and made them more positively inclined to both Varushka and Highguard. But the sept expressed no interest in becoming Imperial citizens, nor in adopting the Way. They had - have - their own religion, their own leaders, and their own laws. They also had their own enemies and ambitions, it seemed. They hate the Druj, but it is clear they don't think much better of [[Thule]], and they also loathe the Menrothat although exactly ''why'' they despise them is hard to fathom. They turned the weapons they had been provided on the Druj, but they also apparently used them to keep other septs of orcs at bay as enthusiastically as they used them on the Mallum.

That is not to say that they have remained completely isolated; in the last couple of years there has been regular trade of herbs, game, and goods with their Varushkan neighbours. Twice a year in Spring and Autumn a contingent of Dreamers make the long trek through the marshes to [[Merchant-Boyar_of_the_Stinking_Market#Stinking_Market|Stinking Market]] in the [[Ossium#Drownbark Forest|Drownbark Forest]] where they sell the spoils of their ongoing raids against the Druj and purchase worked metal goods. While they are skilled at working with wood and leather, there are few smiths among the Dreamers. They have neither the ore nor the expertise needed to craft anything save the simplest metalwork, and so such items have particular [[worth]] to this small sept.
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|title=Some magicians say this ritual calls on the mysterious forests of the Night realm themselves.|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
==Who Are You?==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are inspired by the magical dreams swirling around Ossium this season'''
* '''The Unshackled are able to meet the three ''dimwalkers'' who lead the sept'''
The trip to speak with the Dreamers almost founders before it can begin. Ossium has been [[enchantment|enchanted]] with a unique magic that [[occludes passage through woodlands]] {{TBC}}. Even familiar woods can turn treacherous and confusing, and the Echofall is by no means a tame forest. Less than six hours after entering the woods, the Unshackled party is hopelessly lost. [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] is able to pinpoint the location of the travellers, but it turns out to be no help in finding anywhere else. It would be easy to panic but level heads keep everyone calm. After a fretful night lost in the woods, however, an orc-like figure appears dressed in bright coloured clothes in the Varushkan style with a cloak of rainbow feathers and a lantern that turns out to be a glass jar full of moths. This [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|herald]] of the ''[[Sung|Night Singer]]'' has been dispatched by her mistress to make sure that the winding paths do not delay the Unshackled in their endeavour. The ''Rainbow Serpent'', it seems, approves of the Imperial Orcs' highest calling and the same magic that confounds their journey makes it easy for her to send her herald to aid them.

A lot can change in three years, especially in a place like Ossium. When the Unshackled and their human advisors arrive, they find the Dreamers of the Dark Forest quite different to how they were in 385YE. Almost as soon as they venture into territory claimed by the Dreamers, the Imperial group is intercepted by a patrol of a dozen serious orcs. Their weapons and armaments - bows, swords, and shields bearing the sigil of the black tree and six multicoloured stars - are practically antiques but there are also relatively new Varushkan axes and segmented armour on display. They are cautious but by no means unwelcoming, carefully questioning their visitors and providing them with a small honour guard to the large village of ''Dimmorden''.

Gone are the ramshackle huts that were all the Druj allowed them. In their place stand proud new structures of hardwood and stone surrounded by the kind of defensive wall familiar to any Varushkan, needful to keep the predators of the dark woods at bay. The settlement is also easily twice as large as it was when the Empire was last here in any official capacity. The warriors escorting the Unshackled explain that a few years ago several hundred of their kin captured by the ''Iceblood'' - a disparaging term for the [[Thule]] - joined them from [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Apparently the orc rulers of northern Ossium had tried to persuade them to stay, but when they refused had begrudgingly allowed them to leave - although it has done nothing to endear the folk of Otkodov to the Dreamers.

Dimmorden is overseen by three "dimwalkers" - respected orcs who represent the three extended families that make up the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Between them they guide the sept, relying on the wisdom of the ancestors which they glean from their dreams. Obviously, this excites the interest of the mystagogues and shamans, and it seems the dimwalkers are equally eager to speak to the Unshackled. It seems they have been expecting their arrival, having received dream portents that warned them of the Empire's approach.

This news rouses particular interest in the magicians accompanying the expedition. Apparently the Dreamers are quite excited that over the last several weeks their dreams have been particularly vivid and powerful, and even the least insightful among them record night time visits to the Dark Forest that underpins the waking world. A few of their magicians have pointed out that this is the result of an [[enchantment]] laid over the whole of Ossium, a clever weaving of the [[Night magic|Spirit]], but where it comes from does not matter to the Dreamers as much as the way it helps them hear their ancestors.

Intrigued, the Unshackled settle down to discuss matters of ancestors and spirits with the dimwalkers.

==The Dream==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest have mystical beliefs about ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
There are some ancestors that are particularly important to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, called the First Dreamers. Each one was the head of a family of orcs who swore binding oaths of loyalty and support to the others at the creation of their sept. The dimwalkers don't talk about where these families came from, but explain that at first they were rivals but they were forced to work together in the face of possible destruction, and that forged bonds of community between them. The First Dreamers made those bonds real.

Their given names aren't used and aren't spoken to anyone save another dimwalker. Instead they are referred to by descriptive nickname - Redhand, the defender, who wielded two terrible blades to strike down anyone who threatened the sept; Keeneye, the watcher, who remained vigilant for enemies and struck them down with deadly arrows; and Threadsnap, the weaver, who read the ripples of future and past in his magical loom. While the voices of the First Dreamers are often the loudest, they rarely speak directly to their descendants except in times of dire need. Some young orcs mark themselves with tattoos that indicate the connection they feel to one of the First Dreamers, usually on the forearms. These are a cultural rather than metaphysical thing - such orcs are no more likely to hear a given ancestor but they use the tattoos to indicate which of the dreamers' words they find particularly compelling.

There are however an almost unlimited number of other ancestors that speak to the Dreamers when they sleep. The Dreamers believe that the waking world of solid objects and people is underpinned by the world of dreams. The two exist side by side, separated by a curtain of shadow. When someone is awake they can only see the mundane world, but when they hover on the edge of sleep they can sometimes glimpse through to the primordial world of dreams that is the foundation of reality. When people sleep, their spirits are free to explore the world of dreams and that is where the ancestors exist. They characterise it as the Dark Forest, a primordial space just out of reach of the waking world from which flow all sapient things, whether orc, human, animal, or tree. This rouses obvious interest but it appears that the Dreamers believe that human spirits come from the same place as orc spirits (and the spirits of trees and ox and what have you) and probably return there when they die). For the most part they don't worry about what human ancestors get up to - the first time they learned that humans believe they reincarnate was when they met the Highborn. It seems an odd idea to the dimwalkers, but they cheerfully point out that it would be incredibly rude for any orc to tell a human what their beliefs should be. One Varushkan casually asks if they think orcs can reincarnate and again they find the question odd. If humans can do it, orcs could probably do it (the word "better" is left unspoken). But why would they want to? And what would it even look like if an ancestor were born into the world of flesh again?

They are very clear that only those who dream are truly people; they firmly believe that creatures such as [[Varushkan Monster|mora]] or (controversially) the Thule are not really people because they do not really dream. They are no more people than rocks are. There is disagreement about heralds and creatures of the realms, but the Dreamers frankly don't have enough experience of them to have formed a strong opinion. Ghosts, incidentally, are also not people because they cannot dream - the Dreamers equate ghosts with the Nightmare or the Howling Abyss and teach their children to avoid them at all costs. There are also ways to cut people off from dreams, and doing so is a terrible crime that they believe ultimately causes anyone condemned to that state to go mad, die, and be immediately claimed by the Nightmare. This is one reason they have a deep-rooted distrust of [[Wise Rangara]] in particular, who they view with the same dread many Imperials reserve for Agramant.

Following some further exploration, the dimwalkers are clear that this world is not the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. They're aware of that place and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures]] that dwell there but it is not the Dark Forest or the world of dreams. The realms are likewise underpinned by the Dark Forest, and those closest to it in concept (the Night realm, and the realms of Spring and Winter) show that closeness with their forests. The Autumn and Day realms are furthest from the primal dreaming and that is why they are described in such unsettling and unnatural ways.

The Dark Forest is where the ancestors exist after they leave the waking world. Only a few orcs have the strength of spirit to become ancestors; other orcs become one with the forest and enjoy peaceful sleep in the shape of trees and animals of the dream. Any Dreamer of the Dark Forest might meet an ancestor when they sleep, especially when they are worried, frightened, angry, or otherwise in need of good advice. It is also clear that the Dreamers hear their ancestors when they are awake, just as other orcs do, but here the conversation takes a darker turn.

According to the dimwalkers, the thing the Imperial Orcs call the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#The_Howling_Abyss|Howling Abyss]] is a part of the dreaming world from which all bad things are born. Just as the Dark Forest is the ultimate source of mortal spirits, so the "Nightmare" is an endless chasm that seeks to consume those spirits. Howling Abyss is as good a word as any but the Unshackled, and most other orcs, are misled about its nature. It doesn't entirely consume the spirits that fall into it. Rather it hollows them out, consuming everything about them that is wholesome. Most spirits that fall to the Abyss are too weak to leave it and become part of its churning malignant chaos. Some however are strong enough to rise again, as ancestors that encourage their descendants to undertake selfish, self-destructive, corrupt actions.

When someone is asleep they can always tell if they are listening to a good ancestor or a bad ancestor. The dimwalkers explain that this is a simplistic way of looking at it, but that it would take far too long to explore all the metaphysical underpinnings, much more than the handful of weeks available. Dreamers are taught from a young age what signs to look for to help them understand if they are dreaming of a good ancestor who wants to help them or an ancestor that wants to drive them down the path to the Howling Abyss. When awake, though, those signs are not visible. All an orc has to go on is the voice, and that is not enough. As a consequence, the Dreamers of the Dark Forest are ''very'' careful about listening to the ancestors that speak to them when they fight or are otherwise worked up. Sometimes it's obvious that an ancestor is good or bad based on the kind of words they speak - an ancestor urging someone to strike down their sibling and take their sword is clearly a bad ancestor. One of the gifts of the three original dreamers - Redhand, Keeneye, and Threadsnap - was the framework that allows the Dreamers to judge if an ancestor is good or bad.

One of the reasons they despise the Menrothat is because the orcs of that sept believe that the waking world is a dream, and that they embrace the words of the bad ancestors fuelled by Nightmare in the same way the Druj do. They are still better than the Thule - but only just.
===Six Lights===
* '''The spiritual life of the Dreamers is guided by six precepts that help one become a "good" ancestor'''
* '''Orcs who abandon or subvert these principles are consumed by the Nightmare'''
There are six core principles that determine if an ancestor is good or bad. They are:

* '''Camaraderie:''' The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are family, bound together by bonds of blood, spirit, and oaths. When one is hurt, all are injured. When one weeps, all are sad. Always support your fellow, and believe that they in turn will support you.
* '''Insight:''' Weapons are good, but they all start with knowledge and understanding. Before you can have a spear, you must make a spear, and before you can make a spear, you have to understand how a spear is made. Learn everything you can, because the more you know the more prepared you are for whatever the world throws at you. This is the lesson of Threadsnap.
* '''Fury:''' Do not be afraid of anger, because anger is a fire that drives you forward. Anger is the way your spirit tells you something is wrong and you must do something about it. Sometimes you have to grab anger by the scruff of the neck and hold it back, but when the time comes to let it loose, the Dreamer must ride that fire and use it to do right things. This is the lesson of Redhand.
* '''Grace:''' You are a unique spirit spun out of the world of dreams into the waking world. There will never be anyone exactly like you ever again. Make your life a beacon to inspire your family, and to teach your enemies fear.
* '''Obduracy:''' Do not give up, no matter how difficult the path ahead seems. There is always a way towards your goal, and all you have to do is refuse to accept defeat and find a path to where you want to go. No forest is impassable.
* '''Wariness:''' The world is dangerous and there are plenty of people out there who listen to bad ancestors, or who don't know how to live properly. They are your enemies, and there are thousands of them, and some come in a pleasing guise. Learn to tell the difference between friends and enemies, and when you identify one make sure your family knows to turn away from them as well. This is the lesson of Keeneye.

Needless to say, this list of principles arouses a great deal of interest in the Highborn advising the Unshackled. They are very keen to learn more, but unfortunately there is little enough time to learn about ancestors.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ulnak Military Map.png|caption=Northern Mallum areas of control (artist impression)|align=right|width=400}}
===Missing Three===
* '''There are three other ancestors the Dreamers honour whose voices have fallen silent'''
* '''These ancestors are the founders of three other families trapped under the tyranny of the Druj'''
* '''The Dreamers remain in Ossium because they will not abandon the half of their sept in Gul'Thak forest'''
It's one of the Illarawm that points out that there are three First Dreamers and six lessons. Where did the other three come from? It seems that there are three other ancestors of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest - Holdfast, the ox, who worked day and night to ensure the original Dreamers had everything they needed to survive; Bright, the torch-bearer who lit the way for her people through the darkest times; and Wordmarked, who wrote down the laws the Dreamers still live by and helped forge them into one people. Their voices have fallen silent because the Dreamers are cut in two. This is the reason they refused to leave Ossium and why they continue to fight against the Druj - not just because it is the right thing to do but because the rest of their family is still held in the Mallum. Specifically, in the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'Thak Forest]].

It turns out the Dreamers of the Dark Forest have no particular affection for Echofell or even for Ossium. Unlike the Great Forest Orcs, they don't conceive of the Dark Forest as a physical place - every orc carries it with them all the time. They know they will dream of the forest and their ancestors anywhere in the world. The reason they stay here is that they will not abandon those still held by the Druj. In fact, they believe they ''cannot'' abandon the other half of their sept and still be the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Ultimately, they want to be reunited with the rest of their people. The two halves of the sept were separated roughly two hundred years ago at the order of a Buruk Tepel of the ''Sawscaled Viper''. The reasons are unclear, but the Dreamers teach that it was because they hated and feared the bonds of community that meant that no matter how hard they tried the Druj could never entirely break their spirits, even with their [[Druj miasma]] and their cruelties.

One of the reasons the Dreamers are excited is that their ancestors, their voices made clearer by Varushkan spirit magic, are telling them that the coming of the Unshackled presents a way for them to finally reunite with their family.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=300|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest and the Illarawm are not in accord when it comes to ancestors.}}</div>

===Not Sharing===
* '''The Dreamers are not interested in "sharing" their ancestors with the Unshackled'''
There is some talk of whether the Dreamers would be prepared to let the Illarawm build bridges to their ancestors. The dimwalkers ask to sleep on the matter - apparently this is a common thing for any Dreamer to do when faced with a big decision. The next morning, they are somewhat divided on the issue, but in the end say that they are not interested at this time. The First Dreamers are the ancestors of their sept, and if they wanted to talk to the Unshackled they would say as much. The Unshackled are worthy of respect but they represent different septs. There's no rudeness of condemnation, the dimwalkers just aren't interested in doing more than sharing stories.

Indeed there's some confusion about why the Illarawm are interested in the idea at all. Obviously the two septs have had some limited contact in the past - both are from Ossium - but the Dreamers find their [[Illarawm#Beliefs|beliefs]] alien. The Howling Abyss can't be silenced; the ancestors speak to whoever they wish to. The world of dreams is ultimately an unknowable place - the only way for any mortal being to understand it is to die. They don't have a problem with the idea that Illarawm is the first ancestor, they just don't see what it should matter to them.

One minor hiccup comes when the dimwalkers ask to speak to Bloodcrow Knott. Explaining that the orc who inspired this effort to reach out to septs within and around the Empire was executed for religious crimes causes a little consternation. The next morning the dimwalkers ask a few follow up questions and after that are a little more guarded in their speech.

==Is Any of This "True"?==
* '''The Illarawm mystagogues believe that the Dreamers are fundamentally wrong about the nature of the ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
* '''If the Dreamers shared their ancestors with the Illarawm, it ''might'' provide a way to answer the question, but they refuse to do that'''
There are a few raised eyebrows even among the [[Illarawm]]. This belief of ancestors living in dreams and speaking to the living, and especially this idea that there are "bad" ancestors that try to lead orcs astray, are a little challenging. The problem is that there is some very minor evidence that ''could'' be read as supporting the Dreamers' position. Orcs dream of their ancestors sometimes, in exactly the same way that humans dream of their friends and family. They also dream of other orcs, or of humans they have met, or any number of other things. That's just how dreams work. Some orcs dream that something they think is an ancestor is talking to them, but there is no way to tell if that is something real or just a fantasy manufactured by the sleeping mind.

Humans and orcs both know intellectually that there is a difference between dreams that come from "within" and those made by magic or potions. The Dreamers are clear that the Dark Forest is not the Night realm, but there is clearly some blurring of borders there. One of the Tamazi mentions that the Axou claim that when they use liao to [[Dedication#Dreams|share dreams]] those dreams often take the form of dead people talking to them, which doesn't exactly pour scorn on the idea.

The dimwalkers don't claim that the ancestors are constantly visiting them in dreams, but they say that in the past it was more common than it is now. One reason, they explain, is that in the days before the Druj they had access to a plant that helped a sleeping orc seek the advice of their ancestors when they faced particularly trying times. That plant is lost to them since they were exiled from Ulnak, and they recount how the Sawscaled Viper wickedly destroyed it wherever it grew. As far as they know, it is extinct and that is another reason they despise the Druj and the Buruk Tepel. When asked if it is [[Regarding_Black_Lotus|black lotus]] they say it isn't - black lotus is a legendary plant they claim was first grown by Threadsnap, and it allows a living orc to create a profound bridge to the world of dreams and speak directly to the ancestors and to each other in a lucid way that goes far beyond what the Dreamers experience. The plant they are referring to was called ''dimbloom'', and they believe it has passed from the world. The closest they can get today is through the preparations of [[apothecary|apothecaries]] - the [[Infusions of Feathers]] - which they say are a dim and unpredictable shadow of the past.
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Obligatory Grud Photo.jpg|align=right|width=4500|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest seek the military aid of the Empire to rescue the rest of their family before the Druj slaughter them all.}}</div>

==A Dream of Unity==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are desperate to reunite their sept and free their cousins from the Forest of Ulank'''
* '''Stories of the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs has raised hopes that the Empire might also help the Dreamers'''
* '''Reuniting the sept would be a powerful act of diplomacy that would win their trust'''
While the Unshackled and the dimwalkers are talking about philosophy and ancestors, other members of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest have much more pressingly mundane concerns. While the dimwalkers are the leaders of the sept, they don't oversee every element of the day-to-day running of the community. In the same way Senators might appoint generals, a boyar oversee a vale, or an exarch run a chapter - in each case with the advice of wise ones and priests - there are secular authorities who look after things like raiding the Druj or making sure everyone has enough to eat.

These are the people who ''want'' something from the Empire. As soon as they hear about the [[A greater darkness|events taking place in the Mallum]] they are convinced that their ancestors have been urging them to ask their Imperial neighbours for help. One of their great fears is that the Druj are ''monsters'' and they are ''desperate''. ''Nimon Rue'' was prepared to destroy the Great Forest Orcs and lose their expertise forever just to manipulate their family in the Barrens. When they hear about their use of the vallorn in [[Therunin]] and [[Sarangrave]], it reinforces their belief that the Druj of Ulnak are more than capable of slaughtering entire septs just to deny them the liberty the Empire might offer them. The Druj will ''always'' destroy a thing, say the dimwalkers, rather than lose control of it. They are sure the Empire must have many examples of this from their own experience with the Druj.

As such, the Dreamers beg the Highborn, Varushkan, and Imperial Orcs to rescue their septmates from the Ghul'Thak Forest before it is too late. And before the Thule - who the Dreamers consider to be barely better than the Druj - get there. The immediate problem is that unlike the Great Forest Orcs, the Dreamers are not all conveniently collected in one place. They are spread out across Ghul'Thak, and the Dreamers will not countenance leaving any of their folk behind. It will need the Empire to actually conquer Ghul'Thak if they want the sept in Ossium to be completed. They wouldn't need long - with the help of the Unshackled the Dreamers will get their people moving as soon as the entire region is no longer in the hands of the Druj.

To achieve this, the Empire would need to send armies into the region to seize the Gul'Thak forest which will be hard because they will need a bridgehead unless they can get the agreement of the Thule to use [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]]. Otherwise, the attack will need to come from [[the Barrens]]. There are also currently Druj armies in Ulnak that would definitely resist such an attack, and the garrisons of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Uln]] and the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Thistle of Barbs]].

Allies exist however; [[Irra Harah]] has been granted access to the Forest by the Navarri magicians and will certainly help to free the Dreamers from the shackles of the Druj. The ability of the ''Prince With a Thousand Foes'' to support the attack of armies is somewhat limited but he would automatically add 2,000 strength to any effort to attack Ulnak this coming season as long as the orders of any generals involved made it clear they were there to free the orcs of the region rather than just to slaughter the Druj.

The Dreamers themselves would throw their full support behind an attack to reunite their sept and bring the three "missing families" home. Their presence would add an additional 2,000 strength to any effort to take Ghul'Thak this season, thanks both to the training they received, their experience fighting the Druj, and the excellent weapons and armour gifted them by Highguard and Varushka.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WinterSun_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
This kind of strategy is exactly where the strength of the [[Winter Sun]] is at its greatest. Under normal circumstances they cannot issue a [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|Break the Chains]] order unless their side controls a region with the [[Region_qualities#Forest|forested]], [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]], or [[Region_qualities#Marsh|marsh]] quality. This season, the support of the Dreamers would allow them to issue such an order in Ghul'Thak. Unfortunately they are in Mareave, and so even if they wanted to get here they break the chains in Ulnak this season.

To which the Dreamers ask when ''could'' the Winter Sun get there? Their people have laboured under the rule of the Druj for many years - but the rule of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]] is crumbling ''fast''. They haven't murdered the Dreamers yet, but there is no way to know if that will change or when. They're already aware of the way ''Nimon Rue'' tried to use the Great Forest Orcs, and the casual atrocity the Druj were preparing to carry out. Furthermore, if the Thule take the region, the situation will only get worse in the view of the Dreamers.

The Imperial scouts say there are a lot more orcs in Ghul'Thak than there are in Echofell - it's not clear how much it would swell the numbers of the Dreamers but it would certainly create problems for their current arrangement of living in a few settlements along the borders. That at least is something the Dreamers are prepared to consider. Unlike the Druj and several other septs, they have no particular tie to any given land. If the Empire reunites them, then they would be content to look for new lands elsewhere, not unlike the [[Outreach_across_the_marshes|Sand Fishers]] did. As they said before, they can dream anywhere.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBOrcs.jpg|width=200}}
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{{CaptionedImage|file=NBVarushka.jpg|width=200}}</div>
If the sept was reunited it would be a powerful gesture that would win the trust and goodwill of the whole sept. It would create new [[opportunities]] to better integrate the sept into the Empire. If the Druj are allowed to slaughter their cousins before they are finally defeated, that opportunity will be lost.

==Participation==
* '''Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may choose to have accompanied the visit to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest if they were not otherwise engaged this season'''
* '''The Dreamers refused to put the mystagogues in touch with their ancestors, but they were happy to talk freely with anyone who visited them'''
* '''The Dreamers see no real difference between orcs and humans'''
Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may decide that their character was involved in this expedition to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. You will have found them wary and cautious, but charming and hospitable once their trust is earned. Once they became aware of the venture to save the Great Forest Orcs, they will have impressed on you how important it is to save the other members of their sept.

The sept don't appear to distinguish between humans and orcs - they largely live apart, but that is a matter of circumstance to them and nothing more. Everyone who dreams is a dreamer as far as they are concerned. The crucial difference in this world is between people who dream and those who do not. The Dreamers, Imperial citizens, even the Druj - all of them are people. Those who do not dream, notably rocks and the Thule are not. As far as the Dreamers are concerned, a Thule warrior is more like a living puppet of flesh and bone, with no value or worth.
==Further Reading==
* [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Beliefs of the Great Forest]]
* [[Seeking the Karass]]

* [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|Every day of your life]] - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about the Imperial Orcs highest calling
* [[The highest calling]] - 387YE Autumn Wind of Fortune introducing highest calling
* [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Culling the threat]] - 385YE Summer wind of fortune introducing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest

Islands in the dream

2026-09-08T16:02:27Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Missing Three */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>Caston smoothed out the rough bed and then carefully lay down on it. It was midday, the sun was still shining and there was plenty of work to be done. He wasn't remotely tired, but their guests had so many questions and they wanted answers. Answers only the ancestors could provide.

There was nothing for it. He was just going to have to go and talk to them in person.

He closed his eyes, relaxed every muscle and concentrated on his breathing, feeling the air entering and leaving his lungs. Once his chest began to rise and fall more slowly, he looked around his mind for the entrance to the Dark Forest. He imagined himself in the woods near his home, searching for mottlecops for the evening feast. That was usually the easiest way to locate the doorway.

With an ease born of decades of careful practice, the dimwalker drifted off to sleep.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, but it is quickly becoming clear that not every orc hears them in the same way.}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''The Imperal Orc assembly seeks to learn more about the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest'''
Since '''Bloodcrow Knott''' declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], the Imperial Orcs have reached out to the [[Seeking the Karass|Karass]] of [[the Barrens]], and to the [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Great Forest Orcs]]. At the Summer Solstice, '''Bloodcrow Meep''' was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the small sept in eastern [[Ossium]] known as the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]].

The Dreamers are something of an unknown quantity. They ignored the opportunity to leave the former [[Druj]] territory to travel to [[Skarsind]] and like the [[Blood_makes_noise#The_Sept_of_the_Menrothat|Menrothat]] show no interest in joining the ranks of the Unshackled. Unlike the other Ossium sept, however, they have demonstrated that they are prepared to work directly with the Empire. Three years ago, when the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] strove to secure their border against [[the Mallum]], the ''Dreamers'' were enlisted to help keep the Druj at bay. A joint effort by the Varushkan and [[Highguard|Highborn]] assemblies, [[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Authorise_supplying_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|endorsed]] by the Senate, saw the sept armed and armoured and given license to hunt out and destroy Druj raiding bands, guerillas, and spies. Since then, they have enthusiastically discharged this duty while still maintaining a clear distance between themselves and the Varushkan rulers of their territory. Very little is known about them apart from the fact they despise the masters of the Mallum, and so Bloodcrow Meep and their allies cannot be certain of the kind of welcome they will receive.

In the end a decision is made to bring a small number of Varushkans and Highborn along who have experience dealing with the Dreamers - those initially inspired by the [[mandate|mandates]] of '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_114|Wildfyre of Balthazar's Vineyard]]''' and '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_163|Anatolij Paukov Zorkin]]'''. While the Unshackled mystagogues and shamans will take the lead, the humans can still provide some insight into the customs of this unfamiliar sept.
==Who Were You?==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly ImperialOrc.png|align=right|width=200}}
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* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are still something of an enigma'''
* '''While guarded they are well disposed towards the people of Varushka and Highguard'''
* '''They despise both the Druj and the Thule'''
The Dreamers of the Dark forest are a sept that occupies part of the [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]]. Their main settlements lie near the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bonehives]], where some of their number were once forced to work for Druj overlords. Since the liberation of the territory they have shown no interest in returning to those positions.

When they were first contacted by the Empire there was speculation that they have a connection with the [[Great Forest Orcs]], although they seem ignorant of any connection if one exists. The sept was relatively small and insular, but there had been some effort from the Varushkans and the Imperial Orcs both to make contact with them. It was during an [[appraisal]] by ''[[Appraisal#Naomi of Virtue's Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]]'' that they first became of particular interest to the Empire. After speaking with the leaders of the Dreamers, Naomi discovered that they could be convinced to fight the Druj at their own game, if they had the means to do so.

As with many subjects of the Druj that they don't fully trust, the Dreamers had few if any weapons of war or experience in battle. They were however very eager to fight the Druj, despite their lack of weapons or training. The Highborn National Assembly had reached out to support the people of Varushka as they treated with the orcs and Naomi herself is from Highguard. It is no surprise then that when she contacted a number of [[unconquered]] of her acquaintance to discuss the issue with them, they pointed out that when the Imperial Orcs joined the Empire, Highborn soldiers supported them with gifts of weapons and armour. They suggested that it might be possible to kill two birds with one stone; help protect Echofell and encourage good relations with the independent orcs in Ossium. For the next year, the Dreamers were supplied weapons, armour, and most crucially the training to use both effectively. They took to the instruction quickly, and developed their own spin on traditional tactics by incorporating their own experience with hunting and stealth.

There was a risk of course: it was impossible to determine what the long term effects of arming the Dreamers would be. Giving them weapons and armour certainly improved relations, and made them more positively inclined to both Varushka and Highguard. But the sept expressed no interest in becoming Imperial citizens, nor in adopting the Way. They had - have - their own religion, their own leaders, and their own laws. They also had their own enemies and ambitions, it seemed. They hate the Druj, but it is clear they don't think much better of [[Thule]], and they also loathe the Menrothat although exactly ''why'' they despise them is hard to fathom. They turned the weapons they had been provided on the Druj, but they also apparently used them to keep other septs of orcs at bay as enthusiastically as they used them on the Mallum.

That is not to say that they have remained completely isolated; in the last couple of years there has been regular trade of herbs, game, and goods with their Varushkan neighbours. Twice a year in Spring and Autumn a contingent of Dreamers make the long trek through the marshes to [[Merchant-Boyar_of_the_Stinking_Market#Stinking_Market|Stinking Market]] in the [[Ossium#Drownbark Forest|Drownbark Forest]] where they sell the spoils of their ongoing raids against the Druj and purchase worked metal goods. While they are skilled at working with wood and leather, there are few smiths among the Dreamers. They have neither the ore nor the expertise needed to craft anything save the simplest metalwork, and so such items have particular [[worth]] to this small sept.
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|title=Some magicians say this ritual calls on the mysterious forests of the Night realm themselves.|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
==Who Are You?==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are inspired by the magical dreams swirling around Ossium this season'''
* '''The Unshackled are able to meet the three ''dimwalkers'' who lead the sept'''
The trip to speak with the Dreamers almost founders before it can begin. Ossium has been [[enchantment|enchanted]] with a unique magic that [[occludes passage through woodlands]] {{TBC}}. Even familiar woods can turn treacherous and confusing, and the Echofall is by no means a tame forest. Less than six hours after entering the woods, the Unshackled party is hopelessly lost. [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] is able to pinpoint the location of the travellers, but it turns out to be no help in finding anywhere else. It would be easy to panic but level heads keep everyone calm. After a fretful night lost in the woods, however, an orc-like figure appears dressed in bright coloured clothes in the Varushkan style with a cloak of rainbow feathers and a lantern that turns out to be a glass jar full of moths. This [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|herald]] of the ''[[Sung|Night Singer]]'' has been dispatched by her mistress to make sure that the winding paths do not delay the Unshackled in their endeavour. The ''Rainbow Serpent'', it seems, approves of the Imperial Orcs' highest calling and the same magic that confounds their journey makes it easy for her to send her herald to aid them.

A lot can change in three years, especially in a place like Ossium. When the Unshackled and their human advisors arrive, they find the Dreamers of the Dark Forest quite different to how they were in 385YE. Almost as soon as they venture into territory claimed by the Dreamers, the Imperial group is intercepted by a patrol of a dozen serious orcs. Their weapons and armaments - bows, swords, and shields bearing the sigil of the black tree and six multicoloured stars - are practically antiques but there are also relatively new Varushkan axes and segmented armour on display. They are cautious but by no means unwelcoming, carefully questioning their visitors and providing them with a small honour guard to the large village of ''Dimmorden''.

Gone are the ramshackle huts that were all the Druj allowed them. In their place stand proud new structures of hardwood and stone surrounded by the kind of defensive wall familiar to any Varushkan, needful to keep the predators of the dark woods at bay. The settlement is also easily twice as large as it was when the Empire was last here in any official capacity. The warriors escorting the Unshackled explain that a few years ago several hundred of their kin captured by the ''Iceblood'' - a disparaging term for the [[Thule]] - joined them from [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Apparently the orc rulers of northern Ossium had tried to persuade them to stay, but when they refused had begrudgingly allowed them to leave - although it has done nothing to endear the folk of Otkodov to the Dreamers.

Dimmorden is overseen by three "dimwalkers" - respected orcs who represent the three extended families that make up the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Between them they guide the sept, relying on the wisdom of the ancestors which they glean from their dreams. Obviously, this excites the interest of the mystagogues and shamans, and it seems the dimwalkers are equally eager to speak to the Unshackled. It seems they have been expecting their arrival, having received dream portents that warned them of the Empire's approach.

This news rouses particular interest in the magicians accompanying the expedition. Apparently the Dreamers are quite excited that over the last several weeks their dreams have been particularly vivid and powerful, and even the least insightful among them record night time visits to the Dark Forest that underpins the waking world. A few of their magicians have pointed out that this is the result of an [[enchantment]] laid over the whole of Ossium, a clever weaving of the [[Night magic|Spirit]], but where it comes from does not matter to the Dreamers as much as the way it helps them hear their ancestors.

Intrigued, the Unshackled settle down to discuss matters of ancestors and spirits with the dimwalkers.

==The Dream==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest have mystical beliefs about ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
There are some ancestors that are particularly important to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, called the First Dreamers. Each one was the head of a family of orcs who swore binding oaths of loyalty and support to the others at the creation of their sept. The dimwalkers don't talk about where these families came from, but explain that at first they were rivals but they were forced to work together in the face of possible destruction, and that forged bonds of community between them. The First Dreamers made those bonds real.

Their given names aren't used and aren't spoken to anyone save another dimwalker. Instead they are referred to by descriptive nickname - Redhand, the defender, who wielded two terrible blades to strike down anyone who threatened the sept; Keeneye, the watcher, who remained vigilant for enemies and struck them down with deadly arrows; and Threadsnap, the weaver, who read the ripples of future and past in his magical loom. While the voices of the First Dreamers are often the loudest, they rarely speak directly to their descendants except in times of dire need. Some young orcs mark themselves with tattoos that indicate the connection they feel to one of the First Dreamers, usually on the forearms. These are a cultural rather than metaphysical thing - such orcs are no more likely to hear a given ancestor but they use the tattoos to indicate which of the dreamers' words they find particularly compelling.

There are however an almost unlimited number of other ancestors that speak to the Dreamers when they sleep. The Dreamers believe that the waking world of solid objects and people is underpinned by the world of dreams. The two exist side by side, separated by a curtain of shadow. When someone is awake they can only see the mundane world, but when they hover on the edge of sleep they can sometimes glimpse through to the primordial world of dreams that is the foundation of reality. When people sleep, their spirits are free to explore the world of dreams and that is where the ancestors exist. They characterise it as the Dark Forest, a primordial space just out of reach of the waking world from which flow all sapient things, whether orc, human, animal, or tree. This rouses obvious interest but it appears that the Dreamers believe that human spirits come from the same place as orc spirits (and the spirits of trees and ox and what have you) and probably return there when they die). For the most part they don't worry about what human ancestors get up to - the first time they learned that humans believe they reincarnate was when they met the Highborn. It seems an odd idea to the dimwalkers, but they cheerfully point out that it would be incredibly rude for any orc to tell a human what their beliefs should be. One Varushkan casually asks if they think orcs can reincarnate and again they find the question odd. If humans can do it, orcs could probably do it (the word "better" is left unspoken). But why would they want to? And what would it even look like if an ancestor were born into the world of flesh again?

They are very clear that only those who dream are truly people; they firmly believe that creatures such as [[Varushkan Monster|mora]] or (controversially) the Thule are not really people because they do not really dream. They are no more people than rocks are. There is disagreement about heralds and creatures of the realms, but the Dreamers frankly don't have enough experience of them to have formed a strong opinion. Ghosts, incidentally, are also not people because they cannot dream - the Dreamers equate ghosts with the Nightmare or the Howling Abyss and teach their children to avoid them at all costs. There are also ways to cut people off from dreams, and doing so is a terrible crime that they believe ultimately causes anyone condemned to that state to go mad, die, and be immediately claimed by the Nightmare. This is one reason they have a deep-rooted distrust of [[Wise Rangara]] in particular, who they view with the same dread many Imperials reserve for Agramant.

Following some further exploration, the dimwalkers are clear that this world is not the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. They're aware of that place and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures]] that dwell there but it is not the Dark Forest or the world of dreams. The realms are likewise underpinned by the Dark Forest, and those closest to it in concept (the Night realm, and the realms of Spring and Winter) show that closeness with their forests. The Autumn and Day realms are furthest from the primal dreaming and that is why they are described in such unsettling and unnatural ways.

The Dark Forest is where the ancestors exist after they leave the waking world. Only a few orcs have the strength of spirit to become ancestors; other orcs become one with the forest and enjoy peaceful sleep in the shape of trees and animals of the dream. Any Dreamer of the Dark Forest might meet an ancestor when they sleep, especially when they are worried, frightened, angry, or otherwise in need of good advice. It is also clear that the Dreamers hear their ancestors when they are awake, just as other orcs do, but here the conversation takes a darker turn.

According to the dimwalkers, the thing the Imperial Orcs call the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#The_Howling_Abyss|Howling Abyss]] is a part of the dreaming world from which all bad things are born. Just as the Dark Forest is the ultimate source of mortal spirits, so the "Nightmare" is an endless chasm that seeks to consume those spirits. Howling Abyss is as good a word as any but the Unshackled, and most other orcs, are misled about its nature. It doesn't entirely consume the spirits that fall into it. Rather it hollows them out, consuming everything about them that is wholesome. Most spirits that fall to the Abyss are too weak to leave it and become part of its churning malignant chaos. Some however are strong enough to rise again, as ancestors that encourage their descendants to undertake selfish, self-destructive, corrupt actions.

When someone is asleep they can always tell if they are listening to a good ancestor or a bad ancestor. The dimwalkers explain that this is a simplistic way of looking at it, but that it would take far too long to explore all the metaphysical underpinnings, much more than the handful of weeks available. Dreamers are taught from a young age what signs to look for to help them understand if they are dreaming of a good ancestor who wants to help them or an ancestor that wants to drive them down the path to the Howling Abyss. When awake, though, those signs are not visible. All an orc has to go on is the voice, and that is not enough. As a consequence, the Dreamers of the Dark Forest are ''very'' careful about listening to the ancestors that speak to them when they fight or are otherwise worked up. Sometimes it's obvious that an ancestor is good or bad based on the kind of words they speak - an ancestor urging someone to strike down their sibling and take their sword is clearly a bad ancestor. One of the gifts of the three original dreamers - Redhand, Keeneye, and Threadsnap - was the framework that allows the Dreamers to judge if an ancestor is good or bad.

One of the reasons they despise the Menrothat is because the orcs of that sept believe that the waking world is a dream, and that they embrace the words of the bad ancestors fuelled by Nightmare in the same way the Druj do. They are still better than the Thule - but only just.
===Six Lights===
* '''The spiritual life of the Dreamers is guided by six precepts that help one become a "good" ancestor'''
* '''Orcs who abandon or subvert these principles are consumed by the Nightmare'''
There are six core principles that determine if an ancestor is good or bad. They are:

* '''Camaraderie:''' The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are family, bound together by bonds of blood, spirit, and oaths. When one is hurt, all are injured. When one weeps, all are sad. Always support your fellow, and believe that they in turn will support you.
* '''Insight:''' Weapons are good, but they all start with knowledge and understanding. Before you can have a spear, you must make a spear, and before you can make a spear, you have to understand how a spear is made. Learn everything you can, because the more you know the more prepared you are for whatever the world throws at you. This is the lesson of Threadsnap.
* '''Fury:''' Do not be afraid of anger, because anger is a fire that drives you forward. Anger is the way your spirit tells you something is wrong and you must do something about it. Sometimes you have to grab anger by the scruff of the neck and hold it back, but when the time comes to let it loose, the Dreamer must ride that fire and use it to do right things. This is the lesson of Redhand.
* '''Grace:''' You are a unique spirit spun out of the world of dreams into the waking world. There will never be anyone exactly like you ever again. Make your life a beacon to inspire your family, and to teach your enemies fear.
* '''Obduracy:''' Do not give up, no matter how difficult the path ahead seems. There is always a way towards your goal, and all you have to do is refuse to accept defeat and find a path to where you want to go. No forest is impassable.
* '''Wariness:''' The world is dangerous and there are plenty of people out there who listen to bad ancestors, or who don't know how to live properly. They are your enemies, and there are thousands of them, and some come in a pleasing guise. Learn to tell the difference between friends and enemies, and when you identify one make sure your family knows to turn away from them as well. This is the lesson of Keeneye.

Needless to say, this list of principles arouses a great deal of interest in the Highborn advising the Unshackled. They are very keen to learn more, but unfortunately there is little enough time to learn about ancestors.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ulnak Military Map.png|caption=Northern Mallum areas of control (artist impression)|align=right|width=400}}
===Missing Three===
* '''There are three other ancestors the Dreamers honour whose voices have fallen silent'''
* '''These ancestors are the founders of three other families trapped under the tyranny of the Druj'''
* '''The Dreamers remain in Ossium because they will not abandon the half of their sept in Gul'Thak forest'''
It's one of the Illarawm that points out that there are three First Dreamers and six lessons. Where did the other three come from? It seems that there are three other ancestors of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest - Holdfast, the ox, who worked day and night to ensure the original Dreamers had everything they needed to survive; Bright, the torch-bearer who lit the way for her people through the darkest times; and Wordmarked, who wrote down the laws the Dreamers still live by and helped forge them into one people. Their voices have fallen silent because the Dreamers are cut in two. This is the reason they refused to leave Ossium and why they continue to fight against the Druj - not just because it is the right thing to do but because the rest of their family is still held in the Mallum. Specifically, in the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'Thak Forest]].

It turns out the Dreamers of the Dark Forest have no particular affection for Echofell or even for Ossium. Unlike the Great Forest Orcs, they don't conceive of the Dark Forest as a physical place - every orc carries it with them all the time. They know they will dream of the forest and their ancestors anywhere in the world. The reason they stay here is that they will not abandon those still held by the Druj. In fact, they believe they ''cannot'' abandon the other half of their sept and still be the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Ultimately, they want to be reunited with the rest of their people. The two halves of the sept were separated roughly two hundred years ago at the order of a Buruk Tepel of the ''Sawscaled Viper''. The reasons are unclear, but the Dreamers teach that it was because they hated and feared the bonds of community that meant that no matter how hard they tried the Druj could never entirely break their spirits, even with their [[Druj miasma]] and their cruelties.

One of the reasons the Dreamers are excited is that their ancestors, their voices made clearer by Varushkan spirit magic, are telling them that the coming of the Unshackled presents a way for them to finally reunite with their family.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=300|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest and the Illarawm are not in accord when it comes to ancestors.}}</div>

===Not Sharing===
* '''The Dreamers are not interested in "sharing" their ancestors with the Unshackled'''
There is some talk of whether the Dreamers would be prepared to let the Illarawm build bridges to their ancestors. The dimwalkers ask to sleep on the matter - apparently this is a common thing for any Dreamer to do when faced with a big decision. The next morning, they are somewhat divided on the issue, but in the end say that they are not interested at this time. The First Dreamers are the ancestors of their sept, and if they wanted to talk to the Unshackled they would say as much. The Unshackled are worthy of respect but they represent different septs. There's no rudeness of condemnation, the dimwalkers just aren't interested in doing more than sharing stories.

Indeed there's some confusion about why the Illarawm are interested in the idea at all. Obviously the two septs have had some limited contact in the past - both are from Ossium - but the Dreamers find their [[Illarawm#Beliefs|beliefs]] alien. The Howling Abyss can't be silenced; the ancestors speak to whoever they wish to. The world of dreams is ultimately an unknowable place - the only way for any mortal being to understand it is to die. They don't have a problem with the idea that Illarawm is the first ancestor, they just don't see what it should matter to them.

One minor hiccup comes when the dimwalkers ask to speak to Bloodcrow Knott. Explaining that the orc who inspired this effort to reach out to septs within and around the Empire was executed for religious crimes causes a little consternation. The next morning the dimwalkers ask a few follow up questions and it after that are a little more guarded in their speech.

==Is Any of This "True"?==
* '''The Illarawm mystagogues believe that the Dreamers are fundamentally wrong about the nature of the ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
* '''If the Dreamers shared their ancestors with the Illarawm, it ''might'' provide a way to answer the question, but they refuse to do that'''
There are a few raised eyebrows even among the [[Illarawm]]. This belief of ancestors living in dreams and speaking to the living, and especially this idea that there are "bad" ancestors that try to lead orcs astray, are a little challenging. The problem is that there is some very minor evidence that ''could'' be read as supporting the Dreamers' position. Orcs dream of their ancestors sometimes, in exactly the same way that humans dream of their friends and family. They also dream of other orcs, or of humans they have met, or any number of other things. That's just how dreams work. Some orcs dream that something they think is an ancestor is talking to them, but there is no way to tell if that is something real or just a fantasy manufactured by the sleeping mind.

Humans and orcs both know intellectually that there is a difference between dreams that come from "within" and those made by magic or potions. The Dreamers are clear that the Dark Forest is not the Night realm, but there is clearly some blurring of borders there. One of the Tamazi mentions that the Axou claim that when they use liao to [[Dedication#Dreams|share dreams]] those dreams often take the form of dead people talking to them, which doesn't exactly pour scorn on the idea.

The dimwalkers don't claim that the ancestors are constantly visiting them in dreams, but they say that in the past it was more common than it is now. One reason, they explain, is that in the days before the Druj they had access to a plant that helped a sleeping orc seek the advice of their ancestors when they faced particularly trying times. That plant is lost to them since they were exiled from Ulnak, and they recount how the Sawscaled Viper wickedly destroyed it wherever it grew. As far as they know, it is extinct and that is another reason they despise the Druj and the Buruk Tepel. When asked if it is [[Regarding_Black_Lotus|black lotus]] they say it isn't - black lotus is a legendary plant they claim was first grown by Threadsnap, and it allows a living orc to create a profound bridge to the world of dreams and speak directly to the ancestors and to each other in a lucid way that goes far beyond what the Dreamers experience. The plant they are referring to was called ''dimbloom'', and they believe it has passed from the world. The closest they can get today is through the preparations of [[apothecary|apothecaries]] - the [[Infusions of Feathers]] - which they say are a dim and unpredictable shadow of the past.
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Obligatory Grud Photo.jpg|align=right|width=4500|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest seek the military aid of the Empire to rescue the rest of their family before the Druj slaughter them all.}}</div>

==A Dream of Unity==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are desperate to reunite their sept and free their cousins from the Forest of Ulank'''
* '''Stories of the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs has raised hopes that the Empire might also help the Dreamers'''
* '''Reuniting the sept would be a powerful act of diplomacy that would win their trust'''
While the Unshackled and the dimwalkers are talking about philosophy and ancestors, other members of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest have much more pressingly mundane concerns. While the dimwalkers are the leaders of the sept, they don't oversee every element of the day-to-day running of the community. In the same way Senators might appoint generals, a boyar oversee a vale, or an exarch run a chapter - in each case with the advice of wise ones and priests - there are secular authorities who look after things like raiding the Druj or making sure everyone has enough to eat.

These are the people who ''want'' something from the Empire. As soon as they hear about the [[A greater darkness|events taking place in the Mallum]] they are convinced that their ancestors have been urging them to ask their Imperial neighbours for help. One of their great fears is that the Druj are ''monsters'' and they are ''desperate''. ''Nimon Rue'' was prepared to destroy the Great Forest Orcs and lose their expertise forever just to manipulate their family in the Barrens. When they hear about their use of the vallorn in [[Therunin]] and [[Sarangrave]], it reinforces their belief that the Druj of Ulnak are more than capable of slaughtering entire septs just to deny them the liberty the Empire might offer them. The Druj will ''always'' destroy a thing, say the dimwalkers, rather than lose control of it. They are sure the Empire must have many examples of this from their own experience with the Druj.

As such, the Dreamers beg the Highborn, Varushkan, and Imperial Orcs to rescue their septmates from the Ghul'Thak Forest before it is too late. And before the Thule - who the Dreamers consider to be barely better than the Druj - get there. The immediate problem is that unlike the Great Forest Orcs, the Dreamers are not all conveniently collected in one place. They are spread out across Ghul'Thak, and the Dreamers will not countenance leaving any of their folk behind. It will need the Empire to actually conquer Ghul'Thak if they want the sept in Ossium to be completed. They wouldn't need long - with the help of the Unshackled the Dreamers will get their people moving as soon as the entire region is no longer in the hands of the Druj.

To achieve this, the Empire would need to send armies into the region to seize the Gul'Thak forest which will be hard because they will need a bridgehead unless they can get the agreement of the Thule to use [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]]. Otherwise, the attack will need to come from [[the Barrens]]. There are also currently Druj armies in Ulnak that would definitely resist such an attack, and the garrisons of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Uln]] and the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Thistle of Barbs]].

Allies exist however; [[Irra Harah]] has been granted access to the Forest by the Navarri magicians and will certainly help to free the Dreamers from the shackles of the Druj. The ability of the ''Prince With a Thousand Foes'' to support the attack of armies is somewhat limited but he would automatically add 2,000 strength to any effort to attack Ulnak this coming season as long as the orders of any generals involved made it clear they were there to free the orcs of the region rather than just to slaughter the Druj.

The Dreamers themselves would throw their full support behind an attack to reunite their sept and bring the three "missing families" home. Their presence would add an additional 2,000 strength to any effort to take Ghul'Thak this season, thanks both to the training they received, their experience fighting the Druj, and the excellent weapons and armour gifted them by Highguard and Varushka.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WinterSun_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
This kind of strategy is exactly where the strength of the [[Winter Sun]] is at its greatest. Under normal circumstances they cannot issue a [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|Break the Chains]] order unless their side controls a region with the [[Region_qualities#Forest|forested]], [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]], or [[Region_qualities#Marsh|marsh]] quality. This season, the support of the Dreamers would allow them to issue such an order in Ghul'Thak. Unfortunately they are in Mareave, and so even if they wanted to get here they break the chains in Ulnak this season.

To which the Dreamers ask when ''could'' the Winter Sun get there? Their people have laboured under the rule of the Druj for many years - but the rule of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]] is crumbling ''fast''. They haven't murdered the Dreamers yet, but there is no way to know if that will change or when. They're already aware of the way ''Nimon Rue'' tried to use the Great Forest Orcs, and the casual atrocity the Druj were preparing to carry out. Furthermore, if the Thule take the region, the situation will only get worse in the view of the Dreamers.

The Imperial scouts say there are a lot more orcs in Ghul'Thak than there are in Echofell - it's not clear how much it would swell the numbers of the Dreamers but it would certainly create problems for their current arrangement of living in a few settlements along the borders. That at least is something the Dreamers are prepared to consider. Unlike the Druj and several other septs, they have no particular tie to any given land. If the Empire reunites them, then they would be content to look for new lands elsewhere, not unlike the [[Outreach_across_the_marshes|Sand Fishers]] did. As they said before, they can dream anywhere.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBOrcs.jpg|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBHighguard.jpg|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBVarushka.jpg|width=200}}</div>
If the sept was reunited it would be a powerful gesture that would win the trust and goodwill of the whole sept. It would create new [[opportunities]] to better integrate the sept into the Empire. If the Druj are allowed to slaughter their cousins before they are finally defeated, that opportunity will be lost.

==Participation==
* '''Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may choose to have accompanied the visit to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest if they were not otherwise engaged this season'''
* '''The Dreamers refused to put the mystagogues in touch with their ancestors, but they were happy to talk freely with anyone who visited them'''
* '''The Dreamers see no real difference between orcs and humans'''
Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may decide that their character was involved in this expedition to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. You will have found them wary and cautious, but charming and hospitable once their trust is earned. Once they became aware of the venture to save the Great Forest Orcs, they will have impressed on you how important it is to save the other members of their sept.

The sept don't appear to distinguish between humans and orcs - they largely live apart, but that is a matter of circumstance to them and nothing more. Everyone who dreams is a dreamer as far as they are concerned. The crucial difference in this world is between people who dream and those who do not. The Dreamers, Imperial citizens, even the Druj - all of them are people. Those who do not dream, notably rocks and the Thule are not. As far as the Dreamers are concerned, a Thule warrior is more like a living puppet of flesh and bone, with no value or worth.
==Further Reading==
* [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Beliefs of the Great Forest]]
* [[Seeking the Karass]]

* [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|Every day of your life]] - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about the Imperial Orcs highest calling
* [[The highest calling]] - 387YE Autumn Wind of Fortune introducing highest calling
* [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Culling the threat]] - 385YE Summer wind of fortune introducing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest

Islands in the dream

2026-09-08T16:00:07Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Missing Three */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>Caston smoothed out the rough bed and then carefully lay down on it. It was midday, the sun was still shining and there was plenty of work to be done. He wasn't remotely tired, but their guests had so many questions and they wanted answers. Answers only the ancestors could provide.

There was nothing for it. He was just going to have to go and talk to them in person.

He closed his eyes, relaxed every muscle and concentrated on his breathing, feeling the air entering and leaving his lungs. Once his chest began to rise and fall more slowly, he looked around his mind for the entrance to the Dark Forest. He imagined himself in the woods near his home, searching for mottlecops for the evening feast. That was usually the easiest way to locate the doorway.

With an ease born of decades of careful practice, the dimwalker drifted off to sleep.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, but it is quickly becoming clear that not every orc hears them in the same way.}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''The Imperal Orc assembly seeks to learn more about the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest'''
Since '''Bloodcrow Knott''' declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], the Imperial Orcs have reached out to the [[Seeking the Karass|Karass]] of [[the Barrens]], and to the [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Great Forest Orcs]]. At the Summer Solstice, '''Bloodcrow Meep''' was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the small sept in eastern [[Ossium]] known as the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]].

The Dreamers are something of an unknown quantity. They ignored the opportunity to leave the former [[Druj]] territory to travel to [[Skarsind]] and like the [[Blood_makes_noise#The_Sept_of_the_Menrothat|Menrothat]] show no interest in joining the ranks of the Unshackled. Unlike the other Ossium sept, however, they have demonstrated that they are prepared to work directly with the Empire. Three years ago, when the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] strove to secure their border against [[the Mallum]], the ''Dreamers'' were enlisted to help keep the Druj at bay. A joint effort by the Varushkan and [[Highguard|Highborn]] assemblies, [[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Authorise_supplying_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|endorsed]] by the Senate, saw the sept armed and armoured and given license to hunt out and destroy Druj raiding bands, guerillas, and spies. Since then, they have enthusiastically discharged this duty while still maintaining a clear distance between themselves and the Varushkan rulers of their territory. Very little is known about them apart from the fact they despise the masters of the Mallum, and so Bloodcrow Meep and their allies cannot be certain of the kind of welcome they will receive.

In the end a decision is made to bring a small number of Varushkans and Highborn along who have experience dealing with the Dreamers - those initially inspired by the [[mandate|mandates]] of '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_114|Wildfyre of Balthazar's Vineyard]]''' and '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_163|Anatolij Paukov Zorkin]]'''. While the Unshackled mystagogues and shamans will take the lead, the humans can still provide some insight into the customs of this unfamiliar sept.
==Who Were You?==
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* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are still something of an enigma'''
* '''While guarded they are well disposed towards the people of Varushka and Highguard'''
* '''They despise both the Druj and the Thule'''
The Dreamers of the Dark forest are a sept that occupies part of the [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]]. Their main settlements lie near the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bonehives]], where some of their number were once forced to work for Druj overlords. Since the liberation of the territory they have shown no interest in returning to those positions.

When they were first contacted by the Empire there was speculation that they have a connection with the [[Great Forest Orcs]], although they seem ignorant of any connection if one exists. The sept was relatively small and insular, but there had been some effort from the Varushkans and the Imperial Orcs both to make contact with them. It was during an [[appraisal]] by ''[[Appraisal#Naomi of Virtue's Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]]'' that they first became of particular interest to the Empire. After speaking with the leaders of the Dreamers, Naomi discovered that they could be convinced to fight the Druj at their own game, if they had the means to do so.

As with many subjects of the Druj that they don't fully trust, the Dreamers had few if any weapons of war or experience in battle. They were however very eager to fight the Druj, despite their lack of weapons or training. The Highborn National Assembly had reached out to support the people of Varushka as they treated with the orcs and Naomi herself is from Highguard. It is no surprise then that when she contacted a number of [[unconquered]] of her acquaintance to discuss the issue with them, they pointed out that when the Imperial Orcs joined the Empire, Highborn soldiers supported them with gifts of weapons and armour. They suggested that it might be possible to kill two birds with one stone; help protect Echofell and encourage good relations with the independent orcs in Ossium. For the next year, the Dreamers were supplied weapons, armour, and most crucially the training to use both effectively. They took to the instruction quickly, and developed their own spin on traditional tactics by incorporating their own experience with hunting and stealth.

There was a risk of course: it was impossible to determine what the long term effects of arming the Dreamers would be. Giving them weapons and armour certainly improved relations, and made them more positively inclined to both Varushka and Highguard. But the sept expressed no interest in becoming Imperial citizens, nor in adopting the Way. They had - have - their own religion, their own leaders, and their own laws. They also had their own enemies and ambitions, it seemed. They hate the Druj, but it is clear they don't think much better of [[Thule]], and they also loathe the Menrothat although exactly ''why'' they despise them is hard to fathom. They turned the weapons they had been provided on the Druj, but they also apparently used them to keep other septs of orcs at bay as enthusiastically as they used them on the Mallum.

That is not to say that they have remained completely isolated; in the last couple of years there has been regular trade of herbs, game, and goods with their Varushkan neighbours. Twice a year in Spring and Autumn a contingent of Dreamers make the long trek through the marshes to [[Merchant-Boyar_of_the_Stinking_Market#Stinking_Market|Stinking Market]] in the [[Ossium#Drownbark Forest|Drownbark Forest]] where they sell the spoils of their ongoing raids against the Druj and purchase worked metal goods. While they are skilled at working with wood and leather, there are few smiths among the Dreamers. They have neither the ore nor the expertise needed to craft anything save the simplest metalwork, and so such items have particular [[worth]] to this small sept.
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|title=Some magicians say this ritual calls on the mysterious forests of the Night realm themselves.|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
==Who Are You?==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are inspired by the magical dreams swirling around Ossium this season'''
* '''The Unshackled are able to meet the three ''dimwalkers'' who lead the sept'''
The trip to speak with the Dreamers almost founders before it can begin. Ossium has been [[enchantment|enchanted]] with a unique magic that [[occludes passage through woodlands]] {{TBC}}. Even familiar woods can turn treacherous and confusing, and the Echofall is by no means a tame forest. Less than six hours after entering the woods, the Unshackled party is hopelessly lost. [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] is able to pinpoint the location of the travellers, but it turns out to be no help in finding anywhere else. It would be easy to panic but level heads keep everyone calm. After a fretful night lost in the woods, however, an orc-like figure appears dressed in bright coloured clothes in the Varushkan style with a cloak of rainbow feathers and a lantern that turns out to be a glass jar full of moths. This [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|herald]] of the ''[[Sung|Night Singer]]'' has been dispatched by her mistress to make sure that the winding paths do not delay the Unshackled in their endeavour. The ''Rainbow Serpent'', it seems, approves of the Imperial Orcs' highest calling and the same magic that confounds their journey makes it easy for her to send her herald to aid them.

A lot can change in three years, especially in a place like Ossium. When the Unshackled and their human advisors arrive, they find the Dreamers of the Dark Forest quite different to how they were in 385YE. Almost as soon as they venture into territory claimed by the Dreamers, the Imperial group is intercepted by a patrol of a dozen serious orcs. Their weapons and armaments - bows, swords, and shields bearing the sigil of the black tree and six multicoloured stars - are practically antiques but there are also relatively new Varushkan axes and segmented armour on display. They are cautious but by no means unwelcoming, carefully questioning their visitors and providing them with a small honour guard to the large village of ''Dimmorden''.

Gone are the ramshackle huts that were all the Druj allowed them. In their place stand proud new structures of hardwood and stone surrounded by the kind of defensive wall familiar to any Varushkan, needful to keep the predators of the dark woods at bay. The settlement is also easily twice as large as it was when the Empire was last here in any official capacity. The warriors escorting the Unshackled explain that a few years ago several hundred of their kin captured by the ''Iceblood'' - a disparaging term for the [[Thule]] - joined them from [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Apparently the orc rulers of northern Ossium had tried to persuade them to stay, but when they refused had begrudgingly allowed them to leave - although it has done nothing to endear the folk of Otkodov to the Dreamers.

Dimmorden is overseen by three "dimwalkers" - respected orcs who represent the three extended families that make up the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Between them they guide the sept, relying on the wisdom of the ancestors which they glean from their dreams. Obviously, this excites the interest of the mystagogues and shamans, and it seems the dimwalkers are equally eager to speak to the Unshackled. It seems they have been expecting their arrival, having received dream portents that warned them of the Empire's approach.

This news rouses particular interest in the magicians accompanying the expedition. Apparently the Dreamers are quite excited that over the last several weeks their dreams have been particularly vivid and powerful, and even the least insightful among them record night time visits to the Dark Forest that underpins the waking world. A few of their magicians have pointed out that this is the result of an [[enchantment]] laid over the whole of Ossium, a clever weaving of the [[Night magic|Spirit]], but where it comes from does not matter to the Dreamers as much as the way it helps them hear their ancestors.

Intrigued, the Unshackled settle down to discuss matters of ancestors and spirits with the dimwalkers.

==The Dream==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest have mystical beliefs about ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
There are some ancestors that are particularly important to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, called the First Dreamers. Each one was the head of a family of orcs who swore binding oaths of loyalty and support to the others at the creation of their sept. The dimwalkers don't talk about where these families came from, but explain that at first they were rivals but they were forced to work together in the face of possible destruction, and that forged bonds of community between them. The First Dreamers made those bonds real.

Their given names aren't used and aren't spoken to anyone save another dimwalker. Instead they are referred to by descriptive nickname - Redhand, the defender, who wielded two terrible blades to strike down anyone who threatened the sept; Keeneye, the watcher, who remained vigilant for enemies and struck them down with deadly arrows; and Threadsnap, the weaver, who read the ripples of future and past in his magical loom. While the voices of the First Dreamers are often the loudest, they rarely speak directly to their descendants except in times of dire need. Some young orcs mark themselves with tattoos that indicate the connection they feel to one of the First Dreamers, usually on the forearms. These are a cultural rather than metaphysical thing - such orcs are no more likely to hear a given ancestor but they use the tattoos to indicate which of the dreamers' words they find particularly compelling.

There are however an almost unlimited number of other ancestors that speak to the Dreamers when they sleep. The Dreamers believe that the waking world of solid objects and people is underpinned by the world of dreams. The two exist side by side, separated by a curtain of shadow. When someone is awake they can only see the mundane world, but when they hover on the edge of sleep they can sometimes glimpse through to the primordial world of dreams that is the foundation of reality. When people sleep, their spirits are free to explore the world of dreams and that is where the ancestors exist. They characterise it as the Dark Forest, a primordial space just out of reach of the waking world from which flow all sapient things, whether orc, human, animal, or tree. This rouses obvious interest but it appears that the Dreamers believe that human spirits come from the same place as orc spirits (and the spirits of trees and ox and what have you) and probably return there when they die). For the most part they don't worry about what human ancestors get up to - the first time they learned that humans believe they reincarnate was when they met the Highborn. It seems an odd idea to the dimwalkers, but they cheerfully point out that it would be incredibly rude for any orc to tell a human what their beliefs should be. One Varushkan casually asks if they think orcs can reincarnate and again they find the question odd. If humans can do it, orcs could probably do it (the word "better" is left unspoken). But why would they want to? And what would it even look like if an ancestor were born into the world of flesh again?

They are very clear that only those who dream are truly people; they firmly believe that creatures such as [[Varushkan Monster|mora]] or (controversially) the Thule are not really people because they do not really dream. They are no more people than rocks are. There is disagreement about heralds and creatures of the realms, but the Dreamers frankly don't have enough experience of them to have formed a strong opinion. Ghosts, incidentally, are also not people because they cannot dream - the Dreamers equate ghosts with the Nightmare or the Howling Abyss and teach their children to avoid them at all costs. There are also ways to cut people off from dreams, and doing so is a terrible crime that they believe ultimately causes anyone condemned to that state to go mad, die, and be immediately claimed by the Nightmare. This is one reason they have a deep-rooted distrust of [[Wise Rangara]] in particular, who they view with the same dread many Imperials reserve for Agramant.

Following some further exploration, the dimwalkers are clear that this world is not the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. They're aware of that place and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures]] that dwell there but it is not the Dark Forest or the world of dreams. The realms are likewise underpinned by the Dark Forest, and those closest to it in concept (the Night realm, and the realms of Spring and Winter) show that closeness with their forests. The Autumn and Day realms are furthest from the primal dreaming and that is why they are described in such unsettling and unnatural ways.

The Dark Forest is where the ancestors exist after they leave the waking world. Only a few orcs have the strength of spirit to become ancestors; other orcs become one with the forest and enjoy peaceful sleep in the shape of trees and animals of the dream. Any Dreamer of the Dark Forest might meet an ancestor when they sleep, especially when they are worried, frightened, angry, or otherwise in need of good advice. It is also clear that the Dreamers hear their ancestors when they are awake, just as other orcs do, but here the conversation takes a darker turn.

According to the dimwalkers, the thing the Imperial Orcs call the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#The_Howling_Abyss|Howling Abyss]] is a part of the dreaming world from which all bad things are born. Just as the Dark Forest is the ultimate source of mortal spirits, so the "Nightmare" is an endless chasm that seeks to consume those spirits. Howling Abyss is as good a word as any but the Unshackled, and most other orcs, are misled about its nature. It doesn't entirely consume the spirits that fall into it. Rather it hollows them out, consuming everything about them that is wholesome. Most spirits that fall to the Abyss are too weak to leave it and become part of its churning malignant chaos. Some however are strong enough to rise again, as ancestors that encourage their descendants to undertake selfish, self-destructive, corrupt actions.

When someone is asleep they can always tell if they are listening to a good ancestor or a bad ancestor. The dimwalkers explain that this is a simplistic way of looking at it, but that it would take far too long to explore all the metaphysical underpinnings, much more than the handful of weeks available. Dreamers are taught from a young age what signs to look for to help them understand if they are dreaming of a good ancestor who wants to help them or an ancestor that wants to drive them down the path to the Howling Abyss. When awake, though, those signs are not visible. All an orc has to go on is the voice, and that is not enough. As a consequence, the Dreamers of the Dark Forest are ''very'' careful about listening to the ancestors that speak to them when they fight or are otherwise worked up. Sometimes it's obvious that an ancestor is good or bad based on the kind of words they speak - an ancestor urging someone to strike down their sibling and take their sword is clearly a bad ancestor. One of the gifts of the three original dreamers - Redhand, Keeneye, and Threadsnap - was the framework that allows the Dreamers to judge if an ancestor is good or bad.

One of the reasons they despise the Menrothat is because the orcs of that sept believe that the waking world is a dream, and that they embrace the words of the bad ancestors fuelled by Nightmare in the same way the Druj do. They are still better than the Thule - but only just.
===Six Lights===
* '''The spiritual life of the Dreamers is guided by six precepts that help one become a "good" ancestor'''
* '''Orcs who abandon or subvert these principles are consumed by the Nightmare'''
There are six core principles that determine if an ancestor is good or bad. They are:

* '''Camaraderie:''' The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are family, bound together by bonds of blood, spirit, and oaths. When one is hurt, all are injured. When one weeps, all are sad. Always support your fellow, and believe that they in turn will support you.
* '''Insight:''' Weapons are good, but they all start with knowledge and understanding. Before you can have a spear, you must make a spear, and before you can make a spear, you have to understand how a spear is made. Learn everything you can, because the more you know the more prepared you are for whatever the world throws at you. This is the lesson of Threadsnap.
* '''Fury:''' Do not be afraid of anger, because anger is a fire that drives you forward. Anger is the way your spirit tells you something is wrong and you must do something about it. Sometimes you have to grab anger by the scruff of the neck and hold it back, but when the time comes to let it loose, the Dreamer must ride that fire and use it to do right things. This is the lesson of Redhand.
* '''Grace:''' You are a unique spirit spun out of the world of dreams into the waking world. There will never be anyone exactly like you ever again. Make your life a beacon to inspire your family, and to teach your enemies fear.
* '''Obduracy:''' Do not give up, no matter how difficult the path ahead seems. There is always a way towards your goal, and all you have to do is refuse to accept defeat and find a path to where you want to go. No forest is impassable.
* '''Wariness:''' The world is dangerous and there are plenty of people out there who listen to bad ancestors, or who don't know how to live properly. They are your enemies, and there are thousands of them, and some come in a pleasing guise. Learn to tell the difference between friends and enemies, and when you identify one make sure your family knows to turn away from them as well. This is the lesson of Keeneye.

Needless to say, this list of principles arouses a great deal of interest in the Highborn advising the Unshackled. They are very keen to learn more, but unfortunately there is little enough time to learn about ancestors.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ulnak Military Map.png|caption=Northern Mallum areas of control (artist impression)|align=right|width=400}}
===Missing Three===
* '''There are three other ancestors the Dreamers honour whose voices have fallen silent'''
* '''These ancestors are the founders of three other families trapped under the tyranny of the Druj'''
* '''The Dreamers remain in Ossium because they will not abandon the half of their sept in Gul'Thak forest'''
It's one of the Illarawm that points out that there are three First Dreamers and six lessons. Where did the other three come from? It seems that there are three other ancestors of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest - Holdfast, the ox, who worked day and night to ensure the original Dreamers had everything they needed to survive; Bright, the torch-bearer who lit the way for her people through the darkest times; and Wordmarked, who wrote down the laws the Dreamers still live by and helped forge them into one people. Their voices have fallen silent because the Dreamers are cut in two. This is the reason they refused to leave Ossium and why they continue to fight against the Druj - not just because it is the right thing to do but because the rest of their family is still held in the Mallum. Specifically, in the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'Thak Forest]].

It turns out the Dreamers of the Dark Forest have no particular affection for Echofell or even for Ossium. Unlike the Great Forest Orcs, they don't conceive of the Dark Forest as a physical place - every orc carries it with them all the time. They know they will dream of the forest and their ancestors anywhere in the world. THe reason they stay here is that they will not abandon those still held by the Druj. In fact, they believe they ''cannot'' abandon the other half of their sept and still be the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Ultimately, they want to be reunited with the rest of their people. The two halves of the sept were separated roughly two hundred years ago at the order of a Buruk Tepel of the ''Sawscaled Viper''. The reasons are unclear, but the Dreamers teach that it was because they hated and feared the bonds of community that meant that no matter how hard they tried the Druj could never entirely break their spirits, even with their [[Druj miasma]] and their cruelties.

One of the reasons the Dreamers are excited is that their ancestors, their voices made clearer by Varushkan spirit magic, are telling them that the coming of the Unshackled presents a way for them to finally reunite with their family.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=300|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest and the Illarawm are not in accord when it comes to ancestors.}}</div>

===Not Sharing===
* '''The Dreamers are not interested in "sharing" their ancestors with the Unshackled'''
There is some talk of whether the Dreamers would be prepared to let the Illarawm build bridges to their ancestors. The dimwalkers ask to sleep on the matter - apparently this is a common thing for any Dreamer to do when faced with a big decision. The next morning, they are somewhat divided on the issue, but in the end say that they are not interested at this time. The First Dreamers are the ancestors of their sept, and if they wanted to talk to the Unshackled they would say as much. The Unshackled are worthy of respect but they represent different septs. There's no rudeness of condemnation, the dimwalkers just aren't interested in doing more than sharing stories.

Indeed there's some confusion about why the Illarawm are interested in the idea at all. Obviously the two septs have had some limited contact in the past - both are from Ossium - but the Dreamers find their [[Illarawm#Beliefs|beliefs]] alien. The Howling Abyss can't be silenced; the ancestors speak to whoever they wish to. The world of dreams is ultimately an unknowable place - the only way for any mortal being to understand it is to die. They don't have a problem with the idea that Illarawm is the first ancestor, they just don't see what it should matter to them.

One minor hiccup comes when the dimwalkers ask to speak to Bloodcrow Knott. Explaining that the orc who inspired this effort to reach out to septs within and around the Empire was executed for religious crimes causes a little consternation. The next morning the dimwalkers ask a few follow up questions and it after that are a little more guarded in their speech.

==Is Any of This "True"?==
* '''The Illarawm mystagogues believe that the Dreamers are fundamentally wrong about the nature of the ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
* '''If the Dreamers shared their ancestors with the Illarawm, it ''might'' provide a way to answer the question, but they refuse to do that'''
There are a few raised eyebrows even among the [[Illarawm]]. This belief of ancestors living in dreams and speaking to the living, and especially this idea that there are "bad" ancestors that try to lead orcs astray, are a little challenging. The problem is that there is some very minor evidence that ''could'' be read as supporting the Dreamers' position. Orcs dream of their ancestors sometimes, in exactly the same way that humans dream of their friends and family. They also dream of other orcs, or of humans they have met, or any number of other things. That's just how dreams work. Some orcs dream that something they think is an ancestor is talking to them, but there is no way to tell if that is something real or just a fantasy manufactured by the sleeping mind.

Humans and orcs both know intellectually that there is a difference between dreams that come from "within" and those made by magic or potions. The Dreamers are clear that the Dark Forest is not the Night realm, but there is clearly some blurring of borders there. One of the Tamazi mentions that the Axou claim that when they use liao to [[Dedication#Dreams|share dreams]] those dreams often take the form of dead people talking to them, which doesn't exactly pour scorn on the idea.

The dimwalkers don't claim that the ancestors are constantly visiting them in dreams, but they say that in the past it was more common than it is now. One reason, they explain, is that in the days before the Druj they had access to a plant that helped a sleeping orc seek the advice of their ancestors when they faced particularly trying times. That plant is lost to them since they were exiled from Ulnak, and they recount how the Sawscaled Viper wickedly destroyed it wherever it grew. As far as they know, it is extinct and that is another reason they despise the Druj and the Buruk Tepel. When asked if it is [[Regarding_Black_Lotus|black lotus]] they say it isn't - black lotus is a legendary plant they claim was first grown by Threadsnap, and it allows a living orc to create a profound bridge to the world of dreams and speak directly to the ancestors and to each other in a lucid way that goes far beyond what the Dreamers experience. The plant they are referring to was called ''dimbloom'', and they believe it has passed from the world. The closest they can get today is through the preparations of [[apothecary|apothecaries]] - the [[Infusions of Feathers]] - which they say are a dim and unpredictable shadow of the past.
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Obligatory Grud Photo.jpg|align=right|width=4500|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest seek the military aid of the Empire to rescue the rest of their family before the Druj slaughter them all.}}</div>

==A Dream of Unity==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are desperate to reunite their sept and free their cousins from the Forest of Ulank'''
* '''Stories of the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs has raised hopes that the Empire might also help the Dreamers'''
* '''Reuniting the sept would be a powerful act of diplomacy that would win their trust'''
While the Unshackled and the dimwalkers are talking about philosophy and ancestors, other members of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest have much more pressingly mundane concerns. While the dimwalkers are the leaders of the sept, they don't oversee every element of the day-to-day running of the community. In the same way Senators might appoint generals, a boyar oversee a vale, or an exarch run a chapter - in each case with the advice of wise ones and priests - there are secular authorities who look after things like raiding the Druj or making sure everyone has enough to eat.

These are the people who ''want'' something from the Empire. As soon as they hear about the [[A greater darkness|events taking place in the Mallum]] they are convinced that their ancestors have been urging them to ask their Imperial neighbours for help. One of their great fears is that the Druj are ''monsters'' and they are ''desperate''. ''Nimon Rue'' was prepared to destroy the Great Forest Orcs and lose their expertise forever just to manipulate their family in the Barrens. When they hear about their use of the vallorn in [[Therunin]] and [[Sarangrave]], it reinforces their belief that the Druj of Ulnak are more than capable of slaughtering entire septs just to deny them the liberty the Empire might offer them. The Druj will ''always'' destroy a thing, say the dimwalkers, rather than lose control of it. They are sure the Empire must have many examples of this from their own experience with the Druj.

As such, the Dreamers beg the Highborn, Varushkan, and Imperial Orcs to rescue their septmates from the Ghul'Thak Forest before it is too late. And before the Thule - who the Dreamers consider to be barely better than the Druj - get there. The immediate problem is that unlike the Great Forest Orcs, the Dreamers are not all conveniently collected in one place. They are spread out across Ghul'Thak, and the Dreamers will not countenance leaving any of their folk behind. It will need the Empire to actually conquer Ghul'Thak if they want the sept in Ossium to be completed. They wouldn't need long - with the help of the Unshackled the Dreamers will get their people moving as soon as the entire region is no longer in the hands of the Druj.

To achieve this, the Empire would need to send armies into the region to seize the Gul'Thak forest which will be hard because they will need a bridgehead unless they can get the agreement of the Thule to use [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]]. Otherwise, the attack will need to come from [[the Barrens]]. There are also currently Druj armies in Ulnak that would definitely resist such an attack, and the garrisons of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Uln]] and the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Thistle of Barbs]].

Allies exist however; [[Irra Harah]] has been granted access to the Forest by the Navarri magicians and will certainly help to free the Dreamers from the shackles of the Druj. The ability of the ''Prince With a Thousand Foes'' to support the attack of armies is somewhat limited but he would automatically add 2,000 strength to any effort to attack Ulnak this coming season as long as the orders of any generals involved made it clear they were there to free the orcs of the region rather than just to slaughter the Druj.

The Dreamers themselves would throw their full support behind an attack to reunite their sept and bring the three "missing families" home. Their presence would add an additional 2,000 strength to any effort to take Ghul'Thak this season, thanks both to the training they received, their experience fighting the Druj, and the excellent weapons and armour gifted them by Highguard and Varushka.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=WinterSun_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
This kind of strategy is exactly where the strength of the [[Winter Sun]] is at its greatest. Under normal circumstances they cannot issue a [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|Break the Chains]] order unless their side controls a region with the [[Region_qualities#Forest|forested]], [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]], or [[Region_qualities#Marsh|marsh]] quality. This season, the support of the Dreamers would allow them to issue such an order in Ghul'Thak. Unfortunately they are in Mareave, and so even if they wanted to get here they break the chains in Ulnak this season.

To which the Dreamers ask when ''could'' the Winter Sun get there? Their people have laboured under the rule of the Druj for many years - but the rule of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]] is crumbling ''fast''. They haven't murdered the Dreamers yet, but there is no way to know if that will change or when. They're already aware of the way ''Nimon Rue'' tried to use the Great Forest Orcs, and the casual atrocity the Druj were preparing to carry out. Furthermore, if the Thule take the region, the situation will only get worse in the view of the Dreamers.

The Imperial scouts say there are a lot more orcs in Ghul'Thak than there are in Echofell - it's not clear how much it would swell the numbers of the Dreamers but it would certainly create problems for their current arrangement of living in a few settlements along the borders. That at least is something the Dreamers are prepared to consider. Unlike the Druj and several other septs, they have no particular tie to any given land. If the Empire reunites them, then they would be content to look for new lands elsewhere, not unlike the [[Outreach_across_the_marshes|Sand Fishers]] did. As they said before, they can dream anywhere.
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If the sept was reunited it would be a powerful gesture that would win the trust and goodwill of the whole sept. It would create new [[opportunities]] to better integrate the sept into the Empire. If the Druj are allowed to slaughter their cousins before they are finally defeated, that opportunity will be lost.

==Participation==
* '''Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may choose to have accompanied the visit to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest if they were not otherwise engaged this season'''
* '''The Dreamers refused to put the mystagogues in touch with their ancestors, but they were happy to talk freely with anyone who visited them'''
* '''The Dreamers see no real difference between orcs and humans'''
Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may decide that their character was involved in this expedition to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. You will have found them wary and cautious, but charming and hospitable once their trust is earned. Once they became aware of the venture to save the Great Forest Orcs, they will have impressed on you how important it is to save the other members of their sept.

The sept don't appear to distinguish between humans and orcs - they largely live apart, but that is a matter of circumstance to them and nothing more. Everyone who dreams is a dreamer as far as they are concerned. The crucial difference in this world is between people who dream and those who do not. The Dreamers, Imperial citizens, even the Druj - all of them are people. Those who do not dream, notably rocks and the Thule are not. As far as the Dreamers are concerned, a Thule warrior is more like a living puppet of flesh and bone, with no value or worth.
==Further Reading==
* [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Beliefs of the Great Forest]]
* [[Seeking the Karass]]

* [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|Every day of your life]] - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about the Imperial Orcs highest calling
* [[The highest calling]] - 387YE Autumn Wind of Fortune introducing highest calling
* [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Culling the threat]] - 385YE Summer wind of fortune introducing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest

Islands in the dream

2026-09-08T15:52:15Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Who Are You? */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Highest Calling]]
<ic>Caston smoothed out the rough bed and then carefully lay down on it. It was midday, the sun was still shining and there was plenty of work to be done. He wasn't remotely tired, but their guests had so many questions and they wanted answers. Answers only the ancestors could provide.

There was nothing for it. He was just going to have to go and talk to them in person.

He closed his eyes, relaxed every muscle and concentrated on his breathing, feeling the air entering and leaving his lungs. Once his chest began to rise and fall more slowly, he looked around his mind for the entrance to the Dark Forest. He imagined himself in the woods near his home, searching for mottlecops for the evening feast. That was usually the easiest way to locate the doorway.

With an ease born of decades of careful practice, the dimwalker drifted off to sleep.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, but it is quickly becoming clear that not every orc hears them in the same way.}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''The Imperal Orc assembly seeks to learn more about the ancestors of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest'''
Since '''Bloodcrow Knott''' declared the [[the highest calling#Highest Calling|highest calling]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] assembly to be [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|seeking the ancestors of other septs]], the Imperial Orcs have reached out to the [[Seeking the Karass|Karass]] of [[the Barrens]], and to the [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Great Forest Orcs]]. At the Summer Solstice, '''Bloodcrow Meep''' was chosen to [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_93|lead an approach]] to the small sept in eastern [[Ossium]] known as the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]].

The Dreamers are something of an unknown quantity. They ignored the opportunity to leave the former [[Druj]] territory to travel to [[Skarsind]] and like the [[Blood_makes_noise#The_Sept_of_the_Menrothat|Menrothat]] show no interest in joining the ranks of the Unshackled. Unlike the other Ossium sept, however, they have demonstrated that they are prepared to work directly with the Empire. Three years ago, when the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] strove to secure their border against [[the Mallum]], the ''Dreamers'' were enlisted to help keep the Druj at bay. A joint effort by the Varushkan and [[Highguard|Highborn]] assemblies, [[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Authorise_supplying_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|endorsed]] by the Senate, saw the sept armed and armoured and given license to hunt out and destroy Druj raiding bands, guerillas, and spies. Since then, they have enthusiastically discharged this duty while still maintaining a clear distance between themselves and the Varushkan rulers of their territory. Very little is known about them apart from the fact they despise the masters of the Mallum, and so Bloodcrow Meep and their allies cannot be certain of the kind of welcome they will receive.

In the end a decision is made to bring a small number of Varushkans and Highborn along who have experience dealing with the Dreamers - those initially inspired by the [[mandate|mandates]] of '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_114|Wildfyre of Balthazar's Vineyard]]''' and '''[[385YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_163|Anatolij Paukov Zorkin]]'''. While the Unshackled mystagogues and shamans will take the lead, the humans can still provide some insight into the customs of this unfamiliar sept.
==Who Were You?==
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* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are still something of an enigma'''
* '''While guarded they are well disposed towards the people of Varushka and Highguard'''
* '''They despise both the Druj and the Thule'''
The Dreamers of the Dark forest are a sept that occupies part of the [[Ossium#Echofell|Echofell]]. Their main settlements lie near the [[Keeper_of_the_Bonehives#The_Bone_Hives|Bonehives]], where some of their number were once forced to work for Druj overlords. Since the liberation of the territory they have shown no interest in returning to those positions.

When they were first contacted by the Empire there was speculation that they have a connection with the [[Great Forest Orcs]], although they seem ignorant of any connection if one exists. The sept was relatively small and insular, but there had been some effort from the Varushkans and the Imperial Orcs both to make contact with them. It was during an [[appraisal]] by ''[[Appraisal#Naomi of Virtue's Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]]'' that they first became of particular interest to the Empire. After speaking with the leaders of the Dreamers, Naomi discovered that they could be convinced to fight the Druj at their own game, if they had the means to do so.

As with many subjects of the Druj that they don't fully trust, the Dreamers had few if any weapons of war or experience in battle. They were however very eager to fight the Druj, despite their lack of weapons or training. The Highborn National Assembly had reached out to support the people of Varushka as they treated with the orcs and Naomi herself is from Highguard. It is no surprise then that when she contacted a number of [[unconquered]] of her acquaintance to discuss the issue with them, they pointed out that when the Imperial Orcs joined the Empire, Highborn soldiers supported them with gifts of weapons and armour. They suggested that it might be possible to kill two birds with one stone; help protect Echofell and encourage good relations with the independent orcs in Ossium. For the next year, the Dreamers were supplied weapons, armour, and most crucially the training to use both effectively. They took to the instruction quickly, and developed their own spin on traditional tactics by incorporating their own experience with hunting and stealth.

There was a risk of course: it was impossible to determine what the long term effects of arming the Dreamers would be. Giving them weapons and armour certainly improved relations, and made them more positively inclined to both Varushka and Highguard. But the sept expressed no interest in becoming Imperial citizens, nor in adopting the Way. They had - have - their own religion, their own leaders, and their own laws. They also had their own enemies and ambitions, it seemed. They hate the Druj, but it is clear they don't think much better of [[Thule]], and they also loathe the Menrothat although exactly ''why'' they despise them is hard to fathom. They turned the weapons they had been provided on the Druj, but they also apparently used them to keep other septs of orcs at bay as enthusiastically as they used them on the Mallum.

That is not to say that they have remained completely isolated; in the last couple of years there has been regular trade of herbs, game, and goods with their Varushkan neighbours. Twice a year in Spring and Autumn a contingent of Dreamers make the long trek through the marshes to [[Merchant-Boyar_of_the_Stinking_Market#Stinking_Market|Stinking Market]] in the [[Ossium#Drownbark Forest|Drownbark Forest]] where they sell the spoils of their ongoing raids against the Druj and purchase worked metal goods. While they are skilled at working with wood and leather, there are few smiths among the Dreamers. They have neither the ore nor the expertise needed to craft anything save the simplest metalwork, and so such items have particular [[worth]] to this small sept.
{{CaptionedImage|file=WondrousForests.jpg|title=Some magicians say this ritual calls on the mysterious forests of the Night realm themselves.|caption=The shadows beneath the boughs are deeper, and more dangerous.|align=right|width=300}}
==Who Are You?==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are inspired by the magical dreams swirling around Ossium this season'''
* '''The Unshackled are able to meet the three ''dimwalkers'' who lead the sept'''
The trip to speak with the Dreamers almost founders before it can begin. Ossium has been [[enchantment|enchanted]] with a unique magic that [[occludes passage through woodlands]] {{TBC}}. Even familiar woods can turn treacherous and confusing, and the Echofall is by no means a tame forest. Less than six hours after entering the woods, the Unshackled party is hopelessly lost. [[Gralka's Gift to the Lost Seeker]] is able to pinpoint the location of the travellers, but it turns out to be no help in finding anywhere else. It would be easy to panic but level heads keep everyone calm. After a fretful night lost in the woods, however, an orc-like figure appears dressed in bright coloured clothes in the Varushkan style with a cloak of rainbow feathers and a lantern that turns out to be a glass jar full of moths. This [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|herald]] of the ''[[Sung|Night Singer]]'' has been dispatched by her mistress to make sure that the winding paths do not delay the Unshackled in their endeavour. The ''Rainbow Serpent'', it seems, approves of the Imperial Orcs' highest calling and the same magic that confounds their journey makes it easy for her to send her herald to aid them.

A lot can change in three years, especially in a place like Ossium. When the Unshackled and their human advisors arrive, they find the Dreamers of the Dark Forest quite different to how they were in 385YE. Almost as soon as they venture into territory claimed by the Dreamers, the Imperial group is intercepted by a patrol of a dozen serious orcs. Their weapons and armaments - bows, swords, and shields bearing the sigil of the black tree and six multicoloured stars - are practically antiques but there are also relatively new Varushkan axes and segmented armour on display. They are cautious but by no means unwelcoming, carefully questioning their visitors and providing them with a small honour guard to the large village of ''Dimmorden''.

Gone are the ramshackle huts that were all the Druj allowed them. In their place stand proud new structures of hardwood and stone surrounded by the kind of defensive wall familiar to any Varushkan, needful to keep the predators of the dark woods at bay. The settlement is also easily twice as large as it was when the Empire was last here in any official capacity. The warriors escorting the Unshackled explain that a few years ago several hundred of their kin captured by the ''Iceblood'' - a disparaging term for the [[Thule]] - joined them from [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Apparently the orc rulers of northern Ossium had tried to persuade them to stay, but when they refused had begrudgingly allowed them to leave - although it has done nothing to endear the folk of Otkodov to the Dreamers.

Dimmorden is overseen by three "dimwalkers" - respected orcs who represent the three extended families that make up the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Between them they guide the sept, relying on the wisdom of the ancestors which they glean from their dreams. Obviously, this excites the interest of the mystagogues and shamans, and it seems the dimwalkers are equally eager to speak to the Unshackled. It seems they have been expecting their arrival, having received dream portents that warned them of the Empire's approach.

This news rouses particular interest in the magicians accompanying the expedition. Apparently the Dreamers are quite excited that over the last several weeks their dreams have been particularly vivid and powerful, and even the least insightful among them record night time visits to the Dark Forest that underpins the waking world. A few of their magicians have pointed out that this is the result of an [[enchantment]] laid over the whole of Ossium, a clever weaving of the [[Night magic|Spirit]], but where it comes from does not matter to the Dreamers as much as the way it helps them hear their ancestors.

Intrigued, the Unshackled settle down to discuss matters of ancestors and spirits with the dimwalkers.

==The Dream==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest have mystical beliefs about ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
There are some ancestors that are particularly important to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest, called the First Dreamers. Each one was the head of a family of orcs who swore binding oaths of loyalty and support to the others at the creation of their sept. The dimwalkers don't talk about where these families came from, but explain that at first they were rivals but they were forced to work together in the face of possible destruction, and that forged bonds of community between them. The First Dreamers made those bonds real.

Their given names aren't used and aren't spoken to anyone save another dimwalker. Instead they are referred to by descriptive nickname - Redhand, the defender, who wielded two terrible blades to strike down anyone who threatened the sept; Keeneye, the watcher, who remained vigilant for enemies and struck them down with deadly arrows; and Threadsnap, the weaver, who read the ripples of future and past in his magical loom. While the voices of the First Dreamers are often the loudest, they rarely speak directly to their descendants except in times of dire need. Some young orcs mark themselves with tattoos that indicate the connection they feel to one of the First Dreamers, usually on the forearms. These are a cultural rather than metaphysical thing - such orcs are no more likely to hear a given ancestor but they use the tattoos to indicate which of the dreamers' words they find particularly compelling.

There are however an almost unlimited number of other ancestors that speak to the Dreamers when they sleep. The Dreamers believe that the waking world of solid objects and people is underpinned by the world of dreams. The two exist side by side, separated by a curtain of shadow. When someone is awake they can only see the mundane world, but when they hover on the edge of sleep they can sometimes glimpse through to the primordial world of dreams that is the foundation of reality. When people sleep, their spirits are free to explore the world of dreams and that is where the ancestors exist. They characterise it as the Dark Forest, a primordial space just out of reach of the waking world from which flow all sapient things, whether orc, human, animal, or tree. This rouses obvious interest but it appears that the Dreamers believe that human spirits come from the same place as orc spirits (and the spirits of trees and ox and what have you) and probably return there when they die). For the most part they don't worry about what human ancestors get up to - the first time they learned that humans believe they reincarnate was when they met the Highborn. It seems an odd idea to the dimwalkers, but they cheerfully point out that it would be incredibly rude for any orc to tell a human what their beliefs should be. One Varushkan casually asks if they think orcs can reincarnate and again they find the question odd. If humans can do it, orcs could probably do it (the word "better" is left unspoken). But why would they want to? And what would it even look like if an ancestor were born into the world of flesh again?

They are very clear that only those who dream are truly people; they firmly believe that creatures such as [[Varushkan Monster|mora]] or (controversially) the Thule are not really people because they do not really dream. They are no more people than rocks are. There is disagreement about heralds and creatures of the realms, but the Dreamers frankly don't have enough experience of them to have formed a strong opinion. Ghosts, incidentally, are also not people because they cannot dream - the Dreamers equate ghosts with the Nightmare or the Howling Abyss and teach their children to avoid them at all costs. There are also ways to cut people off from dreams, and doing so is a terrible crime that they believe ultimately causes anyone condemned to that state to go mad, die, and be immediately claimed by the Nightmare. This is one reason they have a deep-rooted distrust of [[Wise Rangara]] in particular, who they view with the same dread many Imperials reserve for Agramant.

Following some further exploration, the dimwalkers are clear that this world is not the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]]. They're aware of that place and the [[inhabitants of the realms|creatures]] that dwell there but it is not the Dark Forest or the world of dreams. The realms are likewise underpinned by the Dark Forest, and those closest to it in concept (the Night realm, and the realms of Spring and Winter) show that closeness with their forests. The Autumn and Day realms are furthest from the primal dreaming and that is why they are described in such unsettling and unnatural ways.

The Dark Forest is where the ancestors exist after they leave the waking world. Only a few orcs have the strength of spirit to become ancestors; other orcs become one with the forest and enjoy peaceful sleep in the shape of trees and animals of the dream. Any Dreamer of the Dark Forest might meet an ancestor when they sleep, especially when they are worried, frightened, angry, or otherwise in need of good advice. It is also clear that the Dreamers hear their ancestors when they are awake, just as other orcs do, but here the conversation takes a darker turn.

According to the dimwalkers, the thing the Imperial Orcs call the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#The_Howling_Abyss|Howling Abyss]] is a part of the dreaming world from which all bad things are born. Just as the Dark Forest is the ultimate source of mortal spirits, so the "Nightmare" is an endless chasm that seeks to consume those spirits. Howling Abyss is as good a word as any but the Unshackled, and most other orcs, are misled about its nature. It doesn't entirely consume the spirits that fall into it. Rather it hollows them out, consuming everything about them that is wholesome. Most spirits that fall to the Abyss are too weak to leave it and become part of its churning malignant chaos. Some however are strong enough to rise again, as ancestors that encourage their descendants to undertake selfish, self-destructive, corrupt actions.

When someone is asleep they can always tell if they are listening to a good ancestor or a bad ancestor. The dimwalkers explain that this is a simplistic way of looking at it, but that it would take far too long to explore all the metaphysical underpinnings, much more than the handful of weeks available. Dreamers are taught from a young age what signs to look for to help them understand if they are dreaming of a good ancestor who wants to help them or an ancestor that wants to drive them down the path to the Howling Abyss. When awake, though, those signs are not visible. All an orc has to go on is the voice, and that is not enough. As a consequence, the Dreamers of the Dark Forest are ''very'' careful about listening to the ancestors that speak to them when they fight or are otherwise worked up. Sometimes it's obvious that an ancestor is good or bad based on the kind of words they speak - an ancestor urging someone to strike down their sibling and take their sword is clearly a bad ancestor. One of the gifts of the three original dreamers - Redhand, Keeneye, and Threadsnap - was the framework that allows the Dreamers to judge if an ancestor is good or bad.

One of the reasons they despise the Menrothat is because the orcs of that sept believe that the waking world is a dream, and that they embrace the words of the bad ancestors fuelled by Nightmare in the same way the Druj do. They are still better than the Thule - but only just.
===Six Lights===
* '''The spiritual life of the Dreamers is guided by six precepts that help one become a "good" ancestor'''
* '''Orcs who abandon or subvert these principles are consumed by the Nightmare'''
There are six core principles that determine if an ancestor is good or bad. They are:

* '''Camaraderie:''' The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are family, bound together by bonds of blood, spirit, and oaths. When one is hurt, all are injured. When one weeps, all are sad. Always support your fellow, and believe that they in turn will support you.
* '''Insight:''' Weapons are good, but they all start with knowledge and understanding. Before you can have a spear, you must make a spear, and before you can make a spear, you have to understand how a spear is made. Learn everything you can, because the more you know the more prepared you are for whatever the world throws at you. This is the lesson of Threadsnap.
* '''Fury:''' Do not be afraid of anger, because anger is a fire that drives you forward. Anger is the way your spirit tells you something is wrong and you must do something about it. Sometimes you have to grab anger by the scruff of the neck and hold it back, but when the time comes to let it loose, the Dreamer must ride that fire and use it to do right things. This is the lesson of Redhand.
* '''Grace:''' You are a unique spirit spun out of the world of dreams into the waking world. There will never be anyone exactly like you ever again. Make your life a beacon to inspire your family, and to teach your enemies fear.
* '''Obduracy:''' Do not give up, no matter how difficult the path ahead seems. There is always a way towards your goal, and all you have to do is refuse to accept defeat and find a path to where you want to go. No forest is impassable.
* '''Wariness:''' The world is dangerous and there are plenty of people out there who listen to bad ancestors, or who don't know how to live properly. They are your enemies, and there are thousands of them, and some come in a pleasing guise. Learn to tell the difference between friends and enemies, and when you identify one make sure your family knows to turn away from them as well. This is the lesson of Keeneye.

Needless to say, this list of principles arouses a great deal of interest in the Highborn advising the Unshackled. They are very keen to learn more, but unfortunately there is little enough time to learn about ancestors.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ulnak Military Map.png|caption=Northern Mallum areas of control (artist impression)|align=right|width=400}}
===Missing Three===
* '''There are three other ancestors the Dreamers honour whose voices have fallen silent'''
* '''These ancestors are the founders of three other families trapped under the tyranny of the Druj'''
* '''The Dreamers remain in Ossium because they will not abandon the half of their sept in Gul'Thank forest'''
It's one of the Illarawm that points out that there are three First Dreamers and six lessons. Where did the other three come from? It seems that there are three other ancestors of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest - Holdfast, the ox, who worked day and night to ensure the original Dreamers had everything they needed to survive; Bright, the torch-bearer who lit the way for her people through the darkest times; and Wordmarked, who wrote down the laws the Dreamers still live by and helped forge them into one people. Their voices have fallen silent because the Dreamers are cut in two. This is the reason they refused to leave Ossium and why they continue to fight against the Druj - not just because it is the right thing to do but because the rest of their family is still held in the Mallum. Specifically, in the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'Thak Forest]].

It turns out the Dreamers of the Dark Forest have no particular affection for Echofell or even for Ossium. Unlike the Great Forest Orcs, they don't conceive of the Dark Forest as a physical place - every orc carries it with them all the time. They know they will dream of the forest and their ancestors anywhere in the world. THe reason they stay here is that they will not abandon those still held by the Druj. In fact, they believe they ''cannot'' abandon the other half of their sept and still be the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. Ultimately, they want to be reunited with the rest of their people. The two halves of the sept were separated roughly two hundred years ago at the order of a Buruk Tepel of the ''Sawscaled Viper''. The reasons are unclear, but the Dreamers teach that it was because they hated and feared the bonds of community that meant that no matter how hard they tried the Druj could never entirely break their spirits, even with their [[Druj miasma]] and their cruelties.

One of the reasons the Dreamers are excited is that their ancestors, their voices made clearer by Varushkan spirit magic, are telling them that the coming of the Unshackled presents a way for them to finally reunite with their family.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=300|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest and the Illarawm are not in accord when it comes to ancestors.}}</div>
===Not Sharing===
* '''The Dreamers are not interested in "sharing" their ancestors with the Unshackled'''
There is some talk of whether the Dreamers would be prepared to let the Illarawm build bridges to their ancestors. The dimwalkers ask to sleep on the matter - apparently this is a common thing for any Dreamer to do when faced with a big decision. The next morning, they are somewhat divided on the issue, but in the end say that they are not interested at this time. The First Dreamers are the ancestors of their sept, and if they wanted to talk to the Unshackled they would say as much. The Unshackled are worthy of respect but they represent different septs. There's no rudeness of condemnation, the dimwalkers just aren't interested in doing more than sharing stories.

Indeed there's some confusion about why the Illarawm are interested in the idea at all. Obviously the two septs have had some limited contact in the past - both are from Ossium - but the Dreamers find their [[Illarawm#Beliefs|beliefs]] alien. The Howling Abyss can't be silenced; the ancestors speak to whoever they wish to. The world of dreams is ultimately an unknowable place - the only way for any mortal being to understand it is to die. They don't have a problem with the idea that Illarawm is the first ancestor, they just don't see what it should matter to them.

One minor hiccup comes when the dimwalkers ask to speak to Bloodcrow Knott. Explaining that the orc who inspired this effort to reach out to septs within and around the Empire was executed for religious crimes causes a little consternation. The next morning the dimwalkers ask a few follow up questions and it after that are a little more guarded in their speech.

==Is Any of This "True"?==
* '''The Illarawm mystagogues believe that the Dreamers are fundamentally wrong about the nature of the ancestors and the Howling Abyss'''
* '''If the Dreamers shared their ancestors with the Illarawm, it ''might'' provide a way to answer the question, but they refuse to do that'''
There are a few raised eyebrows even among the [[Illarawm]]. This belief of ancestors living in dreams and speaking to the living, and especially this idea that there are "bad" ancestors that try to lead orcs astray, are a little challenging. The problem is that there is some very minor evidence that ''could'' be read as supporting the Dreamers' position. Orcs dream of their ancestors sometimes, in exactly the same way that humans dream of their friends and family. They also dream of other orcs, or of humans they have met, or any number of other things. That's just how dreams work. Some orcs dream that something they think is an ancestor is talking to them, but there is no way to tell if that is something real or just a fantasy manufactured by the sleeping mind.

Humans and orcs both know intellectually that there is a difference between dreams that come from "within" and those made by magic or potions. The Dreamers are clear that the Dark Forest is not the Night realm, but there is clearly some blurring of borders there. One of the Tamazi mentions that the Axou claim that when they use liao to [[Dedication#Dreams|share dreams]] those dreams often take the form of dead people talking to them, which doesn't exactly pour scorn on the idea.

The dimwalkers don't claim that the ancestors are constantly visiting them in dreams, but they say that in the past it was more common than it is now. One reason, they explain, is that in the days before the Druj they had access to a plant that helped a sleeping orc seek the advice of their ancestors when they faced particularly trying times. That plant is lost to them since they were exiled from Ulnak, and they recount how the Sawscaled Viper wickedly destroyed it wherever it grew. As far as they know, it is extinct and that is another reason they despise the Druj and the Buruk Tepel. When asked if it is [[Regarding_Black_Lotus|black lotus]] they say it isn't - black lotus is a legendary plant they claim was first grown by Threadsnap, and it allows a living orc to create a profound bridge to the world of dreams and speak directly to the ancestors and to each other in a lucid way that goes far beyond what the Dreamers experience. The plant they are referring to was called ''dimbloom'', and they believe it has passed from the world. The closest they can get today is through the preparations of [[apothecary|apothecaries]] - the [[Infusions of Feathers]] - which they say are a dim and unpredictable shadow of the past.
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Obligatory Grud Photo.jpg|align=right|width=4500|caption=The Dreamers of the Dark Forest seek the military aid of the Empire to rescue the rest of their family before the Druj slaughter them all.}}</div>

==A Dream of Unity==
* '''The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are desperate to reunite their sept and free their cousins from the Forest of Ulank'''
* '''Stories of the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs has raised hopes that the Empire might also help the Dreamers'''
* '''Reuniting the sept would be a powerful act of diplomacy that would win their trust'''
While the Unshackled and the dimwalkers are talking about philosophy and ancestors, other members of the Dreamers of the Deep Forest have much more pressingly mundane concerns. While the dimwalkers are the leaders of the sept, they don't oversee every element of the day-to-day running of the community. In the same way Senators might appoint generals, a boyar oversee a vale, or an exarch run a chapter - in each case with the advice of wise ones and priests - there are secular authorities who look after things like raiding the Druj or making sure everyone has enough to eat.

These are the people who ''want'' something from the Empire. As soon as they hear about the [[A greater darkness|events taking place in the Mallum]] they are convinced that their ancestors have been urging them to ask their Imperial neighbours for help. One of their great fears is that the Druj are ''monsters'' and they are ''desperate''. ''Nimon Rue'' was prepared to destroy the Great Forest Orcs and lose their expertise forever just to manipulate their family in the Barrens. When they hear about their use of the vallorn in [[Therunin]] and [[Sarangrave]], it reinforces their belief that the Druj of Ulnak are more than capable of slaughtering entire septs just to deny them the liberty the Empire might offer them. The Druj will ''always'' destroy a thing, say the dimwalkers, rather than lose control of it. They are sure the Empire must have many examples of this from their own experience with the Druj.

As such, the Dreamers beg the Highborn, Varushkan, and Imperial Orcs to rescue their septmates from the Gul'Thank Forest before it is too late. And before the Thule - who the Dreamers consider to be barely better than the Druj - get there. The immediate problem is that unlike the Great Forest Orcs, the Dreamers are not all conveniently collected in one place. They are spread out across Gul'Thak, and the Dreamers will not countenance leaving any of their folk behind. It will need the Empire to actually conquer Gul'Thak if they want the sept in Ossium to be completed. They wouldn't need long - with the help of the Unshackled the Dreamers will get their people moving as soon as the entire region is no longer in the hands of the Druj.

To achieve this, the Empire would need to send armies into the region to seize the Gul'Thak forest which will be hard because they will need a bridgehead unless they can get the agreement of the Thule to use [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]]. Otherwise, the attack will need to come from [[the Barrens]]. There are also currently Druj armies in Ulnak that would definitely resist such an attack, and the garrisons of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Uln]] and the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Thistle of Barbs]].

Allies exist however; [[Irra Harah]] has been granted access to the Forest by the Navarri magicians and will certainly help to free the Dreamers from the shackles of the Druj. The ability of the ''Prince With a Thousand Foes'' to support the attack of armies is somewhat limited but he would automatically add 2,000 strength to any effort to attack Ulnak this coming season as long as the orders of any generals involved made it clear they were there to free the orcs of the region rather than just to slaughter the Druj.

The Dreamers themselves would throw their full support behind an attack to reunite their sept and bring the three "missing families" home. Their presence would add an additional 2,000 strength to any effort to take Gul'Thak this season, thanks both to the training they received, their experience fighting the Druj, and the excellent weapons and armour gifted them by Highguard and Varushka.
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This kind of strategy is exactly where the strength of the [[Winter Sun]] is at its greatest. Under normal circumstances they cannot issue a [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|Break the Chains]] order unless their side controls a region with the [[Region_qualities#Forest|forested]], [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]], or [[Region_qualities#Marsh|marsh]] quality. This season, the support of the Dreamers would allow them to issue such an order in Gul'thak. Unfortunately they are in Mareave, and so even if they wanted to get here they break the chains in Ulnak this season.

To which the Dreamers ask when ''could'' the Winter Sun get there? Their people have laboured under the rule of the Druj for many years - but the rule of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]] is crumbling ''fast''. They haven't murdered the Dreamers yet, but there is no way to know if that will change or when. They're already aware of the way ''Nimon Rue'' tried to use the Great Forest Orcs, and the casual atrocity the Druj were preparing to carry out. Furthermore, if the Thule take the region, the situation will only get worse in the view of the Dreamers.

The Imperial scouts say there are a lot more orcs in Gul'Thank than there are in Echofell - it's not clear how much it would swell the numbers of the Dreamers but it would certainly create problems for their current arrangement of living in a few settlements along the borders. That at least is something the Dreamers are prepared to consider. Unlike the Druj and several other septs, they have no particular tie to any given land. If the Empire reunites them, then they would be content to look for new lands elsewhere, not unlike the [[Outreach_across_the_marshes|Sand Fishers]] did. As they said before, they can dream anywhere.
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If the sept was reunited it would be a powerful gesture that would win the trust and goodwill of the whole sept. It would create new [[opportunities]] to better integrate the sept into the Empire. If the Druj are allowed to slaughter their cousins before they are finally defeated, that opportunity will be lost.

==Participation==
* '''Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may choose to have accompanied the visit to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest if they were not otherwise engaged this season'''
* '''The Dreamers refused to put the mystagogues in touch with their ancestors, but they were happy to talk freely with anyone who visited them'''
* '''The Dreamers see no real difference between orcs and humans'''
Any Imperial Orc, Varushkan, or Highborn character may decide that their character was involved in this expedition to the Dreamers of the Dark Forest. You will have found them wary and cautious, but charming and hospitable once their trust is earned. Once they became aware of the venture to save the Great Forest Orcs, they will have impressed on you how important it is to save the other members of their sept.

The sept don't appear to distinguish between humans and orcs - they largely live apart, but that is a matter of circumstance to them and nothing more. Everyone who dreams is a dreamer as far as they are concerned. The crucial difference in this world is between people who dream and those who do not. The Dreamers, Imperial citizens, even the Druj - all of them are people. Those who do not dream, notably rocks and the Thule are not. As far as the Dreamers are concerned, a Thule warrior is more like a living puppet of flesh and bone, with no value or worth.
==Further Reading==
* [[Beliefs_of_the_Great_Forest#From_the_Illarawm|Beliefs of the Great Forest]]
* [[Seeking the Karass]]

* [[Every_day_of_your_life#Spanning_the_Abyss|Every day of your life]] - 387YE Winter wind of fortune about the Imperial Orcs highest calling
* [[The highest calling]] - 387YE Autumn Wind of Fortune introducing highest calling
* [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Culling the threat]] - 385YE Summer wind of fortune introducing the Dreamers of the Dark Forest

Mud, blood, and manacles

2026-09-08T14:21:53Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Objective: Speak to the Raven Jarl */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
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==What Has Gone Before==
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<quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">From the Rushes we rise from the reeds. Heed not the gnashing jaws and grasping hands of the unquiet Grey walkers, we are of the fens and reeds and are as much a part of the land as they are, our risen neighbours. Seek out the Jotun, strike at them and push them back to Ottermire!</quote>
<quote by="Aracelis I Erigo, General of the Burning Falcon">The Drakes turn south as we turn west. The bonds of Loyalty turn over from nation to nation and through General to General freely given in our actions to another. As an Empire we fight to show the Jotun they cannot take with Impunity and that we answer their threat with standing together whether in Mitwold reclaiming as they quit our lands, or Bregasland where we will face their armies and their Fjorknaw. We are the Burning Falcon, empowered by the might of Summer. Where we tread, Triumph blazes</quote>
<quote by="Lord Daemon Mortére, General of the Golden Sun">The Golden Sun stands where the Empire needs it most. Every oath deserves its shield. We will grinding advance into Bregasland. Out of fields of gold, through the Rushes and Ottermire. No enemy can sever what Loyalty has forged. For family, for the Marchers. We stand for the lore of their land. For the Empire. The Golden Sun will be a glorious arrow into the heart of our enemies. Secure the objective sun. For Gui.</quote>
<quote by="Zadok, General of the Valiant Pegasus">Two Years ago I ordered you to begin a crusade of liberation against the Jotun to free those labouring under barbarian yoke, starting in the Mourn. We inspired and aided the Oakleaf rebellion to free themselves. Then Bregasland fell, and our commitment to our crusade was renewed. Diversionary attacks North and South, the Reeds patience tested, a strike to one of the two hearts of their power, Keirheim, just barely thwarted. All this to make possible the conditions of this season, our return to Bregasland. We are fighting for Dominion, for the Liberty of the people of Bregasland; Accept no less than total victory. One day the Tyranny of Queens and Kings shall end and all people will be free to pursue virtue. We fell their rotten oaks one strike at a time.</quote>
<quote by="Joaquim i Erigo, General of the Red Wind Corsairs">Corsairs we trade a swamp for a marsh in helping our Marcher Cousins reclaim Bregasland. The Lasambrians have stolen from our cousins so we commit to a Daring Riad to reclaim their wealth from the Jotun by Proxy. We must be especially vigilant for the stolen dolmen of Drayham Mere. For the Empire! For the Marches!</quote>
<quote by="Albrecht Sanguineo, General of the Sparrow's Reckoning">Bravos of Tassato, soldiers of the League, heroes of the Empire we stand ready all swords sharpened, armour new and unblemished. Now we test them and ourselves against Jotun steel. We march to Bregasland at steady conquest to retake the homes of our Marcher siblings. We are named for our Empress, let your Pride in that legacy give you the strength to show the world that when the twin cities march to war no one can stand against us.</quote>
<quote by="Fitzwilliam Thorn, General of the Bounders">Jacks of the Bounders. Look into yourself and find your ambition, for there is work to be done. We go back to Bregasland with our Imperial cousins with us. Even the most impenetrable forest may fall one Jotun at a time.</quote>
<quote by="Jack Ashton, General of the Tusks">War is a vicious dog on a long chain. Too fucking long has it been let loose in our lands. Our homes. The time has come to chase the beast from our bounds. I say to you what I did before. Kill the invaders. Leave no Jotun Warrior alive to contest the claim. Make Balanced attack and liberate our home. P.S. if you see Stephen he's mine!!!</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Bloodcloaks, we go to Bregasland to recover those we have lost and will lose reclaiming the homes of the Marchers. Find the trinkets on the limbs of the trees that sprung up on this blood-soaked beachhead. We collect them to return them to the families of these heroes so their stories can be told and their memories shall survive the cold of night. We are Winterborn and the cold doesn't compromise. All heroes have a name, no matter which nation.</quote>
<quote by="Iron Osric, General of the Green Shield">A red sky after battle day, Bleeds broad beyond the brae; What fields, what fallen friends are they, What fires fade o'er far away? What spears stood stout in storm and shout, What banners broke and burned? What voices, valiant, call me out, To rounds from which we turned? That was the ground of gathered might, Of kin in clash and cry, The steadfast shields, a woman bright, Whose blade sang swift and high. O iron hours and embered eve, O dust and drum and flame, The hands I held, that I've had to leave, Yet thrill to speak their name. Good battle days 'neath shining star, Are loath to lose their lustre, Naught after else their joy can mar, Nor break the band we muster.</quote>
<quote by="Determination of Ice Kaisa, General of the Narwhal's Spear">We are to be a dance of cunning to claim what is before us. Let us weave our way through the lines carrying messages between our many allies. Be the Vigilant eyes and ears that inform every step forward. Seek the flanks and guide the Jotun's path into our Imperial victory.</quote>
<quote by="Ashborn Vana, General of the Autumn Hammers">Hammers, this is the season we strike the Jotun and bind them. This is the season we invoke the contracts with the City of Lock and Bond. We have seen the Hunters walk among us and now we fight with them. Show the Jotun why the Lictors are known as the Punishers, more than that, show them why WE are The Hammers! Strike the blow, cripple them so they cannot flee from us. Have Pride in your strength.</quote>
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Here are the [[Bregasland#Grey_Fens|Grey Fens]] of [[Bregasland]]. The Jotun rule here, at least in theory. Yet what is this emerging from the marshes, from the dead pools? The [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#Objective:_Dismiss_the_Grey_Walkers|shades of Marchers past]] walk the Grey Fens, now that [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#Objective:_Recover_the_Ullsmere_Rock|Ullsmere Rock]] is gone. They do not tolerate trespassers, and unlike many ghosts they are capable of enforcing their will at least to a degree. They have no time for the self-styled Jarls of Bregasland, but they also care not for the folk of the Marches it seems. The Jotun defend their thralls, which includes those Bregas folk who have taken the Choice, but their efforts go only so far. Slowly, methodically, the Grey Walkers [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Get_Off_My_Fen|drive our]] everyone living in "their" fens, human and orc alike.

Here are the [[Bregasland#North_Fens|North Fens]], where stands [[Bregasland#Fisher’s_Rock|Fisher's Rock]]. The interloper queen of the Fishers is dead now, interred far to the north by her erstwhile Jotun allies. She is gone but the shadow of her touch remains; the bitter anger of [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#Battle_opportunity:_Open_relations_with_House_Brawness|House Brawness]] festers here, steeped in daydreams of [[Bregasland#Rebellious|rebellion]]. Yet it is not House Brawness that the people of North Fens fear at night. It is not rebels who come creeping out of the Gullet to steal away the unwary. It is not the bitter anger of Matilda Fisher's former friends that has seen villages and farms deserted. The Jotun try to defend their thralls here, too, but the monsters that come out of the sea strike without warning and often as not the yeofolk are dragged kicking into the sea, shouting for aid that arrives too late.

Here then is [[Bregasland#Ottermire|Ottermire]], and the town of Ottermire where the Jotun have planted their standards, from where they rule over Bregasland. They control the hub from which roads run like spokes - the Odd's Way east into [[Mitwold]], and Sallow's Walk south toward the [[Mournwold]], and innumerable paths and byways stretching out across the fens. These lesser roads quickly give way to streams and lakes and rivers, and the flat-bottomed boats of the Bregasfolk. Especially since that season of rains which left all the Empire's marshes deeper, and stranger. And the fens of Bregasland were strange enough to begin with...

And here are [[Bregasland#The_Rushes|the Rushes]], and the town of the Sallowfolk, which rises in time toward the dry land of [[Bregasland#Graven_Rock|Graven Rock]] and its [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|march]]. There is a [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#The_Forest_Endures|new woodland]] here, where the marshwaters give way to the stone, where Jotun and Imperial once fought in the shadow of that great, flat rock (that rock that echoes still with the fading notes of that [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#The_Mountain_Rings|eerie song]] that once rang out across the battlefield). This is the border that the barbarians watch, between their lands and that fraction of Bregasland wrested free from their grasp.

It is from that rock, right down there in the south of Bregasland, that the ripples of [[Spring magic]] still spread across Bregasland bringing with them unnatural life, and the [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaotic touch]] of the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]]. It runs through the waters of the marshes and the swamps, bringing [[Spring_magic#Healing_and_Vitality|indiscriminate healing]] to all who need it, whether they want it or not. Since the flat-topped mountain sang, all save the most mortal of injuries heals in a matter of hours, provided one bathes in or drinks from the waters of Bregasland.

Spring rarely, if ever, brings unalloyed benefit to those it touches, and as Summer fades it is clear that Bregasland is no different. The vitality that infuses the humans, and the orcs, and their beasts, infuses also the vermin of the marsh. Great clouds of mosquitos and biting flies rise from the waters of the fens, spreading fear, and painful bites, and the threat of pestilence. The Jotun fight to defend their thralls, but against clouds of insects, what use can axes be?

The Jotun also cannot forget that out there, hidden in the fens and the marshes, are the [[Strong Reeds]]. They have not forsaken their oath to the Bregas, not for one day. They fought to take back Gravenmarch, and then they slipped back into the rushes and the water without a trace, and every day the Jotun jarls must remember that they are ''still here'', and oh how that must rankle, how that must tug at their pride. They cannot root out the Strong Reeds, and every raid, every battered baggage train, every prisoner spirited away from beneath their noses, is a reminder that the spirit of Bregasland will never submit to them.

This is Bregasland, then, in the heartbeats between the height of Summer and the slow descent toward Winter. And none of these problems besetting the Jotun - not Grey Walkers, not coral-tainted husks, not bitter rebels, not bloodthirsty mosquitos, not even the lurking threat of the Strong Reeds - is anything compared to the storm of war that breaks over Bregasland as the sun rides high in the sky and the grain darkens toward gold in the fields.

==A Storm of Summer's Passing==
Eleven Imperial armies explode into Bregasland with hurricane force, while the Strong Reeds rise from the rushes to meet them, to lead their assault against the Jotun conquerors. Across the territory, those the Reeds have inspired throw their strength behind the Empire, launching long-rehearsed strikes against barbarian strongholds across the fens. They strike supply caches in Ottery, fire the palisade at Sallow, and wreck bridges across the North Fens. Then, with the skill of the Bregas, they melt back into the marshes before the Jotun can retaliate.

Into the Rushes, the Empire comes in force. A dozen armies, half of them marked with the power of Imperial [[enchantment|enchantments]]. A further five thousand strength of [[military unit|warbands]], led by bold captains eager to see the Jotun brought down, driven out of the Marches entirely.

The Strong Reeds rise, flanked by the [[Tusks]] and the [[Bounders]]. This is a war for the Marches, but not solely ''by'' the Marches. Three Marcher armies are matched by three armies of [[Wintermark]] - by the [[Bloodcloaks]], the [[Green Shield]], and the [[Narwhal's Spear]]. The first guards the lives of those who fight, bringing succour to the fallen. The second [[Wintermark_military_concerns#Army_Orders|fights with honour]], reminding their allies that there are some tactics that will not be borne - and showing the Jotun that the heroes of Wintermark at least remember how to glory in battle without letting it taint their spirit. The hunters of the third army, [[Army_qualities#Quick-Witted|quick witted]] and fleet footed and no stranger to fighting in marshes, test the mettle of their foes and seek that understanding which is key to any successful hunt.

Six armies, and only halfway through their accounting!

Next are two Freeborn armies, bright and burning despite the mud and the damp Summer. The [[Burning Falcon]] blaze with passionate ardour, a deadly bonfire of [[Army_qualities#True_Conviction|true conviction]] that will not settle for anything less than absolute victory over the foe. The Jotun cannot help but respect this incomparable enthusiasm for battle. The [[Red Wind Corsairs]] match the bold courage of their cousins with daring and audacity of their own, making the Jotun pay not in blood but in treasure to recover the prisoners they claim on the battlefield. The war-price is a sacred tradition, after all, and the orcs can hardly complain when the Freeborn take advantage of it.

Then the virtuous [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the untested soldiers of the League fresh mustered to the [[Sparrows Reckoning]]. They eschew glory and heroism in the pursuit of preserving lives, a [[Army_orders#Steady_Conquest|steady conquest]] that sees them ensure their soldiers are never far from the healing touch of the [[Surgical skills#Physick|physick]] or the [[heal|healer]]. The soldiers of one of the oldest nations of the Empire fight beside those belonging to one of the youngest. The one shares their experience with the other, who in turn share their pride at their chance to serve their nation, their Empire, and their [[the Throne|Throne]].

Last, then, but by no means least, come the [[Autumn Hammers]]. The [[orc|orcs]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] have the strangest of allies; with them marches a cohort of figures, features concealed in cowled hoods and metal masks. They fight not with sword or spears but with chains of green iron or pale glass or stranger materials. They are hunters bound by contract with the [[Lictors|Sovereign Lords of the City of Bar and Bond]], and they bring with them the power of the [[Realms#Autumn|Iron Labyrinth]] itself. Its power is subtle, but as the Empire engages the armies of the Jotun, it begins to spread wherever the orc army treads.

Twelve armies. Four - the Hammers, the Reeds, the Tusks, and the Bounders - are at the heart of the Imperial strategy. Their soldiers are granted supernatural [[Clarity of the Master Strategist|clarity of thought]] by the Empire's masters of [[Day magic]]. They can see how best to wield the strength of Imperial soldiers against the defenders, the straight road from where they are to the future where Bregasland is freed.

Two are enchanted with the [[Knights of Glory]]. With the Green Shield is ''Ollavan the Reeve'', sharp-eared archer and master of the bow. He brings his warband of hunters and rust-red hounds, and their arrows sing as they seek out the Jotun foe. When not fighting, they are eager to test their skill against that of the finest archers among the Imperial troops, congratulating winner and loser with equal enthusiasm. Their thirst for glory is contagious, spreading easily through the bold warriors of Wintermark.

The Burning Falcon are joined by ''Kore the Lion-maned'', resplendent in crimson armour, leading their leonine lancers at the forefront of every charge. Kore's knights tower above the Freeborn beside them; while their torso, head, and arms are humanlike, their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. (And if there are also rumours of laughing, dancing [[Inhabitants of the realms#heralds|heralds]] of the [[Janon|Shadowed Fire]] with the Burning Falcon, they are surely just that - rumours. Surely such sightings are simply kohan inspired by the passion of [[Eleonaris|Eleonaris']] captain, and not the servants of any [[eternal]] the [[Conclave]] has placed under [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]]. Surely.)

The storm of swords breaks over Bregasland, and the Jotun are in its path. But what of the Jotun?
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==An Answering Gale==
The Jotun are on the back foot in Bregasland. The challenges to their rule, the threats to the thralls they are sworn to protect, are only the half of it. Their forces withdrew [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Mitwold_Triumph|fell back]] from [[Mitwold]] last season, surrendering the land they had taken without a fight. The Lasambrian armies continued southward, down towards their home in [[Reinos]], beset by the armies of the [[Iron Confederacy]]. The Imperial attack on [[Skallahn]] threatened the unity of the north and the south, and drew the attention of both the king and the queen away from Bregasland.

This season, it seems, the Jotun planned to tighten their grip on Bregasland once more. Perhaps they expected the Empire to be busy elsewhere, perhaps they simply didn't predict the sheer ''might'' that the Empire would bring to bear. Either way, when the Strong Reeds rise and the Imperial armies attack, the Jotun are in the midst of mobilizing for an attack of their own. Led by the ''Skjaldirborn'', the Jotun forces in Bregasland sought to make a [[Army_orders#Cautious_Advance|cautious foray]] into Gravenmarch, to take back the only dry land in the marshes from the Empire.

Likely this was a calculated gamble - if the Empire were to wait another season before committing forces to Bregasland, they would be able to take back the March and remove the Imperial beachhead. If the Empire chose to defend, they could probe those defences without risking too many casualties. And if, as has happened, the Imperials launched an attack of their own they would at least be able to face it without wholesale bloodshed. Unfortunately for the Jotun, it is nowhere near as good as a carefully planned defence for holding in the face of the hurricane of war that has descended upon them.

There are some eight armies remaining in Bregasland, and the warbands of many of the Jotun champions. There are warriors of the ''Fields of Glory'' with them also; the warbands of the hound-knight ''Ser Grumbar'' and the stag-knight ''Ser Helvennan'' battle alongside the Jotun. The households of the rival twins glower and glare at each other, but seem united in their disappointment at how conservative the orcs' strategy is this season. It does not stop them fighting, however, and as always the court of the ''Lady of the Pennants'' seek every opportunity to test their skill against one another.

With the disruption spread by the Strong Reeds and their Bregas allies, the Jotun are barely able to respond to the awesome force of the Empire before they have already lost control of Sallow and most of the Rushes. They rally as best they can; the Roaring Thunder, the Southern Bear and the Shield of the Mountain try to hold the southern end of ''Sallow Walk'' while the skirmishers of the Howling Night and the vanguard of the Bear who Swims seek to flank the Imperial forces. Their rearguard action slows the Empire only briefly; the Jotun are forced to retreat in disarray. In their wake they leave the would-be Jarl Kiergmunt of Sallow. He and his household warriors are found floating in the eel ponds below the town he thought to make his hall, cut to pieces with the distinctive long knives favoured by the reed-cutters of the Rushes. The people here may resent the Empire, but they resent the Jotun even more; and when the Strong Reeds rise, they rise with them.

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==The Battle of Sallow Walk==
As the Empire quells barbarian resistance in the Rushes, the Jotun regroup and prepare a counter-attack from their stronghold at Ottery. While the siege-engineers of the Tower of the North feverishly reinforce the defences along the northern part of Sallow Walk and the town at its head, the relentless Fell Hammers and the Southern Bear lead the bulk of the Jotun forces against the Empire. As they march south along Sallow Walk, they meet the Burning Falcon marching north, eagerly pulling ahead of the main Imperial line. Perhaps ten thousand Freeborn and allied captains, along with the heralds of Eleonaris, clash with maybe twelve thousand Jotun, and their own supernatural allies. Neither Imperial nor barbarian are prepared to step aside, and furious battle is joined with control of the Walk being the ultimate prize.

Battle rages on the raised road, and the sections of dry land to either side. The four Imperial armies most familiar with fighting in open marsh - the Bounders and the Drakes to the east and the Narwhal's Spear and the Green Shield to the west - sweep round to attack the Jotun from the side. Before they can strike, the rest of the Jotun forces arrive to support their vanguard. It's clear that while many of the barbarians are at a disadvantage when forced to leave the dry ground of the Walk, others have made the most of their time in Bregasland to adapt their tactics a little to the realities of shifting ground and open water.

At first it seems the furious charge of the Burning Falcon will give them the advantage, but the Fell Hammers and the Southern Bear have their own momentum. The enthusiasm of the Freeborn proves to be both an advantage and a disadvantage when tested against the more cautious strategy of the orcs. The front lines press forward too far, and while at first it seems the Jotun line is breaking, they are actually falling back and to the side to allow the Falcon to over-extend itself. The barbarians close around the vanguard of the Burning Falcon like a fist, and exact a terrible price from the bright burning warriors of the south before the tides of battle allow them to retreat to their own lines.

In the end though it is the unstoppable force of the Falcon and their allies that wins the day. The Jotun are forced to sound the retreat - great hollowed horns braying mournful notes across the sodden battlefield. The Empire continues to press them all the way back to Ottery, with the pitched battle of Sallows Walk becoming a ragged mess of smaller fights and skirmishes. The barbarians are still more interested in the fight than they are in defending their hold of Bregasland - at least for the moment.

A butchers' trail lies along the top of Sallow Walk as the Empire presses the Jotun north. The unheard rippling song of Graven Rock still washes across Bregasland, but even Spring magic has its limits. The Jotun take their wounded with them where they can but must leave the bodies of the dead behind; at the same time they make no effort to execute the fallen Imperial soldiers who have fought valiantly against them. The Empire may be their enemies, but to slaughter the fallen would be to surrender the heart and soul of what it means to be Jotun. For their part, the Empire is also restrained in its treatment of barbarians that fall behind the retreating armies - the Green Shield in particular will not allow the mistreatment of prisoners. Some Freeborn joke that the Red Wind Corsairs are spending almost as much time negotiating the exchange of prisoners and the ransom of captured Jotun as they do fighting the barbarians!
<gallery heights=200 mode="packed">
File:GoldenSun Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Golden Sun
File:Tusks Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Tusks
File:StrongReeds Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Strong Reeds
File:Bounders Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Bounders
File:SparrowsReckoning Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Sparrows Reckoning
File:ValiantPegasus Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Valiant Pegasus
File:BloodCloak_Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Bloodcloaks
</gallery>
==The Battle of Ottery==
The Tower of the North have been busy, wringing every ounce of opportunity from every hour of time the rest of the Jotun have bought for them. Wood is at a premium in Bregasland, but it seems the Tower has brought wagons of lumber out of Liathaven to prepare their defences. A stout wood-and-stone palisade surrounds Ottery, reinforced with archers-towers. Spiked barricades have been thrown like the toys of a frustrated giant across the road, and the marshy land surrounding the town. The Bregas themselves are trapped in their houses, a curfew imposed by savvy Jotun who will not risk Strong Reeds or their sympathisers infiltrating Ottery.

Arrayed before Ottery to meet the Empire is the full might of the Skjaldirborn, banners flapping fitfully in the sour wind blowing from the north. The mighty Jorgen Hylasson, one of the most respected of the northern Jotun warlords, stands a little ahead of the army. As the Imperial forces begin to move forward, he raises his hand in a salute to the attackers, and then sounds the massive horn he hefts easily in one hand. The Jotun are not content to cower behind makeshift walls - and it seems they are not prepared to risk harm coming to the thralls of Ottery. With the Skjaldirborn in the lead, they attack the Empire head-on.

Yet even so, they are not reckless. They make good use of the barricades the Tower of the North have erected; archers are positioned in key locations across the battlefield and in the newly constructed towers of Ottery. Rather than volleying indiscriminately, these skilled marksmen pick their targets with care. More than one Imperial battlemage is brought down without any hint of a warning by an arrow to the back of the head. These deadly warriors support the [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Ulfur|Ulfur]] of the Howling Night in their efforts to counter the impact of Imperial battlefield magic.

Many of the Jotun warriors here bear [[enchantment|enchantments]], or the boons of the [[eternal|eternals]]. Summerbound [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Skjaldir|Skjaldir]] with truly supernatural levels of [[combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] battle relentlessly alongside [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Ulvenwar|Ulvenwar]] with the strength to [[shatter|rend]] the wargear of their enemies. These magically empowered warbands especially seek to test themselves against the knights of Dawn and the Marcher armies, and before the real threat is made clear are able to splinter many Marcher polearms and break the bright heraldry of Dawnish shields.

While the battle rages south of Ottery, the Bounders, Strong Reeds, and the Sparrows Reckoning avoid the thick of the fighting and flank round to the east. They launch a coordinated raid against the less-well defended gates of the town and quickly gain purchase within the town itself. The League army is untested, but the [[bravo|bravos]] that fight with it are well versed in fighting in the confined spaces of city streets - skills that serve them well inside Ottery. Once the folk here realise the Reeds and the Bounders are here, that the Empire is here, many of them take up weapons and join the effort to reclaim their town. The struggle within Ottery itself culminates in a trio of Marcher beaters and a League crossbow marksman capturing one of the archer towers, and firing on the Jotun from behind. When Jorgen Hylasson takes a Marcher arrow to the shoulder, piercing through his mandowla-hide cloak and finding a chink in his armour, it is the turning point of the battle.

Ottery lost, and the Empire pressing forward, the second retreat is sounded. Again the Jotun fall back toward [[Bregasland#North Fens|North Fens]]. Not one Jotun Army tries to retreat west into Grey Fens - they would always rather fight living Imperials than dead phantoms.

The Bloodcloaks quickly take charge of Ottery, establishing field hospitals wherever they can. Public buildings are used, but there are also sickrooms set up in the homes of grateful Bregas who open their doors to the injured and to the Winterfolk healers. There is a significant Jotun supply cache here, and its not clear who gives the order to break it open, but the night after the Battle of Ottery an impromptu celebration begins in the streets of the town. At first it is muted - this liberation has been bought at a terrible cost after all - but perhaps it is that very cost, that spectre of death and war, that adds kindling to the feasting and the dancing and the singing in the streets of Ottery that night. A weight has been lifted from the Bregas - hope replacing fear and bitterness. Perhaps there are some who think the celebration premature, but over the next two weeks the Imperial forces win out against the Jotun again and again and eventually Ottermire is Imperial - and with it the territory of Bregasland as a whole.
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Shiny Helmets.jpg|align=right|caption=With steel, pride, and loyalty, the Empire has been victorious.|width=500}}</div>
==A Long Slog Through Thick Mud==
After Ottermire, the writing seems to be on the wall for the Jotun. They continue to launch attacks against the Imperial armies, but they are short-lived, probing stabs rather than committed efforts to bring the Empire to battle again. The Jotun could dig-in at Fisher's Rock, but for the most part they focus on trying to bog the Imperial forces down wherever they can. It's clear messengers have been sent west and north, to call for aid against the massive Imperial host, to warn King Gudmundr and Queen Yrsa of the situation in Bregasland.

The fighting continues as the Autumn Equinox approaches, and as it does so too the Empire's front line approach Fisher's Rock where the Jotun have their fallback position. One last push, and the Jotun will have no choice but to retreat again - either into the Grey Fens to the south and thence to Liathaven, or west into Hordalant. It seems inevitable that the Empire will win - if they keep up this relentless pressure the remaining Jotun forces will not be able to stand against it.

The cost has been high. Even with the magic of Graven Rock and the efforts of the Bloodcloaks, the butchers' road northward has claimed so many lives. The dead are counted in the thousands, and the Empire's forceful strategy has seen them pay the lion's share. Many of the fallen are recovered, but just as many are not, will likely never be found, taken by the mud and the water. The marshes give but they also take, say some of the Bregas dourly.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">[[file:AutumnHammers_colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Autumn Hammers]]</div>
==The Manacle Snaps Shut==
Autumn is in the wind, in the water, in the sun setting behind the western peaks. But that is not the ''only'' place the Autumn lies. All through this long campaign, the Autumn Hammers have been busy. While their warriors have fought no less valiantly against the Jotun than anyone else, that is not ''all'' they have been doing. As the battle presses the Jotun north, bands of thief-takers and oathwrights have made forays into the marshes, or led swift raids against key positions that seem to have little strategic importance. With them have gone the iron-masked chainfighters of the City of Bar and Bond.

The whole time the Jotun have been fighting over the marshes of Bregasland, the Unshackled have been fixing unseen manacles about their ankles. The [[lictors]] are the unparalleled masters of [[Autumn_magic#Binding|binding]] and this season they are contracted to the service of the Imperial Orcs. None of the Jotun armies escape their touch. While binding is often dramatic and obvious - the spells of the war magician that hold folk in place - there are also more subtle methods of holding in place, of impeding travel. As the last light of Summer drains from the sky, and Winter's herald delicately touches the leaves on the scrubby marsh trees, the jaws of the final trap snap shut.

==Game Information==
===Bregasland===
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Bregasland Region Map.png|caption=A very rough region map of Bregasland.|align=right|width=600}}</div>
* '''The Empire has reclaimed the Rushes and Ottermire, and is seven tenths of the way toward claiming North Fens'''
* '''Bregasland is once again an Imperial territory and an administrative motion will be raised at the Autumn Equinox to assign it'''
* '''The Grey Walkers are one-tenth of the way toward claiming Grey Fens'''
* '''Spring magic continues to ripple across Bregasland creating an effect similar to Rivers of Life'''
* '''The Jotun armies have all been cursed by the Lictors and the Imperial Orcs'''
This season has seen the Empire win a resounding victory over the Jotun in Bregasland. Imperial forces liberated the Rushes and Ottermire, and along with their control of Gravenmarch, this means the territory is once again Imperial. As such, an administrative motion to assign the territory will be raised by the Speaker of the Senate at the Autumn Equinox. The Empire is also seven-tenths of the way toward claiming North Fens.

The phantom Grey Walkers are slowly driving "trespassers" - human and orc alike - out of Grey Fens. They are one-tenth of the way toward claiming the region from the Jotun. The [[Region_qualities#Grey_Walkers|Grey Walkers]] will continue to try and claim the region each season.

Spring magic continues to ripple across the territory, emanating form Graven Rock. This creates an ongoing effect similar to Rivers of Life, and seems to be a consequence of the recent magical chaos linked to the [[astronomancy|astronomantic constellations]].

The Autumn Hammers have used the assistance of the Lictors to curse all the Jotun armies over the course of the campaign in Bregasland. This [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Coiling_Chain|special technique]], secured by [[Army_qualities#Contracted|contract]] with the City of Bond and Bar, means that no Jotun army currently in Bregasland will be able to move more than one territory following the Autumn Equinox. If any of the armies try to leave Bregasland, they will be unable to go any further than [[Hordalant]] or [[Liathaven]]. The Jotun will be aware of this restriction.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Osric5853.jpg|caption='''Iron Osric''', General of the Green Shield|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Only military units supporting the Burning Falcon received a share of the Guerdon this season; other military units received nothing.

===Participation : Green Shield===
* '''The Green Shield cannot take the cautious advance or give ground orders for the next year'''
* '''Any character whose military unit fought alongside the Green Shield may be inspired by the Knights of Glory'''
The Empire is aware that use of [[Knights of Glory]] sometimes has unexpected effects on the soldiers in the armies that use it regularly. During [[Even_darkness_must_pass#The_Weight_of_Glory|recent fighting]] in the [[Sarangrave]], this manifested as an ethereal influence over the warriors fighting with the army. Both the Green Shield and the Burning Falcon are now experiencing this effect - their soldiers are even more enthusiastic for battle for its own sake, for tests of glory, for tents of honour and heroism, than ever before.

This means that the Green Shield cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders until a year has passed without that enchantment being cast on them. Each time they are campaign alongside the Knights of Glory, the clock will be reset.
===Participation : Burning Falcon===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Aracelis4339.jpg|caption='''Aracelis i Erigo''', General of the Burning Falcon|align=right|width=200}}</div>
* '''The Burning Falcon has been inspired by the Knights of Glory
* '''The General can issue a new order as long as the army continues to be enchanted with Knights of Glory or until a year has passed
* '''Characters whose military unit supported the Burning Falcon may begin the Autumn Equinox with a powerful enchantment
This season the Burning Falcon have fought with the [[Knights of Glory]], and engaged in a [[Army_qualities#True_Conviction|triumphant charge]] against the Jotun. The leonine commander ''Kore'', and his warband of lion-bodied lancers, have revelled in the chance to battle the Jotun alongside the passionate warriors of the Brass Coast. For their part many of those who fought with the Falcon this season will have experienced a profoundly heightened thirst for battle and glory. This influence has spread throughout the army - and if there is any truth to the rumours that heralds of [[Janon]] were also present it is likely that they will have intensified this influence even further.

In theory, this would mean that the Burning Falcon would be unable to take more cautious orders... but their ''True Conviction'' means they can't do that ''anyway'' so this is all rather moot. Except that it has made the Freeborn soldiers even ''more'' enthused about fighting. As a consequence, following the Autumn Equinox the general of the Burning Falcon can issue an additional [[Army_orders#Attacking|attacking]] order: ''Leonine Rampage''. To use the order the army must be enchanted with Knights of Glory

<box>'''Leonine Rampage'''
* '''The army must be enchanted with Knights of Glory otherwise this defaults to Triumphant Charge
* '''If available, Knights of Glory used on this army will always call forth ''Kore'' and their leonine lancers
* '''The ability of this army to capture territory is increased by a half'''
* '''Casualties inflicted by this army are increased by one fifth'''
* '''Casualties suffered by this army are increased by three-fifths'''
The soldiers of the army embrace the inspiration provided by the Knights of Glory, seeking a triumphant victory over any foe that dares to stand against them. The victory comes at a cost - soldiers are much more likely to take risky actions, viewing anything save the most basic caution as a distraction or a weakness. They seek out the strongest enemy troops and the most defended positions, and do everything they can to overrun them. The army will gain much more ground, but does so at the cost of increased casualties.</box>

This order will continue to be available until a season passes without Knights of Glory being cast on the army or until the end of the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE whichever comes first. Obviously, continuing to employ Knights of Glory will continue to bring to bear the influences of the Summer Realm on the soldiers of the army.

The lion-lancers have also had a powerful effect on the [[military unit|military units]] that fought with the army. The captain of any military unit that fought alongside the Burning Falcon begins the Autumn Equinox with a boon - an [[enchantment]] that gives them the ability to call [[Calls#CLEAVE|cleave]] twice each day when wielding a [[Weapons & armour#One-handed Weapons|one-handed weapon]], [[Weapons & armour#One-handed Spears|one-handed spear]], [[Weapons & armour#Great weapons|great weapon]] or [[Weapons & armour#Pole-arms|polearm]] with which they are proficient. If anyone uses [[Detect_magic#Discern_Enchantment|discern enchantment]] on you, you'll need to let the referee know that you are under the effect of a magnitude 7 Summer enchantment, and that you bear the ''mark of leonine glory''.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to confront problems head on, and to overwhelm your rivals and enemies with sheer strength of personality. If that doesn't work, smashing them into the ground will do just as well. The idea of holding back when you could be charging into a dangerous situation, or wasting too much time planning when everyone knows plans never survive contact with the enemy, seems like an utter waste of time.''

The boon can be removed [[Enchantment#Removing_Enchantments|as normal]] - “overwritten” with a new enchantment - and will have faded by the start of the Winter Solstice.

===Participation: Marchers===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Fitzwilliam Thorn.jpg|caption='''Fitzwilliam Thorn''', General of the Bounders|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jack Ashton.jpg|caption='''Jack Ashton''', General of the Tusks|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
* '''Any Marcher character whose military unit supported the Strong Reeds or the Tusks may receive a hearth magic benefit
* '''Any Marcher whose personal resource is in Bregasland may also receive a hearth magic benefit
The folk of Bregasland are often viewed as oddly withdrawn, or even strange, by their fellow Marchers. Recent history has been marked with suspicion of the Empire as a whole, and local politics have boiled over several times. However, the commitment of the Strong Reeds has never been in question by people who might otherwise see the entire Empire go hang as long as they are left alone to tend their eels. This has been particularly apparent in the Bregasland campaign, with the Reeds making good on their promise to drive out the Jotun, supported by the Bounders and the Tusks.

Any [[the Marches|Marcher]] character whose [[military unit]] was assigned to [[Military_unit#Support_Army|support]] the [[Tusks]] or the [[Strong Reeds]] this downtime may choose to gain a special, personal benefit. If they receive an [[Anointing]] of [[Auras_of_Loyalty#Anointing|Loyalty]], [[Auras_of_Pride#Anointing|Pride]], [[Malign_spiritual_presences#Vengeance|Vengeance]], or [[Malign_spiritual_presences#Hate|Hate]] before time out on Friday during the Autumn Equinox, then in addition to the [[Anointing#Effects|normal benefits]] they will gain one additional rank of [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]].

As well as those who fought directly, there are plenty of people in Bregasland who heard the call of the Strong Reeds and rose up to resist the Jotun. Any Marcher character whose personal resource is in Bregasland may also receive a hearth magic benefit if they receive one of these anointings before time out on Friday. Instead of receiving a point of endurance, however, their will to live is heightened and they receive a point of [[Combat skills#Fortitude|fortitude]].

A character whose personal resource is in Bregasland and also supported one of the Marcher armies receives ''both'' benefits.

These effects are not magical - they do not register on either [[detect magic]] or [[insight]]. It is likely a result of the powerful hearth magic of the oaths sworn by the generals of the Tusks and the Strong Reeds and the clear demonstration of their commitment to the Marches and the people of Bregasland in particular.

Either benefit lasts only as long as you continue to be committed to driving the last Jotun out of Bregasland as soon as possible; if your will to do so falters then the bonus is lost and cannot be regained. It is also permanently lost if your anointing is removed or changed to one other than Pride, Loyalty, Vengeance, or Hatred.

In any event, the benefit will fade along with the anointing, by the start of the Winter Solstice.

==Battle Opportunity : Big Talk==
The Empire has pushed back the Jotun armies in Bregasland this season, securing the regions of The Rushes and Ottermire, and restoring Imperial control over the territory. The presence of the Strong Reeds in the territory throughout the campaign is fast becoming something of a modern legend with people swapping stories of their involvement. Some of the stories assign quite incredible feats to the army's Proud general and their Loyal soldiers, yet most people are not fool enough to believe those tales, but it cheers the spirits to swap the stories.

The victories thus far have not yet countered the new threats of coral-infested dead emerging from The Gullet or the shades of the dead laying claim to the desolate expanses of the Grey Fens. As summer turns to autumn, as harvests are gathered, and preparations made for winter, threats abound on all sides. Some joke that at least the Jotun will stand and fight on equal terms, instead of menacing good honest folk at night or lurching out of the dunes and sea gorse. Still, most people are in good cheer - Bregasland will soon be free and the Jotun gone - again.

Well, most people. Not everyone in Bregasland is cheering and waving flags for the Reeds. Memories of Mathilda Fisher are still fresh and those who bore the brunt of that when the would-be queen was slain are still nursing their grudges. Few people can hold a grudge like a Marcher after all. The leaders of [[Despise_treachery#House_Brawness_of_the_North_Fens|House Brawness were executed]] and the remainder of the [[Marcher household|household]] and their allies have been a simmering brew that [[Bregasland#Rebellious|threatens rebellion]] ever since. Talk is cheap, however, and the House have done nothing but nurse their grievances up to this point when the return of the Empire forces them to finally pick a side.

Six months ago there was a chance to strike against the Jotun, to save Friar Bloughton from capture, and seek to open the door to the wayward Brawness. A way to bring the sheep back into the fold so to speak. The Military Council favoured other courses of action at the time, and that window closed. Fate doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme, so they say. The chance to make peace with the rebellious house is gone, all that remains is to cauterise the wound.

It appears that Bloughton has been negotiating a deal with the Jotun, a way for the most aggrieved members of the household to pack up their things and march west. Ironically, the Empire's victory has forced their hand - either they make good on their dreams of getting out from under the Empire or they shut up about it. The Empire has one last opportunity to lance this boil; whatever happens after this is in the wood for good.

Imperial prognosticators have detected a conjunction to the ''Whelksquay'' in the North Fens that will enable heroes to reach the area on the Saturday of the Autumn Equinox.

===Objective: Kill Friar Bloughton===
* '''House Brawness are conspiring with the Jotun to flee Bregasland'''
* '''The Jotun will gain a force of a thousand strength of doughty Marcher warriors to fight alongside their armies and the North Fens will cease to be rebellious'''
* '''If Friar Bloughton is killed then the rebellion will be stopped before it has chance to start'''
* '''If that happens the Jotun won't gain new allies and the North Fens will become permanently sullen rather than rebellious'''

Fate has conspired to give the Empire a last roll of the dice - whatever happens after this, it will be a part of the territory for good. This opportunity is a final chance to resolve matters with House Brawness one way or the other. The case against the Friar of Brawness is an open book that any can read. Bloughton is a traitor who wants to take the remnants of his house West, to the side of the Jotun in Hordalant. The magistrates are clear that Bloughton and the members of House Brawness who are with him can be legally killed in battle, offering a swift resolution to this new development.

If Bloughton is not slain, then the rebellious Marchers, Brawness and all their allies, will pack their bags and march west. They'll find new lands they can farm in Jotun territory and get on with their lives there. The rebellious quality will be gone from the North Fens, but the Jotun will gain an elite warband of Marcher soldiers with a strength of a thousand to fight alongside their armies.

If Bloughton is killed, then that will be the end of the rebellion before it has a chance to rise. There'll be no more talk of taking up arms against the Empire. The North Fens will cease to be rebellious, but with House Brawness and their supporters remaining in Bregasland, the North Fens will become [[Bregasland#Sullen|sullen]] and remain that way for the foreseeable future. The land will be permanently scarred by the memory of people like Bill Sykes whose Loyalty was to Bregasland and not the Empire. There won't be any chance in the future to change that. With the leaders gone, the die will be cast.

===Objective: Speak to the Raven Jarl===
* '''Discuss Stephen of Sarcombe with Helma Skutasdóttir, the Raven Jarl'''
* '''With Helma's support, the Lictors can track down a new opportunity to deal with Stephen of Sarcombe once and for all'''

Stephen of Sarcombe, the vengeance-filled traitor from the Mournwold, has caused havoc across the western Empire in recent years. Full of spite, and increasingly bold in his actions, the traitor is a canny and illusive firebrand. Wary of where he travels, who he meets with, or when he might arrive, he has slipped through Imperial lines on countless occasions. Whatever else he is, he's still a Marcher and he knows these lands like the back of his hand.

As his behaviour has become increasingly cruel and erratic, it appears that the Jotun too are also growing frustrated with him. Jarl Helma Skutasdóttir is known to have called him out during the capture of Meade, and there are rumblings that missives from General Bjorgthorn Hammerhand of the Southern Bear have begun to sway opinions with the Jarls-of-Jarls in both Jotun lands. He is increasingly seen as contemptuous by other Jotun, but their feelings are tempered by their honour. Stephen has fought for the Jotun for years, as far as they are concerned he is Jotun. Their honour makes it impossible for them to betray him.

The [[Sun Chamber]] asked the [[Monarchs_and_outcasts#The_Hunt_for_Stephen_of_Sarcombe_(Lictors)|''Sovereign Lords of the City of Bar and Bond'', to take an interest in Stephen and help them hunt him down]]. In recent months heralds of the [[Lictors|''The Chainbound'']] have frequently been seen in numbers across all the Marcher territories, investigating and seeking more information on Stephen. At the moment, the Lictors are restricted to the methodical collection of facts, conversations with former connections, and visitations to his old haunts in the Mourn. To have a chance to nab the traitor they need someone with authority to invite them in. If the Empire can find a way to satisfy Jotun honour then they can convince Helma to let the Lictors hunt for him in Jotun lands. If that happens, the ''Chainbound'' will report back once they have an identified an [[opportunity]] for the Empire to capture him.

===Objective: Counsel on Coral===
* '''The Jotun have also been impacted by littoral husks assaulting their shores'''
* '''Llofir has directed the Empire to seek out Ghodi Torvi to learn of matters in The Gullet'''
* '''Persuade Torvi to share what he knows of the husks with the Empire'''

The trudging mass of seaweed and flotsam on the foreshore outside Ottery was first presumed to be a possible [[Marshwalker|lone marshling]], then it introduced itself as a minion of ''The Rotlord'', the eternal Llofir. It delivers a deadpan message concerning the threat from the depths of the Gullet. It seems that while the [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Fear_the_Unknown|threat is causing problems for the Empire]] in lands that abutt the Gullet, they can draw small comfort knowing that the Jotun are also threatened. Llofir directs the Empire to seek out Ghodi Torvi, a rare Jotun interested in the Spring realm and occasional correspondent with the ''Despoiler of Grain''.

The orc priest, along with their entourage, has driven Jotun efforts in recent months to combat the growing numbers of coral-infested husks that have come ashore both in Skallahn and in the Jotun-held regions of Bregasland. Torvi, aided by a small coven of ritualists, has successfully captured several of the creatures inside a warding where they have them under observation. The studious orc is understood to be trying to better comprehend the risks posed by the husks which seem to be continually changing.

Whilst the Empire might be able to speak briefly with the priest on the field, it would be next to impossible for academic discussions to happen during the battle. The Jotun will be outraged if the Empire kill Torvi, who is not a combatant, but nor is it likely to do the Empire any good. What could help is talking with Torvi and seeing if the Empire can persuade the ghodi to share what he has learned with them. It may be possible to use the night ritual, the ''[[The Cuckoo's Egg]]'' to bring him to Anvil to discuss the matter, but only if the Empire can convince him that he will be protected and respected. If not, then there may still be an opportunity to cooperate with the Jotun scholar that the Empire can benefit from.

==Further Reading==
* [[Bregasland]]

Mud, blood, and manacles

2026-09-08T14:21:31Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Battle Opportunity : Big Talk */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Holding the Line.jpg|align=left|caption=The Jotun have sown seeds of war, and now it is time to gather the bloody harvest.|width=500}}</div>
==What Has Gone Before==
{{audio|link= https://youtu.be/R75McK35RjY?is=SUAWIqAzV5X5Y2PR}}
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<quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">From the Rushes we rise from the reeds. Heed not the gnashing jaws and grasping hands of the unquiet Grey walkers, we are of the fens and reeds and are as much a part of the land as they are, our risen neighbours. Seek out the Jotun, strike at them and push them back to Ottermire!</quote>
<quote by="Aracelis I Erigo, General of the Burning Falcon">The Drakes turn south as we turn west. The bonds of Loyalty turn over from nation to nation and through General to General freely given in our actions to another. As an Empire we fight to show the Jotun they cannot take with Impunity and that we answer their threat with standing together whether in Mitwold reclaiming as they quit our lands, or Bregasland where we will face their armies and their Fjorknaw. We are the Burning Falcon, empowered by the might of Summer. Where we tread, Triumph blazes</quote>
<quote by="Lord Daemon Mortére, General of the Golden Sun">The Golden Sun stands where the Empire needs it most. Every oath deserves its shield. We will grinding advance into Bregasland. Out of fields of gold, through the Rushes and Ottermire. No enemy can sever what Loyalty has forged. For family, for the Marchers. We stand for the lore of their land. For the Empire. The Golden Sun will be a glorious arrow into the heart of our enemies. Secure the objective sun. For Gui.</quote>
<quote by="Zadok, General of the Valiant Pegasus">Two Years ago I ordered you to begin a crusade of liberation against the Jotun to free those labouring under barbarian yoke, starting in the Mourn. We inspired and aided the Oakleaf rebellion to free themselves. Then Bregasland fell, and our commitment to our crusade was renewed. Diversionary attacks North and South, the Reeds patience tested, a strike to one of the two hearts of their power, Keirheim, just barely thwarted. All this to make possible the conditions of this season, our return to Bregasland. We are fighting for Dominion, for the Liberty of the people of Bregasland; Accept no less than total victory. One day the Tyranny of Queens and Kings shall end and all people will be free to pursue virtue. We fell their rotten oaks one strike at a time.</quote>
<quote by="Joaquim i Erigo, General of the Red Wind Corsairs">Corsairs we trade a swamp for a marsh in helping our Marcher Cousins reclaim Bregasland. The Lasambrians have stolen from our cousins so we commit to a Daring Riad to reclaim their wealth from the Jotun by Proxy. We must be especially vigilant for the stolen dolmen of Drayham Mere. For the Empire! For the Marches!</quote>
<quote by="Albrecht Sanguineo, General of the Sparrow's Reckoning">Bravos of Tassato, soldiers of the League, heroes of the Empire we stand ready all swords sharpened, armour new and unblemished. Now we test them and ourselves against Jotun steel. We march to Bregasland at steady conquest to retake the homes of our Marcher siblings. We are named for our Empress, let your Pride in that legacy give you the strength to show the world that when the twin cities march to war no one can stand against us.</quote>
<quote by="Fitzwilliam Thorn, General of the Bounders">Jacks of the Bounders. Look into yourself and find your ambition, for there is work to be done. We go back to Bregasland with our Imperial cousins with us. Even the most impenetrable forest may fall one Jotun at a time.</quote>
<quote by="Jack Ashton, General of the Tusks">War is a vicious dog on a long chain. Too fucking long has it been let loose in our lands. Our homes. The time has come to chase the beast from our bounds. I say to you what I did before. Kill the invaders. Leave no Jotun Warrior alive to contest the claim. Make Balanced attack and liberate our home. P.S. if you see Stephen he's mine!!!</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Bloodcloaks, we go to Bregasland to recover those we have lost and will lose reclaiming the homes of the Marchers. Find the trinkets on the limbs of the trees that sprung up on this blood-soaked beachhead. We collect them to return them to the families of these heroes so their stories can be told and their memories shall survive the cold of night. We are Winterborn and the cold doesn't compromise. All heroes have a name, no matter which nation.</quote>
<quote by="Iron Osric, General of the Green Shield">A red sky after battle day, Bleeds broad beyond the brae; What fields, what fallen friends are they, What fires fade o'er far away? What spears stood stout in storm and shout, What banners broke and burned? What voices, valiant, call me out, To rounds from which we turned? That was the ground of gathered might, Of kin in clash and cry, The steadfast shields, a woman bright, Whose blade sang swift and high. O iron hours and embered eve, O dust and drum and flame, The hands I held, that I've had to leave, Yet thrill to speak their name. Good battle days 'neath shining star, Are loath to lose their lustre, Naught after else their joy can mar, Nor break the band we muster.</quote>
<quote by="Determination of Ice Kaisa, General of the Narwhal's Spear">We are to be a dance of cunning to claim what is before us. Let us weave our way through the lines carrying messages between our many allies. Be the Vigilant eyes and ears that inform every step forward. Seek the flanks and guide the Jotun's path into our Imperial victory.</quote>
<quote by="Ashborn Vana, General of the Autumn Hammers">Hammers, this is the season we strike the Jotun and bind them. This is the season we invoke the contracts with the City of Lock and Bond. We have seen the Hunters walk among us and now we fight with them. Show the Jotun why the Lictors are known as the Punishers, more than that, show them why WE are The Hammers! Strike the blow, cripple them so they cannot flee from us. Have Pride in your strength.</quote>
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Here are the [[Bregasland#Grey_Fens|Grey Fens]] of [[Bregasland]]. The Jotun rule here, at least in theory. Yet what is this emerging from the marshes, from the dead pools? The [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#Objective:_Dismiss_the_Grey_Walkers|shades of Marchers past]] walk the Grey Fens, now that [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#Objective:_Recover_the_Ullsmere_Rock|Ullsmere Rock]] is gone. They do not tolerate trespassers, and unlike many ghosts they are capable of enforcing their will at least to a degree. They have no time for the self-styled Jarls of Bregasland, but they also care not for the folk of the Marches it seems. The Jotun defend their thralls, which includes those Bregas folk who have taken the Choice, but their efforts go only so far. Slowly, methodically, the Grey Walkers [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Get_Off_My_Fen|drive our]] everyone living in "their" fens, human and orc alike.

Here are the [[Bregasland#North_Fens|North Fens]], where stands [[Bregasland#Fisher’s_Rock|Fisher's Rock]]. The interloper queen of the Fishers is dead now, interred far to the north by her erstwhile Jotun allies. She is gone but the shadow of her touch remains; the bitter anger of [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#Battle_opportunity:_Open_relations_with_House_Brawness|House Brawness]] festers here, steeped in daydreams of [[Bregasland#Rebellious|rebellion]]. Yet it is not House Brawness that the people of North Fens fear at night. It is not rebels who come creeping out of the Gullet to steal away the unwary. It is not the bitter anger of Matilda Fisher's former friends that has seen villages and farms deserted. The Jotun try to defend their thralls here, too, but the monsters that come out of the sea strike without warning and often as not the yeofolk are dragged kicking into the sea, shouting for aid that arrives too late.

Here then is [[Bregasland#Ottermire|Ottermire]], and the town of Ottermire where the Jotun have planted their standards, from where they rule over Bregasland. They control the hub from which roads run like spokes - the Odd's Way east into [[Mitwold]], and Sallow's Walk south toward the [[Mournwold]], and innumerable paths and byways stretching out across the fens. These lesser roads quickly give way to streams and lakes and rivers, and the flat-bottomed boats of the Bregasfolk. Especially since that season of rains which left all the Empire's marshes deeper, and stranger. And the fens of Bregasland were strange enough to begin with...

And here are [[Bregasland#The_Rushes|the Rushes]], and the town of the Sallowfolk, which rises in time toward the dry land of [[Bregasland#Graven_Rock|Graven Rock]] and its [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|march]]. There is a [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#The_Forest_Endures|new woodland]] here, where the marshwaters give way to the stone, where Jotun and Imperial once fought in the shadow of that great, flat rock (that rock that echoes still with the fading notes of that [[Old_blue_banners_dancing#The_Mountain_Rings|eerie song]] that once rang out across the battlefield). This is the border that the barbarians watch, between their lands and that fraction of Bregasland wrested free from their grasp.

It is from that rock, right down there in the south of Bregasland, that the ripples of [[Spring magic]] still spread across Bregasland bringing with them unnatural life, and the [[Spring magic#Chaos|chaotic touch]] of the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]]. It runs through the waters of the marshes and the swamps, bringing [[Spring_magic#Healing_and_Vitality|indiscriminate healing]] to all who need it, whether they want it or not. Since the flat-topped mountain sang, all save the most mortal of injuries heals in a matter of hours, provided one bathes in or drinks from the waters of Bregasland.

Spring rarely, if ever, brings unalloyed benefit to those it touches, and as Summer fades it is clear that Bregasland is no different. The vitality that infuses the humans, and the orcs, and their beasts, infuses also the vermin of the marsh. Great clouds of mosquitos and biting flies rise from the waters of the fens, spreading fear, and painful bites, and the threat of pestilence. The Jotun fight to defend their thralls, but against clouds of insects, what use can axes be?

The Jotun also cannot forget that out there, hidden in the fens and the marshes, are the [[Strong Reeds]]. They have not forsaken their oath to the Bregas, not for one day. They fought to take back Gravenmarch, and then they slipped back into the rushes and the water without a trace, and every day the Jotun jarls must remember that they are ''still here'', and oh how that must rankle, how that must tug at their pride. They cannot root out the Strong Reeds, and every raid, every battered baggage train, every prisoner spirited away from beneath their noses, is a reminder that the spirit of Bregasland will never submit to them.

This is Bregasland, then, in the heartbeats between the height of Summer and the slow descent toward Winter. And none of these problems besetting the Jotun - not Grey Walkers, not coral-tainted husks, not bitter rebels, not bloodthirsty mosquitos, not even the lurking threat of the Strong Reeds - is anything compared to the storm of war that breaks over Bregasland as the sun rides high in the sky and the grain darkens toward gold in the fields.

==A Storm of Summer's Passing==
Eleven Imperial armies explode into Bregasland with hurricane force, while the Strong Reeds rise from the rushes to meet them, to lead their assault against the Jotun conquerors. Across the territory, those the Reeds have inspired throw their strength behind the Empire, launching long-rehearsed strikes against barbarian strongholds across the fens. They strike supply caches in Ottery, fire the palisade at Sallow, and wreck bridges across the North Fens. Then, with the skill of the Bregas, they melt back into the marshes before the Jotun can retaliate.

Into the Rushes, the Empire comes in force. A dozen armies, half of them marked with the power of Imperial [[enchantment|enchantments]]. A further five thousand strength of [[military unit|warbands]], led by bold captains eager to see the Jotun brought down, driven out of the Marches entirely.

The Strong Reeds rise, flanked by the [[Tusks]] and the [[Bounders]]. This is a war for the Marches, but not solely ''by'' the Marches. Three Marcher armies are matched by three armies of [[Wintermark]] - by the [[Bloodcloaks]], the [[Green Shield]], and the [[Narwhal's Spear]]. The first guards the lives of those who fight, bringing succour to the fallen. The second [[Wintermark_military_concerns#Army_Orders|fights with honour]], reminding their allies that there are some tactics that will not be borne - and showing the Jotun that the heroes of Wintermark at least remember how to glory in battle without letting it taint their spirit. The hunters of the third army, [[Army_qualities#Quick-Witted|quick witted]] and fleet footed and no stranger to fighting in marshes, test the mettle of their foes and seek that understanding which is key to any successful hunt.

Six armies, and only halfway through their accounting!

Next are two Freeborn armies, bright and burning despite the mud and the damp Summer. The [[Burning Falcon]] blaze with passionate ardour, a deadly bonfire of [[Army_qualities#True_Conviction|true conviction]] that will not settle for anything less than absolute victory over the foe. The Jotun cannot help but respect this incomparable enthusiasm for battle. The [[Red Wind Corsairs]] match the bold courage of their cousins with daring and audacity of their own, making the Jotun pay not in blood but in treasure to recover the prisoners they claim on the battlefield. The war-price is a sacred tradition, after all, and the orcs can hardly complain when the Freeborn take advantage of it.

Then the virtuous [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the untested soldiers of the League fresh mustered to the [[Sparrows Reckoning]]. They eschew glory and heroism in the pursuit of preserving lives, a [[Army_orders#Steady_Conquest|steady conquest]] that sees them ensure their soldiers are never far from the healing touch of the [[Surgical skills#Physick|physick]] or the [[heal|healer]]. The soldiers of one of the oldest nations of the Empire fight beside those belonging to one of the youngest. The one shares their experience with the other, who in turn share their pride at their chance to serve their nation, their Empire, and their [[the Throne|Throne]].

Last, then, but by no means least, come the [[Autumn Hammers]]. The [[orc|orcs]] of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] have the strangest of allies; with them marches a cohort of figures, features concealed in cowled hoods and metal masks. They fight not with sword or spears but with chains of green iron or pale glass or stranger materials. They are hunters bound by contract with the [[Lictors|Sovereign Lords of the City of Bar and Bond]], and they bring with them the power of the [[Realms#Autumn|Iron Labyrinth]] itself. Its power is subtle, but as the Empire engages the armies of the Jotun, it begins to spread wherever the orc army treads.

Twelve armies. Four - the Hammers, the Reeds, the Tusks, and the Bounders - are at the heart of the Imperial strategy. Their soldiers are granted supernatural [[Clarity of the Master Strategist|clarity of thought]] by the Empire's masters of [[Day magic]]. They can see how best to wield the strength of Imperial soldiers against the defenders, the straight road from where they are to the future where Bregasland is freed.

Two are enchanted with the [[Knights of Glory]]. With the Green Shield is ''Ollavan the Reeve'', sharp-eared archer and master of the bow. He brings his warband of hunters and rust-red hounds, and their arrows sing as they seek out the Jotun foe. When not fighting, they are eager to test their skill against that of the finest archers among the Imperial troops, congratulating winner and loser with equal enthusiasm. Their thirst for glory is contagious, spreading easily through the bold warriors of Wintermark.

The Burning Falcon are joined by ''Kore the Lion-maned'', resplendent in crimson armour, leading their leonine lancers at the forefront of every charge. Kore's knights tower above the Freeborn beside them; while their torso, head, and arms are humanlike, their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. (And if there are also rumours of laughing, dancing [[Inhabitants of the realms#heralds|heralds]] of the [[Janon|Shadowed Fire]] with the Burning Falcon, they are surely just that - rumours. Surely such sightings are simply kohan inspired by the passion of [[Eleonaris|Eleonaris']] captain, and not the servants of any [[eternal]] the [[Conclave]] has placed under [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]]. Surely.)

The storm of swords breaks over Bregasland, and the Jotun are in its path. But what of the Jotun?
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==An Answering Gale==
The Jotun are on the back foot in Bregasland. The challenges to their rule, the threats to the thralls they are sworn to protect, are only the half of it. Their forces withdrew [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Mitwold_Triumph|fell back]] from [[Mitwold]] last season, surrendering the land they had taken without a fight. The Lasambrian armies continued southward, down towards their home in [[Reinos]], beset by the armies of the [[Iron Confederacy]]. The Imperial attack on [[Skallahn]] threatened the unity of the north and the south, and drew the attention of both the king and the queen away from Bregasland.

This season, it seems, the Jotun planned to tighten their grip on Bregasland once more. Perhaps they expected the Empire to be busy elsewhere, perhaps they simply didn't predict the sheer ''might'' that the Empire would bring to bear. Either way, when the Strong Reeds rise and the Imperial armies attack, the Jotun are in the midst of mobilizing for an attack of their own. Led by the ''Skjaldirborn'', the Jotun forces in Bregasland sought to make a [[Army_orders#Cautious_Advance|cautious foray]] into Gravenmarch, to take back the only dry land in the marshes from the Empire.

Likely this was a calculated gamble - if the Empire were to wait another season before committing forces to Bregasland, they would be able to take back the March and remove the Imperial beachhead. If the Empire chose to defend, they could probe those defences without risking too many casualties. And if, as has happened, the Imperials launched an attack of their own they would at least be able to face it without wholesale bloodshed. Unfortunately for the Jotun, it is nowhere near as good as a carefully planned defence for holding in the face of the hurricane of war that has descended upon them.

There are some eight armies remaining in Bregasland, and the warbands of many of the Jotun champions. There are warriors of the ''Fields of Glory'' with them also; the warbands of the hound-knight ''Ser Grumbar'' and the stag-knight ''Ser Helvennan'' battle alongside the Jotun. The households of the rival twins glower and glare at each other, but seem united in their disappointment at how conservative the orcs' strategy is this season. It does not stop them fighting, however, and as always the court of the ''Lady of the Pennants'' seek every opportunity to test their skill against one another.

With the disruption spread by the Strong Reeds and their Bregas allies, the Jotun are barely able to respond to the awesome force of the Empire before they have already lost control of Sallow and most of the Rushes. They rally as best they can; the Roaring Thunder, the Southern Bear and the Shield of the Mountain try to hold the southern end of ''Sallow Walk'' while the skirmishers of the Howling Night and the vanguard of the Bear who Swims seek to flank the Imperial forces. Their rearguard action slows the Empire only briefly; the Jotun are forced to retreat in disarray. In their wake they leave the would-be Jarl Kiergmunt of Sallow. He and his household warriors are found floating in the eel ponds below the town he thought to make his hall, cut to pieces with the distinctive long knives favoured by the reed-cutters of the Rushes. The people here may resent the Empire, but they resent the Jotun even more; and when the Strong Reeds rise, they rise with them.

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File:BurningFalcon_Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Burning Falcon
File:GreenShields Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Green Shield
File:Narwhal's Spear.webp|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Narwhal's Spear
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==The Battle of Sallow Walk==
As the Empire quells barbarian resistance in the Rushes, the Jotun regroup and prepare a counter-attack from their stronghold at Ottery. While the siege-engineers of the Tower of the North feverishly reinforce the defences along the northern part of Sallow Walk and the town at its head, the relentless Fell Hammers and the Southern Bear lead the bulk of the Jotun forces against the Empire. As they march south along Sallow Walk, they meet the Burning Falcon marching north, eagerly pulling ahead of the main Imperial line. Perhaps ten thousand Freeborn and allied captains, along with the heralds of Eleonaris, clash with maybe twelve thousand Jotun, and their own supernatural allies. Neither Imperial nor barbarian are prepared to step aside, and furious battle is joined with control of the Walk being the ultimate prize.

Battle rages on the raised road, and the sections of dry land to either side. The four Imperial armies most familiar with fighting in open marsh - the Bounders and the Drakes to the east and the Narwhal's Spear and the Green Shield to the west - sweep round to attack the Jotun from the side. Before they can strike, the rest of the Jotun forces arrive to support their vanguard. It's clear that while many of the barbarians are at a disadvantage when forced to leave the dry ground of the Walk, others have made the most of their time in Bregasland to adapt their tactics a little to the realities of shifting ground and open water.

At first it seems the furious charge of the Burning Falcon will give them the advantage, but the Fell Hammers and the Southern Bear have their own momentum. The enthusiasm of the Freeborn proves to be both an advantage and a disadvantage when tested against the more cautious strategy of the orcs. The front lines press forward too far, and while at first it seems the Jotun line is breaking, they are actually falling back and to the side to allow the Falcon to over-extend itself. The barbarians close around the vanguard of the Burning Falcon like a fist, and exact a terrible price from the bright burning warriors of the south before the tides of battle allow them to retreat to their own lines.

In the end though it is the unstoppable force of the Falcon and their allies that wins the day. The Jotun are forced to sound the retreat - great hollowed horns braying mournful notes across the sodden battlefield. The Empire continues to press them all the way back to Ottery, with the pitched battle of Sallows Walk becoming a ragged mess of smaller fights and skirmishes. The barbarians are still more interested in the fight than they are in defending their hold of Bregasland - at least for the moment.

A butchers' trail lies along the top of Sallow Walk as the Empire presses the Jotun north. The unheard rippling song of Graven Rock still washes across Bregasland, but even Spring magic has its limits. The Jotun take their wounded with them where they can but must leave the bodies of the dead behind; at the same time they make no effort to execute the fallen Imperial soldiers who have fought valiantly against them. The Empire may be their enemies, but to slaughter the fallen would be to surrender the heart and soul of what it means to be Jotun. For their part, the Empire is also restrained in its treatment of barbarians that fall behind the retreating armies - the Green Shield in particular will not allow the mistreatment of prisoners. Some Freeborn joke that the Red Wind Corsairs are spending almost as much time negotiating the exchange of prisoners and the ransom of captured Jotun as they do fighting the barbarians!
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File:GoldenSun Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Golden Sun
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==The Battle of Ottery==
The Tower of the North have been busy, wringing every ounce of opportunity from every hour of time the rest of the Jotun have bought for them. Wood is at a premium in Bregasland, but it seems the Tower has brought wagons of lumber out of Liathaven to prepare their defences. A stout wood-and-stone palisade surrounds Ottery, reinforced with archers-towers. Spiked barricades have been thrown like the toys of a frustrated giant across the road, and the marshy land surrounding the town. The Bregas themselves are trapped in their houses, a curfew imposed by savvy Jotun who will not risk Strong Reeds or their sympathisers infiltrating Ottery.

Arrayed before Ottery to meet the Empire is the full might of the Skjaldirborn, banners flapping fitfully in the sour wind blowing from the north. The mighty Jorgen Hylasson, one of the most respected of the northern Jotun warlords, stands a little ahead of the army. As the Imperial forces begin to move forward, he raises his hand in a salute to the attackers, and then sounds the massive horn he hefts easily in one hand. The Jotun are not content to cower behind makeshift walls - and it seems they are not prepared to risk harm coming to the thralls of Ottery. With the Skjaldirborn in the lead, they attack the Empire head-on.

Yet even so, they are not reckless. They make good use of the barricades the Tower of the North have erected; archers are positioned in key locations across the battlefield and in the newly constructed towers of Ottery. Rather than volleying indiscriminately, these skilled marksmen pick their targets with care. More than one Imperial battlemage is brought down without any hint of a warning by an arrow to the back of the head. These deadly warriors support the [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Ulfur|Ulfur]] of the Howling Night in their efforts to counter the impact of Imperial battlefield magic.

Many of the Jotun warriors here bear [[enchantment|enchantments]], or the boons of the [[eternal|eternals]]. Summerbound [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Skjaldir|Skjaldir]] with truly supernatural levels of [[combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] battle relentlessly alongside [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Ulvenwar|Ulvenwar]] with the strength to [[shatter|rend]] the wargear of their enemies. These magically empowered warbands especially seek to test themselves against the knights of Dawn and the Marcher armies, and before the real threat is made clear are able to splinter many Marcher polearms and break the bright heraldry of Dawnish shields.

While the battle rages south of Ottery, the Bounders, Strong Reeds, and the Sparrows Reckoning avoid the thick of the fighting and flank round to the east. They launch a coordinated raid against the less-well defended gates of the town and quickly gain purchase within the town itself. The League army is untested, but the [[bravo|bravos]] that fight with it are well versed in fighting in the confined spaces of city streets - skills that serve them well inside Ottery. Once the folk here realise the Reeds and the Bounders are here, that the Empire is here, many of them take up weapons and join the effort to reclaim their town. The struggle within Ottery itself culminates in a trio of Marcher beaters and a League crossbow marksman capturing one of the archer towers, and firing on the Jotun from behind. When Jorgen Hylasson takes a Marcher arrow to the shoulder, piercing through his mandowla-hide cloak and finding a chink in his armour, it is the turning point of the battle.

Ottery lost, and the Empire pressing forward, the second retreat is sounded. Again the Jotun fall back toward [[Bregasland#North Fens|North Fens]]. Not one Jotun Army tries to retreat west into Grey Fens - they would always rather fight living Imperials than dead phantoms.

The Bloodcloaks quickly take charge of Ottery, establishing field hospitals wherever they can. Public buildings are used, but there are also sickrooms set up in the homes of grateful Bregas who open their doors to the injured and to the Winterfolk healers. There is a significant Jotun supply cache here, and its not clear who gives the order to break it open, but the night after the Battle of Ottery an impromptu celebration begins in the streets of the town. At first it is muted - this liberation has been bought at a terrible cost after all - but perhaps it is that very cost, that spectre of death and war, that adds kindling to the feasting and the dancing and the singing in the streets of Ottery that night. A weight has been lifted from the Bregas - hope replacing fear and bitterness. Perhaps there are some who think the celebration premature, but over the next two weeks the Imperial forces win out against the Jotun again and again and eventually Ottermire is Imperial - and with it the territory of Bregasland as a whole.
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==A Long Slog Through Thick Mud==
After Ottermire, the writing seems to be on the wall for the Jotun. They continue to launch attacks against the Imperial armies, but they are short-lived, probing stabs rather than committed efforts to bring the Empire to battle again. The Jotun could dig-in at Fisher's Rock, but for the most part they focus on trying to bog the Imperial forces down wherever they can. It's clear messengers have been sent west and north, to call for aid against the massive Imperial host, to warn King Gudmundr and Queen Yrsa of the situation in Bregasland.

The fighting continues as the Autumn Equinox approaches, and as it does so too the Empire's front line approach Fisher's Rock where the Jotun have their fallback position. One last push, and the Jotun will have no choice but to retreat again - either into the Grey Fens to the south and thence to Liathaven, or west into Hordalant. It seems inevitable that the Empire will win - if they keep up this relentless pressure the remaining Jotun forces will not be able to stand against it.

The cost has been high. Even with the magic of Graven Rock and the efforts of the Bloodcloaks, the butchers' road northward has claimed so many lives. The dead are counted in the thousands, and the Empire's forceful strategy has seen them pay the lion's share. Many of the fallen are recovered, but just as many are not, will likely never be found, taken by the mud and the water. The marshes give but they also take, say some of the Bregas dourly.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">[[file:AutumnHammers_colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Autumn Hammers]]</div>
==The Manacle Snaps Shut==
Autumn is in the wind, in the water, in the sun setting behind the western peaks. But that is not the ''only'' place the Autumn lies. All through this long campaign, the Autumn Hammers have been busy. While their warriors have fought no less valiantly against the Jotun than anyone else, that is not ''all'' they have been doing. As the battle presses the Jotun north, bands of thief-takers and oathwrights have made forays into the marshes, or led swift raids against key positions that seem to have little strategic importance. With them have gone the iron-masked chainfighters of the City of Bar and Bond.

The whole time the Jotun have been fighting over the marshes of Bregasland, the Unshackled have been fixing unseen manacles about their ankles. The [[lictors]] are the unparalleled masters of [[Autumn_magic#Binding|binding]] and this season they are contracted to the service of the Imperial Orcs. None of the Jotun armies escape their touch. While binding is often dramatic and obvious - the spells of the war magician that hold folk in place - there are also more subtle methods of holding in place, of impeding travel. As the last light of Summer drains from the sky, and Winter's herald delicately touches the leaves on the scrubby marsh trees, the jaws of the final trap snap shut.

==Game Information==
===Bregasland===
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Bregasland Region Map.png|caption=A very rough region map of Bregasland.|align=right|width=600}}</div>
* '''The Empire has reclaimed the Rushes and Ottermire, and is seven tenths of the way toward claiming North Fens'''
* '''Bregasland is once again an Imperial territory and an administrative motion will be raised at the Autumn Equinox to assign it'''
* '''The Grey Walkers are one-tenth of the way toward claiming Grey Fens'''
* '''Spring magic continues to ripple across Bregasland creating an effect similar to Rivers of Life'''
* '''The Jotun armies have all been cursed by the Lictors and the Imperial Orcs'''
This season has seen the Empire win a resounding victory over the Jotun in Bregasland. Imperial forces liberated the Rushes and Ottermire, and along with their control of Gravenmarch, this means the territory is once again Imperial. As such, an administrative motion to assign the territory will be raised by the Speaker of the Senate at the Autumn Equinox. The Empire is also seven-tenths of the way toward claiming North Fens.

The phantom Grey Walkers are slowly driving "trespassers" - human and orc alike - out of Grey Fens. They are one-tenth of the way toward claiming the region from the Jotun. The [[Region_qualities#Grey_Walkers|Grey Walkers]] will continue to try and claim the region each season.

Spring magic continues to ripple across the territory, emanating form Graven Rock. This creates an ongoing effect similar to Rivers of Life, and seems to be a consequence of the recent magical chaos linked to the [[astronomancy|astronomantic constellations]].

The Autumn Hammers have used the assistance of the Lictors to curse all the Jotun armies over the course of the campaign in Bregasland. This [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Coiling_Chain|special technique]], secured by [[Army_qualities#Contracted|contract]] with the City of Bond and Bar, means that no Jotun army currently in Bregasland will be able to move more than one territory following the Autumn Equinox. If any of the armies try to leave Bregasland, they will be unable to go any further than [[Hordalant]] or [[Liathaven]]. The Jotun will be aware of this restriction.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Osric5853.jpg|caption='''Iron Osric''', General of the Green Shield|align=right|width=200}}</div>
Only military units supporting the Burning Falcon received a share of the Guerdon this season; other military units received nothing.

===Participation : Green Shield===
* '''The Green Shield cannot take the cautious advance or give ground orders for the next year'''
* '''Any character whose military unit fought alongside the Green Shield may be inspired by the Knights of Glory'''
The Empire is aware that use of [[Knights of Glory]] sometimes has unexpected effects on the soldiers in the armies that use it regularly. During [[Even_darkness_must_pass#The_Weight_of_Glory|recent fighting]] in the [[Sarangrave]], this manifested as an ethereal influence over the warriors fighting with the army. Both the Green Shield and the Burning Falcon are now experiencing this effect - their soldiers are even more enthusiastic for battle for its own sake, for tests of glory, for tents of honour and heroism, than ever before.

This means that the Green Shield cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders until a year has passed without that enchantment being cast on them. Each time they are campaign alongside the Knights of Glory, the clock will be reset.
===Participation : Burning Falcon===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Aracelis4339.jpg|caption='''Aracelis i Erigo''', General of the Burning Falcon|align=right|width=200}}</div>
* '''The Burning Falcon has been inspired by the Knights of Glory
* '''The General can issue a new order as long as the army continues to be enchanted with Knights of Glory or until a year has passed
* '''Characters whose military unit supported the Burning Falcon may begin the Autumn Equinox with a powerful enchantment
This season the Burning Falcon have fought with the [[Knights of Glory]], and engaged in a [[Army_qualities#True_Conviction|triumphant charge]] against the Jotun. The leonine commander ''Kore'', and his warband of lion-bodied lancers, have revelled in the chance to battle the Jotun alongside the passionate warriors of the Brass Coast. For their part many of those who fought with the Falcon this season will have experienced a profoundly heightened thirst for battle and glory. This influence has spread throughout the army - and if there is any truth to the rumours that heralds of [[Janon]] were also present it is likely that they will have intensified this influence even further.

In theory, this would mean that the Burning Falcon would be unable to take more cautious orders... but their ''True Conviction'' means they can't do that ''anyway'' so this is all rather moot. Except that it has made the Freeborn soldiers even ''more'' enthused about fighting. As a consequence, following the Autumn Equinox the general of the Burning Falcon can issue an additional [[Army_orders#Attacking|attacking]] order: ''Leonine Rampage''. To use the order the army must be enchanted with Knights of Glory

<box>'''Leonine Rampage'''
* '''The army must be enchanted with Knights of Glory otherwise this defaults to Triumphant Charge
* '''If available, Knights of Glory used on this army will always call forth ''Kore'' and their leonine lancers
* '''The ability of this army to capture territory is increased by a half'''
* '''Casualties inflicted by this army are increased by one fifth'''
* '''Casualties suffered by this army are increased by three-fifths'''
The soldiers of the army embrace the inspiration provided by the Knights of Glory, seeking a triumphant victory over any foe that dares to stand against them. The victory comes at a cost - soldiers are much more likely to take risky actions, viewing anything save the most basic caution as a distraction or a weakness. They seek out the strongest enemy troops and the most defended positions, and do everything they can to overrun them. The army will gain much more ground, but does so at the cost of increased casualties.</box>

This order will continue to be available until a season passes without Knights of Glory being cast on the army or until the end of the end of the Summer Solstice 389YE whichever comes first. Obviously, continuing to employ Knights of Glory will continue to bring to bear the influences of the Summer Realm on the soldiers of the army.

The lion-lancers have also had a powerful effect on the [[military unit|military units]] that fought with the army. The captain of any military unit that fought alongside the Burning Falcon begins the Autumn Equinox with a boon - an [[enchantment]] that gives them the ability to call [[Calls#CLEAVE|cleave]] twice each day when wielding a [[Weapons & armour#One-handed Weapons|one-handed weapon]], [[Weapons & armour#One-handed Spears|one-handed spear]], [[Weapons & armour#Great weapons|great weapon]] or [[Weapons & armour#Pole-arms|polearm]] with which they are proficient. If anyone uses [[Detect_magic#Discern_Enchantment|discern enchantment]] on you, you'll need to let the referee know that you are under the effect of a magnitude 7 Summer enchantment, and that you bear the ''mark of leonine glory''.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to confront problems head on, and to overwhelm your rivals and enemies with sheer strength of personality. If that doesn't work, smashing them into the ground will do just as well. The idea of holding back when you could be charging into a dangerous situation, or wasting too much time planning when everyone knows plans never survive contact with the enemy, seems like an utter waste of time.''

The boon can be removed [[Enchantment#Removing_Enchantments|as normal]] - “overwritten” with a new enchantment - and will have faded by the start of the Winter Solstice.

===Participation: Marchers===
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Fitzwilliam Thorn.jpg|caption='''Fitzwilliam Thorn''', General of the Bounders|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jack Ashton.jpg|caption='''Jack Ashton''', General of the Tusks|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
* '''Any Marcher character whose military unit supported the Strong Reeds or the Tusks may receive a hearth magic benefit
* '''Any Marcher whose personal resource is in Bregasland may also receive a hearth magic benefit
The folk of Bregasland are often viewed as oddly withdrawn, or even strange, by their fellow Marchers. Recent history has been marked with suspicion of the Empire as a whole, and local politics have boiled over several times. However, the commitment of the Strong Reeds has never been in question by people who might otherwise see the entire Empire go hang as long as they are left alone to tend their eels. This has been particularly apparent in the Bregasland campaign, with the Reeds making good on their promise to drive out the Jotun, supported by the Bounders and the Tusks.

Any [[the Marches|Marcher]] character whose [[military unit]] was assigned to [[Military_unit#Support_Army|support]] the [[Tusks]] or the [[Strong Reeds]] this downtime may choose to gain a special, personal benefit. If they receive an [[Anointing]] of [[Auras_of_Loyalty#Anointing|Loyalty]], [[Auras_of_Pride#Anointing|Pride]], [[Malign_spiritual_presences#Vengeance|Vengeance]], or [[Malign_spiritual_presences#Hate|Hate]] before time out on Friday during the Autumn Equinox, then in addition to the [[Anointing#Effects|normal benefits]] they will gain one additional rank of [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]].

As well as those who fought directly, there are plenty of people in Bregasland who heard the call of the Strong Reeds and rose up to resist the Jotun. Any Marcher character whose personal resource is in Bregasland may also receive a hearth magic benefit if they receive one of these anointings before time out on Friday. Instead of receiving a point of endurance, however, their will to live is heightened and they receive a point of [[Combat skills#Fortitude|fortitude]].

A character whose personal resource is in Bregasland and also supported one of the Marcher armies receives ''both'' benefits.

These effects are not magical - they do not register on either [[detect magic]] or [[insight]]. It is likely a result of the powerful hearth magic of the oaths sworn by the generals of the Tusks and the Strong Reeds and the clear demonstration of their commitment to the Marches and the people of Bregasland in particular.

Either benefit lasts only as long as you continue to be committed to driving the last Jotun out of Bregasland as soon as possible; if your will to do so falters then the bonus is lost and cannot be regained. It is also permanently lost if your anointing is removed or changed to one other than Pride, Loyalty, Vengeance, or Hatred.

In any event, the benefit will fade along with the anointing, by the start of the Winter Solstice.

==Battle Opportunity : Big Talk==
The Empire has pushed back the Jotun armies in Bregasland this season, securing the regions of The Rushes and Ottermire, and restoring Imperial control over the territory. The presence of the Strong Reeds in the territory throughout the campaign is fast becoming something of a modern legend with people swapping stories of their involvement. Some of the stories assign quite incredible feats to the army's Proud general and their Loyal soldiers, yet most people are not fool enough to believe those tales, but it cheers the spirits to swap the stories.

The victories thus far have not yet countered the new threats of coral-infested dead emerging from The Gullet or the shades of the dead laying claim to the desolate expanses of the Grey Fens. As summer turns to autumn, as harvests are gathered, and preparations made for winter, threats abound on all sides. Some joke that at least the Jotun will stand and fight on equal terms, instead of menacing good honest folk at night or lurching out of the dunes and sea gorse. Still, most people are in good cheer - Bregasland will soon be free and the Jotun gone - again.

Well, most people. Not everyone in Bregasland is cheering and waving flags for the Reeds. Memories of Mathilda Fisher are still fresh and those who bore the brunt of that when the would-be queen was slain are still nursing their grudges. Few people can hold a grudge like a Marcher after all. The leaders of [[Despise_treachery#House_Brawness_of_the_North_Fens|House Brawness were executed]] and the remainder of the [[Marcher household|household]] and their allies have been a simmering brew that [[Bregasland#Rebellious|threatens rebellion]] ever since. Talk is cheap, however, and the House have done nothing but nurse their grievances up to this point when the return of the Empire forces them to finally pick a side.

Six months ago there was a chance to strike against the Jotun, to save Friar Bloughton from capture, and seek to open the door to the wayward Brawness. A way to bring the sheep back into the fold so to speak. The Military Council favoured other courses of action at the time, and that window closed. Fate doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme, so they say. The chance to make peace with the rebellious house is gone, all that remains is to cauterise the wound.

It appears that Bloughton has been negotiating a deal with the Jotun, a way for the most aggrieved members of the household to pack up their things and march west. Ironically, the Empire's victory has forced their hand - either they make good on their dreams of getting out from under the Empire or they shut up about it. The Empire has one last opportunity to lance this boil; whatever happens after this is in the wood for good.

Imperial prognosticators have detected a conjunction to the ''Whelksquay'' in the North Fens that will enable heroes to reach the area on the Saturday of the Autumn Equinox.

===Objective: Kill Friar Bloughton===
* '''House Brawness are conspiring with the Jotun to flee Bregasland'''
* '''The Jotun will gain a force of a thousand strength of doughty Marcher warriors to fight alongside their armies and the North Fens will cease to be rebellious'''
* '''If Friar Bloughton is killed then the rebellion will be stopped before it has chance to start'''
* '''If that happens the Jotun won't gain new allies and the North Fens will become permanently sullen rather than rebellious'''

Fate has conspired to give the Empire a last roll of the dice - whatever happens after this, it will be a part of the territory for good. This opportunity is a final chance to resolve matters with House Brawness one way or the other. The case against the Friar of Brawness is an open book that any can read. Bloughton is a traitor who wants to take the remnants of his house West, to the side of the Jotun in Hordalant. The magistrates are clear that Bloughton and the members of House Brawness who are with him can be legally killed in battle, offering a swift resolution to this new development.

If Bloughton is not slain, then the rebellious Marchers, Brawness and all their allies, will pack their bags and march west. They'll find new lands they can farm in Jotun territory and get on with their lives there. The rebellious quality will be gone from the North Fens, but the Jotun will gain an elite warband of Marcher soldiers with a strength of a thousand to fight alongside their armies.

If Bloughton is killed, then that will be the end of the rebellion before it has a chance to rise. There'll be no more talk of taking up arms against the Empire. The North Fens will cease to be rebellious, but with House Brawness and their supporters remaining in Bregasland, the North Fens will become [[Bregasland#Sullen|sullen]] and remain that way for the foreseeable future. The land will be permanently scarred by the memory of people like Bill Sykes whose Loyalty was to Bregasland and not the Empire. There won't be any chance in the future to change that. With the leaders gone, the die will be cast.

===Objective: Speak to the Raven Jarl===
* '''Discuss Stephen of Sarcombe with Helma Skutasdóttir, the Raven Jarl'''
* '''With Helma's support, the Lictors can track down a new opportunity to deal with Stephen of Sarcombe once and for all'''

Stephen of Sarcombe, the vengeance-filled traitor from the Mournwold, has caused havoc across the western Empire in recent years. Full of spite, and increasingly bold in his actions, the traitor is a canny and illusive firebrand. Wary of where he travels, who he meets with, or when he might arrive, he has slipped through Imperial lines on countless occasions. Whatever else he is, he's still a Marcher and he knows these lands like the back of his hand.

As his behaviour has become increasingly cruel and erratic, it appears that the Jotun too are also growing frustrated with him. Jarl Helma Skutasdóttir is known to have called him out during the capture of Meade, and there are rumblings that missives from General Bjorgthorn Hammerhand of the Southern Bear have begun to sway opinions with the Jarls-of-Jarls in both Jotun lands. He is increasingly seen as contemptuous by other Jotun, but their feelings are tempered by their honour. Stephen has fought for the Jotun for years, as far as they are concerned he is Jotun. Their honour makes it impossible for them to betray him.

The [[Sun Chamber]] asked the [[Monarchs_and_outcasts#The_Hunt_for_Stephen_of_Sarcombe_(Lictors)|''Sovereign Lords of the City of Bar and Bond'', to take an interest in Stephen and help them hunt him down]]. In recent months heralds of the [[Lictors|''The Chainbound'']] have frequently been seen in numbers across all the Marcher territories, investigating and seeking more information on Stephen. At the moment, the Lictors are restricted to the methodical collection of facts, conversations with former connections, and visitations to his old haunts in the Mourn. To have a chance to nab the traitor they need someone with authority to invite them in. If the Empire can find a way to satisfy Jotun honour then they can convince Helma to let the Lictors hunt for him in Jotun lands. If that happens, the ''Chainbound'' will report back once they have an identified an [[oppportunity]] for the Empire to capture him.

===Objective: Counsel on Coral===
* '''The Jotun have also been impacted by littoral husks assaulting their shores'''
* '''Llofir has directed the Empire to seek out Ghodi Torvi to learn of matters in The Gullet'''
* '''Persuade Torvi to share what he knows of the husks with the Empire'''

The trudging mass of seaweed and flotsam on the foreshore outside Ottery was first presumed to be a possible [[Marshwalker|lone marshling]], then it introduced itself as a minion of ''The Rotlord'', the eternal Llofir. It delivers a deadpan message concerning the threat from the depths of the Gullet. It seems that while the [[Pride_in_the_Marches#Fear_the_Unknown|threat is causing problems for the Empire]] in lands that abutt the Gullet, they can draw small comfort knowing that the Jotun are also threatened. Llofir directs the Empire to seek out Ghodi Torvi, a rare Jotun interested in the Spring realm and occasional correspondent with the ''Despoiler of Grain''.

The orc priest, along with their entourage, has driven Jotun efforts in recent months to combat the growing numbers of coral-infested husks that have come ashore both in Skallahn and in the Jotun-held regions of Bregasland. Torvi, aided by a small coven of ritualists, has successfully captured several of the creatures inside a warding where they have them under observation. The studious orc is understood to be trying to better comprehend the risks posed by the husks which seem to be continually changing.

Whilst the Empire might be able to speak briefly with the priest on the field, it would be next to impossible for academic discussions to happen during the battle. The Jotun will be outraged if the Empire kill Torvi, who is not a combatant, but nor is it likely to do the Empire any good. What could help is talking with Torvi and seeing if the Empire can persuade the ghodi to share what he has learned with them. It may be possible to use the night ritual, the ''[[The Cuckoo's Egg]]'' to bring him to Anvil to discuss the matter, but only if the Empire can convince him that he will be protected and respected. If not, then there may still be an opportunity to cooperate with the Jotun scholar that the Empire can benefit from.

==Further Reading==
* [[Bregasland]]

Forward into depthless dark

2026-09-08T14:14:24Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Terror-Stricken */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Into depthless dark.jpg|align=left|caption=Here is the heart of the Druj; black and twisted and filled with hate and fear.|width=500}}</div>
==Wicked Effigies and Twisted Monuments==
The Salt Flats of Sanath are the true heartlands of the Druj. Broad plains criss-crossed by dark waterways. The ground is sodden, and the further east toward the sea one travels, the more marshy the land becomes. The forests common to the rest of the Mallum have mostly been cleared here, by centuries of ravenous industry. Only in the south-west is there any great woodland - the [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Lower Saarnath|lowland valleys]] and the high [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Upper Saarnath|plateau]] that each form half of the lands jointly called the Saarnath.
__TOC__
It rains almost constantly here, or so it seems. Even when it is not actively raining, the air is thick with moisture. The ground can turn slick and treacherous without warning, even in the valleys of Saarnath where the marshes of Sarangrave give way to broad-leafed rainforest. Visibility drops precipitously, a far cry from the relatively open sight-lines of the marshes and the flats to the south-west. Only the [[Navarr]] and the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] are really at home here, but even they must beware of overconfidence. The Druj know these woods better than they do after all.

Thick as the air can be, the [[Druj miasma|miasma]] is thicker, perhaps thicker than the Empire has ever encountered it. It has had generations to take root, to smother hope and ambition, to grind deep into the mud those unfortunate enough to be enslaved by the Druj. It preys on the minds of many soldiers, an insidious urge growing daily to simply give up, to turn back, to surrender, to cower. It requires constant vigilance by the captains, and by each soldier for their comrades, to keep the enervating atmosphere at bay.

The weather worsens as Summer wanes, and with the almost constant rain comes the [[curse]] of [[Spring magic]]. A fragment of [[Rivers of Life|healing power]] falls with every drop, bringing burgeoning life without constraint, without reason or caution. No wounds, save the most egregious, will last the night. Death comes only to those unfortunate enough to fall far from their lines, or to those who are the victims of swift execution. The familiar magic flows everywhere, in all the water in the Sarangrave, and it protects barbarian and Imperial invader alike. It also touches the plants and creatures of the Mallum with supernatural vitality, but driving some of them to the edge of frenzy.

And what creatures they are! The Empire has heard of them, encountered them in the eastern forests from time to time, but just as this is the heartland of the Druj so it is home to the [[Arkad#Hupul|deathstinger]], and the [[Arkad#Vikari|green forest scorpion]], and the awful serpentine [[Arkad#Kallad|coiled shrike]]. These creatures seem to have little fear of humans or orcs, and are ambitious enough to try and prey upon them when the opportunity presents itself. Imperial soldiers quickly learn to fear the droning buzz of ebon-and-scarlet wasps the size of doves, the cold horror of awakening to discover a razor-clawed insect with its tail already poised to strike exploring the interior of their tent, the yell of surprise that quickly gives way to agonised screaming as a friend is condemned to a terrible death at the fangs of an arboreal assassin. The Rivers of Life do little to purge venom, or cure the poison that burns through the belly of those foolish enough to eat the ripe fruit from the wrong tree.

Into this land of death come the Imperial armies, ready to strike against the core of the Druj. They will have their work cut out for them in the months to come, but if they can seize victory... what a thing ''that'' would be!
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Sebastián Fawnwood, General of the Gryphon's Pride">My glorious pride. You have bided your time, but now is our opportunity for what we were made for. Conquest. The salt flats of Sanath is our destination, for this is the beginning of the end for the Druj. With our warbanner reforged, it has been named the Pride of the Gryphons. It will be raised high enough that the Druj will see who brings their end. Be Vigilant. Be Glorious. Be the pride of Dawn.</quote>
<quote by="Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco, General of the Lions of Adelmar">Lions, three years ago I first came to Anvil a woman in pain. Like so many, the Druj had taken everything from me. Like so many, they continued to take our past, our present, our future. Our Gui, our Isaac, our Scout. Their ideology of hatred thrives in the dark and they wish to make monsters of us all. They wish to teach us to be scared of the dark. Let us make them fear the light. May we be the flame the innocent are drawn to as a Beacon of Safety. May our banners show that Courage and Loyalty drives us. May the sound of our roar carry far across the Salt Flats. May the Druj know this sound heralds their end, learn those banners mean those hurt will be saved, learn that flame is Ambition to bring glory with Elodian's Hammersmiths and the majesty of the Lion of Summer. Learn the monster they tried to create, became the lioness that will bring a death to the Druj. Whatever it takes. One day, the Druj will be a bedtime story told of our glory. Let us be the authors.</quote>
<quote by="Cadwell Waystone, General of the Black Thorns">Navarr will serve the Empire in Loyalty, regardless of the theatre of war. The Druj are broken, a scorpion backed into a corner, but their story is still a danger. The Buruk Tepel will fall, their armies laid low by the virtue of Imperial steel and we will free the slaves of the Mallum. Act in loyalty, fight with courage and serve with pride.</quote>
<quote by="Mercia Questor's View, General of the Quiet Step">Navarr, now is the time to hit the Druj where it hurts. We march on Lower Sanath. I may not be who you expected in command but I will see Neve's ambition for this army fulfilled. Whatever it takes. Our cousins in Varushka will take care of our home. Let the citizens of Therunin look to this beacon and away from the arms of Agramant. For those who came before. For those who come after.</quote>
<quote by="Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was, General of the Citadel Guard">Sentinels, Consider the Drowned Man. There comes a point in some fights when you are so much better than your opponent that victory seems inevitable. Your foe does not comprehend that they have lost, for they still stand, still fight. They lack your foresight, your arete, and you must simply walk them through the dance steps of their demise. In that moment it can be tempting to show mercy, even pity your foe. Worse, one can lose focus, looking to the next conflict. The Empire has made this mistake before. This is how the Druj still blight the world. Mercy is weakness - The task is not done until it is done. We begin the end. Make for Lower Saarnath. With Spring's might and Summer knights we soften Leen, bringing ruin to the Beacon of Iskrid. We must not relent until the last of the Buruk-Tepel are marched through Anvil and relieved of the burden of their vile, poisonous heads.</quote>
<quote by="Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka, General of the Northern Eagle">Eagle of the North, I return to you now to guide our path to the last conquest of the Druj. We go to the Sydathian Fens, striding unseen as we hunt for our foe's weakness. To you, Surut, Schlacta of the Roaring Hearth, I present my curiosity to your bargain and welcome your wisdom in bringing bright ruin to old and rotten things. Before us stand wicked effigies and twisted monuments to a dying power, symbols of a strength that has left the heart and limbs of this sickened beast of a nation. We shall make a beacon of them, a sign to our embattled cousins and fearful foes alike that soon all here will be changed by Imperial will. Forward now, into this depthless dark, for herein we shall raise the torches that shall light the way to a better world.</quote></div>

==Who Brings Their End==
Five armies march out of northern Sarangrave, through the [[Sarangrave#Turan Flats|Turan Flats]] into the Sanath. This is the [[A_walk_in_shadow|second time]] the Empire has ventured into Sanath, and the situation in the south is very different to that they encountered in the north three years ago.

The [[Black Thorns]] and the [[Citadel Guard]] are already in place, and they are quickly joined by the [[Gryphon's Pride]], the [[Lions of Adelmar]] and the [[Quiet Step]] from [[Ossium]], and [[Semmerholm]], and [[Zenith]]. The Quiet Step bring word that the [[Axos|Axou]] of [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] are mobilizing for their [[Skull beneath the skin|advance]] up to the Fens of Varreth. They will hopefully keep the path into the Salt Flats open to Imperial baggage trains, rather than devoured by ravening [[Quickening Cold Meat|Winter spirits]].

When they arrive, these five are met by the [[Northern Eagle]] who are already in position. The Varushkans have been busy in the Salt Flats for some time now, laying the groundwork for this invasion. There are few forces anywhere in the Empire that can match the Northern Eagle when it comes to [[Army qualities#Elusive|mastery]] of the wild forest, the sodden marsh, the rough dark hill. For the last six months they have been engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse with the Druj defenders of the Saarnath, avoiding any attempt to trap them or bring them to battle, and patiently putting their plans in motion.

The captains of the Eagle report an unqualified success; they have collapsed strategically chosen passes and bridges across the southern Salt Flats, destroying carefully selected caches and otherwise putting their guerrilla training to good use. This will not impede the armies of the Druj, who can carry their supplies with them, and resupply from baggage trains but for the [[fortification#garrison|garrisons]] of the Druj [[fortification|fortifications]] - the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#The_Witness|Witness]], the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Spires_of_Rarckan|Spires of Rarckan]], and the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]] - it is a different matter. This season, those garrisons are unable to intervene in Lower Saarnath, occupied clearing the damage the Northern Eagle has inflicted, limited by their ability to move provisions into the forests of the south. The Empire will still have a fight on its hand, but the forces the barbarians can bring to bear will be limited to their armies - armies already battered from fighting in Sarangrave and the [[Forest of Ulnak]], armies that have still not fully recovered.

The Northern Eagle have laid the groundwork, but they are not finished with the Druj. Not by a long chalk. The Varushkan soldiers are already planning their next strike against the Mallum, and the planning and execution of their strategy requires all their attention. They are still able to provide a bounty of valuable scouting reports, marking out the areas the Imperial armies should avoid, as well as places they may want to target. Then they disappear back into the rainforest. Their fight this season is very different to that of the conquerors here to fight the Druj openly; it remains to be seen what punishment they have in mind for the barbarians in the coming months.

It is for the Gryphon's Pride to step into the breach. [[Army_qualities#Conquering|Conquest]] is their calling after all, and they press forward with a single overriding goal - to seize Lower Saarnath from the Druj and drive the armies of the Mallum before them. They lead the way, a solid spear-strike deep into enemy territory. They are closely supported by the [[Army_qualities#Cunning|cunning]] of the Quiet Step, who focus their efforts on setting ambushes and luring enemies into traps. They remain mobile, taking advantage of every weakness in the enemy strategy to attack from the flanks. Their tactics are unorthodox but effective - poison and venom, targeting healers, magicians, and supplies. They kill without mercy, and perhaps in some way the Druj might even respect them for it.

For the most part the other Imperial armies take a more conservative approach. For those who have fought the Druj before, this caution seems the wisest course. The barbarians are fond of traps and Imperial soldiers have paid a harsh price for their overconfidence too many times in the past. The Black Thorns push forward [[Army orders#Steady Conquest|patiently]], prioritising the preservation of Imperial lives over the pursuit of victory. The Lions of Adelmar complement this painstaking approach; they [[Army qualities#Guardian|stand staunchly with their allies]] wherever they are engaged, shields ready to block the arrows of the Druj, swords unsheathed and eager to fight alongside their comrades. Selfless and courageous, many are the Navarri and Urizeni who will owe their lives to the Dawnish once this campaign is over.

With the Lions also march a cohort of the [[Knights of Glory]]. They are captained by the fearsome ''Elodian'', resplendent in mighty panoply of runebound steel and leading a glorious warband of hammer-smiths no less powerfully accoutred. The unstoppable blows these heavy warriors strike with their great mauls send barbarians sprawling, or smash them into trees, and both their heavy armour and these terrible strikes serves as a perfect complement to the tactics of the Lions.

Then, at last, the Citadel Guard. The [[sentinel|sentinels]] and the battlefield magicians of Urizen are there beside their allies whenever battle is joined but their goal is clearly somewhere else. They focus on support and strengthening the soldiers of the other nations and their aid is valuable in seizing land from the Druj but actually ''fighting'' the barbarians is of secondary importance. While their soldiers fight, their [[coven|covens]] work together on of rituals intended to gather magical power and direct it toward this unseen goal. As Summer fades the leaves on the great broad-leafed trees in their vicinity turn brown and red and yellow faster than they have any right to do so. As if something primal was being redirected in some way, out of the forests and toward... somewhere else.

There are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] with the Urizeni as well - proud ''Dindrayne'' of the feather-brow. A war-witch with a staff of adamant, she commands a cohort of elfin heroes in mithril chain, who enthusiastically fight alongside the sentinels against the Druj. With them are a score of trumpeters, who rouse the spirits of the soldiers they fight alongside, urging them to acts of heroism and glory that are sometimes at odds with the more sober mien of the people of the southern peaks. Their commander, however, remains with the covens further back behind the lines - an uncommon position for a champion of the ''Lion of Summer''.

As well as magical allies, the armies of the Empire are supported by more than twelve thousand strength at arms lead by [[military unit|Imperial captains]], many of whom bear [[enchantment|enchantments]] of their own. The vast majority fight with the Citadel Guard, and while those versed in the arts of war are at the forefront of the campaign alongside the sentinels and battle-wizards, those with even a smattering of [[Magical_skills#Realm_Lore|realm lore]] - especially the lore of [[Spring magic|Spring]] - are stationed further back supporting and protecting the covens. The 'Guard regularly dispatch these auxiliaries on missions deep into Druj territory, to capture resources or secure access to certain locations at critical moments.

A strong force, then, bound together by bonds of [[Loyalty]] and [[Pride]], of the love of comrades, and of a singular purpose: the destruction of the Druj.
<gallery heights=150 mode="packed">
File:QuietStep Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Quiet Step
File:NorthernEagle Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Northern Eagle
File:CitadelGuard Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Citadel Guard
File:BlackThorns Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Black Thorns
File:GryphonPride Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Gryphon's_Pride
File:LionsAdelmar Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Lions_of_Adelmar
</gallery>

==Scorpion in a Corner==
That unity is not found among the barbarians of the Mallum. Even something as straightforward as a singular purpose is somewhat lacking. One would think the Druj armies would be brought together by the desperate need to keep control of as much of the Salt Flats as they can, but they show no sign of it. The armies come to defend Lower Saarnath, its true, but they do so piecemeal and that gives the Imperial armies an advantage.

The first major force to engage the Empire are the [[Druj_armies#White_Lions|White Lions]]. Named for the large venomous ants that build great nests on the Salt Flats, they are perhaps the most disciplined of all the armies of the Mallum. Some of their troops are already in Lower Saarnath, hunting the Northern Eagle, and they quickly raise a warning once it is clear the Empire has come in force. They avoid direct confrontation with the Imperial forces wherever possible, at least until the rest of the defenders start to arrive. It seems they have accepted unwise boons of [[Winter magic]], likely from the ''[[Agramant|Wastewalker]]''. Wounds that should kill them barely slow them down, but when they fall they die quickly. Worse, they are riven by a terrible hunger; there are disturbing scenes where warriors of the White Lions abandon their own defence to cut strips of warm flesh from the fallen - enemies and friends alike. There are handfuls of bloodthirsty [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - pale white walkers more beast than human or orc - among their number who urge them on to greater and greater excess. For all this apparent madness, however, when they are able to think clearly the White Lions prove to be a persistent and responsive threat to the Empire, seemingly always in position to counter Imperial tactics.

Over the first few weeks of the campaign, the [[Druj_armies#Hidden Widow|Hidden Widow]], the wild warriors of the treacherous [[Druj_armies#Jagged Claws|Jagged Claws]], and the twisted [[Druj_armies#Red Lizard|Red Lizard]] filter in to join the defence of Lower Saarnath. They are forced to approach through the marshes of [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beladrarsh|Beladrarsh]], and by all accounts receive little assistance from the Skinweaver sept that rule that rich territory. No doubt the wealthy Skinweavers are too busy making preparations for their own survival to see the Druj armies as anything other than a wall of meat between them and the invading humans. Last to arrive are the [[Druj armies#Black Wind|Black Wind]], and for once they seem less interested in [[Army_qualities#Cruel|tormenting]] the armies of the Empire and more in simply trying to stem the flood of Imperial soldiers into the Salt Flats. It is easy to forget that they hate the Druj for what they did to their people - and sometimes hard to bear that they loathe the Empire even more.

The Urizeni quickly note that none of these armies seem to bear enchantments, and that there is a distinct lack of magical wards at least in the south. This is certainly not the traditional way the Druj make war - especially in defence. Speculation runs like wildfire - has the loss of the [[Druj armies#Tainted Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] and the disappearance of the cowardly [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Sarangrave#Palace_of_the_Sleepers|Palace of the Sleepers]] gutted the magical capabilities of the Druj? Or is it simply that the resources they have are focused elsewhere? Is there some other shoe waiting to drop? Is there a magical trap here, hidden behind the trees, shrouded from the eyes of the magicians and witches and [[vate|vates]]?
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Dancing scorpions.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Make Monsters of Us All==
If the Druj are bad when they invade, they are ten times worse when forced on the defensive. Yet the air of desperation here in the dripping woods of Lower Saarnath is different, somehow. There is a tremor of fear in the people of the Mallum, it seems. They rely on purely defensive tactics, seeking to turn their admittedly superior knowledge of the terrain into advantage wherever possible. They still skirmish, but their attacks are much more focused on singular objectives - driving ''this'' specific band of knights away from a defensible position, overrunning ''this'' specific hospital and then retreating, killing ''these'' scouts and then fleeing without even taking the time to string their corpses up from the trees.

Afraid they might be, but they refuse to cede anything that the Empire does not wrest from their tight grasp. It is challenging for the Imperial armies to bring their weight of numbers to bear against the Druj in the confines of the rainforest; hard for them to force a large-scale confrontation when often visibility is reduced to a score of metres in every direction. When it is not the trees alone, it is the ever-present rain, or the thick, warm mists that rise on the rare occasions when the sun peaks out behind the dark clouds for a few hours. The woods favour the Druj tactics of ambush and surprise, which must be accounted for whenever the Empire advances.

Still the Druj ''are'' outnumbered though, and arguably outclassed. Again, though, it is the ability of the Empire's armies to trust one another than proves the greatest advantage. The Lions of Adelmar and the Quiet Step employ strategies specifically designed to aid their allies, to work with their comrades in other armies and nations. The sentinels of the Citadel Guard are adept at deploying their force where it will offer the greatest support, and then moving to another position as the ebb and flow of battle shifts. In contrast there are reports of warriors of the Jagged Claw intentionally abandoning their Red Lizard "allies" in the middle of an engagement, their deaths serving to cover a flanking manoeuvre and hasty retreat. There are incidents where the Hidden Widow are left in an exposed position by the Black Wind just to lure a band of thorns into a trap that closes around the Navarr too late to save their "comrades".

As one Dawnish troubadour marching with the Lions says, it isn't so much that the Druj are intentionally turning on one another, but rather than they seem utterly incapable of seeing anyone outside their immediate circle as being ''people'' at all. Rivals or pawns to be used to their own advantage, in the pursuit of their own ambitions or their own survival. A people culturally incapable of feeling the bonds of fellowship, utterly alien to the understanding of love that the Lions hold at the centre of their philosophy.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sebastián Fawnwood.jpg|caption='''Sebastián Fawnwood''' (centre), General of the Gryphon's Pride|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dame Katelyn.jpg|caption='''Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco''', General of the Lions of Adelmar|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cadwell Waystone.png|caption='''Cadwell Waystone''', General of the Black Thorns|align=left|width=250}}

</div>

==Handfuls of Dust==
A month after the fighting begins, the Empire encounters serious magical resistance. The Gryphons Pride and the Black Thorns have pushed a little ahead of their allies, driving north-east where the land slopes upward toward the great plateau of Upper Saarnath. A major force of White Lions, supported by warriors of the Hidden Widow, attempt a pincer movement and fighting erupts among the trees. At first it seems that the Pride and the Thorns cannot fail to achieve victory, but then a third force joins the fighting.

They are not an army, or even really a garrison, but rather a force of perhaps a hundred or so hooded orcs with bows and barbed spears. The Thorns identify them as [[Arkad#Vikari|Vikari]] although their banner is unfamiliar - that of a skeletal serpent similar to the coiled shrike favoured by the Kallad. This, reason the Navarr, must be the Vileshrike sept from the Dripping Tor. They are some distance from home, presumably on the orders of the rumoured ghulai ''Graknuz Acidtouch''. They are not alone, however.

With the Vileshrikes are a hundred or so beings that seem to be heralds of the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]], similar to those encountered a few months ago by Imperial champions fighting [[alongside the Earthquake Drummers]] in the Forest of Ulnak. Scarecrow-like, in billowing black robes, it is easy at first to mistake them for [[Druj_lore#Tortured_souls|tortured souls]]. Yet these creatures have never been mortal; there is nothing beneath their robes save animate darkness, shadows that seem to seep through the empty eye-holes of the featureless masks they wear. The merest touch of these awful phantoms [[Calls#Weakness|weakens]] the strongest knight, draining away their will to fight and overwhelming them with fear and terror. Their weapons assail the mind as well as the body, creating magical wounds that confuse the confident thorns leaving them riven with self-doubt and uncertainty. A few are armed with terrible pole-arms that drown their foes in [[paralysis|paralysing]] wells of phantasmal horror, leaving them as easy picking for the rest of the barbarians alongside who they fight.

The Vileshrikes - if that is who this is - don't especially coordinate their attacks with the two armies but rather take advantage of their attack to cover an assault of their own. The battle-magicians are clearly experienced fighting alongside their unnatural allies - they [[entangle|bind]] a likely target long enough for the fluttering-robed things to descend on them and assail their spirit. The Rivers of Life does nothing to bolster the broken will to fight, it cannot heal the terrible nightmares that assail those injured by the creatures' weapons, nor offer protection from the sucking quagmire of doubt that overwhelms the doughtiest warrior.

It doesn't help that these vikari are obviously backed by significant magical resources - enough for some of their number to unleash great wails that weaken enemies and allies alike, or terrifying atonal hymns that [[Calls#CURSE|curse]] Imperial soldiers with a growing delirium that takes hold hours after the fighting when they think themselves safe.

It's hard to say for certain how much difference this additional force of Druj makes to the overall battle; for all their magical prowess Vileshrike Vikari and terrorising Night held alike are as vulnerable as any magician to [[Calls#IMPALE|arrows and mighty blows]], can be put to flight with a [[Calls#CLEAVE|solid strike]] from a skilled fighter. They also seem to have little stomach for a long fight. They expend their magic quickly, it seems, and then fall back while the White Lions and the Hidden Widow still clash with the Pride and the Thorns.

The Imperial advance is turned back that day, although the Pride and the Thorns manage to lead some of the more bloodthirsty Druj into an ambush set by the Quiet Step. Less than a week later, with the Lions and the Step to back them up, the two Imperial armies return and the Navarr and Dawnish are victorious. They continue to push through the Salt Flats, and the further north-east they travel the more common and vicious fighting with the Vileshrikes becomes.

Whoever the Vileshrikes are, whoever their allies are, they do not fight anywhere else in Lower Saarnath; only in the north-east. They also seem to be the source of a peculiar magical effect, a curse of some kind, that is slowly settling over the southern Salt Flats. Soldiers begin to report an increasing number of horrific dreams, and those standing watch at the darkest hours of the night claim to spot hooded figures watching them from the shadows who they ''know'' are filled with poisonous hate. It doesn't seem to be an enchantment; perhaps this mysterious ghulai is drawing on other sources of power to do... whatever they are doing.

Despite all this, the Druj are forced to retreat again and again. As the season draws on, as the Quiet Step and the Lions of Adelmar come within sight of the location marked out by Imperial scouts as the ''Dripping Tor''. It lies in the depths of the forest, far from any other settlement, but it has been identified by the Northern Eagle as a key strategic location to control. When the armies arrive, however, they find the Tor... missing. In its place looms an impenetrable grove of massive, clearly supernatural trees. When any Imperial soldier gets within a mile of the rough location, thick mists boil out of the ground and seethe in the air, creating impenetrable curtains of grey and white. Those who do not turn back soon regret it - scouts report encounters with unspeakable horrors in the depths of the mists. Some who brave the fog are left shattered in mind and spirit, raving about ''eyes'' and ''claws'' and ''the terrible soft music''. Others do not return at all.

The decision is made to give the area a wide berth. None of the armies here are in a position to try and penetrate whatever ward is in place, and there are still Druj to be fought. A watch is set by the Quiet Step, and the Empire turns its attention elsewhere. At least there are no further attacks by the Vileshrikes and their unnatural allies, once the armies reach the Tor.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka.jpg|caption='''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''', General of the Northern Eagle, leads the Varushkans in subtle infiltration of the Salt Flats.|align=left|width=250}}
</div>

==For Those Who Come After==
In the end, there is no single decisive battle in the valleys of Lower Saarnath, only a string of engagements spread out through the woodlands. There are relatively few Druj settlements here - and they are poorly prepared for attack by Imperial soldiers. Unless the Druj armies are present, these scattered arboreal villages and logging camps swiftly fall to the Empire. Even where the Druj defenders are present, it is usually not enough to stop the Empire seizing them anyway. Usually.

Ultimately the Empire is victorious, smashing through the Druj defences and forcing the armies to retreat. Lower Saarnath is captured in its entirety, and the Imperial forces regroup to consider their next move. The Rivers of Life help to blunt the slaughter on both sides, but when the final tally is made it is still sobering. A thousand Imperial lives lost in the woodlands to the Druj. It is scant consolation that, thanks in particular to the presence of so many Imperial captains, the barbarians seem to have paid a much steeper price. It is difficult to say how ''much'' of a price as always, but even with their purely defensive strategy the Druj have ''suffered'' this season.

As Autumn approaches, armies on both sides take stock and consider their next moves; but then -

Then something unexpected happens.
==What Brings Their End==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was.jpg|caption='''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', General of the Citadel Guard, has unleashed the devastating power of Spring magic on the Druj capital.|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
For three months, the Citadel Guard have been gathering strength, working carefully crafted rituals in each Spring [[regio]] they encounter, weak or strong. They have been studying the flows of [[mana site|mana]] across Lower Saarnath, sending out small bands of diviners and sentinel defenders to learn more about the way power pools across the Salt Flats. A week before the Autumn Equinox, their work is completed.

While it takes time to prepare, and set in motion, the [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|Technique of the Transcendent Claw]] is not subtle in its effects. At sunrise, the sky turns black, boiling with storm clouds. The rain turns torrential, driven by howling gales. Lightning strikes willy-nilly not only across the valleys of Lower Saarnath but across the entire southern reach of the Salt Flats. Tents are torn up into the sky, unwary folk thrown flat in the mud, branches are ripped from ancient trees creating stark openings in the canopy. Imperial soldiers are at least partially prepared, but it takes the Druj mostly by surprise.

Then, the sole elfin trumpeter that accompanies the Urizen magicians sounds a single terrible note that, impossibly, is heard throughout the lower valleys. It isn't part of the working, but it seems the knights of Eleonaris have a good sense for the dramatic... and this magic is certainly ''dramatic''.

Far away from the Imperial attackers and the Druj defenders, in one of the poorest parts of the sprawling city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] itself stands the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]], a fortification garrisoned not by orcs but by humans under the banner of the self-styled ''Prince Tristain the Golden.'' A long way from the fighting, in a city that no doubt still imagines itself beyond the reach of the Empire. That dream is shattered, decisively.

With a deafening peal of thunder, audible all the way back to Lower Saarnath, a cascade of thunderbolts rains from the sky over Leen. The gale force winds become even stronger, battering the stones of the Beacon with the force of ten Winter storms, then twenty, then thirty. The rain pours in sheets, eating away at the mortar that holds the stones together, at the foundations that allow it to stand. The destruction is not limited to the fortification itself; the surrounding buildings are likewise stricken with this devastating, hungry tempest called by the highest arts of the Urizeni magicians. A tornado reaches down from the heavens, down toward the earth, and as it comes the lightning ignites something within it and it becomes a conflagration despite the monsoon deluge.

The Druj of Leen speak in whispered, terrified tones of spirits within those winds, awful shapes of water and wind and fire that somehow poured ''out'' of the tornado. Creatures of the Spring realm, following this consummate magical working into the mundane world for a short time, tearing at the Beacon with the single-minded hatred creatures of the Primal Forest have for all construction. Were they really there, or do the Druj imagine them in the chaos and ruin that attends upon the power unleashed by the Citadel Guard?

And then the weather starts to clear... the tumultuous downpour turns back to ''just'' heavy rain. The winds lessen, ceasing entirely for a moment before returning again at more normal speed. Smoke rises from the rainforest, but the fires find no purchase in the soaking wood. The lightning ceases, the thunder stills, the clouds part and the wan Autumn sun shines through.

It shines on the uncertain faces of the Imperial soldiers, it shines on the satisfied and tired faces of the Urizeni masters, it shines on the terrified faces of the Druj. It shines also, sadly, on the Beacon of Iskrid. The [[fortification#bastion|bastion]] leans dangerously to the side, barely standing. The upper ramparts have been torn away, as if gouged by some mighty claw, and scattered with lethal force into the city below. It looks for all the world as if the slightest push would send it tumbling into the streets of Leen, crushing everything in its path. It is almost entirely devastated... almost.

The Beacon still stands - the power of the ''Onrushing Storm'' was perhaps blunted by the rival resonances of life and healing in the rainwaters of Sanath this season - but only just. And while it may have avoided destruction by a hair's breadth, the people of Leen cannot fail to understand what has just happened. The [[Druj_lore#Buruk_Tepel|Buruk Tepel]], the rulers of the Druj, who imagined themselves safe in their great city have been presented with a potent illustration of just how vulnerable they are. The Druj are ''afraid''.

==Game Information==
<div style="float: right; max-width: 400px; margin-right: 10px;">{{HoverImage|Salt Flats of Sanath Regions.png|SaltFlatsBasic.png}}</div>
===Salt Flats of Sanath===
* '''The Empire has claimed Lower Saarnath
* '''The Northern Eagle prevented any of the Druj fortifications in Sanath participating in the fight and gave the region the under threat quality
* '''The Beacon of Iskrid has been devastated by Urizen magic but still stands - just
* '''The Dripping Tor appears to be hidden behind a powerful shroud of Night magic
As the Autumn Equinox approaches the Imperial forces in Sanath have claimed the region of Lower Saarnath. The Vileshrikes hidden in the north-east clearly intend to resist Imperial control, but it is not clear how much magic they may be able to bring to bear.

Thanks to the Northern Eagle, the garrisons of the three Druj fortifications were unable to operate in Lower Saarnath this season. That benefit ends with the Autumn Equinox - the remaining garrisons will be able to participate in the campaign as normal going forward. They also provided the [[Region_qualities#Under_Threat|under threat]] quality to Lower Saarnath, but that quality has also faded as the Autumn Equinox dawns. The Eagle are in Sanath, but they did not participate directly in the campaign this season. Instead they are arranging another strike against the Druj using their [[Army qualities#Elusive|elusive]] quality.

The Beacon of Iskrid was assailed by the Urizeni using their Technique of the Transcendent Claw. All casualties the army caused were targeted specifically against the Beacon, ignoring the usual reduction in damage done to a bastion. The presence of many military units, and the Knights of Glory, both help this technique have a significant impact. Even the Quiet Step ''Cunning'' strategy works to increase the damage to the Beacon (but only by increasing the casualties caused directly by the army; as with all army orders it doesn't increase the casualties caused by military units or enchantments). It is also worth noting that this effect [[Limits_of_magic#Damaging_Fortifications|cannot be created]] with ritual magic - the direct damage to a fortification is the result of a [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|unique technique]] that requires an entire season of campaigning in a given territory by an army including powerful magicians who perform dozens of individual rituals before it has any effect.

Only military units supporting the Citadel Guard receive a share of the Imperial Guerdon; other military units receive nothing.

===Strategic Considerations===
* '''Dripping Tor is concealed beneath a powerful shroud of Night magic
* '''It is not possible to move between Upper Saarnath and Leen Rarckan
The Vileshrike stronghold of ''Dripping Tor'' is concealed behind a potent shroud of [[Night magic]], similar in effect to [[Vale of Shadows]]. According to the witches and vates who accompanied the armies into that part of the valleys, it appears to have been performed at magnitude 120 - representing a serious challenge to Imperial magicians who want to remove it. Still, a suitably potent [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] cast at the [[Regio#The_Imperial_Regio|Imperial regio]] could be [[Army_qualities#Magic|channeled]] through the [[general]] of the [[Citadel Guard]] but it will require a magnitude of 240 to bring the effect down. If left undisturbed, the shroud will last until the start of the Summer Solstice 389YE. Other methods might exist to penetrate this magical defence.

If the shroud is removed, the Vileshrike sept could be destroyed by an Imperial army sent specifically to root them out. This would need to be done at the same summit the shroud was pierced, or the sept will be able to scatter into the wild places of the Salt Flats and potentially remain as a threat to Imperial forces in the territory. They are not a significant campaign force however; while the army would need to take an attacking order and be busy for an entire season, they would suffer no appreciable damage.

It is not immediately apparent from the map, but Imperial scouts have confirmed what the original spy network used to map the Salt Flats only suggested. It is not possible for an [[army]] to move between [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Upper_Saarnath|Upper Saarnath]] and [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Leen_Rarckan|Leen Rarckan]] (or vice versa) without an opportunity.

===Participation: Citadel Guard===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:SpringRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Military units fighting with the Citadel Guard have participated in the working of the Onrushing Storm
Any character whose military unit supported the Citadel Guard this season is free to roleplay their involvement in the performance of the ''Technique of the Resplendent Claw''. This may have involved protecting Urizeni magicians, but might also have involved scouting into other regions of the southern Salt Flats to find specific resources, escorting a coven to a hidden Spring regio, or raiding a specific mana site to shift the flows of mana in a direction that helps support the destructive magic ultimately unleashed against the Beacon of Iskrid. Magicians might have helped with the rituals cast - working with ritual masters from their own nation to perform supportive rituals. An Urizeni magician versed in Spring lore might even have been one of those involved in the final magical workings that lead to the assault on the Beacon. You are also free to roleplay that you fought alongside the sentinels and other soldiers striving to conquer Lower Saarnath instead, of course.

While the army was enchanted with [[Knights of Glory]], the presence of the heralds has not had any noticeable affect on either the military units supporting the army, nor on the soldiers of the army itself.
===Participation: Lions of Adelmar===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=Regal, noble, and terrible in anger; Eleonaris is the Lion of Summer and her soldiers bear many of her traits.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The Lions of Adelmar continue not being able to take the cautious advance or give ground orders'''
* '''Any character whose military unit fought alongside the Lions of Adelmar may be inspired by the Knights of Glory'''
The Lions of Adelmar are accompanied into the Salt Flats by [[Knights of Glory|supernatural warriors]] led by the war-smith ''Elodian''. The presence of the knights continues to [[Even_darkness_must_pass#Sarangrave|exert influence over]] the Dawnish army. The Lions of Adelmar cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders until a year has passed - even if Dawn were to put aside their [[Dawn_military_concerns#Army_Orders|commitment]] to Glory.

The heavily armoured champions that fight under the banner of ''Elodian'' have relished the experience of battling the Druj alongside the Lions of Adelmar, and not been shy about expressing their approval. The warriors from the Field of Glory take every opportunity to inspire the glorious soldiers of the army. A character whose military unit supported the Lions of Adelmar this season may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to the glorious heralds.

If you are a Dawnish character whose military unit supported the Lions of Adelmar this season, or the general of the army itself, you may choose to gain a magical boon from the runic war-smiths. To claim this boon you must mark your armour, shield, or a visible part of your body with one or more of the so-called [[Runes#Runes of Summer|Runes of Summer]] - [[Feresh]], [[Jotra]], [[Tykonus]], or [[Verys]]. The boon counts as an [[enchantment]] on your character. As long as at least one of these runes are present, the [[Combat_skills#Dreadnought|dreadnought]] skill provides you with two additional hits on top of its normal benefit, and whenever you use the [[heroic skills#Unstoppable|unstoppable]] skill you regain five hits instead of the normal three.

If anyone uses [[Detect_magic#Discern_Enchantment|discern enchantment]] on you, you'll need to let the referee know that you are under the effect of a magnitude 7 Summer enchantment, and that you bear the ''mark of runemarked prowess''.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to fight valiantly to support your friends, family, and especially your loved ones. Anyone offending or upsetting someone you care about causes a wave of burning anger to boil up inside you making it hard not to immediately confront them. If you lose your temper it is very hard not to give in to the urge to beat whoever offended you or your ally until they are incapacitated or they unconditionally surrender. At the same time, whenever you feel cherished or appreciated, the sensations are significantly increased to the point where you may experience a moment of rare bliss.''

The boon can be removed [[Enchantment#Removing_Enchantments|as normal]] - “overwritten” with a new enchantment - and will have faded by the start of the Winter Solstice.

===Participation: Bad Dreams===
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>
* '''Something is causing particularly bad dreams in Lower Saarnath
Any character whose military unit supported any of the armies in the Salt Flats of Sanath this season may have experienced unsettling dreams. Nightmares are not uncommon when one is exposed to the Druj miasma, but these are a step above what veterans of the Mallum, or of the fight to liberate Zenith, have reported. Nightmares caused by the miasma tend to vary between individuals as much as any other dreams, but there is a suspicious commonality of elements in many of these odd dreams.

They involve being pursued or threatened in familiar places that are twisted with mud and water, or the presence of marsh-dwelling flora or fauna. Horrible phantasmal shapes eventually invade these places, or catch up with a fleeing dreamer, and begin to drown them or smother them. Dreamers awaken terrified, short of breath, and convinced that there is something leaning over them trying to steal their breath, crush their chests, or throttle them in their sleep. Nothing is physically present, and there are no signs of either intruders or assailants.

There is no benefit to doing so, but anyone who has experienced these dreams is encouraged to start the Autumn Equinox without any [[heroic skills#Hero|hero points]] or [[magical skills#magician|personal mana]]. They can still recover hero points and mana as normal - either by getting a good nights sleep at Anvil or by taking advantage of a magical method of recovery such as a [[potion]], or an [[enchantment|enhanted]] area such as [[Herthfire's Hospitality]] or [[Chamber of Delights]].

==Battle Opportunity : What Dreams Must Come==
* '''There is an opportunity for a battle in the Salt Flats of Sanath this season'''

The magic of the Citadel Guard unleashed, the fury of Spring unleashed, the storm's rain unleashed. Urizeni mages have sent vast workings of magical power at the walls of the Beacon of Iskrid. Unimaginable forces lashing at the white granite bastion, tearing masonry and roofing tiles from the structure. Yet, for all the great efforts during the season of campaigning, the fortress still towers above the squalid city surrounding it. Somehow it is clinging on by the slenderest of threads.

The correct magic was cast, [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|the powers of spring were called forth]] from the furious stormlashed realm as intended; the covens of the army and those that aided them did all that was required. But in the end it was just not quite enough, and the full might of the arcane undertaking fell agonisingly short of what was needed to overcome the bastion. It is a grim outcome, but when something like this happens, fate has a way of helping out, and so it proves this time.

The ghulai, the Druj magicians, have been engaged in a magic of their own. Desperate to prevent the Empire from advancing, the ghulai of the Vileshrikes have prepared a trap for the Empire. They hope to force open the regio across Beladrarsh, and both Upper and Lower Saarnath, to permit Ungholt, the Delirium King, to stalk the land. This little known eternal's fiendish touch brings terror and madness, a curse that spreads through the land, turning civilised people into savage monsters. A monstrous act by the Druj in scorching the earth, a plan to turn their own subjects into a bulwark of dread that will devastate the Empire's armies as they try to attack the region. If they succeed,these regions will become terror-stricken.

There is a chance to stop them. The ghulai's curse relies on a set of hastily erected ''shackles'', erected inside the shroud at Dripping Tor. Here in a vast clearing in the forest, the ''Rivenglade'', are three pillars of wood and billowing cloth. Glimpsed from afar, they are ancient, decrepit things, dank and miserable as many of the Druj's own buildings are. The fabrics at their tops add a singular splash of colour, bright and vivid as if warning of danger. Each pillar is bound up with magic, built from aged weirwood planks and driven through with mithril nails.

Despite their dilapidated appearance, power courses through them, the unmistakable power of the Night realm weaving around and into the structures. Combined together, the three pillars are acting to pull together the magic of obfuscation, transformation, and emotion into something pernicious and terrible. Perhaps this is why the Druj ghulai did not enchant their armies this season, occupied as they were preparing to unleash this terrible curse.

There is a conjunction to ''Rivenglade'' that will enable the heroes of Anvil to travel to the Dripping Tor on the Sunday of the Autumn Equinox. A single chance to stop the Druj from unleashing the servants of the Delirium King on their own people.

===Objective: Save the Druj from the Delirium King===
* '''The Vileshrike ghulai are preparing to unleash the Delirium King on three regions adjacent to the Dripping Tor'''
* '''If they are not stopped then Lower Sarnath, Upper Sarnath and Beladrarsh will become terror-stricken'''
* '''Zakalwe offers his aid in stopping the curse before it can take effect'''
* '''Destroy the ''Night Shackles'' to prevent the Reign of the Delirium King afflicting the regions'''

The ghulai of the Vileshrikes have raised three Night Shackles, strange weirwood pillars, shrouded with Night magic. They have spent the season pouring magical energy into the pillars, and they intend to unleash the curse shortly after the equinox. If they are not stopped, then the curse, the ''Reign of the Delirium King'', will be unleashed on Lower Sarnath, Upper Sarnath and Beladrarsh. This night magic curse will inflict the depredations of [[Eternals_of_the_sea#Hongerigespin_and_Ungholt|Ungholt]] on the occupants of these regions; a wave of terror will spread over the land as mortals who sleep will find their dreams invaded by their worst fears. The fear will break minds like a hurricane tearing down the weakest trees in the forest. Those who succumb will no longer tell friend from foe, lashing out at anything that comes close.

The curse will ravage the populace of the three regions, and it might be tempting to leave the Druj to it, were it not for the dangers that the ritual will create. Beladrash in particular is home to half a dozen subject septs who are forced to toil for the Druj. Thousands of orcs will be affected, some of whom are Druj in name only. Worse, the ghulai are prepared to take this terrible step because they intend to forge a weapon from the broken minds of their own people. Driven furious with fear, the inhabitants will attack any army that tries to seize the regions or move through them. The Vileshrike plan to sacrifice their subjects to create a poisoned weapon to hurl at the Empire.

The Master Strategist loathes the Delirium King and is eager to help the Empire put a stop to this terrible plan. The eternal's heralds have provided rune-marked keys, cunningly wrought devices that can be used to pierce the shrouds that surrounds each shackle. Each one employs a set of simple runic pieces - the runes of Night combined with the two mystic runes. Magicans can use the key to discern the nature of the shroud, and pierce it.

To use a key, magicians will need to select four of the runes, place them on the board and then perform [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] to activate them.
The ritual will reveal information on how many runes are correct and how many are in the correct place. The ritual can be repeated as often as needed, but each casting will take time. To succeed, the right sequence of four runes must be determined for that pillar, with each rune in the correct location. Sharp minds and clear thoughts will be needed to guide the divinations, along with capable ritualists and plentiful supplies of crystal mana or prismatic ink to power the rituals.

Once the shroud has been pierced on a shackle the construction will collapse and the night magic ensnared around it will dissipate, removing the threat of the Delirium King's curse from falling on the associated region.

====The Shackle of Sorrow====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Sorrow will prevent Lower Saarnath from becoming terror-stricken'''

If the Shackle of Sorrow is destroyed, it will prevent the Reign of the Delirium King from falling on Lower Saarnath. The Empire has just spent the season conquering Lower Saarnath. The region is a beachhead that could be used to attack Upper Sarnaath and Beladrarsh. If the orcs who live here are fed to the ''Night Terror'', they will become a threat to every army based here or moving through the region.

====The Shackle of Misery====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Misery will prevent Upper Saarnath from becoming terror-stricken'''

Upper Saarnath is strategically vital as the gateway to [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Ûrinth|Ûrinth]], the centre of the Salt Flats and one of the few remaining Druj strongholds from which they rule what's left of their empire. The woods are desolate but not uninhabited, and barely half the orcs who live in the dense forests are true Druj. The Empire managed to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Grove of Woe, but there are still countless more subjects and slaves who are forced to labour in the great forests to feed the Druj war machine.

====The Shackle of Anguish====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Anguish will prevent Beladrarsh becoming terror-stricken'''

Beladrash is ruled over by the Skinweavers, and could be considered less strategically vital than the other two regions. However, it is home to no less than seven septs who are forced to serve the Druj here - if ''the Last Voice You Ever Hear'' is given a free reign to terrorise the dreams of the people who live here, then ''thousands'' will die. The Empire has often struggled to convince the septs of the Mallum to favour them over the Druj, but saving the Beladrarsh septs from the Druj could be a powerful diplomatic victory.

===Opportunity: Destroy the Beacon of Iskrid===
* '''Urizeni magicians who are associated with the Citadel Guard could harness the energies of a Shackle to complete the destruction of the Beacon of Iskrid'''
* '''An Urizeni coven can perform ''Thunderous Deluge'' after a shackle has been broken to destroy the fortification'''
<div {{float}}>
<box>'''Association with the Citadel Guard'''<br>The ritual can be performed by any Urizeni ritual group with members who roleplay that they are part of the Citadel Guard, either actively serving with it, or as one of the many magicians who support it.</box></div>
The Beacon of Iskrid, the seat of ''Prince Tristain the Golden'', teeters on the edge of destruction - one more surge of magical energy and it will come crashing to the ground. If the Empire can pry even a single shackle loose, then the magical energy it releases could be directed into the Citadel Guard's Transcendent Claw. That would be enough to overwhelm and destroy the Beacon. The fortification would be destroyed and its garrison scattered.

Completing the Transcendent Claw will not be easy. It ''needs'' an Urizen Spring coven, one with a connection to the other magicians of the Citadel Guard. They will need to perform [[Thunderous Deluge]] on one of the three Shackles, '''after''' the shroud has been pierced. If that happens, the magicians will be able to join their efforts with the magicians in the Guard, and add their own efforts to those of their compatriots. It doesn't need to be much - one last push and the walls of the fortification will come down.

===Battlefield threat: Combat the Servants of Delirium===
* '''Heralds of the Night realm stalk the area'''
* '''They lend their aid to the Druj defending Sanath'''

The forces of the Druj are accompanied at ''Rivenglade'' by the Night heralds referred to as the ''Servants of Delirium''. Clad in shadows and darkness, these creatures are not mighty champions but instead act as heralds of madness and despair. Blade strikes that [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weaken]] those they encounter and a terrifying urge to flee their approach are good enough reasons to be wary of them. More so, given the heralds have some inexplicable link to the shackles in the area and the hidden halls of the Dripping Tor. They are likely to target the teams of mages that work to decipher the nature of the Night magic once they realise what the Empire intends.

===Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] unless you have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

The entire area at ''Rivenglade '', is under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Anyone entering the area will need to protect themselves from the clawing dread or succumb to a weakening terror that creeps into their mind.

The primary effect of the miasma is that it [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakens]] anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an [[anointing]], but particularly [[Heroic_skills#Hero|heroic]] individuals, or those in possession of certain [[enchantment|enchantments]] or [[magic items]] may also be able to counteract the effect. In particular, those of the [[changeling]] [[lineage]] are able to fight the effects of the miasma, only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.

===Terror-Stricken===
* '''Armies attacking a terror stricken region generate 20% fewer victory points'''
* '''Any army fighting in a terror stricken region or moving through it suffers 10% of it's force in casualties'''
* '''A tenth of the civilian population will die every season'''

The inhabitants of a region that is terror-stricken are assailed by supernatural fear and dread. Those who try to sleep may find their rest plagued with nightmares. In their waking hours they may see horrifying visions lurking at the edges of their vision, or simply be overcome by a nameless dread. The strongest can endure the terror, but those less able to resist slowly lose their senses, to the point where they can no longer tell friend from foe. They will turn on any they see and try to attack and kill them. The mind-numbering terror pushes everyone it touches to the breaking point, to the point where violence is never far from the surface.

Inevitably people will die as a result of this terrible curse, some will simply never waken from their terror-filled nightmares, others will be overcome with rage and driven to violence against friends and family. Even those who are able to withstand the terror risk being killed by those who succumb. The civilian population will be decimated every season, and any army fighting in a terror stricken or moving through it suffers 10% of it's force in casualties. This will be calculated at the end of the season, after all casualties from that season's campaign have been calculated. Druj armies that aren't protected from the madness, will only suffer these if they are forced to defend one of these regions.

Forward into depthless dark

2026-09-08T14:11:52Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Objective: Save the Druj from the Delirium King */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Into depthless dark.jpg|align=left|caption=Here is the heart of the Druj; black and twisted and filled with hate and fear.|width=500}}</div>
==Wicked Effigies and Twisted Monuments==
The Salt Flats of Sanath are the true heartlands of the Druj. Broad plains criss-crossed by dark waterways. The ground is sodden, and the further east toward the sea one travels, the more marshy the land becomes. The forests common to the rest of the Mallum have mostly been cleared here, by centuries of ravenous industry. Only in the south-west is there any great woodland - the [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Lower Saarnath|lowland valleys]] and the high [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Upper Saarnath|plateau]] that each form half of the lands jointly called the Saarnath.
__TOC__
It rains almost constantly here, or so it seems. Even when it is not actively raining, the air is thick with moisture. The ground can turn slick and treacherous without warning, even in the valleys of Saarnath where the marshes of Sarangrave give way to broad-leafed rainforest. Visibility drops precipitously, a far cry from the relatively open sight-lines of the marshes and the flats to the south-west. Only the [[Navarr]] and the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] are really at home here, but even they must beware of overconfidence. The Druj know these woods better than they do after all.

Thick as the air can be, the [[Druj miasma|miasma]] is thicker, perhaps thicker than the Empire has ever encountered it. It has had generations to take root, to smother hope and ambition, to grind deep into the mud those unfortunate enough to be enslaved by the Druj. It preys on the minds of many soldiers, an insidious urge growing daily to simply give up, to turn back, to surrender, to cower. It requires constant vigilance by the captains, and by each soldier for their comrades, to keep the enervating atmosphere at bay.

The weather worsens as Summer wanes, and with the almost constant rain comes the [[curse]] of [[Spring magic]]. A fragment of [[Rivers of Life|healing power]] falls with every drop, bringing burgeoning life without constraint, without reason or caution. No wounds, save the most egregious, will last the night. Death comes only to those unfortunate enough to fall far from their lines, or to those who are the victims of swift execution. The familiar magic flows everywhere, in all the water in the Sarangrave, and it protects barbarian and Imperial invader alike. It also touches the plants and creatures of the Mallum with supernatural vitality, but driving some of them to the edge of frenzy.

And what creatures they are! The Empire has heard of them, encountered them in the eastern forests from time to time, but just as this is the heartland of the Druj so it is home to the [[Arkad#Hupul|deathstinger]], and the [[Arkad#Vikari|green forest scorpion]], and the awful serpentine [[Arkad#Kallad|coiled shrike]]. These creatures seem to have little fear of humans or orcs, and are ambitious enough to try and prey upon them when the opportunity presents itself. Imperial soldiers quickly learn to fear the droning buzz of ebon-and-scarlet wasps the size of doves, the cold horror of awakening to discover a razor-clawed insect with its tail already poised to strike exploring the interior of their tent, the yell of surprise that quickly gives way to agonised screaming as a friend is condemned to a terrible death at the fangs of an arboreal assassin. The Rivers of Life do little to purge venom, or cure the poison that burns through the belly of those foolish enough to eat the ripe fruit from the wrong tree.

Into this land of death come the Imperial armies, ready to strike against the core of the Druj. They will have their work cut out for them in the months to come, but if they can seize victory... what a thing ''that'' would be!
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Sebastián Fawnwood, General of the Gryphon's Pride">My glorious pride. You have bided your time, but now is our opportunity for what we were made for. Conquest. The salt flats of Sanath is our destination, for this is the beginning of the end for the Druj. With our warbanner reforged, it has been named the Pride of the Gryphons. It will be raised high enough that the Druj will see who brings their end. Be Vigilant. Be Glorious. Be the pride of Dawn.</quote>
<quote by="Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco, General of the Lions of Adelmar">Lions, three years ago I first came to Anvil a woman in pain. Like so many, the Druj had taken everything from me. Like so many, they continued to take our past, our present, our future. Our Gui, our Isaac, our Scout. Their ideology of hatred thrives in the dark and they wish to make monsters of us all. They wish to teach us to be scared of the dark. Let us make them fear the light. May we be the flame the innocent are drawn to as a Beacon of Safety. May our banners show that Courage and Loyalty drives us. May the sound of our roar carry far across the Salt Flats. May the Druj know this sound heralds their end, learn those banners mean those hurt will be saved, learn that flame is Ambition to bring glory with Elodian's Hammersmiths and the majesty of the Lion of Summer. Learn the monster they tried to create, became the lioness that will bring a death to the Druj. Whatever it takes. One day, the Druj will be a bedtime story told of our glory. Let us be the authors.</quote>
<quote by="Cadwell Waystone, General of the Black Thorns">Navarr will serve the Empire in Loyalty, regardless of the theatre of war. The Druj are broken, a scorpion backed into a corner, but their story is still a danger. The Buruk Tepel will fall, their armies laid low by the virtue of Imperial steel and we will free the slaves of the Mallum. Act in loyalty, fight with courage and serve with pride.</quote>
<quote by="Mercia Questor's View, General of the Quiet Step">Navarr, now is the time to hit the Druj where it hurts. We march on Lower Sanath. I may not be who you expected in command but I will see Neve's ambition for this army fulfilled. Whatever it takes. Our cousins in Varushka will take care of our home. Let the citizens of Therunin look to this beacon and away from the arms of Agramant. For those who came before. For those who come after.</quote>
<quote by="Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was, General of the Citadel Guard">Sentinels, Consider the Drowned Man. There comes a point in some fights when you are so much better than your opponent that victory seems inevitable. Your foe does not comprehend that they have lost, for they still stand, still fight. They lack your foresight, your arete, and you must simply walk them through the dance steps of their demise. In that moment it can be tempting to show mercy, even pity your foe. Worse, one can lose focus, looking to the next conflict. The Empire has made this mistake before. This is how the Druj still blight the world. Mercy is weakness - The task is not done until it is done. We begin the end. Make for Lower Saarnath. With Spring's might and Summer knights we soften Leen, bringing ruin to the Beacon of Iskrid. We must not relent until the last of the Buruk-Tepel are marched through Anvil and relieved of the burden of their vile, poisonous heads.</quote>
<quote by="Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka, General of the Northern Eagle">Eagle of the North, I return to you now to guide our path to the last conquest of the Druj. We go to the Sydathian Fens, striding unseen as we hunt for our foe's weakness. To you, Surut, Schlacta of the Roaring Hearth, I present my curiosity to your bargain and welcome your wisdom in bringing bright ruin to old and rotten things. Before us stand wicked effigies and twisted monuments to a dying power, symbols of a strength that has left the heart and limbs of this sickened beast of a nation. We shall make a beacon of them, a sign to our embattled cousins and fearful foes alike that soon all here will be changed by Imperial will. Forward now, into this depthless dark, for herein we shall raise the torches that shall light the way to a better world.</quote></div>

==Who Brings Their End==
Five armies march out of northern Sarangrave, through the [[Sarangrave#Turan Flats|Turan Flats]] into the Sanath. This is the [[A_walk_in_shadow|second time]] the Empire has ventured into Sanath, and the situation in the south is very different to that they encountered in the north three years ago.

The [[Black Thorns]] and the [[Citadel Guard]] are already in place, and they are quickly joined by the [[Gryphon's Pride]], the [[Lions of Adelmar]] and the [[Quiet Step]] from [[Ossium]], and [[Semmerholm]], and [[Zenith]]. The Quiet Step bring word that the [[Axos|Axou]] of [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] are mobilizing for their [[Skull beneath the skin|advance]] up to the Fens of Varreth. They will hopefully keep the path into the Salt Flats open to Imperial baggage trains, rather than devoured by ravening [[Quickening Cold Meat|Winter spirits]].

When they arrive, these five are met by the [[Northern Eagle]] who are already in position. The Varushkans have been busy in the Salt Flats for some time now, laying the groundwork for this invasion. There are few forces anywhere in the Empire that can match the Northern Eagle when it comes to [[Army qualities#Elusive|mastery]] of the wild forest, the sodden marsh, the rough dark hill. For the last six months they have been engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse with the Druj defenders of the Saarnath, avoiding any attempt to trap them or bring them to battle, and patiently putting their plans in motion.

The captains of the Eagle report an unqualified success; they have collapsed strategically chosen passes and bridges across the southern Salt Flats, destroying carefully selected caches and otherwise putting their guerrilla training to good use. This will not impede the armies of the Druj, who can carry their supplies with them, and resupply from baggage trains but for the [[fortification#garrison|garrisons]] of the Druj [[fortification|fortifications]] - the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#The_Witness|Witness]], the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Spires_of_Rarckan|Spires of Rarckan]], and the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]] - it is a different matter. This season, those garrisons are unable to intervene in Lower Saarnath, occupied clearing the damage the Northern Eagle has inflicted, limited by their ability to move provisions into the forests of the south. The Empire will still have a fight on its hand, but the forces the barbarians can bring to bear will be limited to their armies - armies already battered from fighting in Sarangrave and the [[Forest of Ulnak]], armies that have still not fully recovered.

The Northern Eagle have laid the groundwork, but they are not finished with the Druj. Not by a long chalk. The Varushkan soldiers are already planning their next strike against the Mallum, and the planning and execution of their strategy requires all their attention. They are still able to provide a bounty of valuable scouting reports, marking out the areas the Imperial armies should avoid, as well as places they may want to target. Then they disappear back into the rainforest. Their fight this season is very different to that of the conquerors here to fight the Druj openly; it remains to be seen what punishment they have in mind for the barbarians in the coming months.

It is for the Gryphon's Pride to step into the breach. [[Army_qualities#Conquering|Conquest]] is their calling after all, and they press forward with a single overriding goal - to seize Lower Saarnath from the Druj and drive the armies of the Mallum before them. They lead the way, a solid spear-strike deep into enemy territory. They are closely supported by the [[Army_qualities#Cunning|cunning]] of the Quiet Step, who focus their efforts on setting ambushes and luring enemies into traps. They remain mobile, taking advantage of every weakness in the enemy strategy to attack from the flanks. Their tactics are unorthodox but effective - poison and venom, targeting healers, magicians, and supplies. They kill without mercy, and perhaps in some way the Druj might even respect them for it.

For the most part the other Imperial armies take a more conservative approach. For those who have fought the Druj before, this caution seems the wisest course. The barbarians are fond of traps and Imperial soldiers have paid a harsh price for their overconfidence too many times in the past. The Black Thorns push forward [[Army orders#Steady Conquest|patiently]], prioritising the preservation of Imperial lives over the pursuit of victory. The Lions of Adelmar complement this painstaking approach; they [[Army qualities#Guardian|stand staunchly with their allies]] wherever they are engaged, shields ready to block the arrows of the Druj, swords unsheathed and eager to fight alongside their comrades. Selfless and courageous, many are the Navarri and Urizeni who will owe their lives to the Dawnish once this campaign is over.

With the Lions also march a cohort of the [[Knights of Glory]]. They are captained by the fearsome ''Elodian'', resplendent in mighty panoply of runebound steel and leading a glorious warband of hammer-smiths no less powerfully accoutred. The unstoppable blows these heavy warriors strike with their great mauls send barbarians sprawling, or smash them into trees, and both their heavy armour and these terrible strikes serves as a perfect complement to the tactics of the Lions.

Then, at last, the Citadel Guard. The [[sentinel|sentinels]] and the battlefield magicians of Urizen are there beside their allies whenever battle is joined but their goal is clearly somewhere else. They focus on support and strengthening the soldiers of the other nations and their aid is valuable in seizing land from the Druj but actually ''fighting'' the barbarians is of secondary importance. While their soldiers fight, their [[coven|covens]] work together on of rituals intended to gather magical power and direct it toward this unseen goal. As Summer fades the leaves on the great broad-leafed trees in their vicinity turn brown and red and yellow faster than they have any right to do so. As if something primal was being redirected in some way, out of the forests and toward... somewhere else.

There are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] with the Urizeni as well - proud ''Dindrayne'' of the feather-brow. A war-witch with a staff of adamant, she commands a cohort of elfin heroes in mithril chain, who enthusiastically fight alongside the sentinels against the Druj. With them are a score of trumpeters, who rouse the spirits of the soldiers they fight alongside, urging them to acts of heroism and glory that are sometimes at odds with the more sober mien of the people of the southern peaks. Their commander, however, remains with the covens further back behind the lines - an uncommon position for a champion of the ''Lion of Summer''.

As well as magical allies, the armies of the Empire are supported by more than twelve thousand strength at arms lead by [[military unit|Imperial captains]], many of whom bear [[enchantment|enchantments]] of their own. The vast majority fight with the Citadel Guard, and while those versed in the arts of war are at the forefront of the campaign alongside the sentinels and battle-wizards, those with even a smattering of [[Magical_skills#Realm_Lore|realm lore]] - especially the lore of [[Spring magic|Spring]] - are stationed further back supporting and protecting the covens. The 'Guard regularly dispatch these auxiliaries on missions deep into Druj territory, to capture resources or secure access to certain locations at critical moments.

A strong force, then, bound together by bonds of [[Loyalty]] and [[Pride]], of the love of comrades, and of a singular purpose: the destruction of the Druj.
<gallery heights=150 mode="packed">
File:QuietStep Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Quiet Step
File:NorthernEagle Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Northern Eagle
File:CitadelGuard Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Citadel Guard
File:BlackThorns Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Black Thorns
File:GryphonPride Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Gryphon's_Pride
File:LionsAdelmar Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Lions_of_Adelmar
</gallery>

==Scorpion in a Corner==
That unity is not found among the barbarians of the Mallum. Even something as straightforward as a singular purpose is somewhat lacking. One would think the Druj armies would be brought together by the desperate need to keep control of as much of the Salt Flats as they can, but they show no sign of it. The armies come to defend Lower Saarnath, its true, but they do so piecemeal and that gives the Imperial armies an advantage.

The first major force to engage the Empire are the [[Druj_armies#White_Lions|White Lions]]. Named for the large venomous ants that build great nests on the Salt Flats, they are perhaps the most disciplined of all the armies of the Mallum. Some of their troops are already in Lower Saarnath, hunting the Northern Eagle, and they quickly raise a warning once it is clear the Empire has come in force. They avoid direct confrontation with the Imperial forces wherever possible, at least until the rest of the defenders start to arrive. It seems they have accepted unwise boons of [[Winter magic]], likely from the ''[[Agramant|Wastewalker]]''. Wounds that should kill them barely slow them down, but when they fall they die quickly. Worse, they are riven by a terrible hunger; there are disturbing scenes where warriors of the White Lions abandon their own defence to cut strips of warm flesh from the fallen - enemies and friends alike. There are handfuls of bloodthirsty [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - pale white walkers more beast than human or orc - among their number who urge them on to greater and greater excess. For all this apparent madness, however, when they are able to think clearly the White Lions prove to be a persistent and responsive threat to the Empire, seemingly always in position to counter Imperial tactics.

Over the first few weeks of the campaign, the [[Druj_armies#Hidden Widow|Hidden Widow]], the wild warriors of the treacherous [[Druj_armies#Jagged Claws|Jagged Claws]], and the twisted [[Druj_armies#Red Lizard|Red Lizard]] filter in to join the defence of Lower Saarnath. They are forced to approach through the marshes of [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beladrarsh|Beladrarsh]], and by all accounts receive little assistance from the Skinweaver sept that rule that rich territory. No doubt the wealthy Skinweavers are too busy making preparations for their own survival to see the Druj armies as anything other than a wall of meat between them and the invading humans. Last to arrive are the [[Druj armies#Black Wind|Black Wind]], and for once they seem less interested in [[Army_qualities#Cruel|tormenting]] the armies of the Empire and more in simply trying to stem the flood of Imperial soldiers into the Salt Flats. It is easy to forget that they hate the Druj for what they did to their people - and sometimes hard to bear that they loathe the Empire even more.

The Urizeni quickly note that none of these armies seem to bear enchantments, and that there is a distinct lack of magical wards at least in the south. This is certainly not the traditional way the Druj make war - especially in defence. Speculation runs like wildfire - has the loss of the [[Druj armies#Tainted Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] and the disappearance of the cowardly [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Sarangrave#Palace_of_the_Sleepers|Palace of the Sleepers]] gutted the magical capabilities of the Druj? Or is it simply that the resources they have are focused elsewhere? Is there some other shoe waiting to drop? Is there a magical trap here, hidden behind the trees, shrouded from the eyes of the magicians and witches and [[vate|vates]]?
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Dancing scorpions.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Make Monsters of Us All==
If the Druj are bad when they invade, they are ten times worse when forced on the defensive. Yet the air of desperation here in the dripping woods of Lower Saarnath is different, somehow. There is a tremor of fear in the people of the Mallum, it seems. They rely on purely defensive tactics, seeking to turn their admittedly superior knowledge of the terrain into advantage wherever possible. They still skirmish, but their attacks are much more focused on singular objectives - driving ''this'' specific band of knights away from a defensible position, overrunning ''this'' specific hospital and then retreating, killing ''these'' scouts and then fleeing without even taking the time to string their corpses up from the trees.

Afraid they might be, but they refuse to cede anything that the Empire does not wrest from their tight grasp. It is challenging for the Imperial armies to bring their weight of numbers to bear against the Druj in the confines of the rainforest; hard for them to force a large-scale confrontation when often visibility is reduced to a score of metres in every direction. When it is not the trees alone, it is the ever-present rain, or the thick, warm mists that rise on the rare occasions when the sun peaks out behind the dark clouds for a few hours. The woods favour the Druj tactics of ambush and surprise, which must be accounted for whenever the Empire advances.

Still the Druj ''are'' outnumbered though, and arguably outclassed. Again, though, it is the ability of the Empire's armies to trust one another than proves the greatest advantage. The Lions of Adelmar and the Quiet Step employ strategies specifically designed to aid their allies, to work with their comrades in other armies and nations. The sentinels of the Citadel Guard are adept at deploying their force where it will offer the greatest support, and then moving to another position as the ebb and flow of battle shifts. In contrast there are reports of warriors of the Jagged Claw intentionally abandoning their Red Lizard "allies" in the middle of an engagement, their deaths serving to cover a flanking manoeuvre and hasty retreat. There are incidents where the Hidden Widow are left in an exposed position by the Black Wind just to lure a band of thorns into a trap that closes around the Navarr too late to save their "comrades".

As one Dawnish troubadour marching with the Lions says, it isn't so much that the Druj are intentionally turning on one another, but rather than they seem utterly incapable of seeing anyone outside their immediate circle as being ''people'' at all. Rivals or pawns to be used to their own advantage, in the pursuit of their own ambitions or their own survival. A people culturally incapable of feeling the bonds of fellowship, utterly alien to the understanding of love that the Lions hold at the centre of their philosophy.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sebastián Fawnwood.jpg|caption='''Sebastián Fawnwood''' (centre), General of the Gryphon's Pride|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dame Katelyn.jpg|caption='''Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco''', General of the Lions of Adelmar|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cadwell Waystone.png|caption='''Cadwell Waystone''', General of the Black Thorns|align=left|width=250}}

</div>

==Handfuls of Dust==
A month after the fighting begins, the Empire encounters serious magical resistance. The Gryphons Pride and the Black Thorns have pushed a little ahead of their allies, driving north-east where the land slopes upward toward the great plateau of Upper Saarnath. A major force of White Lions, supported by warriors of the Hidden Widow, attempt a pincer movement and fighting erupts among the trees. At first it seems that the Pride and the Thorns cannot fail to achieve victory, but then a third force joins the fighting.

They are not an army, or even really a garrison, but rather a force of perhaps a hundred or so hooded orcs with bows and barbed spears. The Thorns identify them as [[Arkad#Vikari|Vikari]] although their banner is unfamiliar - that of a skeletal serpent similar to the coiled shrike favoured by the Kallad. This, reason the Navarr, must be the Vileshrike sept from the Dripping Tor. They are some distance from home, presumably on the orders of the rumoured ghulai ''Graknuz Acidtouch''. They are not alone, however.

With the Vileshrikes are a hundred or so beings that seem to be heralds of the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]], similar to those encountered a few months ago by Imperial champions fighting [[alongside the Earthquake Drummers]] in the Forest of Ulnak. Scarecrow-like, in billowing black robes, it is easy at first to mistake them for [[Druj_lore#Tortured_souls|tortured souls]]. Yet these creatures have never been mortal; there is nothing beneath their robes save animate darkness, shadows that seem to seep through the empty eye-holes of the featureless masks they wear. The merest touch of these awful phantoms [[Calls#Weakness|weakens]] the strongest knight, draining away their will to fight and overwhelming them with fear and terror. Their weapons assail the mind as well as the body, creating magical wounds that confuse the confident thorns leaving them riven with self-doubt and uncertainty. A few are armed with terrible pole-arms that drown their foes in [[paralysis|paralysing]] wells of phantasmal horror, leaving them as easy picking for the rest of the barbarians alongside who they fight.

The Vileshrikes - if that is who this is - don't especially coordinate their attacks with the two armies but rather take advantage of their attack to cover an assault of their own. The battle-magicians are clearly experienced fighting alongside their unnatural allies - they [[entangle|bind]] a likely target long enough for the fluttering-robed things to descend on them and assail their spirit. The Rivers of Life does nothing to bolster the broken will to fight, it cannot heal the terrible nightmares that assail those injured by the creatures' weapons, nor offer protection from the sucking quagmire of doubt that overwhelms the doughtiest warrior.

It doesn't help that these vikari are obviously backed by significant magical resources - enough for some of their number to unleash great wails that weaken enemies and allies alike, or terrifying atonal hymns that [[Calls#CURSE|curse]] Imperial soldiers with a growing delirium that takes hold hours after the fighting when they think themselves safe.

It's hard to say for certain how much difference this additional force of Druj makes to the overall battle; for all their magical prowess Vileshrike Vikari and terrorising Night held alike are as vulnerable as any magician to [[Calls#IMPALE|arrows and mighty blows]], can be put to flight with a [[Calls#CLEAVE|solid strike]] from a skilled fighter. They also seem to have little stomach for a long fight. They expend their magic quickly, it seems, and then fall back while the White Lions and the Hidden Widow still clash with the Pride and the Thorns.

The Imperial advance is turned back that day, although the Pride and the Thorns manage to lead some of the more bloodthirsty Druj into an ambush set by the Quiet Step. Less than a week later, with the Lions and the Step to back them up, the two Imperial armies return and the Navarr and Dawnish are victorious. They continue to push through the Salt Flats, and the further north-east they travel the more common and vicious fighting with the Vileshrikes becomes.

Whoever the Vileshrikes are, whoever their allies are, they do not fight anywhere else in Lower Saarnath; only in the north-east. They also seem to be the source of a peculiar magical effect, a curse of some kind, that is slowly settling over the southern Salt Flats. Soldiers begin to report an increasing number of horrific dreams, and those standing watch at the darkest hours of the night claim to spot hooded figures watching them from the shadows who they ''know'' are filled with poisonous hate. It doesn't seem to be an enchantment; perhaps this mysterious ghulai is drawing on other sources of power to do... whatever they are doing.

Despite all this, the Druj are forced to retreat again and again. As the season draws on, as the Quiet Step and the Lions of Adelmar come within sight of the location marked out by Imperial scouts as the ''Dripping Tor''. It lies in the depths of the forest, far from any other settlement, but it has been identified by the Northern Eagle as a key strategic location to control. When the armies arrive, however, they find the Tor... missing. In its place looms an impenetrable grove of massive, clearly supernatural trees. When any Imperial soldier gets within a mile of the rough location, thick mists boil out of the ground and seethe in the air, creating impenetrable curtains of grey and white. Those who do not turn back soon regret it - scouts report encounters with unspeakable horrors in the depths of the mists. Some who brave the fog are left shattered in mind and spirit, raving about ''eyes'' and ''claws'' and ''the terrible soft music''. Others do not return at all.

The decision is made to give the area a wide berth. None of the armies here are in a position to try and penetrate whatever ward is in place, and there are still Druj to be fought. A watch is set by the Quiet Step, and the Empire turns its attention elsewhere. At least there are no further attacks by the Vileshrikes and their unnatural allies, once the armies reach the Tor.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka.jpg|caption='''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''', General of the Northern Eagle, leads the Varushkans in subtle infiltration of the Salt Flats.|align=left|width=250}}
</div>

==For Those Who Come After==
In the end, there is no single decisive battle in the valleys of Lower Saarnath, only a string of engagements spread out through the woodlands. There are relatively few Druj settlements here - and they are poorly prepared for attack by Imperial soldiers. Unless the Druj armies are present, these scattered arboreal villages and logging camps swiftly fall to the Empire. Even where the Druj defenders are present, it is usually not enough to stop the Empire seizing them anyway. Usually.

Ultimately the Empire is victorious, smashing through the Druj defences and forcing the armies to retreat. Lower Saarnath is captured in its entirety, and the Imperial forces regroup to consider their next move. The Rivers of Life help to blunt the slaughter on both sides, but when the final tally is made it is still sobering. A thousand Imperial lives lost in the woodlands to the Druj. It is scant consolation that, thanks in particular to the presence of so many Imperial captains, the barbarians seem to have paid a much steeper price. It is difficult to say how ''much'' of a price as always, but even with their purely defensive strategy the Druj have ''suffered'' this season.

As Autumn approaches, armies on both sides take stock and consider their next moves; but then -

Then something unexpected happens.
==What Brings Their End==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was.jpg|caption='''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', General of the Citadel Guard, has unleashed the devastating power of Spring magic on the Druj capital.|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
For three months, the Citadel Guard have been gathering strength, working carefully crafted rituals in each Spring [[regio]] they encounter, weak or strong. They have been studying the flows of [[mana site|mana]] across Lower Saarnath, sending out small bands of diviners and sentinel defenders to learn more about the way power pools across the Salt Flats. A week before the Autumn Equinox, their work is completed.

While it takes time to prepare, and set in motion, the [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|Technique of the Transcendent Claw]] is not subtle in its effects. At sunrise, the sky turns black, boiling with storm clouds. The rain turns torrential, driven by howling gales. Lightning strikes willy-nilly not only across the valleys of Lower Saarnath but across the entire southern reach of the Salt Flats. Tents are torn up into the sky, unwary folk thrown flat in the mud, branches are ripped from ancient trees creating stark openings in the canopy. Imperial soldiers are at least partially prepared, but it takes the Druj mostly by surprise.

Then, the sole elfin trumpeter that accompanies the Urizen magicians sounds a single terrible note that, impossibly, is heard throughout the lower valleys. It isn't part of the working, but it seems the knights of Eleonaris have a good sense for the dramatic... and this magic is certainly ''dramatic''.

Far away from the Imperial attackers and the Druj defenders, in one of the poorest parts of the sprawling city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] itself stands the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]], a fortification garrisoned not by orcs but by humans under the banner of the self-styled ''Prince Tristain the Golden.'' A long way from the fighting, in a city that no doubt still imagines itself beyond the reach of the Empire. That dream is shattered, decisively.

With a deafening peal of thunder, audible all the way back to Lower Saarnath, a cascade of thunderbolts rains from the sky over Leen. The gale force winds become even stronger, battering the stones of the Beacon with the force of ten Winter storms, then twenty, then thirty. The rain pours in sheets, eating away at the mortar that holds the stones together, at the foundations that allow it to stand. The destruction is not limited to the fortification itself; the surrounding buildings are likewise stricken with this devastating, hungry tempest called by the highest arts of the Urizeni magicians. A tornado reaches down from the heavens, down toward the earth, and as it comes the lightning ignites something within it and it becomes a conflagration despite the monsoon deluge.

The Druj of Leen speak in whispered, terrified tones of spirits within those winds, awful shapes of water and wind and fire that somehow poured ''out'' of the tornado. Creatures of the Spring realm, following this consummate magical working into the mundane world for a short time, tearing at the Beacon with the single-minded hatred creatures of the Primal Forest have for all construction. Were they really there, or do the Druj imagine them in the chaos and ruin that attends upon the power unleashed by the Citadel Guard?

And then the weather starts to clear... the tumultuous downpour turns back to ''just'' heavy rain. The winds lessen, ceasing entirely for a moment before returning again at more normal speed. Smoke rises from the rainforest, but the fires find no purchase in the soaking wood. The lightning ceases, the thunder stills, the clouds part and the wan Autumn sun shines through.

It shines on the uncertain faces of the Imperial soldiers, it shines on the satisfied and tired faces of the Urizeni masters, it shines on the terrified faces of the Druj. It shines also, sadly, on the Beacon of Iskrid. The [[fortification#bastion|bastion]] leans dangerously to the side, barely standing. The upper ramparts have been torn away, as if gouged by some mighty claw, and scattered with lethal force into the city below. It looks for all the world as if the slightest push would send it tumbling into the streets of Leen, crushing everything in its path. It is almost entirely devastated... almost.

The Beacon still stands - the power of the ''Onrushing Storm'' was perhaps blunted by the rival resonances of life and healing in the rainwaters of Sanath this season - but only just. And while it may have avoided destruction by a hair's breadth, the people of Leen cannot fail to understand what has just happened. The [[Druj_lore#Buruk_Tepel|Buruk Tepel]], the rulers of the Druj, who imagined themselves safe in their great city have been presented with a potent illustration of just how vulnerable they are. The Druj are ''afraid''.

==Game Information==
<div style="float: right; max-width: 400px; margin-right: 10px;">{{HoverImage|Salt Flats of Sanath Regions.png|SaltFlatsBasic.png}}</div>
===Salt Flats of Sanath===
* '''The Empire has claimed Lower Saarnath
* '''The Northern Eagle prevented any of the Druj fortifications in Sanath participating in the fight and gave the region the under threat quality
* '''The Beacon of Iskrid has been devastated by Urizen magic but still stands - just
* '''The Dripping Tor appears to be hidden behind a powerful shroud of Night magic
As the Autumn Equinox approaches the Imperial forces in Sanath have claimed the region of Lower Saarnath. The Vileshrikes hidden in the north-east clearly intend to resist Imperial control, but it is not clear how much magic they may be able to bring to bear.

Thanks to the Northern Eagle, the garrisons of the three Druj fortifications were unable to operate in Lower Saarnath this season. That benefit ends with the Autumn Equinox - the remaining garrisons will be able to participate in the campaign as normal going forward. They also provided the [[Region_qualities#Under_Threat|under threat]] quality to Lower Saarnath, but that quality has also faded as the Autumn Equinox dawns. The Eagle are in Sanath, but they did not participate directly in the campaign this season. Instead they are arranging another strike against the Druj using their [[Army qualities#Elusive|elusive]] quality.

The Beacon of Iskrid was assailed by the Urizeni using their Technique of the Transcendent Claw. All casualties the army caused were targeted specifically against the Beacon, ignoring the usual reduction in damage done to a bastion. The presence of many military units, and the Knights of Glory, both help this technique have a significant impact. Even the Quiet Step ''Cunning'' strategy works to increase the damage to the Beacon (but only by increasing the casualties caused directly by the army; as with all army orders it doesn't increase the casualties caused by military units or enchantments). It is also worth noting that this effect [[Limits_of_magic#Damaging_Fortifications|cannot be created]] with ritual magic - the direct damage to a fortification is the result of a [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|unique technique]] that requires an entire season of campaigning in a given territory by an army including powerful magicians who perform dozens of individual rituals before it has any effect.

Only military units supporting the Citadel Guard receive a share of the Imperial Guerdon; other military units receive nothing.

===Strategic Considerations===
* '''Dripping Tor is concealed beneath a powerful shroud of Night magic
* '''It is not possible to move between Upper Saarnath and Leen Rarckan
The Vileshrike stronghold of ''Dripping Tor'' is concealed behind a potent shroud of [[Night magic]], similar in effect to [[Vale of Shadows]]. According to the witches and vates who accompanied the armies into that part of the valleys, it appears to have been performed at magnitude 120 - representing a serious challenge to Imperial magicians who want to remove it. Still, a suitably potent [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] cast at the [[Regio#The_Imperial_Regio|Imperial regio]] could be [[Army_qualities#Magic|channeled]] through the [[general]] of the [[Citadel Guard]] but it will require a magnitude of 240 to bring the effect down. If left undisturbed, the shroud will last until the start of the Summer Solstice 389YE. Other methods might exist to penetrate this magical defence.

If the shroud is removed, the Vileshrike sept could be destroyed by an Imperial army sent specifically to root them out. This would need to be done at the same summit the shroud was pierced, or the sept will be able to scatter into the wild places of the Salt Flats and potentially remain as a threat to Imperial forces in the territory. They are not a significant campaign force however; while the army would need to take an attacking order and be busy for an entire season, they would suffer no appreciable damage.

It is not immediately apparent from the map, but Imperial scouts have confirmed what the original spy network used to map the Salt Flats only suggested. It is not possible for an [[army]] to move between [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Upper_Saarnath|Upper Saarnath]] and [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Leen_Rarckan|Leen Rarckan]] (or vice versa) without an opportunity.

===Participation: Citadel Guard===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:SpringRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Military units fighting with the Citadel Guard have participated in the working of the Onrushing Storm
Any character whose military unit supported the Citadel Guard this season is free to roleplay their involvement in the performance of the ''Technique of the Resplendent Claw''. This may have involved protecting Urizeni magicians, but might also have involved scouting into other regions of the southern Salt Flats to find specific resources, escorting a coven to a hidden Spring regio, or raiding a specific mana site to shift the flows of mana in a direction that helps support the destructive magic ultimately unleashed against the Beacon of Iskrid. Magicians might have helped with the rituals cast - working with ritual masters from their own nation to perform supportive rituals. An Urizeni magician versed in Spring lore might even have been one of those involved in the final magical workings that lead to the assault on the Beacon. You are also free to roleplay that you fought alongside the sentinels and other soldiers striving to conquer Lower Saarnath instead, of course.

While the army was enchanted with [[Knights of Glory]], the presence of the heralds has not had any noticeable affect on either the military units supporting the army, nor on the soldiers of the army itself.
===Participation: Lions of Adelmar===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=Regal, noble, and terrible in anger; Eleonaris is the Lion of Summer and her soldiers bear many of her traits.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The Lions of Adelmar continue not being able to take the cautious advance or give ground orders'''
* '''Any character whose military unit fought alongside the Lions of Adelmar may be inspired by the Knights of Glory'''
The Lions of Adelmar are accompanied into the Salt Flats by [[Knights of Glory|supernatural warriors]] led by the war-smith ''Elodian''. The presence of the knights continues to [[Even_darkness_must_pass#Sarangrave|exert influence over]] the Dawnish army. The Lions of Adelmar cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders until a year has passed - even if Dawn were to put aside their [[Dawn_military_concerns#Army_Orders|commitment]] to Glory.

The heavily armoured champions that fight under the banner of ''Elodian'' have relished the experience of battling the Druj alongside the Lions of Adelmar, and not been shy about expressing their approval. The warriors from the Field of Glory take every opportunity to inspire the glorious soldiers of the army. A character whose military unit supported the Lions of Adelmar this season may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to the glorious heralds.

If you are a Dawnish character whose military unit supported the Lions of Adelmar this season, or the general of the army itself, you may choose to gain a magical boon from the runic war-smiths. To claim this boon you must mark your armour, shield, or a visible part of your body with one or more of the so-called [[Runes#Runes of Summer|Runes of Summer]] - [[Feresh]], [[Jotra]], [[Tykonus]], or [[Verys]]. The boon counts as an [[enchantment]] on your character. As long as at least one of these runes are present, the [[Combat_skills#Dreadnought|dreadnought]] skill provides you with two additional hits on top of its normal benefit, and whenever you use the [[heroic skills#Unstoppable|unstoppable]] skill you regain five hits instead of the normal three.

If anyone uses [[Detect_magic#Discern_Enchantment|discern enchantment]] on you, you'll need to let the referee know that you are under the effect of a magnitude 7 Summer enchantment, and that you bear the ''mark of runemarked prowess''.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to fight valiantly to support your friends, family, and especially your loved ones. Anyone offending or upsetting someone you care about causes a wave of burning anger to boil up inside you making it hard not to immediately confront them. If you lose your temper it is very hard not to give in to the urge to beat whoever offended you or your ally until they are incapacitated or they unconditionally surrender. At the same time, whenever you feel cherished or appreciated, the sensations are significantly increased to the point where you may experience a moment of rare bliss.''

The boon can be removed [[Enchantment#Removing_Enchantments|as normal]] - “overwritten” with a new enchantment - and will have faded by the start of the Winter Solstice.

===Participation: Bad Dreams===
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>
* '''Something is causing particularly bad dreams in Lower Saarnath
Any character whose military unit supported any of the armies in the Salt Flats of Sanath this season may have experienced unsettling dreams. Nightmares are not uncommon when one is exposed to the Druj miasma, but these are a step above what veterans of the Mallum, or of the fight to liberate Zenith, have reported. Nightmares caused by the miasma tend to vary between individuals as much as any other dreams, but there is a suspicious commonality of elements in many of these odd dreams.

They involve being pursued or threatened in familiar places that are twisted with mud and water, or the presence of marsh-dwelling flora or fauna. Horrible phantasmal shapes eventually invade these places, or catch up with a fleeing dreamer, and begin to drown them or smother them. Dreamers awaken terrified, short of breath, and convinced that there is something leaning over them trying to steal their breath, crush their chests, or throttle them in their sleep. Nothing is physically present, and there are no signs of either intruders or assailants.

There is no benefit to doing so, but anyone who has experienced these dreams is encouraged to start the Autumn Equinox without any [[heroic skills#Hero|hero points]] or [[magical skills#magician|personal mana]]. They can still recover hero points and mana as normal - either by getting a good nights sleep at Anvil or by taking advantage of a magical method of recovery such as a [[potion]], or an [[enchantment|enhanted]] area such as [[Herthfire's Hospitality]] or [[Chamber of Delights]].

==Battle Opportunity : What Dreams Must Come==
* '''There is an opportunity for a battle in the Salt Flats of Sanath this season'''

The magic of the Citadel Guard unleashed, the fury of Spring unleashed, the storm's rain unleashed. Urizeni mages have sent vast workings of magical power at the walls of the Beacon of Iskrid. Unimaginable forces lashing at the white granite bastion, tearing masonry and roofing tiles from the structure. Yet, for all the great efforts during the season of campaigning, the fortress still towers above the squalid city surrounding it. Somehow it is clinging on by the slenderest of threads.

The correct magic was cast, [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|the powers of spring were called forth]] from the furious stormlashed realm as intended; the covens of the army and those that aided them did all that was required. But in the end it was just not quite enough, and the full might of the arcane undertaking fell agonisingly short of what was needed to overcome the bastion. It is a grim outcome, but when something like this happens, fate has a way of helping out, and so it proves this time.

The ghulai, the Druj magicians, have been engaged in a magic of their own. Desperate to prevent the Empire from advancing, the ghulai of the Vileshrikes have prepared a trap for the Empire. They hope to force open the regio across Beladrarsh, and both Upper and Lower Saarnath, to permit Ungholt, the Delirium King, to stalk the land. This little known eternal's fiendish touch brings terror and madness, a curse that spreads through the land, turning civilised people into savage monsters. A monstrous act by the Druj in scorching the earth, a plan to turn their own subjects into a bulwark of dread that will devastate the Empire's armies as they try to attack the region. If they succeed,these regions will become terror-stricken.

There is a chance to stop them. The ghulai's curse relies on a set of hastily erected ''shackles'', erected inside the shroud at Dripping Tor. Here in a vast clearing in the forest, the ''Rivenglade'', are three pillars of wood and billowing cloth. Glimpsed from afar, they are ancient, decrepit things, dank and miserable as many of the Druj's own buildings are. The fabrics at their tops add a singular splash of colour, bright and vivid as if warning of danger. Each pillar is bound up with magic, built from aged weirwood planks and driven through with mithril nails.

Despite their dilapidated appearance, power courses through them, the unmistakable power of the Night realm weaving around and into the structures. Combined together, the three pillars are acting to pull together the magic of obfuscation, transformation, and emotion into something pernicious and terrible. Perhaps this is why the Druj ghulai did not enchant their armies this season, occupied as they were preparing to unleash this terrible curse.

There is a conjunction to ''Rivenglade'' that will enable the heroes of Anvil to travel to the Dripping Tor on the Sunday of the Autumn Equinox. A single chance to stop the Druj from unleashing the servants of the Delirium King on their own people.

===Objective: Save the Druj from the Delirium King===
* '''The Vileshrike ghulai are preparing to unleash the Delirium King on three regions adjacent to the Dripping Tor'''
* '''If they are not stopped then Lower Sarnath, Upper Sarnath and Beladrarsh will become terror-stricken'''
* '''Zakalwe offers his aid in stopping the curse before it can take effect'''
* '''Destroy the ''Night Shackles'' to prevent the Reign of the Delirium King afflicting the regions'''

The ghulai of the Vileshrikes have raised three Night Shackles, strange weirwood pillars, shrouded with Night magic. They have spent the season pouring magical energy into the pillars, and they intend to unleash the curse shortly after the equinox. If they are not stopped, then the curse, the ''Reign of the Delirium King'', will be unleashed on Lower Sarnath, Upper Sarnath and Beladrarsh. This night magic curse will inflict the depredations of [[Eternals_of_the_sea#Hongerigespin_and_Ungholt|Ungholt]] on the occupants of these regions; a wave of terror will spread over the land as mortals who sleep will find their dreams invaded by their worst fears. The fear will break minds like a hurricane tearing down the weakest trees in the forest. Those who succumb will no longer tell friend from foe, lashing out at anything that comes close.

The curse will ravage the populace of the three regions, and it might be tempting to leave the Druj to it, were it not for the dangers that the ritual will create. Beladrash in particular is home to half a dozen subject septs who are forced to toil for the Druj. Thousands of orcs will be affected, some of whom are Druj in name only. Worse, the ghulai are prepared to take this terrible step because they intend to forge a weapon from the broken minds of their own people. Driven furious with fear, the inhabitants will attack any army that tries to seize the regions or move through them. The Vileshrike plan to sacrifice their subjects to create a poisoned weapon to hurl at the Empire.

The Master Strategist loathes the Delirium King and is eager to help the Empire put a stop to this terrible plan. The eternal's heralds have provided rune-marked keys, cunningly wrought devices that can be used to pierce the shrouds that surrounds each shackle. Each one employs a set of simple runic pieces - the runes of Night combined with the two mystic runes. Magicans can use the key to discern the nature of the shroud, and pierce it.

To use a key, magicians will need to select four of the runes, place them on the board and then perform [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] to activate them.
The ritual will reveal information on how many runes are correct and how many are in the correct place. The ritual can be repeated as often as needed, but each casting will take time. To succeed, the right sequence of four runes must be determined for that pillar, with each rune in the correct location. Sharp minds and clear thoughts will be needed to guide the divinations, along with capable ritualists and plentiful supplies of crystal mana or prismatic ink to power the rituals.

Once the shroud has been pierced on a shackle the construction will collapse and the night magic ensnared around it will dissipate, removing the threat of the Delirium King's curse from falling on the associated region.

====The Shackle of Sorrow====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Sorrow will prevent Lower Saarnath from becoming terror-stricken'''

If the Shackle of Sorrow is destroyed, it will prevent the Reign of the Delirium King from falling on Lower Saarnath. The Empire has just spent the season conquering Lower Saarnath. The region is a beachhead that could be used to attack Upper Sarnaath and Beladrarsh. If the orcs who live here are fed to the ''Night Terror'', they will become a threat to every army based here or moving through the region.

====The Shackle of Misery====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Misery will prevent Upper Saarnath from becoming terror-stricken'''

Upper Saarnath is strategically vital as the gateway to [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Ûrinth|Ûrinth]], the centre of the Salt Flats and one of the few remaining Druj strongholds from which they rule what's left of their empire. The woods are desolate but not uninhabited, and barely half the orcs who live in the dense forests are true Druj. The Empire managed to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Grove of Woe, but there are still countless more subjects and slaves who are forced to labour in the great forests to feed the Druj war machine.

====The Shackle of Anguish====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Anguish will prevent Beladrarsh becoming terror-stricken'''

Beladrash is ruled over by the Skinweavers, and could be considered less strategically vital than the other two regions. However, it is home to no less than seven septs who are forced to serve the Druj here - if ''the Last Voice You Ever Hear'' is given a free reign to terrorise the dreams of the people who live here, then ''thousands'' will die. The Empire has often struggled to convince the septs of the Mallum to favour them over the Druj, but saving the Beladrarsh septs from the Druj could be a powerful diplomatic victory.

===Opportunity: Destroy the Beacon of Iskrid===
* '''Urizeni magicians who are associated with the Citadel Guard could harness the energies of a Shackle to complete the destruction of the Beacon of Iskrid'''
* '''An Urizeni coven can perform ''Thunderous Deluge'' after a shackle has been broken to destroy the fortification'''
<div {{float}}>
<box>'''Association with the Citadel Guard'''<br>The ritual can be performed by any Urizeni ritual group with members who roleplay that they are part of the Citadel Guard, either actively serving with it, or as one of the many magicians who support it.</box></div>
The Beacon of Iskrid, the seat of ''Prince Tristain the Golden'', teeters on the edge of destruction - one more surge of magical energy and it will come crashing to the ground. If the Empire can pry even a single shackle loose, then the magical energy it releases could be directed into the Citadel Guard's Transcendent Claw. That would be enough to overwhelm and destroy the Beacon. The fortification would be destroyed and its garrison scattered.

Completing the Transcendent Claw will not be easy. It ''needs'' an Urizen Spring coven, one with a connection to the other magicians of the Citadel Guard. They will need to perform [[Thunderous Deluge]] on one of the three Shackles, '''after''' the shroud has been pierced. If that happens, the magicians will be able to join their efforts with the magicians in the Guard, and add their own efforts to those of their compatriots. It doesn't need to be much - one last push and the walls of the fortification will come down.

===Battlefield threat: Combat the Servants of Delirium===
* '''Heralds of the Night realm stalk the area'''
* '''They lend their aid to the Druj defending Sanath'''

The forces of the Druj are accompanied at ''Rivenglade'' by the Night heralds referred to as the ''Servants of Delirium''. Clad in shadows and darkness, these creatures are not mighty champions but instead act as heralds of madness and despair. Blade strikes that [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weaken]] those they encounter and a terrifying urge to flee their approach are good enough reasons to be wary of them. More so, given the heralds have some inexplicable link to the shackles in the area and the hidden halls of the Dripping Tor. They are likely to target the teams of mages that work to decipher the nature of the Night magic once they realise what the Empire intends.

===Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] unless you have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

The entire area at ''Rivenglade '', is under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Anyone entering the area will need to protect themselves from the clawing dread or succumb to a weakening terror that creeps into their mind.

The primary effect of the miasma is that it [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakens]] anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an [[anointing]], but particularly [[Heroic_skills#Hero|heroic]] individuals, or those in possession of certain [[enchantment|enchantments]] or [[magic items]] may also be able to counteract the effect. In particular, those of the [[changeling]] [[lineage]] are able to fight the effects of the miasma, only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.

===Terror-Stricken===
* '''Armies attacking a terror stricken region generate 20% fewer victory points'''
* '''Any army fighting in a terror stricken region or moving through it suffers 10% of it's force in casualties'''
* '''A tenth of the civilian population will die every season'''

The inhabitants of a region that is terror-stricken are assailed by supernatural fear and dread. Those who try to sleep may find their rest plagued with nightmares. In their waking hours they may see horrifying visions lurking at the edges of their vision, or simply be overcome by a nameless dread. The strongest can endure the terror, but those less able to resist slowly lose their senses, to the point where they can no longer tell friend from foe. They will turn on any they see and try to attack and kill them. The mind-numbering terror pushes everyone it touches to the breaking point, to the point where violence is never far from the surface.

Inevitably people will die as a result of this terrible curse, some will simply never waken from their terror-filled nightmares, others will be overcome with rage and driven to violence against friends and family. Even those who are able to withstand the terror risk being killed by those who succumb. The civilian population will be decimated every season, and any army fighting in a terror stricken or moving through it suffers 10% of it's force in casualties. This will be calculated at the end of the season, after all casualties from that seasons campaign have been calculated. Druj armies that aren't protected from the madness, will only suffer these if they are forced to defend one of these regions.

Forward into depthless dark

2026-09-08T14:00:39Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Battle Opportunity : What Dreams Must Come */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Into depthless dark.jpg|align=left|caption=Here is the heart of the Druj; black and twisted and filled with hate and fear.|width=500}}</div>
==Wicked Effigies and Twisted Monuments==
The Salt Flats of Sanath are the true heartlands of the Druj. Broad plains criss-crossed by dark waterways. The ground is sodden, and the further east toward the sea one travels, the more marshy the land becomes. The forests common to the rest of the Mallum have mostly been cleared here, by centuries of ravenous industry. Only in the south-west is there any great woodland - the [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Lower Saarnath|lowland valleys]] and the high [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Upper Saarnath|plateau]] that each form half of the lands jointly called the Saarnath.
__TOC__
It rains almost constantly here, or so it seems. Even when it is not actively raining, the air is thick with moisture. The ground can turn slick and treacherous without warning, even in the valleys of Saarnath where the marshes of Sarangrave give way to broad-leafed rainforest. Visibility drops precipitously, a far cry from the relatively open sight-lines of the marshes and the flats to the south-west. Only the [[Navarr]] and the [[Varushka|Varushkans]] are really at home here, but even they must beware of overconfidence. The Druj know these woods better than they do after all.

Thick as the air can be, the [[Druj miasma|miasma]] is thicker, perhaps thicker than the Empire has ever encountered it. It has had generations to take root, to smother hope and ambition, to grind deep into the mud those unfortunate enough to be enslaved by the Druj. It preys on the minds of many soldiers, an insidious urge growing daily to simply give up, to turn back, to surrender, to cower. It requires constant vigilance by the captains, and by each soldier for their comrades, to keep the enervating atmosphere at bay.

The weather worsens as Summer wanes, and with the almost constant rain comes the [[curse]] of [[Spring magic]]. A fragment of [[Rivers of Life|healing power]] falls with every drop, bringing burgeoning life without constraint, without reason or caution. No wounds, save the most egregious, will last the night. Death comes only to those unfortunate enough to fall far from their lines, or to those who are the victims of swift execution. The familiar magic flows everywhere, in all the water in the Sarangrave, and it protects barbarian and Imperial invader alike. It also touches the plants and creatures of the Mallum with supernatural vitality, but driving some of them to the edge of frenzy.

And what creatures they are! The Empire has heard of them, encountered them in the eastern forests from time to time, but just as this is the heartland of the Druj so it is home to the [[Arkad#Hupul|deathstinger]], and the [[Arkad#Vikari|green forest scorpion]], and the awful serpentine [[Arkad#Kallad|coiled shrike]]. These creatures seem to have little fear of humans or orcs, and are ambitious enough to try and prey upon them when the opportunity presents itself. Imperial soldiers quickly learn to fear the droning buzz of ebon-and-scarlet wasps the size of doves, the cold horror of awakening to discover a razor-clawed insect with its tail already poised to strike exploring the interior of their tent, the yell of surprise that quickly gives way to agonised screaming as a friend is condemned to a terrible death at the fangs of an arboreal assassin. The Rivers of Life do little to purge venom, or cure the poison that burns through the belly of those foolish enough to eat the ripe fruit from the wrong tree.

Into this land of death come the Imperial armies, ready to strike against the core of the Druj. They will have their work cut out for them in the months to come, but if they can seize victory... what a thing ''that'' would be!
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">
<quote by="Sebastián Fawnwood, General of the Gryphon's Pride">My glorious pride. You have bided your time, but now is our opportunity for what we were made for. Conquest. The salt flats of Sanath is our destination, for this is the beginning of the end for the Druj. With our warbanner reforged, it has been named the Pride of the Gryphons. It will be raised high enough that the Druj will see who brings their end. Be Vigilant. Be Glorious. Be the pride of Dawn.</quote>
<quote by="Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco, General of the Lions of Adelmar">Lions, three years ago I first came to Anvil a woman in pain. Like so many, the Druj had taken everything from me. Like so many, they continued to take our past, our present, our future. Our Gui, our Isaac, our Scout. Their ideology of hatred thrives in the dark and they wish to make monsters of us all. They wish to teach us to be scared of the dark. Let us make them fear the light. May we be the flame the innocent are drawn to as a Beacon of Safety. May our banners show that Courage and Loyalty drives us. May the sound of our roar carry far across the Salt Flats. May the Druj know this sound heralds their end, learn those banners mean those hurt will be saved, learn that flame is Ambition to bring glory with Elodian's Hammersmiths and the majesty of the Lion of Summer. Learn the monster they tried to create, became the lioness that will bring a death to the Druj. Whatever it takes. One day, the Druj will be a bedtime story told of our glory. Let us be the authors.</quote>
<quote by="Cadwell Waystone, General of the Black Thorns">Navarr will serve the Empire in Loyalty, regardless of the theatre of war. The Druj are broken, a scorpion backed into a corner, but their story is still a danger. The Buruk Tepel will fall, their armies laid low by the virtue of Imperial steel and we will free the slaves of the Mallum. Act in loyalty, fight with courage and serve with pride.</quote>
<quote by="Mercia Questor's View, General of the Quiet Step">Navarr, now is the time to hit the Druj where it hurts. We march on Lower Sanath. I may not be who you expected in command but I will see Neve's ambition for this army fulfilled. Whatever it takes. Our cousins in Varushka will take care of our home. Let the citizens of Therunin look to this beacon and away from the arms of Agramant. For those who came before. For those who come after.</quote>
<quote by="Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was, General of the Citadel Guard">Sentinels, Consider the Drowned Man. There comes a point in some fights when you are so much better than your opponent that victory seems inevitable. Your foe does not comprehend that they have lost, for they still stand, still fight. They lack your foresight, your arete, and you must simply walk them through the dance steps of their demise. In that moment it can be tempting to show mercy, even pity your foe. Worse, one can lose focus, looking to the next conflict. The Empire has made this mistake before. This is how the Druj still blight the world. Mercy is weakness - The task is not done until it is done. We begin the end. Make for Lower Saarnath. With Spring's might and Summer knights we soften Leen, bringing ruin to the Beacon of Iskrid. We must not relent until the last of the Buruk-Tepel are marched through Anvil and relieved of the burden of their vile, poisonous heads.</quote>
<quote by="Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka, General of the Northern Eagle">Eagle of the North, I return to you now to guide our path to the last conquest of the Druj. We go to the Sydathian Fens, striding unseen as we hunt for our foe's weakness. To you, Surut, Schlacta of the Roaring Hearth, I present my curiosity to your bargain and welcome your wisdom in bringing bright ruin to old and rotten things. Before us stand wicked effigies and twisted monuments to a dying power, symbols of a strength that has left the heart and limbs of this sickened beast of a nation. We shall make a beacon of them, a sign to our embattled cousins and fearful foes alike that soon all here will be changed by Imperial will. Forward now, into this depthless dark, for herein we shall raise the torches that shall light the way to a better world.</quote></div>

==Who Brings Their End==
Five armies march out of northern Sarangrave, through the [[Sarangrave#Turan Flats|Turan Flats]] into the Sanath. This is the [[A_walk_in_shadow|second time]] the Empire has ventured into Sanath, and the situation in the south is very different to that they encountered in the north three years ago.

The [[Black Thorns]] and the [[Citadel Guard]] are already in place, and they are quickly joined by the [[Gryphon's Pride]], the [[Lions of Adelmar]] and the [[Quiet Step]] from [[Ossium]], and [[Semmerholm]], and [[Zenith]]. The Quiet Step bring word that the [[Axos|Axou]] of [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] are mobilizing for their [[Skull beneath the skin|advance]] up to the Fens of Varreth. They will hopefully keep the path into the Salt Flats open to Imperial baggage trains, rather than devoured by ravening [[Quickening Cold Meat|Winter spirits]].

When they arrive, these five are met by the [[Northern Eagle]] who are already in position. The Varushkans have been busy in the Salt Flats for some time now, laying the groundwork for this invasion. There are few forces anywhere in the Empire that can match the Northern Eagle when it comes to [[Army qualities#Elusive|mastery]] of the wild forest, the sodden marsh, the rough dark hill. For the last six months they have been engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse with the Druj defenders of the Saarnath, avoiding any attempt to trap them or bring them to battle, and patiently putting their plans in motion.

The captains of the Eagle report an unqualified success; they have collapsed strategically chosen passes and bridges across the southern Salt Flats, destroying carefully selected caches and otherwise putting their guerrilla training to good use. This will not impede the armies of the Druj, who can carry their supplies with them, and resupply from baggage trains but for the [[fortification#garrison|garrisons]] of the Druj [[fortification|fortifications]] - the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#The_Witness|Witness]], the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Spires_of_Rarckan|Spires of Rarckan]], and the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]] - it is a different matter. This season, those garrisons are unable to intervene in Lower Saarnath, occupied clearing the damage the Northern Eagle has inflicted, limited by their ability to move provisions into the forests of the south. The Empire will still have a fight on its hand, but the forces the barbarians can bring to bear will be limited to their armies - armies already battered from fighting in Sarangrave and the [[Forest of Ulnak]], armies that have still not fully recovered.

The Northern Eagle have laid the groundwork, but they are not finished with the Druj. Not by a long chalk. The Varushkan soldiers are already planning their next strike against the Mallum, and the planning and execution of their strategy requires all their attention. They are still able to provide a bounty of valuable scouting reports, marking out the areas the Imperial armies should avoid, as well as places they may want to target. Then they disappear back into the rainforest. Their fight this season is very different to that of the conquerors here to fight the Druj openly; it remains to be seen what punishment they have in mind for the barbarians in the coming months.

It is for the Gryphon's Pride to step into the breach. [[Army_qualities#Conquering|Conquest]] is their calling after all, and they press forward with a single overriding goal - to seize Lower Saarnath from the Druj and drive the armies of the Mallum before them. They lead the way, a solid spear-strike deep into enemy territory. They are closely supported by the [[Army_qualities#Cunning|cunning]] of the Quiet Step, who focus their efforts on setting ambushes and luring enemies into traps. They remain mobile, taking advantage of every weakness in the enemy strategy to attack from the flanks. Their tactics are unorthodox but effective - poison and venom, targeting healers, magicians, and supplies. They kill without mercy, and perhaps in some way the Druj might even respect them for it.

For the most part the other Imperial armies take a more conservative approach. For those who have fought the Druj before, this caution seems the wisest course. The barbarians are fond of traps and Imperial soldiers have paid a harsh price for their overconfidence too many times in the past. The Black Thorns push forward [[Army orders#Steady Conquest|patiently]], prioritising the preservation of Imperial lives over the pursuit of victory. The Lions of Adelmar complement this painstaking approach; they [[Army qualities#Guardian|stand staunchly with their allies]] wherever they are engaged, shields ready to block the arrows of the Druj, swords unsheathed and eager to fight alongside their comrades. Selfless and courageous, many are the Navarri and Urizeni who will owe their lives to the Dawnish once this campaign is over.

With the Lions also march a cohort of the [[Knights of Glory]]. They are captained by the fearsome ''Elodian'', resplendent in mighty panoply of runebound steel and leading a glorious warband of hammer-smiths no less powerfully accoutred. The unstoppable blows these heavy warriors strike with their great mauls send barbarians sprawling, or smash them into trees, and both their heavy armour and these terrible strikes serves as a perfect complement to the tactics of the Lions.

Then, at last, the Citadel Guard. The [[sentinel|sentinels]] and the battlefield magicians of Urizen are there beside their allies whenever battle is joined but their goal is clearly somewhere else. They focus on support and strengthening the soldiers of the other nations and their aid is valuable in seizing land from the Druj but actually ''fighting'' the barbarians is of secondary importance. While their soldiers fight, their [[coven|covens]] work together on of rituals intended to gather magical power and direct it toward this unseen goal. As Summer fades the leaves on the great broad-leafed trees in their vicinity turn brown and red and yellow faster than they have any right to do so. As if something primal was being redirected in some way, out of the forests and toward... somewhere else.

There are [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] with the Urizeni as well - proud ''Dindrayne'' of the feather-brow. A war-witch with a staff of adamant, she commands a cohort of elfin heroes in mithril chain, who enthusiastically fight alongside the sentinels against the Druj. With them are a score of trumpeters, who rouse the spirits of the soldiers they fight alongside, urging them to acts of heroism and glory that are sometimes at odds with the more sober mien of the people of the southern peaks. Their commander, however, remains with the covens further back behind the lines - an uncommon position for a champion of the ''Lion of Summer''.

As well as magical allies, the armies of the Empire are supported by more than twelve thousand strength at arms lead by [[military unit|Imperial captains]], many of whom bear [[enchantment|enchantments]] of their own. The vast majority fight with the Citadel Guard, and while those versed in the arts of war are at the forefront of the campaign alongside the sentinels and battle-wizards, those with even a smattering of [[Magical_skills#Realm_Lore|realm lore]] - especially the lore of [[Spring magic|Spring]] - are stationed further back supporting and protecting the covens. The 'Guard regularly dispatch these auxiliaries on missions deep into Druj territory, to capture resources or secure access to certain locations at critical moments.

A strong force, then, bound together by bonds of [[Loyalty]] and [[Pride]], of the love of comrades, and of a singular purpose: the destruction of the Druj.
<gallery heights=150 mode="packed">
File:QuietStep Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Quiet Step
File:NorthernEagle Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Northern Eagle
File:CitadelGuard Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Citadel Guard
File:BlackThorns Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Black Thorns
File:GryphonPride Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Gryphon's_Pride
File:LionsAdelmar Colour.png|link=388YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Lions_of_Adelmar
</gallery>

==Scorpion in a Corner==
That unity is not found among the barbarians of the Mallum. Even something as straightforward as a singular purpose is somewhat lacking. One would think the Druj armies would be brought together by the desperate need to keep control of as much of the Salt Flats as they can, but they show no sign of it. The armies come to defend Lower Saarnath, its true, but they do so piecemeal and that gives the Imperial armies an advantage.

The first major force to engage the Empire are the [[Druj_armies#White_Lions|White Lions]]. Named for the large venomous ants that build great nests on the Salt Flats, they are perhaps the most disciplined of all the armies of the Mallum. Some of their troops are already in Lower Saarnath, hunting the Northern Eagle, and they quickly raise a warning once it is clear the Empire has come in force. They avoid direct confrontation with the Imperial forces wherever possible, at least until the rest of the defenders start to arrive. It seems they have accepted unwise boons of [[Winter magic]], likely from the ''[[Agramant|Wastewalker]]''. Wounds that should kill them barely slow them down, but when they fall they die quickly. Worse, they are riven by a terrible hunger; there are disturbing scenes where warriors of the White Lions abandon their own defence to cut strips of warm flesh from the fallen - enemies and friends alike. There are handfuls of bloodthirsty [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - pale white walkers more beast than human or orc - among their number who urge them on to greater and greater excess. For all this apparent madness, however, when they are able to think clearly the White Lions prove to be a persistent and responsive threat to the Empire, seemingly always in position to counter Imperial tactics.

Over the first few weeks of the campaign, the [[Druj_armies#Hidden Widow|Hidden Widow]], the wild warriors of the treacherous [[Druj_armies#Jagged Claws|Jagged Claws]], and the twisted [[Druj_armies#Red Lizard|Red Lizard]] filter in to join the defence of Lower Saarnath. They are forced to approach through the marshes of [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beladrarsh|Beladrarsh]], and by all accounts receive little assistance from the Skinweaver sept that rule that rich territory. No doubt the wealthy Skinweavers are too busy making preparations for their own survival to see the Druj armies as anything other than a wall of meat between them and the invading humans. Last to arrive are the [[Druj armies#Black Wind|Black Wind]], and for once they seem less interested in [[Army_qualities#Cruel|tormenting]] the armies of the Empire and more in simply trying to stem the flood of Imperial soldiers into the Salt Flats. It is easy to forget that they hate the Druj for what they did to their people - and sometimes hard to bear that they loathe the Empire even more.

The Urizeni quickly note that none of these armies seem to bear enchantments, and that there is a distinct lack of magical wards at least in the south. This is certainly not the traditional way the Druj make war - especially in defence. Speculation runs like wildfire - has the loss of the [[Druj armies#Tainted Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] and the disappearance of the cowardly [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Sarangrave#Palace_of_the_Sleepers|Palace of the Sleepers]] gutted the magical capabilities of the Druj? Or is it simply that the resources they have are focused elsewhere? Is there some other shoe waiting to drop? Is there a magical trap here, hidden behind the trees, shrouded from the eyes of the magicians and witches and [[vate|vates]]?
<div {{float}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Dancing scorpions.jpg|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Make Monsters of Us All==
If the Druj are bad when they invade, they are ten times worse when forced on the defensive. Yet the air of desperation here in the dripping woods of Lower Saarnath is different, somehow. There is a tremor of fear in the people of the Mallum, it seems. They rely on purely defensive tactics, seeking to turn their admittedly superior knowledge of the terrain into advantage wherever possible. They still skirmish, but their attacks are much more focused on singular objectives - driving ''this'' specific band of knights away from a defensible position, overrunning ''this'' specific hospital and then retreating, killing ''these'' scouts and then fleeing without even taking the time to string their corpses up from the trees.

Afraid they might be, but they refuse to cede anything that the Empire does not wrest from their tight grasp. It is challenging for the Imperial armies to bring their weight of numbers to bear against the Druj in the confines of the rainforest; hard for them to force a large-scale confrontation when often visibility is reduced to a score of metres in every direction. When it is not the trees alone, it is the ever-present rain, or the thick, warm mists that rise on the rare occasions when the sun peaks out behind the dark clouds for a few hours. The woods favour the Druj tactics of ambush and surprise, which must be accounted for whenever the Empire advances.

Still the Druj ''are'' outnumbered though, and arguably outclassed. Again, though, it is the ability of the Empire's armies to trust one another than proves the greatest advantage. The Lions of Adelmar and the Quiet Step employ strategies specifically designed to aid their allies, to work with their comrades in other armies and nations. The sentinels of the Citadel Guard are adept at deploying their force where it will offer the greatest support, and then moving to another position as the ebb and flow of battle shifts. In contrast there are reports of warriors of the Jagged Claw intentionally abandoning their Red Lizard "allies" in the middle of an engagement, their deaths serving to cover a flanking manoeuvre and hasty retreat. There are incidents where the Hidden Widow are left in an exposed position by the Black Wind just to lure a band of thorns into a trap that closes around the Navarr too late to save their "comrades".

As one Dawnish troubadour marching with the Lions says, it isn't so much that the Druj are intentionally turning on one another, but rather than they seem utterly incapable of seeing anyone outside their immediate circle as being ''people'' at all. Rivals or pawns to be used to their own advantage, in the pursuit of their own ambitions or their own survival. A people culturally incapable of feeling the bonds of fellowship, utterly alien to the understanding of love that the Lions hold at the centre of their philosophy.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sebastián Fawnwood.jpg|caption='''Sebastián Fawnwood''' (centre), General of the Gryphon's Pride|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dame Katelyn.jpg|caption='''Dame Katelyn Quinnell De Cordraco''', General of the Lions of Adelmar|align=left|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Cadwell Waystone.png|caption='''Cadwell Waystone''', General of the Black Thorns|align=left|width=250}}

</div>

==Handfuls of Dust==
A month after the fighting begins, the Empire encounters serious magical resistance. The Gryphons Pride and the Black Thorns have pushed a little ahead of their allies, driving north-east where the land slopes upward toward the great plateau of Upper Saarnath. A major force of White Lions, supported by warriors of the Hidden Widow, attempt a pincer movement and fighting erupts among the trees. At first it seems that the Pride and the Thorns cannot fail to achieve victory, but then a third force joins the fighting.

They are not an army, or even really a garrison, but rather a force of perhaps a hundred or so hooded orcs with bows and barbed spears. The Thorns identify them as [[Arkad#Vikari|Vikari]] although their banner is unfamiliar - that of a skeletal serpent similar to the coiled shrike favoured by the Kallad. This, reason the Navarr, must be the Vileshrike sept from the Dripping Tor. They are some distance from home, presumably on the orders of the rumoured ghulai ''Graknuz Acidtouch''. They are not alone, however.

With the Vileshrikes are a hundred or so beings that seem to be heralds of the [[Realms#Night|Night realm]], similar to those encountered a few months ago by Imperial champions fighting [[alongside the Earthquake Drummers]] in the Forest of Ulnak. Scarecrow-like, in billowing black robes, it is easy at first to mistake them for [[Druj_lore#Tortured_souls|tortured souls]]. Yet these creatures have never been mortal; there is nothing beneath their robes save animate darkness, shadows that seem to seep through the empty eye-holes of the featureless masks they wear. The merest touch of these awful phantoms [[Calls#Weakness|weakens]] the strongest knight, draining away their will to fight and overwhelming them with fear and terror. Their weapons assail the mind as well as the body, creating magical wounds that confuse the confident thorns leaving them riven with self-doubt and uncertainty. A few are armed with terrible pole-arms that drown their foes in [[paralysis|paralysing]] wells of phantasmal horror, leaving them as easy picking for the rest of the barbarians alongside who they fight.

The Vileshrikes - if that is who this is - don't especially coordinate their attacks with the two armies but rather take advantage of their attack to cover an assault of their own. The battle-magicians are clearly experienced fighting alongside their unnatural allies - they [[entangle|bind]] a likely target long enough for the fluttering-robed things to descend on them and assail their spirit. The Rivers of Life does nothing to bolster the broken will to fight, it cannot heal the terrible nightmares that assail those injured by the creatures' weapons, nor offer protection from the sucking quagmire of doubt that overwhelms the doughtiest warrior.

It doesn't help that these vikari are obviously backed by significant magical resources - enough for some of their number to unleash great wails that weaken enemies and allies alike, or terrifying atonal hymns that [[Calls#CURSE|curse]] Imperial soldiers with a growing delirium that takes hold hours after the fighting when they think themselves safe.

It's hard to say for certain how much difference this additional force of Druj makes to the overall battle; for all their magical prowess Vileshrike Vikari and terrorising Night held alike are as vulnerable as any magician to [[Calls#IMPALE|arrows and mighty blows]], can be put to flight with a [[Calls#CLEAVE|solid strike]] from a skilled fighter. They also seem to have little stomach for a long fight. They expend their magic quickly, it seems, and then fall back while the White Lions and the Hidden Widow still clash with the Pride and the Thorns.

The Imperial advance is turned back that day, although the Pride and the Thorns manage to lead some of the more bloodthirsty Druj into an ambush set by the Quiet Step. Less than a week later, with the Lions and the Step to back them up, the two Imperial armies return and the Navarr and Dawnish are victorious. They continue to push through the Salt Flats, and the further north-east they travel the more common and vicious fighting with the Vileshrikes becomes.

Whoever the Vileshrikes are, whoever their allies are, they do not fight anywhere else in Lower Saarnath; only in the north-east. They also seem to be the source of a peculiar magical effect, a curse of some kind, that is slowly settling over the southern Salt Flats. Soldiers begin to report an increasing number of horrific dreams, and those standing watch at the darkest hours of the night claim to spot hooded figures watching them from the shadows who they ''know'' are filled with poisonous hate. It doesn't seem to be an enchantment; perhaps this mysterious ghulai is drawing on other sources of power to do... whatever they are doing.

Despite all this, the Druj are forced to retreat again and again. As the season draws on, as the Quiet Step and the Lions of Adelmar come within sight of the location marked out by Imperial scouts as the ''Dripping Tor''. It lies in the depths of the forest, far from any other settlement, but it has been identified by the Northern Eagle as a key strategic location to control. When the armies arrive, however, they find the Tor... missing. In its place looms an impenetrable grove of massive, clearly supernatural trees. When any Imperial soldier gets within a mile of the rough location, thick mists boil out of the ground and seethe in the air, creating impenetrable curtains of grey and white. Those who do not turn back soon regret it - scouts report encounters with unspeakable horrors in the depths of the mists. Some who brave the fog are left shattered in mind and spirit, raving about ''eyes'' and ''claws'' and ''the terrible soft music''. Others do not return at all.

The decision is made to give the area a wide berth. None of the armies here are in a position to try and penetrate whatever ward is in place, and there are still Druj to be fought. A watch is set by the Quiet Step, and the Empire turns its attention elsewhere. At least there are no further attacks by the Vileshrikes and their unnatural allies, once the armies reach the Tor.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka.jpg|caption='''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''', General of the Northern Eagle, leads the Varushkans in subtle infiltration of the Salt Flats.|align=left|width=250}}
</div>

==For Those Who Come After==
In the end, there is no single decisive battle in the valleys of Lower Saarnath, only a string of engagements spread out through the woodlands. There are relatively few Druj settlements here - and they are poorly prepared for attack by Imperial soldiers. Unless the Druj armies are present, these scattered arboreal villages and logging camps swiftly fall to the Empire. Even where the Druj defenders are present, it is usually not enough to stop the Empire seizing them anyway. Usually.

Ultimately the Empire is victorious, smashing through the Druj defences and forcing the armies to retreat. Lower Saarnath is captured in its entirety, and the Imperial forces regroup to consider their next move. The Rivers of Life help to blunt the slaughter on both sides, but when the final tally is made it is still sobering. A thousand Imperial lives lost in the woodlands to the Druj. It is scant consolation that, thanks in particular to the presence of so many Imperial captains, the barbarians seem to have paid a much steeper price. It is difficult to say how ''much'' of a price as always, but even with their purely defensive strategy the Druj have ''suffered'' this season.

As Autumn approaches, armies on both sides take stock and consider their next moves; but then -

Then something unexpected happens.
==What Brings Their End==
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was.jpg|caption='''Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', General of the Citadel Guard, has unleashed the devastating power of Spring magic on the Druj capital.|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
For three months, the Citadel Guard have been gathering strength, working carefully crafted rituals in each Spring [[regio]] they encounter, weak or strong. They have been studying the flows of [[mana site|mana]] across Lower Saarnath, sending out small bands of diviners and sentinel defenders to learn more about the way power pools across the Salt Flats. A week before the Autumn Equinox, their work is completed.

While it takes time to prepare, and set in motion, the [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|Technique of the Transcendent Claw]] is not subtle in its effects. At sunrise, the sky turns black, boiling with storm clouds. The rain turns torrential, driven by howling gales. Lightning strikes willy-nilly not only across the valleys of Lower Saarnath but across the entire southern reach of the Salt Flats. Tents are torn up into the sky, unwary folk thrown flat in the mud, branches are ripped from ancient trees creating stark openings in the canopy. Imperial soldiers are at least partially prepared, but it takes the Druj mostly by surprise.

Then, the sole elfin trumpeter that accompanies the Urizen magicians sounds a single terrible note that, impossibly, is heard throughout the lower valleys. It isn't part of the working, but it seems the knights of Eleonaris have a good sense for the dramatic... and this magic is certainly ''dramatic''.

Far away from the Imperial attackers and the Druj defenders, in one of the poorest parts of the sprawling city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] itself stands the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Beacon_of_Iskrid|Beacon of Iskrid]], a fortification garrisoned not by orcs but by humans under the banner of the self-styled ''Prince Tristain the Golden.'' A long way from the fighting, in a city that no doubt still imagines itself beyond the reach of the Empire. That dream is shattered, decisively.

With a deafening peal of thunder, audible all the way back to Lower Saarnath, a cascade of thunderbolts rains from the sky over Leen. The gale force winds become even stronger, battering the stones of the Beacon with the force of ten Winter storms, then twenty, then thirty. The rain pours in sheets, eating away at the mortar that holds the stones together, at the foundations that allow it to stand. The destruction is not limited to the fortification itself; the surrounding buildings are likewise stricken with this devastating, hungry tempest called by the highest arts of the Urizeni magicians. A tornado reaches down from the heavens, down toward the earth, and as it comes the lightning ignites something within it and it becomes a conflagration despite the monsoon deluge.

The Druj of Leen speak in whispered, terrified tones of spirits within those winds, awful shapes of water and wind and fire that somehow poured ''out'' of the tornado. Creatures of the Spring realm, following this consummate magical working into the mundane world for a short time, tearing at the Beacon with the single-minded hatred creatures of the Primal Forest have for all construction. Were they really there, or do the Druj imagine them in the chaos and ruin that attends upon the power unleashed by the Citadel Guard?

And then the weather starts to clear... the tumultuous downpour turns back to ''just'' heavy rain. The winds lessen, ceasing entirely for a moment before returning again at more normal speed. Smoke rises from the rainforest, but the fires find no purchase in the soaking wood. The lightning ceases, the thunder stills, the clouds part and the wan Autumn sun shines through.

It shines on the uncertain faces of the Imperial soldiers, it shines on the satisfied and tired faces of the Urizeni masters, it shines on the terrified faces of the Druj. It shines also, sadly, on the Beacon of Iskrid. The [[fortification#bastion|bastion]] leans dangerously to the side, barely standing. The upper ramparts have been torn away, as if gouged by some mighty claw, and scattered with lethal force into the city below. It looks for all the world as if the slightest push would send it tumbling into the streets of Leen, crushing everything in its path. It is almost entirely devastated... almost.

The Beacon still stands - the power of the ''Onrushing Storm'' was perhaps blunted by the rival resonances of life and healing in the rainwaters of Sanath this season - but only just. And while it may have avoided destruction by a hair's breadth, the people of Leen cannot fail to understand what has just happened. The [[Druj_lore#Buruk_Tepel|Buruk Tepel]], the rulers of the Druj, who imagined themselves safe in their great city have been presented with a potent illustration of just how vulnerable they are. The Druj are ''afraid''.

==Game Information==
<div style="float: right; max-width: 400px; margin-right: 10px;">{{HoverImage|Salt Flats of Sanath Regions.png|SaltFlatsBasic.png}}</div>
===Salt Flats of Sanath===
* '''The Empire has claimed Lower Saarnath
* '''The Northern Eagle prevented any of the Druj fortifications in Sanath participating in the fight and gave the region the under threat quality
* '''The Beacon of Iskrid has been devastated by Urizen magic but still stands - just
* '''The Dripping Tor appears to be hidden behind a powerful shroud of Night magic
As the Autumn Equinox approaches the Imperial forces in Sanath have claimed the region of Lower Saarnath. The Vileshrikes hidden in the north-east clearly intend to resist Imperial control, but it is not clear how much magic they may be able to bring to bear.

Thanks to the Northern Eagle, the garrisons of the three Druj fortifications were unable to operate in Lower Saarnath this season. That benefit ends with the Autumn Equinox - the remaining garrisons will be able to participate in the campaign as normal going forward. They also provided the [[Region_qualities#Under_Threat|under threat]] quality to Lower Saarnath, but that quality has also faded as the Autumn Equinox dawns. The Eagle are in Sanath, but they did not participate directly in the campaign this season. Instead they are arranging another strike against the Druj using their [[Army qualities#Elusive|elusive]] quality.

The Beacon of Iskrid was assailed by the Urizeni using their Technique of the Transcendent Claw. All casualties the army caused were targeted specifically against the Beacon, ignoring the usual reduction in damage done to a bastion. The presence of many military units, and the Knights of Glory, both help this technique have a significant impact. Even the Quiet Step ''Cunning'' strategy works to increase the damage to the Beacon (but only by increasing the casualties caused directly by the army; as with all army orders it doesn't increase the casualties caused by military units or enchantments). It is also worth noting that this effect [[Limits_of_magic#Damaging_Fortifications|cannot be created]] with ritual magic - the direct damage to a fortification is the result of a [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|unique technique]] that requires an entire season of campaigning in a given territory by an army including powerful magicians who perform dozens of individual rituals before it has any effect.

Only military units supporting the Citadel Guard receive a share of the Imperial Guerdon; other military units receive nothing.

===Strategic Considerations===
* '''Dripping Tor is concealed beneath a powerful shroud of Night magic
* '''It is not possible to move between Upper Saarnath and Leen Rarckan
The Vileshrike stronghold of ''Dripping Tor'' is concealed behind a potent shroud of [[Night magic]], similar in effect to [[Vale of Shadows]]. According to the witches and vates who accompanied the armies into that part of the valleys, it appears to have been performed at magnitude 120 - representing a serious challenge to Imperial magicians who want to remove it. Still, a suitably potent [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] cast at the [[Regio#The_Imperial_Regio|Imperial regio]] could be [[Army_qualities#Magic|channeled]] through the [[general]] of the [[Citadel Guard]] but it will require a magnitude of 240 to bring the effect down. If left undisturbed, the shroud will last until the start of the Summer Solstice 389YE. Other methods might exist to penetrate this magical defence.

If the shroud is removed, the Vileshrike sept could be destroyed by an Imperial army sent specifically to root them out. This would need to be done at the same summit the shroud was pierced, or the sept will be able to scatter into the wild places of the Salt Flats and potentially remain as a threat to Imperial forces in the territory. They are not a significant campaign force however; while the army would need to take an attacking order and be busy for an entire season, they would suffer no appreciable damage.

It is not immediately apparent from the map, but Imperial scouts have confirmed what the original spy network used to map the Salt Flats only suggested. It is not possible for an [[army]] to move between [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Upper_Saarnath|Upper Saarnath]] and [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Leen_Rarckan|Leen Rarckan]] (or vice versa) without an opportunity.

===Participation: Citadel Guard===
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">[[File:SpringRune.jpg|267px]]</div>
* '''Military units fighting with the Citadel Guard have participated in the working of the Onrushing Storm
Any character whose military unit supported the Citadel Guard this season is free to roleplay their involvement in the performance of the ''Technique of the Resplendent Claw''. This may have involved protecting Urizeni magicians, but might also have involved scouting into other regions of the southern Salt Flats to find specific resources, escorting a coven to a hidden Spring regio, or raiding a specific mana site to shift the flows of mana in a direction that helps support the destructive magic ultimately unleashed against the Beacon of Iskrid. Magicians might have helped with the rituals cast - working with ritual masters from their own nation to perform supportive rituals. An Urizeni magician versed in Spring lore might even have been one of those involved in the final magical workings that lead to the assault on the Beacon. You are also free to roleplay that you fought alongside the sentinels and other soldiers striving to conquer Lower Saarnath instead, of course.

While the army was enchanted with [[Knights of Glory]], the presence of the heralds has not had any noticeable affect on either the military units supporting the army, nor on the soldiers of the army itself.
===Participation: Lions of Adelmar===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=Regal, noble, and terrible in anger; Eleonaris is the Lion of Summer and her soldiers bear many of her traits.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''The Lions of Adelmar continue not being able to take the cautious advance or give ground orders'''
* '''Any character whose military unit fought alongside the Lions of Adelmar may be inspired by the Knights of Glory'''
The Lions of Adelmar are accompanied into the Salt Flats by [[Knights of Glory|supernatural warriors]] led by the war-smith ''Elodian''. The presence of the knights continues to [[Even_darkness_must_pass#Sarangrave|exert influence over]] the Dawnish army. The Lions of Adelmar cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders until a year has passed - even if Dawn were to put aside their [[Dawn_military_concerns#Army_Orders|commitment]] to Glory.

The heavily armoured champions that fight under the banner of ''Elodian'' have relished the experience of battling the Druj alongside the Lions of Adelmar, and not been shy about expressing their approval. The warriors from the Field of Glory take every opportunity to inspire the glorious soldiers of the army. A character whose military unit supported the Lions of Adelmar this season may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to the glorious heralds.

If you are a Dawnish character whose military unit supported the Lions of Adelmar this season, or the general of the army itself, you may choose to gain a magical boon from the runic war-smiths. To claim this boon you must mark your armour, shield, or a visible part of your body with one or more of the so-called [[Runes#Runes of Summer|Runes of Summer]] - [[Feresh]], [[Jotra]], [[Tykonus]], or [[Verys]]. The boon counts as an [[enchantment]] on your character. As long as at least one of these runes are present, the [[Combat_skills#Dreadnought|dreadnought]] skill provides you with two additional hits on top of its normal benefit, and whenever you use the [[heroic skills#Unstoppable|unstoppable]] skill you regain five hits instead of the normal three.

If anyone uses [[Detect_magic#Discern_Enchantment|discern enchantment]] on you, you'll need to let the referee know that you are under the effect of a magnitude 7 Summer enchantment, and that you bear the ''mark of runemarked prowess''.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to fight valiantly to support your friends, family, and especially your loved ones. Anyone offending or upsetting someone you care about causes a wave of burning anger to boil up inside you making it hard not to immediately confront them. If you lose your temper it is very hard not to give in to the urge to beat whoever offended you or your ally until they are incapacitated or they unconditionally surrender. At the same time, whenever you feel cherished or appreciated, the sensations are significantly increased to the point where you may experience a moment of rare bliss.''

The boon can be removed [[Enchantment#Removing_Enchantments|as normal]] - “overwritten” with a new enchantment - and will have faded by the start of the Winter Solstice.

===Participation: Bad Dreams===
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Diras.png|title=Rune: Diras|align=right}}</div>
* '''Something is causing particularly bad dreams in Lower Saarnath
Any character whose military unit supported any of the armies in the Salt Flats of Sanath this season may have experienced unsettling dreams. Nightmares are not uncommon when one is exposed to the Druj miasma, but these are a step above what veterans of the Mallum, or of the fight to liberate Zenith, have reported. Nightmares caused by the miasma tend to vary between individuals as much as any other dreams, but there is a suspicious commonality of elements in many of these odd dreams.

They involve being pursued or threatened in familiar places that are twisted with mud and water, or the presence of marsh-dwelling flora or fauna. Horrible phantasmal shapes eventually invade these places, or catch up with a fleeing dreamer, and begin to drown them or smother them. Dreamers awaken terrified, short of breath, and convinced that there is something leaning over them trying to steal their breath, crush their chests, or throttle them in their sleep. Nothing is physically present, and there are no signs of either intruders or assailants.

There is no benefit to doing so, but anyone who has experienced these dreams is encouraged to start the Autumn Equinox without any [[heroic skills#Hero|hero points]] or [[magical skills#magician|personal mana]]. They can still recover hero points and mana as normal - either by getting a good nights sleep at Anvil or by taking advantage of a magical method of recovery such as a [[potion]], or an [[enchantment|enhanted]] area such as [[Herthfire's Hospitality]] or [[Chamber of Delights]].

==Battle Opportunity : What Dreams Must Come==
* '''There is an opportunity for a battle in the Salt Flats of Sanath this season'''

The magic of the Citadel Guard unleashed, the fury of Spring unleashed, the storm's rain unleashed. Urizeni mages have sent vast workings of magical power at the walls of the Beacon of Iskrid. Unimaginable forces lashing at the white granite bastion, tearing masonry and roofing tiles from the structure. Yet, for all the great efforts during the season of campaigning, the fortress still towers above the squalid city surrounding it. Somehow it is clinging on by the slenderest of threads.

The correct magic was cast, [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Transcendent_Claw|the powers of spring were called forth]] from the furious stormlashed realm as intended; the covens of the army and those that aided them did all that was required. But in the end it was just not quite enough, and the full might of the arcane undertaking fell agonisingly short of what was needed to overcome the bastion. It is a grim outcome, but when something like this happens, fate has a way of helping out, and so it proves this time.

The ghulai, the Druj magicians, have been engaged in a magic of their own. Desperate to prevent the Empire from advancing, the ghulai of the Vileshrikes have prepared a trap for the Empire. They hope to force open the regio across Beladrarsh, and both Upper and Lower Saarnath, to permit Ungholt, the Delirium King, to stalk the land. This little known eternal's fiendish touch brings terror and madness, a curse that spreads through the land, turning civilised people into savage monsters. A monstrous act by the Druj in scorching the earth, a plan to turn their own subjects into a bulwark of dread that will devastate the Empire's armies as they try to attack the region. If they succeed,these regions will become terror-stricken.

There is a chance to stop them. The ghulai's curse relies on a set of hastily erected ''shackles'', erected inside the shroud at Dripping Tor. Here in a vast clearing in the forest, the ''Rivenglade'', are three pillars of wood and billowing cloth. Glimpsed from afar, they are ancient, decrepit things, dank and miserable as many of the Druj's own buildings are. The fabrics at their tops add a singular splash of colour, bright and vivid as if warning of danger. Each pillar is bound up with magic, built from aged weirwood planks and driven through with mithril nails.

Despite their dilapidated appearance, power courses through them, the unmistakable power of the Night realm weaving around and into the structures. Combined together, the three pillars are acting to pull together the magic of obfuscation, transformation, and emotion into something pernicious and terrible. Perhaps this is why the Druj ghulai did not enchant their armies this season, occupied as they were preparing to unleash this terrible curse.

There is a conjunction to ''Rivenglade'' that will enable the heroes of Anvil to travel to the Dripping Tor on the Sunday of the Autumn Equinox. A single chance to stop the Druj from unleashing the servants of the Delirium King on their own people.

===Objective: Save the Druj from the Delirium King===
* '''The Vileshrike ghulai are preparing to unleash the Delirium King on three regions adjacent to the Dripping Tor'''
* '''If they are not stopped then Lower Sarnath, Upper Sarnath and Beladrarsh will become terror-stricken'''
* '''Zakalwe offers his aid in stopping the curse before it can take effect'''
* '''Destroy the ''Night Shackles'' to prevent the Reign of the Delirium King afflicating the regions'''

The ghulai of the Vileshrikes have raised three Night Shackles, strange weirwood pillars, shrouded with Night magic. They have spent the season pouring magical energy into the pillars, and they intend to unleash the curse shortly after the equinox. If they are not stopped, then the curse, the ''Reign of the Delirium King'', will be unleashed on Lower Sarnath, Upper Sarnath and Beladrarsh. This night magic curse will inflict the depredations of [[Eternals_of_the_sea#Hongerigespin_and_Ungholt|Ungholt]] on the occupants of these regions; a wave of terror will spread over the land as mortals who sleep will find their dreams invaded by their worst fears. The fear will break minds like a hurricane tearing down the weakest trees in the forest. Those who succumb will no longer tell friend from foe, lashing out at anything that comes close.

The curse will ravage the populace of the three regions, and it might be tempting to leave the Druj to it, were it not for the dangers that the ritual will create. Beladrash in particular is home to half a dozen subject septs who are forced to toil for the Druj. Thousands of orcs will be affected, some of whom are Druj in name only. Worse, the ghulai are prepared to take this terrible step because they intend to forge a weapon from the broken minds of their own people. Driven furious with fear, the inhabitants will attack any army that tries to seize the regions or move through them. The Vileshrike plan to sacrifice their subjects to create a poisoned weapon to hurl at the Empire.

The Master Strategist loathes the Delirium King and is eager to help the Empire put a stop to this terrible plan. The eternal's heralds have provided rune-marked keys, cunningly wrought devices that can be used to pierce the shrouds that surrounds each shackle. Each one employs a set of simple runic pieces - the runes of Night combined with the two mystic runes. Magicans can use the key to discern the nature of the shroud, and pierce it.

To use a key, magicians will need to select four of the runes, place them on the board and then perform [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] to activate them.
The ritual will reveal infromation how many runes are correct and how many are in the correct place. The ritual can be repeated as often as needed, but each casting will take time. To succeed, the right sequence of four runes must be determined for that pillar, with each rune in the correct location. Sharp minds and clear thoughts will be needed to guide the divinations, along with capable ritualists and plentiful supplies of crystal mana or prismatic ink to power the rituals.

Once the shroud has been pierced on a shackle the construction will collapse and the night magic ensnared around it will dissapate, removing the threat of the Delirium King's curse from falling on the associate region.

====The Shackle of Sorrow====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Sorrow will prevent Lower Saarnath from becoming terror-stricken'''

If the Shackle of Sorrow is destroyed, it will prevent the Reign of the Delirium King from falling on Lower Saarnath. The Empire has just spent the season conquering Lower Saarnath. The region is a beachhead that could be used to attack Upper Sarnaath and Beladrarsh. If the orcs who live here are fed to the ''Night Terror'', they will become a threat to every army based here or moving through the region.

====The Shackle of Misery====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Misery will prevent Upper Saarnath from becoming terror-stricken'''

Upper Saarnath is strategically vital as the gateway to [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Ûrinth|Ûrinth]], the centre of the Salt Flats and one of the few remaining Druj strongholds from which they rule what's left of their empire. The woods are desolate but not uninhabited, and barely half the orcs who live in the dense forests are true Druj. The Empire managed to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Grove of Woe, but there are still countless more subjects and slaves who are forced to labour in the great forests to feed the Druj war machine.

====The Shackle of Anguish====
* '''Breaking the Shackle of Anguish will prevent Beladrarsh becoming terror-stricken'''

Beladrash is ruled over by the Skinweavers, and could be considered less strategically vital than the other two regions. However, it is home to no less than seven septs who are forced to serve the Druj here - if ''the Last Voice You Ever Hear'' is given a free reign to terrorise the dreams of the people who live here, then ''thousands'' will die. The Empire has often struggled to convince the septs of the Mallum to favour them over the Druj, but saving the Beladrarsh septs from the Druj could be a powerful diplomatic victory.

===Opportunity: Destroy the Beacon of Iskrid===
* '''Urizeni magicians who are associated with the Citadel Guard could harness the energies of a Shackle to complete the destruction of the Beacon of Iskrid'''
* '''An Urizeni coven can perform ''Thunderous Deluge'' after a shackle has been broken to destroy the fortification'''
<div {{float}}>
<box>'''Association with the Citadel Guard'''<br>The ritual can be performed by any Urizeni ritual group with members who roleplay that they are part of the Citadel Guard, either actively serving with it, or as one of the many magicians who support it.</box></div>
The Beacon of Iskrid, the seat of ''Prince Tristain the Golden'', teeters on the edge of destruction - one more surge of magical energy and it will come crashing to the ground. If the Empire can pry even a single shackle loose, then the magical energy it releases could be directed into the Citadel Guard's Transcendent Claw. That would be enough to overwhelm and destroy the Beacon. The fortification would be destroyed and its garrison scattered.

Completing the Transcendent Claw will not be easy. It ''needs'' an Urizen Spring coven, one with a connection to the other magicians of the Citadel Guard. They will need to perform [[Thunderous Deluge]] on one of the three Shackles, '''after''' the shroud has been pierced. If that happens, the magicians will be able to join their efforts with the magicians in the Guard, and add their own efforts to those of their compatriots. It doesn't need to be much - one last push and the walls of the fortification will come down.

===Battlefield threat: Combat the Servants of Delirium===
* '''Heralds of the Night realm stalk the area'''
* '''They lend their aid to the Druj defending Sanath'''

The forces of the Druj are accompanied at ''Rivenglade'' by the Night heralds referred to as the ''Servants of Delirium''. Clad in shadows and darkness, these creatures are not mighty champions but instead act as heralds of madness and despair. Blade strikes that [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weaken]] those they encounter and a terrifying urge to flee their approach are good enough reasons to be wary of them. More so, given the heralds have some inexplicable link to the shackles in the area and the hidden halls of the Dripping Tor. They are likely to target the teams of mages that work to decipher the nature of the Night magic once they realise what the Empire intends.

===Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] unless you have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

The entire area at ''Rivenglade '', is under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Anyone entering the area will need to protect themselves from the clawing dread or succumb to a weakening terror that creeps into their mind.

The primary effect of the miasma is that it [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakens]] anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an [[anointing]], but particularly [[Heroic_skills#Hero|heroic]] individuals, or those in possession of certain [[enchantment|enchantments]] or [[magic items]] may also be able to counteract the effect. In particular, those of the [[changeling]] [[lineage]] are able to fight the effects of the miasma, only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.

===Terror-Stricken===
* '''Armies attacking a terror stricken region generate 20% fewer victory points'''
* '''Any army fighting in a terror stricken region or moving through it suffers 10% of it's force in casualties'''
* '''A tenth of the civilian population will die every season'''

The inhabitants of a region that is terror-stricken are assailed by supernatural fear and dread. Those who try to sleep may find their rest plagued with nightmares. In their waking hours they may see horrifying visions lurking at the edges of their vision, or simply be overcome by a nameless dread. The strongest can endure the terror, but those less able to resist slowly lose their senses, to the point where they can no longer tell friend from foe. They will turn on any they see and try to attack and kill them. The mind-numbering terror pushes everyone it touches to the breaking point, to the point where violence is never far from the surface.

Inevitably people will die as a result of this terrible curse, some will simply never waken from their terror-filled nightmares, others will be overcome with rage and driven to violence against friends and family. Even those who are able to withstand the terror risk being killed by those who succumb. The civilian population will be decimated every season, and any army fighting in a terror stricken or moving through it suffers 10% of it's force in casualties. This will be calculated at the end of the season, after all casualties from that seasons campaign have been calculated. Druj armies that aren't protected from the madness, will only suffer these if they are forced to defend one of these regions.

A greater darkness

2026-09-08T13:56:15Z

GuiltyConscience: /* Opportunity: Seize the Tepel's Nightmare */

[[Category:Winds of War]][[Category:388YE Autumn]][[Category:Military Council]]
<div {{floatleft}}>{{CaptionedImage|file=Trees against purple night sky.jpg|align=left|caption=The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair.|width=500}}</div>
==What Has Gone Before==
[[All_I_ask_of_you#Help_Us|There is a plan]]. It is a risky plan, and it requires everything to go right and nothing to go wrong. But there is a plan.

The Great Forest Orcs and the Navarr are oathbound; siblings in spirit if not in flesh. In Therunin, the Navarr offered sanctuary when the orcs of Peytaht were forced to flee [[the Barrens]]. They walked the trods together, fought together against the vallorn, fought together against the Druj. When the orcs of the Great Forest returned to their home, it was the Navarr who helped them drive out the remaining tyrants and secure their beloved grove. The bond has become stronger since; orcs died alongside the thorns and brands when the barbarians assailed Therunin and slaughtered their way through the Tarn Valley. The Navarr have welcomed their ambitious youth to the groves of Miaren and Hercynia, helped them create their own "steadings" as they tend the weirwood trees and inch by slow inch combine their own traditions with those of their hosts.

Yet they have always been a wounded, broken sept. The wisdom of the Great Forest Orcs has always been two-edged for them. Their mastery of living wood, their unparalleled skill at tending the valuable weirwood groves, long ago saw the tyrants of the Mallum rip their people into gobbets. Every weirwood grove the Druj control is tended by Great Forest Orcs, forced to toil at the command of cruel overseers. Each disparate settlement serves as surety for the others - if any one were to dare rebel it would be their family in the Barrens, in Ossium, or Sarangrave, in Sanath, or Ulnak, that would pay the price for insubordination.

For centuries this was simply the way it was, and it is only within the last ten years that things have begun to change. The children of the Great Forest in the Barrens found a welcome in Therunin; their family in Ossium was ultimately liberated from the Druj; the Imperial conquest of [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]] freed the orcs held there to walk free. Only two weirwood forests remain in the possession of the Druj - the Sacred Grove and the Grove of Woe - and only two enclaves of Great Forest Orcs remain separated from their people. It is a wound, and a painful reminder that the sept is not whole, and it is also a weapon that the Druj seek to wield against them.

Shortly before the Summer Solstice, it came to light that the Buruk Tepel had given the orcs in the [[The_Barrens#Heart_of_Peytaht|Heart of Peytaht]] an ultimatum. Betray the Navarr, betray the Empire, betray the trust they have built; or know that every one of their sept trapped in durance in the Mallum would be slain. Killed, and worse than killed. The Druj know all the ways to make someone suffer, to beg for death, before they allow a broken spirit to slip into the Howling Abyss. The Great Forest Orcs are well aware of how far they will go, even when their backs are not against the wall.

A [[All_I_ask_of_you#Hammer_Waiting_to_Fall|hammer waits to fall]] on the children of the Great Forest, and by themselves they cannot hope to stop its descent. If it strikes home, it will break their hearts.

But the children of Peytaht have not betrayed their friends; and their friends are with them.

==The Plan==
{{SOP|statement=The Navarr National Assembly calls upon Ioan Longshadow, former General of Isaella's Dance, Guide of Courage, oath-sworn friend of the Great Forest Orcs, and survivor of Grendel chains, to lead Navarr's hand in the rescue of the Great Forest Orcs and the war against the Druj. Any spoils of war gained in this endeavour shall be distributed among those who pledged their support to this cause. He is charged not merely with the conduct of war, but with the keeping of bonds forged in blood and memory. As our allies suffer beneath the yoke of the Druj, this Assembly places its trust in one who has endured captivity, borne loss without surrender, and walked the path of duty. Between Navarr, the Imperial Orcs, and the Great Forest Orcs, The Druj will find before them a Wall of thorns that shall not fall!|by=Ioan Longshadow, Navarr National Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 217-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE}}
{{SOP|statement=The Imperial Orc Assembly call upon the skills won in combat and wisdom from his time as General of the Winter Sun, for his steadfast pursuit of liberation of those in chains and the ruin of fear makers; we send Exemplar of Wisdom Skywise Rykana to lead the Imperial Orc forces to boldly venture into the Mallum and save all those Great Forest Orcs we can. No orc should go alone, to second him and support him with her knowledge of the Great Forest Orcs. We send a cousin from the Yerende sept of Ossium, Bloodcrow Meep. May they show the strength of orcs who unite. May our gathered forces join with the Navarr to create a wall of thorns that will not fail.|by=Firesong Galath, Imperial Orcs National Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 62-0|when=Summer Solstice 388YE}}
On one level, the plan is simple. The Navarr and the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]] will go into the Mallum and ''get'' the remaining Great Forest Orcs. They will break their chains, and bring them to the safety of the Heart of Peytaht. They will use stealth as long as it avails them, and when that fails as it inevitably must, they will fight. The Druj are in disarray; they fight a war for survival on at least two fronts. The Thule press them in the Forest of Ulnak; the Empire has crossed the borders of Sarangrave and assault them to the south. Within their own borders, the threadbare trust that has allowed the rival septs to work together, allowed the Buruk Tepel to collaborate, is fraying. It will not be ''easy'' but the plan is not ''complicated''.

During the Solstice, the priests of Navarr and the Imperial Orcs chose champions - leaders who would guide their own people and work together to make sure the plan is a success. Their people rally around them, in Ossium and in the Barrens and in northern Sarangrave. The maps acquired at great risk by Imperial scouts allow for multiple routes to be plotted to the target locations - smaller groups move swiftly and are less likely to attract the attention of the Mallum's defenders.

The [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Grove_of_Woe|Grove of Woe]] is the most accessible. The Imperial armies are engaged in [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Lower Saarnath|Lower Saarnath]] and it should in theory be straightforward enough to infiltrate [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Upper Saarnath|Upper Saarnath]]. Once the slaves are freed, they will only need to be escorted back to the Imperial battle-lines to reach safety. The situation is complicated by the fighting, of course. There are not just Druj in Lower Saarnath but ''[[Forward into depthless dark|multiple armies]]'' of Druj.

The [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Sacred_Grove|Sacred Grove]] will be much more challenging. Looming over [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Deathsgate|Deathsgate]], where the grove stands, is the immense fortress of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Ûln]]. Indeed, it is the master of that immense [[fortification#bastion|bastion]] - the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|buruk tepel]] ''Nimon Rue'' - who tried to use the threat of murder to suborn the Great Forest Orcs in the first place. In theory, Imperial forces could pass through the lands claimed by the Thule. Otkodov and the Empire are allies after all - at least in theory. Yet it might be a mistake to take the goodwill of the Dragons for granted. Worse, just as in Lower Saarnath, the clash of armies in the northern forests of Ulnak risks exposure to the Druj just as it does in the south. If Nimon Rue becomes aware of the rescue effort, there is every chance they will immediately order the slaughter of their prisoners. The Druj have a long history of making the choice that hurts their enemy the most, and no matter if they suffer themselves as a result.

In both cases, while the journey to the weirwood groves will be fraught, it is the return where the danger really lies. Not only will the Druj be aware of what is happening, but every minute it takes to overcome the defences of the labour camps, every minute wasted mobilising frightened orcs, is another minute for the enemy to respond. The flight back to the Empire cannot help but be a harrowing escapade no matter how well the plan is executed.

It takes weeks to organise the raid, and with Summer ripening into Autumn, the first Imperial warriors slip across the borders under a bruised sky into the Mallum proper.
<div {{float}}>
<table class='wikitable mw-collapsed mw-collapsible sortable'><tr><th>Citizen</th><th>Banner</th><th>Nation</th></tr>
<tr><td> Abigail Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ada Droon Drifting Bough </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Adeen Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Adonis Ashwood </td><td> Ashwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Adrian Cardel </td><td> The Cardel Caravan </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aedan Bellwood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aeilidh "Fletcher" Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aiden Rubra </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aisling Dancing Leaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aisling Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alana Firekeeper </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alastair New Dawn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aldred Boar's Dell </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alim Longstride </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Alistair </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Allana Silvercloud </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ameryth Silentwatch </td><td> The Silent Watch </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Amwryn </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Angela RavensOak </td><td> Ravens Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Angharad Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Annwyl </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Anthony </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Antur Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aodhan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aoife Rootround </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ardyn Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arianwen Thornfield </td><td> Thornfield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arin Birchwood </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arisent Twin-Wreathed </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arron Hammer's Rest </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Artoreus Cinderheart </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Arwydd Clearbramble </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aryanwen of the broken hearth who cherish the lost and wayward </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ash Bramblestep </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ashborn Trosk </td><td> Ashborn </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ashborn Vana </td><td> Ashborn </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Asher </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Asthore Autumngale </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Atur 'Backbreaker' Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Aurelia Nettlebound </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Avery Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ayla Farbound </td><td> Farbound </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Badonthir Fúlmar </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Badran </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Berwyn Dancingleaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Betony </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bleddyn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bleddyn Eternal </td><td> Long Shadow </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bledri Eternal </td><td> Vervain Shield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bloodcrow Arora </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bloodcrow Kran </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bloodcrow Reek </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Boars Ashen Tear </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Braithe Ashen Tear </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bramble of the Path </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bran </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bran Blazing Grain </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brân Splintered Oak </td><td> Splintered Oaks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brat Umbral Path </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bree Bellthorne </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brenna Whisperleaf </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brennin </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brìghde </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brion </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Broccomaglos Gladespear </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brody Dusk Crow </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bronwyn </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bruiser Ashen-Tear </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Bryn Shield Hearth </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brynmor Rootround </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brynn Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Brynwulf Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadell Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadfael Silentwatch </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadoc Thornwatch </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadwell Waystone </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cadwyn Ashfall </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caedria </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caelwyn Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caiden Duskcrow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caleb </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Callohan </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caoimhe Tend-Fallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cara Brackensong </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Carric </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Carrock Daggersbond </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cassidy Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Caularthron Tetramic </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cedar Thorns Rest </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ceinwen Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Celwyddog 'Dog' Brackensong </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cerberin </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cerddinen Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ceri Brackensong </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cerwin </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ciapek SplinteredOak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cliab (Cleo) Larksong </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Clint Strangewood </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Clover </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Clover Springseeker </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Coeden Silvercloud </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Conan </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Corey Wayfarer </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cormac </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Corwyn Heartsbane </td><td> Heartsbane </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Corwyn Silvercloud </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Courgetta Thistleseeker </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cúán </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Culann </td><td> Fawn Hollow </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Culhwch Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Cullain Shadowbirch </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Daegan Larksong </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dagen Nighthaven </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dagony O'Shea </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Daire Oathsinger Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Darrach </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Darragh Cinderhart </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dax </td><td> Two Feet </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Deagan Springseeker </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Delilah </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Derwyn Sparrowflight </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Djack Dancer </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Domhnall Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Draenen Goch </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Drew Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dris Treetalk </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dryn </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Drysfa Broken Bough </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Drystan Rootround </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Dylan Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Earnan Bramble Step </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Egan Dusk Crow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eilonwy Nightgrove </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eirlys </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
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<tr><td> Eisen </td><td> The Rising Wolves </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eleri Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eli Thrawn </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Elijah Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ellis Evergreen </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Elowen </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emhyr </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emlyn Tangled Path </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrich Bloodfeather </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrys </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrys Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emrys Ember-Oak </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Emyr smolder leaf </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Endellion </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Enfys Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Enfys Seedsower </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eoghan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Erin </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Erwan 9th Shield </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eryr Adar Pluen </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eskah Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Esper Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Eurion "Mr Cambion" Firekeeper </td><td> The Hearth Guard </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Even Agra </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ewan </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> face </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fae </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Faelan </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Faethyr Nightgrove </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fallon Shadowglen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Faolan </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Farren Silver Streams </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Féchín Scarletsong </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Feirdhris Fifthwind </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fen, Twin Wreathed </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fennel </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
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<tr><td> Fern Mossbeard </td><td> Splintered Oaks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fernelda </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ffion Nighthaven </td><td> Nighthaven </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Finnian </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Arachas </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Ecca </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Okeer </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Firesong Ussa </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flannagan </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flaxney Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flidais </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Flynn DancingLeaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fraygor Oakskull </td><td> Twisted Tree </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Frith </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Fynn Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gaeorg Broken Bough </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gavynn Bellwood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gawain Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gelert </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Geraint Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gethin Bledwyn </td><td> The Last Dance </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ghost </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Giacomo Fuchin </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Goffrimm Boar's Promise </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gorwen </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gra'sh </td><td> Ebonmaw </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gragan Leafblown </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gralka</td><td> Skywise</td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Greff </td><td> Firesong </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Grundfos Thorn's Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gull Wind-Roar </td><td> The Silver Fletchings </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwdihŵ Adar Pluen </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwenllain Hearts’ End </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwennan </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwilym Heartsbane </td><td> The Thornborn of Black Scar </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwyddian Ashborn </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Gwyn Ybythol </td><td> Vervain Shield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hallux Hallowmark </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Halwyn Splitroot </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Harsan </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Harwyn Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hastur Flame of Broken Bough </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Heilyn Bronwens Rest </td><td> Open Skies </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Helvetie </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hen Was Silverthorn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Henarian </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Herden </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hester </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Huewyn </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Hurn </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris Arwyn Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris Fensorrow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Idris SummerCrow </td><td> The Summer Crows </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ieuan Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ikarosh </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ilana </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Iniska Ashwood </td><td> Ashwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ioan Longshadow </td><td> Long Shadow </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Irontide Scrin </td><td> The Irontide </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Irontide Thorrak </td><td> The Irontide </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ish </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Islwynn Nettlebound </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Iven </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> J'zarr </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jac </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jaerin Embracing Fold </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jakaa (SIVA) Bonecaller </td><td> Sand Vipers </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jakewyn Thorns Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jonah Farkas </td><td> Ruis Farkas </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jorek </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Jorren Greybloom </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Juniper Pickles </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Juniper Silvercloud </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai "Kiwi" Silverfletch </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai Springseeker </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kai Wayward Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kalor Warboar </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kellek </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kellos Foxden </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kevan Heartsbane </td><td> Heartsbane </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Keyan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Khain </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Khestra </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kiàine Thistleseeker </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kirrik </td><td> Ashborn </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kiyan Bellwood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kore Firestarter </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kyffin Thornfield </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kylar Splintered Oak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Kyra New Dawn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lark Lonestrider </td><td> Embersworn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lauren </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Leshi Last Dance </td><td> The Last Dance </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Liadan Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lilith Montague </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lilliana Eir Shield Hearth </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lindir </td><td> Cold Embers </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lith "Shiny" Fellsmith </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Llinos </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lochlainn Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Logain Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Logan Dusklight </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lowen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lowen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Luthar </td><td> Lopoldë's Flame </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Lynn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> M'ul </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Machar Broken Bough </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Madog Brackensong </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mai Gwyn Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Maldwyn Bloodbrook </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Marianna Lochstrider </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Marr Mothskin </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Marsh </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mathias Lonestrider </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Maud Splintered Oak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mawb Strangers Song </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mazo Freewalker </td><td> Ashborn Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meep </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meera Mended Branch </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meg Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meirion Scattered Step </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mercia Questor's View </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meredith Nighthaven </td><td> Nighthaven </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Merewen Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mervyn Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Merwyn Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Meya </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mharen Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mirabel Lonestrider </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mooch </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Moose </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Môr Edgestalker </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Morgan Drifting Bough </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Morgoth SweetBlood </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Morrigana Thorns Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Mouse Embercast </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Muse Ashen Tears </td><td> Ashen Tears </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Myrddin Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Myrddin Ravensong </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Naen Farbound </td><td> Farbound </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nathair Autumngale </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Natilli Verdavere </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Neasa </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Neirin </td><td> Brackensong Steading (Banner) </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nell Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nia </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niah StarSeeker </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niamh Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niamh Thicket </td><td> Oakwood Thicket </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nimerous </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nirrin </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nisien Duskbound </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> NiVek Broken Bough </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Niylah </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nos Umbral Path </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Nuala Crowfell </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oak Silverfletch </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Odhran Mal </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oleander Dreamsreach </td><td> Dreamsreach </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oleksiy Kostaltyn Van Temeschwar </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Olwyn Curlyute Mossglade </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Orinn Embracing Fold </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Orwynn </td><td> The Dreadshields </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Owain </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Oz Embercast </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Paulk Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Pine Ashen Tears </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Pine Swordsong </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Podine Halfthorn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Powell Open-Skies </td><td> Open Skies </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Presnora </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Priff </td><td> The Thornborn of Entwined Paths </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Protectorate Kardak </td><td> Legion Protectorate </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Puck </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Pyre Ashenheart </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Raewyn Eternal </td><td> Vervain Shield </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Raghnall Long-Hammer </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Raina </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rat Waystone Path </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Redhand Gezzar </td><td> Redhands </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rélileas Bramble Step </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhian Rootround </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhian Seedsower </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhiannon Tend-Fallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhiannon Thornwatch </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhianon Waystone </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhoslyn Tendfallen </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhyffyllann Inkblood </td><td> The Thornborn of Black Scar </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhyl Hammer's Rest </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rhys Nighthaven </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Richelieu Sternenlicht </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> River Berry </td><td> Cult of Myrtle </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Robyn Sweetnest </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rodric Worldscribe </td><td> Bronwen's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rok </td><td> Redhands </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Romi </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rook </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rook Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rowan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rowyn of the Waystone Path </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Rutger </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Saamy Splitroot </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sabina Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sage Tanglebane </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sand Viper Idra </td><td> Sand Vipers </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sandviper CODA </td><td> Sand Vipers </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Saura Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Savannah </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seaton </td><td> TangledSong </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sebastian Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seda Hornleaf </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Selvis Larksong </td><td> Larksong Striding </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seren </td><td> Ember-Oak </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seren Embercast </td><td> Embercast </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Seth Blackhawk </td><td> Driftwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sever </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sheridan </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Shistjarma Soar Shatterhorn </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Siân Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Silk Farkas </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Simon </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sinder </td><td> WinterSuns </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Siôn Everbloom </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Skod </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Skunk </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Skywise Rykana </td><td> Skywise </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sorcha Embracing Fold </td><td> Ashwood </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sorrel </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Stormcrow Dren </td><td> Stormcrow </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Stormcrow Tœba </td><td> Stormcrow </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Stormsteel Skorr </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Syl </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sylaria Sentri </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sylvari Barkweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Sylvie Dawnroot </td><td> Moon Striders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Syml </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Syn Truth-Walker Returned </td><td> Nighthaven </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Talfryn Scarletsong </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Talfryn Summergleam </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Talulah Noorie </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tanwen Dancing Leaf </td><td> Dancing Leaf </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Taran Foxden </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Taren Summergleam </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Task </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tavvik Splintered Oak </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Teela </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tegid Ember-Oak </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Teleri Thornweaver </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Telyn Ashes Blaze </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tenebrae </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Teris </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Thalion </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Thane Springseeker </td><td> The Stormwall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> the Nimble-Jack </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Theo Wintersun </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Theowyn Blackhawk </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Theren GoldenThorn </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Therin </td><td> The Edgestalkers of Hercynia </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tibalt </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tom </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tomos Foxden </td><td> Foxden </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Torin Shanks </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Torin Swift Hart </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Torri </td><td> Feathers Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Triskeliande </td><td> Farbound </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Tulva </td><td> Skywise </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Turin "Goose" </td><td> SilverCloud Banner </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Twyll Eternal </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Udoo </td><td> Bloodcrows </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Umbral </td><td> The Twin Wreath </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Unbroken Nezzak </td><td> The Unbroken Legion </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Urq </td><td> Legion Protectorate </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vaal </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vaelira Tanglewood </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Val </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Valeska Pathfinder </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Valros </td><td> Pathfinders </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vanna </td><td> Deadfall </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vetra </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Vrakk </td><td> </td><td> Imperial Orcs </td></tr>
<tr><td> Welyn Nighthaven </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Willow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Winifred Blackhawk </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wren Embercast </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wren Hawkwind </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wren Summergleam </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wrenley Dusk Crow </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wyl </td><td> Sea Weasels </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wynn Summergleam </td><td> Summergleam </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Wynne Hallowmark </td><td> Blackstripes </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Xandor Trodbroker </td><td> TrodBroker </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Yanna Thorns Rest </td><td> Thorn's Rest </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ydfran Waystone Path </td><td> The Waystone Path </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ylona Silverfletch </td><td> Silverhawks </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ynyr Rootround </td><td> </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Ysult Moss-step </td><td> Thornfang Thornborn </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
<tr><td> Zakal Antigonus Shatterhorn </td><td> The Barbed-Eye </td><td> Navarr </td></tr>
</table>
</div>
==The Call==
By themselves the warbands of the Navarr and the Imperial Orcs could probably liberate the Grove of Woe in Sanath, but it would still be touch-and-go. The Navarr are adept at swift movement, skilled at not being seen by their enemies until it is too late. The Imperial Orcs have the advantage that they can masquerade as Druj when they need to, distasteful as they may find it, allowing them to brazen their way past patrols or secure information from unsuspecting soldiers of the Mallum. Yet they are behind enemy lines, in territory where an ancient [[Druj miasma]] hangs like a weighted shroud over everything.

Fortunately, the burden of success does not rest solely on the shoulders of the warriors. This is a mission of mercy. Oaths and bonds of family, virtue and the memory of what it means to be imprisoned, do not only motivate those who fight. Dozens of folk who have never raised a spear in anger, held a shield, or marched to an uncertain future answer the call of the Great Forest Orcs. Veterans of old conflicts, who long since hung up harness and sword, hear the familiar thump of their hearts, the sharp tang that promises bloodshed and desperation and perhaps the sweetness of victory over darkness. There are few victors in war; all too often it is fought between soldiers who do not entirely know why they fight. Against the Druj though? On a rescue mission? There is no grey area here.

So across Miaren and Hercynia, even in the tangled depths of Brocéliande and the lost lands of Therunin and Liathaven, the Navarr move. They gather at [[wayhouse|wayhouses]], meet in hidden glens beneath the blind eyes of the Jotun and the Druj. At the same time, in Skarsind and Mareave, the septs of the Unshackled hear the twin-whispers of virtue and spirit, hearing the voices of the ancestors urging them to ''take action'' and ''answer the call'' and ''kill the Druj''.

These people make decisions that put both their lives and their livelihoods on the line. Shopkeepers and cowherds; herbalists and gardeners; foresters and miners; priests and guides and preachers and shaman; and all the great span of people in between. They do what they can to ensure the raid is a success and the Great Forest Orcs are brought home - and that their own people come home with them.

Some contribute directly - they gird themselves and their fellows and they join the warbands slipping eastward. Others use their wealth - their Prosperity as their shield and sword - herbs and potions, money and mana used to secure enchantments and equipment, liao to create auras to defend against the miasma, magic items to give those who take the ultimate risk the edge they will need. Under the direction of the two commanders and their aides, no contribution is wasted. Everything is channelled toward the success of the mission.
{{CaptionedImage|file=BunnyArt.jpg|align=right|width=300}}

==The Rabbit==
Even as the decision about who should represent each nation is being made, a band of Navarr use the power of the [[Sentinel Gate]] to reach Thule-held [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwalt|Oerwalt]] in the north. At a [[regio]] there, two brave covens call down the [[Forge the Wooden Fastness|warding power]] of ''[[Irra Harah|Shacklebreaker]]'' into the wild woodlands. Rather than rely solely on the enchantment, they weave [[ilium|star metal]] into their working and draw on the boon promised by the ''Guard of the Weak''. Even as the forests shift and twist themselves to defend the Thule fighting there - for such is the way of the Wooden Fastness - the ''Prince with a Thousand Foes'' focuses his attention in the Forest of Ulnak, and on the plight of the Great Forest Orcs.

As the first Navarr and Imperial Orcs cross the borders into the Forest, they are met by quick-footed, keen-eared heralds. Caparisoned for war, garbed in thin leather and armed with clubs and staves, these leporine [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] have a supernatural sense for danger that helps their allies avoid patrols and sentries alike. When fighting is inevitable, they engage alongside the thorns and the legionnaires, and it soon becomes apparent that their master ''Shacklebreaker'' more than deserves his name as their simple weapons [[shatter]] shield and spear alike leaving their foes vulnerable to the weapons of Imperial heroes.

Often when the servants of the ''Lord of Brambles'' deal with the people of the Empire, they are curt and unfriendly. There is no hint of this among those who offer their aid in the Forest of Ulnak. A few even speak of having fought alongside the Imperial Orcs before they ''were'' the Imperial Orcs. Others express their sincere approval for the oaths the Navarr have taken, and the aid they give to their friends. If there is talk of the horrors of the Barrens or the politics of Sarangrave, the subject is swiftly changed. The heralds are focused on their purpose for being here - to free those under the cruel heel of the tyrants of the Mallum and to kill as many of those oppressors as they can in pursuit of it.

There is only one real point of friction and that is with the ''other'' allies the Empire brings with them into the Mallum.

==The Karass==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Reynard of De Gauvain.png|caption='''Reynard of De Gauvain''', Envoy to the Karass|align=right|width=250}}
By now it is a truism that nobody likes [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|the Karass]]. One of the three surviving septs of the Barrens, the Great Forest Orcs certainly despise them - and the feeling seems mutual. Those who Chief Vallack has sent to accompany the raid into the Mallum will not even speak to the Karass, will not be in the same space as them.

Yet for all that, the Karass have made it clear in the past that they are prepared to be ''of use'' to the Empire, just as they were once ''of use'' to the Druj. They do not seem to have any significant military strength; what they ''do'' have is a truly uncanny amount of information about the Mallum and its wicked overlords. They know how their patrols operate, and they know where the paths and the roads lead. Nobody knows the Druj lands like the Karass. The Empire has maps, but the Karass have actually travelled these lands. They know how the Druj move, and they know how they think.

They did not volunteer; they were asked to join the raid by the [[Envoy to the Karass|envoy]] appointed by the people of [[Dawn]] to deal with the often difficult sept of [[The Barrens#The Bleaks|Bleaks]] and the [[The Barrens#Untrod Groves|Untrod Groves]]. It is not clear at first whether they intend to respond, but shortly before the warbands in the Barrens start to mobilise, a hundred or so Karass hunters emerge from the woodland and join the Imperial forces encamped along the borders.

They do not pretend to have any great love for the Great Forest Orcs; they do not suggest for one moment that they are here for virtue or because they recognise the virtue of the task ahead. They say they are here to discharge a debt for the [[Who_can_you_trust%3F#Protect_Lenna_Karass_(The_Barrens)|rescue]] of ''Lenna Karass'', and to show the Empire once again that they have value as allies. Are they telling the truth? It's hard to say, but they have proved their worth already this year when they helped [[Fear_quickens_the_breath#Into_the_Forest|deny the Thule]] a prize they sought in the Forest of Ulnak. Perhaps it is best not to enquire too closely about their motives simply because their presence greatly increases the likelihood of success - knowing where you are going, where to avoid, who you can trust and who you can't, is ''everything''. Even more so than the Unshackled, the Karass can approach Druj settlements and talk with the occupants with no fear of a ruse being exposed. In enemy territory that kind of intelligence is priceless... assuming you can trust it. You can't betray your enemies, so they say. Which raises the question of just who is the Karass' enemy and now we are back where we started.

[[Vigilance]] is a virtue, and where the Karass are concerned it may be more important than any of the others. If the sept chooses to betray the Empire, if they pick their moment carefully (which they surely will) then the results will be devastating and might result in the failure of the entire mission. Sometimes, perhaps, it is a mistake to keep your enemies ''too'' close...

Regardless, when the Empire moves, the Karass are with them, and the desperate mission into the Mallum begins.
<div style="float: right; max-width: 400px; margin-right: 10px;">{{HoverImage|Salt Flats of Sanath Regions.png|SaltFlatsBasic.png}}</div>

==Upper Saarnath==
The [[Forward into depthless dark|campaign in Lower Saarnath]] is in its earliest stages as the raiders committed to the Salt Flats of Sanath begin to move east, to make the difficult ascent onto the plateau of Upper Saarnath. The land rises steeply here, cliff walls and difficult paths presenting the only safe way to make the ascent. The Druj control the main routes, those usable by sizable organised forces. An army would struggle to climb the plateau without fighting, without giving the game away, but the warbands of Imperial heroes are a different matter. There are those with experience in the highlands of Hercynia, and Unshackled who have adapted to the rugged life in northern Skarsind, who make short work of the climb. With the aid of the Karass, others are able to find isolated paths, either unguarded, or with the kind of sentries who will not be missed for weeks if they are slain. A small number receive more magical assistance - while the children of Irra Harah are mostly active in the Forest of Ulnak to the north there are still a few here to help rescue the prisoners from the Grove of Woe. Those who have their aid are able to climb an otherwise impassable cliff-face using a magically conjured vine that the heralds dance and pipe into being, growing with supernatural speed up the sheer rock walls to provide ample handholds for ascent and - more importantly - later descent.

As with a surprising amount of the Mallum, the forests here are not heavily populated. There are woodcutting camps here and there, and areas where trees have been cleared to create miserable villages populated by Druj subject septs, but most of the plateau remains wild and untamed. The heavy weight of the Druj miasma hangs over everything, corroding the confidence of those sneaking through the forest towards the Grove of Woe. Fortunately, between donations of liao and certain potions, the worst of the effects can be managed at least for a time.

The other threat here is more mundane; it is all too easy to get lost in what amounts to an often trackless expanse of trees. There are a few roads, it's true, but they are more dangerous than the wilderness. Druj soldiers patrol the roads, the settlements along them are alert for signs of raiders from the Imperial forces attacking Lower Saarnath. All too often the Empire must trust to instinct to find their way through terrain that looks the same hour to hour, day to day.

Standing at the heart of the region, the Grove of Woe represents one of the largest weirwood forests in the Mallum. A match for [[Canterspire Circle|Canterspire]] and the [[Golden Trees of Seren|Golden Trees]], only the [[Hunt of Alderei the Fair]] in far-off Varushka is larger. It is also clearly ancient; the woods here have been tended and harvested for centuries. It is a hive of industry - albeit a ''Druj'' hive of industry. Before one even comes in sight of the grove proper, there is a ring of high watchtowers protruding from the trees that allow garrisons of keen-eyed orcs to keep a watch over the approaches. Perhaps watchtower is the wrong word - it conjures to mind a simple structure with one or two occupants gazing out across the treetops. These watchtowers are more akin to small forts; wide platforms supporting what amounts to a tiny keep, easily home to two or three dozen orc warriors.

Furthermore the Karass warn that each tower is equipped with a set of sounding drums that will allow a warning to be spread across half of Upper Saarnath in a heartbeat if the raiders stumble. The towers are also situated just close enough to each other that an attack on one risks others realising what is going on and sounding the alarm. Worse, it is not a simple matter of disabling the instruments; four times a day the drums must be beaten in certain rhythms to show the tower is still intact or the alarm will inevitably be raised.

There is a plan, though, and as long as it goes smoothly it will be a success. In the darkest heart of the night, two adjacent towers are attacked. Skin and weapons and armour blackened with mud, the stealthiest assassins among the raiders scale the legs of the towers in silence and bring swift death to the sentries on watch. Any misstep here risks sending a screaming body plunging to the forest far below, risks rousing the rest of the defenders with enough time for them to raise the alarm.

With the sentries dealt with, the rope ladders are dropped to allow more warriors to swarm up to secure the platforms. It is not just a matter of assassinating sleeping barbarians; each has a shift ready to respond to any alarm raised by those watching the forest. Brutal, bloody fighting, high above the forest floor, leads to serious wounds on each side. It's fortunate that the [[Rivers of Life]] flow across Sanath this season - but it also makes the fighting that much more vicious as the foe must often be executed to prevent them rising again.

After the towers are captured, there is only a short time for the next stage to be put into operation - Imperial Orcs in Druj hooded cloaks take up the post of sentries so that the neighbouring towers will not suspect anything is wrong. There must also be people ready to beat the signal drums, to prevent the alarm being raised - at least until the Grove of Woe itself is attacked. Then it will be the responsibility of these brave fighters to attack the towers to either side, to widen the safe passage for the escape.

==The Grove of Woe==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj8.jpg|title=The Black Hide Beetle - symbol of the Pakkad|caption=The Black Hide Beetle - symbol of the Pakkad|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj4.jpg|title=The Deathstinger - symbol of the Hupul|caption=The Deathstinger - symbol of the Hupul|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj6.jpg|title=The Coiled Shrike - symbol of the Kallad|caption=The Coiled Shrike - symbol of the Kallad|align=right|width=200}}
</div>
With the outer defences secured, the sands truly begin to flow through the hourglass. It is now just a matter of time before the Druj realise what is happening, before ill chance or a passing patrol exposes the ruse. Stealth is still useful, but speed is essential now. Unfortunately, speed brings its own risks. The Druj have placed traps and pitfalls all around the Grove of Woe. It soon becomes apparent that these traps are less about discouraging attackers - although an army would certainly suffer losses if they tried to press through the woods here - than they are about punishing anyone who tries to flee the groves. Some are clearly ancient, others relatively new. Spiked pits, deadfalls, tripwires attached to blades crusted with filth and old venom, weighted nets that fall and lift, and game trails that seem safe until they very much are not.

Here the Karass guidance is more sketchy - they know the traps ''exist'' but they have no way of knowing where they are. Fortunately, the Navarr are no strangers to this kind of subtle warfare, and know the signs to watch for. Even with that expertise, though, the infiltration of the woods is perilous. It is not enough to just bypass the traps; wherever possible they must be disarmed to reduce the risk of someone stumbling into them while fleeing the Grove.

Within the ring of traps is the Grove itself, an expanse of healthy weirwood trees that reaches up above the surrounding forest. There is one final circle of defence - a weirwood wall topped with vicious spikes of mithril and rusted iron. A garrison of several hundred orcs, cruel guards and wicked overseers who keep the captured prisoners in line. Here the last tatters of stealth begin to fragment and blow away. The raiders have the initiative, launch their surprise attacks at three key junctures, each arrow or javelin finding its target and sending them sprawling, but there is no way to stop the alarm being raised. Even as the gates and the walls are attacked, the drums start beating, heavy thunderous notes of warning that are soon echoed by the loyal watchtowers.

For some, perhaps, it is a relief. Too many days of ever-tightening tension, each successful act of infiltration being nothing more than the threat that the ''next'' risk will be the one that brings the whole house of cards tumbling down. Now it is battle, and for many of the Imperial Orcs they smash through the Druj defences with the voices of their ancestors ringing exultant in their spirits, in their hearts, in their ears. ''Break these chains!'' they shout, and ''kill the slavers!'' and ''no mercy for the Druj!'' The Navarr are lockstep with their allies, but where the orcs have the voices of their ancestors to spur them on they have the memory of Therunin, and what the Druj did to their people there, and it howls in their blood loud enough to match any spirit of the gone-before.

Again the curse of [[Spring magic]] helps both sides, prolongs the fighting, makes it five times bloodier than it might have been. These Druj are elite fighters - [[Arkad#Pakkad|Pakkad]] and the [[Arkad#Hupul|Hupul]] and [[Arkad#Kallad|Kallad]] who ensure the slaves stay in line. They are equipped as befits the [[Arkad]] - ample [[Legacy of Thorns|blade venom]], potions of healing and strength, and when all else fails pouches of [[true vervain]] to restore their vitality. Spells and potions of [[purify|purification]] prove invaluable during the battle to seize the Grove of Woe.

While the fighting rages, a small number of champions take advantage of the chaos to bypass the defenders and push deep into the encampment here among the weirwood trees. Their purpose is twofold - to kill any Druj commanders they can find and to let the slaves know that they are about to be liberated. They are perhaps a little unprepared for the tenacity of the resistance they encounter. Even as the fighting spreads along the walls and spills over into the outskirts of the encampment, those moving to the aid of the Great Forest Orcs discover that the Grove of Woe is under the direct command of one of the [[Druj lore#Buruk Tepel|Buruk Tepel]].

The orc master apothecary is protected by a cadre of Pakkad with the finest weapons and armour the Mallum can produce. True juggernauts of poison and steel, they fight with the fervour of the fanatic to protect their mistress. For her part the Buruk Tepel is clearly so much more than a "mere" master [[surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecary]]. There are braziers in which some sinister mix of herbs and poisons have been prepared and as her bodyguards battle the Navarr and the Imperial Orcs, she personally begins to set them alight. The thick greenish-yellow smoke they produce hangs low to the ground, creeping in a slow flood through the encampment. As more of the braziers are ignited, the fog spreads more quickly, begins to thicken, becomes deeper. When someone falls into the fog, they do not rise again. This "death fog" smothers anyone who breathes it for more than a few lungfuls - and if someone is already weakened when they encounter it it swiftly spells their doom. The Empire has encountered weapons similar to this in the past but never so concentrated, never so ''cruel''.

As the fighting continues, it also becomes apparent why none of the slaves here have joined the fighting. The Great Forest Orcs who tend the Grove of Woe have been chained to the floors of their ramshackle huts, and as the fog thickens they desperately struggle to keep their heads above the level of the poison mist. It becomes a race against time - to break the chains of the prisoners before the Buruk Tepel atrocity claims them. The raiders split their attention between the Druj defenders and the salvation of the orcs.

In the end though, the Empire is able to prevail - just. It is easy to say, but hard to communicate how close it is. A hair's breadth and the fog would have thickened enough, risen high enough, then the victory over the guards would have been rendered all but meaningless. If the heroes of the Empire had fought one iota less fiercely, committed even an ounce less completely to their goal, the Druj would have held the weirwood groves and stood victorious over the charnel pit they had made of it. In the end though, their terrible scheme does not come to fruition. The Imperial plan works. The slaves are saved, the Druj are slain.

The Buruk Tepel stands defiant to the last, at the heart of a tightening ring of Navarr spears and Unshackled blades and the blazing eyes of the heralds of ''Papa Otec''. She sneers, spits her defiance, and in the last moment touches the burning brand with which she sought to extinguish the lives of the Great Forest Orcs to her own robes. She becomes a pillar of flame, her arms spread out, the stench of burning hair and wool and cooking meat overpowering the stink of the dissipating death fog. Worst of all, as she burns, as she dies, she ''laughs'', howls with laughter until the fire rips the air from her lungs and she collapses in ashes and burnt fragments of bone. Those present to see her die will likely hear that laughter in their dreams for the rest of their lives and wonder what kind of creature, human or orc, can laugh while being devoured alive by flame.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Verys.png|title=Rune: Verys|align=right|caption=Strength is often found in unexpected places.}}

==Flight Through the Dark==
The last of the Druj defenders flee into the forest once it is clear the day is lost; they do not stand and fight. The rescued prisoners number several hundred. Roughly two thirds are of the Great Forest sept, although many of them have never known any life save that of slavery in the Mallum. The remainder are orcs of other subject septs kept for more prosaic service, and a few handfuls of humans. Most of the latter are Navarr, or Dawnish yeofolk, brought here after Druj raids for their own expertise in tending weirwood. Some have no knowledge of the Empire at all, and are as frightened of their rescuers as the orcs. They are either descendants of prisoners taken generations ago, or folk who lived in the Mallum before the Druj took control.

The next enemy to overcome is fear. There is so little time, and yet defeating this foe is crucial. It would be easy to imagine the Imperial Orcs would have an advantage here, but that would be a mistake. The slaves are orcs themselves, but so are their former masters. It is the Navarr, and their talk of oaths and of the bond with the sept of Peytaht that break through the paralysing, traumatic fear that the servants of Irra Harrah call ''"tharn"''. The fear that robs the mind of the ability to think, the terror that prevents the legs from moving and, if it lasts long enough, spells slow death. The words of the Navarr, and the reassurance of the handful of Great Forest Orcs with them, get through to the prisoners and get them moving.

This is the most vital thing, the part of the plan that could go most catastrophically wrong. Several hundred tired, frightened prisoners must now be escorted to safety, with the alarm raised and the Druj certainly already on their way. Supplies are needed - and while the [[business|businesses]] and [[farm|farms]] of Miaren and Hercynia and Skarsind and Mareave have provided what they can, carrying too much ''into'' the Mallum would just slow the raiders down when they need to move. And so the first order of business is to raid the camp and grab everything that can keep body-and-spirit together in the flight west toward the Empire. Food and water, obviously, but it is easy to overlook the importance of good footwear and sturdy clothes, walking sticks, containers to carry provisions, bedrolls... the list is endless and every moment brings the Druj closer.

Here fortune smiles a little on the Empire and their new charges. The garrison here had a great store of potions and herbs for their own use. The Buruk Tepel had brought her own supplies for her bodyguards. Potions to strengthen the body, to clear the mind, to heal wounds, even to bolster the spirit are all claimed and distributed among both the prisoners and those who have freed them. There is also, unfortunately, a sizable stash of potions known for the [[Double-sided Blade|pernicious impact]] they have on those subjected to them, and while there is some discussion as to whether [[Double-sided Blade#Weakening Sun|Weakening Sun]] or [[Double-sided Blade#Warming Armour|Warming Armour]] might ultimately be of use, these discussions are quickly curtailed. There are some weapons of the Druj, argues one of the priests vehemently, that we must never stoop to using, no matter how deep the need.

Time runs out. The agreed on signal comes from the captured watchtowers; a force of Druj is moving toward the Grove of Woe from the east. It's not clear if it is a local patrol, or a force up from [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Leen_Rarckan|Leen Rarckan]], but it is clearly time to go. Moving hundreds of disciplined soldiers is enough of a challenge; moving hundreds of terrified refugees is several orders of magnitude worse. Yet somehow, the plan holds together. The ragged column starts to move; a handful of wagons hold those not in a condition for the heavy marching ahead, nestled in among the hastily gathered supplies. Most of those who ride are children; the Druj have little use for tree-tenders too old or infirm to work the groves. The rest are those who were exposed to the death fog for a little too long and will need serious medical attention before they can walk easily.

Through the ring of traps, almost miraculously, without losing anyone. The caution of the Empire's approach has paid dividends here. There are a few attacks by Druj warriors - the sentries of the other watchtowers most likely coupled with some who fled the fall of the camp - but they are easily fended off. The rest of those who remained behind to hold the towers join the main body, and once they are through the outer circle the caravan begins to make better time.

Over the next several days, the raiders push themselves almost to the point of exhaustion. Outrunning the pursuing Druj is one thing; dealing with the Druj ''in front'' of them is another. While the ingress was marked by stealth and misdirection, the egress is a bloody swathe cut through the forested plateau as more and more Druj warriors zero-in on the fleeing Imperials and their living cargo. By the third day, some of the slaves have recovered enough to demand weapons, armour, shields of their own, to protect their friends and their families and fight alongside their rescuers. Some artisans and crafters among the Imperial force have sacrificed [[Materials#Metals|ingots]] and [[Materials#Natural_Materials|measures]] to craft the kind of weapons that will give even an unskilled wielder an edge; others have brought a few extra armaments from their forges or their armouries for just this kind of situation. For the rest... the servants of Irra Harah are again able to offer strange assistance; with a touch they can carve a shillelagh or a staff, or a spear shaft from a tree; with their fingers alone they can shape stone into spear-heads and charm vines to attach one to the other. They can weave grass and leaves into simple armour, held together more by magic than by any artisanry.

Westward then, from the first light of dawn to the last light after dusk, with the night-time spent in fitful sleep. The miasma presses down mercilessly, a threat to the spirit every bit as immediate and wicked as a Druj arrow poses to the body. Yet just as there are weapons and armour to wield against the mortal attackers, so there are also armaments that can be used against despair. Around simple campfires, in the shadows beneath the trees, in the snatched moments of rest and respite, there are stories and there are songs. The Unshackled share their history and the path that led them to where they are now; the Navarr speak of the fall of Terunael and the nation that rose from its ashes; the Great Forest Orcs share a few tales that are new even to those who know the sept of Peytaht, of the woodlands that once stretched from shore to shore and the spirit that moves through it. As a philosopher once said "''greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams''," and ultimately the final victory over the Druj will be the victory over despair.

Long days and long nights and then, long hours of trudging exhaustion punctuated by terrifying moments of battle and bloodshed. And through them, at last, against all the odds, the edge of the plateau comes steadily closer. There is little chance of taking the rescued prisoners down the secretive routes used to reach Upper Saarnath. A final assault, then, against the ''Lidless Stair'', and then hopefully safety below.

Of course, nobody can be sure if there is any safety in Lower Saarnath. When the heroes of the Empire made the ascent into Upper Saarnath, the fighting was just beginning. If the Empire has been driven back into Sarangrave, if the Druj have sent a superior force, then all this might still prove to have been for naught as the descent places the heroes and their charges in the heart of the armies of dread. As much as they can the Imperial raiders keep this unsettling truth from the former slaves, for fear that it may prove one burden too many for them to bear.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tykonus.png|title=Rune: Tykonus|align=right|caption=We take victory where we can.}}

==Down the Lidless Stair==
The Lidless Stair is a wide path, the most southerly of those which allow an army to move from the lowlands to the uplands. It is guarded by a wall of twisted weirwood and old white granite, and a few hundred soldiers. The plan gambles on the fact that some of those soldiers will be out of position - joining the fighting in Lower Saarnath or looking for the raiders in the wrong place.

A fortress might be poor quality, but it is still a fortress. Crystal mana is gathered in trembling hands, supplemented by a few pots of [[Vis#Vital Honey|Vital Honey]], and in the last hours before dawn a ritual is enacted among the trees on the edge of the plateau. Those Navarr magicians versed in [[Spring magic]] are just between them able to craft a [[Rising Roots that Rend Stone|magical weapon]] to breach the wall. Warriors alone could have taken the Lidless Stair, for sure, but there is no way they could have done it without loss of life - and without leaving their charges vulnerable. With the magic of those volunteers who accompany them, though, there is another option.

The spell works like a charm; one minute the arrogant Druj defenders are taunting the approaching force from the safety of their gatehouse, the next that gatehouse is rent asunder sending no-longer smug orcs tumbling in every direction. Shorn of their wall, the Druj lose much of their steel... only to discover that they are now trapped between the furious Imperial heroes to the east and the armies of the Empire to the west. Their only escape is death, and in the end that is the route they all must take.

Even as the gates fall, the alarm is being raised at the rear of the column. A (relatively) disciplined force of Druj warriors is fast approaching, closing the distance with distressing speed. The fight at the top of the Stair is nearly won but not quite and if the defenders must split their forces then there is every chance they will fail, fall at the last hurdle between them and freedom...

The sky turns black, and the rain begins to pour, and the gale begins to howl, and in that moment it looks as if everything has been for nothing. The raiders will need to choose between sacrificing their lives to delay the inevitable, or leaving those they promised liberty to be recaptured, slaughtered.

Then a horn is heard, an echoing note that rises above the weather, that stills fear and quickens the heart. It is followed by a peal of thunder, an indescribable noise as if the sky itself was being torn in half and whatever it is that lies behind it was pouring through. Far to the east thunderbolts cascade out of the peligin clouds, and for a moment that noise expands to fill the entire world.

The approaching Druj scatter in terror, the sound overwhelming their discipline for precious minutes. The gate of the Lidless Stair is taken, and the refugees begin to pour down the path, down into the southern reaches of Lower Saarnath. By the time the approaching Druj find their courage again, the very last Imperial soldiers are following them down. And at the bottom wait the victorious Imperial armies, and the Druj dare not follow their quarry into that unwelcoming embrace.

So, then, when all is counted up, the plan has gone just as it should have. The Great Forest Orcs are rescued from the Grove of Woe, along with several dozen other servants of the Druj who will find a welcome in the Barrens, or in Skarsind, or further afield in Hercynia or Miaren.

But what of the Forest of Ulnak?
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Forest of Ulnak is mapped, but parts of the territory remain unknown.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==The Ancient Forest==
What of the Forest of Ulnak indeed. In the north, speed is more of a pressing concern than stealth. For the plan to work, the Grove of Woe and the Sacred Grove need to be attacked at roughly the same time. The Buruk Tepel are said to be able to communicate over great distances using some mystical technique or other, and any warning will surely see Nimon Rue execute their prisoners. Worse, no matter where they enter the Forest, the Imperial raiders will need to cover more than twice the distance to reach the weirwood groves - through the whole of [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwalt|Oerwalt]], [[Forest of Ulnak#Grimfen Mire|Grimfen Mire]], or [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Ghul'thak_Forest|Gul'thak Forest]], and then into the depths of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Deathsgate|Deathsgate]], all under the unsleeping gaze of [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Cassad_Ûln|Cassad Ûln]] itself.

The plan rules out any approach through Gul'thak. There is something alien in the woods there, something alert and watchful. Just as bad, there is the Thistle of Barbs, which defends the forest from any attempt to cross the Nameless River. Oerwalt would be easier, but risks the attention of the orcs of Otkodov. Most likely the Thule would be disinterested in the Imperial plan, but there is always a chance that they might obstruct it unintentionally, or otherwise.

Talking with the Karass, the decision is made to push through Grimfen Marsh, skirting the northern Gul'Thak as quickly as possible, and then delving into Deathsgate. While Grimfen Marsh is perilous, and reasonably well populated, there is no suggestion that the folk who live there have any love for the Druj. Treachery is always a threat in the Mallum, but between the Imperial Orcs and the Karass, it is assumed they will be able to handle the sprawling families of Druj subjects.

Here the Empire also has significant aid from the children of ''Papa Otec''. The heralds out of Oerwalt do not boast of their prowess, but they quietly let it be known that they can help with marsh and forest alike. Given speed is of the essence, they ask the raiders to trust their expertise. They can ensure the Empire is forwarned of any patrol, any watching sentry, no matter how canny or well hidden. The wisest beasts, they explain, always know when they are being watched. So it is with the servants of ''Shacklebreaker''.

With the plan set, a flotilla of small boats, rafts, and flat-bottomed skiffs are deployed to transport the raiders across the Nameless River, in small groups, and the assault on the Forest of Ulnak has begun.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj1.jpg|align=right|caption=The desperation of the Druj is so much worse than their complacency.|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|align=right|width=300|caption=It is unwise to rely too much upon the goodwill of the Dragons.}}</div>

==Grimfen Mire==
While it is called both fen and mire, Grimfen is as much forest as it is marsh - a flooded forest, reminiscent of the wild places of Therunin on the other side of the Barrens. There are insects everywhere, vicious animals, deadly toadstools and mushrooms, predatory birds, and an omnipresent cladding of soft mosses. The natural dangers here are made all the worse by the presence of the Spring curse placed on the entire territory by the warlocks of Otkodov. The [[Rivers Run Red|rivers run red]] here, breeding sickness and infection that can make even the mildest of injuries, the smallest of insect bites, potentially life threatening. Potions and herbs can help of course, as can the magic and medical expertise of those who have risked their lives to accompany the warbands, but the danger is omnipresent.

The riverbank is marked by a handful of settlements - stilt-fishers and pot-fishers for the most part - and as one moves inland (inasmuch as any part of Grimfen can be called "land" rather than "mud") there are many more. The Karass know the routes to take, there are plenty of Navarr used to this kind of sodden woodland, and the raiding parties make good time. Rather than take a single path through the region, there are multiple bands of raiders moving separately. It increases the risk of one of them being spotted, certainly, but smaller groups are harder to spot and can react more quickly.

The heralds of Irra Harah are as good as their word; their supernatural senses provide ample warning of threats both barbarian and natural. They can tell the difference between a log sunk in a stagnant pool, and an awful predator that only ''looks'' like a log at a glance. They are able to show hunters which fungus is safe to eat and which will cause agonising nightmare delerium.

As with the force in the Salt Flats, the omnipresent miasma is a challenge. Again, liao and virtue and the voices of the ancestors help, but it is a struggle all its own, especially in environs such as this. There is something mournful about Grimfen, that goes beyond the miasma. Something sad woven into the roots and branches and the waterways. The Karass shrug when asked about it, and the heralds of Irra Harah just look sadly away and change the subject.

For all the difficult terrain, the raiders make good time through Grimfen. As the southern warband is cresting the cliffs of Upper Saarnath, they are closing in on the northern borders of the mire. Here they come across signs of battle - fighting between Thule conquerors and the defenders of the Mallum. It seems however that these are older battlefields, and it is only Druj bodies that are found here, bloated and flyblown by weeks abandoned in the damp, hot sun.

When the denizens of the region are encountered, on the rare occasions they cannot be circumvented easily, they either flee or just watch the Imperials impassively, disinterestedly. Perhaps one or two might seek to curry favour with their overlords by reporting the presence of trespassers but if they do they are either intercepted by their own people or ignored. Those orcs among the raiders who make contact with one of the settlements find a people cowed by the miasma, and by the wickedness of those who rule here. If they speak of the Empire at all, it is in the tones of folk who know them only from stories as wicked sorcerers who rain curses down on the Mallum and slaughter any orc who falls into their hands. The raiders might not encounter opposition here, but they find no welcome either.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Ull.png|title=Rune: Ull|align=right|caption=Chance undoes even the best laid plans.}}
==Trees and Bones==
From Grimfen, the raiders press along the border between Gul'thak and Bonewall. The southern woodlands give way to more barren hillside, and another dilemma. Travelling through the woods helps hide the presence of interlopers from any watchers, but likewise hides the watchers and impedes swift progress. Travelling through the hills is a little easier, but all too often leaves trespassers exposed to anyone who might be paying attention.

The dissipated groups that have made their way here join together as they push north and east. The time for stealth is coming to an end - if they are to make the Grove in time to save the Great Forest orcs they need to pick up the pace. Armed conflict is inevitable, and violence finds the raiders before they have gone more than a quarter of the distance they need to cover. A cohort of Druj soldiers, under the ragged banners of the [[Druj_armies#Deadly_Blade|Deadly Blade]], retreating out of Bonewall into Gul'Thak spy the Imperials and raise their spears to attack. A few race south, others east, to try and spread the alarm. Not only must the Imperials deal with the soldiers, but they must try and catch the runners if they hope to maintain the element of surprise.

As swift-footed warriors, scouts, and hunters in lighter armour dash to intercept the would-be alarm-raisers, the rest of the raiders are forced to battle venom-bladed Druj soldiers who know the terrain much better than they do. The Empire is outnumbered, but fortunately these are not fresh troops. Far from it. They have been fighting the invaders from Otkodov, and have had little time to resupply or rest. As it is the fighting is hard going, but the Imperial raiders are at full strength and well prepared. The Druj are cut down, and those who try to flee their inevitable rout are shown no mercy.

As the last warrior falls, those who chased after the runners return. They think they have silenced all those who would raise the alarm, but they cannot be certain. The need to move quickly intensifies.

This is only the first of several such encounters - ragged warriors retreating out of the Bonewall. Some bear battered banners of the Druj armies, others are part of the garrisons of the southern forts. They are demoralised, injured, tired, and as often as not their first thought is to retreat rather than fight. When they have to, the Empire kills them; when they don't they let them pass by, unnoticed.

Twice the raiders see signs of the Thule along the southern borders of the Bonewall. Massive encampments, lit up like the night sky with flames and lightstones. Azure banners marked with runes and depictions of the Dragons stand out against the skyline. It is clear the Thule ''want'' the Druj to know where they are, taunting them almost, as if they are urging the defenders of the Mallum to attack them. An ironic twist of the familiar Druj tactic of trying to lure their enemies into a trap, perhaps.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Deathsgate.jpg|align=right|caption=Cassad Úln stands sentinel over the high peaks of the north, watching eternally for anything that might threaten its domination.|width=500}}</div>
==Deathsgate==
Even for those who have seen the Tower of the Skink in Sarangrave, the great citadel of Cassad Ûln is a breathtaking sight. Where the Tower had something of a ramshackle mien, suggesting broken glass and rusted metal and twisted ambition, Cassad Ûln is fear and tyranny made manifest. Black stone looms on the side of the sweeping northern mountains, a single spire reaching up as if in defiance of the stars and the surrounding peaks. Where other Druj fortifications are intentionally things of spike and jagged steel, this is something else. A monolith of darkness, smooth sided, easily imagined as a great sentinel watching over the entirety of the Mallum. Those who have seen the wall at its base report that it is a different matter; a curtain of stone garlanded with the familiar grisly totems of the cruel masters of the Mallum.

The tower itself isn't always visible; Deathsgate is covered with a thick northern forest and it looks as if it would be possible to cross the entire region without ever seeing the open sky above the canopy. Yet once it is seen it preys on the mind - a result of the Druj miasma perhaps - and it is all too easy to imagine it staring through the leaves and branches deep into ones soul. One Imperial Orc jokes that perhaps it is just the biggest miasma pillar in the Mallum, but their attempt at levity falls very flat indeed.

As with so much of the rest of the Mallum there is no solid road to follow, no great highway. What roads there are, are rutted with wheel-tracks, barely more than open spaces between the tree trunks. It is clear that caravans must travel through these woods regularly - to collect the weirwood from the Sacred Grove and bring supplies to Cassad Ûln if for no other reason - but they must represent a truly arduous task. When asked, the Karass look blank and say "slaves" and leave it at that.

It would be easy to imagine that this is just more trackless wilderness, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Particularly in the south the woodlands here are dense with herb gardens, small villages, and the guarded estates of skilled tepel and apparently even some Buruk Tepel who wish to get away from the constant scheming of Sanath to spend some time in study. This means that the woods here are guarded, and the strain of having to ensure that nobody escapes to raise an alarm begins to show on the raiders.

Just as in the south, there is an outer ring and an inner ring of defenders here. Unlike the protections in Upper Saarnath, though, those established in the woods around the weirwood groves are not solely mundane and trickery will not avail against them. According to the Karass, there are white stones quarried from the depths of the northern mountains, marked with dark sigils and woven with cruel magic, that allow unnatural horrors to hunt the woods around the Sacred Grove and punish all who they find who do not bear the "mark of passage".

These supernatural guards are truly monstrous - orc-like humanoids whose bodies are pierced with metal and who drag terrible chains behind them. Some are plated in misshapen metal, as if their armour has fused to their flesh or their bodies have somehow grown ''through'' it. Some wear helmets that hide their entire face, hunting by sound and scent and the echo of feet on the earth. Others possess powers of dark witchery, able to drain the strength from a warrior with a touch of one taloned hand and leave them easy prey for the creatures that pad alongside them - a twisted mix of dog, and cat, and human being. They are given free rein to torment any who stray beyond the weirwood grove, and are said to be nearly as expert in prolonging agony as the masters of the Mallum are.

The initial proposal was that the raiders would ambush a Druj convoy, and steal a mark of passage. The problem is that even the Karass cannot say with any certainty how many folk can be protected by one such mark. Certainly it seems unlikely that one will be sufficient to protect a column of freed slaves. Only the wagons that carry weirwood out, and supplies in, are equipped with such marks but it is likely that there are more within the encampment itself. More than one raider points out that "likely" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

Fortunately, the presence of the heralds of Irra Harah provides an alternative and one that the supernatural children of the ''Voice of the Voiceless'' are ''very'' keen to put into operation. Rather than skulk and dissemble, masquerade and trust to the nebulous advice of the Karass, they propose smashing straight through the ring of wards, slaughtering every so-called guardian that gets in their way, shattering these white stone monoliths into pieces, assaulting the camp, murdering all the Druj, grabbing the Great Forest Orcs and running for the Nameless River. When questions are raised about how this can be done, the heralds reveal the boons their father has given them. A dozen staffs of woven wood that contain the power to tear stone structures apart when wielded by an adept of Spring magic. These, they say, will quickly put paid to any magical warding and binding stones, and there are enough masters of ritual lore here to make use of them.

In the end the decision is made for the raiders. Somewhere along the line, one of those who escaped the raiders with their life has made it to someone prepared to listen to them. Drums begin to pound to the south, and from the north the answering bray of some immense bone horn is heard. There are only two choices left; flee, or fight. In the end, the choice is no choice at all.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Surut002.png|align=right|width=240}}
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==Sacred Grove==
The defenders of the Sacred Grove appear almost immediately and they are just as awful as the Karass proposed. They are clearly [[inhabitants of the realms#herald|heralds]], and every sign suggests they are drawn from the [[Realms#Winter|Winter realm]]. Worse, almost as soon as they begin to engage the Empire, it is clear they are drawn from the [[The_Thrice-cursed_Court|Thrice-cursed Court]] which means that they have any number of horrible, cruel, wicked powers between them. Some can bring the Curse of the Bound King to bear on their foes, preventing them fleeing or defending themselves. Others wield the witchery of the ''Hag Queen'', cold and imperious and terrible, sapping willpower and spreading discord. The worst are probably those warriors that serve the ''Burnt Prince'' - armoured behemoths whose weapons sear and brand the skin. It also becomes painfully apparent that these are nothing like the warriors of the Thrice-cursed that the Empire is familiar with. These creatures are dark, and powerful, and wield a greater portion of their patrons power than anyone could have expected. They do not die easily, and they do not give up, and when one is seen there are half a dozen more close behind. Worst of all are the hounds - the hybrid horrors the Karass hinted at. Humanoid in rough form, with the aspect of wolf and lion, they are large enough to heft an armoured orc in one misshapen hand and they clearly have a taste for the flesh and blood and screams of mortal folk.

Questions of [[Alignment#Amity|amity]] and [[Alignment#Enmity|enmity]] immediately fall away as battle is joined, and always the plan is foremost in the mind of those fighting through this ring of horrors. The worst thing that can happen here is to falter, to allow themselves to be delayed now the alarm is raised. They ''must'' make it to the Sacred Grove before ''Nimon Rue'' can make good on their threat.

Fighting alongside the orcs and humans are the heralds of ''Shacklebreaker'' and they are something else the Empire has not really experienced. In the past, the children of ''Voice of the Voiceless'' have tended to talk, to retreat, to hide, to urge others to take up arms. Here, in the dark woods, against the servants of the ''Court of Rope'', they are transformed. Swollen with anger, channelling the fury of the Spring Realm against creatures whose entire being echoes with tyranny and cruelty, they take on a very different aspect. Some send their enemies flying with the kind of force Imperials are more used to seeing in the hands of the chosen of [[Siakha|Maelstrom]]. Others shatter their foes weapons but also their bodies; a herald of the Thrice-cursed with a broken leg is no more mobile than a mortal. Yet their fury seems to rouse an answering rage, especially in the burnt knights of Surut. Spring breaks, Winter endures. Ironically, it is the overarching magic of the Thule that swings the pendulum in favour of the Empire here - the Winter heralds are no more able to resist the magic of the malignant curse laid over Ulnak than the Imperial heroes are.

Of course killing the heralds of the Winter realm is not the reason those heroes are here. This fight is a distraction, a ruse all of its own. When the first detonation is heard, it sends a ripple through the knights of the ''Three Monarchs''. Their fury falters for a moment, and there is a shift in their tactics. A second detonation, and some of the heralds shake themselves as if suddenly free of chains all their own. The vates and warcasters, with their own skills and the boons of ''Prison Smasher'', are shattering the white stones that keep these heralds in place and command their service. Each one that falls loosens the bonds on them, frees some of them of their obligations. The gifts of the Winter realm are often double-edged, and it seems that this "gift" of bonded guardians is just such a one. While some of the heralds continue to fight the Empire's champions, others either turn aside from the fray entirely or start heading towards the Sacred Grove itself...

As with the Grove of Woe, there are defences around the encampment but again they are different. Rather than a wall, there is a loose barrier of wooden stakes, supplemented here and there by sections of palisade. There have been recent attempts to reinforce these defences, but they look very makeshift. It seems that the commander of the Sacred Grove trusted more in the supernatural defences than in anything so mundane as a ''wall''. The camp has defenders, though, and they are just as dangerous and vicious as those faced in the south. Elite troops, trusted with guarding one of the most valuable resources in the Mallum. Some bear the mark of the black tower, indicating an allegiance to the master of Cassad Ûln itself. Others have the marks of the septs of Ulnak, each of the Buruk Tepel of the northern Mallum represented here.

The commander here is no Buruk Tepel, relying on apothecary and subtle poisons. They have a very different fate in mind for the Great Forest Orcs - although it still involves fire. As fighting spreads through the camp - as the Empire assaults the defenders with the unexpected accompaniment of a handful of heralds of the Thrice-cursed Court clearly working out decades of frustration at not being allowed to harm those they "protected" - the horror that Nimon Rue has in store becomes clear. The workers of the weirwood grove, the Great Forest Orcs who have toiled here for generations, have been placed inside three tall wooden structures in the centre of the camp. Each is a terrible mockery of a weirwood tree, packed with living orcs, surrounded by kindling. It brings to mind the stories of [[the Marches]], of the [[The_Marches_culture_and_customs#The_Wicker_Man|wicker man]], but here the power of spiritual purification has been warped into a force of corruption and malice.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Burning Marches.jpg|width=400|align=right|caption=The Druj have something very different in mind to the purification heralded by a Marcher wicker burning.}}</div>
The commander of the camp - a [[Druj_champion#Het|het]] in armour of black plate - holds an iron torch, already burning. He is flanked by three witches - three [[Druj lore#Ghulai|ghulai]] - and as the Imperial heroes break through the stakes surrounding the sprawling encampment he steps closer to the awful pyre. Before he lights it, though, he turns to address the trespassers, to mock them for their failure, to invite them to witness the immolation of -

It's not clear if the arrow that finds his throat, the chink in his armour, is fired by Unshackled or Navarr, but it does the same job regardless. The Het topples backward, silenced, the brand falling from his suddenly numb hand. One of the witches stoops to pick it up, but another half-dozen arrows strike him before he can do so, sending him sprawling. Sorcerers are even easier to kill with a hail of arrows than het are.

One of the other two ghulai chants a word and raises their staff over their head, and unleashes a terrible spell that causes everyone in front of them - Druj and Imperial alike - to be wrapped in invisible chains that hold them immobile. The chains do nothing to stop the arrows, however, and ultimately simply allow the raiders to kill the het's guards before they can recover from the paralysis.

The third wizard flees rather than fights, and alone among her brethren escapes the arrows of justice. Unfortunately for her, she runs straight into the arms of an impossibly tall skeletal figure with a mirrored half-helm, who wraps her up in unnaturally jointed arms before biting her face off and turning her screams to desperate gurgles.

Chaos, death, blood, fire. As the last of the Druj are mopped up, those free to do so tear into the wooden trees and free those trapped inside. There is no time to waste, none at all. The defenders of Ulnak are coming and the Druj know they are here. The element of surprise is gone, and there is so far a distance to cover it seems impossible. There's little time to spend in explanations - ten minutes to grab provisions and possessions, to raid the Druj supply tents, and then they have to leave.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Gralm.png|title=Rune: Gralm|caption=We all come to the crossroads eventually.|align=right}}

==The Plan Changes==
Terrified, but desperate to survive, the freed orcs are gathered and the exodus begins. In the time it takes to drag them together a decision is reached - there is no way that the Imperial heroes will be able to lead these orcs to safety along the same route they took to get here. The plan will need to change. It is risky but it seems the best of the available bad plans is to run west, into Bonewall, and trust the orcs of Otkodov to hold to their alliance with the Empire. The Karass have a different proposal. The Druj will ''expect'' them to go west, or to retrace their steps. There is another option. It is dangerous - incredibly so - but if it works it will allow them to escape the Mallum. Instead of going for the nearest safety, they head ''south'' through [[Forest of Ulnak#Shifting Basin|Shifting Basin]] to the river and from there to [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]]. Instead of trying to bypass the Mallum forces no doubt regrouping to fight the Thule along the Bonewall, they avoid the fighting by pressing through land the Druj believe uncontested.

The flaws are obvious, but the worst is that the refugees would still need to cross the Nameless River at a point where nobody is expecting them to try. The Karass try to argue that messengers could be sent, and boats be waiting, but in the end it simply makes no sense. The Shifting Basin contains one of the largest Druj settlements in the Forest of Ulnak, for a start. The Rivers Run Red bear down on everyone in Ulnak, and the idea of transporting four hundred tired slaves through trackless marshes when any injury might fester and become incapacitating is unpopular. It isn't said out loud, but these new plan also involves giving the Karass a level of trust nobody is comfortable with.

Westward it is, then. The Karass are clearly unhappy, but they are not in charge here. Nothing is ever simple of course; the Great Forest Orcs are no less traumatised than those rescued from the Grove of Woe. Sickness and infection become a constant threat, and without the medical supplies and expertise of those who risked everything to be here the death toll would surely mount higher and higher. There is nowhere near enough time to collect enough provisions and supplies, with the threat of Cassad Úln literally looming on the horizon.

The plan has changed, and now everyone has to make sure it works. Out past the ring of warding and binding, and then turn sharp west to flee through the woods towards the all-too-distant hills. The first day is the worst, with the Great Forest Orcs still adjusting to the fact they are fleeing for their lives and freedoms. Hope can be painful, especially for people who are unfamiliar with it. The first night is bad, but by then the new reality is beginning to take hold. Just as in the south, some of the freed slaves ask for weapons and armour, or offer their skills to help their fellows, former slave and liberator alike. It is too dangerous to risk fires, and folk are forced to huddle together for warmth under the cold Autumn stars.

Only as morning breaks, and the column of refugees gets ready to move, do the Imperial heroes notice that the Karass have disappeared.

==The Treachery of the Karass==
During that first dark night, the Karass vanished. None of the sentries seem to have seen them leaving, and it is clear that this is not some random desertion. This is something that would have taken planning. There was always a chance the Karass would betray the Empire, and it looks as if the fears for their fidelity were well founded.

Although not ''all'' of the Karass have disappeared. One has stayed behind; an old hunter found sitting in the middle of the camp smoking a pipe. They endure accusations of cowardice and treachery for a few long minutes, then put their pipe away and offer an explanation. The plan hasn't changed, says that remaining hunter. Not for the Karass at least. They knew all along there was almost no chance that the Empire would be able to raid the Sacred Grove and escape without the aid of at least one Imperial army. This was the contingency put in place by Anka Karass; the sept has gone to help the plan succeed by risking their own lives to create a distraction. They will launch a raid on Shadowmere, the domain of the Iron Asp, and the largest settlement in the south. The Druj will respond, directing their gaze toward what seems to be a major threat, and the Karass will melt into the marshes and make their own way home. Unlike the Imperials, the Karass can effectively disappear in the Mallum - not even the Imperial Orcs can say the same.

There's no doubt something stinks to the celestial heavens, but what can be done? The Karass are gone, and if they are going to return with the Druj it is already too late to do anything about it. They've been ''essential'' up to now, helping at every turn, but in truth, it's not clear they are needed any more. Their role was always to help the Empire slip into the Druj lands, to get close to their target without tipping their hand. No-one will feel the loss of them, now it's time to run for the hills.

How much of what this hunter is saying is the truth is impossible to gauge. There isn't time to try and make him change his story, and what if he is telling the truth? Risk everything on suspicion? What good would that serve. The plan has changed once, but that doesn't mean the Empire shouldn't stick to the new one. So with that lone Karass under careful watch, the escapees begin to move westward through the forest toward the Thule front lines.

The caravan moves, as it inevitably must, and then everything goes wrong.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Yoorn.png|title=Rune: Yoorn|caption=An end is in sight...|align=right}}

==Later Than You Think==
It's always later than you think. That first night under the trees of Ulnak, with the Karass sneaking away into the darkness, brings that home if nothing else does. The hourglass is nearly empty. As the southern force is fighting its way down the Lidless Stair, the raiders in the north realise just how close the Autumn Equinox is.

Close as the summit at Anvil is, the Druj are closer. The garrison of Cassad Úln is on their trail, the soldiers of the Thistle of Barbs cannot be far behind. There is even some hint that some of the heralds of the Thrice-cursed are stalking the fleeing prisoners. The weather is shifting, and the Empire's heroes are fighting their way into a warzone.

When the Imperial Orcs scouts come back to report that there is a major Druj force ahead - several thousand strong - it feels almost inevitable. The orcs of Otkodov, it seems, have claimed the whole of Bonewall and pushed the defending forces of the Mallum back... right into the path of the fleeing heroes. There's no suggestion they've done this on purpose - indeed it would be incredibly difficult for them to manoeuvre the Druj in this way. It just seems to be the worst of luck.

Turning north or south won't help - the caravan has to keep moving or those hunting them will catch up. If there had been a larger force - the help of an army or another twenty warbands maybe - the matter would be different. But if wishes were oxen, nobody would ever have to pull a plough. The situation is dire, and it looks as if everyone in the Forest of Ulnak is going to die...

==Game Information==
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; margin: 15px;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBNavarr.jpg|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=NBOrcs.jpg|align=right|width=200}}</div>
===Rescue the Prisoners===
* '''The raid to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Mallum has been a qualified success'''
* '''Several hundred slaves have been brought safely to the Empire, but several hundred more remain in imminent danger'''
* '''Those chosen to organise the raid have received some weirwood from the Grove of Woe'''

The ambitious [[venture]] to [[All_I_ask_of_you#Help_Us|rescue the Great Forest Orcs]] from [[the Mallum]] before they could be executed by the [[Druj]] has been a qualified success, but it is not quite over yet. Large numbers of Navarr and Imperial Orcs put everything on the line to help free the slaves forced to work in the weirwood groves of the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. With the enthusiastic aid of the [[All_I_ask_of_you#Wild_Things_Run_Fast|children of ''Papa Otec'']] and the somewhat grudging assistance of [[All_I_ask_of_you#Dog_Eat_Dog|the Karass sept]], those imprisoned in the [[Salt_Flats_of_Sanath#Grove_of_Woe|Grove of Woe]] have made it safely back to Imperial lands. Those who were held at the [[Forest_of_Ulnak#Sacred_Grove|Sacred Grove]] have been freed, but they remain in terrible danger from the Druj.

To [[All_I_ask_of_you#Rescue_the_Great_Forest|free all the Great Forest Orcs]] required the player characters to reach a threshold of 60,000 effective force. Once every factor was taken into account, the venture fell a tiny bit short of the required amount. In theory, while the Empire had enough strength to ''Liberate the Grove of Woe'', this would have left the orcs of the Sacred Grove to suffer a horrible death at the orders of ''Nimon Rue''. Given how close it was, we quickly decided it was much better to go a different route, and give player characters a chance during the event to save the remaining Great Forest Orcs in the Forest of Ulnak.

The region of [[Forest of Ulnak#Oerwealt|Oerwealt]] in the Forest of Ulnak has permanently gained the [[Region_qualities#Woodward|woodward]] quality thanks to the efforts of Navarri covens and their allies. Heralds of [[Irra Harah]] will find it easier to enter the mortal world there and support the people in that territory who have reason to fear oppression, tyranny, or violence. This led to them offering support to both raids, but what it means for the future remains to be seen.

There are two sections below for players who participated in the action - who either used their personal resource directly or took the unique opportunity to [[All_I_ask_of_you#Strength_and_Sacrifice|personally commit]] their efforts to try and ensure victory.

In addition to several hundred former slaves of the Druj, the commanders of the raid - '''Ioan Longshadow''' for the Navarr and '''Skywise Rykana''' for the Imperial Orcs - have liberated a dozen wains of [[weirwood]] that have been split between them. It is up to them what to do with these wains.

===Participation : Sanath===
* '''The Great Forest Orcs rescued from the Grove of Woe in Upper Saarnath are safely back behind Imperial lines'''
The attack in the south, against the Grove of Woe in the Salt Flats of Sanath, has been entirely successful. Characters who supported the effort either with their [[military unit]] (or a [[forest]] or other resource transformed into a military unit with magic), or who supported it with other resources, are encouraged to make up stories about their exploits that fit with the narrative presented.

There's no requirement for a character to have actually taken part physically; they might have instructed their military unit to take part, or focused on providing funds or resources to those going. Alternatively, they might have led their own warband (or part of their warband), or girded up and taken their herbs, crystal mana, and the like with them to actively contribute to the success of the raid.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotra.png|title=Rune: Jotra|caption=Nothing is ever easy.|align=right}}
===Participation : Forest of Ulnak===
* '''The effort to free the slaves from the Sacred Grove teeters on the brink of failure'''
* '''At time in any player whose character would have supported the northern raid in person will have the option to emerge from the Sentinel Gate'''
As with those who took part in the raid into the Salt Flats of Sanath, any character who assigned their military unit or personal resource to the action could choose to be involved personally in the attempt to rescue the Great Forest Orcs from the Sacred Grove in the northern Forest of Ulnak. As can be seen from the narrative, this endeavour has not succeed, but it has not ''yet'' failed. As the Autumn Equinox dawns, four hundred or so former slaves, orcs and humans are caught between pursuing Druj from Cassad Úln and the armies camped along the border with the Bonewall. And in theory, their rescuers are trapped with them!

Obviously, nobody should have to choose between attending an event and supporting a downtime action! With that in mind we are planning to use the [[Sentinel Gate]] to let people do both. At the start of the event, any player whose character supported the northern prong of the raid into the Mallum can congregate at the Sentinel Gate. Shortly after time in, a rare [[Sentinel_Gate#Conjunctions|conjunction]] will take place linking the depths of [[Forest of Ulnak#Deathsgate|Deathsgate]] to [[Anvil]] (rather than the much more traditional other way around). Any player who wants, can emerge through that conjunction onto the field, having come from the beleaguered refugee column to seek desperate support from the rest of the Empire.

It won't be possible for anyone to use this conjunction to reach Ulnak from Anvil, but see the [[#Battle Opportunity|Battle Opportunity]] below.

Anyone who can't take this opportunity for whatever reason is free to roleplay that they were there but obviously nobody saw them, or that they had run ahead of the raiders once it was clear that everything was going wrong to bring news to Anvil - the kind of news that might have uncovered the battle opportunity.

Obviously anyone coming through the gate in this way is free to have wounds sustained in the battle so far, or to be suffering the lingering effects of exposure to the [[Druj miasma]] ([[Calls#Weakness|weakness]] and heightened sense of fear). We'll strive to have referees on hand who can provide some lingering [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|traumatic wounds]] where appropriate, but availability will depend on how many people there are.

In-character, the rescued Great Forest Orcs know what is happening - they aren't being deserted but rather the Imperial heroes are going to try and round up the cavalry to help them. Our assumption is that members of military units, and the heralds of Irra Harah, are remaining behind to do their best to get the freed slaves to safety while player characters look for aid at Anvil.

Please do not ask if you can take part in this opportunity if you did not take the appropriate downtime action. It is only available to those who assigned their military unit or personal resource. There's also no requirement out of character to take the opportunity - as mentioned previously it is entirely possible to put your full support behind the mission of mercy without personally attending the raid.

===Participation: The Karass===
* '''The Karass contributed 10,000 strength toward the success of the venture'''
* '''They have also pursued their own agenda'''
The Karass are a complicated people. At the request of the Envoy to the Karass, '''Reynard of De Gauvin''', they contributed support to the raid into the Mallum even though there is little love between them and the Great Forest Orcs. In the south, they helped the raiders get to the Grove of Woe and back, and while they might have been a little grumpy about it, there's no question their efforts helped achieve victory.

Things are a little more complicated in the north, as the narrative lays out. The Karass deserted the venture after it had freed the Great Forest Orcs, and headed off under their own command, allegedly to create a diversion. Their disappearance did not stop the sept from providing very considerable support to the raid - they effectively contributed 10,000 effective strength toward the overall success of the mission. Without their aid, there would be no opportunity to rescue the orcs of the Sacred Grove who would have been killed by the servants of ''Nimon Rue''. The Karass abandoned the raid at the point where stealth was of no further value - ''after'' they had contributed everything they were asked to do.

==Battle Opportunity : A Greater Darkness==
* '''There is a major conjunction of the Sentinel Gate to Grimfen Mire during the Autumn Equinox'''
The heroic efforts of the Imperial Orcs and the Navarr has seen four hundred Great Forest Orcs freed from the torments of the Druj from the Sacred Grove in Deathsgate. They have endured the trials of that tainted land, evaded Druj patrols, slipped past watchtowers and overcome patrols. Despite all this, the carefully planned rescue is about to be undone. Time has grown short, far too short, and only days before the Autumn Equinox it has become clear that a retreating Druj army is pulling back right into the path of the Great Forest Orcs trying to flee Ulnak...

The Druj are being pushed back by the advancing Thule forces in the territory. The barbarians are making haste to put distance between themselves and the Thule; eager to avoid any engagement. It is a hurried retreat, but for the most part orderly and free of panic. The Druj will be utterly unforgiving with anyone they encounter. When they cross paths with the fleeing Great Forest Orcs, they will fall on them like blood hounds on their prey.

There is a conjunction on the Saturday of the Autumn Equinox that will enable the heroes of Anvil to reach the ''Reeth Plain'' in Grimfen Mire.

===Objective: Delay the Druj===
* '''The Amber Scorpion will soon cut off the Great Forest Orcs and slaughter them'''
* '''Delaying the orcs for an hour will create time for the Great Forest Orcs to slip by and escape to safety'''

There are two ancient menhirs that stand on the open ground at ''Reeth Plain'', right in the path that the Druj must take to flee the Thule. If the Empire were to send heroes to Ulnak, then this location represents a strategic place to hold ground and focus the barbarians' attention. Any appreciable delay will slow the the retreat of the Druj forces, letting the Great Forest Orcs slip by before the Amber Scorpion sept realise they were even in the area.

Imperial forces will need to take the field and secure the ground in the area surrounding the two menhirs. Once there they can prepare for battle and then await the arrival of the Druj forces. The Empire will need to hold the field against the barbarians until midday. Once the Amber Scorpions are aware of the Imperial presence they will focus on engaging the Empire and bring more of their numbers to bear. They will try to push the Empire off the field, so that their army can continue to withdraw from the advancing Thule.

A single hour is all the time the Great Forest Orcs need to slip across the distant reaches of ''Reeth Plain'' and make good their escape out of Ulnak. The [[Field Marshal]] should aim to withdraw from the menhirs after this time and have their forces return to Anvil in good order.

===Opportunity: Free the Lost Researcher===
* '''Jovana Stradh von Temeschwar, a surviving member of the Silent Bell, is held by the Druj'''
* '''The mage is detained and subject to a powerful experimental poison'''

The daughter of a prominent miller of the famous ''Vargat Bianch'' flour, Jovana eschewed the family business to dedicate her life to hunting down the Empire's enemies. An adept mage and ardent member of the [[Silent Bell]], she leapt at the [[On_the_nature_of_fear|opportunity to find out more about the Druj's use of fear]]. While her fellow Bells devoted their time to studying the miasma pillars and their creation, Jovana got a lead on something different - an eternal "ally" of some kind that even the Druj were reluctant to employ - an eternal possibly unknown to the Empire. Sadly Jovana was captured and nothing more was heard - she was assumed dead - one of the many Bells [[On_the_nature_of_fear|who died to locate vital information]].

Fortunately it appears that the magician has somehow survived. If Stradh can be rescued and recovers from her injuries, then she may have some fresh insights into this eternal of fear that the Druj ghulai truck with. At the very least, her return will help to strengthen the ranks of the Silent Bell, which are grievously depleted [[link to Bell deaths|at this time]].

===Opportunity: Seize the Tepel's Nightmare===
* '''Sung has let the Empire know that the Amber Scorpions posses a nightmare secured in a dream tether'''
* '''If recovered, it can be passed to the Map to the City Below to give to Sung
* '''Sung will then enable the Empire to access the nightmare'''

Zylath Bilequill, a Druj loremaster or ghulai of sorts, is moving with the Amber Scorpions. Heralds of [[Sung]] have contacted the Empire to let them know that Zylath Bilequill possess a rare "Dream Tether". This is apparently a memory or a dream, or in this case a nightmare, trapped in a physical object known as the tether. Exactly how the Druj created the tether is unclear, but Night magic has the ability to manipulate and even steal memories, so it is theoretically possible. The nightmare contained in the tether must be important for the Druj to have gone to the effort of securing and preserving it in a physical form.

According to the ''Night Singer'', the nightmare pertains to the mystery of Deathsgate and the fortress of Cassad Ûln in the Forest of Ulnak. If the Empire can located Zylath and seize the tether from him it can be passed to the Leaguer responsible for the [[Map to the City Below]]. The title holder can then send it to the ''Everflowing River'' who will enable a small group of citizens to experience the nightmare, should they wish to. If the Druj thought the nightmare was useful, then any information it holds could yield valuable knowledge of what lies beyond the foreboding mountain range.

===Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] unless you have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

The entire area at ''Reeth Plain'', is under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Anyone entering the area will need to protect themselves from the clawing dread or succumb to a weakening terror that creeps into their mind.

The primary effect of the miasma is that it [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakens]] anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an [[anointing]], but particularly [[Heroic_skills#Hero|heroic]] individuals, or those in possession of certain [[enchantment|enchantments]] or [[magic items]] may also be able to counteract the effect. In particular, those of the [[changeling]] [[lineage]] are able to fight the effects of the miasma, only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.